There are a number of activities that occur within the village which are either simpler in nature or “one of” events that do not require a full web page on their own. Reports of these activities will appear here, latest at the top….. Just scroll down to see earlier reports..

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Waterfront Barbecue

The new Waterfront BBQ area has been recently opened and residents made full use of it on a recent Sunday. Diane reports as follows;

“We had a great roll up for our first BBQ with the new equipment and seating, 25 attended, including 4 residents from the main village, Neil and Robin and their neighbours Judith and Graeme. 
We had two new residents, Paul and Wendy, who only moved into the Waterfront Apartments late on the Friday before, and they managed to leave their unpacking and joined the group.
We were missing 18 residents who would normally attend but had other commitments.  It was a great afternoon.”

And here are several photos from that afternoon….

Its great to see the new area getting a workout!!

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Johns 90th

John has just joined the gang of the 90’s here in the village and celebrated with a small gathering of neighbours. Unfortunately, Covid meant no relatives could visit the village but they made up for that later elsewhere. Here are a few pics of the local event.

Good one John, and may there be many more….

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Elaines 95th!!

Despite Covid restrictions limiting what could be done, Elaine Dacey and several friends recently celebrated her 95th birthday in real style.. Here are few photographs from the event.

 

Happy 95th Elaine.. 

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FREE!!!! FREE AT LAST!!!!! (who said that??)

Several groups of residents made full use of the great weather and the easing of Covid restrictions on Sunday 19 September as they socialised in groups of five in our courtyard and pavilion. Heres hoping this is just a small first step in the general easing of our lockdown restrictions.

The signs on the tables were all the excuse we needed..

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Bernie Wyckes, 100 Years Young.

We must have a great lifestyle here at Alloura waters, because here is another 100 year old birthday celebration among our residents.
On the 16th June 2021, Alloura Waters Village held a birthday morning tea in our community centre to celebrate several residents birthdays. Only this time it was more special than usual because we celebrated with one of our residents who had reached 100 years of age.
Bernie Wyckes, who is a long term resident, was treated to a lot of attention including a visit from two of our Central Coast MP’s who presented Bernie with certificates of congratulations. Of course, he also received congratulatory letters from the Queen and the Governor General of Australia. 
It always causes a few chuckles among the other residents when outside visitors look around an assembled crowd of residents and cannot pick out which one is Bernie. He does in fact look much younger than some of the “kids” we have here in the village.
Bernie is still a regular bowls player at Bateau Bay every week where he has been a playing member for decades. His neighbours here in the village are always amazed every week when he lifts his bowls bag unassisted into the boot of his car before driving off. They are even more amazed when he comes home after a full day on the bowling green and lifts the bowls bag back out of the boot.
And this writer was taken aback after offering to escort an elderly lady visitor into our Centre who looked a little bit lost and was standing out on the roadway.
“Oh no, thats all right” she said, “Im just waiting for my Dad”!!!
It was of course Bernies 80 year old daughter.

Our gardening and maintenance staff did a great job in serving the morning tea to the assembled residents while helping us to remain Covid safe. Bernie was most gracious in accepting all of the attention while his daughter looked on with great pride. What a Legend!!

And here are a few photographs of the event;

The man himself

The Queens Message

The Governor Generals Message

Local MP’s Congratulate Bernie

Bernie thanks everyone for their kind thoughts

That is Bernies 80yo daughter on his right

So  after the formal ceremonies it was on with the cake cutting and blowing out candles…..

                                           

However the day wasnt all about Bernie, it was also Johns 90th that we were celebrating as well…

But soon we were all enjoying some very nice cake…

And a big shout out to our gardening and maintenance staff who did a great job serving us which enabled us to stay seated and comply with Covid restrictions.

Finally, here is Bernie with our Village Manager Leanne and our  Regional Manager Gail.

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Beths 100th

Jean reports that there was a good turn out for Beths 100th birthday celebrations over at the RSL. It was sponsored by the Davistown Bowling club where Beth was a long term member, having only given up bowls last year.

Beth received her congratulatory message from Her Majesty The Queen. The event was attended by the local Member for the Central Coast and was also extensively reported on the local NBN Television evening news service.

