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COMPUTER PALS FOR SENIORS EPPING INC.

A Computer Club for Seniors to Learn & Socialize

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current News

Quick Link to Future Speakers

Quick Link to Interest Groups

ASCCA Competition Results

 


Past Events:

Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Annual General Meeting, followed by August General Meeting. Vice President, Joan Craymer, treated us to an exploration of Microsoft Publisher, demonstrating its dexterity for creating many exciting projects.

Wednesday, 21 July 2010
John Ebbott from NRMA Care Flight spoke to us, explaining the extreme care Care Flight uses to safeguard those involved in accidents of sickness. They are extraordinarily dedicated people.

Wednesday, 17 March 2010:
Computer Pals 10th Birthday. Ian Smith gave us a thrilling and humorous talk on the brave men who joined "The Kurrajongs" to fight for our country.

Ian Small holding photograph of
"The Kurrajongs"
his subject on 17th March 2010

 

Photographs taken at
Computer Pals, Epping
Tenth Anniversary
General Meeting
held on 17th March 2010


Photography by Joan Craymer & Ron Taig

 

A ready smile to greet members
& friends to the
10th Birthday Celebration

10th Anniversary Cake

10th Anniversary Cake,
with Chocolate Computer Mice

President Elizabeth
opens the meeting

Committee gathered to cut the
 10th Anniversary Cake

Maureen regales us with an Irish Joke
in honour of this also being
St Patrick's Day

Candles on Tenth Birthday Celebration Cake

Alan introduces the speaker
Ian Small

Meeting in Progress

 

Christmas Party Photos:

Club Members

Celebrating Christmas 2009

The end of a Good Year

 
 
 
 


 

 

Future Speakers

What's Happening at Monthly General Meetings
Third Wednesday of each month at 10.00 am
excluding December & January

2010 General Meeting Speakers:

Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Bill Allen will talk about Sydney Ferries.

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Interest Groups

Interest Groups: Held in Foyer Room

Creative Writing

First Monday of the Month
(date sometimes changed to preceding Monday, if first Monday is in Term breaks.)
10am - 12 noon

Digital  Photography

First Monday of the Month
(date sometimes changed to preceding Monday if first Monday is in Term breaks.)
1pm - 3pm

Genealogy

Third Monday of the Month
(not held in school holidays)
10am - 11.30am

HELP Sessions

Third Monday of the Month
(not held in school holidays)
1pm - 3pm

Creative Writing Group:
This group meets on the first Monday of the month at 10 am in the Foyer room. Group does not meet in school holidays.
The subjects below are suggested to inspire members as they prepare their writing for the following month's meeting:

Date of Meeting

Creative Writing Subjects

2010

 
1 February Town & Country
1 March Compromise
29 March Courage
3 May What a Fright
31May Too Good to Use
2 August Catastrophe
6 September If you ignore it, it will go away
27 September Hope
1 November  
5 December  
   

Digital Photography Interest Group:

Patricia Beal, a most competent photographer, hosts this Interest Group. The Meetings are held on First Mondays of each month, in the Foyer Room. This group was formed with those who are new to Digital Photography in mind, and who wish to become more familiar with their Digital Cameras, whilst sharing with one another their attempts at Digital Photography. Group does not meet in school holidays.

Genealogy Interest Group:

For those with a common interest in discovering their ancestors. Jean & Colin Barringham lead this group on Third Monday of the month at 10.00am - 11.30am in the Foyer Room.  Group does not meet in school holidays.
 

HELP Group:

On the Third Monday of each month at 1pm - 3pm, in the Foyer Room, there will be a demonstration on some interesting computer related topic by varied tutors. On those occasions when there is no demonstration topic, a General Help Session will be held for those needing help with computer problems. Group does not meet in school holidays.

