A former TV newsreader who came to Tamworth for NEN 9 and a North Tamworth safari organiser are among 100 seniors from across NSW whose stories feature in this year’s Seniors’ Stories book, launched on Monday at the NSW State Library.
David Foster of Tamworth and Joyce Vernon of North Tamworth both have stories in Volume 12 of the collection, written to the theme Neighbours, Strangers, and the People in Between.
Mr Foster’s story, Friends Made, Friends Lost and Other Characters, follows a life in theatre and television, and a friendship that came full circle.
He walked out of school at 15 and found a school he loved in The Independent Theatre School in North Sydney, before touring plays around Australia. His TV newsreader years started at RVN2 in Wagga Wagga. His next move was to Tamworth, after he was approached by NEN 9, and it was there he met his partner. He later left TV, and together they built a life and a business that lasted 40 years.
At the heart of the story is a cheeky fellow drama student who gave him a nickname he never shook off. The two lost touch for decades, then met again in 2022 at a wake for their old drama teacher, held at The Independent Theatre. Mr Foster and his partner later visited his old friend and his wife at their home in Port Macquarie.
When his friend died in February this year, Mr Foster went to the funeral, where the friend’s brother pointed him out to the whole church by his old nickname.
“In the end, he circled back into my life just long enough to remind me why he mattered,” he wrote.
Mrs Vernon’s story, A Bayonet for a Bottle Opener, takes readers to a hilltop in the wilds of the Samburu in Northern Kenya.
She organised a month-long safari for four women, including a great friend who had been her next-door neighbour in outback Queensland. After a week camping in Tanzania, they headed north from Nairobi with a hired 4×4 and driver.
Near Marsabit, they were finally able to enjoy a sundowner, a safari tradition of drinks somewhere special as the sun sets. But Mrs Vernon’s bottle of Sauvignon Blanc had a cork, and no one had a corkscrew.
Then a man in camouflage, wearing a red beret and with an AK47 slung over his shoulder, walked out of the bushes. He was from Parks and Wildlife, there for their protection.
When her friend asked if he could help, he took the bayonet off his rifle and handed it to their driver, who used it to push the cork into the bottle.
Mrs Vernon described the evening as ending “with Sauvignon Blanc, Scotch and a stranger who would turn an ordinary birthday toast, into a story worth telling.”
This year’s Seniors’ Stories drew 528 entries from NSW Seniors Card and Seniors Savers Card holders. The book was produced in partnership with the Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc, which also ran short story writing workshops to help seniors build their skills, try new techniques, and swap ideas.
“Older people across the state have so many fascinating stories to share and we all benefit from their insights,” said Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison.
“Seniors’ Stories ties all these stories together and leaves a lasting record for future generations to reflect and learn.”
Seniors’ Stories began in 2013.
“The concept was willingly embraced by New South Wales Seniors who submitted a total of 1,200 personal stories for publication throughout the years,” said State President of the Fellowship of Australian Writers Inc Colleen Parker.
Printed copies of the book will go to participating authors, NSW libraries, and state electorate offices, and will be available at Seniors Card events.
A digital version and an audiobook are available on the NSW Seniors Card website at www.nsw.gov.au/community-services/seniors-card/seniors-stories
Like what you’re reading? Support New England Times by making a small contribution today and help us keep delivering local news paywall-free. Donate now