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2021

DONVALE CENTRAL PROBUS CLUB 15TH BIRTHDAY:

On Tuesday, May 19th we celebrated the 15th birthday of our Club.

Following the meeting we attended a lunch at Pizza Forna, Donvale. This fellowship was thoroughly enjoyed by the large number of members that attended. At the conclusion of lunch we had the cutting of the cake by our President, Betty with Past Presidents looking on.

A huge thank you to Lyn and the members of the social committee for their amazing organisation.

This was certainly an outing with an abundance of "Fun, Friendship and Fellowship"

HAPPY SNAPS

MEMORIES

Club Song - by Jan Altman

10th Birthday Party

Once a group of 'Oldies' thought they'd like to socialise.

They gathered together at the Baptist Church Hall:

With the help of the Rotary they formed our first Committee

We started the Probus group that welcomes us all.

Chorus: Donvale Central, Donvale Central,

Donvale Central, the Probus Club for me.

And we chat and laugh and enjoy each other's company

Donvale Central is the Probus Club for me.

Then that group of 'Oldies' started having lots of fun

Going on holidays and outings here and there

Walking and bowling and hitting golf balls in the sun

Making new friends while exploring everywhere.

Chorus;

As we know its food that goes with Fellowship

Thanks to the ladies in Hospitality

Add the Coffee Club and Dineouts, BBQ'S and Chat and Chews

We're all very well fed I'm sure you can see.

Chorus:

Once our minds were muddles and needed inspiration

So excellent Speakers have come and had their say:

With trips to the theatre and stimulating Crazy Whist

We know that our club helps our minds not to stray.

Chorus:

Don't forget the people who've served on our Commitee

Counting our money and writing all our news:

Looking after Welfare or checking our apologies

Is the Sec. or the V.P. the next pace for you?

Chorus:

Tune: 'Waltzing Matilda'

CRAZY WHIST, MAY 21

Twenty players gathered for our first Crazy Whist game since February last year. The room was warm, the players chatty and the chocolates flowed. We played eleven rounds trying to outwit our opponents, and MArgaret P. romped in with a great score of 99 to win a $15 voucher to Evangalene's Coffee Shop in Tunstall Square. Ralph was happy with chocolates for his score of 91. Being CRAZY Whist, the Tailender, June W., got the same prize as Margaret while Geoff D. was happy coming second last and taking home a box of chocolates.

Our next game is on Thursday 24th June, so I look forward to more good fun then.

Jan A. - (Convenor)

COFFEE CLUB:

On Saturday, May 21st, 32 members of Donvale Central Probus Club gathered together at the Pines Shopping Centre for coffee. Just imagine the chatter and laughter when a group of "oldies" get together to solve the problems of the world.

A huge thank you to Pat for organising the Coffee Club at The Pines.

Lunch at Yering Meadows in the Yarra Valley

SUE'S WALK REPORT:

We had 9 members and 1 visitor (my hubby Brian) on the Gardiners Creek walk on Tuesday 25th May. After a few calls about "We're on our way" "Me too"!! then a little bit of jockeying around for car parking spaces, we eventually headed off, constantly looking at the skies. "Should we take an umbrella?" "No, too windy". "Do we need a coat?" "Maybe not, it's not that cold". So, the rain held off and it was quite windy, but our walk went well and the service and coffee at the "Bells & Whistles Cafe" made for an enjoyable morning. Along this track off the Burwood Highway opposite Deacon Uni was the site of our first Drive In.

I did a bit of delving into the history of this Drive In which some of us seemed to remember from "the old days". It was called The Skyline and opened on the 18th February 1954. The first movie to be shown was " On the Riviera" a 1951 musical comedy starring Danny Kaye, Corinne Calvert and Gene Tierney. (One for our movie buffs). Apparently there were many traffic jams on the night as 2000 cars attempted to gain access to 600 spaces. That would have been a night to remember for many.

Our next walk is on the 10th June,(all being well with our Covid Lockdowns) and is the Mullum Creek Trail Ringwood, meeting near Ringwood Square shops, having our cuppa at the end. Hopefully, we will be out of lockdown by then, so I look forward to seeing you there.

Sue's coffee saying: "Everyone should believe in something; I believe I'll have another cup of coffee", and, for our tea lovers "Tea makes life better". As I get older I seem to do less baking so "My idea of baking is readymade cake mix and throwing in an egg". And after all this coffee and cake, of course we need a nice walk with friends. See you there!