So congratulations Beth you are a credit to our village. 

Jean has assembled a slide show of the event which you can view by clicking on the link below;

https://spark.adobe.com/video/YvZTeUiFMhTA3

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Robins 90th

Gloria reports: “Our lovely lady, Robin, has had a very special birthday, she is so proud of turning 90. Her family were like magic spoiling her.
Best wishes from all your Village friends, an exciting time.”

— Happy 90th Robin —

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020 Santas Visit to the Village

PHEW… luckily Santa was not affected by any of the Covid lockdown restrictions and was able to make his annual visit to say hello to residents and distribute a bit of chocolate cheer..

This visit has become a tradition here in the village and is much looked forward to by residents..

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December 2020 –  Dons Keepsake Box

We certainly have some clever residents here in the village. Don from our workshop recently got a mention by a leading magazine for his woodworking skills.

Australian Woodsmith presented Don with the above building challenge which he tackled with enthusiasm. “Build this box in 15 easy steps????” Oh Yeah??? Maybe…

But Don was not deterred and the result was as seen below;

Well done Don.

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December 2020 – Our annual toy donation to Central Coast Family Support

(…… Normally, the annual charity toy donation handover would occur during the Village Christmas Party event held over in the RSL Club next door. Due to the current CoronaVirus related restrictions in place this was not possible this year so we held a small morning tea event locally in our Centre instead….)

Over the last several months, residents were able to fill the large bin, which was placed in the lounge, with toy donations.
Also, the workshop boys had once again toiled all year to produce a magnificent range of timber toys for local children in need.

On the 4th December 2020, Sarah from Central Coast Family Support attended our Centre to receive the toys and expressed her gratitude and thanks for the donations. She gave a short talk on the work of the CCFS which left little doubt that the toys will brighten the day for some local children who would otherwise have a much bleaker Xmas.

 

Here are a few of the toys that were donated..

Unfortunately, Covid not only restricted our usual way of presenting the donations but also curtailed our usual lavish morning tea spread.  Due to food handling restrictions we were able to only present a few plates of “covid compliant” sealed packages of biscuits and some chocolates.

AH WELL!!!… maybe next year we can get back to the cream cakes and all that other yummy food… it sure has been a strange year..

But much more importantly;

Well done to Alloura Waters for brightening up  Christmas for
some local children…

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2011 A Dog Birthday Party

There was a “DOG BIRTHDAY PARTY” recently in the village.
Enjoying the festivities were “Chloe”(14yo), “Quinn”(7yo) and “Harry”(11yo) who shared their birthday on 28^th October along with Richard (Human)….. Amazing!!

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2019 Renovated Courtyard Celebrations

Sunday 10th November 2019 saw over 50 residents gather for a sausage sizzle lunch followed by a movie to celebrate the completion of renovations of our courtyard and  outdoor pavilion areas. Unfortunately, the delivery of the new pavilion tables was delayed but  all other new furniture was in place and the area was looking great.

Ken and Kevern “manned” the barbecues while the Social Committee ladies provided the food, tea and coffee which including, of course,  some delicious sausages.

The bar did its usual roaring trade…

It was a lovely sunny day, gentle breeze, not too warm, ideal weather for an pleasant outside barbecue..

Well done to all involved
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2019 NRL Grand Final

Sunday 6th October saw around 45 keen NRL resident fans arrive at the Centre to cheer on their teams in the NSW NRL grand final match.

But first they feasted on a pizza supper and a few beverages before moving to the auditorium to watch the game on the big screen. Naturally, the bar did a roaring trade..

There was a reasonably even spread of supporters for both teams  which made for much banter and  chatter. Unfortunately only one team could win on the night but everyone seemed  to  have a most enjoyable evening.

Congratulations to  the  Roosters

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Alloura Walkers Group

Each Friday morning a group of residents gather for a group walk around the local area. They step off at 9:30am during winter and 8:30am during daylight saving time.  Although this is primarily to get some exercise, a highlight of the morning is to finish up at the Little Tea Pot cafe on Davistown Road for coffee (and maybe a cream cake) and a lot of chit chat. So as well as the exercise, the morning includes social contact.

