Sometimes we are astounded by the calibre of people who live in the Clarence Valley. At Grafton Probus’ meeting on July 18, our guest speaker was Nigel Dawe, who most people would recognise as the customer service person from Grafton Railway Station. Within one minute our members recognised that Nigel had many other strings to his bow.

Faced with a 3-hour commute to Sydney each day, he set himself a target of reading a work from each of the 114 Nobel Prize winners for Literature. He achieved the feat recently, having read over 400 titles written by the Laureates. This love of literature led him to travel to Europe and eventually to the Nobel Academy and Museum in Stockholm, where he visited the room where the Nobel Prizes are presented.

Nigel cited research which shows that six minutes of reading leads to 68% decrease in stress and that readers are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. He has started a book club, which meets weekly, since arriving in Grafton.

Nigel blew us all away when he dropped the fact that he won the competition to name the renewed foreshore area of Sydney. He nominated “Barangaroo”, who was Bennelong’s wife, so that Bennelong Point and Barangaroo surround Circular Quay. Thank you, Nigel for a very entertaining talk.

Four new members were confirmed at the same meeting. Welcome to Bill and Lyn Johnston, David Cutts and Joy Ford. Thank you also to our Five-Minute Speaker, Ros Chessell, who gave a recount of her life in Dorrigo, Wagga Wagga and Grafton.

Fifteen members enjoyed July’s mid-day luncheon at the Jacaranda Hotel.

Our next luncheon will be at Roches Hotel on August 6. Our next monthly meeting will be on August 15 at South Grafton Services Club. Visitors are welcome.

Ron Payne