Melissa Gecolea of TVB All photos: Melissa Gecolea
About 30 people attended the launching party for “Tales From A Barren Rock” at Enoteca’s Quarry Bay restaurant on 25 May. Some notables: Mike Rowse, former director-general of InvestHK, who wrote the endorsement on the back of the book, even though he hadn’t read it; lawyer Sue Lavender who wrote the chapter the editors thought was so good they put it first; former Cathay Pacific Captains Dave Newbery and Colin Dyson; ex-police officers Guy Shirra and Mike Sharp; some women of the Ladies Hash House Harriers, who demonstrated why the Hash is not regarded as a running club but a drinking club; a television crew from TVB led by Melissa Gecolea; Rob Cooper and Kim Minards, hosts and co-owners of the Enoteca chain of restaurants; and several men from the Hong Kong Hash House Harriers, particularly New Zealanders, there to support their fellow Kiwis, Roger Medcalf and Rod Olsen, co-editors of the book.
Sue Lavender gives a reading
Guy Shirra performing
Filmed by TVB, several people made brief speeches or readings. Roger said there was nothing clever about the creation of the book. He noticed “50 Stories From the Hong Kong Police Force” and thought why not do a general interest version. Rod, a successful businessman, analysed the content of the book, a series of reminiscences about life in Hong Kong. Dave Newbery, former Cathay Captain, read an extract from his story about being bombed in Colombo, stumbling around the hotel naked bleeding from flying glass, checking on the safety of other crew. Sue quoted from her story telling how she moved from the blizzards of Montreal to Hong Kong and concluded, “I’m home”. Guy, introduced as the holder of a Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct for rescuing people after the Kotewall Road landslide disaster, read from his chapter on how he became a one-pip police inspector after arriving in Hong Kong from Indonesia. Roger told the sad story, which is in the book, about how MT, a popular flying instructor with the HK Aviation Club, was killed doing aerobatics while under pressure.
Dave Newbery reads an extract
Rod Olsen analyses the book’s content
The crowd then proceeded to the Enoteca’s bar to celebrate a splendid book launching and sample the restaurant’s scrumptious food.
The event was filmed by TVB
Tales from a Barren Rock: Reminiscences of Life in Hong Kong,
Roger Medcalf, Rod Olsen
$6.99 (E-book) | ISBN 978-988-8843-89-3 $19.99 (Paperback) | ISBN 978-988-8843-57-2
Published by Earnshaw Books 17/F, Siu Ying Commercial Building 151-155 Queens Road Central Hong Kong Tel: +852 2191 2999 info@earnshawbooks.com https://earnshawbooks.com/product/tales-from-a-barren-rock/
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