The Local May 6, 2024

Art + Functionality = Joy

The Local - The Heart of the Highlands

Front cover: Artist David Dawson went from making a living as a builder to creating Blampied’s unique Overwrought Garden Art workshop, gallery and display garden - which has become a much-loved attraction for the region. It’s a prime example of marrying art and functionality to create enterprise and bring joy into the lives of many.

Read his story, Artists of the Central Highlands by Eve Lamb, on page 19. Image: Eve Lamb

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The Local is a member of the Victorian Country Press Association, with editor Donna Kelly, a former director.

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The content expressed within this publication does not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Local Publishing Group Pty Ltd. The Local Publishing Group's editorial guidelines and complaints-handling process can be found at www.tlnews.com.au We welcome all feedback.

The Local is a fortnightly community publication covering the Central Highlands of Victoria.

The next edition is out on Monday, May 20, 2024. or online on Sunday, May 19 at www.tlnews.com.au

Space bookings: Wednesday, May 15

Copy deadline: Thursday, May 16

Editorial deadline: Thursday, May 16

General manager: Kyle Barnes on 0416 104 283 or kyle@tlnews.com.au

Editor: Donna Kelly on 0418 576 513 or news@tlnews.com.au

Editorial: Eve Lamb on 0493 632 843 or editorial@tlnews.com.au

Sub-editors: Nick Bunning, Lindsay Smith & Chester the Cat

Writers: Eve Lamb, Kevin Childs, Tony Sawrey, Narelle Groenhout, Simone Kaplan & Donna Kelly

Photographers: Kyle Barnes & Eve Lamb

Graphic designer: Dianne Caithness

Contributors: Glen Heyne (gardening), Darren Lowe (music), Sarah Lang (recipes), Clive Hartley (wine) & Bill Wootton (poetry)

Accounts | Julie Hanson Delivery | Tony Sawrey

Sweet sound of success for Hepburn couple

World-wide, some truly remarkable things have come out of the Covid pandemic and one of them is the meteoric rise to international success of a new party game developed by a Hepburn Springs couple during lockdown.

One aspect that makes the success of That Sound Game so remarkable is that the two women behind it, Nat Delaney-John, left, and Cam Jasson, right, have backgrounds that could hardly be any further from the games scene.

Cam is a construction sector project management consultant whose professional dedication saw her awarded the Property Council of Australia’s Future Leader of the Year Award ’23, while Nat, who dreamt up That Sound Game, is a taxidermist.

The two had been living in a Melbourne apartment getting on with their work. But when the pandemic struck, Nat’s life and livelihood was badly impacted and she was left struggling to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

“I was so used to feeling like my world was large,” Nat recalls the impact of the pandemic on her personal existence. “Because of taxidermy I was used to working with palaeontologists and digging up dinosaurs. When Covid happened it really, really hurt my company. I felt the walls closing in.”

But as Victorians - and millions of others worldwide - cocooned in their houses and turned to things like food, wine and board games during enforced lockdown, Nat had an interesting realisation.

“I needed to feel like you could still have dreams. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised someone should have done this before us,” Nat says. “It is so rare to see a big gap in an already established market.”

Locked-down Nat had noticed that while the world had no shortage of charadesbased games, word games galore, and myriad vision-based evergreen board game favs, there seemed very little, if anything, based around the medium of sound.

A dream was born with Nat and Cam pouring their time, energy and money into developing an entertaining fun-filled, family-friendly game to fill that gap.

That Sound Game is a fast-paced, interactive and very noisy party game, with the goal to get your team to guess as many answers on the category card as they can in a minute. Players can use any combination of sounds and movements, but their hands must be behind their backs.

On its release in February 2023, That Sound Game became a social media sensation, “going viral” on TikTok. “Nat came up with the idea in 2021 at the start of the second lockdown,” Cam says. “We worked on the game for the whole of the lockdown and it’s been in production for about two years.

“We launched the game at the start of February '23 and when we launched it went viral on TikTok. We sold out in the US in four hours and we sold out worldwide in four days. Within our first year of launching we sold 100,000 units.”

Nat says social media has been a big part of their success. “Our total reach on social media now is 190 million views. That’s how many eyeballs have seen us,” she says.

