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It be Welcome to Podcasts two hundred and sixty nine for December eleventh, twenty twenty four. Tony Astell is a chef for forty nine years. Well, let's say Nion fifty years. That's Nie on half a century. Antwine's restaurant in Parnell in Auckland was his no more. In the interview the discussion to follow, those who experienced Antwine's even once will appreciate and reminisce. Those who never did or weren't even aware of Antwan's or its owner might regret its passing,
but will enjoy what follows. I set Tony up for the last podcast of twenty twenty four because I wanted to finish on a different note to usual, But with so much happening, I can't avoid including some matters, things important enough to encourage some holiday attention. Over the next seven weeks, will be replaying What's called the best of every year, I receive a comment from folk who either missed an interview on release or have picked up detail
that they missed on the first round. Over the next seven weeks, you'll hear from people like David Bell, Jim Bovard, Aaron Day, Rummish, the Ker, Nick Cater, Paul Merrick, Doctor Paul Merrick, Anthony Willie, Jim Allen, there's Anthony O'Brien and Jody Bruning. These are people who have contributed willingly or unwillingly to the Latenessmith podcast over the last twelve months and it has been a pleasure having each and every one.
That's only scratching the surface, I might add, but I ran through the list and basically they're the ones that I'm choosing from. So we shall return. Just marget in your diary. Well, don't worry if you've got if you get the email, because you'll find out at the time. February seven is our return date. And for those who aren't on the email list, let me encourage you to do so. It's very simple. Go to news Talks MB's website, click on the podcast section, go to my podcast, spoil
it down and figure out the form below. All they want is basics, like your name, your email, and where you live. Basically I don't mean your actual address. I'm in the area like Auckland, Wellington, crist wherever you might be. And then you get the email every Wednesday when the podcast is released, and it'll tell you who's on and you can decide whether you want to bother yourself or not.
But I encourage you to sign up now. Just before we get to Tony Gastall, I think it's fair to say that there is a potential crisis brewing in New Zealand, that is, if it's not already a crisis, and many, if not most, are unaware of it. That said, there is a growing collective of the informed who are contributing
their best to change that knowledge wise. I mean, now, let's begin with doctor Muriel Newman, because she is responsible for one of the best websites in the country, NZCPR dot com New Zealand Center for Political Research dot com.
At NZCPR dot com, she has written in the latest edition, which only came out I think it was yesterday, late yesterday, Supreme Court activism and she leads with a quote I cannot contemplate without uneasiness the evil consequences that might ensue from judicially declaring that the soil of the foreshore of the colony will be vested absolutely in the natives if they can prove certain acts of ownership. Who do you think said that? It wasn't anybody who's alive today, Chief
Judge Fenton in eighteen seventy. And if ever you wanted an example of how things don't change, then this is it. I cannot contemplate without uneasiness the evil consequences which might ensue from judicially declaring, judicially declaring that the soil of the foreshore of the colony will be vested absolutely in the natives. If they can prove certain acts of ownership,
then murial rights. As Kiwi's head to the beaches this summer, they should give a sort to the battle that's raging behind the scenes for the ownership and control of their favorite patch of coastline. Hundreds of tribal groups across the country are spending millions of dollars of taxpayers money on high powered legal teams arguing before compliant judges that they should be awarded customary marine title so they can own the foreshore and seabed extending out twelve nautical miles. Customary
title is a significant prize. It comes with all the benefits of ownership except the right of resale. In other word, words, tribal owners would control the coast. They would have the right to deny public access to areas they claim are culturally sensitive, appointing wardens to police wahi tapu areas and issue trespass fines of up to five thousand dollars. I'm going to leave it there because it runs five pages.
I just want to introduce you to it, then follow that up with the next article in this current edition, from Anthony Willie, retired judge and friend of the podcast Sovereignty in New Zealand. The notion of sovereignty describes the person or entity or which has the last say in all matters affecting the affairs of state. It's as old
as mankind. From the earliest times, when wandering tribalism was replaced by recognized territorial boundaries and a homogeneous population, a leader accepted by the populace, either by fear or consent, became a necessity. This for the simple reason that if a state is to survive, it must have some person or institution which has the final say in making the laws by which it and its institutions are governed. History is replete with examples, and it gave us the emperor's
kings and queens and despots who became household names. That is when history was still taught in schools. Nice Touch Pony, and then goes on and lists some and then a little of the contribution from Gary Judd KC, whom we had on the podcast earlier in the year. This morning the Law Association's Law News. This morning, The Law Association's Law News published my criticisms of the Supreme Court's purported judgment in the Edwards case under the title the Edwards
Judgment a nullity designed to preempt Parliament Question Mark. I explained that what the Court called a judgment is not a judgment at all, but a pronouncement the court had no jurisdiction to make. I conclude by asking what should
the government do? I suggest the government response should include an amendment to the mac A Amending Bill currently before the House, declaring the Supreme Court's judgment twenty twenty four n z SC one six y four a nullity My reason for suggesting Parliament should speak is lack of certainty about whether a purported decision made without jurisdiction is automatically void or whether it stands until declared to be so.
When the purported decision is of the highest Court, only the highest Court itself or Parliament can make that declaration. So there are three examples of concerned individuals attempting to do their best, in fact, doing their best to make this detail known to people like well for people who don't know, and it's to be encouraged. And that's one of the major things that the present administration, the present government needs to pay attention to, and they're not doing
it well enough. Sadly. Now at the back end, after the mail room, I've got further additions to contribute, but in a moment. Tony Astell Leverrix is an antihistamine made in Switzerland to the highest quality. Leverix relieves hay fever and skin allergies or itchy skin. It's a dual action antihistamine and has a unique nasal decongestent action. It's fast acting for fast relief and it works in under an
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your health professional. Farmer broker, Auckland, Laighton, Smith, Crooks, lawyers, car dealers, stockbrokers, show offs, corporate cowboys, lovely couples, warring couples, the richerati. We saw them all and more at Ntwin's comment on the back of the book by Tony Astell, the establisher, the owner and the chef and everything else almost at Antoine's for Nyon fifty years The story of Antoin's by Tony Astell called let them meet Tripe, which is one thing I wouldn't touch to me, but for
some reason he's got a fixation with it. Tony Astell has been on my radio program on a few occasions a number of occasions over the years. He's a friend, but he's a friend of everybody's almost and he's somebody who deserves the admiration of anybody involved with food, anybody involved with free speech, independence and speaking your mind and not being cow towed by well, not towing the line is a good way to put it. And I get that from another book that arrived recently, How Not to
Toe the Line. But we'll get onto that probably next year. Tony is honored with being in studio, sitting in front of my handsome new bookcase, and he is the first person to do face to face. Okay, it's all done on the phone. It was very hard to do face to face when you're talking to somebody in America. So
we've got consistency. But I was determined that you were going to come over and we do it like this because I think doing it on the phone with you would be more difficult for me because I need to communicate with you directly. I can tell when you're not being truthful, I can tell, I can tell when you're exaggerating, but it's not so easy on the phone. So welcome to the podcast, number two hundred and sixty eight. It is a great pleasure to have you here. I'm going
to start actually with an apology. No I won't. I'm going to get you to explain something, and we will move around this in no particular order. Okay, that's the way that we work. So after Entrans closed, you went off to the Middle East and all sorts of places and did a trip. Yep, right, tell us briefly the story about the booking that you made at a restaurant and never made it.
Casablanca was a bit dubious about going to these sort of places anyway, but anyway, I thought we would go, and the grief of us was by my travel companions, and also his family was joining us.
So off we went.
But it was actually the World Cup and they had actually won and I think semifinals, wasn't that they were in the finals. So anyway, so we had booked and what I didn't realize because all these places are dry no alcohol. That's not a very good start for me anyway, but you could get it in certain places after certain times. But where we stayed at the I've forgotten what the place was, but we stayed there and they did not have alcohol, so we had to leave to get it.
And so anyway, we had booked into a restaurant well an advance home about six months, which it was a Michelin Star one.
So off we went.
And so then all of a sudden we decided we could walk from the hotel to this restaurant. But there were hundreds of thousands of people in the street that the place had gone absolutely mad, you know, people on motorbikes, people on cars, everywhere. Because you have to remember that the teenagers don't drink, so of course they were just high, you know, and it was unbelievable and just and it
got a bit dangerous. So we all were about eight of us, so we started walking, but we sort of got split up and people started panicking a bit because they didn't quite half of us didn't know where.
We were going.
So we kept walking, and then all of a sudden we all got got on our phones and we met at a certain place, you know, so we all did. Then we decided we just can't go any further. We have to go back because we just wouldn't have got there. The crowd was so thick it was, I mean, you think, you know when you get the Tonguin's coming over here to play rugby, fifty times more than that.
It was unbelievable.
Actually, in fact, was probably about thousand times more than the he KOI we've just had to put up with. But it was, it was you felt as though it was dangerous. So we decided not to do it. Anyway, that was fine, and we so we went back and had dreadful food and no alcohol in the hotel. However, we got charged for it because we didn't turn up. But it didn't turn Yeah, well it was probably more than that, but I mean it was it came off well, it came off our credit.
Cardry I've got the advantage of you of only just having read that this morning.
Yeah, well, yeah, good on anyway, it was absolutely amazing, but and I look, I love the whole place. It was just fantastic. But it was just a bit. I mean, we've been What we did on that tour was we tried to go to as many Michelin star restaurants as you can. I think in the last in the eighteen months we did forty eight starred restaurants and this one here had a huge reputation, but you know, we never got to it and they discharged us. Anyway, Well, I've
got a sequel to that. When you launched the book a few weeks ago. That's of course, yes, we know.
