C o n t e n t s - January 2022
- Welcome 2022, and Seasons Greetings (from Planet Omicron)
- Ukestras are back
- Ukestral Voices returns
- Ukulele Entree and Wil&Sons are back
- Dine and Discover vouchers
- Some stats and a peaceful picnic shot
D I A R Y
Wednesday 19 January - Ukulele Entree commences
Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival - Saturday 12 February 2022 ...YES IT IS STILL ON!
Weekend 4-6 March - Central Coast Ukulele Festival in Wangi Wangi
Weekend 18-20 March - Melbourne Ukulele Festival
14-18 April - National Folk Festival - Canberra
Weekend 22-24 April - Turramurra Folk Music Camp - Victoria
A late Greeting for the Season (and a word about 'that flu')
How was your Christmas? We hope it was what you wanted and what you could cope with!
We had a lovely Christmas Day, with a lot of reverie, great food and quality family time. Mark's Mum (age 87) really loved it, and got her booster shot days before (and everyone else had COVID tests just before too). It's always precious to appreciate these fleeting moments in time, and to celebrate the reasons that we come together.
Needless to say, over the break we have come to know of many people who have had
very mild cases of COVID - extended family members, ukestrans, baristas, and Taree real estate agents included. (
Newsbreak: it is now immediate family members, though not here in Newcastle with us). Of all of the COVID cases we know, none have had anything but 'a cold', they all are saying that they've had worse flus. All are double or triple vaccinated.
We had a relatively relaxing time with daughters visiting from Melbourne, and we celebrated Jane's birthday two days after Christmas. Thanks to those who sent birthday greetings! But we
are missing our ukestra 'families', and our normal 'working' life.
Jane and Mark got their booster shots (Triple Vaxxed?) in the New Year, and all of the clubs where we meet require patrons to be double vaxxed. Our assiduous following of the latest health news only confirms our faith in the science that has made this pandemic truly into 'a little flu' for the vaccinated. Without it, the deaths would've been unbearable to witness, and the 'return to life' barely recognisable from what we had before. We've included a cuppla graphs at the end of this newsletter just to counteract the myths that "the vaccines don't work".
For we privileged Australians, we truly hope that we are able to return in 2022 with fears declining.
May we live in interesting times indeed!
2. Ukestras are back for 2022
We are back, with outdoor options (where possible). Our reliable COVID stats man tells us that transmission is 18 times lower outdoors than a similar situation and activity indoors.
- Monday mornings - beer garden at Fingal Bay
- Monday evenings - Carro Bowlo - outside
- Tuesday arvos - Teralba Bowlo (outside on the creek)
- Thursday evenings - Carro Bowlo - outside
- Saturday morns - Carro Bowlo - outside
- Sunday morns - Carro Bowlo - outside
- Sunday arvos - Ukestral Voices - outside in the Railway Sheds on the Foreshore
It's a very difficult line for us to tread. 'Keeping the economy' going also means keeping our social vibrancy going. If we lose our favourite cafe or, even worse, our favourite ukestra, we risk losing so much of our personal connections and joy in our lives.
But people are understandably concerned about gathering with others, particularly the myriad ukestrans who work in health and are keen to keep staffing their vital jobs.
And to top things off, as we were penning this missive, the Carrington Bowlo closed for a week, unable to keep the doors open because of staffing issues. Midst this we have been trying to keep things going, making liberal use of the delightful Foreshore Railway Sheds, and we hope to use more outdoor environments as well at the Carro when it returns. The regulations tell us that singing is permitted in a teaching and performance situation, but if you are going to 'sing' 'from the floor', then please do so behind a mask.
How rapidly things keep changing! Please stay in touch week to week in the following ways:
And another thing. Don't be shy about when you get COVID - there is no shame in it. The more we see or hear of people who have it/got it, the more confident we'll become about things being ok (whilst maintaining our vigilance around those who are more vulnerable). We did see one post that said something like ...
I hope you get COVID when it suits your calendar ...
What we ask of you ...
- Be double-vaxxed, preferably triple vaxxed. We don't want any unvaccinated ukestrans putting their lives unnecessarily at risk at a ukestra.
- Stay home if you are ill (we needed a pandemic to come to this revelation?!)
- Cough/sneeze into your elbow, jumper or hanky
- Wear a mask into and in your venue.
- Eat, drink, sing and be merry with or without a mask when seated in the venue and with a drink or food from the club in front of you.
- Respect the rules of the club and scan in.
- Stay abreast of changing rules!
3. Ukestral Voices - outdoors, from this Sunday 16 January 2022
4. Ukulele Entree at Wil&Sons starts next week
It's been great to see Toby and crew back at 102 Darby St, and they were wonderfully welcoming of our Beginners Ukulele Workshops held upstairs at
Wil&Sons.
We are starting our next Ukulele Entree upstairs at
Wil&Sons Wednesday 19 January. UE takes you through the beginner hoops more systematically than does a ukestra.
5. Discover Vouchers
The NSW Government issued some more Dine & Discovery vouchers and we are keen to add your Discovery voucher to your uketen. See us at a ukestra to transfer some more dosh from the State Government through your ukulele to us.
6. Some Stats and Mark's Mum
Do you wonder how effective the vaccines are? Here are some graphs from the Ontario Health Department for your edification.
Mark's Mum having post Christmas fish and chips on the Lake with her son.
We hope to see you very soon at a ukestra or choir somewhere.