The walks are loosely arranged so that everyone can chose how far they walk. When a resident has had enough they simply break off and head to the coffee stop.

 

 

No matter how far individuals walk, all end up at the Little Teapot for refreshments and much chat.

Then it is time to head for home, usually a slow stroll..

And they are still talking!!!

Thanks to Susan for the great photos

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CROSSROADS FESTIVAL OF CHAMBER MUSIC 2019
at Greenways Chapel

Diane, Gwenda, Norma & David enjoyed a cuppa whilst observing the art display before attending the music concert on 7 September 2019.

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Helen and Jim are Leaving Us.

(Sadly, shortly after the farewell event reported on here, Jim Dowling passed away overnight and never got to enjoy his new home..Helen delayed her departure from the village for several days before moving.)

Helen and Jim are leaving us after many years as residents of Alloura Waters for health reasons and in order to be nearer relatives. On Friday 13th September a large crowd of residents and staff gathered in our Centre to say a sad farewell.

 

On behalf of herself and Jim, Helen expressed her appreciation of  the generous support and friendship shown them during the time that they had spent in the village.

And, as usual at Alloura Waters functions, there was no shortage of yummy snacks to tempt the tastebuds.

They will be missed..
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Marys Seniors Award, 30 April 2019

It was all hush hush around the Alloura Waters Community Centre this morning while
Joan R and her helpers tried to set up a surprise afternoon tea for Mary L in honour of her many years of charity work through her craft activities.

The dining room looked a treat with a HUGE cake taking centre stage and many other cakes and goodies surrounding it.

(Your webmaster had a chance to sample this cake and it was indeed delicious).

At the appointed time, Mary arrived to be greeted by 20 or so of her craft group and other friends in the village. It was only then that she realised that she was the “guest of honour”.

Leisel Tesch MP, The Member for Gosford, was delighted to attend and present Mary with a Local Achievement Award, one aspect of the statewide NSW Seniors Festival.

Residents Committee President Colin added his congratulations on behalf of all residents.

Then it was time for Mary to cut the cake and everyone enjoyed a slice with their favourite cuppa..

And here is the award presented to Mary… A well earned award indeed instigated by Joan and her helpers..

Congratulations Mary, keep up the good work

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State of Origin NRL match, Round one, 6th June 2018

What better way to enjoy Game One of the State of Origin NRL Series than to munch on a Pizza , down a few beers or glasses of wine of your choice and then settle back to watch the match on a big screen, all in company with a group of rowdy (and enthusiastic) fellow supporters. That was the experience of 45 residents who gathered in our Centre on the evening of 6th June 2018.
The NSW supporters greatly outnumbered the few brave Queensland supporters who were game enough to show up and parade their colours

Blues supporters, Garry, Wayne and Brian did a great job organising the night and the pizzas, so much so that they have been nominated to do it all over again for the second and third games of the series.

Brian showed off considerable skill in handling and disposing of the empty pizza boxes after all had eaten.

Soon it was time for the game where a whole lot of ribbing and rubbishing was directed towards the four lonely Queensland supporters who attended the evening. But they managed to give back as good as they got.

Ted was certainly not deterred by the “Blues Rowdies” and proudly wore all of the  Maroon items that he could lay his hands on to show his “colours”. HHHMMM…..

Dave also proudly supported the Maroons in the face of fierce opposition from the Blues supporters.

The Blues supporters were well satisfied on the night however with a good 22-12 win in the series opener.

Roll on the next game

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Salvo’s Red Shield Appeal, May 2018

This year Jan and John were the officially appointed collectors for the Salvo’s Red Shield Appeal within the village. The main activities were a fundraiser sausage sizzle, a sunday movie show and a collection table in the Centre several days later, all profits going to the Appeal.

On Sunday 20th May 2018 the barbecue was fired up for the sausage sizzle and a good crowd turned out in full support.

The sausages must have been delicious because of the number that came back for seconds. But who could resist a good sausage with tomato sauce and onions all wrapped up in a slice of bread.

