True Story!

O n Monday 19th

March after the general Social Club meeting we were

entertained by Matt Rayner. He has visited us before and he once again

did not disappoint.

Singing well-known favourites to backing tapes as well as accompanying

himself on guitar, he soon had the audience tapping their feet and singing

along as he sang songs by people such as Engelbert Humperdinck, Louis

Armstrong, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash amongst others. One

medley of old wartime songs such as Roll out the Barrel, Knees Up Mother

Brown and It’s a Long Way to Tipperary had everyone in the audience joining

in lustily.

Finding that sitting down while listening to the songs was too much to bear,

Stella Byrnes and Susan Parish soon found themselves dancing at the back of

the hall, and they were later joined by John Schubert, much to the delight of

Matt who loves seeing people enjoying themselves while he is performing.

Interspersed with the songs, Matt told a few stories and jokes, always

introduced by his signature phrase “True Story”: whether or not they were

actually true was debatable in some instances, but the stories were always

amusing.

The hour went by quickly and all agreed it was a most enjoyable afternoon’s

entertainment. Thanks must go to Margaret Piro, our Entertainment Officer,

for organising the event.

In a reminder that Easter was coming up in a couple of weeks, afternoon tea

consisted of several varieties of hot cross bun, which was very well received.

Judith Sturrock (Unit 172)

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All good!

F riday night's daylight saving dinner was a great success - great

food, good company and marvellous entertainment.

There were about seventy guests – plus one gate crasher in the form

of an arachnid which watched the show from ceiling height until it

was savagely murdered with a stick and fell to its death in the centre

of the hall!

Once again, the food was very tasty with a really "yummy" home-made

gravy for the chicken. I do wonder at the law of averages when I

always manage to sit at the last table to be called up for dinner!

Rick "O" was once again very easy to listen to with his repertoire of

songs from Elvis, Roy Orbison, Gene Pitman, etc, and he had us all

singing along. He and his wife make a lovely team for an occasion

such as ours.

In spite of the behaviour of one naughty litte 'ray' of sunshine,

everyone appeared to have a most enjoyable evening.

Barbara Rowe (Unit 165)

Please note: The Friday night dinner scheduled for Friday 13th

April has been cancelled as it clashes with a Crows home game on

that night. The dinners will resume in October.

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I am sure that everybody realizes that it will soon be the AGM of the Social

Club, and it is coming up to re-election time. So far the indication is that a

number of our Social Club Committee members will be retiring for various

reasons. Therefore, we will need new committee members in order to ensure

that our Social Club continues to run smoothly and efficiently. The positions of

Entertainment Officer and Membership Officer will become vacant and you are

urged to think seriously about coming on to the committee in order to fill one

of these positions or simply be on the general committee. You will be made

very welcome, and continuing committee members will be available to help with

the transition process.

Nomination forms for the Social Club will be available in the Community Hall

after the Residents Committee AGM on Wednesday, 11th

April.

I had a meeting with John Neill last week and he informed me that the Social Club will be responsible to

ensure that entertainers have Liability Insurance as well as Test and Tag on all electrical equipment. As you

can imagine that is going to cause some problems that we need to overcome. The committee is looking at

several options. I will let you know what happens, next month.

Aad Stegink (Unit 16)

Phone: 8263 7342

From the President . . . .

Aad Stegink

Next Social Club Meeting

PotatoBake

Monday, 16th April 12 noon in the Hall

Order forms will be distributed to Social

Club members soon. Please ensure that

you return the form and correct money

to one of the people nominated on the

form by 11th April at the latest or you

may miss out.

ANZAC Day 25th April

10:30 am in the Community Hall

Come along and join us in remembering our Anzacs

Bring family if you wish

Morning tea of Anzac Biscuits, Tea and Coffee

provided by the Social Club

LEST WE FORGET

Residents Committee AGM

Wednesday, 11th April

11 am in the Community Hall

It is important that as many residents as

possible attend this meeting as we will be

discussing the surplus funds held in

our bank account.

