Hello everyone,

No doubt most of you are now back from holidays, or from looking after grandchildren. Hopefully you have all had a lovely time and are looking forward to what 2010 will bring. It really is "full steam ahead" here and you will notice in my column and by checking the booking forms that we have been very busy putting together some great functions, events and outings for you for the first part of 2010. The calendar is a good place to check the events for the months ahead and to diarise your selection. As attendance numbers have been high over the last year, I always advise you to get your booking form in early.

First off is our Chinese New Year luncheon on 18 February at the Yu Restaurant at Burswood. Because the venue is large, we are able to take late bookings. Please call us and we will fit you in or just fill in the booking form which is again in this edition. Following on and very different to our usual outings, is our special cruise on the Swan, "River Crawl" style.

Do come and have a sausage sizzle with the chef for the day, Nigel, while we go "upstream" to enjoy our beautiful river. I will also bake one of my "little" cakes for our dessert. This event has been costed out at just $32 per person but you have to bring your own drinks (alcohol permitted). This should be a fun day out. My apologies for the short "lead-in time" for this function but we needed to get it in before the colder weather. I hope you can join us.

A very SPECIAL OFFER for readers has come my way this week (25 Jan) for us to attend IAJ International's presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma. The tickets are only $65 (normally $99.90) and we will be sitting in "A Reserve" seats. How good is that? However, as there is only very short "window" through which to book, you have to be really quick. The final booking date is the 5 March. The show is at 2pm on the Wednesday the 17 March at His Majesty's Theatre on Hay Street, in Perth. You will find the booking form in this issue.

We are very excited with our new venue for lunch following our WASO Morning Concerts this year... the chef at the Duxton Hotel has been very generous and offered us the buffet lunch for half price. How lucky is that. I know we will all enjoy the change.

Next on the agenda, in April, is our Annual Easter Bonnet luncheon, so start thinking of creating your hat so you can be in the hat parade which is always lots of fun. It is so interesting to see the gorgeous hats that you design and put together. This year we are going to enjoy a real treat; we have lined up a lovely collection of winter fashions for you to see.

Our venue is now the Perth Ambassador Hotel's Boronia Room on the first floor. For those of you who attended the Melbourne Cup luncheon, I am sure you will remember enjoying a delightful lunch on the day.

However, while there won't be the champagne and wine included this time, the bar will be open for those who wish to enjoy a drink with their three course meal. The booking form is in this issue.

In April we have another very special invitation which came from the Belswan Lifestyle Estate in Pinjarra. We have been invited to a "fine dining experience" to be created by the one and only Jean-Daniel Ichallalene, assisted by his lovely wife Emily. Please read the article on page 17 for all the finer details. This really is a treat for readers and I have arranged for our "girls" from Cascade Tours to take us to Pinjarra. Morning tea will be served on the way down followed by a visit to the Peel Zoo prior to arriving for lunch at 1pm. After lunch you will be able to have a look around the clubhouse of this "state of the art" retirement village. As this trip is costing only $38 all inclusive, you will have to book as soon as you get this edition of the Have a Go News. It will be a great day out and a superb lunch.

A new exciting event will be the WA Opera Company's performance of Bizet's Carmen. However, please note that we are asking for expressions of interest prior to taking bookings as the opera is an evening performance to be held on Tuesday 20 April at 7.30pm. Therefore, I need to know interest shown before I purchase tickets. The tickets are B Reserve and cost $84. Have a look at the information on page 12 with the booking forms. I do hope we can take you to the opera. Again, WA Ballet has arranged for us on the 22 May to spend an hour with them "behind the scenes" to watch their warm up for the performance of Don Quixote and enjoy a light lunch prior to attending the matinee. For those of you who attended a similar event last year when the ballet presented Romeo and Juliet, and would like to enjoy this rather unique outing again, please book immediately as we only have space for 20 guests. The booking form will be in the March issue. See you "out and about",

Cheers,

Anne

updated 09/02/10

Scones and Jam - Yum!




Last years trip to Mandurah

Friend and Rita at Spring in the Valley