James Herbert "Bert" Lycett

Wow - a photo of Bert Lycett, Olga's father, that I have never seen before.  Thank you Louise.  He looks very dapper and apparently was quite clever as well.

Hi Everyone,

I just want to remind everyone travelling from outside Sydney that you should start thinking about booking your accommodation or making arrangements to stay with family or friends for the Family Gathering as it is only 5 MONTHS away and counting down rapidly.  There is not a lot of accommodation in the Balmain area but, hopefully, parking will not be a huge issue and there is a bus from the city that stops around a block away from the church hall in Birchgrove – and it is an easy walk.  There is also a ferry that stops at Louisa Road.  It is a bit of a hike but quite pleasant if you are fit.   If anyone wants more details please contact me directly.

I am still looking for photos and details for the family tree to be displayed at the Gathering so, for everyone who hasn’t yet sent me copies of any photos or details, PLEASE DO SO SOON as the Tree will take some time to put together and I don’t want to be sitting up all night on the night before the Gathering putting information and photos in the Tree - or worse yet leave a blank where your name and photo or those of someone in your family should be.

I am also looking for wedding photos so could you please send me copies of any that you have together with the year of the wedding.

Please also think about bringing along funny family photos, stories, interesting newspaper cuttings and anecdotes to share on the day.  And don’t forget to bring memorabilia for display.  This could be anything from an example of some skill/s you have to something that an ancestor owned/made, etc.  OR for the big things photos would be great.  My sister made some lovely tapestry pictures for my mother but they are big and heavy so I will bring photos rather than the actual pictures. My father made kids furniture for his grandchildren and they will also be represented by photos.   I made a tapestry evening bag for my mother and will bring that along as it is quite small and light. I will also bring Uncle Ernie’s cigarette case (a Christmas present to him in 1920) as that is small and light.  War and/or other medals and similar would be wonderful also.

As mentioned previously there will be a small charge on the day to cover tea, coffee, hall hire and all the numerous incidentals associated with the day.  Please also start thinking about what you will bring for a shared lunch on the day.  The best kind of food to bring to the Gathering will be food that is not messy or does not require cutlery to eat.  Finger foods and sandwiches are hard to beat and, of course, some yummy deserts like cheesecake (a personal favourite) never go astray.

Could you also give me an indication as to who will likely be attending so that we can get an estimate of numbers for planning purposes.

If you have any questions please contact me directly.

I am getting excited and looking forward to connecting with as many of you as possible on the big day.