While many voluntary groups and organisations are doing it tough due to COVID-19, Yamba Evening VIEW (YEV) club has reconnected its members by the introduction of a monthly newsletter.
This is not just any ordinary newsletter; each month features a profile story of one of its members and President Karen Toms said that the members are enjoying finding out more about each other.
Ms Toms said that instead of just attending their meetings and saying hello etc they are actually getting to know more about each other’s lives and reconnecting in a deeper way.
Three members, Bobbie Clarke, Phyllis Telfer and Fay Church all received their 20–year service pins this month with Yamba Evening VIEW and we have shared Bobbies story below, which was featured in this month’s YEV newsletter –
BOBBIE CLARKE:
Roberta Louise Clarke (aka Bobbie) was born at Clarence House, South Grafton on 18 April 1936.
“My mum was born in Leichhardt and my dad was born on a dairy farm between Cowper and Ulmarra. They met through a mutual friend and tragedy brought them together.
“I have two younger sisters Nancy and Isabel, whose granddaughter is (Australian film actress) Angourie Rice (Ladies in Black, The Beguiled, Spiderman etc.). We were educated at Cowper Primary and Grafton High where I made life-long friends including my first boyfriend who still calls me!
“I met my husband at a Chinese restaurant in Sydney. Chinese wisdom says a Rat (me) should never marry a Horse (him). Quite right! I have four children Jennifer 64, Carleen 63, Suellen 60 and Mark 58 and have 11 grandchildren and 12 greats. I was a stay at home Mum until the children were grown and since then I have been a teacher’s aide, cleaner and waitress. I once tipped a whole dinner down the back of a lady (accidentally). So, nothing spectacular!
“My second husband was the loveliest man but sadly had a fatal heart attack at 59. We lived in Brisbane and Isabel my sister who was building a house at Angourie suggested I move “back home”. So I came to Yamba and picked everything for my new home in 2 hours including land, house design, tiles, taps, bricks etc. and then had to sell two houses one in Evans Head and one in Brisbane in a big hurry. And I’m still living in that house although I should have put in an ensuite!
“I met my husband Bob in Yamba through golf and in spite of early misgivings it has turned out fine but our roles have obviously changed since April when he had a very nasty stroke and has since gone into care at Whiddon in Maclean.
“My friend Judy Waugh and I were playing golf one day when she suggested I join YEV and I remember that at my first dinner in March we were served green mashed potatoes for St Patrick’s Day and that was about 20 years ago.
“On the whole my life has been more sunshine than clouds and my VIEW friends are a large part of it,” she said.