Tidings February/March 2021

Using Tech at 92 Nancy Cole chats about her lifetime of usage

BANANAS AND THE BEES Peter Gooch chats about his South

WWII MEMORIES & 100 YEARS OF LIFE STORIES

West crops

with Thomas Hicks

Simple Sausage Rolls Recipe and tips with John Bates

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CEO’S COLUMN | GENERAL NEWS | RESIDENT STORIES

DECEMBER/JANUARY FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 2021

tidings

26 Plantation Dr Bentley WA 6102 Phone: (08) 6250 0000 Fax: (08) 9470 2017 www.swancare.com.au twitter.com/swancare

International Volunteers Day - Page 5

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Tidings Magazine is a bi-monthly publication produced and printed on behalf of the residents at SwanCare.

Material deadline for advertising is the 7th of the month preceding each bi-monthly edition.

Gardens Interest Group - Page 17

Arnold Drok - Page 20

To book advertising or for information regarding rates please contact SwanCare on 6250 0032.

Please supply editorial contributions as a Word document electronically to tidings@swancare.com.au. Hard copies of articles can be handed to reception in the Administration offices at Bentley Park and Australind Rise.

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Any supporting photographs may be supplied electronically or as hard-copy prints.

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MEET THE STAFF

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MEET THE STAFF

Tidings Audio CD A spoken audio CD of Tidings is produced for vision-impaired residents and can be requested by emailing tidings@swancare.com.au Disclaimer In good faith SwanCare accepts articles, a small selection of advertisements, and other content for Tidings. However, the opinions and claims expressed in articles and advertising materials presented in Tidings are those of the authors and the advertisers respectively, and do not necessarily reflect the views of SwanCare, unless stated. No responsibility is accepted by SwanCare for the accuracy of information contained in the articles or advertisements.

Cover image: SwanCare Bentley Park resident Nancy Cole.

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SWANCARE NEWS CEO column and news from SwanCare

Meet Preetha Thamilaraser, Coordinator Quality & Compliance

Meet Duska Bodegrajac, Clinical Operations Manager

VILLAGE NEWS Club & Group updates

RESIDENT STORY Thomas Hicks

Villagers of the Year - Page 18

Pa’s Famous Sausage Rolls - Page 25

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Out and About - Page 26

RESIDENT STORY Nancy Cole

GARDENS INTEREST GROUP Indoor plants and tips for summer outdoor gardening

VALUABLE VOLUNTEERS Bruce and Dianne May

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PASSIONS & PASTIMES

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AUSTRALIND SNIPPETS

Arnold Drok: Kayaking

Peter Gooch on all things bananas and bees

Meet the staff - Page 8

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PUZZLE

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PENNY'S BOOK REVIEW

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LEGENDARY RECIPES

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Challenge yourself with some problem solving

‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens & new books in the Library

Pa’s Famous Sausage Rolls with John Bates

OUT & ABOUT Photos from across the Village

WHATS'S ON Events happening in the local area

Tidings Magazine

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SwanCare News

CEO'S Column We have well and truly said farewell to 2020 – a year that will always be remembered, but unfortunately not for good reasons.

Now we focus on the year ahead! 2021 is a year that we face with renewed optimism, but still tinged with a number of unique challenges.

This year we will continue our vigilance and focus on our infection control processes, the controlled access to the residential care facilities, and the roll-out and management of the COVID vaccine process. We also recognise the challenges of the impending release of the Aged Care Royal Commission and the impact that this will have upon the sector. We believe we are ready to face these challenges together as a team.

Now to the enjoyable side of 2021. Residents in our Bentley Park retirement village will be thrilled to hear several events and new happenings will be coming soon, such as: • Our onsite restaurant at Akora Apartments will be re-opening and expanding their service to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner to residents and the broader community; • New exercise classes for residents will begin at the Leisure Precinct such as water aerobics and facilitated gym sessions. The Leisure Precinct gym is now open to staff, creating more opportunities for team members and residents to connect;

• The village will host a number of local events, creating more opportunities for residents to connect with members of the Victoria Park community.

This year is also an incredible milestone for SwanCare, celebrating 60 years of operation!

We are releasing a book in July to commemorate this milestone. This book will take you on a journey reflecting on the past 60 years, speaking with people involved in SwanCare past and present. We are thrilled to be able to share these stories with you all very soon!

I'll leave you with a quote by Nicholas M. Butler to carry on your 2021 journey‌ “Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progressâ€?.

Wishing you all the best for 2021. See you around the village!

Graham Francis SwanCare CEO

Do you have a story to tell?

To celebrate SwanCare 60th anniversary, the production of a commemorative book is underway.

Do you have an interesting

• Themed nights will be coming to the Leisure story about SwanCare to tell?

Precinct, including meals and entertainment Write to news@swancare.com.au or leave a from all corners of the globe. We will be welcoming residents’ family and friends as a note addressed to the SwanCare Marketing way to boost our sense of community within Team at Administration or call 6250 0000. the village too;

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International Volunteers Day

SwanCare staff serving international cuisine

A lot of fun was had at our International Volunteers Day celebration for the 2020 SwanCare Volunteers. The theme this year was 'volunteers make a world of difference' with guests having to bring their SwanCare issued passport to attend, and dress in their traditional dress or their favourite holiday destination attire.

The event catering company, Amor Paella, treated us to an amazing entree of tapas, paella for main course, and then churros for dessert.

We were entertained with a myriad of stars including:

Patio Day a Success!

