AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE
12 Jan 2018
RETIREMENT? THESE PROBIANS DON’T KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORD.
We all know life doesn’t end with retirement. In fact, for many
Australians the end of paid work means the beginning of a new and exciting adventure. As you get older, trying new things is as important as ever. A new sport or exercise regimen is good for your body and mind, while challenging yourself to learn a new skill can help reduce your risk of dementia. We spoke to four Probians who have learned you can teach an old dog a new trick (or two!).
THE ESCAPE ARTIST
Geoff Bransbury of the Probus Club of Beaumaris may have hung up his work boots, but he won’t be taking off his motorcycle jacket any time soon. Since retiring five years ago, Geoff has travelled through over 20 countries including Chile, Colombia, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia and Russia –all on his trusty motorbike.
“My daughter was in Costa Rica and told me about this guy she met who was riding from New York to Patagonia,” Geoff says. “And I thought,
‘That sounds fantastic. I’d like to do that’. The next day I went and bought a motorbike.”
Geoff’s wife wasn’t impressed. After all, Geoff hadn’t ridden in almost 50 years.
“I wasn’t too interested in the motorbike itself; I was interested in travel,” Geoff, 72, says. “And travelling on a motorbike is a great way to do it. You’ve got the air around your head and you’re in the elements.”
It was six years ago that Geoff bought that bike (the same one he rides today)
and embarked on his first trip. It was a group excursion to India, Nepal and Bhutan, and once that was over Geoff felt ready to break out on his own. He shipped his bike to Argentina and embarked on a trip through South and Central America.
“I was riding up the Carretera Austral, a beautiful road that goes down the Andes. It’s very remote. I came to a small suspension bridge, and there was a man and a horse. He had on a wonderful cape and beautiful boots; he looked like Zorro.
“I was concerned because there was no one around and I thought it might be a hold up. So we just stood there for a while, and eventually he shifted his horse and I rode past. It was one of those strange moments.”
An odd moment or two wasn’t enough to deter Geoff. His next trip took him from South Korea, through Siberia and on to Mongolia. It was in Mongolia that Geoff had his closest call yet.
“The roads are very bad there, and I fell off my bike 200 kilometres from
anywhere. No traffic, no cars, no nothing. So there I was in the middle of the Gobi Desert, on my own and injured with my bike on top of me. All I could do was wait.”
Eventually someone came past and helped Geoff up.
“I had no choice but to get back on the bike, but as I rode it started raining. It was totally miserable. Thankfully there was a little town, and this old bloke came up to me in his traditional gear and took me into his family yurt. There were 15 men inside and one woman, and she gave me a glass of beer – at 11 o’clock in the morning!”
These are the kinds of experiences Geoff documents on his travel blog Dopey Old Bloke, which has had over one million hits.
“It’s really just a diary of my trip. People from all over the world send me messages. I put up some Aboriginal rock paintings from my current trip around Australia and some schoolchildren in St Albans in the UK shared it around the class and talked about it. It makes you realise how connected you are.”
THE TIME TRAVELLERS
Stuart and Robyn Purvis-Smith, of the Probus Clubs of Ourimbah and Forresters Beach, have become something of historians since retiring a few years ago. The couple, who married in 1997, have each published a book tracing their family history. In Robyn’s case, the family tree goes back to not one, but four, convicts.
“Two of them were silversmiths who possessed the instruments for forging coins. Another was convicted of breaking and entering. And the fourth was convicted of stealing calfskins. He was from Ireland, when the potato famine was on and everyone was poor and starving.”
Robyn was amazed by the discovery. Prior to embarking on her research, she knew very little about her family history.
“At first I was disillusioned because I couldn’t find anything. Then I got in touch with the Family History Group at Wyong and they were very helpful. There are a lot of records kept about convicts so I found a lot of information. I used their computers and their subscription to ancestry.com. I had my DNA done and they traced my history back to Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.”
Robyn bought her own computer so she could put all the information into a book, which she has just recently had printed and bound.
“I became obsessed with it. I would sometimes get out of bed at four in the morning,” she says.
For Stuart, the process was a tad simpler. He spent his career in the field of genetics, and found that researching his family history and DNA was a natural fit.
“I was lucky that on both sides of my family people had written stories passed down, and I just reached a point where I felt like I had to put it all together.”
Stuart’s ancestors came to Australia as free settlers on eight different ships. “I’ve got records of all of them coming out,” he says.
“They were all pioneers, all country people. The ones who came in 1838 went to the Hunter Valley, worked there for a while and then moved up to northern NSW and became quite a landowning dynasty.”
Stuart has also put pen to paper and recorded his rich family history in a book. “You hear a lot of people say, ‘I wish I had asked my mother something before she died’.
“While people have the information and the memories, we have an obligation to put it together and pass it onto our children and grandchildren. Otherwise it will all get lost.”
THE ENTERTAINER
At 15, Ken Lyons won a competition to present a program at the local radio station. He couldn’t believe it when they offered him a job. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.
“I went home very excited and told my parents and they said, ‘No way’,” Ken laughs.
“They said they didn’t want me in radio because it’s not a stable job.”
So when Ken, who is a founding member of the of the Probus Club of Burwood, retired from a career in pharmacy in 1979, he jumped at the second chance to have his own radio show.
“I don’t believe in the word retire,” he says. “We don’t ever retire, we just change our lifestyles.”
Ken’s 92 now, and has spent a remarkable 26 years in radio. One of his shows is about health care for seniors, and the other is a panel show that looks at everything from current events, to theatre and film, to horoscopes.
“I look forward to it every week,” Ken says. “It keeps me young.
The first couple of times I felt so at home in front of the mic. I still do. I love it and I love the people I work with.”
Ken has interviewed some amazing people over the years, including local celebrity John-Michael Howson and internationally-renowned stars like June Bronhill, Pam Ayres and Diana Trask. He also recently interviewed The Voice winner Harrison Craig.
“The studio was full of his fans that day,” Ken recalls. “They came from everywhere to meet him.”
But even two radio shows isn’t enough to keep Ken satisfied. He volunteers his time to the local RSL, is involved in theatre, and is even hoping to put on an exhibition of his late wife’s artwork. Ken was recently awarded an Order of Australia medal for his volunteer work with veterans and their families.
“If you’re not living on the edge,” Ken says, “You’re taking up too much room.”
FIVE TOP TIPS
Starting something new can be invigorating. But taking the first step can be tough. Here are some tips on how to get started.
1 DO YOUR RESEARCH
Jump online and have a look at what activities are happening or groups to join in your area. There are also websites that provide a guide for finding and starting a new hobby.
2 BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
What do you love doing most? Is it cooking? Building things? Think about your passion. If you can’t think of one, go back to your childhood. What was your favourite activity then?
3 TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
Try a whole heap of new hobbies before settling on one (or two). You may even surprise yourself and stumble upon something you never thought you'd enjoy doing.
4 BUILD UP TO IT
It’s best to start small to really determine if the hobby is right for you. Even if it’s 30 minutes every day and a couple of spools of yarn rather than the whole kit and caboodle.
5 HAVE FUN
Hobbies are anything you do for fun. Whether it’s walking, fishing, woodwork or painting, as long as you enjoy doing it and it brings a smile to your face, it’s a perfect activity.
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