The cooks were going “flat out” trying to keep up with demand, but with only a few sausages left it was time for them to also enjoy the Ozzie delicacy.

After lunch, many retired to the Auditorium where they enjoyed a great Sunday Movie from which the profits also went to the Red Shield Appeal. After costs, almost $240 was raised on the day, a big success.

Jan returned to the Centre several days later where more outright donations were received and, in total, she will be forwarding over $500 to the Salvo’s for their Appeal. A good result from our village.

Well done Jan and Residents.

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Farewell to our Head Gardener, Megan, April 2018

Following on from Philippas farewell last month, this month we said farewell to another much valued staff member This time it was time to say goodbye to Megan, our Head Gardener who is also leaving the Central Coast area for greener pastures down south.

During her time with us Megan has worked hard, along with her staff, to transform not only our common garden areas but also many private backyards as well. She leaves them in very good condition and her efforts have been very much appreciated by a large number of residents.

Perhaps the high level of that appreciation was best illustrated by the large number of residents who turned out to say goodbye at an afternoon tea.

 

 

Of course many residents could not resist firing up their ovens and cooking up a few of Megans favourite snacks for afternoon tea.

Farewell Megan, we will miss you but accept that you need to move on..

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Farewell to our Carer, Philippa, March 2018

It was with some sadness that residents gathered in our Centre on Friday, 2nd March 2018, to say goodbye to one of our long time carers Phillipa, who has cared for us for 15 years.

Our residents committee Chairperson, Colin thanked Philippa for her many years of dedicated service and assured her that her cheerfulness and smiling face will be truly missed.

Dale, on behalf of Living Choice Management, also thanked Phillipa for her many years of service.

In a rather tearful speech in reply many thought that Phillipa may change her mind and decide to stay but, alas, it was not to be and family and a new life interstate were calling..

As is usual in the village, there was no shortage of nibbles for the morning tea gathering.

Philipa, thank you for 15 years of great and dedicated service to the residents of the village and we wish you all the best for your new life with family interstate. You will be missed.

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Garage Sale, February 2018

It was a hot humid morning on the 24th of February when a small but merry band of residents began to set up for the garage sale of the year in our village. They had spent many weeks beforehand scrounging around and gathering up a large array of kindly donated surplus goods with this day in mind and they had been very successful.
The aim of the sale was to raise funds for residents amenities

Before long the courtyard was transformed into a large marketplace.

Here are just a few more examples of the range of goodies available.

As an added attraction James, John and Jan established a great “sausage sizzle” outlet. Free tea and coffee also aided in drawing a crowd.

It was not long before goods were “flying out the door”…

At the end of the sale period the organising group was eager to tally up the days takings.

Kerry, Brian, Barry, Lorraine and Janet were the main instigators of the garage sale but of course many other residents provided valuable assistance at times.
From the grins on their faces above they were obviously more than satisfied that they had managed to raise just over $900.

A Great Job Well Done

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Staff Xmas Village Tour, 2017

Each year our village staff like to get into the festive spirit and do a tour of the village spreading good cheer among residents.. The chocolate handouts always go down well..

This year our new Village Manager joined in for his first time and played a leading role… Guess Which one….

There was much merriment and smiles all around the village….    Well done crew… 

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Blooms the  Chemist Xmas Sale, 2017

Each year the local Saratoga Blooms Chemist shop bring a mobile “shop” down to our village with a range of Xmas gifts for sale. This service is much appreciated by many of our less mobile residents who do not get out to the regular shops all that often. But of course other residents have a look as well.

Bargains galore

The free gift wrapping service by John and his staff is very popular.

Once the shopping is all done it is time for a “cuppa”. Blooms always arrive with a selection of sweet treats to be enjoyed.

This is just another of the many benefits of living in a village like ours.

Thanks to John and Staff from Blooms

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Garry Spencers Farewell, September 2017

Alloura Waters Retirement Village is currently in the process of farewelling our Village Manager and welcoming his replacement.

On Friday 22nd September just over 100 residents joined with LCA Management and Staff to farewell Garry and to thank him for his invaluable contribution to the Village over the last 7 years.