Celebrating Patio Day at The Club

On Saturday, 5th December, the Cancer Council’s National Patio Day was held on the balcony of The Club – our huge patio of which we are very proud. A selection of coffees from the machine and a choice of six different cakes were on offer to the 60+ people who attended and donated. Many thanks to Line Dancing and the Friday Night Flicks for their very generous donations too.

Donations totalling $950 were sent on to the Cancer Council.

Bruce & Dianne May

• Preetha Thamilaraser (SwanCare Coordinator Quality and Compliance) who performed a Bollywood dance from India

Special thank you Bruce & Dianne for coordinating this event for their fellow residents. A great cause to raise money for!

• Filipino Australian Health Workers Association INC. Perth WA who did a traditional dance from the Phillipines

Containers for Change

• Candela Latino Band, with band member Hans who works at SwanCare Waminda, singing in English, Spanish, and French.

Special mention to our winners of the ‘Villager of the Year’ award Chris Simms and Bruce and Dianne May. Also well done to our best dressed on the day Beth Tas and Stan Barclay.

Congratulations to you all and thank you again for all that you do!

Our first couple of donations have come through for $216.70! This means that 2,167 containers were returned and made up of 1,344 aluminium cans, 308 glass bottles, 24 liquid paperboard, and 491 plastic containers.

The money raised through this effort is currently contributing to additional solar lighting along Le Breton Lane.

Congratulations to all who used the Containers for Change bins. Keep up the great work!

Tidings Magazine

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SwanCare News 2020 Staff Feathers Awards SwanCare recently hosted the Annual Feathers Awards event to celebrate our Feathers winner, runner-up and shortlist. Our 'Feathers' program helps us celebrate the everyday actions of our wonderful team members. By nominating someone, we’re putting a feather in their cap to remind staff members that we appreciate their efforts.

We’re incredibly excited to announce our Employee of the Year for 2020: Repeka (Bex) Kirianu, one of our outstanding Enrolled Nurses!

This year, Bex has taken out the ultimate Feathers title for her incredible compassion.

As the winning nomination read: "One of our residents used to go dancing and have dinner with her friends. Due to her condition, she’s unable to go out as often. On her day off, Bex took time out of her day to take the resident for lunch - and this isn’t the first time Bex has done something like that. Bex has so much love for our residents that she does things out of compassion without expecting anything in return. Thank you, Bex, for being so kind, caring and compassionate towards our residents."

Our runner-up was also recognised for his outstanding compassion. Congratulations Jason

SwanCare CEO Graham Francis with Employee of the Year Bex Kirianu

Carpenter, one of our Community Assistants!

This nomination touched our hearts: "Having Jason assist me caring for my husband is a great relief. He’s such a caring and lovely person and has a great deal of patience. My husband’s not a great talker - so having a conversation with him isn’t easy. Jason is able to draw my husband out and engage him. Jason is always looking out for my husband and ensuring his safety. They’ve formed a beautiful connection - which puts me at ease as my husband is in good hands. Thank you, Jason, for keeping my husband company and being your energetic self.”

Congratulations to Bex, Jason and all our wonderful Feathers nominees in 2020. Your efforts bring joy and happiness to the SwanCare community in more ways than you know.

SwanCare Ningana Open for Six Months SwanCare Ningana has celebrated another milestone - 6 months of being open for business! Some of the team got together bringing traditional foods from all over the world to share.

"The vision that we had on the plan became a reality when we opened, and I can see that the concept and design is really working!" said Arnel Braulio, Clinical Nurse Manager (SwanCare Ningana).

"The past 6 months was a challenge for us, especially with the pandemic, but I’m very happy seeing the number of new residents and 6 SwanCare

staff continually growing... our residents have settled in well and are very happy with the care that the staff have provided," said Arnel.

Thank you to the SwanCare Ningana team for the past 6 months, here's to many more!

New Resident Afternoon Tea The new resident’s afternoon tea included great food, great conversation and a chance to meet new people! Natalie Hodi (GM Community Living) and Ellen Clair (Chair of the Village Residents Advisory Council - VRAC) spoke about village life and what residents can get involved in. It was so lovely seeing all the new residents mingle.

Ellen Clair welcoming new residents to the village

Balance Park SwanCare Bentley Balance Park is now complete! The shade sails and instruction sign have been installed, just in time to help you keep up your fitness and balance for the summer season. Located between SwanCare Waminda and the Leisure precinct, why not make the most of the beautiful weather ahead!

If you’re new to the village, make sure you keep an eye out for our next event!

Meet the Staff Meet Preetha Thamilaraser Born in Singapore, Preetha grew up with an attuned ability to connect with people. Her caring nature evolved into a passion to work in clinical healthcare. In 2010, Preetha set off for Australia to pursue this dream. Three years later, she had graduated from Edith Cowan University as a Registered Nurse, before going on to complete her Masters and becoming a Clinical Nurse.

In April 2020, Preetha joined us as SwanCare’s Coordinator Quality and Compliance - as the reality of the pandemic had well and truly dawned. She immediately began working closely with the Clinical Operations Manager, Duska Bodegrajac, to establish, manage and monitor a strict COVID-19 infection control plan across all our facilities and our village. In addition to her expertise in this space, SwanCare residents have relied on Preetha’s support in her capacity as a Mental Health Nurse to find the strength and resilience to face the unique obstacles of 2020.