It was by invitation, of course, and it was at aut aut and you had about three hundred people there. I guess did Yeah. Now, I say I gather because while we got invited. Here's what happened. It was between six and nine pm and we arrived in town in the car at six ' ten. I took note of
the time and we headed straight up for Willie. We intended to head straight up to Princess Street, which is a good place to park because of school holidays, and of course there wouldn't be anybody around and be plenty of parking. Forget it. Just getting to Princess Street took ages. Everywhere you looked there was a stall, traffic that was hardly moving, stationary for long periods of time, and then then there'd be a bit of movement, etc. And so I drove up Princess Street all the way to the
other end. I was getting further and further to walk, and then came back again. There were cars that were parked this is angle parking on both sides, and there were cars parked parallel behind those cars, waiting for someone nearby to get in their car and go, and there are other cars that were cruising, and so we'd see a spot up ahead come vacant, and then about three cars had fight over it. After one hour, at ten past seven, I said, we're going home. God there was
nowhere to park. I mean we had driven around slowly or every got trapped in Queen Street and had to go the wrong way, and all sorts of crap because of the stupidity of the people who run the run the well organ Transport mainly, but it was it was impossible. So we drove home, got a takeaway and never made it.
You're probably quite lucky because there's an awful lot of awful served And I know you're such an awful lover.
Offul is awful.
You wouldn't have even known it was that I didn't tell anyone, is awful.
Well. That leads to another another part of the of the of the whole story. When you were at Normandy Goodness, Oh yes it did. Yeah, well, someone someone ate something they weren't supposed to want me to tell them what they were Fresh meat is the name of the chapter, fresh Meat with a trigger warning. Yeah, funny that well, that was I was only fifteen at the time, funnily enough, and I was in charge of mincing all the food that came back from the restaurant. Now, the restaurant was very,
very famous. Every politician, any film star that came, they all went, even Alfred Hitchcock, all those sort of people. Well I went, I was getting to the most famous one. But anyway, you've actually preempted it, so that's fine. But it was a very very popular restaurant and it was in nineteen sixty five that I went there. So anyway, my job was to when you dined there, if you had anything left on your plate, didn't matter what it was. It was as you walked into the kitchen with the plate.
So there was one side for wine and one side for food, and the food you just scrape it all into this bucket, no matter what it was, and then you pour the wine from the glasses, from the bottles, whatever into the big flag and that was on the other side because that was used for sauces. But the food was turned into meat loads and all sorts of things for the coffee bar which was next door to the restaurant, and they served that at lunch time.
So my job was to mince all that together might have been spaghetti, It might have been so and so, but that was my job. But anyway, I didn't think that was quite right, coming from a family that you you know, you don't you don't eat off other people's plates, you doodles, these sorts of stuff. We were sort of proper, even though we were different. Anyway, I thought, oh, I
know what I'll do. I'll just put some tea bones down to so as the bones came through, I put this shoved it down the big It was a huge mixer and I had a big tray on the top, but it had guards anyway, So anyway, I kep shoving down they were going through. And then the next thing, I found this big sort of lamb, sort of legged, and I shoved that down. Then all of a sudden
the machine stopped. Now I know if they get things wrong with arms that Madame Luise was quite a tyrant, and she would you know that she'd give you a good smack, you know, like you're supposed to do when people do things wrong. And machine stopped, so, not thinking about it, I didn't turn it off the wall, but I also lifted the guard off the top and then just put my hand down to get the bone out. Whoops a daisy, and the bone moved and so did
my arm. It went flying into the aperture. Anyway, luckily it got up to about but that got to the elbow and the hand was a big, long bit to get down, but so I didn't know how much had gone. But then of course I'm leaning across to turn it off, and of course all the blood's coming into my face, and the chef sending there just collapsed on the floor beside me, And anyway, I managed to turn it off myself, but that by that stage everyone knew there was something wrong.
Now we're talking at quarter to eight on a Saturday night, which is the busiest note of the week, and I think as a fifteen year I didn't swear much, but my god, I started swearing at that stage. So Madame Luise gave me a good shot of brandy, which apparently the worst thing you can do for people in shock. Anyway,
But anyway, they rang the ambulance. The ambulance couldn't get up the alleyway with their gurney or whatever it was, so they came through the front door of the restaurant through the restaurant into the kitchen and as then, of course I'm screaming and yelling, and they decided they didn't want to take my hand out of that part of
the machine because they didn't know how much had been damaged. Wow, So they two of them held the machine with how the two put me on the stretcher and took me through through in front of all the customers, me screaming. Can you imagine all that sort of stuff? And I was taking to hospital and that was it. Well, then they did what they have to do to the things. But I didn't know for another couple of months it
had been taken off because I just wouldn't look. And I was all bandished up, so you didn't have to. So and every time I had it change, I wouldn't go and look because I didn't want to know, because I could feel them. I think they're called phantom fingers. It was quite funny because many many years later I got a letter from someone and said that I was dining at that restaurant, that you lost your fingers, and so I sent a letter back, so you probably ate
them anyway. He didn't think that was very funny, but it was. It took a lot I didn't know, and of course you might even notice today. I never ever had their hand open. It's the thing that it's psychologically it is they shut it when I was because I was only young and aged and like people saying you had digits missing?
So can I tell you something I'd never seen it before? Oh really?
Okay, yeah, Well they're actually quite the interest that they did. Quite a good job. That can still be in one console band and the other can't. But I must have been a it's quite good for when you're chopping now, so you're not going to chop your finger off. You can just go down the NNE jobs done so prior.
To to getting to Antwes. And it's not necessarily a well known story. It's all in the book. And I well, i'll get I'll get to the to the book a little later. But what was the most exciting thing that happened to you in your life up to the point that Antwines came on the scene. Well up until then probably.
I think probably going to the Coachman restaurant as a young ap print. Well it wasn't apprentice because they didn't have schools like that in those days. And Dez Britain had been working at Normandy and he was sacked for refusing to save rotten food. So I then went to see because he opened a restaurant, and then I went to see him and he who wanted to come here?
And of course suddenly it was young people and there were Don Hewittson and people that were in the front and that we were all green sort of people wanting to wed all read books, and des wasn't. He was trained by drago Kovak who had the copper room. And because Derez was a disc jockey, of course, you know they used he was the Coca Cola bottlers Club or what about all that sort of stuff. So he decided
he was actually from a farming family. That reminded me of my family a little bit, because you know, all did here. A farmer's boy does not go and cook. It's not a good idea to put a skirt on or whatever they used to say. He opened the restaurant with Lorraine, and that's where I went to see them, and they were all just so much different from the normally. That was so stuffy, and I mean that was very
old fashioned, but very guilty and silvery. But there's Lorrain opened this restaurant that was so modern and like beautiful plates from Germany and thin crockery. Instead of to Muka or Wi, it wasn't to Merca. I don't God knows what it was. But suddenly there was beautiful stainless steel from Europe, from Sweden, and it was just it was casual, but very formal. But everyone that worked there was young,
and it was just a different atmosphere. And of course I was, you know, yeah, gooda, how are you all that sort of stuff, you know, of course, and I was very very labour support to buy that because I used to get that passion to me as a child. And of course everyone there was definitely not They were definitely I think it was Marshall. I can't remember who the prime Minister was. He wasn't the Prime minister. But
they just had a different way of life. There was university students, which I had never been to university, so I was actually taken under their wing and it was just a new way of life, totally different from what I'd ever ever been involved with before, and I just couldn't help myself. I just loved every minute of it.
You mentioned Don Hewittson, He was one of the first people I met when I came to Auckland in nineteen at the end of nineteen eighty five, he was doing a wine tasting because he was from London, of course, doing a wine tasting down at in the gully between Ponstanby and Newton Gully Gully and there was one of the big chains I had a big store there, and I went down there and got there early and he was just sort of like setting up, you know, and so we started talking and that led to a very
a very strong friendship over a long period of time until in fact, last time I saw him as in fact was at your place at Antoines and he was not well. He was on a cruise, remember, and he was not well and he died shortly thereafter. Yeah, very sadly, but he got I mean, he was a man such a reputation in London for the Cork and Bottle in particular and the other restaurants he established, and that he was awarded all sorts of honors, knighthoods, even the French
for his work on Champagne in particular. So he was a great guy. He kept inviting us to go and stay with him in the south of France, which we did a few times. Yeah, never made it.
Actually you would have loved it because it was down in Centre Pe but up on the hills, absolutely amazing. He walked through the forest down to an amazing restaurant. But it was DearS and Lorraine and Bess and I went and stayed there and we just had the best time. You can imagine what the food was like there. We just went and went for it. But Don was a character, there was no doubt about it. And he worked at the Coachman for a long long time and that's how
I was very involved with him and Gene. Of course he married Gene and she also worked at Orsinis, which was another restaurant around the corner in Wellington and Cooper Street. And so anyway they all got together and then I because I met my partners with the book, they were also working or one of them was working at the I think I was over and not out. I can't remember which one it was, but he.
Was working there.
Don wanted to open a restaurant in Auckland, but he just decided not to want to go to London instead, so we went up to Antoines from there, but I
worked there. I got sacked a couple of times. I always say five times that I think it was only two from the coachman, because I thought I owned the place anyway, So I thought I was the head chief because there was actually a Way doing his TV show all the time, so I was doing a lot of the cooking, and because one funny story, but one one night that I was out there because he used to wear those huge hats, which are stupid, you know, silly chefs.
