Lita, tell us a bit about yourself:
I moved to The Village Coorparoo after my husband John died in 2007. I was visiting The Village with a friend and ran into sales manager Ric Cohen. I asked him, “Have you got the plans drawn up for the new building yet?” He said, “No.” I said, “Oh, good. When you do, please get one with a big deck, because I love my garden and my big family.” He said, “Oh, this one just came on the market yesterday, would you like to take a look?” And the rest is history!
How did you become involved with the social committee?
Well, I think because I was a school teacher they knew I wasn’t scared of a microphone.
A few of us got together and decided to organise a concert, and a Variety Club eventuated from that. We had people writing plays and getting involved that way, which became a bit of a tradition. Once we got a bit more money, we were able to do more sophisticated things, and now we have a very vibrant social and entertainment committee.
Once a month we put on a Sunday Soiree. For the price of a ticket, everyone gets dinner, a drink, and an hour of entertainment. We’ve had some terrific performers, like Mirusia Louwerse, who toured the world with Andre Rieu as his star soprano for 10 years.
“Once a month we put on a Sunday Soiree. For the price of a ticket, everyone gets dinner, a drink, and an hour of entertainment.”
Tell us a bit about the Ekka at the Village:
Well, we decided to host our own exhibition on the Ekka public holiday. We have a team of ladies that puts on tea and scones, and a fine arts pavilion and memorabilia. People show off some really nostalgic things, and the girls do a wonderful job putting little information cards on each item. We also have photography, craft, needlework, and card-making displays, and the library does a fantastic display as well.
We even had a grand parade with animals, which was hilarious. At about 4pm we get an entertainer in, and then to finish off the day we have a barbecue and strawberry ice-creams.
What’s next for the social and entertainment committee?
We’re organising a dinner with an Italian singer, which I think will be amazing. Everyone’s looking forward to that.
What’s the best thing about living at The Village Coorparoo?
For me, it’s the unit, the security, and the ease of living here. There’s so much to do here—golf, tai chi, walking, aqua aerobics, pilates… you name it, we’ve got it! The community spirit is wonderful, too. If you go down to the bistro for a coffee, someone will always come up and sit with you for a chat. The staff and management are great, and as residents we all look out for each other. It’s a really happy place to live.
