One of the Hunter's most uniquely formed sports clubs, Endeavour Rowing Club, is celebrating its 21st year in 2019.
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The club, based at Berry Park on the Hunter River near Morpeth, was started by parents who had children rowing with Hunter Valley Grammar School.
Sitting on the banks of the river spectating might seem like a nice way to spend a lazy morning or afternoon, but for those parents some 21 years ago, it was not enough.
They formed their own rowing club and within two years had secured freehold land and built a boathouse.
"Some of the parents just didn't want to sit by the riverside and decided they'd have a go at rowing," said Lyn Rayward, who had four children attend the school.
"We were one of the first clubs in the central district when it was just finding its feet as well."
Ms Rayward said club, which derived its name from Hunter Valley Grammar's motto 'Success through Endeavour', has about 60 members today and hosts a learn-to-row program every Sunday for new rowers.
It has been associated with Maitland Grossman High over the years and recently started a rowing program with Maitland Christian School.
A pair of events will be held this year to mark the 21st birthday and all ex-members are invited to attend.
"We're having a dinner in May with a couple of guests speakers and we hope to get quite a number of former members coming along who have moved away from the district or just stopped rowing," she said.
"Then we've got a regatta, which is a NSW Rowing Association regatta, called the Henley on Hunter, and that's on the October long weekend. We're going to have a cocktail party then."
Check out the club's website for more details.
Testing The New Light Rail
Topics has previously mentioned the eager antics of a few Novocastrians who had raised the suitability of the Newcastle light rail line for a pub crawl.
Well, it appears it has caught wind.
An event is doing the rounds on Facebook titled: 'Testing The New Light Rail - Pub Crawl'.
It has attracted more than 5,800 people who are 'interested' in the event and another 430 have said they are 'going'.
The Wednesday, April 3 evening crawl is being hosted by Newcastle University Women in Engineering.
"Hope you’re thirsty. Bring your opal card, beer allowance and wear your hottest high vis," the event's description says.
Hope you’re thirsty. Bring your opal card, beer allowance and wear your hottest high vis.
- Newcastle University Women in Engineering
"We have bars to attend and only one newly built form of transport can get us there! Starting from Newcastle Interchange, we're going to 'test' the new light rail on our way to our high-vis themed pub crawl.
"We'll catch the light rail to the end of the line and start crawling back."
Cinema under the stars, in the pool, next summer
Maitland deputy mayor Mitchell Griffin is set to plonk an idea at the council's next regular meeting about the city's pools hosting "dive-in" movie nights next summer.
The councillor told our friends at the Maitland Mercury the nights could help boost the city's visitor economy.
“Dive-in cinema has the potential of creating a unique user experience for the Maitland area and beyond, with the potential of bringing visitors to both the pool and the city," he said.
“You could just imagine the atmosphere of residents chilling out in a floating tube, on a warm summers evening whilst watching a flick on the big screen."
Hot nights, a cold pool, inflatables and a movie.
Topics is a fan of this plan.
Nearby Cessnock council has the Heddon Greta Drive-In, which draws people from all over the Hunter.
Perhaps Cr Griffin's idea could be Maitland's alternative should it happen.
The notice of motion will ask the council to examine the possibility of a dive-in cinema at Maitland Pool as part of the 2019/20 swimming program.
Has this ever been done in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie? Let us know.
