A South Coast Christmas Harvest
05 December 2022 / Story: Brian Clayton; Photos: Anda Clayton, Bill Short, Rose Smith, Anne Zattera
A South Coast Christmas Harvest
3 December 2022
Fortunately, the day, unlike the previous year, was fine and warm.
A jolly bunch of MX5ers gathered at the Lions Park at Lake Burrill at mid-morning, all bearing coffee cakes and chocolates, enough to feed an army. It took but a moment and the greetings and conversations started. Finska and Boules were on the agenda for our Christmas “Olympics”, but table grazing and coffee seemed to take precedence. There was Christmas cake, chocolate almonds, fruit platters, rocky road, shortbread and ginger bread and Bill’s famous peanut cookies and all sorts of other ‘diet’ food. Oh well, it is Christmas.
Eventually a small crowd gathered around the Finska ring and a few games played much to the amusement of the spectators.
Then it was on to the annual prize giving. Our run organisers and leaders, Kerry Warner, Geoff and Rose Smith, Bob Downing and Bill Short were presented with a token of appreciation from the chapter. The Convenors used the moment to exhort other chapter members to step up and lead a run to take over the load next year from “A Volunteer”, who seems to be organising quite a number of runs on our calendar. A special mention was also given to our Regalia Officer, Anne Zattera, for persevering with an onerous task.
Our new members of the year were Dewi and Neil Brewitt, whose work commitments limited their attendance but whose enthusiasm and story and photo contributions were of fine quality and a great addition to the chapter history.
Our MOTY was shared jointly by Rose and Geoff Smith, both of whom have contributed to organising and leading a number of runs, writing stories and adding photos. They have been of great assistance to the Convenors and were unanimously elected as Chapter Convenors for 2023.
A final presentation was made to each of the attendees, a small Christmas “hamper” of lollies and ginger bread.
Presentations over, it was time for one more piece of Rocky Road before packing up and heading for our lunch engagement, this year at “Harvest”, Milton.
Initially our outdoor seating request saw us sitting at tables without umbrellas, a situation which the management tried to correct with only partial success. After the first few courses of our tapas style lunch, another more shaded area became available and we continued our lunch in cooler surroundings. The lunch courses were delivered at a leisurely pace, at our request, allowing plenty of opportunities to mingle at different tables, enjoy a pleasant glass or two and graze on the wonderful food. Sufficient is hardly the word to describe the amount of food ordered with the penultimate course being largely untouched and the ultimate course cancelled. Pleasantly satisfied with food and refreshments, and with the soporific effects taking over, it was time to say our good byes and head for home.
Another great Christmas celebration.
