Probus North Sydney

 Newsletter 352                              16 November 2021 

Presidents report:  The epic 3 1/2 months-long lockdown of Greater Sydney is over, and by the time you read this newsletter most of us will have moved on and all but forgotten how it felt on those several occasions when our hopes of an end to it were dashed and more restrictions were announced instead. 

It’s been difficult for everyone in various ways, and one could argue that Probus Club members would be amongst the hardest hit by the limits of movement and social contact that were implemented by our government.  And yet, there was a remarkable, dynamic resilience among us that came to the fore on so many occasions— everyone was usually well informed, proactive, quick to adapt, taking all developments in their stride, and preferring to see the upside of things instead of whining.  Staying connected was important and I thank the team who made it their business to keep in touch with our single members.  It was also important to have a good laugh now and then.  So thank you to the many members who contributed jokes and cartoons.  The inspiring videos and book reviews were also really appreciated by us all. 

COVID encouraged an all-important personal connection to other club members caught up in the same situation.  Let’s try to keep those connections active. 

So now we have opportunities for contact and to socialise again. 

I salute Noreen, Peter and Louise for putting together an enjoyable outing with very little notice as soon as more freedoms were announced.  Sydney turned on a brilliant day for our visit to Manly Art Gallery. 

What a joy it was to finally get to do Patrick’s walk through The Rocks. 

Today we have a lot of catching up to do in terms of socialising, organising our schedule, and finalising a couple of matters during the meeting. 

Membership report:  Our membership stands at 51 (33 women and 18 men). 

Happy Returns of the Day for Your November Birthday:  Clive W 09, Robin S 14, Marie A 15, Mary Ann I 21, and Evelyn K 26. 

Guest Speakers:  Today we welcome one of our members, Richard L, and in January Julian Todd will tell us about “The Anniversary of the Overland Telegraph from Darwin to Adelaide”. 

Probus Outing Tuesday 23 November 2021 (postponed from 22 June).  HARS Aircraft Museum.  Covid restrictions:  The museum has specified that participants must be fully vaccinated with proof.  We will depart from the golf club at 8:30am, with morning tea at Sublime Pt., and lunch at Café Connie, at the venue.  The cost is $30 for the bus, $20 for entrance and guide, $13 for lunch ($20 with sweets).  Information about the venue is available on the email sent out Nov. 3 by Noreen to all members, or on the handout sheet available here today.  

Probus Walkers:  Tuesday December 7th:  Cremorne to Mosman Bay. 

Our traditional “Kent Memorial Walk” will commence by ferry from Circular Quay to

Cremorne, where a coffee can be enjoyed at the wharf before proceeding to Cremorne Point to see the views.  We continue along the scenic harbourside path enjoying the gardens and glimpses of the harbour to Mosman Bay.  At Mosman we take a bus to Spit Junction for lunch at The Mosman Hotel.  Non-walkers are welcome to join us at the hotel around 12 noon.

MEET:  At Circular Quay 10:20am.  Wharf 4, to catch the 10:30 ferry.  

Events: Fifth Tuesday of the month movie November 30th:  We are going to see the latest James Bond movie, “No Time To Die”, at the Hayden-Orpheum cinema in Military Road, Cremorne.  The session time is 1 pm, but if that changes I will send out an email.  We can meet at the “Siborg Café” located across the road from the council car park at the back of the cinema in Parraween Road at 12 noon for a casual light lunch.  At that time I will collect $10 from everyone for their concession tickets.  Please remember your masks and you will be asked to show your vaccination certificates.

“Come From Away”, Capitol Theatre, 1pm Wednesday December 15th.  After all the false starts, I will be handing out the tickets to the 18 of us who are to attend this show, at both our meeting today and at the Christmas lunch.  The tickets contain a bar code, and your seat number plus information about early arrival.  We need to be at the theatre at the latest by 12:15pm to go through the various Covid vaccination checks.  Also please bring masks.  The performance lasts 140 minutes with no breaks so please be prepared for that, but I am sure we will all thoroughly enjoy the show.

From Patrick:  Despite an iffy weather forecast, 23 walkers assembled at the “First Fleet Flagstaff” at 10am on 9 November, and not a drop fell all morning.

The assembled group started with an interesting historical snippet from Ian...the 1788 British flag wasn’t the Union Jack.  It was known as the Queen Anne Flag (with changes being made in 1801 which led to the Union Jack as we know it today).

We then sauntered around this general area looking at various interesting old monuments and sandstone buildings, both before and after a welcome coffee break in Macquarie Place.  After leaving Bridge Street, we climbed up Church Hill to St Patrick’s Catholic Church, with a view of St Andrew’s Anglican Church and Scot’s Presbyterian Church in the distance, before tackling the steps in Cumberland Place which lead up past the Susannah Place Museum.

Our lunch venue was the Rooftop of Glenmore Hotel, where we were joined by 3 nonwalkers.  By a happy coincidence 2 of the party, namely Ian S and Clive W had just turned 90.  In fact, the day of the walk was Clive’s actual birthday!

A celebratory cake appeared for dessert (with only Ian and Clive being in the dark).  We tried lighting 2 candles, but due to a stiff breeze they wouldn’t light, and the 2 nonagenarians were spared the test of whether they had enough puff to blow them out!