That Sound Game has since gained distribution in the US and the UK with major international retailers like Barnes & Noble, Walmart Canada, and Waterstones and John Lewis in the UK stocking it, while their own website and a partnership with Amazon enables them to fulfil supply obligations for online sales globally.

But getting to that stage was far from easy.

“I was working three jobs and Cam was working two jobs to make it happen,” says Nat who took on additional work at Reptile Encounters, teaching young adults with autism to become zoo keepers in order to raise an extra $50,000-$60,000 needed to get them over the line.

It not only paid off but enabled them to purchase a home in Hepburn Springs in December after an initial shift to Daylesford mid-2023 as the game was taking off.

To cater for market demand, they have further developed That Sound Game by creating some add-on x-tension packs including a ribald adults only pack, and another one aimed at more junior players in development, while the main game itself is family–friendly and suited for players young and mature alike.

The game has now been translated into Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish and German, and as The Local caught up with Nat and Cam in recent days, pre-sales were poised to go live in each of those countries. As if that weren’t sufficient success, That Sound Game has just taken out Game of The Year at the Australian Toy Association Awards, and is also a finalist in the running to win Gift of The Year in the UK with Nat flying to London to attend a gala awards event and find out if they’ve scooped it.

Ellen DeGeneres' (online subscription) Game Night got in touch last year and as a result, That Sound Game is set to feature on that platform mid-year in what represents a fairly invaluable promotional opportunity.

It’s a heady take-off from November 2022 when, Nat recalls, “we started selling to family and friends as sheer harassment to buy the thing we’d been working on”.

Nat and Cam now represent one of the very few entirely female-owned board game enterprises in the world. “It’s amazing. Life-changing,” Nat says. “We thought we had a million dollar idea, but to actually become a million dollar idea...these things don’t happen by chance. We were working up to 20 hours a day and now it’s probably down to 16 hours a day.”

Asked for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Cam draws on her sporting background. “I was always taught to be the hardest worker in the room. I feel lucky it’s paid off. You have to visualise that the thing has happened or is going to happen. (And) I’d say invest in yourself as well. Take a gamble on yourself.”

Words & image: Eve Lamb

Estimate yours with the tax cut calculator.

Calculate yours at taxcuts.gov.au

PUZZLING!

The Bullarto Hall has become the temporary home of what may just be one of the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzles.

Measuring 5.5 x 2 metres and weighing 19.05kg, the puzzle was too large for Bullarto residents Eddy and June Pleban to set up under their roof so they brought it to the hall to assemble across trestle tables.

“Eddy bought the puzzle for me 10 years ago as a joke. It came with a hand truck,” June, pictured, said. “I started and finished one panel, which was 4000 pieces but then put it aside. The whole thing has 32,256 precision-cut pieces and consists of just six colours plus black and white which adds to the already incredible challenge.”

It wasn’t until the pandemic lockdowns that June pulled out the puzzle and had another go. Seven panels and one year later, the retrospective work featuring 32 individual, brightly-coloured images by famed (deceased) American artist Keith Haring was finished.

With only half able to fit on a wall at home, the couple thought of 'Make it Monday' – a local end-of-the-month gathering where locals chat while creating something - and decided this offered the perfect opportunity to bring the puzzle out of storage and set it up at the Bullarto Hall.

The puzzle is now on display at the hall until Thursday, May 9. For a look just call 0437 850 360 or email bullartohall@gmail.com

Draft township plans

Hepburn Shire Council has endorsed the release of draft Township Structure Plans (for Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, Glenlyon and Trentham) and Rural Hepburn: Agricultural Land & Rural Settlement Strategy to be open for feedback throughout a six-week community and stakeholder engagement period.

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said that the Future Hepburn project was the most important project the council would deliver for many years.

“Future Hepburn is a major, once-in-ageneration project. We’ve already heard from the community that they want council to protect and enhance the character of our townships and rural settlements. The strategic planning controls proposed in these key documents will help us appropriately manage future growth and development,” he said.

“We have already undertaken extensive community consultation to reach this phase of the project, but it’s important that we hear from the community now that we have draft documents. The draft Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn strategy have come about after feedback from community and stakeholder groups throughout 2023, along with specialist technical advice from consultants and council officers with expertise in planning, ecology, infrastructure, transport, recreation and economic development.