SUE'S WALK REPORT:

On Tuesday, 22nd June, we had 11 walkers brave the chilly conditions - it got down to 2 degrees, so coats, beanies and gloves were the order of the day, but as we walked along the very delightful Dandenong creek towards the coffee shop, the sun came out, some of the gear came off and it turned into a perfect day for walking. We even got to sit outside having our cuppas - so, who needs to be in sunny Queensland???.On our way back, we passed an exercise station where Jan had a try out very enthused about the equipment, well done Jan.

Our next walk will be in the school holidays, meeting at the Stonehouse Cafe and walking along the riverside in Warrandyte. I look forward to seeing you there.

Now for Sue's famous sayings: "To me, the smell of fresh made coffee is one of the greatest inventions", and "Tea, everything stops for it", both to maybe share with a cookie - "In the cookies of life, the friends are the chocolate chips".

And, how wonderful to be able to share this while on a walk with a group of friends.

AMBLERS' REPORT:

We had our Amble on Friday, 2nd July at Birrarung park in Bulleen and we can name names! There were Lyn, Ros and Sue - three lovely ladies who braved what we thought was going to be not pleasant conditions for ambling. It was raining and very chilly at 8.45am, a phone call was made and we decided if all else fails and the weather is horrible, the Coffee Shop nearby would be a good option. But the weather held off and we had a delightful morning in what is a very pretty Parkland area, followed by the usual thermos, bikkie and chat. See the attached photo to see just how chirpy we were.

Our next amble is on 6th August at Schwerkolt Cottage, so please think about joining in. It is a nice way to get to get to know people, especially for some of our new members.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Ros and Sue

SUE'S WALK REPORT:

We had 7 members and 1 visitor join in for our Warrandyte Riverside walk on Thursday, 8th July. This is always a lovely walk with the river ever changing. You could see signs of where the water had risen quite high on the banks after the floods a few weeks ago. Of course it was chilly but nothing a coat, beanie and scarf can't fix, and there is always the warmth of the Cafe and good friends at the end.

Our next walk is Tuesday, 27th July along the Tarralla Creek Trail, Croydon and I hope to get to see you there.

Now, instead of my coffee, etc sayings for the day, I have been reading the back of the tea bag package; way too much time on my hands do you think? So, this story was on the packet of Twinings Morning Tea. " I love our Twinings story, which begins with our founder, Thomas, who was a bit of a pioneer when he opened the world's first tea house to welcome women way back in 1717. This story has inspired us to create a tea we hope Australian women will love. Australian women have told me they adore a good refreshing cup so I have blended this smooth, refreshing "Morning Tea" especially for you." Philippa Thacker, Twining Master Tea Blender". Also, 10c from each of these beautiful packs sold will be donated to Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer and help vital research into brain cancer over 4 years. (taken from Twinings tea packaging).

Something to look out for ladies and I'm sure our men will enjoy a delicious "cuppa" of Morning Tea too.

10 PIN BOWLING:

We were lucky to be able to enjoy tenpin bowling before the Lockdown. Glenda, Ros, Sandra and Richard and Kerry all put down some great bowls. Mary

Inspirational Quotes from Snoopy:

Lockdown again!!!! Follow Snoopy's advice and keep smiling.

DONVALE CENTRAL PROBUS CLUB ZOOM MEETING - JULY 20TH:

There were 41 participants at todays meeting. We were all capitivated by today's speaker who related many stories relating to her teaching career both in Victoria and England.

SUE'S NON - WALKERS REPORT:

On the 27th July, we were meant to be walking along the Tarralla Creek Trail in Croydon, but of course, we were all in "Lockdown"! I will reschedule this walk for later in the year. All being well, our next walk is the Koonung Trail, North Balwyn on Thursday, 12th August. I hope we are able to enjoy this one with our "cuppa" and chocolate at Hahndorf Coffee Shop.

So, I thought I would do a meander down memory lane and got out the paperwork from the beginning of my time as Walks Coordinator 29th July, 2006. David and Pat Taylor arranged the first 3 walks for our club, then as we got organised and started to know what to do, I got my job. I didn't know what to do!!! So, a booklet from the Council with information on walks in our area became my Bible. My first walk was around Ruffey Lake Park, with 3 walkers, Emmy Oakley, Jan Altman and myself with 6 apologies that day. After our walk, it was a thermos in the park.

