History revisited

Energised by Mrs History's visit, I presented the idea of a Bellerive Heritage Volume 5 to the Bellerive Historical Society and there is definite interest.  It's 30 years since we published Volume 4!  So there's something to work on...

I was invited on a jaunt to Sorell for the opening of the restored Carriage Shed from the days of the Bellerive Sorell Railway.

It was all done exceptionally well though sadly I did not get to partake of the cake.

I wasn't going to show you the Groovy Sorell Mayor launching the revamped Shed but changed my mind when I realised my photo included the writing on the wall support.  The Shed is still basically a tin shed but re-purposed to hold community exhibitions, concerts, etc.  The mayor envisages a silent disco.  I think it is wonderful that that there is still pigeon poo on the ceiling beams and builders' jottings from the original build and the refurbishment.

Rebecca White, our local federal Labor member, is a local and looked dashing in red.

And it was lovely to catch up with Carmel who used to be Mayor and worked hard on so many projects for Sorell.  She is also a little devilish.  The object she has just got out of that bag

is a toy train which made a beeline for this lady.  Sorell Council has 9 councillors, 6 of whom are women.  I think it shows.

Later that week it was off to Parliament House for a tea party to celebrate Heritage Week/Month.  Still not sure which because I saw no other events advertised.

I had never been inside before.  The security to both get in and out is mind boggling.

Here the Chair of the National Trust addresses us.  The Minister for Heritage and a million other things was very upbeat about the economic benefits of heritage for tourism.  The chap is from the bookshop at Campbell Town which I really must go and have a look at.  I was appalled to hear that he has second hand copies of Bellerive Heritage for sale.

History in the making.  Georgia has a couple of pieces of work in the School House Gallery at Rosny Barn.

We attended the Exhibition Opening and I am rather taken with the black cockatoo print by Sally Beech, another Tribes girl.

Continuing the Gallery Crawl, last night Georgia and I attended the opening of the Tasman Artisan House at Sorell.  You can just see some of her work on the shelving to the left.

Fred, with his back to us, makes ocarinas - should you be in the market for one.

we'll meet again... 🎜🎜🎝🎶

 Great excitement as a Lady and Her Dog surveyed the ferry crossing from Hobart

to moor at Bellerive.

But wait - is that Anna Wintour readying to disembark????

It's obviously a celeb.

No, it's that other editor and publishing genius, Mrs History, visiting the East Side as content and editorial consultant for a prospective Bellerive Heritage Volume 5.  Intense discussion was held over a light lunch

and continued over a light dessert.  Is it all work, work, work for this woman?

After such an intense day, is it surprising that the doyenne of publishing and arbiter of taste, let slip her guard to allow the clamouring paparazzi a sunglassless photo opportunity?

In truth, as the ferry pulled away, I found myself singing Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again, partly because Jill R and I have that  kind of relationship but also because we had met up with long-lost mutual friends who had seen me at the Anzac Day Memorial Service in Triabunna.  The theme was 'Women in Service' and Maria Voices sang Lynn's song.

let us rejoice

The Anzac Weekend started Friday afternoon with a bang 🥂in Tribes.  Georgia's pottery studio is finished and kitted out for full-time, dedicated use.

Georgia did much of the work herself and is rightly pleased with the result

a former local with Government House experience was entrusted with scissors to cut the ribbon

which she demurely did

the first bottle popped

[Big Thank You to Georgia's Mum for the above photos]

delicious goodies and sparkly cake demolished

the guests have left

and everyone can relax, tired but very happy

Anzac Day dawned and the multi talented Mars child,

possibly a gift from the gods, put on her Maria Voices uniform and took her place in the choir that has become an integral part of all Triabunna commemorations.

any Tribes local will know all these people

Jill PD and I headed back to Bellerive

where Jill wisely took a pre-emptive sleep in the sun

prior to the Big VFL Anzac Day night footy at Bellerive Oval.

Easterish in Mildura

Jilly had a makeover and packed for stylish Mildura.

She was a little miffed but graciously assented to cutting a dash in Triabunna instead,

so we bought hot cross buns at Cripps Bakery and headed for Tribes on Good Friday.