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Results, including photos, can be viewed on the ASCCA Website:
  www.ascca.org.au

  •  Digital Photography Club of the Year Award

Computer Pals for Seniors Epping Inc

  •  Newsletter Competition:

Second Place to "Open Windows @ Epping"
Editor: Gwen Bradford

  •  Digital Photo Competition:

First Place: (Non-enhanced General)

Patricia Beal, "Llamas at Machu Picchu"

Second Place: (Non-enhanced General)

Helen Gardner, "Butterfly on Pansy"

Second Place: (Non-enhanced Caring)

Anne Morgans, "Plant in the Garden at Dence Park"

Third Place: (Enhanced Caring)

Shirley Morling, "Unconditional Love"

Below see Winning Photographs

  •  Creative Writing Competition:

Special Mention:

Lynton Bradford, "The Fig Tree"

Special Mention:

Pamela Taig, "Father John Fowles from Thurgoona"

Third Place:

Pamela Taig, " My Favourite Place"

 

Following are :
the winning photographs,
the story by Lynton Bradford
the poems by Pamela Taig

First Place
Non Enhanced General to
Patricia Beal
'Llamas at Machu Picchu'

Second Place
Non Enhanced General to
Helen Gardner
'Butterfly on Pansy'

Second Place
Non Enhanced Caring to
Anne Morgans
'Plant in Garden at Dence Park'

 

Third Place
Enhanced Caring to
Shirley Morling
'Unconditional Love'

 

Special Mention
 The Fig Tree
By Lynton Bradford

 At night it was pitch dark, no electric lights, no neighbours nearby, just the faint, distant sounds of waves crashing endlessly on the rocky shore and on starry nights the black shadow of a huge Fig Tree blotted out half the sky.

 These were among my savoured memories of this special place.  It had no modern amenities, no electricity, running water, sewerage, telephone, transport of any kind or any of the conveniences which a young boy would expect in the late 1930s. Why then do I retain such fond memories of this home, when the other places were so much more comfortable?

 The name “Charlton” was rarely used; letters were addressed simply as “Boat Harbour, Gerringong, NSW”.  It was the only house in this depression between the rolling green hills, leading down to Boat Harbour and the nearest houses were almost a kilometre away, perched on the ridges of the hills surrounding this valley. 

I lived with my great aunt Grace Watkins, after whom my mother was named.    “Charlton” was her family home, built and added to by her father Frederick, as his family of 13 grew. It had never been the subject of any council approvals. In fact there were no councils in the area when this home was started around the mid 1800s.   Frederick built many fine structures during his life as a builder in the area, including the Catholic Church, but this house was certainly no fine example of a builder’s skill.  There were confusing and varied styles of construction in this wood and corrugated iron house.

 The oldest room was the bathroom, but in my time it was never used as such.  It was of split slab construction, which had shrunk over the previous 80 years, so that there was now a clear view of the back yard through the gaps.   With the lack of privacy and the breezes through the wall, it was the last place to consider taking a bath.  We opted for the kitchen, where there was the fuel stove to warm the room and a round galvanised iron tub requiring many trips to the spring some 100 metres away to fill to a depth of about two inches.  Two baths a week were considered more than ample considering the effort required.

I spent many happy hours exploring the rocks around the bay close to the house.  We considered it our little harbour as few other people came down to it in those days.  You could always catch a fish or two to save the long walk to the shops.

 My friend Stewart and his sister lived about three kilometres away across the fields and we had many adventures together.  We “helped” round up the cows for milking, rode on horses and generally had a great time.  I suspect his father may not have considered our help particularly useful.

 It was a hard but rewarding life at Boat Harbour.  The chores included collecting wood for the big fire places, fowls to feed, eggs to collect and walking up to the town for milk and supplies.

 A large mantel radio used a car battery which had to be taken to the local garage about two kilometres away for charging.  It was my job to drag it uphill in my billy cart with many stops on the way, then collecting it the next day.  Consequently the radio was only used to listen to the news once or twice a week.

 The lounge room was heavily curtained and so dark you could not read even in broad daylight.   There was an organ with pump pedals which was the only real luxury in the house.

 The beds had mattresses of duck feathers, so deep you sank almost from view, a huge mosquito net draped from the steel and brass canopy over the bed head. Each room had its china wash basin and water jug, and of course a potty under the bed.

 The dunny pan needed emptying about once a month.  A deep hole was dug in the vegetable garden and, to avoid digging it up again there was a plan of rotation.  Of course the dunny paper was cut up newspapers or magazines.  With luck you could read up on stories by assembling the cut sections while contemplating.  However more often than not, essential parts of stories were not to be found.

