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IMPORTANT (END OF AN ERA) ANNOUNCEMENT 
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Announcing The 2023 Annual RAN Skilled Hands Sydney Rocks Xmas Pub 
Crawl Smokey GRAND FINAL BASH 
Friends, it had to happen eventually, and as its now TWENTY YEARS since our very first Annual RAN Skilled Hands Sydney Rocks Xmas Pub Crawl Smoky (held on the 10th January, 2004, just over
a month after launching our RAN Skilled Hands Forum Website,) and despite any delusions to the contrary, none of us are ’19 and bullet-proof’ anymore, so reluctantly, I feel it is indeed time to call the...
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‘END OF AN ERA’ For the past twenty years,
(amazing, considering my entire Naval career was only 12 years,) 
I have willingly and religiously accepted the (sometimes) onerous task of rounding up starters (a.k.a. the annual herding
of the cats,), injecting enthusiasm 
and motivation, 
for our annual get-together, which I consider, in all modesty, was no mean feat… 
This time around it would be special, in that we’d all be raising our glasses to our absent compatriot, fellow MOBI and veteran of our Sydney Rocks gatherings since 2011, CMDR Dave Maxwell, who left us just over a month ago on the 23rd of June. R.I.P. Dave...
In doing an initial ring around
to determine availability of a few of our regulars 
for the usual designated 1st Saturday in November, I first discovered that Col Kelson had a family wedding for that weekend,
then learned Charlie Staples had a prior commitment for a two-week holiday trip 
to Melbourne, 
forcing me to start thinking outside the square… 
It eventually dawned on me that as none of our potential starters are still working, EVERY weekday is effectively a weekend, and thus, by tweaking the day, moving it from Saturday 4th to Tuesday 7th of
November, both Charlie and Col would be available… I then conferred with ‘Chippy Ned’ and Ellen, who in turn conferred with Steve Shepherd and Polly, (who were all happy to change,) finally ringing
Tafmo and Rhonda (in Adelaide) and Pony (in Melbourne) to test the waters. Pony was the only one with an issue, after having planning to be in Sydney for the Saturday 4th
(for this one, having missed a few previous runs,) en-route to his long-established family gathering in a Port Macquarie, meaning sadly, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to join us after all…
So, here’s the final update Folks, with various physical ailments creeping up on many of us, we’ve decided that rather than having to endure an arduous Pub Crawl around 15-odd pubs in the Rocks in future,
we propose to downsize to an
extended, relaxed, lengthy lunch, 
maybe 2, 3 or 4 hours in duration, 
at a venue of your choosing, 
1st Saturday in November 
as per usual, but having the benefit that many of us used to regional travelling could avoid two or three night’s accommodation, simply commuting to town for the event. Happy to massage these ideas when we
all meet on TUESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER at 9:30 AM at ‘City Extra’ at Circular Quay as usual to kick off our GRAND FINAL Annual RAN Skilled Hands Sydney Rocks Xmas Pub Crawl Smoky…
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To that end, here’s the preliminary ATTENDEE LIST so far… (Please confirm ASAP...)...............................................................................................
Rick 'Hippy Chippy' Pengilly CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Brian 'Stroppy Chippie' Mackenzie CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Verna 'Toots' Mackenzie CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Brian 'CharlieS' Staples CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Col 'Pussasan' Kelson...............................................................................................
John 'Chippy Ned' Kelly CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Ellen 'Mrs Ned' Kelly CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Steve 'Shep' Shepherd CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Polly 'Mrs Shep' Shepherd CONFIRMED...............................................................................................
Bob 'Tafmo' King TBC...............................................................................................
Rhonda 'Mrs Tafmo' King TBC...............................................................................................
Dave 'Rabbit' Warren............................................................................................................. MAYBEES:
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Mark 'Mobes' Mobley TBA...............................................................................................
Mike 'Pony' Moore (Long shot, unlikely)...............................................................................................
Gordon 'Gordo' Robertson...............................................................................................
Sandy 'Mrs Gordo' Robertson...............................................................................................
Howard 'Hendo' Henderson...............................................................................................
Henry 'Schoobs' Schubert...............................................................................................
Graeme 'Smiley' Rhodes(?) Definite Possible Maybe 
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P.S. If I've missed anybody, please let me know so I can add you to the list/s
much obliged, 
and if you scroll back up 4 posts 
you'll see the 
could add a new dimension to The Rocks on the day, I'd better lock in our bookings...! 
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