Page 3 - NLH Newsletter January 2022

Presidents Prior to the Christmas dinner members of the
Branch met at Wallsend Bunnings for the drawing
of the Bunnings BBQ raffle where $585.00 was
Report raised and donated to UCARF. Five $100.00 gift

cards were drawn and the lucky winners were
Welcome to 2022, it has been a rocky journey Jose Stokman, Jennifer Rosewood, John McGrath,
through 2021. Just when we thought we were Joy Doherty and David Brown.
free from the impacts of Covid a new variant has Once again you will notice elsewhere in this
emerged that is more contagious and has been Newsletter we have planned a full calendar of
very actively spread throughout Newcastle. events for January and we are looking forward to
Colleen and I had a close encounter in mid catching up with you at some of these event. On
th
December when a person at our granddaughter’s Australia Day (26 January) we will once again
st
21 birthday party returned a positive test.NSW hold our cricket BBQ at Stockton and the Branch
Health were obviously caught off guard as it took will provide the sausages and salads, all you need

them many days to confirm if we were close or to do is turn up and enjoy the day. We intend to
casual contacts, the good news was that we were do a recon to Stockton in early January to look at
eventually classed as casual contacts but we an appropriate site to hold this event and we will
decided to isolate and have three covid tests, advise when we have settled on the location.
thank goodness all were negative. It is interesting I hope you all had the opportunity to catch up
to see the change in the way that the with your families and friends over the festive
Government is now treating the virus, it seems season and enjoyed a good Christmas dinner and
that they have given up on stopping it and are did not drink too much.
now trying to manage the impacts that it is Keep healthy and safe.
causing.
December has been busy with the Branch holding Mike Abberfield #8158
2 mid-week rides, 1 week-end ride, a Brisans BBQ, Vale Les Paterson #43999
a coffee morning and of course our Christmas It is with great sadness

Dinner meeting. At some events our numbers that we report the
were down but I think this was mainly due to passing of Les Paterson
lingering impacts of Covid. Thanks to the 36 on 15 December 2021.
th
members and guests who attended the Christmas Les has been a member
dinner which once again was a great night where of our Branch since 2006
we were able to “socialize” and wrap-up another when he joined the
year of activity. One of the highlights of the Ulysses Club and aligned
evening was the inaugural Branch Mariners himself to the Newcastle
Award. The committee had decided to initiate a Lower Hunter Branch.
new award for the Branch to recognize the Les and his partner Kerry
contribution of a Non-Ulysses member to the were regular riders with
Branch. The Ulysses Club has a series of awards the Branch and loved the weekend overnight rides,
and medals to acknowledge members of the club many of which he helped to organise. Les not only
for their efforts and work for the Ulysses Club and enjoyed the riding and social side of the Branch but
for the Branch but we felt that there were many became involved on the Committee, first as the
people in the past that had done great work for Branch Treasurer in 2013 and then as Branch
the Branch but could not be acknowledged as President in 2016. Our thoughts are with Kerry and
they were not members of the Club (many of their families and I am sure that many of us will have
these have been partners of members). I had the happy memories of Les and our rides and social

pleasure to award the first Branch Mariner’s activities together.
award to Del Toonen. Rest in Peace Les.
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