 The original dunny was very fragile after 90 years and was tied to a large peppercorn tree with fencing wire. Unfortunately the peppercorn blew down in a gale and took the dunny with it, so a new one was built.

 I had a fox terrier called ‘Tinker’ and we went everywhere together, exploring the rocks and sea shore, also rabbit hunting, but never caught anything as I recall.

My last visit to “Charlton” was shortly before Gwen and I became engaged.  The place was much the same and Grace Watkins appeared to be the same aged elderly woman I knew some 12 years earlier.

 During this visit, Gwen and I walked some distance out to a headland overlooking the sea.  A warm spring rain appeared from nowhere and having no shelter we slowly walked home arm in arm arriving back drenched to the skin.

 We changed into clothes retrieved by Aunty Grace from an ancient, huge trunk.  I think my trousers and braces probably belonged to my great grandfather.

 Another day in this special place which will never be forgotten.

 Unfortunately the home is gone now, burnt by squatters after Grace died.  Gerringong is now an “in place“.   Many houses fill Boat Harbour almost to the waters edge.  The only remaining landmark is the great Moreton Bay Fig tree, now some 80 meters across, planted by great grandfather some time in the mid 1800s in the corner of the vegetable garden, no doubt nourished throughout its life by the buried “treasure” in the garden.

 

My Favourite Place

My favourite place is anywhere
I can sit, with dreams
Of many daring story plots
And intriguing themes.

 I love to sit and watch the clouds
As they go rolling by.
I wonder where they’re headed for,
And wish that they were I.

 I prefer to sit and ponder plots,
In my special chair,
For story plans of mystery
With endings that are rare.

 When I was a little child
I had a secret space
Where imagination ran amok
In my special hiding place.

 A manhole in my bedroom floor
Concealed behind my bedroom door
Provided just the place to find
Childish adventures of the mind.

 My mother never seemed to know
About my secret hidey-hole.
In solitude, I dreamed my dreams,
 Acting out each thrilling role.

 Sometimes I’d be Maid Marian,
Being brave as Robin Hood,
Unharmed by the Sheriff of Nottingham –
That was always understood.

 The hope of finding buried treasure
Was always in my mind.
Surely pirates landed here,
Leaving gold and jewels behind.

 Now I’ve grown mature and sage,
Advancing steadily to old age,
A smile still comes to light my face,
Recalling that Special Hiding Place..

 

Pamela Taig wrote both these poems and won a Special Mention for 'Father John Fowles of Thurgoona' and Third Place for 'My Special Place.' 

 

A MAN WHO INSPIRED ME

Father John Fowles from Thurgoona

Father John Fowles CCS
Is the Parish Priest of Thurgoona.
For children, distressed, in East Timor,
He needs money now, if not sooner

 His fund raising schemes are ambitious.
His parishioners, Tom, Dick and Kevin,
Ran Fetes to raise a new church,
Ran two raffles, called ‘Highway to Heaven’.

 Having provided his parish with buildings,
Now was the time to raise more.
That’s when he conceived his new notion
To raise funds for kids in East Timor.

 He elevated his eyes and looked to the skies.
‘What we must build now is an aircraft.’
When he told his parishioners his crafty ambition,
They responded, ‘Good Lord, Father, you’re daft.’

 A Fly-a-thon was the name he gave to his scheme.
But there’s one thing a Fly-a-thon needs.
The plane, his scheme so obviously lacked.
Father John began saying his beads.

 An anonymous gift unexpected
Was delivered in March 2004,
A Jabiru J400 airplane kit
Had been delivered to his front door.

 In the garage with several parishioners,
Each Monday, you’d find Father John
Pondering plans spread over the floor,
Creating the plane for his Fly-a-thon.

 After constructing a mammoth church complex
Building a plane’d be a walk in the park.
He soon became sorry for Noah,
And his problems while building the Ark.

 After surmounting each problem,
The plane is now ready to fly.
Awaiting her final inspection,
She’s ready to take to the sky.

 “Angel Wings” is the plane’s appellation,
An appropriate name, Father John.
I pray your venture’s successful,
And will raise money for your Fly-a-thon

 

 

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