Probus North Sydney

 Newsletter 347                               18 May 2021 

Stand-in President’s Report:  Well here I am again, till Mary Ann (and Douglas) return from taking care of their daughter on her epic cycling journey and step into these shoes again.  Think I have forgotten how I did this!  Sure it was easier!  Guess I am getting older . . . rapidly, it seems! 

Robin did such a great job in this role, put so much of herself into it.  Thanks, Robin. 

Clive has sparked our interest in Gilbert and Sullivan again, this time for the 5th June performance in North Sydney  Thank you, Clive! Shelagh has done some of the information gathering for me, and I have agreed to gather numbers and buy tickets on behalf of those who invest their trust in me.  Others will have purchased independently.  I need to know how many wish me to do the purchasing, and will need the numbers at the May meeting so that I can then buy tickets. 

Noreen, Peter and Louise are doing a great job with outings and the photo collages they are producing in their reports of the outings are outstanding!  A better deal than you had with me! 

I wish to thank Shelagh for the extra flab (winter insulation) I have after her delicious fruit cake last meeting—what a lovely thought that was!  Just in time for our coming single digit morning temperatures! 

Membership Report:  Our memberships remains at 53:  35 women and 18 men. 

Many Happy Returns of the Day for Your May Birthday:  Maureen T 01, Jackie M 05, and Kevin D 16.

 

Guest speaker:  Our speaker today is Eira Battaglia, who will tell us about “Nursing in England in the ‘60s”. 

 

Please note:  The next meeting starts at 10:15am. 

Probus Walkers: Tuesday June 8th, 2021.  Anzac Bridge to Fish Markets. 

This walk will start in Harris Street, Pyrmont, and proceed to a café for our coffee, then continue over the Anzac Bridge.  We follow the James Craig road around to Jubilee Park and continue along the Glebe Foreshore ending at the Fish Markets for lunch.  Steps up to the Anzac Bridge but then easy walking with beautiful harbour views. 

Approx. 6 klms.\ 

MEET: 9:P30am Park Street bus stop (between Pitt/George Sts.) outside the Criterion Hotel to catch the next 389 bus. 

Probus Outing: Tuesday 25th May.  Chau Chak Wing Museum. 

The next outing is a visit to the newly constructed museum at Sydney University.  The museum is named after its benefactor, Mr. Chau Chak Wing, who contributed much of the cost of construction. 

It brings together three of the university’s historic collections,  much of which was not able to be previously displayed:  the Nicholson collection of antiquities has mummies which are dramatically displayed using CT scanning technology; the Macleay Collection includes items from scientific expeditions plus a collection of the instruments used for these expeditions; and the University Art Collection which includes a collection of European and Australian items—the latter includes the works, among others, of Boyd, Streeton, Drysdale and Margaret Olley. 

The bus will depart from the golf club at 9:30am.  We stop for morning tea near the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability at North Sydney, and then proceed to the museum. 

The cost is $30 for the bus and $10 for the guided tour.  Please confirm your plans at the May meeting and have your $40 payment ready in an envelope with your name on it.  Lunch is available at the restaurant in the building; most of the courses range from $18 to $23. 

There were some people who paid for the previous outing and were unable to attend.  They will receive a refund, or can use the credit for this outing. 

We have commenced arrangements for the Tulip Time outing to Bowral on 28th September. Please mark the date in your calendar. 

Probus Theatre and Movie Events.  The “Come From Away” matinee on August 4th. Payment is due for this by the end of this month as our Group Bookings reservation asks for full payment 8 weeks before our attendance.  Anyone who has yet to make a payment please either pay into the Probus account or by cheque or cash to our club treasurer, Janice Gentle.  One seat has become available if anyone else would like to attend or has a special friend they would like to include on this outing.  Please contact me as soon as possible as it is just one seat!  Peggy Burnett (peggydeluen@gmail.com.au) or Jeanette French (jbfrench42@hotmail.com). 

The 5th Tuesday of the month Movie: On Tuesday 29th June there will be another movie outing and as always the details will follow in the next newsletter, depending on what movies are being show at the time, but please put the date in your diary.  I am hoping that “Six Minutes to Midnight” will still be available.  This is a spy thriller movie based on a real event set in 1939 at a British girls’ finishing school set up for future young German Nazi wives!  It has not been given great reviews, despite a great cast with Judi Dench, Eddy Izzard and a few other well known faces.  This however is not the final choice, which will depend on what is being shown late in June and maybe something better will show itself! 

News from Mary Ann Irvin on 10th May about her daughter Allison’s cycle trip: Allison is now pushing her way through scrub somewhere west of Marlborough. . .and has now been cycling for over 2 months with just 1 month to go before she gets to Cooktown.  I am astounded by her perseverance and tenacity.  I wake up in the middle of the night with visions of crocodiles or ticks or snakes attacking her while she is alone in her tiny tent.  The first thing I do in the morning is check where she is to make sure she survived the night!  She has usually started riding well before I check at around 7am.  We hope to be back in Sydney in June.