On Easter Sunday I jetted off to Mildura via Melbourne.  I flew Qantas and was amazed to receive a thoughtful snack, offer of free drinks, and a magazine.  This has not happened on Virgin for a very long time.  I further indulged in a surprisingly delicious ravioli at the airport.

Sandrine met me at Mildura airport and it was off to her place for the first of many splendid home-cooked meals - a late night minestrone.  Easter Monday we wandered hopelessly around Mildura CBD looking for entertainment, becoming on friendly terms with others similarly engaged.  The weather, however, was perfect and I got to wear clothes that hadn't seen the light of day in Tasmania.  We prepared a list for shopping the next day.  Top of the list was slow cookers.

And thus it was we saw this picture in a furniture shop.  We were both taken with it and pondered where it could fit happily at Sandrine's.

I was pleased to see some quirkiness entering Mildura

an op shop vision in blue

[wish I'd  bought the platinum wig]

Some overnight thinking, a bit of re-organisation and we returned with the picture the next day.  Magdalene / Amal was right at home and will share many evening meals with Sandrine.

Surrounded by style icons, I boned up on this fabulous little book about Chanel.

It is an absolute delight, though it glosses over Chanel shacking up with a German officer during the war, and I have never seen her looking this pretty in any photos.  She was still an amazing woman!

And talking of amazing women, Tuesday saw us walking about 100 metres to the Mildura Art Centre to watch Cirque Nouveau.  I was so pleased that the place was packed and children inched forward in their seats, spellbound.  My beef is that the men were wildly applauded for their strength and agility while the agility and flexibility of the women seemed to pass as unexceptional.

There were no animals in the circus performance (apart from a fluid female acrobat playing the part of an escaped leopard who traps the lion tamer in a cage).  The gorgeous animals above live on the property on Delta Road, Curlwaa, that we bought as an orange block / grove in 1999.  This was my dream home and I had such plans for it.  For many years I couldn't drive past because the pain of losing it was too much, but in more recent years I have kept an eye on it and mostly been devastated by what's happened.

This time I could jump for joy.  Most of the orange trees have been cleared, which certainly wasn't my plan, but the place looks loved.

And, smart and cared-for as it looks now, I'm glad I don't live there.

Continuing on to Wentworth, we felt compelled to stop at this container cafe on Adam Street / Silver City Highway.  I once lived a little further up the road and something like this would have been soooo unlikely back then

Given the number of trucks and tourists that drive to Broken Hill, it is a stroke of brilliance.  The owner brought the container fully kitted out from the Albert Park racing circuit.  She gets the milkshake syrups from the famous https://www.bellsmilkbar.com.au/ in Broken Hill.  A local Wentworth girl and a genius.

Wentworth seems to be developing as Steve and I hoped it would.  Mick Mercer's mechanic office is now Went Weaving!

Next door is a textile craft shop with a sense of humour.

And next to that is an outlet for locally reared lamb.  All these shops are the initiative of young women from the area.  Sadly the leather shop has gone - now in Buronga next to the office where I used to work.  Curly Tree which started in the bank where we used to live has now expanded down the road, and Royce's shop is now a dress shop.  Royce used to live next door to us.  Her house is now an air bnb - wonderfully called Royce!

After all this excitement we discovered that the library building where I worked has been bulldozed and moved to the former Wentworth Club, where many a delicious smorgasbord had been had.

Admittedly the view from the new library is impressive

more or less.

Friday saw us at tai chi way too early in the morning.  But it was an excellent class and free!  In the evening we again strolled to the Arts Centre, this time to watch and hear The Italian Tenors.  With so many Italian speakers in the audience, there was a lot of banter and singing along.

Saturday we took a stroll, past the dip tins that fed  my magazine addiction,

on to the well patronised Rothbury sinking into Lock 9,

and up the steps to the Grand Hotel, the heart of Mildura.  Later in the day we held an afternoon tea for friends and past work colleagues.

Sunday was my last day.  Time to say au revoir to Sandrine's beautiful house

and garden

and the birthday girl herself.