In Brief

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..

Teds Drawing Class Show

Many residents will be aware of the talent of our resident artist, Ted, after seeing his many impressive billboards advertising our theme nights and events.
Ted has also been conducting his Friday morning pencil drawing class in the Centre for around 9 months and it was thought high time that residents showed off what had been achieved after a lot of hard work.
So they decided to hold an open display on 6th October and all that came were extremely impressed with what they saw.

Here are the “students” who were very proud to show off their works. Ted looks a little proud of them also.

And here is just some of the display. 

WOW!!! What a great display by our talented artists…..

If you would like to join in the classes just show up any Friday morning in the Centre around 9:30am and Ted will be glad to have a talk with you about getting started… 

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Bernies 102nd Birthday

Our resident Bernie Wykes from Unit 21 recently celebrated his 102nd birthday. His immediate neighbours hosted a celebration lunch and a few drinks at the Davistown RSL.
Many will know that Bernie was a keen lawn bowler up until late last year and in his early days he was an active long distance road racing cyclist.
Perhaps this active lifestyle is the key to Bernie being 102 years young.

That’s Bernie on the right in his younger days as a road racing cyclist.

Congratulations Bernie..

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Sallys Farewell – March 2023

It was a fun afternoon but also a sad occasion when we bid farewell to our long serving front desk support staff member, Sally. She is/was actually the second longest serving staff member of Living Choice Australia. There would not be many residents that she had not personally welcomed into the village and helped at some stage. Around 100 residents attended to say goodby, testimony to the high regard everyone had for Sally.

The afternoon kicked off with some general mingling and chatting before the formal presentations. The chair of our Residents Committee spoke on behalf of the village residents and this was followed by our Regional Manager, Gail and the Village Manager among several staff members who spoke highly of Sally and the valuable contribution she had made to the village over the years.

Sally thanked everyone for coming and outlined her plans in retirement which will start with a long well earned trip around Australia with her husband, Ian, in their caravan..

Wow..what a cake…

Ian and Sally

And we all enjoyed a slice…

Here is the crowd which filled the lounge to capacity…

The finale of the formal part of the afternoon was a surprise performance of our residents band playing “Mustang Sally” (naturally,  what else could they do??)

BUT the real surprise was the vocal backing group which forever more will be known as the “Village Manager and the Adminettes”… (Editors choice of title..)

–Well done girls–

–Sally you will be missed–
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** Footnote… It is legend that Sally knows everything that goes on in this village.
“Just ask Sally” is a well used phrase… HOWEVER… she had no idea at all that the vocal group was to perform at her farewell.

Especially well done keeping this a secret, it could not have been easy.

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January 2022…….Dave Isaac recently celebrated his 90th birthday in the Centre. Gloria has provided the photos below and also reports as follows;

A good time was had by all at Dave Isaacs 90th Birthday party held in the Alloura Waters Auditorium.
The food, wine, beer and other drinks were flowing freely and Dave and Hilda were very happy having their son, Peter, who came over from the US, daughter Debbie, grandchildren and lots of friends at the party to celebrate with them for this special day.

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So, it was with great fanfare that our trendy new bar was officially opened on this day, even though it had already been given several test runs beforehand.
(only to make sure that it was fit for purpose of course….)

While the idea of a bar upgrade first arose as a casual resident discussion the village owners, Living Choice, quickly offered to take over and fully fund the project. This most generous offer was very much appreciated by residents. Residents also appreciated the further offer from Living choice to fully fund the Grand Opening by covering the cost of both food and drinks on the night. Full marks to our village owners for their generous contributions.

Here is our Village Manager, Leanne, and the resident bar committee all ready and eager to serve the throngs that would shortly be arriving.

Leanne opened proceedings and was followed by Regional Manager, Gail, who both outlined the long road to completion of the project. Our Residents Committee  Chairperson, Dave, (seen on right) expressed thanks on behalf of all residents to Living Choice for the new bar facilities and assured Gail and Leanne that we would certainly make extensive use of them.

Then it was time for the ribbon cutting. Leanne armed herself with a hefty pair of scissors while the boys stood back at a safe distance. Will she be able to do it???

Indeed she did!!!!!

Now it was time to get down to the serious eating and drinking part of the evening for the crowd of around 90 residents who had been waiting patiently.

The food certainly went over well.. so what about the drinks????

To keep to  President Daves promise earlier that we would make full use of the new bar, and aided by an open LCA credit card on the bar to pay for the drinks, our obedient residents managed to run up a bar tab of, reportedly, around $500…

Well done Residents
And well done LCA

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Hymnfest, Sunday 14th August 2022

Around 50 residents gathered in the Centre on Sunday, 14 August 2022, to enjoy some Christian Fellowship and a Hymnfest.
Rosemary was largely responsible for organising this obviously popular and rather unique event to our village.

Jim was a notable soloist assisted by Joan on piano.

The audience was led in Hymn singing by a quartet of Jim, Rosemary Judith and Richard.

And of course, everyone appreciated that most enjoyable afternoon tea afterwards..

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Police Talk

On 10th August 2022 Senior Constable Rachel Scott visited us from Gosford Police and spoke about Senior Safety and how to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Rachel covered a range of subjects including online scams, how to improve our physical safety and how to interact with police.