Come along and have your say!

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available before

the meeting.

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John Neill Village Manager

Mon–Fri 9 am–4 pm

Phone: 8314 4444

Email: john.neill@

stockland.com.au

Maintenance Messages

8314 4444

For any Maintenance

issues phone the

above number.

If this number is

unattended please leave

your name, unit number,

phone number and

message, and your call

will be returned.

Office Hours:

Monday to Friday

9.00 am to 4.00 pm

For After Hours

Emergency

Maintenance call

0414 634 481

Hello Everyone

Finally, something to watch on TV! Footy is

back and the rivalries are on again. I trust

everyone backed a winner at the Adelaide

Cup and enjoyed the Easter break. If you

have any good photos and/or stories from

any of your travels, please share them as we

may use them in our Stockland Newsletter.

Fire Danger A reminder to all

residents not to use

double adapters in their

homes as most recently

there have been reports

of these items being the cause of household fires. If

you require extra power points please ensure you are

using tag and tested, good quality power boards that

have an override switch. If you have any queries

regarding your electrical set up or appliances, please call upon us and we

will check on these for you.

Digital Speed Indicators Some of you may have seen the new digital

speed indicators installed on Way Drive. These

have been installed as part of our efforts to

reduce speeding vehicles throughout the

village. From the feedback thus far, I believe

they are being somewhat successful, however I

would reiterate those in Gofers looking at using

them to record their times over the quarter mile

to perhaps ensure they are wearing a helmet.

Please be aware that these indicators were

installed as part of a trial to see how effective

they are and given they have been seen as a

positive move, we will be planning, as part of

next year’s capital, the purchase of three more

signs to be installed in more areas around the

village, including another one on Way Drive.

Vacancies We have recently had a number of new arrivals to the village and trust

those residents have been warmly welcomed as is our custom. The new

arrivals mean that the village is pretty

much 100% full as we are in the

process of finalising works to the last

two vacant units which already have a

number of interested parties ready to

snap them up. This is great news and

reflects how the village is viewed and

the increasing interest from potential

residents.

Budgets We are in the final stages of completing our operational and capital

budgets and look forward to catching up with you all to discuss these in

the coming days.

John Neill

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Capital Expenditure I have managed to receive some extra capital funding for

this year and this money will allocated as follows: the

installation of new and more convenient bin enclosures in

Young Court; the installation of light sensors and

reduction of some lighting in the Administration Building

in our efforts to reduce costs; key safes to be installed in

any units currently without them; three more defibrillators

(one for each bus and one for the main office); paving

extensions to outside the Gums; new and replacement

outdoor bench seating around Village, and a number of

new tools for the maintenance department such as a

drain snake, pressure cleaner, paint spray gun and

compliance ladders. All of these items will assist in the

more efficient upkeep of the village and help to reduce

some contractor expenses. All up this is over $48,000 in

capital on top of over $150,000 already spent in capital

items which does not include funds spent on renovating

vacant units.

Remember if I don’t know then I can’t help, your feedback

and communication is most valuable and greatly

appreciated.

Cheers

John

Speed indicators

H ave you driven through one of the speed indicators in Way Drive yet?

As well as indicating the speed you are doing, it will offer advice (SLOW

DOWN) if you are going more than 10 kph, thank you if you slow down to 10

kph, and smile at you if you are under the speed limit.

The novelty obviously has not worn off yet, as we have seen drivers

deliberately speed up or slow down as they approach, just to see what speed

it indicates, and even walkers have been clocked at 5 or 6 kph as they

approach.

Please be advised that they are not set up to test your speed—rather they

provide a warning to motorists so that we can move safely around the village.

Editor’s Note: The speeding car in the photo doing 15 kph was only doing so

for the sake of the photo—it is not an indication of normal driving habits!!

