Roseville reunion Saturday 12/10/19.

Dear Colleagues,

40 Alumni attended this dinner at Roseville Golf Club … It was great fun and numerous people commented that it was better to have a smaller group in order to connect with almost everyone.  I hope you enjoy the pix below. 

Nick Bennett  Anne Pike  Lisa Cottee  Cathy Dunlop   Libby and Steve Jurd, David Rowed

David Curran  Bill Brooks and Mary Kathryn Dwyer


Howard Roby  Andrew Byrne  Ingrid Rieger

Julie Kibby with Allan Glanville

Judy and Ian Stokes with Denise Haylen

Ian Cook  Fred Schebesta  Kerrie Meades  David Harris

Allan Glanville  Ann Glanville  Bernie Haylen  Jim Markos

Arnold and Miriam van Rooijen

Fred Arndt  Karin Herbstein  Stevern Abadee  Judy Stokes

Eileen and Fred Arndt

Lesley and Kevin Yee  Lyn McKenzie and Bruce Hammond

Ken and Tessa Ho with Helen Clarke

Geoff Peretz and Andrew Byrne

‘Editorial’: Andrew says: ‘Just do it now … even if it outside your comfort zone’. 

I will take a privilege and write what I might have gone on to say on the night but for the promise of no formal speeches. Judy Stokes (Woolley) asked me for more next time around.  My message is about comfort zones which we all enjoy. Yet it is sometimes those fields in which we are less comfortable which may be most rewarding to explore.  Members of our year have visited Antarctica, Northern Scandinavia, Central Africa and remote parts of our own country.  Some have plunged themselves into troubled areas in the third world as missionaries.  Others still have sailed in hair-raising ocean crossings or undertaken new and unusual pursuits. 

I mentioned Maggie Smith’s line in Death On The Nile: “Oh no, not Egypt! The two things I most detest: heat and heathens.”  Yet the tourists had the best of times … at least until the mysterious murders started.  [and I've been to Egypt twice, alhamdulillah!] 

At age 50 I would never have imagined myself enjoying Waikiki Beach.  Nor would I have considered visiting a slaughterhouse, a Japanese Shinto temple, joining a mosque or a synagogue.  Seeing a dozen telescopes atop a 4000m tropical mountain was also a recent experience I could not have imagined until I took the 'plunge' (or the 'ascent' in this case).  Serendipity was involved in all of my ventures, some of which have become repeated and enjoyable pastimes. 

So my advice is to move out of your own comfort zone occasionally … and maybe just DO IT!  Tomorrow may be too late.  Carpe diem!

Fearless psychiatrist … BRAVO!

Steve Jurd agreed to speak at our dinner with only a few minutes’ notice … he addressed the group in his usual cheerful but meaningful manner reminding us of his four ‘G’ words which have come into focus for many of us: Gentleness: caring for loved ones as we used to look after our patients; Grandchildren; Geriatrics and Gratitude.

Libby Jurd has been unwell and Steve spoke about his new vocation as carer, learning to put aside other matters and take up new responsibilities.  Dealing with the medical system from the other side has had its revelations for them, as for some others in the room.  I might say that Libby seemed like her old self and was cheerful, eating and drinking like the rest of us despite her serious illness. 

Many of us have looked after aging parents – some of us are getting to the age-group to qualify ourselves for 'geriatrics'.  

Steve went on to describe the joy of getting to know grandchildren, quoting his younger psychotherapy colleague who said that the grand-parental bond is so much stronger because they each had an ‘enemy in common’! 

Despite a couple of corrections and additions, Steve Jurd asked me to point out that he is not responsible for this account of what he said. “Having been given 5 minutes notice to create a talk, it happened in 5 minutes and it was gone from my memory 5 minutes later.”  “Love your work Andrew!”

SJ

And while talking about colleauges …

John and Shauna de Launey came to Bowral this weekend for Sunday’s bicycle marathon (120km) road race.  They visited us in Burradoo on Saturday afternoon and we spent a couple of hours talking about old times and their new lives after ‘retirement’ of part time work and long-time travelling.  They were sorry to miss the dinner due to elderly parents with medical problems last weekend.  This has also curtailed their travelling of late. 

A message from Gerry Lister: I am still working hard in Newcastle. Max Lenzer and I have been in the same practice for almost 38 years now though we both have our eye on the finish line at some stage. But still having fun and hopefully productive. 

I recently travelled through the Balkans with David Clark for four weeks. He is still Newcastle’s pre-eminent breast surgeon. Firstly Penny and I did a boat and bicycle trip around the Croatian islands first for 9 days, then met up with David and his wife in Venice for a 4 week trip through Slovenia, Croatia. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. Such interesting and beautiful country especially the magnificent mountains and lakes of Slovenia. Such fascinating history... both distant and recent. They were killing each other, including war crimes, only 25 years ago. Things are much better now though still simmering tensions. Was a great trip.    

I was sorry I could not make the dinner, but I loved seeing the photos and the memories they bring back.

Gerry

David Clark  Penny Lister  Paula Clark  Gerry Lister  at city wall of Dubrovnik, Croatia.