Wearing another hat yet again, Preetha is also a Behaviour Support Specialist under the NDIS, working closely with residents to ensure they receive the best quality care under the scheme.

“I love how my role enables me to work across all facilities - I’m able to get to know all of our residents. Managing COVID-19 has been challenging - but it’s bonded us together as a team and a community. People have been looking after one another more than ever.”

And although she’s been with us less than a year, Preetha has already made a huge impact to SwanCare - both in her role as a Clinical Nurse and as a member of our community. Staff and residents alike know her for her Bollywood dancing at our Aged Care Employee Day and International Volunteers Day function. Her performances have brought fun and joy to our corridors in a celebration of life, music and the bursting colours of the Bollywood spirit.

We’re so thankful to work alongside you Preetha - your outstanding clinical skills, combined with your compassionate and vibrant spirit are an asset to our community.

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Preetha with SwanCare Board Member Rob Wilton at the Volunteers Day function

Meet Duska Bodegrajac Re-joining the SwanCare ranks in February 2020 as Clinical Operations Manager, Duska has been instrumental in bolstering and coordinating our COVID-19 response plan, working closely alongside Coordinator Quality and Compliance, Preetha Thamilaraser.

In the last year alone, Duska has: • Educated staff on infection prevention and control • Participated in COVID-19 research • Formulated the COVID-19 Policy and Procedure and the SwanCare Pandemic Outbreak Operational Management Plan for COVID-19 • Established our COVID-19 Emergency Response Team • Overseen the management of PPE and cleaning supplies It’s fair to say Duska has had a busy twelve months with us so far.

With the onset of COVID-19, Duska immediately enrolled in courses on Infection Control and joined the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC).

Enhancing her knowledge, she has been able to educate staff on infection prevention/control and enhance clinical practice.

And while it’s been a rollercoaster of a year with us, this isn’t Duska’s first time working at SwanCare. In fact, Duska first joined us in 2001 as a Physiotherapist Assistant. Fleeing the ruins of war of her home country, Croatia, Duska had migrated to Australia. From there, she completed her Nursing degree, while working with us as a Physiotherapist Assistant, and then a Registered Nurse. She further pursued her education and completed a Masters of Business Leadership. After nearly a decade with us, Duska left SwanCare to join a large Aged Care provider where she earned the role of Director of Care Documentation and Advanced Clinical

Practice across a number of facilities in WA and NSW. After years of local work and inter-state travel, Duska was ready to return to SwanCare.

“I was here for almost a decade, went away for a decade and then I came back! I love SwanCare’s mission, vision and values. I have a strong passion for the highest quality care people need and deserve - and implementing the systems and processes in place to provide this.

Nurturing staff growth and development is also key in accomplishing that.”

Looking ahead to 2021, Duska says that her primary focus is the health and safety of our residents/staff and mentoring team members to realise their full potential.

“Good leadership requires the highest level of contemporary clinical knowledge, integrity, honesty, transparency and authenticity. It requires you to lead by example. It’s about implementing change thoroughly and creating a performance-based culture where people strive to bring their best.”

Thank you, Duska, for your dedication to our staff, residents and community in everything you do.

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Village News Fish N Chips on Stratton Happy New Year!

Everyone enjoyed our Christmas Luncheon/ Concert. Our Entertainers “Perfect Storm” had us all rocking in our seats.

The first Luncheon for 2021 will be held on Friday 5th of February celebrating Valentine’s Day. The entertainer will be Paul Robinson.

March Luncheon will be on Friday 5th March celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The entertainer will be the delightful Patrick O’Hooligan.

Due to limited seating, bookings can be made by contacting Lesley on 6250 0590. If call is not answered, please leave a message and your call will be returned.

Care Centres Auxiliary The Auxiliary meetings resume in the Auditorium on Tuesday 23rd February at 1:30pm and continue on the 4th Tuesday of each month. We have a guest speaker each month and follow up with afternoon tea for a gold coin donation.

Swan Village Bowling Club Welcome to 2021 and may you all have a very happy and healthy year. Our very active committee have already set up the 2021 social year with a sausage sizzle for members, organised for Wednesday 24th February before our usual Wednesday night bowls.

Check the noticeboard at the Pavilion for details and to register for catering purposes.

Our next outing is to the Herdsman Hotel for lunch on Thursday the 25th March.

Details of this outing will be displayed on the noticeboard late February. Names for the lunch will close after bowls on Saturday 20th March.

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New members are always welcome - annual membership is $5. Please put in an envelope with your name and address on the front.

Visitors are welcome on payment of $2 per meeting.

Any enquiries please ring Leslie Foster on 6250 0590.

Our first gala day for this year will be the Murray Ranyard Shield to be held on March 20th. This is anticipated to be a night game followed by a light supper. Nomination forms and details will be posted on the noticeboard mid-February with nominations closing on Monday the 15th March after bowls. It has been two years since our last gala day, during which time we have welcomed many new members who are encouraged to nominate for their first club trophy.

All village residents are most welcome to come and try their hand at bowls on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 6.00pm.

Jim Leavy, President

Line Dancing We don't just dance!

Yes, we have great fun at line dancing and enjoy dancing, but I am very proud that we also raise funds for a variety of charities.

The line dancing class is free, but we ask for a $1 donation (some kind, generous people pay more) from everyone to cover morning tea and other expenses. This also covers birthday cakes each month and our great Christmas lunch, but we still make a "profit" and from that we make donations. This year we donated $150 to Foodbank (this resulted in also making food donations which then branched out to include the whole village. Thanks to all of you we donated over 240kg of food).