Being an afternoon tea event, residents were asked to “bring a plate” and the result was truly amazing..

 

Tim and Christine represented Senior LCA Management.

 

 

 

 

And finally, the bar was opened and it is rumoured that there was still a group of “stayers” present many hours later !!!!

THANKS GARRY, AND ENJOY THAT WELL EARNED RETIREMENT…

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Sheilas Farewell, March 2017

It was a sad/happy event in the Centre on Friday 3rd March 2017 when we had to say farewell to one of our carer staff members, Sheila, who was leaving us and moving on to the next chapter in her life.. She will be very much missed by residents who appreciated her always cheerful and humorous attitude to her work which reflected her Irish origins.

Residents turned up in droves with a wide range of food goodies for an afternoon tea event…

Of course it was not long before the bar was open..

 

 

 

 

 

With the formalities over, it was time for bit of Irish music and on with the party… Although it started out as an afternoon tea Sheila and some of the more resilient “stayer” residents were reported to be still partying on well into the evening…

Farewell Sheila, we are really sad to see you go. You will be very much missed by all staff and residents…

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The Costigan Wedding
Easter 2016

AHH!! dont we all love a wedding?? Especially an Easter Wedding, and more especially one associated with our village and our residents Jan and George.

And so it was that the invited guests and many onlookers from our village gathered down on the waterfront at Davistown for the wedding of Jan and Georges daughter, Sally and the groom, Rob. Also in attendance was Sally’s sisters Alison and Mary-Ann.

Many in the village know Jan and Georges grandchildren Ruby and Alex and they certainly added to the magic of the day. Here are just a few early photos.

 

 

 

 

What a great location down on our waterfront, and the great weather made for a perfect day…

 Congratulations to the Bride and Groom……

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New Bar Staff Attire

Hey!!! Check out our bar staff in their trendy new Living Choice polo shirts….

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Trivia Quiz Night

On Friday 2nd October 2015 around 30 residents arrived to enjoy a social evening and to test their knowledge at a trivia quiz night. Once again John and Garry had compiled a varied set of questions that was claimed to be “some easy ones and some hard ones”.

There was a major prize of bottles of wine for the winning table and several minor prizes for progressive winners but we wont embarrass anyone by quoting the scores here.

We had a few laughs and also learnt a little bit along the way. Another successful nights entertainment. Well done John & Gary , see you there again next time..

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Ambassadors Luncheon

In recognition of all of the hard work of late by our Resident Ambassadors, Living Choice Managers and Sales Staff hosted a “thank you” luncheon at the Gosford Sailing Club on Thursday 17 September 2015.

The hosts (above) did a great job and our Resident Ambassadors (below) really enjoyed themselves.

(But I wonder which two of the Ambassadors were later spotted back at the village wandering up the road giggling and who obviously had REALLY enjoyed themselves???)

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Living Choice NSW Gala Rewards Event

On Friday 24th July 2015 Alloura Waters hosted a Living Choice NSW Gala Event which was attended by visitors from Broadwater, Deepwater, Leisure Lea and Glenhaven Retirement Villages as well as a selection of our own residents. This was the first time that such an event had been hosted by Alloura Waters Retirement Village.
The Event was held to reward those who have successfully referred a client to a Living Choice Village between July 2014 and June 2015. Apart from enjoying a sumptuous high tea, the referrers also went into a draw to win a travel voucher valued at $5,000.

 

A great deal of hard work went into presenting our village to the visitors in the best possible light by our Resident Ambassador Group and Village Manager. From the decorations of the Community Centre to the presentation of the high tea our Resident Ambassadors did us proud.

 

 

 

 

 

So with everyone on hand and ready to go it was time to great our visitors…

Once inside and seated the days event got into full swing…

But of course what everyone was waiting for with great anticipation was the prize draw…

 

 

An unusual aspect to the draw was that it was a “knock out” or “last man standing” process. The first and subsequent names drawn were eliminated and the prize went to the final name drawn out. Unfortunately the winner was not present to claim their prize but we are reliably informed that there was a very excited knock on the sales office door first thing next morning.

