Christmas in July at The Cuckoo

28 Aug 2013

Around 80 Probus members from the Probus Club of Donvale Hill travelled up Mount Dandenong to Olinda to celebrate Christmas in July.

It was one of those lovely crisp days with bright sunshine and the hint of snow in the air, the ideal weather for a sumptuous feast!

All arrived hungry and early, and were escorted to the tables by a lovely young Fraulein in Austrian costume. A bowl of steaming hot soup was served first amidst the toast Ein Prosit which some of the cheeky ones sang as “I’m frozen,” because at that stage all had just come in from the cold.

Things soon warmed up and the big group enjoyed looking at the traditional decor and cuckoo clocks and listening to the old songs which all knew from their childhoods.

The food was smorgasbord style and included lovely seafood entrees with fresh prawns and chili mussels.

The main course offered a big variety of food including turkey, beef carved as you waited and the usual vegetables plus salads and German cabbage rolls.

One of the highlights of the musical entertainment was a cowbell medley where members of the audience were instructed to ring their bell at particular times. Well done to those people – especially Rebecca and Sarah the two lovely young grandchildren of Yvonne Sutton.

An enormous array of desserts was available (just how much can one cram onto one little dish?) and everyone could go back as many times as they wanted in case they had forgotten what pavlova tastes like!

After everyone had eaten dessert, a young lady sang some songs to including a haunting unaccompanied rendition of Ave Maria, which was truly beautiful.

By this time, most were well and truly full but they just had to squeeze in a bit of plum pudding and custard for the road.  This was the best dessert of all – light and with an unmistakable brandy flavor – if most had known, they would have saved more space for it!

Everyone rolled out into the bright sunshine by about 3pm for a return trip down the mountain – well fed, happy and content.

In the pictures:

Club members Val and Richard Minns.

Meg Downie, club member and Councillor of Manningham City.

Rebecca and Sarah with Father Christmas.

Father Christmas.

Rebecca and Sarah with their mother Jenny Brown, and Grandmother Yvonne Sutton.