Village Residents Advisory Council A Happy New Year to all our fellow residents.

The Council has continued to develop the program of speakers for the Coffee Morning meetings and the additional longer talk sessions which we hope will be on Thursdays.

As per usual, we hope to have Graham come to talk to us each quarter, and we will have a mixture of speakers from within SwanCare and from external organisations. We will aim to have the topic for each month advertised in the 'What’s On' guide.

Additionally, we are hoping to work with Curtin University to conduct some focus groups and a survey of residents’ needs, interests and ideas. We will let you know how that develops as soon as our discussions resume at the start of the academic year.

Despite having to close down during the Covid lockdown, we still raised funds to donate to the Heart Foundation, Care Centres Auxiliary, Telethon and Bruce and Dianne's cancer fundraiser - $600 altogether.

Our donations over the years have included Bush Fire and Drought Appeals, Children's Christmas Boxes, Biggest Morning Tea and we always donate to Telethon and the Heart Foundation. We don't forget village donations and regularly donate to the Auxiliary and have donated to the Garden Club and the Choir. In the 7 years Line Dancing has been going, we have donated well over $4,000 - not bad for a ‘sideline’.

Next time you see us dancing and having fun, remember we also have a more serious side.

Upcoming: Quiz Night A reminder for your calendar for an upcoming Quiz Night on Saturday 27th March 2021 at 7pm in the Auditorium, with quizmaster Pat Wadsworth.

As it is SwanCare’s 60th Anniversary year, an anonymous prize of $600 has been generously donated for the winning table. You have to be in it to win it!

This will be the only quiz for residents in 2021. A flyer will be distributed approximately three weeks prior to the event informing you of more details and outlining when tickets will be sold.

Don't miss out on a good night. All residents welcome!

So, we hope that you will find the talks program interesting and informative.

Ellen Clair, Chairperson

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Resident Story

A Century Worth of Memories In 1921, Thomas Henwood Hicks was born into the Hicks family on his father’s farm, called 'Trevilgus' in St. Issey, Cornwall in the UK. Thomas’ full name was passed down from his father and grandfather when the Hicks and Henwood families came together as one.

Thomas was a well-behaved young boy and seemed to be fascinated with planes from a young age.

“When I was 6 years old, in our local town we had a WWI pilot with a WWI aircraft taking people for trips. I drove my mother mad until I was 6 so I could ride in this plane,” said Thomas. “…I [eventually] had my flight! The thing I remember about this flight was that my cockpit didn’t have a floor and I could look out and see the ground underneath!”

Thomas’s parents were determined not to raise a spoilt child, starting Thomas at boarding school only 25 miles away from the family home.

At boarding school, he met one of his best friends Percy, who would change his life – more on that later! After graduating school Thomas persuaded Percy to follow him to university.

“We went to Liverpool University, School of Architecture… we stayed there and then the war started. That was it, we had to sever our university training to join the forces,” said Thomas.

With a love of flying Thomas joined the British Air Force and started training to become an operations pilot.

“Before I was posted to my Air Force job, I met an Australian in England at our assembly point who didn’t drink beer. And because of that we sat in the corner and drank gin and tonic while the rest of the mess drank beer!

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Thomas looks back at his incredible life

“Nick and I got on very well… he taught me all the most wonderful evasive tactics to avoid being shot down by German night fighters, and that was one of my lucky breaks in life - meeting Nick... If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I would be 100 today!”

Thomas spent five years in the Air Force, with his most memorable deployment being a pilot for operations cutting off supplies to the German Army in North Africa.

“I belonged to the night torpedo squadron and our crew was responsible for finding the German ships at night with radar equipment… and when we found them we threw 6 flares behind the enemy target, so that the people in the torpedo aircraft could drop the torpedos and we were very successful!

“It took 3 months, but eventually the German commander reported to Hitler, that he was withdrawing German troops from North Africa because of supply problems. We served

a purpose and got the job done; they had been causing a lot of trouble there!”

Thomas’s best friend from school unfortunately did not make it back from his stint in the Army, but still managed to change Thomas’s life forever.

“I had an airletter from my great friends’ sister, to say that her mother and father were very stressed because they normally had a letter from their son once a week. However, they hadn’t had a letter for 5 weeks. She was anxious to know if I received any information from him in the last 5 weeks. Well I hadn’t, but only 4 or 5 days passed and I had another letter from her to inform me that her brother had in fact been killed in Burma,” said Thomas.

A young Thomas with his mother

“By this time my friend’s sister had become a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force… when I came back from the east, I decided I should go and offer my condolences to his sister.

I diverted my route home through London where I went to the address that I had on the envelope to express my condolences.”

Amazingly, when they met sparks flew for them both! Within days they were inseparable.

“I don’t know why but we fell together quite quickly, almost instantaneously, as we were able to communicate well… It wasn’t more than 6 months between courtship and getting married,” said Thomas.

After the Americans dropped the Hiroshima atomic bomb his job in the air force ended.

Thomas resumed his university degree in the UK and completed his Architecture course.

One of the highlights of his life was having two sons and two daughters with his beloved wife, Joan, whilst still living in the UK. “I’ve had some great happy moments in my life – my children have always been wonderful and are still wonderful,” said Thomas.

Thomas was a very ambitious person, working his way up to starting his own Architecture

Thomas in the British Air Force

practise in the 1950’s. Eventually England went into a financial crisis, so he thought they’d go to ‘the land of milk and honey’ – Australia.

