Darlings!! It’s come to pass – Megsie is now a bone fide old chook. Without too much ado – and with the assistance of a serious new cocktail manual (recently launched at Karma Kandara) – the Gang spent the week quietly observing the passage of the big 6-oh…

No crowd scenes – just one long ‘family’ group hug really (the perfect compromise, given Studio Bitch’s notorious antisocial leanings…) But what a smorgasbord of events it turned out to be – the cosmic synchronicity of Eurotrash, State of Origin and Megsie’s 60th Pyre (of all things predating Prisoners of the Crown) – and all in one week! Pure gold, we tells ya.

…and so it goes…

…and then out of the cell block materialised Team Pink Bits…

…front-lined by – hello you guessed it – the Merkin…

…Studio Bitch (in a rare photographic sighting) even packed pink chest hair…

Silly buggers (but we loved it.) And then it was time for the Pyre (boxes and boxes full of years and years of shite from the shed)…

…until it was finally down to the stayers…

…who managed a 5 o’clocker – which wasn’t too shabby, eh. As luck would have it we woke to a Torajan recovery brunch…

…to kick off one last quiet day before the troops had to ship back out…

…to the coal face; one final frosty chill before the tropics. So that’s the last of the fun folks, and now it’s back to work here at the Hideout, too.

Thanks again to Sammy Jo and Iain for a most memorable (10 day!) 6th Decadian Bash – a quality string of perfeck, low key treats. Very very noice indeed.

Thanks so much to all for the beyond ample (seemingly endless) provision of Taittinger (we loves youse all…and we didn’t mind the Pol Roger neither Elsa!!)

But a very particular thanks to our fave son-in-law for the newest addition to the Cunt Collection…

[Don’t start writing in people – it’s art, get used to it. n(Ed)]

PS: Omigod, almost forgot to thank Shay for the preview litre(!) of Poor Toms Gin; son Jesse and Co’s fabulous aussie botanical drop which is on the verge of launching in Sydney. We were all treated to a wonderful, full bodied narrative tasting. What a cracker – keep an eye on these boys, it’s a serious contender.

Poor Toms Gin here. Recent article (one of many) here. Get some.