ADVANCE NOTICE

Fashion Show Saturday 19th May

2 pm in the Hall Jadees Mobile Fashions is once again

coming to the village, giving ladies the

opportunity to browse a wide range of

fashions in all sizes (8–26), including

new Spring fashions and accessories.

Afternoon tea will be provided.

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Bungaree Station Tour

Tuesday 17thApril Bungaree Station in the Clare Valley is a vital part of

SA’s pastoral heritage. Established in 1841 by the

Hawker family, at the time it was the most northern

settlement in the state. Later, it was the headquarters

of an extensive property, running 100,000 sheep, with

its own church, station store, council chambers,

homestead and staff cottages.

The tour goes for approximately two hours, but we will

have a light lunch in between at the station.

Lunch is the Stockman’s light lunch consisting of

gourmet rolls with a variety of fillings, homemade

pudding and tea and coffee.

Cost: $10 for the bus, $12.75 for tour and $17.60 for

lunch. Total: $40.35. The bus will leave the hall at

8 am. We will stop for morning tea along the way.

There is a sign-up sheet in the hall.

Tuesday 3rdApril

Spring Gully Foods A tour of the Spring Gully factory has

been arranged for Tuesday, 3rd April.

The tour lasts for about 1/2 to 3/4 hour,

and there is no cost for this.

We will then return to Adelaide for lunch

at the Grand North Bistro at Northfield.

Cost: $5 for the bus, plus your choice of

lunch. The bus will be leaving the hall at

10:30 am.

There is a sign-up sheet in the hall.

Serviced Apartments

Did you know, you may be eligible to transfer to a Serviced Apartment and use your Government Home Care Package to fund most of your Serviced Apartment services such as cleaning, laundry, meal preparation and bed making. Stockland has 22 villages* with Serviced Apartments nationally.

Note: your exit fees do not recommence^ and you can request to transfer to a Serviced Apartment within your state or interstate to be closer to family.

You may be eligible, subject to terms and conditions at the relevant villages, to receive a cash lump sum following your transfer.

We offer a FREE two week trial stay** in a Serviced Apartment, subject to availability. If you would like to find out more about this opportunity, speak to your Village Manager or Sales Professional.

Subject to terms and conditions. **The free Trial Stay is only available at selected villages and is for a maximum of two weeks. For full terms and conditions relating to the Trial Stay, phone 1800 72 71 70.

* Home Care Funding Option is not currently available at Keilor, Cameron Close, Latrobe, Bundoora or Wantirna villages.

^ Exit fees may continue to be payable depending on your tenure in your current home. For further details contact your Village Manager or Village Sales Professional.

Editor’s Note: For your information, Stockland has two villages in South Australia with serviced apartments: Somerton and Unity at Aberfoyle Park.

7

Saturday 7th April

at 1:30 pm in the Haven

You are invited to the screening of

Goodbye Christopher Robin

After leaving London for the English countryside,

writer A.A. Milne starts to spin fanciful yarns about

his son's growing collection of stuffed animals.

These stories form the basis for "Winnie-the-Pooh"

and "The House at Pooh Corner," published

respectively in 1926 and 1928. Milne and his family

soon become swept up in the instant success of the

books, while the enchanting tales bring hope and

comfort to the rest of post-war England.

There is a small cost of $2 which covers

afternoon tea and a door prize. Everyone is

welcome.

Although most residents are putting their

refundable cans, bottles and cartons in the

appropriate bins, there are some items that

are still finding their way into the general

recycling bins.

All money raised from the return of

refundable bottles and cans goes to the

Social Club, so we are asking that these

items be put only in the yellow–topped bins

with the round hole cut in the top. These

should all be marked with a sign indicating

they are for bottles and cans. Your help

with this matter is appreciated.

Thank you.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Women are like phones: They like to be held,

talked to, and touched often. But push the wrong button and you are disconnected.