Our second one was Banksia Park with 15 walkers and once again, a cuppa in the park. Obviously I hadn't discovered coffee shops at that stage. I was still on my learners!! And so we grew and developed and Coffee shops became part of the deal. We have been up hills and down hills, under bridges and over bridges, down bush tracks and along the riverside and freeways.

I have learned so much as my time doing this job and still enoy it. I must admit, we have slowed down a bit, not so many hills and bush tracks, a few less kilometres, but the Cafe's are still on the top of the list. I look forward to enjoying many more walks with our wonderful Probus Club.

As you may have noticed on my last report, I have taken to reading the back of the tea bag packages duing Lockdown, so this week's tea is brought to you by Twinings Pure Peppermint. " A moment of pure refreshment...We have carefully selected the most aromatic leaves for our Pure Peppermint blend, to deliver a fresh and invigorating moment of pure refreshment in your day. For more delightful herbal infusions, try our soothing and minty Camomile and Spearmint".(Twinings) The herbal teas are not my cup of tea, but sounds as these two may help during any more Lockdowns we may have.

Hope to see you soon: Sue

'The Official Song Of Quarantine'

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SUE'S NON-WALK REPORT:

So, we are in Lockdown or is it really "Groundhog Day"?? Another walk bites the dust, and will like the last one, be tacked on th end for later in the year, or possibly next year!! On the 12th August we were going to walk along the Koonung Trail in North Balwyn and enjoy a "cuppa" and chocolate at Hahndorf Coffee Shop. Our next one is to be 24th August on the Mullum Mullum Creek Trail, Ringwood, which was changed because of "Groundhog Day" on the 10th June. Things not looking good for this one either, but we can live in hope.

So, another bit of a wander down memory lane and remind ourselves of some Cafes we have been to - sadly a few of those have closed down. Stonehouse Cafe, Beasleys Teahouse, Shillinglaw, Teapot Cafe, Second Home, Z cafe, Binga & Mooch, Barkleys Hotel Bistro, The Groove Train, The Daily Dose, Gourmet Girl, Tease Me Cafe, The Oven Twist and Stir it Up - just to name a few.

funny-cartoon-character-coffee-cup-pointing-time-free-coffee-discount-concept-funny-cartoo

Continuing on with my reading of the packets of tea - this week's tea is brought to you by Bushells, and which I hadn't paid attention to, is a good old Aussie tea.

In 1883, Alfred "The Team Man" opened his first tea shop in Queensland, offering a distinctly smooth and full-flavoured tea.

Wikipedia

Through two World wars, floods, drought, booms and busts, Australia has changed a lot. But, it 's nice to know some things haven't. For over 125 years, a long line of expert tea-tasters have worked hard so that we can all enjoy that great Bushells taste year after year, generation after generation. Bushells Blue label blended for Aussie tastes. So, who's for a cuppa?

A side note to that: Bushells has always seen a cuppa as a way to spark a conversation, bring us closer together. We have teamed up with Rural Aid to make sure every cup of our tea is a step towards supporting Australian farmers and rural communities. How can you help? It's as simple as brewing a refreshing cup of Bushells tea. ( - Bushells packet)

So, if the Libraries are closed and you can't get your hands on a good book, try reading the packets in the supermarket, you never know what you may learn.

Stay well and hope to see you soon.

Donvale Central Probus Club Zoom Meeting August 17th

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63 members participated at the 'Zoom' meeting today. Catching up with our Probus friends is certainly a highlight during 'LOCKDOWN'. We are all looking forward to being able to chat and have coffee together again. Hopefully this will be by the September meeting.

Our speaker today from the Manningham Council spoke about 'Recycling and Waste Management'. We were given an insight as to
what we can place into our bins, what happens after it is collected and proposed future changes.

"HAVE THE NEW JAB - "HALLELUJAH" adapted by the Marsh Family

SUE'S NON - WALK REPORT

So, in the words of Freddie Mercury, 'Another walk bites the dust". On the 24th August, the weather was fine, and we were meant to be walking along Mullum Mullum Trail, Ringwood, which had previously been cancelled from 10th June, and will now be added on to maybe next year! "Bean in the Woods Cafe" is missing out once again, on a very lovely and friendly group. Our next one is to be Bushy track, North Box Hill on the 9th September. I can't see it happening, but we can live in hope.

So, a bit more wandering down memory lane and remind ourselves of some areas and creeks we have walked along.