That's the higher they are, the more important to us. I've been quite sure I could get a very very tall hat on. It wasn't a problem. So I was actually went out to the table and they were all the every person that was anyone in Wellington was dining there. And I walked around to as DearS used to do and say, just to see if everything was all right,
and there's always he's never here, he's never here. Well, about half an hour later he came back, put his hat on and walked around and Lady Todd, I'll never forget, she said, Oh, but Desmond Tony does all the cooking here, dear, So I think I was sent home to christ at that stage.
But you were a ponse little prick.
Well, totally totally. Look I probably still am folks.
Yeah, what do you claim towards the end of the book that nothing could change or something similar. Let me put it this way, and Twine's was a landmark, not just in New Zealand, but all over the world. It was. It was a place that took me quite a while to get there. Now, you welcomed all sorts of people, politicians, not necessarily so, depending on their politics. Oh, totally. And the reason that I'm mentioning this is because in the book you say that you banned Helen Clark.
Why of ruining the moral fiber of my country? I think I told her, But anyway, I just decided that I don't really know. Look, it was also quite a good thing because I remember sitting in your radio stage in your one time and she walked and I said, oh my god, here's look, it's a right and she waved to us. All I was so embarrassed. But I mean, she knew even though she said she was never banned.
All they say she said she was never banned. But the thing is she probably didn't want to come anymore anyway. But I just decided that I was sick and tired of all the crap that was going on, and I wanted new people anyway, So I did actually say that she was banned.
Action I have with that is that the first time I ever came to Antoines was for lunch. There was a friend of mine who knew Helen and thought that I should meet her. This is leader of the opposition, and thought that I should meet her, and so he arranged the lunch at Antoines. And that obviously was before she was banned, But that formed a sort of foundation of acquaintanceship, shall we say. And I ended up getting
invited to her fortieth birthday party in herne bay. I lived around the corner and it was and it was held in the backyard of this house. And I'm there and Dame cath Tizzard. I'm not sure she was a dam then, was she?
No?
No, she wasn't. She walked in into the yard. The first thing she did was stop and look at me, what are you doing here? That would be right too, exactly. But the other thing I was just say about Helen Clake is that she she was a person of her word. When I did the when I was doing the television program Weekly TV show on Sky. She promised that she would come and do an interview if she won the election.
So she won the election on the Saturday. The program but out on Monday Live and she arrived in time. Wasn't there at the beginning, but she arrived in time. And I had admiration for her doing that, because she had every reason in the world to say, I'm sorry, ye I'm not going to drive down about Wellington blah, and she didn't. She lived up to her word. So I've always well, I've always utilized that to try and balance my opinion.
Well, look, I quite like the idea that I banned her anyway, because it actually suits me. But she was a very big customer way before she was Prime Minister. And she's come on with Jeffrey Palmer whoever was Zara at the time, and they I used to get the boys to actually, can't listen to what they're talking about, just so I knew what was happening. And she it was a very good customer. But funnily enough, Dane caf
became she was a very good customer. But the people that were close to Helen and I won't mention their names, but they got so angry that mister Tizzard used to bring all his girlfriends to Antoine's and so well, it's nothing to do with me. I don't care a damn who he brings. You know, it doesn't matter who was that, you know, the Dame's Dame Cass's husband Tis. He was a Labor MP anyway, But I think it was probably Judith that got angry that that I allowed him into Antoinees.
I thought, well, at that time the Labor Party hadn't been into power for very because Norman Kirk was the Prime Minister when we took over and when they when they the Labor Party were in power. You've never seen more government cars outside Antoinees in your life. It was actually the lolly shop. I tell you, they knew how to spend money. But later when the National Party came, you never ever saw a government car outside because they would just be dropped off and gone because it wasn't
a good look, you know. But who was the man who was a big man from down from down south out east west Henderson, Jonathan Hunt. He was one of the biggest and best customers Antoines ever saw.
Minister and cheese. He was at lock.
He was a neat person and we had a lot of fun with him.
But and like so was God.
I'm just trying to who's the other big prime minister? That key He's never a big he was a big PRIMI was not a large person.
I was. I was thinking of a big in a different way. I'm I'm taking that.
David Longer, he was a huge customer everywhere Antoine had as we Tommy Tuck and then he stopped eating, which was quite nice.
But so the labor farty was huge. But it isn't interesting that that socialists know how to spend other people's money. Unbelievable because it all would have been on oh totally.
You know.
In that car for Jonathan there was a government car and he lived miles away and they just sat out there all night. And because he would stay until two or three in the morning, after the licensing hours, I might say, so the way even the people have made the laws broke them. Who was the most interesting, the most interesting customer you ever had? I think probably Elton John but I became quite a good friend of his in there. But the other one was the other one
was Rod Stewart. I mean those two were they were just bad boys really, But I think if probably Elton came now, he'd deny everything he ever did at Antoines, because you know, he's now happily married with children and things have changed slightly, and I think we should go into too much of.
That everything he ever did.
Okay, But also actually Prince Philip was a fantastic customer, you know, and he has a bit of a reputation. I never saw that side of him, but because Doug Myers was a huge customer of Antoines, and of course they had charities together, and so he was in New Zealand quite a lot without people even knowing it was here, and he either would come to Antoine' or I'd go to the Meyers house and cook what they were doing.
Did Charles ever come in? No, he didn't actually be lucky.
Yeah, I think I probably am, but it's we had. I did cook for Prince Edward up the road, you know, from my house, just up the road he because I think he went to wang was it Wangani Collegiate or was he somewhere and people that he was with anyway, they had parties and I used to cook for him.
But I was really upset that we didn't get the queen because she they had booked I mean that was six months in advance, and they'd never bought if their equerries and all the travel people with them to a restaurant, and so they booked into Antoines and you know, had signed declarations. He won't tell anyone. Well, the week before she came, you've never seen so many police on the roof of Antoin's. It was obviously, you know, I didn't have to break break the pack they were. They were
there waiting to organize the restaurant. But she did she got food, poisoning it down at the one of the cocktail parties.
So she never arrived.
But Prince Philip brought the twelve other people in and they were all it was quite amazing because they all dressed up in there. It was just neat and it was you know, that was pretty special, I think. But if she had a come and say, it would have been much easier. I could have had the coat of arms on the door if she had done there. But she didn't go, so I didn't get the coat of arm.
Well, one of the things that I first learned was keeping in mind that I'd arrived in Auckland in the in the mid eighties, was that the racing fraternity patronized Antoine's, particularly of course around sale time totally, so that we're talking January essentially earlier in the year. Did you put anything in the book about that? No, I did.
I'm waiting for the next one. Some great stories for that one.
I might follow up.
Well, now that i've this one's going quite well, I thought I might. And I think i'll use everyone's names this time, because I look, I'm too old to be so now. And if I go to jail, I'll keep my free meal, and I'll get my get my shower, and I'll probably end up in the kitchen saving everyone bad food. Anyway, I think i'll get it published in China, because no one's going to go to China and see because they won't listen to you.
Well, you've got to publish it in English. Maybe not a lot of my coustlers were Chinese. Now, I mentioned the racing fraternity because because I had fairly fairly strong connections with it in those Australian and racing fraternity in
those days. And I'm looking at the book up there on next to mine on the left, so I'm looking at a book of a book on gay Waterhouse up there, which is a treasure of mine, because not that I got to mention in it, apart from one of the one of the two other Rowmers referring to a horse called Pharaoh. She brought us, she brought us fortune, and well, yeah fortune, it was in those days. And you know that race was worth a million dollars. The non Caster
is now worth at least three last time I looked. Anyway, while we're on the subject of celebrities of different kinds movie actors, you have there's two other books right next to it, one from Charlton Heston. One Charlton Heston's book did him in ninety six, and next to it is Roger Moore and that that was around the same time, ninety six, because I used to get them to sign it and put a date on it, and Charlton Heston didn't. But Roger Moore, did you met him on a concord flight?
I did, indeed, one of your many concord flights.
Yeah.
I don't know how I got on those. I don't know where. The tax department they were very kind. That was the problem. It was definitely business. That was not a problem. Well at least she went on the last one. No, Luckily, I think probably a lot of people would have whisht I was, but oh, I think we could outweigh them. So you tell the little story about meeting Roger Moore. Actually it was hilarious because Beth would never fly next
to me in the plan. She was more and she so, I'm not sitting next to you because you drink too much and I'm just not going to put up with all that. So she had always sit one in front, or if it was two way too one a one b or as long as she didn't sit next to me, she was quite happy. But on the concord, of course, there were only two two two all the way up, so she got booked on the one in front of me,
so there was a seat beside me and her. But anyway, I was just sitting there having whatever I was having, probably a glass of crew because I think it's what they poured at the time, and next person sits next to him and I sort of looked at him and he sort of said, oh, hello, and I said, oh, you're the saint, and he excuse me, how old are you? Anyway, So we were sitting there, we started chatting and he said, oh, what do you do? I said, I'm a cook in New Zealand and all that, so I didn't tell him
too much. But anyway, the person that was traveling with him was sitting office and he said, who the hell are you talking to? He said, oh, some cook from New Zealand. And he said he must be a fucking good one if he could afford to be hod Would you like to rephrase that? Well, it's quite common with these days later and I'm sorry, okay, I'm just quoting and fair enough. Anyway, he did could come to the rithma.
It wasn't that long after what well.
I gave him my card and he said, oh, if I have companies as I'll come and see.