Finding a job that wanted to pay for relocation to Australia, Joan and Thomas made their way to Australia on the 23rd of December 1971.

Arriving only to find Australia were also in a financial crisis and the company for the job he was to start went bankrupt.

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Resident Story On Christmas Eve they met a very influential character at their local church.

“One of my lucky breaks in life was on Christmas Eve after we arrived in Australia, we decided that we should go to church... When we came out after the service, we were on the road looking in all directions as we weren’t quite sure which way we had to go to get back to our unit and we were approached by a gentleman who offered to help us. The gentleman in question was Richard Cleaver!”

“A good diet is the most important thing and of course having parents who have a long life.

Don’t throw your life away, like doing drugs, things that can destroy your life. Try to find the right people to be friends with to carry you through a particular period.”

Thank you so much for having a chat with us, Thomas!

Here’s to many more healthy and happy years to come.

“One of my big joys was meeting Richard Cleaver… and we became very good friends. He helped me a lot and I was always very pleased to return the help to him and his wife, Mavis.” Said Thomas.

Thomas was quite the influential character himself managing to find a job at the City of Canning and meeting many nice people along the way. When the economy picked up again, he found himself working back in Architecture before retiring at 65.

In retirement, Joan and Thomas decided to build their own house in Boya – a suburb in the Perth hills.

“It was a good experience and we lived there very happily for about 25 years,” said Thomas.

Unfortunately, Joan developed Dementia and the choice was made to move to SwanCare.

When Joan’s condition got worse, she moved and later passed at SwanCare Kingia, while Thomas stayed in the retirement living unit where he still resides today.

These days Thomas fills his time with reading books about his insomnia and using technology to speak to his kids (2 in the UK, 1 in Sydney, and 1 in Mt Barker, WA), 10 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

In terms of life advice and the secret to healthy ageing from the past 100 years of experiences, Thomas wasn’t sure what he had to share but we teased out four main things.

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Thomas dancing at his 100th birthday celebration

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Resident Story

Nancy embraces technology “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

– Abraham Lincoln At 92 years, SwanCare resident Nancy Cole is the epitome of ‘young at heart’, denying age as a reason not to live life to the fullest.

Armed with an iPhone and iPad, Nancy loves how technology keeps her connected. She encourages others to get with the times and embrace the future too!

“I suppose I’ve always been interested in technology”, explained Nancy.

“My husband never liked mobile phones and didn’t have one. I like mobile phones though, they never worried me. I have a few apps currently on my phone, like the SafeWA app and MyGov etc. Plus, I keep lots of books on there, which is handy when I travel.”

And Nancy’s family are keen to support her.

“My family have always kept me up to date” said Nancy. “They give me the hand me downs phones and the like! I’m naturally very good at learning, it’s because I enjoy it. I encourage my friends at SwanCare to get used to it. Especially at the moment with COVID-19 tracing, when you have to scan yourself into places. They’re all signing in with pen and paper, while I’m on my app!”

Nancy believes technology is not something to be afraid of. “I have a friend outside of the village and it’s so sad to see her not embrace technology. She’s a little younger and when we do anything, she asks me to do it, she doesn’t push herself to overcome these things. I have to be the organiser and doer; technology makes this easier.”

So, what’s on the wish list for Nancy and her gadgets?

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Nancy with her trusty iPad

“I’ve probably got all I need,” pondered Nancy.

“Although saying that I’d love one of those smart watches with everything on it. I have a friend who got one for Christmas, she even gets emails through on it. I keep thinking I could use one of those, but then I might not be here next year so what’s the point?!” That is surely the reason to get one Nancy!

SwanCare encourages and provides independent living, which is what residents like Nancy strive for. “Technology makes me more independent,” says Nancy. “I can do most things myself, without even leaving the house or relying on other people.”

Thank you for inspiring others Nancy, and we really hope you get your smartwatch for your next birthday!

Gardens Interest Group

Indoor plants As the summer heat continues right through February and March, why not keep out of the sun and add a cool look to your home by growing house plants.

Foliage plants like Aspidistra (a real cast iron plant almost impossible to kill), Dieffenbacia, Aglaonema, Spathiphyllum (Peace lily) and Syngonium can handle low light conditions and will filter the air.

Xanthosoma

Colour can be introduced with Crotons or flowering plants like Gloxinia and Cyclamen.

Keep plants moist but don’t overwater as it encourages fungus gnats. Most plant loss is from over watering – remember to only water when the top 1cm becomes dry. If you want to go the extra mile, a light spray of water on and under the leaves will refresh plants and deter spider mite.

Cacti and succulents also make excellent water wise feature plants.

Syngonium

If you want to venture outside, it’s time to check Roses for aphids, powdery mildew or black spot and spray with rose spray in the cool of the day.

Remember to remove summer annuals as they finish flowering. You can also add soil wetter to garden beds, compost and only lightly fertilise where needed while the weather is still hot.

For those with vegetables, March is time to plant lettuce, broad beans, broccoli, onions, spinach, radishes and turnip.

Cyclamen

Gloxinia

Tillandsia

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Valuable Volunteers

Bruce and Dianne May Every year, SwanCare holds a volunteer’s awards lunch where ‘Villagers of the Year’ are recognised for their dedication and service to volunteer work within the community.

The 2020 winners included residents Bruce and Dianne.