Congratulations go not only to the winner of the $5,000 travel voucher and Living Choice Staff, but also to our Resident Ambassador Group who did such a great job as hosts…

**WELL DONE**

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Farewell to Robbie

Here is Dave report of Robbies farewell;

Robby is leaving the village in May 2015 to be nearer family on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. So Helen and Hilde arranged a nibbles and drinks evening in our Community Centre for him. He invited 70 residents to what was a very successful occasion.

President Bill spoke about Robby’s many contributions to our village, Helen and Dave thanked him for his friendship and related some personal stories, and Robby responded eloquently.

 

 

It was also Robby’s 89^th birthday so Verna with help from Elaine and Gwen baked him a delicious cake which we all enjoyed. “Happy birthday Robbie” was lustily sung by all.

Those invited contributed plates of finger food, drinks or used our bar which was attended by the Hospitality Sub-Committee members.

 

 

 

Once again, a very sociable evening in our Community Centre.

Dave Isaacs

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Living Choice Open Day

Living Choice Sales Staff, assisted by our Resident Ambassador Group led by Carol, hosted an Open Day recently.

 

 

 

 

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Yvonnes 90th Birthday

Several of Yvonnes many Alloura Waters friends were recently able to join her for an afternoon tea over at the RSL next door to celebrate her 90th birthday.

 

 

 

 

Well done Michael, Sue, Kate, Andrew and of course little Henry. Yvonne and Renee are much loved here in the village and they really enjoyed themselves..

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Sydney Welsh Choir Concert

Saturday 18th April 2015 saw the arrival of the Sydney Welsh Choir at Davistown RSL next door to perform an afternoon concert. A member of the choir is our own Rosemary.

A good sized crowd from the local community attended and enjoyed a great musical afternoon..

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Friday the 13th & 20 Fair Damsels in Distress

Now here is a tale, sad but true, of some 20 fair Damsels in Distress who were rescued by Three Gallant Knights in Shining Armour right here within our own village.. What??? You don’t believe me?? Well read on…

The said Damsels in Distress (henceforth known as the DID’s) tempted the fates by organising an outside garden luncheon prior to retiring to a local theatre for some afternoon entertainment. On the appointed day, after many weeks of bright sunshine, they awoke after a night of heavy rain to a dark and gloomy sky which threatened more of the same. Their plans were in ruins.

“Oh no, what shall we do, Oh no, what shall we do??” the DID’s cried in unison….  “Never fear, we are here…” answered the Three Gallant Knights (henceforth known as the TGK’s) equally in unison as they came to the rescue.

After “working their fingers to the bone” all morning the TGK’s, as if by magic, transformed our centre lounge into a restaurant, changed into their best table waiting attire and served the DID’s a sumptuous seafood lunch of the highest quality.

 

So, with the DID’s well fed the TGK’s did another miraculous costume change (think Clark Kent entering a telephone box and emerging as Superman, times three) and whisked the DID’s away to their theatre appointment.

 

And so ends the tale.. A happy ending of course…..

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 Trivia night

Friday 14 November 2014 saw around 40 residents gather in our Centre for a fun night of trivia competition… John and Gary put it all together and assembled the questions..

 

 

And the lucky winners were the clever people on table two.. But all had a very enjoyable night…

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Bangers & Mash Lunch

On Saturday 18th October 2014 the village Social Committee held a “Bangers and Mash” lunch in the outdoor pavilion area. It was attended by over 70 residents who had a good feed and enjoyed some social time with other residents.

 

The “Bangers” (sausages) were left over from the barbecue that was held during the recent Quilt Show where money was raised to aid Parkinsons research. A small charge was made for the lunch today and these proceeds will also go towards that most worthwhile endeavour.

Afterwards, many ventured inside to watch a film screening of an Andre Rieu performance in the auditorium. Of course Julie and Bill ensured that everyone received an ice cream and a chocolate as “sweets” to follow their lunch.

Thanks to Julie and Bill, Carol and Wayne, for their hard work. Also thanks to Janet and Kevern for their assistance.

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