I said like, yeah, right whatever.
Anyway, one day the doorbell rang and I happened to go to the door and I answered he hadn't didn't have a book, and someone else did, but he was with them and I opened the door and I said, good god. He said, you are a cook. I had a cook. So he came in and had dinner. We had had a great time. It was fantastic.
He knew which which restaurant you were at? Yeah, well he had my card. But of course there was something else that I read in the book with regard to people who sought highly of themselves but arrived but without without a booking and sort of expected or even demanded a seat when you were four. Was that was that antrance or was that somewhere else? Well, we had people that did knock on it at all, if ever feeling it might have been somewhere in Wellington, Well it could have been.
But like we had a doorbell, so you couldn't just walk in, so you had to ring the doorbell. Beth was actually the worst. Once you're going to the door, and if you didn't have a booking and you weren't dressed properly, you just sort of look at your toes, looked at your heads as sorry, we're full, I mean, but we we you know, even though you know, dress standards are totally different in restaurants today, but in those days,
most of our customers dressed up. But like when you used to get on plane, you dress up, but you don't arrive at a but younger people they were younger people would arrive in shorts and jandles, or the boys would and the girls were all dressed up, and best would just say sorry, you can't come in, because there were people that had been to opera or something that
were sitting there in dinner suits. But you just don't bring someone in like a singlet or a T shirt or whatever, into a restaurant at nighttime.
Sorry, you just don't do it. Well, I wouldn't let them in at any time.
Yeah, well, I mean I got a lot of restaurants now, and I'm quite shocked at how people do dress.
I mean, it's not hard to put a shirt on. Is it really so much gender on planes?
Yeah?
Here he am pets on men.
That's why you go first class?
Lad?
Who goes first class?
I'm sure you do, don't you. I mean, why would you actually going the other way, save up longer and get a bit of trip.
It's interesting because if he has gone through the roof and not having not having the same sort of income that I once did, it's it's a bit restrictive, it is.
And look, I've even noticed I have been traveling a lot lately, but I've just noticed some when we like pre COVID, for instance, you know, you could get around the world well, from New Zealand to New Zealand through Europe for about seven thousand, five hundred business class. Now it's about twelve to fourteen or ten if.
You I don't enough. I was looking yesterday for appropriate reasons. Emirates is twelve something. Yep, twelve and a half. You're pretty much on the button. I mean you can go on.
I just recently got one which was quite amazing really, which was eight five and that was on Singapore Lines only, but that was a special and it was a late booking actually, and I managed to get on that, so that was good. That was the last trip it was. However, I tried to go with thinking of going to India and Old this year, and that's about a twelve or fourteen. I think, ah, no, I want it's getting a bit over the top.
Have you been to Shri Lanka? No, I haven't. Actually lovely place.
Yeah, it is well.
And we went on a private sort of a private tour of India. And I was expecting because I'm not a great Indian food eater. But we went on one recently, just three of us and we did a private tour and tell you what, I just absolutely loved every minute of it. The people were amazingly well, there's a middle class now that you cannot believe. I mean, there's a lot of money there, but it's also poverty obviously, but it's I don't think it's as bad as it used
to be, but it is quite quite amazing. But the people are just unbelievably fantastic. And I mean some of the food's a bit dodgy, I think, but if you're staying in the right places, you're not going to get sick anyway.
Talk to me about food prep algorithms. Oh, this is my I don't know.
I didn't know anything about algorithms.
Well neither did I until I'm better than the book.
So what we're trying to do, and it's a bit of it's a bit of a shame really because we callahan are a company in New Zealand that actually do start up for new things. And I had been well I hadn't been, but someone else had been reading about algorithms. But so it's like when you have your Toyota and they put a plug and they know exactly what's wrong with it. You can do that with food. It's not
happening here, which I hope it's going to. If you have a like a class of students and you've got ten of them and you give them a recipe save for a volute sauce or something. Every one of those people, even though the recipe is written in front of them, every one of them will do something wrong, like it'll be grainyer or be salty or But if you do an algorithm, they think you would have a probe and you'd just poke it into there and that would tell
you that you've got cooking the flower too long. Were you're doing this, it will actually do that. The aut got a bit nervous. I think they thought they were going to lose all their tutors everything. I thought they were going.
To lose their jobs.
But it doesn't work that way. I think, look, I'm Callahana wanting to do it, but it costs a lot of money to actually get it going. But look, I'd be so excited of that, Like I could do my orange sauce for instant. Every single time, you would know it was going to be done perfectly because it tells you the acidity taus you've done. I mean, it's all a bit above me, but apparently it's in Europe is happening, so why not let it happen here.
You know, they're making such a big fuss at the moment about AI and this is a form of it.
Yep.
And I read again only this morning something along AI and was to do with the deprivation of brain development and thinking yep, because you don't have to anymore, because you can get it all done through AI. And so the you could say, you could argue that there is or should be concerned about the actual IQ of a country or a community or an individual dropping over a period of time because you don't have to critical thinking was what I think. It was anchored to critical thinking.
And while it's while it's got lots of use obviously AI it concerns me about where where people will end up.
Well, it's probably it's perfect for dumbing down, isn't it? Getting the masses through what you told?
Well, so you've summarized it beautifully.
I actually I got so excited about this that I you know, I'm Bud, the old cook. As people say, you're just an old cook. But when you start reading about things, and I mean at the moment at au t and I spend a lot of time there at the moment as a mentor, but you seek going to a class.
Every one of those kids.
Are on their phone dialing up a recipe, you know, to make sure they're doing it. So why not have a little probe that you could get in there and do it. That's it's not going to take any jobs. In fact, it's going to make the food even better because every you know, especially in a restaurant, you know, you have a chef that disappears if you're not the chef yourself, and suddenly he leaves and you get a new one, and so you go there and have the duck and orange and next time this isn't the one
you normally have. It means you'll be able to do and always keep your standard up, which I think is a good thing.
Okay, it might be good. What about looking at it this way? And twines was el suprimo in Auckland forever? Pretty much? Yep, depends what you talk to.
Of course.
Question is what happens when everyone's an end once? Well, that is a problem that we've had.
I knew, I just knew you were going to say that, But then I suddenly thought, well, okay, well then I ask because so many restaurants are falling over the mode I own them all then, won't I But anyway, that's you are right, but it's still yeah, but there still has to be individuals people doing things. I mean, no one just wants to have blood the old Antoine's food
in their restaurant. But I mean you could if you go to all the restaurants now, especially with all you know, they play around with things that whatever ever happened to the main the hero of the plate.
Now you get did I order lamb?
Oh? Yeah, there's a little bit over there. But then you've got all these little painting things, and you've got froths, and you've got god knows what else on. So you know, I mean, you go to it something and I won't mention the restaurant, but you go to about three top ones. You think they're all the same because they will obviously read the same books. But it's it's happening already. But you know, I'm now I'm now doing it with Kerry.
I'm doing a every week where I ate last and it's interesting going to the restaurants to see what happens. So you become a reviewer, yes sort of mind you someone I saw somewhere on on whatever one of those platforms. What right do you have to go What right do you have to go and review a restaurant? I mean, I thought, well, I thought, sixty five years of cooking
you might know a little bit about it. I could name a couple of reviewers that really should not be reviewing, because I know sweet bugg are all about food at all, and they talk about the partner there with more than you know, but they.
Also get the food wrong.
So I think, at least when I go in there, I'm not actually criticizing people. Well I sort of am, but I go in there and if the restaurant's really bad, I just don't bother. I don't do it at all, because I don't think it's fair to actually do that. But if there's a restaurant that things aren't quite right,
I suggest how they could improve it. And so far, I've had a lot of very positive from restaurants I've been to because I'm trying to be as honest i can and I'm not going to be bought, and that's all why I don't need to be so it's not a problem. But there's some great there's some great new restaurants around at the moment, but they're really struggling, and some of them are closing down, Yeah, a lot of them. And where's the little new ones popping up every now and then? So that's good too.
Well, some people look, it's a little it's actually a little like shops. And you'll know exactly what I mean. You'll see a shop coom up police and somebody takes it and within a very short space of time usually it's up for lease again. Yep, and it'll hap it a third time. So you know what I'm talking about. And it's because of a variety of things, but largely it has to do with the placement of the location
where it is. And if it's another nail shop, yeah yeah, just down the road here, there's about forty nine of them, and someone's just spent a very large amount of money to set up another one, a big one, and we walk past it frequently. Is there for anybody in there? So how do they? They don't sport? It's a bit like restaurants. New restaurants, Well, restaurants on the whole.
Only last eighteen months unless you're lucky enough to be because what happens. And I've got so many young kids ringing me at the moment to advise them because as they say, oh, look we need certain amount of money to break even, I said, well, why did you just buy a new car. Suddenly they've got business. They forget eighteen months down the track, we've got to pay four tax,
a new tax. They don't put money away, but they're also not They just think it's easy to open a restaurant keep going, but normally it's only eighteen months.
I mean we went.
Through from nineteen seventy three to right up until fifty years on, we went through so many financial crisis. I mean, at one stage we went I had another restaurant down the city. I mean it was turning over huge amounts of money. But because I couldn't be in both places, things started happening. And then of course things started getting sticky again. And I mean we had to put that into acteavership, and that was totally through our own just went.
We weren't running it properly. You had to be there by, you know, owner.
How many downtown did you have at any given time.
Well overall, well I had I had Tatler and spectators. So that was in one building. Where was that that was done? And it used to be the old cliche. It's now Mexico. I think that on the end of the britam up on the perimeter, old brick building, yes, which was a fantastic restaurant. It was way before its time.
