Declaration of Defeat
David in superb water fighting form!
2002, 44C Tasman Rd.
It all started when the kids wanted to have a water fight with their uncles. Andrew, Paul and Mark Dobson, (Barbara Cooper’s kids) and Thomas and Ben Cooper, (Richard Cooper’s kids). They were constantly pestering so Uncle Mike Cooper says, “right kids, just go up onto the top balcony, scope it out because you can have that territory. When we’ve finished our cup of tea, we’ll have a water fight”. They all knew the balcony was the highest vantage point, and what’s more, it had the added advantage of having a tap up there.
So all five of them wasted no time in scurrying up the stairs. They went out onto the balcony to start planning their method of attack. Quick as a flash Mike sneaks up behind them, snips the balcony ranch slider and locks them all on the deck! WAR! (You should have seen their indignant faces!)
So much for the cup of tea, Uncle David raced out to commandeer the hose. He clambered onto the bonnet of the closest car and let rip with as much water as was possible! With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, they received a superb dousing of water. The balcony tap rendered useless as they had nothing to collect the water in. They were completely outsmarted.
That didn’t stop the wails of cheek, abuse and threats of jumping off the balcony, of which kamakazee Mark did once, only to be marched back up and locked back out with the others. The only way to stop the raining tap water was for them to admit defeat, and do you think they were going to do that, no way! Defeat to the Uncles, oh no!
So it continued, more and more water dousing, more and more cheek, abuse and threats. After some time they began to waver, and then they eventually gave in.
They were all frog marched down the stairs, one at a time, and made to sign the great declaration of defeat, before the ranchslider was opened to release them all. To this day the Great Cooper Brother Alliance + Sister reign supreme in the water fighting stakes.
Every second year at the Cooper Camp City, there is a ‘massive as' water fight’ in memory of David Cooper, who was the most persistent water fighter of us all.
The great declaration of defeat, instigated and drawn up by Michael Cooper (note, he is ex-army!)
Amy Dobson won the 2024 David Cooper Water Fighting Trophy. Amy’s looks very sweet and innocent but she’s definitely not, she’s a ‘mean as water fighter!’