If you like to sing and have a laugh, we've got just the group for you.
Rathmines Wangi Singers is a group of retired and semi-retired men, plus Lyndel, a female accompanist [she plays the music].
Group member Rick Carter said Lyndel does her best to "keep us in order and in tune".
"She has varying degrees of success in both areas," Rick said.
He joked that: "Anyone looking to join a choir should not think of joining our group".
"To call us a choir would be an insult to those groups that deserve the title.
"We have been described as boys who haven't grown up - just naughty little boys and larrikins."
He admits these labels are probably true. However, he said there was "no truth to the rumour that RWS stands for Really Weird Singers".
"We do like to have fun and in doing so, find that our audiences have fun as well," he said.
The group performs at nursing homes, retirement villages and community events.
"We sing for about an hour and do about 50 shows a year, as well as rehearsing on a Monday morning," he said.
The group, which has been going for more than 30 years, is looking for like-minded men to join them.
"Like-minded people are those who do not take themselves too seriously, are prepared to have fun and interact with our audiences," he said.
"We know it's not possible for all members to get to all performances so having a few extra people would allow us to have six to eight people at each show."
Those who join will be provided with a uniform.
"Those interested are invited to come along to a rehearsal so they can make up their mind and, of course, we can make up ours," he said.
For more information, contact Russell on 0403 781 501 or russell_20@optusnet.com.au; or Rick on 0418 492 942 or riccar23@yahoo.com.au.
Plastic Tea
We've been reading and watching a lot about plastic lately.
We came across a story published last month that came as a bit of a shock.
Research from McGill University in Canada found that a simple cup of tea can be contaminated with billions of tiny plastic particles.
If you're like us, you might think, "Our tea bags don't look like they contain plastic".
Take a closer look. You'll see strips inside the tea bag that are used to seal it.
The research shows that most tea bags contain polypropylene, which is used to seal them closed and ensure they keep their shape.
The levels of plastic found in a cup of tea made with a tea bag were much higher than those found in other food and drinks.
"We were very, very surprised," lead researcher, Professor of Chemical Engineering Nathalie Tufenkji said.
So were we.
The effects of this kind of plastic on human health haven't yet been determined, but we're not keen on drinking our tea with plastic.
We've been drinking the Tetley brand lately. We looked up Tetley's website, which said: "Tetley tea bags do contain a very small amount of plastic to ensure the bags remain closed for you to enjoy your cup of tea."
How enjoyable! But it's not just Tetley. Loads of other tea bag brands also contain plastic.
- topics@theherald.com.au
