The Don Arioli Memorial Weekend started out with a lavish Chinese fress-up at the Beijing Restaurant in Montral's Chinatown on Friday night. 

The giant extended Arioli family included Regan, France and Anna, Tobias and Ronin,    Suzie and Jordan, friend Katherine, Rosemary and Amy all the way from the UK, Eleanor Beattie, Margie Golick who worked with Don on an amazing series of film clips for mentally challenged kids , and me, Les Nirenberg and my two pals Sarita Elman and Sandra Clementson. 

Sarita and Sandra worked with Don and me back in 1966 when I used to fly into Montreal from Toronto to perform comedy skits with Don on CBC-TV.  The show was called "Seven on Six". Last night, we consumed about twelve tons of seafood and other goodies in about six minutes, then moved our collection of distended abdomens to Eleanor's house on St, Elisabeth street to reminisce.  

I brought a thirty- minute 1964 black-and-white TV show we had done for the late Bill Bolt called "There Aughtn't To Be A Law" (about stupid laws, what else?)  Rosemary brought out a huge collection of photos of Don in his many previous lives including shots with Gerry Potterton (both Gerry and Don in nothing but fig leaves).

The nostalgia continues into Saturday and Sunday. Reports to follow.