Watching 'The Noble House' DVD recently (as you do), I realised what a load of old out-dated twaddle it is. But out of nowhere I suddenly wondered whatever happened to that splendidly bad-tempered restaurant owner Gerard from New Zealand/Australia. Although he appeared to be half-Indian as well. Any theories?

Pissed of back to Oz several years back, (thank god) definitely the new proprieter with his drunken karaoke days is much more fun.

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6 down, keep 280 metres !

Poor Gerard, we shall never hear those exasperated abrasive tones again.

I will not forget the sight of him angrily throwing the irritating Ben Jordan around his first restaurant, the Capital, and then bashing him over the head with a soup ladle. No doubt feeling pleased with himself -- he offered the other customers all a free bottle of beer.

You don't see that kind of thing in the Bookwork Cafe, for sure.

I'll never forget the day Jenks kicked him in the bollocks.

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6 down, keep 280 metres !

Yes Gerard was a great fan of hockey -- even extending the game to the confines of his bar on occasion. Amiable (?) Capital proprietor 1 - harrassed customer 0

Gerard Sharman and his wife Jenny of the old Capital Restaurant on Yung Shue Wan Main Street had a thriving business in the '80s. That is, until they began to feel the competition from Fountainhead, Island Bar and Spicy Island.

Drop in business led to drop in standards and Gerard's drinking bouts did little for the reputation of the hostelry, not to mention mounting bad debts to suppliers of alcohol and food ingredients. Their decision to do a quiet moonlight flit was thwarted by the bailif who pounced on Jenny's handbag just as the couple were preparing to catch the afternoon ferry to Central. The bag contained the family's meagre cash reserves Jenny had squirrelled away for their journey to and stay in Australia. Friends, who felt sorry for the couple,loaned them some money, never expecting it to be ever returned: the typical expat exit pattern of years gone by.

It needn't have been so, but the Sharmans were forever battling to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! Gerard, who died around six months ago, was an Anglo-Indian from Calcutta and a first-rate hockey star much admired during his playing days in Hong Kong. Jenny was a walking jewellery showcase that explained where all the takings at Capital Restaurant went!

If someone can recall more of their exploits, that would make the Sharmans larger-than-life Lamma oldies, a hard act to follow!

Taipengshan