Top of the list is of course the Yarra River in Warrandyte, Kew, Heidleberg and Templestowe. Then there are all the beautiful creeks we have walked along: Diamond Creek, Mullum Mullum Creek, Dandenong Creek, Taralla Creek, Darebin Creek, Scotchman's Creek, Gardiners Creek and Ruffey Creek, with a few lakes being Blackburn, Ringwood, Lilydale, Jells Park and Ruffey Park. I hope, one day, we will visit many of these places again and enjoy some fun times out walking with our friends.

Continuing on with my reading of the packets of tea, this week's packet is brought to you by - wait for it- Connoisseur Gourmet Ice cream!! It just happened that while wandering around the aisles of Woolworths, which is, as mentioned previously, is becoming my new Library, I happened to find myself in the frozen food department with ice cream looking at me. The Connoisseur Gourmet Ice Cream variety "Sicilian Blood Orange with Chocolate" 4 pack was on special. Of course I had to buy some, and reading the box, this is what I learned.

"For centuries, Sicilians have perfected the art of growing the most intensely colourful and aromatic blood oranges. This citrus delight is swirled through our indulgent chocolate ice cream and then encased in a layer of premium milk chocolate".

Nonna would be proud. I can highly recommend this flavour. Maybe we will get back to tea next time.

I hope you are all keeping well and who knows, we may get to see each other on 9th September.

Cheers from Sue

QUOTES FROM "SNOOPY"

SUE'S NON - WALK REPORT:

Now, where was I !! Oh, that's right, day umpteenth of Lockdown, and we are missing out one another walk, as well as many other things. It was a lovely sunny morning on the 9th September, and we were to walk along the Bushy Track North Box Hill, finishing back at Middleborough Latte Cafe in Kerrimuir for our "cuppa". This too will be rescheduled - I think I am up to walks rescheduled to sometime in 2022. Hopefully we can walk as a group by then. Hang in there everyone.

Going down memory lane again, following is my report from the 2nd walk I organised for our Club on 3rd Oct, 2006. Those who attended were: Emmy, June and Clayton, Margaret W., Goldie (who remembers Goldie), Ray, Lyn, Jan and myself. (We were only doing one a month then).

Parks Victoria

" This month a group of 9 walkers had a lovely and very relaxing walk along the Yarra River Trail. Starting at Stiggans Reserve, we walked along to Stonehouse Cafe, where we had a nice time drinking coffees and getting to know each other. On our way back, we took the Yarra Street way, stopping at Ratty Moles Antique Shop (now a pottery workshop), Scandles, a lovely& aromatic candle shop (not there now), had browse in an Op shop and quick look in the Stonehouse Gallery, which is now located at the opposite end of town to the Cafe. All in all, a great day was had and we look forward to our next walk which is the Heide-Banksia Park Artists Walk. See details in Events Section of Newsletter". Good memories.

Now for this week's "Packet" Story. (Those of you following my adventures on our Webpage know that I have taken to reading the stories on the food packets in the Supermarket - I know way too much time on my hands. This weeks packet is "Altimate" Funtime Traditional Wafer Cups - A traditional style wafer cup ready to be filled with your favourite ice cream. Who would have thought that ice cream cones had a story.

Here at Altimate Foods we like to thank and pay tribute to all ice cream cone making pioneers of the late 1800's, by producing the highest quality cones using locally sourced ingredients. "There are many stories that suggest cones first emerged from such countries as France, England, Germany and America. An innovation from ice cream vendors to make their product more readily available to the masses.. Pioneers such as Marchiony (New York), Antonio Valvona (Manchester) and Ernest Hamwi (Missouri) are commonly known as the founding fathers of cone making." The Altimate family hopes you'll enjoy their take on the humble ice cream cone. ( Altimate Packet)

(I have these in the cupboard for the grandkids - yeah, right!!, whenever I get to see them!!)

Will get back to the tea next time.

Our next walk is due 28th Dept, ( School holidays - that's what the kids need). I hope you are all keeping well and who knows, we may get to see each other then.

Cheers from Sue

DONVALE CENTRAL PROBUS CLUB ZOOM MEETING SEPTEMBER 21TH

"Come on the Doggies"

There were 63 participants at our Probus meeting.

We all thoroughly enjoyed todays speaker 'Kevin Trask'. His topic "My life in the media; my cousin Diana Trask."

This story bought back many memories of our younger days when we attended dances at Legget's Ballroom etc, heard Diana sing and of course enjoyed her singing on 'In Melbourne Tonight' What an amazing career Diana has had both in Australia and America !!

Thank you Lorraine for organising such interesting speakers for the Club during Lockdown.