Ian came to work at the Malvern Hotel shortly after Raps restaurant opened. He only had the assistance of a kitchen hand and invariably would do 20 in the restaurant and 40 in the bistro by himself. Then back up for another 25-40 for dinner, doing all the prep and cooking himself. Giles (hotel owner) asked me to befriend Ian, as he was very quite and I should try to "bring him out of shell". I am pretty sure that Giles said the exact opposite to Ian about me. Giles suggested Golf as he knew both of us played the game. For the first few weeks I wonder how I was going to do that! Although we both had Sunday and Monday off, Ian, every Saturday after work at 9:30 pm, would always get on his Norton and ride to the farm in Woodend. So I suggested that we have a game before work during the week. So I picked him up early as he was sharing with Sandy Marshall in Malvern an we do 18 holes at East Malvern Golf Course. This went well,but he was VERY quite. Well on about the 4th round and on the 16th hole I got a birdie and he finally said something: "Well Done!". A couple of rounds later, he yelped with: "Good one" when he got a birdie. Oh my god(OMG), he can talk!!?!! Sometimes Ian would come back early on Mondays and we would play more golf. One weekend Ian invited me to the farm and to play golf at Woodend. Here I meet his Dad: Geoff and straight away I knew where the conversation trait came from. Ian's mum was there and she was delightful, a real chatterbox, in comparison. About this time I had also meet Steve Mercovich who managed the Turf Club hotel for the same company. Giles suggested that Steve could join us for golf. I was a bit wary as I had meet Steve and he could talk the arm off a chair, so how were these two ever going to kick it off (goes to show ya). But they had another common interest: horse racing. It wasn't long before Steve, Ian and I were playing golf, them two following the horses, all of us partying at restaurants and generally having a good time. Ian would always be going back to visit the folks on weekend on that Norton. Ian had had a restaurant in Lorne and he decided to go back and give it one more go. So he went there for a while. After selling the restaurant, he returned to work at the Turf Club Hotel, and the three of us return to our old habits. About the time, Kent McGlinsky had started at the Malvern Hotel. Ian took us all, Steve, Kent and I to Cobram to play golf, where we stayed at Max Cornish's place. Where, you guessed it more "Lemonade" was tasted. About this time the Ash Wednesday bush fires struck the Woodend farm and the old farmhouse was lost. Ian spent even more time at Woodend aiding his family in clean up and rebuilding. About this time Ian moved into the flat next to the Malvern Hotel, to share with me. So now it was even more early morning golf. Joining us was Kent. Great Stuff!! Ian moved work back to the Malvern to join Kent in the kitchen. Early the next year Ian, Kent, Steve Ray Merrills (Raps' head waiter) and I were sent, by the company to peruse the restaurants of Paris and Burgundy. Had a bit of skiing in Switzerland too. We all agreed that it was a job well done!! We would jobs like that every time. Unfortunately, a week after returning from France, Ian and I were burgled and a lot of goods we got in France were pinched. Steve and Ian had cemented a firm friendship. More than enough to venture into partnership into the Hotel they renamed and refurbished, with the help of Andrew Garvey. The Hotel of course was The Flying Duck Hotel in Prahran. Where all Ian's friends supported him in this venture. Sandy Marshall being a fore most among his long time friends. Ian had lots of other acquaintances, most female, who popped into and out of his life. Steve and Ian were at the "Duck" for a couple of years. The hotel was a "hit". It really showed off Ian's talents as a top Chef. After the "Duck", Ian moved back to work at the Turf Club. Soon after he moved back into the flat next to the Malvern. We then moved to Macarthur Street. More Golf and trips to Cobram. We moved out of there and into a house in South Caulfield with Steve. More parties and Cobram, Golf and restauranting. About this time Ian's dad passed away and Ian spent more time in the months after that at the farm with his mum. Steve, Kent and I spent many a weekend at the farm, yabbiing, Golfing and a bit of shooting. Ian was an excellent shot. Bagging foxes and rabbits, the latter he cooked for Leslie and us. Ian's friends were always popping around to the house in South Caulfield, chief of which was Sandy. Life wasn't spent entirely at the farm. From the house in South Caulfield, we worked, play and had fun with an ever increasing circle of friends. About this time Ian reacquainted with an old friend, Natalie Borg. I think he shock himself, Natalie and all of us by asking Natalie to marry him. She accepted and they were married. We were delight, well us males at least! But it wasn't to last. So life changed for Ian, both personally and professionally. He changed jobs and was working at the Orrong hotel. He was still an excellent Chef, much to the joy of the Orrong owners. He was also living at the Orrong, which he detested. Steve and I had moved into a 2 bedroom flat in Malvern Rd. Ian, although he liked the work, detested the living arrangement at the Orrong so much the he moved into the flat and slept on the floor for many months with out a single word of complaint. He was still making the constant trek to the farm, by Sunday train, two or three weekends a month. Steve, and sometimes myself, would go up to Woodend to play Golf. Kent and Sandy were also regular visitors to the farm. I moved out of the flat in the late 90's, but in the Easters to come we would have Good Friday lunch together, just Steve, Ian and I. Then there was 4, with the delightful presence of Robin, who work for a winery. How fitting. They were good lunches. Steve and Ian had to move out of the flat. Not far. Just down the road. Not long after that Ian went to Woodend to help mind his ailing mum. He and I drifted apart and it was only the occasional phone call at Christmas and birthdays that kept us in contact. I, like everybody else, was shocked to hear of his illness. But it is this that has rekindled the times we spent working, golfing, dining and living with each other and our friends. I know he held these things and especially his friends most dear. And I will always remember him as the quite man with many talents and friends, of whom I hoped he counted me as one. For he was certainly one of mine! To MY friend: Ian.

A non-judgmental man of enormous integrity, kindness, and insight - a gentle master at bringing people together