Never I don't think I ever went upstairs, but we went a few times downstowns downstairs, and I'll come back to that, do you finish.
I mean we were turning over, I mean huge amounts of money there. But then it's then I think there came a I think around about nineteen ninety or something that was anyway, there was a financial crisis and things started going hey wire. But there were so many staff and so much stuff missing, and of course if you're not onto it like anyway, we went into liquidation there
and poor old Antoines had to. They the people that we owed money to, did a big deal with me and gave me about four years to pay it, which Antoines did pay every creditor off, because otherwise I could have just walked away from it. But you just can't do that if you want to stand business. But we had been in business. You can't do that if your principles tell you you can't. But also at Antoine's you know in the eighty because in the mid eighties we
were just creamy. You can imagine what was going on there. I mean people were sew up themselves. I had so much money. It wasn't their money, but we were recipients of quantities of cash, as you can imagine. But then that the big crash came and yeah, well we are funnily enough. I was sitting at Cypriani and Venice down at the having having breakfast, and this waiter came down and said, oh, mister Antoine, oh I think you might like because I hadn't even read a paper, you might
like to read this English paper, said world Stock. And I said I should think. Oh, I don't think this is good. And best said, oh, that won't affect us, will it. I said, oh my god. So we got on a plane came straight home. You know, our turnover went from huge amounts down to about eight thousand a week. And we're talking huge amounts, a big drop. And that's when I first learned how to run into ones because we had to. We had about twelve staff. Suddenly we
only had four. And we ran that for the next five years or whatever doing that, and we came out the other side. But the turnover was never like it was in the eighties. But I didn't know anyone any money, so it wasn't hard. But also I cooked. Beth was out the front, so you're saving yourself one hundred and something thousand a year. Anyway, that's how we did it, So you know, I just don't think I see these restaurants opening. They are opening quite a few of them.
At the moment, I think, oh, I don't know, it's not going to but their investment restaurants. It's how to lose your money in two seconds, I reckon.
But I remember going to Mark's squad for the first time and sitting down in the square and ordering coffee fifteen dollars.
It's now about twenty five euro. You sit out there, you're on shows, so you've got to pay. You can go into a little coffee bar behind and get it for about five.
So well, there's also there's also the orchestra and let's just get when you're out there. It's a feeling, though, isn't it.
But it's I mean, I watched people and then I think, oh, dear, that was the people around the world don't care because it's always full isn't their money are soon?
Part of it was in Benson Marks where it was flooded. We're walking around on planks. Oh dear, let's just talk politics for a moment. Oh dear, yep, because you and I both interested in politics. We're both interested in American politics. And a few people will have heard this story before, but it's going to get told again because it's a must.
When Trump was first elected back in twenty fifteen, sixteen, I always get confused because you win, you win in the election one year and you take take office sixteen and then twenty yeah, yep, so which which I think it was sixteen, but sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen.
Twenty, because then then he missed out on twenty, so there would have been twenty one when the new one took over, right, and then twenty three, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four, it's going to be twenty five, yeah, right, sixteen.
Okay, So thank you for that. You were you were supporting Trump.
I wear minde. I was also wearing his habitalus. Make it doom go away, So that wasn't the problem.
Hang on say that again, Make a durn go away. In twenty sixteen, was it?
I was in for the up to the twentieth. No, No, she wasn't there then, but I started wearing it before his neck when he missed out when you know, when his election was stolen in twenty right, So I started. I got the red hair and I had a T shirt and I'd walk up and down Parnell Road and the abuse with it. I loved it. I just loved getting the abuse.
I've never known anybody who enjoys being abused so much. But go back to the twenty sixteen election and the night, the night the winner was announced, you were, you were working, you were open, and you had not a lot, I think, but a few about four tables. Yeah, yep. Story.
It was hilarious because they were all I thought they would have been Trump supporters, but anyway, they were all very well off people, and you know, they were all talking politics, and they were all sort of National Party supporters. You know, we were National Party headquarters, so of course those sort of people were there. Then of course it started looking I started getting very excited.
You could see.
Trump was actually going to clean up, and so I started so I put the American National anthem on and started walking through and said, Viva Trump, Viva Trump. Well they all got one table, just got up. They said you are disgusting, and they got up and walked out. They took a while to come back where they have come back.
Did they pay the bill before they lived?
I didn't care. They got the bill center them. It wasn't a problem.
Anyway.
The people they they still there, are still and I know a couple of them still that are alive or still with us, and they are still not Trump supporters. They hate them, but they wanted and I had to call it by her right name, Kamala, I aw to call it that are you but they're still her. They wanted her there, and I thought, you know, you people and they these are people that actually are totally conservative people, and they put they you know, I just I just spare.
Well, let's let's analyze that for a moment, because I know why it is. I know people in the States who have adjusted their thinking, okay, in the right in the right way. Uh And and in Australia, I know people in Australia too. It's a friend of mine in Australia sent me stuff by email mocking Trump and all sorts of things. And laughing at me because he's because he's going.
To get I haven't heard from him since the other's funny that anyway.
So people in America have changed their minds. People in Australia have changed their minds. Not everybody, but people here have been far less adjustable. And the reason is because of the media. There has been you think of your mainstream media, I don't need to list at all. They haven't. They haven't adjusted their attitude to Trump at all. They haven't realized that things have changed, that he has changed,
that things are being done differently. They haven't realized the well I heard the breakfast hoast this morning making comment on Biden and he's a liar. This is over the sun. He's a liar. And everybody was walking around and say he's a liar. Biden's a liar. I told them that, how I could have I think you did years and years ago. The guy's a crook, always has been. I mean, he was best mates with Kennedy, you know, the chap, a critic and all of that, ah, and they were
they were crooks together. But the media doesn't doesn't do its job. The media has been a failure let people down in this country and until we get the right competition in rupert where nothing, nothing much is going to change because you've got you've got the journos who've been trained in ways of the left. They've come out of
they've come out of university or whatever they've done. They should be I had this discussion with somebody recently, might have been Nick catur actually who was on before you. He's on now actually, as we recall, you replace him next week, that an apprenticeship journalism course is the right way to do it. You're going to get a job
as a copy boy or whatever it is. You start at the bottom and you work your way up and you study at night and whatever, or you get one or two days a week off to go to classes and things, and that way you learn far quicker the realities of life. But I don't think it's going to happen.
Well talk about supposedly unbiased. I mean, really, it ain't happening. It doesn't happen anymore, does it. I mean, you know, you just have to look at I mean, I just I have a rubber brick and I like it. It's not a real one because I have it on a string. I just throw it at the TV screen everything. Every time they start all that stuff, they start to the Newsworth and everything, and then the ata rower and god knows what's coming next. And then you've got all the stuff.
You don't even understand a word they're saying. And then suddenly it's all stuff that totally biased. I throw the brick, Throw the brick, and then I actually don't even turn news on anymore.
Well, you know, you have a stake. You're going to tell me your big mistake, or you just answered it yourself turning it on in the first.
Place, exactly. But you sort of think like I would never ever turn breakfast on in my whole life. I mean, that just frightens the hewll lo out of me. I look at these people and say, but how do you get this job? I mean, really, you can't. You can't have You're not allowed to think for yourself anyway. So that's all there is to it. And it's like play school.
Well it's interesting because for a long time, pretty much as long as I've known you, I have I have seen you as a a lot more than just a chef. You have a brain, you use it, you think critically, you are critical and You're a blessing, and I've got no reason I'm not going to get any more free meals. That's all right. Look not that not that I did, Folks, you.
Didn't, and I must meet your farewell. I actually apparently I was somewhere the other day and your farewell was at Antoine, you know, from the radio station to to your new transition. And someone came up to me the other day and said, we didn't realize you know that Jingis Khan was a lefty.
Do we meet you?
And I said, I'll give you a break.
Until they met you.
Yeah, yeah, till they Yeah, I'm not you. But anyway, I always thought you were. I thought you were Genis Khan, so I thought I could actually be one better. You know, I'd have everyone up, I'd have everyone armed, and i'd have every policeman armed, and that you know that you only get you wouldn't get a second chance, you get the first one, and then sorry, you're on your bike.
Not too late for a political run, you know.
No, that could well younger than mister Trump. And look at he took the whole country, the whole. Even though I hate the color, there's not many blue bits in America anymore.
So what about politics in this country?
Yeah, well that's you know, obviously, I was I was very elated when when the last election, because I think things were getting really so bad.
But I think I think by saying they're getting so bad, you are under estimating to a criminal level.
I mean it was disgusting, absolutely it is. It was criminal the way we were being run. I mean it was an open I mean that means they stole from every one of our bank accounts that last government. You know, now they're saying it it was some that was now the National Party's fault. I mean, how many billions are we in debt now? I mean it went up so much in three years, unbelievable. But I'm a bit worried because I actually was elite elated when they were all
thrown out. And I must admit I've become a very happy person with the coalition. I think we're lucky. We actually do have the coalition and we have those you know, Darryl Winston, who I think I probably was going to ban from Antoine's anyway many years ago. But he to give him his credit in the early days, he was our hero when he first became a politician. He was at Antoine's every Friday night and everyone was in love
with him. I would have voted for him in two seconds for Prime minister because he was the only one that made any sense and it was a new reth of fresh air. Anyway, still there and all sorts of things have happened, But without him and David Seymour at the moment, I think we would have a huge problem in this country. And I think everyone that rubbish that coalition, I think they're very lucky we have it quite frankly, because there are people that are actually keeping the government
honest or to account, to account they're trying to. Yeah, but I mean it is moving in that direction. Will be interesting, I think with the next next election, because I'm very worried about how we're still sitting on the fence on all sorts of things when I think national parties should actually be saying a bit more than they instead of just agreeing or not agreeing with anyone. I think they should have policy that they were elected to do,
and that worries me that they're not. And I don't think fence sitting is going to help because the next election, anything I see labor coming up in the polls again. Heaven help us if they actually get in with other parties. You know, that's the end of New Zealand. We're already almost there.
