Vanessa Hall
Editor
PAT GREEN is many things and first and foremost Pat is happy. This resident of Coolum for only nine years is also a very keen darts player with the weekly competition at the Coolum Bowls Club naming their mid-year competition trophy in her honour.
Originally hailing from the UK, Pat is often seen around town riding her electric trike and making the most of each day despite losing the love of her life and husband of 55 years Ron, only a few years ago.
“Some people give up and I miss him terribly and I have his ashes and I talk to him every day, but what can we do… you just have to get on with things and do something.”
And do something Pat does.
“Monday I go to bingo, Tuesday is poker, Wednesday evening is poker and Thursday is darts.
“I’d never played poker in England, but I thought I would give it a go here and because I am not a young stud anymore I’m looked after, and everyone says hi.”
Tuesday poker at the Bowls Club is Pat’s favourite.
“We have our own special table now and I take lollies in for everyone and at Christmas, everyone on my table gets a pudding and mince pies and all the darts team get them too… I enjoy cooking.”
Darts however is the game that is closest to Pat’s heart and a game that is synonymous with England.
“I played in the UK, but it had been over 20 years since I had played, and I found out about the Bowls Club darts and thought I would just go along.
And the players from the club welcomed Pat into the fold, happy to have a new player and a female player who had some prowess.
“I like the socialising with darts, but as I have become older I don’t quite play as well as I used to, but I am just getting on with it.”
Each year the club has two big competitions which feature a full day of competitive darts games, a mid-year and an end-of-year competition with the mid-year doubles competition perpetual trophy named in Pat’s honour.
“When they showed it to me two years ago I was crying, I was in total shock.”
When not playing poker or darts Pat is out and about on her trike and taking in the views of stunning Coolum.
“I love going up the boardwalk and meeting people.”
Pat recounted that only recently she met someone who knew her whilst on her 81st birthday cruise – which she took herself on, on her own.
“I went down to the casino area thinking there might be some poker to play and then I heard someone calling out my name and sure enough, it was one of the people I play poker with!”
Despite having a big family who live in the region with two daughters, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren Pat enjoys time with family but also being independent.
“I love socialising with my friends here and going out for coffee and even though all my friends are younger than me they are all lovely.”
And Pat’s advice on making the most of life is to just get out amongst it and never let age be a barrier.