What better reason to celebrate than turning 80 and what a celebration it was! Fifty-five members gathered on August 14 at the Mission to Seafarers in Docklands to celebrate all our members who have reached the wonderful milestone of 80 and beyond. With a delicious spit-roast meal catered by Spitting Image, followed by a birthday cake also supplied by our caterers, there was plenty of good food, laughter and friendship to enjoy.
Diane added a lovely personal touch to the afternoon with a special memorabilia activity. Five members brought along something meaningful from their past and shared the story behind it with the group. Their memories took us on a journey through the years, from attending the Olympic Games and taking part in fun runs and walking trails, to a tiny Bible given to one member when she was just 10 years old, lovingly inscribed by her daddy for her First Communion. Each treasured item opened the door to another little story, reminding us of the many experiences that have shaped our members' lives. Diane summed up the journey through the generations beautifully, proudly recalling a time when she travelled by sulky to get where she needed to go — a far cry from today's world of jet planes, electric vehicles and mobile phones!
There was plenty of socialising and laughter throughout the afternoon, making it clear that reaching 80 is certainly something to celebrate. Michael entertained us with a rendition of Happy Birthday, and the whole room joined in, singing along with great enthusiasm. Hank then invited all our 80+ members to stand and be proudly acknowledged by the club. And proudly they stood! Reaching 80 is quite an achievement, and our birthday members had every reason to celebrate the wonderful lives, memories and experiences that have brought them to this milestone.
What a great day we all had and with this now becoming an annual Club event, we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays together!
A big thank you to everyone who helped set up the hall and worked behind the scenes to organise all the many little details that came together so brilliantly on the day. Your efforts helped make this such a memorable celebration for everyone.
On the tour, which is located at Victoria's largest brewery and home of some of Australia's favourite beers, we walked around the historic Abbotsford site with Lucy our leader. We were guided through over 100 years of brewing history and knowledge. The sheer scale of this iconic facility 