Well, if they had one this lastly, that it would be the end, well exactly, and you can only extend it to the next one. The other aspect that contributes to that is the number of people who fled the country and continue to do so. Because I like to put it this way, the collective IQ of of the country is dropping. And there was a guest on the
podcast a few weeks ago. I can't I can't remember who it was now who who I put a question to about the future of the country And the answer was that we might have been Professor McCullock actually that we could very easily be going down the road of other countries in our region where people go for a holiday for the sunshine and the scenery and what have you, and then they pack up and go home. That's where he thought this country would head unless dramatic changes were made.
How do you think about MMP Then.
Well, MP I did the catering at a very upmarket probably who no one thought it was going to work, So I can assure you there was caviat There was every damn thing you could possibly get on offer for that evening of MMP. You know what, when it was obvious that it was going to which way it was going, no one had any of the food. They just went home. And I'll tell you what. The country has not improved since then, has it?
Really?
MMP?
I mean, how many people are on those back benches, probably even on the front benches that are not elected. And that's why the country's how it is. I mean we elect people and then you go right down that list and some of those people are just tron goos from hell. You know, they have not one ounce of intelligence and they get in there. Well, we just saw it when they attacked Parliament the other night the other day,
when Jerry had to actually suspend it. I have never been so embarrassed and disgusted with that, And like Willie Jackson really should, he should be held account for a lot of things. And in that young woman, I don't even want to know a name who ripped up the piece of paper and started all that crap. I mean, it was just unacceptable. And that's supposed to be the hymnical of what we believe in, you know, and there it is just turning into total chaos. I mean, wearing
hats and all that stuff there. I mean, look, you can't do this, you know it is it's higher. Well, it's the court of the country, isn't it.
Really?
Did you read the Herald editorial.
On that, No, I didn't. I try not to read that anymore. I canceled my herald.
The Herald editorial on it was was that it was done with class and style. I'm choosing the similar words class and style. And that's the way that she was brought up to exercise her anger or express herself. And I thought, the sacredness that we are expected to behave with when we walk into a Maria or other place, if we if we behaved in that manner in reverse, you get lynched.
It might be in a Hongy, you know, go back, go back all those years.
You know, they deny that happened to but never one.
We shouldn't get onto.
That space anyway. We were a good agreement on that as far as MMP is concerned, just a word of counterbalance. There is a problem with put it this way, namely, an Anglo speaking country anyone from the Commonwealth that does any country that doesn't have political issues at the moment
along the same lines very hard. America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, where else Britain and a person's even getting worse, all at odds with each other in most cases not a well except America now probably with hope balancing on the cliff edge, you know.
I sometimes I think it's probably lucky we lived when we did, because I hate to think it's going to be like in twenty five or thirty years. Hopefully everyone will. I mean, look, Australia is going the same way. I mean, it's becoming a nightmare there now too, So I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. And I know people think that you're too old to even have an opinion and all that sort of stuff, but it really worries me about what's going to happen, especially for grandchildren.
I mean, what are they going to be living in? Well, what are they going to be believing? Exactly? It's throwning. I think that America is on track already to reverse the trend wocism is under. The American universities are all going to be confronted with challenges with their wocism, etc. And it's going to filter right through and it's going to do it very quickly because everybody knows you've got
to act act ursiently. Now if and this was in last week's podcast too, I think wacism came out of America. The pushback and the killing of it is now coming out of America. So is that trend go to follow the previous trend and deal with the issue here and there and everywhere, And we'll only know in time.
I think the exciting thing was and I mean everyone loves rubbishing the tr family, but young Baron who is eighteen years old. I mean he took over if you believe everything that you know, the Trump machine, and will you see how many young people actually voted for Trump,
which is quite amazing. But he turned it around where you know, Trump's what nearly eighty years old, his son actually got him onto the youngto I mean, I've never seen so much stuff on TikTok on my whole life, but young people actually supporting a geriatric person and loving what he's doing.
So I think there is hope there.
You know that young people want and they can't cope with what's happening in the universities other you know, but they haven't had a voice because they haven't been allowed to have a voice.
And I think they are moving. I think will happen here too. I think so it's a matter of as a matter of time. There were incidents that took place, and there's one in particular in the book. Actually there's too that I want you to share with us. The first one, as in the order that I read them, was the story of what was the story about alcohol and drugs and in the restaurant?
Oh yeah, And.
I've shared that with a few people and that fascinated with it. The young apprentice chef. Just just tell us a story about that young chef. We had this amazing young young chef that was he was a trainee and I had huge hopes for him, and he was doing everything right. And then one day Beth came to work and well she always came very early in the morning, was six.
Six o'clock in the morning, yet and she was walking because she came in the front door. I was never allowed in the front door. I had to always go on the backdoor because you know, I wasn't respectable enough to go in the front door, but she walked and just passed down to us because it was Dames and Dandies, which was an underwear shot, which is I think Suzanne Turley owned it at the time, and it was one
side and they had beautiful underwear. I mean it wasn't you know, it wasn't a sex shop, but it was just very good underwear and they did very very good business from antoines because these people left, you know, she was very clever at dressing the window. Anyway, Beth arrived to work and there she was walking down Parnell Road
into into the courtyard and there was underwear. There was fongs or bras, there were all sorts of camusoles just lying on the ground and so she picked them all up and noticed there was a big hole in Dames and Dandy's window, and so she took them all into the restaurant and rang the police. Well, the police arrived and they decided she had actually, you know, why did you break in and take all these under it? You don't you really you know it's not going to happen.
It wasn't going to happen. But anyway, she was interrogated for a while, but then the police actually went outside and realized window window had been broken, but there was also blood on it. However, it was he had got in there somehow and taken all all these things out, and anyway it went, it went to court. It was Susan got them all back, obviously, but she wasn't going to It was a bit of a nuisance really because she had been insured and her shop had been broken
into quite a lot. So he went to court and I got forgotten a man, very very smart QC to actually do it. He lives over here somewhere actually, and he took him to court or he was his defense he was a defender, or he was a defending person. And I said, look, I'll come along as a referee, and he said, no, no, we don't want you anywhere near the place. So he had an all woman, all women jury, and he did the case that I was worked him so hard and I'd done that and blah.
Blah blah, you're a horrible monster. Yeah, a horrible monster.
And anyway, he got off the hold and said no, no, it's just a sad situation. Anyway, that was Finn. Anyway, we found out, we didn't know it was him earlier on, but we did find it, we worked out how it was, but I didn't realized that you did have a little bit of a drug problem. But after that he was really totally off the rails. And then he as friends. They were in a car one night going home and they went down their street and crashed at the bottom
and they were all killed. But there wasn't enough room in the car for him that the three of them were killed. Anyway, he just rent totally off the rails. In It was very, very sad because he was such a nice, neat person. His family were lovely, So all of a sudden one day someone rang and said, oh, this boy's dead. He had actually got in the car and repeated, what did it? Just because he wanted to be with his friends, And it was just so sad.
But that was total drugs And we didn't know we had another had other boys that drugs were so readily available, you know, and it was I didn't, yeah, but even then, but he sort of didn't realize they were taking them. But then all of a sudden, you had actually picked once you knew what was happening, he picked up on, you know, their habits and the way certainly they're arriving at work, not clean enough, and you know, all that.
Sort of stuff. So it was very sad.
That's one of the saddest things I think ever ever had.
I think it's a terrible story.
Anyway, I actually went to the funeral and the parents asked me that I didn't warn me, but I had to stand up and say things. But then afterwards people blamed me for it, and I just felt so terrible about it because.
You know, and I did.
I did feel that quite guilty about because we didn't pick it up, and it was he was obviously obviously a very disturbed young man and was at home, yes, sort of off and on, but he was the most polite, wonderful person, and he was a sponge for knowledge. He was going to be a very very good chef, but he just got and also one with the wrong people.
I think the other case was involving a briefcase. Oh I love that one. Yeah, go for it.
I didn't at the moment at the time, but I was, you know, because we didn't take f post. We didn't never have an f poss machine till the day we closed the restaurant, so we just had a zips app or we had signing accounts, or you had cash. So anyway, at the end of the evening, I used to sit in and I didn't even think about it, just sit in the window and well, because we had a courtyard
and you didn't see anybody. And I'd sit there and put the cash into one and put the credit cards into another for Beth to come and do in the morning, and then i'd put it in the cupboard into a safe that we had. Anyway, one night, it was quite late and I was just leaving and had I had a metal briefcase, which I loved anyway, so I had that and I was carrying it and I walk out and then suddenly these two big fellows they give us a briefcase. And I said, no, no. They said, we've just
been watching. You've got a lot of cash there, mate, got a lot of cash there. I said, no, no, you're not having my cash, and they were tall of couse. Then you know, I'm just allay short us so and I thought no they so they said you're going to give it to us. I don't know what what kicked in, but I got the bloody briefcase and I just hit him right around the head, and he fell on the ground and fell on because you know, when our courtyard
was were bricks and stones and rocks. We fell there and there's just blood pouring everywhere, and so I lifted it again to hit the other guy, and he just ran away. Anyway, I thought, oh god, and I looked like I've killed him, so I thought I've got it. So I just got it, got in my car and drove home as quickly as I could. And then I felt so guilty that I rang the police, so they came and got me and took me back to the restaurant. There was this huge pool of blood, but not him.