8

Irish Dreams

S t Patrick rid Ireland of snakes and people have been

visiting Ireland ever since. With St Patrick’s Day last

month, why not consider an Irish sojourn? There is so

much to see and do in Ireland, both Eire and Northern

Ireland. You can fly directly into Dublin with a number of

airlines that depart direct from Adelaide and Australia and

begin your Irish adventure as soon as you land.

Dublin has a rich history, a lively pub and music scene and

good old-fashioned charm and sense of fun. See the superb illustrated manuscript of the Book of Kells, try

a Guinness in a local pub and check out the music on offer all over the city. Ireland can be seen in any

number of ways – tour, self-drive, even train and coach – so choose your preferred method and off you

go. Head north into Northern Ireland and enjoy the coastline, especially the world-famous Giant’s

Causeway and hear the folklore about the two giants who supposedly created the feature. It is a stunning

part of the world.

Game of Thrones fans will know that the principal shooting takes place in Belfast at the Titanic Studios and

there are many film locations very close by. If history is your interest take a locally led tour of the streets

and hear about the troubles from first-hand witnesses.

Head west and down the coast and back into Eire and see the Cliffs of Moher towering over the North

Atlantic, and check out Galway Bay. You may even see Ed Sheeren’s ‘Galway Girl’ there! Down to Limerick

where you can try your hand at the local form of poetry and attend a ceilidh, one of the traditional music

and dance gatherings held all over Ireland.

South again and still on the west coast and as they say in Ireland – “See Killarney and die”. The town is

delightful and the views from Queen’s View (named by Queen Victoria who deemed the vista fit for a

queen) are spectacular. The Ring of Kerry begins and ends from Killarney and includes the Queen’s View,

the Dingle Peninsula and Sneeth, routinely amongst the best kept villages in Ireland.

Check out Cork and Blarney Castle, see the Waterford Crystal factory where exquisite crystal is hand cut,

and spend some time in the beautiful old capital Kilkenny which is far too often overlooked. If time permits

visit the Rock of Cashel.

If you have relatives who came from Ireland you could easily spend weeks in this compact and lovely

country, but you can manage it in a week to ten days if you have a car. However you choose, Ireland will

reward the traveller in many ways.

I would be delighted to help you plan your Irish getaway. Call me now on 0407 931229.

Cheryl, your TravelManager

Giant’s Causeway

Killarney Cliffs of Moher

9

Saturday Afternoon

at the Flicks

E ver wondered what to do on a Saturday

afternoon? Well, if it’s the first Saturday in the

month, here is the answer – go to the Haven and

enjoy a movie!

Rexene and Ray Hill, Marie Glenn, Margaret Piro, Judy

and Ian Hale and Bette Klingberg ,with videos kindly

loaned by Elaine Claxton, put on a video afternoon on

the first Saturday of every month except January. They

also provide the food, set up and clear away. A small

fee of just $2.00 will get you the film, a free go in a

raffle and a most marvellous afternoon tea, often

consisting of party pies and pasties, sandwiches, cake

and biscuits, plus a cup of tea and biscuits and a

chance for a chat! All this for the princely sum of only

$2.00! Talk about value for money.

It's not easy trying to find videos that will please

everyone ... but I am sure there are many worth

seeing for a second time.

The video for March was Victoria and Abdul. Abdul

filled in the loneliness felt by Queen Victoria

especially after the death of both Prince Albert and

John Brown the ghillie. I must admit I had never heard

that story although I grew up in England. Having

watched the film and researched the time in question,

I learned that it was something that was swept under

the carpet. The story only came to light in 2010 when

Abdul’s family gave his diaries to an author who had

written about Queen Victoria.

My main reason for writing this is to thank the ladies

and gentlemen for giving up their time to give us this

entertainment and to ask the residents to get behind

them and support them. How easy is it to get to the

hall to watch the video rather than trying to find a car

park say at the Plaza. It must be very disheartening

when only a few turn up. It isn’t meant to be a money

raiser ... just giving the residents somewhere to go

and enjoy each other’s company.

Thank you again to all concerned.

Cilla Harvey (Unit 10)