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When getting gas is a good thing

TA: Thomo, I just happened to come across a bit of confidential information.

AT: Need a good chuckle to warm up, Tim. It's been very frosty in the mornings. What's the latest gossip?

TA: The yarn goes like this - State Emergency Service controller Gerry Billings had to have the gas cut off from the old SES site on Nicholson Street now that the crew has moved to new premises. Apparently, Gerry wasn't sure of the SES street number on Nicholson Street and when he filled in the necessary paperwork he wrote in number 90 Nicholson Street.

AT: I can feel a stuff-up coming on.

TA: You're right again. The gas workers turned up at 90 Nicholson Street and they found a little old lady living at the residence. She told the workers that she had not instructed the gas to be cut off from her house but the gas workers wouldn't listen. They had an application signed by SES controller Gerry Billings to cut off the gas and to take out the meter and that's what they did despite the distraught woman's pleas.

AT: You have to feel sorry for the little old lady having her gas cut off and the meter taken away in the middle of the current cold snap.

TA: Fortunately things have worked out all right. The gas and the meter are now back in place and connected. The little old lady has received a lovely bunch of flowers and many apologies from Gerry saying he was sorry for any inconvenience caused.

AT: We can't go a week without bagging the Warrnambool council. About 75 per cent of the dredged sand is back in the water after last weekend's big tides. At the current rate of progress the $300,000 month-long dredging program is going to cost $10 million and is expected to be completed by 2020. I'm also wondering how long it's going to take shopkeepers to realise that drivers are going to avoid the city centre with its one-lane roundabouts.

TA: I caught a glimpse of the only living Warrnambool Grand Annual and Warrnambool Cup winning trainer Jocka Baillie on Liebig Street on Thursday.

AT: Story was Jocka went missing after his performance in Breakers Restaurant on the Thursday night after the carnival.

TA: Your story is on the money. Jocka and a group of friends ventured to Breakers after the Grand Annual. Sources revealed Jocka was extremely upset that he may have seen his last Grand Annual. He ended up reliving his victories with Galleywood in the 1986 Grand Annual and Billingsford in the 1996 Warrnambool Cup. The evening turned into the night and Jocka got a bit lost. Sources say he took a wrong turn and ended up in the ladies toilet at the popular restaurant. When he walked back into the restaurant he received a large cheer from the patrons. Insiders said he was embarrassed by his wrong turn and had spent a couple of days recovering at home.

AT: Seems some of the comments made in this column during the past couple of weeks have caused some concern to Cobden coach Wayne Walsh and Camperdown's Peter Conheady. Walshy had his own problems last weekend against Koroit when the coaching staff discovered there wasn't a centre circle marked at Victoria Park. That caused Koroit officials to come up with spray packs and measuring tape after the reserves game to make the necessary additions. Cobden supporters were quick to point out that Koroit's two regular ruck options Nathan Meade and Liam McLaren weren't playing. It didn't make much difference with Koroit 74-point winners.

TA: Sad to report we lost an avid reader of the column during the week. Bernie Ryan loved reading the latest gossip, having a laugh and knew not to take everything too seriously. Bernie had been on the sick list for a while. Last Saturday his two step-daughters Emma and Amy visited him in the hospital and with his health failing he asked the two girls to read out T&T to him. Emma read out the TA part and Amy read out AT and Bernie got a couple of laughs. Sadly, Bernie lost his battle for life on Sunday. Deepest sympathies go out to his family.

TA: Carlton stars Brendan Fevola, Nick Stevens and Heath Scotland will be in Port Fairy next weekend for a sportsmen's night. Until next week, hooroo.