The couple are well known within the village for their varied and extensive list of volunteering roles.

One major initiative instigated by the couple was a COVID treasure hunt!

Throughout the 2020 lockdown, Bruce and Dianne facilitated a four-week treasure hunt, where villagers were invited to ‘hunt’ for various items placed throughout the village, with new challenges every week. Examples of ’treasure’ included a teddy bear in a window, or a specific statue in a garden. The idea was to encourage residents to step outside their homes, get some exercise and socialise (at a distance) with neighbours.

The initiative brought the community together through a tough and testing time, where the vulnerable were isolated and risked suffering from loneliness. Bruce and Dianne received some extremely positive feedback through their desire to bring the village together.

“Most people really enjoyed it, a couple told us that they hadn’t left their home until they received the leaflet through the door inviting them to take part in the challenge,” said Dianne.

“It brought people together, talking on the streets. We even found that we chatted to people we hadn’t met before. And for some it was an

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Villagers of the Year 2021: Dianne & Bruce May

adventure, people told us that they walked through streets that they didn’t even know were there. It was lovely to hear people enjoying the treasure hunt”.

It is an innovative and creative idea, and we wondered what inspired the couple to do it…”We made it up!” laughed Dianne. “We just talked about it and thought we’d give it a go”.

For Bruce and Dianne, volunteering is not just something they started when they retired. They have volunteered considerably throughout their lives, it was even though volunteering that they came to meet one another!

The list of jobs they have undertaken within SwanCare (and outside) is substantial, some examples of the great work include: • Running the village movie night once a month • Driving the SwanMobile • Organising the Patio Day (raising money for the Cancer Council charity) • Digitising books in the VisAbility library • Partnering and helping medical students and PHD students at Curtin University • Working in the Save the Children Op shop • Setting up a ‘Meals on Wheels’ program • Working to help settle asylum seekers • Knitting teddy bears for the ‘Wheelchairs for Kids’ charity (Wheelchairs are made in WA and sent to those that need them around the world, complete with a blanket and teddy – Dianne is currently knitting her 210th teddy bear!)

• Fundraising for the Guide Dogs plus raising and training future assistance dogs • Working at Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Lesmurdie

with the rejected being recycled at a recycling plant (watch this space!). They also intend on running another Patio Day and aim to beat the $950 raised at last year’s event!

It takes a certain kind of person to dedicate so much of their life to helping others, and for volunteers like Bruce and Dianne, they have an inner drive that pushes them to continue looking for ways to contribute to society.

“We live by a mantra, it’s a line from a hymn,” explains Dianne.

“We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.”

“We won’t ever stop helping others,” said Dianne. “Life would be boring if we didn’t anyway! Volunteering creates opportunities and spaces for people to come together and helps build a community”.

Thank you, Bruce and Dianne, for all that you do, very deserved winners of the ‘Villager of the Year’ award!

Make sure you keep an eye out for next edition of Tidings when we chat to our other Villager of the Year winner, Christopher Simms.

• Coordinating a low cost food centre, managing 40 volunteers If you assumed Bruce and Dianne had enough going on in their lives, then think again…

Bruce is currently negotiating a way of creating a recycling centre at SwanCare!

The idea is that residents can drop off unwanted items that may be of use to others,

Preparing snack packs for the popular SwanCare Friday Night Flicks

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Passions & Pastimes

On the water with Arnold Drok When a hobby spans 33 years, I think it’s safe to call it a passion! For SwanCare resident Arnold Drok, kayaking has been his sport of choice in the later years of his life, although his love of water sports did not begin with a paddle…!

While studying at Christ Church Grammar School, Arnold and his rowing friends won the prestigious title ‘Head of the River’, the oldest continuous schoolboy rowing event in the world. He continued to row throughout university, and it became a major part of his life. The sport enabled Arnold to travel interstate, including competing in the Kings Cup in Sydney! In addition to this, he also conquered the surf while a member of a surf life-saving boat crew while living in Victoria – wave or no wave it seems Arnold can conquer any conditions he’s faced with!

“Rowing was my serious sport” explained Arnold. “As a student, I rowed in a team of eight in a WA state crew. I would train twice a day, seven days a week”.

It wasn’t until Arnold was in his late 40’s that he hung up the competitive oars and swapped an oar for a paddle! As well as hitting the water himself, he taught beginners for 30 years - he was coaching right up until Christmas 2020!

Now he prefers to just paddle for his own physical and mental wellbeing, and fun.

Arnold loves to start each day with a paddle on the water

“Most were reasonable paddlers for beginners.

It’s a social lifestyle, I’d go out for a paddle in the morning and catch-up with old mates, then go for coffee at Ascot Kayak Club afterwards,” said Arnold. “It’s the biggest club in Australia, with 600-800 members. A lot of members did my beginners class so a lot of people know me, people pass me when they’re paddling past and say hi, it’s lovely but I’ve taught so many I don’t always remember who they are!”

“It keeps me off the street!” laughed Arnold.

“But really, you have to be an idiot! Who gets up at 5am to exercise?! I’ve always been very active, but I’m not too fit now at 79 years (we’re sure he is!) “I love starting the day on the water, it means no one can stuff up your day as you've already been out, exercised and feel good for it.” I also enjoy running, I’ve been a member of WA marathon club for years and have run a lot of marathons. I haven’t run distance since I was 70 though. I now do a lot of walking, I walk with Peter Cliff a lot. We used to run together, I’d guide him (he’s blind). Every lunchtime at work I’d pick him up and we’d run to university and back”.