Rachel treated us to several funny tales from her many years in Police service. Following her talk it was time for a cuppa and a bite to eat where she was able to speak with several residents and answer queries directly.
A most informative and entertaining morning indeed.
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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;

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The man himself

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The Queens Message

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The Governor Generals Message

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Local MP’s Congratulate Bernie

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Bernie thanks everyone for their kind thoughts

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That is Bernies 80yo daughter on his right

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

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

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But soon we were all enjoying some very nice cake…

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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.

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

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Beths 100thThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2104-beth-barber.jpg

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..

Santa doing his Ho Ho Ho thing with his helper…
Santas driver..

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.

 

Sarah addresses the gathering..

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.

Covid compliant sealed packages…

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 28th 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.

Gathering at the Centre before heading off…

 

Some walk further while others have dropped out!!!

 

i am taking a quick break..

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.

Helen and Jim

 

A part of the large crowd

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.

Eager patrons waiting first in line.

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.

YUMM YUMM…

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.

Hugs all around from residents..

 

And just a quick photo..

 

And a chat or two…

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.

Residents Committee Chairperson, Colin, led the farewell.

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.

Colin even gave Philippa a nice big hug..

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….

Chocolate handouts at the ready.

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.

Garry and his wife, Muriel, joined in the event.

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

Certainly no shortage of something to nibble on here.

 

Of course the there was also the obligatory “cuppa” available.

Tim and Christine represented Senior LCA Management.

Tim, Christine, Garry and new Manager, Dale.

 

Christine spoke on behalf of LCA

 

And Trescha spoke on behalf of local village staff.

 

RC Vice President, Clare,  presented Muriel with flowers

 

RC President Colin presented Garry with a parting gift.

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.

Herself….

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

What a feast..

Please dont go!!!!….

Many fellow staff members also joined in..

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

The real bar staff..

 

The “unreal” bar staff

 

OH OH.. now her boss wants to know what she is doing behind the bar..

 

Col thanked Sheila on behalf of residents and wished her well..

 

Richard, also of Irish origins, sang a nice Irish ballad..

 

Staff presented Sheila with flowers..

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.

The Wedding Party
The Wedding Party

 

One proud Dad and a beautiful Daughter
A beautiful Daughter and one proud Dad

 

Love the Transport for the pageboy, Alex. Driven expertly by Jan.
Love the Transport for the pageboy, Alex. Steered expertly by Jan.

 

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Sally, Rob, Ruby and Alex

 

Ruby
Ruby

1604 wedding

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….

1510 bar staff

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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”.

The assembled participants
The assembled participants

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.

John and Gary score the result sheets
John and Gary score the answer sheets

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.

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What a great backdrop for a pleasant lunch?

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

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(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.

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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.

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Ready for the Day

 

Our Ambassadors with Gary, our Village Manager
Our Resident Ambassadors with Gary, our Village Manager

 

Bar persons at the ready
Resident Hospitality Committee members at the ready with the drinks.

 

Tim Bentley, General Manager, QLD& NSW Central Coast
Tim Bentley, General Manager, QLD& NSW Central Coast

 

Local Sales & Living Choice staff
Sales & Living Choice staff

 

Carol Peel, Ambassador organiser
Carol, Resident Ambassador organiser

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

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

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

Carol Peel dives into the draw barrel..
Carol dives into the draw barrel..

 

And announces her draw result...
And announces her draw result…

 

And this is what it was all about...
And this is what it was all about…

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.

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Residents Committee President Bill

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.

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Organiser, Hilde (on left)

 

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Organiser, Helen

 

Robbie responds with his thanks
Robbie responds with his thanks

It was also Robby’s 89th 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.

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Blow the candles out first Robbie…

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

The Bar Staff hard at work
The Bar Staff hard at work

 

Wes, it may be Chateau Cardboard but it is a very good wine.
Wes, it may well be Chateau Cardboard but, rest assured, it is a very good wine.

 

Yvonne agrees
Yvonne agrees

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And I have got a lot more stories where that one came from
“And there are a lot more stories where that one came from…” said Brian

 

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“Good one Bill..” said jim

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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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Here’s a familiar sight

 

The tables look fantastic

 

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No caption needed here

 

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What a feast

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Enjoying a drop of wine

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A great day was had by all

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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.

Yvonne and friends

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"What a lovely drop" says Renee....
“What a lovely drop” says Renee….

 

Son Michael & Daughter in Law, Sue who hosted the afternoon.
Son Michael & Daughter in Law, Sue who helped to host the afternoon.

 

Grand Daughter Kate, Grandson in Law Andrew & great Grandson Henry.
Grand Daughter Kate, Grandson in Law Andrew & Great Grandson Henry.

 

Thats not 90 candles!!!
Lets blow out those candles!!!

 

Thanks all for coming..
Thanks all for coming..

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.

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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.

A sumptuous lunch
A sumptuous seafood lunch of the highest quality…

 

Cleaning up after lunch
The TGK’s cleaning up after lunch

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.

Being whisked off...
Being whisked away……

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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..

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Our Organisers, John and Gary

 

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Everyone hard at work. “Wait, I know this one…….”

 

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The lucky winners show off their prize

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.

Carol organising the serving area..
Carol organising the serving area..

 

Well fed residents..
Well fed 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.

Lee enjoyed her meal...
Lee enjoyed her meal…

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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