He said, Oh, I think you're lucky this You're lucky this stone a lot of blood, but he's not dead. But if we find it it will be a manslaugh of judge.
Wow. So you lived with that for how long?
Oh?
I actually was quite excited about it. I thought, oh, I'm stronger than I thought I was. But it was every day I left there I never ever took I didn't have the cash in the bag anyway, but we didn't take it home. But from then on I was made sure there was someone there, you know, not never by yourself on there because you know over you know, up the road and Parnell there was a motelity place that all the people that on the corner yeah yeah, which
has not been nicely demolished this week. But that's where they put the people, you know that instead of motels, the homeless people. I don't know what they were, but they put them in there. And the minute those people arrived, that whole street every shop was robbed. And I had one one night and he was lurking around and had a crowbar, and I thought, I've got to do something about this. So I rang the police because I was worried that he because he had actually had broken into
accent on wine yep. And so I rang the police and they said, you know, I knew they weren't going to cum and I said, I think you should. He's got a gun. They were there in two minutes. It wasn't a gun, it was just a piece of wood. But anyway, they did arrest them. But you know that was what are they building there?
I well, it's a church.
I have a feeling, you know, they're short of money. I have a feeling it's church land. Because if you've seen one since Steven's. They're building that apartment block which is nearly finished. I think they can do the same there. Well, this is all very local, but most people know that. Most people in New Zealand would be aware of the cathedral. And so that's that's the area that we're talking about.
It's on the it's on the peak of the hill in the Parnell and the views from that what you're talking.
About the number one magnificence. I'm just studying. And when they started buildings, I wouldn't want to live there, not on that corner. Busy as hell. It's appropriate being a church next door and you're just exposed. But it's actually turned out very nicely. It's a very beautiful building.
It is.
However, I wouldn't want to be on the ground floor. Have you driven past here?
I mean you can look straight, but getting out of that property, it's right on the top of Brighton Road. In the morning, they're stacked down to shore roads. Unless you've got very and you know what, people will hate them because you know they've got a bit of money and they're not going to let them in.
I would hate to be there. Well, you've added to my own thought. So the one on the other side, if that's what they're going to do, will be pretty much the same, and.
They can only go a certain height because you've got the museums as they covenant over how far you can go to.
It's an ew we think, right.
I think so that motel is a big square area and it is lisol from the church, but there's no way because the one on Ones and Stevens, I think is all sold. So there is a market for and you've got up the road of the Old Blind and Stude that's packed as well.
Well.
It probably doesn't matter too much because most of the people who will live there will be retired and they're able to afford it. No, w aren't we going to work every day like we used to? Like you, it's a very short journey from the bedroom to the studio. There is one other matter that I have left till last. Let me do it this way. This is the dedication at the front.
Of the book.
This book is the story of two people who had a vision. One of them was Beth, who I was so blessed to find she managed to turn a dream to a magnificent reality with just a little help from me. Beth sits on my shoulder every single day, guiding me hopefully in the right direction. I love her, I miss her, and I thank her with all my heart. Now I'm an emotional type. I can't help it, so I know how you're feeling. But you were together a long time,
you were dedicated. She was a wonderful woman. The two of you were a team, which is what most marriages should be, and you were denied access to her prematurely. How are you coping?
Well, let's say, because I've now moved house, because we're in our house for forty two years, and Beth loved the garden. It was a huge garden, and I decided I have because I just couldn't cope with living there by myself without her because everything reminded me, every flower, because she planted them all or looked after them all, and I could not cope with it, really. But anyway, I stayed there for a really while, but then in the end I thought, I've just got to get out
of here, because I've got to move on. You can't just sit and stagnate, and you know, you'd sit there and you get so emotional and probably you know you're by yourself and So anyway, so I did. I bought a new apartment, and I'm finding it very difficult to actually because no garden. Beautiful views, but no garden, and I do miss the garden. However, if you walk into my house, it's Beth anyway, because I've taken She's there. Everything I've got orchards, and I've got lovely Alma who's
to have cartia floris. She knew how best loved having orchards in the house. She comes up every couple of weeks and just Redo does all the orchids, so that make sure it's all there. So however, I still have not got over it, and I don't think I ever will, because I mean we were together, what nearly fifty three years, and we did everything together.
You know, we never.
Really apart, so and that's quite unusual because in a restaurant situation that usually falls over. But she was a very strong person, I you know, and I was, as you probably read in the book. You know, I was you know, I'm a bad ass, but but I'm not really a bad ass. However, she was the steady hand that every time, like just for instance, like if I got it, you know, I used to get very upset with the stuff.
And I don't hold back.
I just you know, there's a tongue lashing or a good snake around the head, all that sort of thing. But she was the one that would go to them and say, boys, just come around the corner, just ignore him, you'll come down.
It's nothing personal. And so she was.
She looked after the whole front. I mean, she was everyone's mother anyway. So you know, people like Simon Wooley and they were they were was for ten years. He's some of these waiters. You know, they were our children really when you think about it. But she was such a good person and I probably didn't deserve her, but she was. She was with her weight in gold. And I mean even now, I mean you're sitting there and you're talking about and I'm getting a bit emotional about it too, But.
She talks. I talk to her all the time.
I just because especially if I get a little bit out of control, I say, oh, okay, okay. You know, I was sitting somewhere the other day and I said, okay, I'll stop, and they said, what do you try and say? A best just told me to shut up. You know, if I go and give a speech anywhere, you know,
and you start rambling. I just I always see she's sitting in front of me, and like she would always, you know, if I started wrong, she'd just on the watch or sip it, you know, and then I know what's got to stop now, because you know, my father used to say, I was vaccinated with a gramophone needle. So I do get a bit carried away. And I don't care what anyone thinks. But see she did care about what people thought. And she she kept down twince going,
and that's all there is to it. But when she went, it was Simon Woolley who came in because she got very, very very sick, and it was all very sudden, and Simon Woolley came and said, you've got to close this restaurant. You've just got to get out of here. You cannot stay here anymore. And that was mid COVID, or just to I know it just after COVID.
You know.
It was the best thing I ever did in my life, was in two and I didn't tell anyone we were closing it. Two days that place stripped out and people thought we were redecorating, and it just never opened again.
And I did go. After birth passed.
I went went up to the restaurant when we're doing jewelry and I we're doing the book, and I went and sat in there and I just cried my eyes out. I just couldn't cove and I thought, did I actually spend fifty years of my life in this funny little hole, you know? And it was that was my exit and I suddenly realized, you know, there is another life and I've got to go and do it. And I have done it. I mean, I'm quite excited at the moment.
I'm opening in a new company, and I'm doing a mentoring work at the aut and I'm doing a lot of charity work. So I just keep so busy, but I have to because of every now and then you're sitting at home for two days and you think, you know, it's just a horrible feeling.
Yeah, I think you're handling it well. And the guidance that you're still getting and I know that's what you're getting because you know, well AI called AI. So let them meet. Try the Story of Antwines with Tony Astell and I moved to Auckland in nineteen eighty five and I booked Antwines for my fiftieth birthday. Do you remember that?
Only a couple of years aga, of course I can remember.
I booked a restaurant for my fiftieth birthday, the whole restaurant, because only takes about thirty.
Yep, well fifty if you want to.
But yeah, and then my father fell very ill and ended up dying, and I had to cancel the reservation because I knew that I couldn't be there and he was in Australia. So the sixtieth went by and I didn't, but I booked it for my seventieth, and then two years later we booked it for the fair Well function from news Talks Envy. I paid for the first one and the company paid for the second one, so we
spent more. Anyway, it is filled with memories and I was I felt pangs and different other emotions as I read the book, from ranging from sadness to getting a cracking a smile at least. So thank you. It's been great doing this with you. This is the longest one I've ever done. Oh really, yeah, Oh I'm not And it's just just what I wanted it to be, a conversation with you and me and anybody who wants to eavesdrop is welcome. Good stuff. That's fantastic, Tony love you, thank.
You, missus.
Producer. Here we are for the final mail room for twenty twenty four, and let's make it short and sharp.
Heall we leiden, I can't believe another year has gone by. It incredible. I know we're all saying it aren't.
We're a title of six years now, believable anyway you launch.
Leyden Brett says, isn't it interesting the world over that the same basic manipulations of people goes on today as it always has. Nothing new under the sun. These things are extremely well known and well studied, Yet we keep falling prey to manipulation as if we are unaware entirely, and humanity has learned nothing from its own history, which we keep repeating. It's like humanity can't or won't break free of our primitive hardwiring and bad habits, even though
we have the potential within us to do so. In New Zealand, we suffer from long term poor governance, yet can't seem to find our way out of the cycle trap. The blind leading the blind, as it were, What will it take to shift us out of our malaise and fire a path firmly anchored in integrity, wisdom and highest good. Are we even brave enough to undertake such a journey? That's from Brett Bread for Brett.