What drives Arnold? What kind of person hits the water every morning at sunrise?

Arnold has a loving and understanding wife who he says “tolerates” his various hobbies!

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“My wife has tolerated me for 52 years now”, laughs Arnold. “She got upset one year as she saw me training in the water and also running a lot. She said ‘What are you training for now?’ It was about three weeks before the Avon descent which I wanted to have a go at. Plus, there was a marathon in a week’s time. She put her foot down and said that I had to choose! So, I chose to paddle and completed my first Avon Descent (at age 50) …. she puts up with me! She doesn’t kayak but she does go to line dancing. She quilts as well – that’s her exercise!”

WA state crew training for 1963 King's Cup (Arnold fourth from right)

Arnold is incredibly humble and it was only after talking to him for a while that we discovered just how much he had accomplished throughout his sporting life.

“I won the senior state championship in a team of eight and four in 1963/1964,” reminisces Arnold. “And a favourite memory was back in my 40’s when I broke a 45+ state record at the time, so I guess I’m a bit better than mediocre! I won heaps of medals for all sorts of things. I have a cupboard full although I’ve given a lot away to the grandkids.

They like having little competitions – at birthday parties usually. I’ll give them a City 2 Surf or marathon medal or something to play with.”

Arnold may be out of the competition these days, but he certainly doesn’t plan on slowing down too much, and you may well find him working out at the exercise facilities at SwanCare.

“I go to the gym here, it’s fantastic. It’s one of the reasons I’ve loved living here the last four

Arnold competing in the Avon Descent

years. My wife and I often say to each other ‘Aren’t we lucky to be here!’

“People see me training, and they ask me what I’m training for. I haven't raced for eight years now, I just train to stay alive! It’s for fun, and I don’t plan on stopping while I can keep going!”

What incredible achievements, Arnold!

Thank you for sharing your passion with us.

Do you have a hobby worth sharing too?

Contact the Marketing Team via phone on 6250 0000 or email: tidings@swancare.com.au

Tidings Magazine

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Australind Snippets

Fruit Success and Bee Troubles at Australind Rise Our resident beekeeper and vegie patch extraordinaire, Peter Gooch, is at it again! With the latest crop being filled with bunches of bananas and paw paw galore – who knew they could be grown in the south west!

Bananas are typically grown in northern WA, such as Carnarvon. But why is this one doing so well in the south west? Well, it must be Peter’s green thumbs!

Bringing a banana palm ‘pup’ from his previous property, Peter planted it in the village garden with precision. Imperative to survival was the ability to give the tree wind protection and regular cow manure, sulphate of potash and water.

The bananas, paw paws, and other vegies are producing so well that Peter regularly runs out of fridge/freezer space.

“Sandra [Peter’s wife] keeps telling me not to bring so much into the kitchen as we are running out of fridge and freezer space.

However, she enjoys the fresh vegies and the taste is so much better than vegies you get at the shops,” said Peter.

It is clear that Peter is a very kind soul, his love for growing vegies provides him with such satisfaction when the plants grow well and he is able to share.

“It is a hobby which I am very passionate about.

I can’t see the sense in growing just half a dozen of each plant. So I plant a whole row of each crop and pass them around to anyone in the village... It gives me great satisfaction to hand them around to those that can put them to good use,” said Peter.

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Peter tending to his beehive

Unfortunately, Peter’s bees have been playing up lately. Peter recently witnessed the bees in the hundreds fighting on the ground.

“Last week a swarm of bees from another hive tried to take over our hive, however the guard bees fought them off. We often get the odd rogue bee, but they are quickly dispensed with.

This time it was something I have never seen or heard of before.” said Peter.

The bees are also not producing honey which has left beekeepers all over Western Australia scratching their heads.

“We have not had any honey for about three months. They are bringing in loads of pollen into the hive but not making any honey,” said Peter.

Wow! We have our fingers and toes crossed that the bees go back to producing honey in the near future.

Thanks for speaking with us, Peter!

Puzzle

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Library News Book Review

New Year, New Books

‘Where The Crawdads Sing’

by Delia Owens

Here is a list of the new books now in the

While this book is the first fiction novel written by Delia Owens, she is the co-author of three internationally best-selling non-fiction books about her life as a wild-life scientist in Africa.

She currently lives in Idaho, where she continues her support for the people and wildlife of Zambia.

The book ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ tells of the years when rumours of the ‘Marsh Girl’ has haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So, in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. She is sensitive and intelligent and has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand.

library to loan: 1. A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles 2. Boy Swallows Universe – Trent Dalton 3. Weatherboard and Iron – Barnaby Joyce 4. Like Father, Like Son – Michael Parkinson 5. The Altar Boys – Suzanne Smith 6. The French Photographer – Natasha Lester 7. Me Before You – Jojo Moyes 8. Lioness: The Extraordinary Untold Story of Sue Brierley – Sue Brierley 9. The Hunted – Gabriel Bergmoser 10. The Woman in the Green Dress – Tea Cooper 11. The Strangers We Know – Pip Drysdale 12. How to Be Second Best – Jessica Dettmann

As time passes the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life until the unthinkable happens.

13. Mary’s Last Dance: The Untold Story of the

This is a book that does switch between the years, but it is easy to follow and the biology of the life happenings in the marsh is educational and entertaining. The mystery is intriguing, and I have found it a page turner.

