One of the understated qualities of our club is the depth of public speaking/entertaining skills laying deep within the members.

Yet again that came to light last Tuesday when 5 members delighted us (and made many of us envious) with tales of their recent "holiday activities".  Perhaps there was one exception.  Geoff Dumayne explained away his recent absences by recounting the story of his baby sitting of a highly energetic two-and-a-half year old boy for his daughter who was hospitalized for a considerable part of her just completed pregnancy awaiting the birth of twins.  All ended well.  Mother and twins are fine and Geoff and Jenny just survived the ordeal.  Here the envy quotient in the audience was low!

More conveniently the other four of the fab five described some wonderful stories.  First there were the local holidays of Noel Halford and Charles Morrison.  Noel (and Marjorie) who towed a caravan across the Nullabor in their 4Wheel drive demonstrated in his description of the WA outback and mining provinces just what unseen (by many) dramatic and beautiful destinations exist in our country - Coral Bay, The Kimberleys, Kalgoorlie and so on.  What struck Noel particularly was amazing hardship which the early pioneers combated and overcame.

Charles' trip with his 4Wheel drive involved smaller distances on the East coast of Australia on the secondary, and tertiary (and below!) roads.  Again it highlighted just what "jewels" exist off the beaten tracks of Australia.  His story of a night at Dalgety in NSW reminded some that this lovely village on the Snowy River was selected in 1904 for the nation's capital.  Charles (and Jacqui's) story of the experience at the local pub where he stayed one night was capital too!  Barely having running water, and proliferated with the pet lamb's droppings, the pub was somewhat less than five star.  In retrospect however it is those types of problems on holidays which one now laughs at and remembers fondly.

Simon O'Donoghue and Gigi's trip sounded like it contained accommodation at the other extreme.  Simon toured Scotland and Liverpool with a male band of fellow golfers for a couple of weeks sport at many of the famous well known golf courses starting with the Old Course at St Andrews.  Sport for the "boys" did include sabotaging a photo at one guest house.  Gigi visited family and friends in Southern France and Paris rekindling her French language and no doubt shopping skills.  The "his" and "hers" aspects did unite when Simon went across the channel where upon they went on a boating excursion (again 5 star) along the rivers and canals of France.  

Finally came Brian Reid.  He told us of a trip of discovery-finding out about his father's family in the north of England.  He and Holly spent 2-3 weeks in a tiny area just east of the wonderful Lakes District in North-West England.  Brian discovered much about his grandmother and her family - who they were and where, for 250 years they had been born, lived and died in Borrenthwaite Hall on Stainmore in Westmorland.

The area abounded with history back to Roman times, with castles roads and farm buildings.  For the map-readers Brian mentioned Church Brough as a little settlement where they spent some time exploring the local church grave yard and finding headstones of past family members.  It was fascinating stuff and parts resembled aspects of a Jane Austin novel.  Complete with the full professionalism of slides as an aid Brian won the chocolate prize for best performance but left us with the quandary as to his real surname.  With perhaps the occasional informal marriage (?)/adoption of an ancestor or two, Brian could be a Wilson, a Reid, a Nicholson or the last of the refined sounding Dalston-Ewbanke's.  Let's hope for Brian X  that there are some unclaimed inheritances or estates about.

The photo at right shows the prize winner in action.Image