“Only You!”

“You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Suitably attired 180 members of the Austro-British Society gathered in Pre-Christmas spirit in our alternative living room, so to speak, led by our President, Dr Kurt Tiroch, at the Residence of the British Ambassador, His Excellency Leigh Turner. For the Ambassador it was his second tour of duty as host and he already showed that he was a quick learner spicing his welcoming words with the time-honoured running gag referring to our President’s speeches as “very brief”. And brief they actually were if not with one profound message: 36! Thirtysix events so far in 2017, which is to date an all time record.

The famous Gary Howard, equally suitably attired, former frontman of the “Flying Pickets” held the audience spellbound with his acapella and Christmas songs. He even made us sing, very successfully I tell you, the refrain of his 1983 hit song: “Only You”. If you want to hum it to yourself in the privacy of your home, the words can be found at the end of my report.

Talking about “suitably attired”: it has never happened before that the humble writer of these lines acted as a “dresser to the stars”. The splendid black bowtie Gary wore around his slender neck was actually, without strangling him, tied by me.

The feel of this Pre-Christmas Gathering was that of true bonhomie, joy and happiness, fuelled with an excellent flying buffet and sheer limitless amount of libation. Photographs were requested with the two most favoured motifs: Gary Howard and the impressive ambassadorial Christmas Tree.

It must have been disappointing for those twenty odd members on the Waiting List who have missed the party. Better luck next year. Remember: The early Bird catches the Worm.

Of course, before I forget. Here are words to the refrain of “Only You”. Happy humming!

“All I needed was the love you gave
All I needed for another day
And all I ever knew
Only you

Badum, badum, badadadum
Badadadum, badadada, badadadum
Badum (badum), badum (badum), (badadadum) dadadadadadadum
(Badadadum) dadadadadadadum, (badum, badadadum) dadadadadadadum”

Wolfgang Geissler
 

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