15. The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah

Penny Felder SwanCare Bentley Park Librarian

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Wife of Mao’s Last Dancer – Mary Li 14. Happiest Man on Earth – Eddie Jaku

16. A Room Made of Leaves – Kate Grenville 17. The Paris Seamstress – Natasha Lester 18. Still Me – Jojo Moyes 19. Neighbours – Danielle Steel

Legendary Recipes

Pa’s Famous Sausage Rolls

by John Bates

Ingredients Thank you to SwanCare Resident, John Bates, for the recipe and the story behind it.

• • • • • •

2 sheets of Pampas puff pastry 2 tbsp plain flour 500g sausage mince* 1 large egg 2 tsp water Spray oil for oven tray

Method

“I enjoy cooking! I started making these in the 80’s for one of the grandkids birthdays.

They were such a hit that I’ve been asked to bring them for every birthday since – kids, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren.

Our youngest daughter, Vikki, lived in Gingin with her husband and kids. Vikki’s son had quite a lovely group of kids around the same age, there must have been about 14 of them.

Vikki was concerned how to cater for them all, so I said I would make some sausage rolls and she was very thankful for the gesture. When I got there, they had hardly hit the table and they were all gone!

After that one of the women who came to the next party asked if there was going to be some of ‘Pa’s Famous Sausage Rolls’ and that’s how it started, and I’ve been bringing them ever since.

Strangely I like them cold, not hot! So don’t worry if you have a few left over. Enjoy!” *Must be high-quality mince. John uses P.Princi sausage mince from IGA Waterford.

Makes 32 bite-sized pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius and spray oven tray with oil 2. Cut mince into four even blocks 3. Spread plain flour over chopping board 4. Roll out mince to the width of the pastry with thickness of around 2cm round 5. Crack egg in bowl and mix in water 6. Lay a sheet of pastry on clean chopping board and cut sheet in half horizontally 7. Lay pre-rolled long mince sausage on pastry and roll up pastry to enclose filling, just before roll is finished brush egg mixture to seal pastry together 8. Score sausage roll at ¼, ½, ¾ point to ensure even slicing of rolls, now slice into 8 pieces and place on oven tray 9. Repeat for all 3 other half sheets of pastry 10. Once all placed on oven tray, brush tops of sausage rolls with egg mixture 11. Put sausage rolls in oven and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until golden brown 12. Once cooked place on wire rack to avoid sausage rolls ‘sweating’ 13. Serve with tomato sauce

Do you have a recipe and story to share?

We’d love to hear from you!

Email tidings@swancare.com.au or drop off to SwanCare administration - thank you.

Tidings Magazine

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Out & About

Millsteam Mob catching up before Christmas

Fun at the Volunteers Function

Snooker Group enjoying some laughs

Paella at the Volunteers Function

Friends enjoying Patio Day Fundraiser

Line Dancing Christmas wrap up event

Friends enjoying a game at the Leisure Precinct

What’s On: Local Area Urban Art Gallery: Trevor Richards

LiveLighter Twilight Trio - Jazz in the Park

Urban Art Gallery showcases Trevor Richards in collaboration with Art Collective WA, taking over Cathedral Square on 6 February.

Join The Milford Street Shakers for an evening of jazz tunes and jive along again with Perth Swing Dance Academy. They'll not only be performing, but also providing a mini swing dance lesson!

Trevor Richards presents a body of work that showcases the full breadth of his practice.

Encompassing a singular colour palette and all created within the unusual confines of 2020. Paintings and 3D forms in the gallery are complemented by architectural interventions outside in the Urban Art Gallery of Cathedral Square.

The uncertainty and isolation that the global COVID-19 pandemic induced is obliquely referenced in the works: colour and line interact within dark fields, and the evolution from raw beginnings to more refined statements can be traced throughout the exhibition.

Where: Cathedral Square, Cnr Cathedral Avenue & St Georges Terrace, Perth When: Saturday 6 February, 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Harry Potter with Orchestra Thestrals, prophecies and Umbridge, oh my!

Experience the magic of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the giant screen in high definition and accompanied by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. See Harry and his friends race through the Department of Mysteries, practice Defense Against the Dark Arts in secret, and endure Professor Umbridge—all with Nicholas Hooper’s iconic score!

Where: Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road, Perth When: Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March, from 7:30pm Cost: Adults from $51, children from $30.60 Bookings: Ticketek

Jazz in the Park will also feature local business stalls and special performance from local community groups. You can pre-order a special Jazz in the Park hamper from local business Delissimo Continental Deli and receive a discount using the code 'TWILIGHT' at the checkout. Food trucks will be on site too.

Where: Harold Rossiter Park, Cnr Kent Street and Etwell Street, Kensington When: Sunday 14 February, 5:30pm to 8:00pm

Tech Savvy Classes at Victoria Park Library Video-conferencing 101 Learn how to stay connected with friends and family using video-conferencing apps such as Zoom, WhatsApp, Face Time, Skype and Facebook Messenger.

When: Saturday 27 February, 10:00am - 12:00pm or 1:00pm - 3:00pm Avoid scams and protect yourself online Raise your awareness of scams and learn how to stay safe online. We’ll cover Scamwatch/ Scamnet, 'phishing' attacks and creating strong passwords.

Where: Victoria Park Library, 27 Sussex Street, East Victoria Park When: Saturday 27 March, 10:00am - 12:00pm or 1:00pm - 3:00pm Bookings essential: Please call 9373 5507

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