Breakfast at the Forum 2007

 

he alarm clock showed 4.00am. It was Saturday the 28^th of April 2007, the day of the Breakfast at the Forum. I could hear rain and so spent the next two restless hours wondering what the morning would bring. Surely it would fine up by 6.00am? Just my luck that the Weather Bureau’s prediction would be correct for a change! Would anyone turn up at Leichhardt? I was reluctant to drive my car in the rain, but after all the organising, it would just have to happen – even if mine was the only car there!

 

After a quick shower ‘n shave, I was out the door and into the garage where my 500 “Buzz” awaited me – all clean and shiny, ready and eager for his big day out with his mates.

 

A slight detour to pick up long time friend Steve Tapper, whom I had finally convinced to join me at a Fiat Club event and we were at Leichhardt in two shakes of the proverbial. The traffic was so light at that hour, that we arrived ½ an hour earlier than planned. We were so early that we had to ring security to open the roller shutter to give us access to the Piazza!

(Steve is the person responsible for my addiction to Fiats. Way back in 1968 he started bending my ear about these little rear-engined Italian creations. I thought he’d taken leave of his senses, but I was soon hooked and some 30 Fiats and 39 years later, things haven’t changed. OK, I’m a little greyer, a little heavier, half blind and a bit deaf, but hey, give me a break!)

 

We parked Buzz “on the front row of the grid” in the Piazza and waited for people to arrive.

 

Before long, the Di Rocco/Di Iulio clan arrived en mass. We suddenly had a display!!!!

 

Word reached us that there were 15 cars down in the street, trying to find the entrance. Apparently there are 2 loading docks to the Italian Forum – talk about Murphy’s Law! We soon had them directed to the Piazza and it rapidly began to fill. By 9.30am we had 32 Fiats lined up – almost filling an area about the size of a football field!

 

Even though it was still lightly raining, everyone was milling amongst the cars, which all looked delightful covered in rain drops. I should’ve taken some “arty” close ups of wet duco, but because there were so many people to meet and greet, the opportunity slipped by. Oh well, next time.

 

Eventually hunger overcame everyone’s car-gazing and we retired to the restaurant “Sapore by the Fountain”. The place was absolutely packed – there were, after all, about 90 of us! The poor staff were being run off their feet (they could’ve done with a couple more waiters), but everyone was soon served and we all got down the serious business of breakfast – after all, that’s what we had come for – wasn’t it? Oh yeah, and for the cars too!

 

It was a good feed, and the prices were very affordable with a typical price of about $20!

Being a breakfast meant that many had a busy day ahead of them, so not long after we’d finished eating, the cars began to evaporate from the Piazza.

 

The weather had kept the locals away but the few that drifted in for their constitutional caffeine hit were delighted to see so much beautiful Italian machinery lined up for their viewing pleasure.

 

I had noted on my recce visit to the Forum a few days earlier, that the little book shop close by the restaurant had about 12 copies of Todd Niall’s book “Bambina” on the shelves. By the conclusion of breakfast, the lot had been sold!

 

Incredibly it was soon midday and with a negotiated conclusion time of 1.00pm, we reluctantly departed for home. In retrospect, it had been a most successful event, with an undreamt of number of members, their families and friends joining us for the morning. I can’t wait for the next outing!