Yes, yes, indeed, thank you Brett. Appreciate it very much. Now this is a bit lengthiness. Producer Helen writes, I'm a member of the Methane Science Accord. We're a group of farmers and scientists standing against the unscientific justification of ruminant methane calculation, mitigation and taxation. Please do check out our social media face page. Sadly, well, sadly in this occasion. I don't do Facebook, but maybe I can have a look at yours. Sure. Here's our press release regarding the
Methane Review Panel's latest findings. Methane Review Panel dazed and confused. The Methane Review Panel have strayed from science and been swept up in politics to justify continuing the methane money train, states Jane Smith, chair of the Methane Scienceord, regarding today's announcement by a Crown appointed review panel to recommend continued methane reduction regulation targets for New Zealand. Ruminants quote. It is hugely disappointing that the panel process has been clearly
nothing more than a desktop exercise. They have ignored their terms of reference, where they were asked to quantify the actual warming impact of methane, despite their early indication that any reduction target was nonsensical due to the downward trajectory of New Zealand's livestock methane emissions and the very simple science behind methane levels at steady state or below. They have instead chosen to take a more politically palatable, scientifically
anemic path by endorsing generic methane reduction targets. This will unsuccessfully lump higher costs, expedite intensification, and interfere with the naturally rape status of red meat sector for nothing more than a quasi heroic headline. The review fails to account for the fact that ruminants are the only emitters that
use up the ghs. The report fails to account for the fact that ruminants are the only admitters that use up a GHG to create one, and therefore should have a net figure computed, and it's mystifying to see outdated metrics CO two and GWP being used, which grossly overstate methane's contribution. The taxpayer needs to ask why the panel dodged their one and only role of assessing science and
methane metrics. We live in a country that cardifford an adequate healthcare system, yet continues to burn circa one billion dollars chasing methane reductions. That's really about all we need to know, isn't it. We live in a country that cardifford an adequate healthcare system, yet continues to burn circa
one billion dollars chasing methane reduction. Perhaps it was too embarrassing to admit that any global warming effect of New Zealand methane is virtually nonexistent and so inconsequential that it cannot be measured. There's a lot going on in the methane front, and most of its lives well for those who are treating it as a curse.
Leyden Jin says in twenty twenty four, we learned three important lessons from history. Firstly, miracles do happen despite the constant defamation from mainstream media, the weaponization of law by the Democrats, and the two assassination attempts on his life. Donald Trump's return as the forty seventh President of the United States is nothing short of a miracle. Secondly, one person can make a difference. You mentioned Robbie Starbuck, a Hollywood music video editor who turned into a one man
army against DEI. He and his team managed to pressure Walmart Harley, Davidson, Ford, and many others to have abandoned their DEI policy. Thirdly, boundaries are compulsory for human flourishing. We have to protect children from being castrated by trans ideology, protect the country's borders from unwanted immigrants, and protect free speech from being stifled, all necessary boundaries for a free world.
In twenty twenty five, I look forward to three things. Firstly, that Pierre Polivere will depose that sick, twisted communist Dustin Trudeau from Canada. Secondly, that more woke companies go broke, starting with Jaguar with their stupid, idiotic non binary ad. Thirdly, that I get to listen to the Laytonsmith podcast number three hundred. I know it's been said many times by others, but it's worth repeating. Thank you for doing God's work
and speaking truth to power in your podcast. Laton, you make every Wednesday a real joy, have a well deserved break and I'll hear from you next year. God bless Thank you so much, Jim, Thank thank you.
Jim, Thank you you have worked over time.
Thank you Jan Yes you have.
Na from Gillian as a long time listener of your good self. I am commenting for the first time as a fit and healthy seventy three year old. Last year I discovered I had a tumor of the pancreas and with it, and within a month was admitted to North Shore Hospital for the Whipple surgery. All went well and
I was released from hospital eleven days later. This was the first time I had used the hospital service since the cesarean birth of my son thirty nine years ago, and I cannot speak highly enough of my care and follow up chemo. To hear you read out the Act press release regarding Nursing Council pillars of competency stipulations for nurses in New Zealand. I had to laugh when you encountered a word that you could not pronounce, which came
under the heading of communication. This really is a step too far, and I look forward to a bit of sen returning to our beautiful country. Just had a call from my son who is trying to enroll his five year old daughter in school, and one of the forms he had to fill in had a word that he had never heard of, he being a linguist and translator of Japanese to English. Best wish is for the festive season to you and yours from Jill, third generation Kiwi.
Thank you, and that's the note on which we finish twenty twenty four. This is a producer. Thank you for all your input late, on which there has been much, no, not.
Hardly any, to be honest with you, but I hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to seeing your back again next year.
Indeed, and to celebrate, I brought you a little drink.
Oh, thank you so much. It's the smallest glass of water I have ever seen. And why do you persist with these glasses?
It's like a bimble because I don't want to overdrink. You don't like drinking water. Do you see you next year?
Now?
Just an addendum to what I was quoting from Judge Willie. It's the last paragraph of that article that really matters. The whole article itself is very good, but when you get to that final paragraph, he pulls no punches. Let me put it that way now. In conclusion, I want to refer you to this particular piece, this article, The
Rise and Fall of Western Science. You can access it via the Brownstone Institute, or you can access it through I think it's a real clear science written by Thomas First, who I had not been aware of until this actually peered. Thomas First teaches applied mathematics at Palaki University, Czech Republic. His background is in mathematic mathematical modeling and data science.
He's the co founder of the Association of Microbiologists, Immunologists and Statisticians, which has been providing the Czech Republic with data based and honest information about the coronavirus epidemic. He's also co founder of Samisdat, a journal which focuses on uncovering scientific misconduct in Czech science. We are one of those here. I think probably the closest we would have would be Guy Hatchet. Anyway, The Rise and Fall of
Western Science. I'm not going to read the whole thing, it's nine pages, but he runs through the history of Western science, the technological sprint in the late nineteenth century, collectivist ideologies of the twentieth century big state and big business. Then we get to going downhill. Actually, before I get to going downhill, the previous subhead is big state and big business. Since the beginning of the Cold War, the two superpowers disagreed on everything about from one thing, everything
must be based on science. The East continued with nationalized science under this system. The areas of research that thrived in the Soviet Bloc were mainly those that were not asked to scientifically underpin communist ideology, but rather to catch up and overtake the capitalist bloc. And they're just taking some selected sentences out of some of these paragraphs. It really is just to entice you to read it yourself.
The amount of public funding increased sharply, and more and more research areas started to appear where it was clear which results were politically desirable and which were not. Moves into areas of gender studies, etc. Then historically, the first post war victim of nationalized science was climatology, which today serves exclusively to legitimize the political goals of the de
industrialization of the West. Next section is the West goes out of its mind, but the real catastrophe for Western science has come with the covid epidemic, when the West went completely out of its mind. At that moment, the two scientific curses of the twentieth century met in terrible synergy. Big business quickly understood that the epidemic represented an opportunity that may not be repeated. If opioids were worth a few lies, the possibility of selling billions of vaccines to
panic to governments all over the world was worth many lies. Moreover, the American left has just experienced the enormous shock of Trump's election victory and readily jumped at every opportunity to derail his presidency. Goes into detail there, going downhill over the next page. More and more disasters followed in which rigged research overseen by corrupt regulators led to damage on
a staggering scale. For example, pharmaceutical companies managed to convince American doctors that chronic pain is a problem that tens of millions of people suffer from. Through a combination of aggressive marketing and manipulated scientific studies, they created an addiction in millions of people to opioids sold under the names of OxyContin and fentanyl. A little further down this tragedy is based on science corrupted by the pharmaceutical business and
dysfunctional drug market regulation. Then to the end of science. After three hundred years, the Enlightenment project of Western science has rea reach and important crossroads. At the end of the nineteenth century, science brought fascinating progress to mankind. During the twentieth century, science gained so much prestige that it replaced religion and became a central ideology, or the central ideology of the world. Gradually, however, like Christianity before Reformation,
it became a victim of its own success. Instead of seeking the truth about how and why the world works, it began to abuse its prestige and serve the powerful and the rich. By the end of the twentieth century, science had already been damaged beyond repair by either big governments to legitimize their ideological goals or by big business to legitimize the distribution of their often toxic products. The rotten edifice of Western science finally collapsed in twenty twenty
during the COVID crisis. We have to wait now before enough people realized that science, the central ideology of our civilization, is in ruins. Then we can start thinking about what to do. Christianity was saved by the strict separation of church and state. To save science and equally daring step will be needed, but that is a topic for further essays. Thomas First af Urest is the author and it's well worth your attention. So on that note. That concludes twenty
twenty four, and I'll leave you with a song. It's a very special song written and recorded by Evan Silver, who's a good friend. He wrote it with the idea of me joining him, and I keep telling him I cannot hold a tune. He said, yes, you can. I say no, I can't, and in the end he did it on his own. It's a lovely song. Evan Silver. Take me to Christmas, and I wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy and safe New Year.
Christmas is made up of omens that come once a year when we make up for lost time those foreign years. Weather in, sunshine, weather and rain will be there, dressed in the spirit of love.
All then, good cheese.
Take me to Christmas.
I don't want to miss this.
Take me to Christmas, an intuw year you tell me Christmas it's all about give them riceipt.
Counting the gifts to be sure we've got all of me. You have some stories, I'll have a few of my sleep.
So he is staying enough late this Christmas Eve, we better hit the road.
Can't eat the family waiting.
One thing with Christmas, it only comes around once a year.
So take me to Christmas. I don't want to miss this. Take me to Christmas.
And into New Year.
Take me to Christmas and don't want to business.
Take me to Christmas, Christmas and into New Year.
Marry Christmas, Happy.
Give you.
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