“Input from the community will help inform the final drafts of the five Township Structure Plans and Rural Strategy to be considered for adoption in the coming months.”

Community information sessions will be held at:

Creswick: Friday, May 17, from 5pm to 8pm at the Creswick RSL. The introduction presentation will start at 7pm.

Trentham: Friday, May 24, from 5pm to 8pm at the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre. The introduction presentation will start at 7pm.

Hepburn Springs: Saturday, May 25, from 9am to 12pm at the Bendigo Community Bank building, Hepburn Springs. The introduction presentation will start at 11am.

Glenlyon: Saturday, May 25 from 2pm to 5pm at the Glenlyon Shire Hall. The introduction presentation will start at 4pm.

Clunes: Saturday, June 1, from 9am to 12pm at the Clunes Town Hall. The introduction presentation will start at 11am.

Daylesford: Saturday, June 1, from 2pm to 5pm at the Daylesford Town Hall. The introduction presentation will start at 4pm.

The council's Community Panels will also come together again to review the drafts and provide feedback. “Our community panels played an important role in providing direction and focus on the vision and objectives which, in turn, guided the development of the strategies and actions,” Cr Hood said.

“We look forward to working with these passionate community members again during this important phase of the project.”

The Local last week received an anonymous email regarding Future Hepburn.

"Please please investigate this. It has not been done with community consultation. What has been drafted is not a reflection of those 'community engagement panels' and it is not appropriate that council is using that process as a rationale for its outcome that’s been drafted. Please follow this through." Link: www.participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn

What are your thoughts? Email news@tlnews.com.au

Words: Donna Kelly

Integrity on its way

The state government has introduced new legislation to improve council governance and integrity standards, so Victorians can have confidence in the local governments that serve them.

The reform of the Local Government Act 2020 introduced into Parliament last week will elevate governance and integrity standards in Victoria’s 79 councils, to be in place for the new council term following the local government elections this October.

Since the last council elections in 2020, 56 councillors have resigned and 11 councils have had municipal monitors appointed, with one council suspended and one dismissed as a result of governance issues.

Following extensive consultation with the sector, councils will have a uniform councillor code of conduct to create consistent standards of behaviour and increase accountability. A program of mandatory training will also be introduced for councillors and mayors, including annual professional development.

The bill will introduce stronger sanctions for councillor misconduct and improved processes to resolve conduct matters earlier. The Minister for Local Government will also have strengthened powers to deal with councillors who are putting health and safety at risk or are preventing their council from performing its functions.

The reforms have been developed in response to reports and recommendations of IBAC, the Chief Municipal Inspector and other interventions which highlighted the need for stronger processes and powers to resolve conduct issues, and better training so councillors can perform their roles effectively.

Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne said Victorians deserve councils that represent them and meet their needs.

“Our reforms will enhance governance and accountability across all our councils. Our reforms will create a uniform code of conduct across all councillors and introduce mandatory training, supporting councils to best represent the communities they serve.”

Opinion

In October last year The Local received a leaked document, via a USB drive, the report by the Local Government Inspectorate into Hepburn Shire Council and dealings with The Rex. And a few other things.

The document arrived a week after The Local had emailed the Inspectorate to ask why the report had not been released and received an email back saying the Inspectorate was unable to share any information at that time.

The Local also contacted Hepburn Shire Council at the time with CEO Bradley Thomas saying the council had been in regular contact with the Local Government Inspectorate regarding the release of the report and “we have been calling for the release for some time – we can’t speculate on the reasons for the delay, but encourage you to contact the LGI directly”.

After a column by Donna Kelly on the receipt of the leaked document, The Local was asked to deliver the drive and any associated paperwork to the Inspectorate.

Last Wednesday, May 1, after receiving the above media release, titled by The Local as "Integrity on its way", stating the state government has introduced new legislation to improve council governance and integrity standards, The Local wrote again to the Local Government Inspectorate asking when the report would be released.

It also wrote the same day to the media advisor of Local Government Department Minister Melissa Horne, who sent out the release, asking how the new legislation would help the people of Hepburn Shire uncover what had happened with their ratepayer dollars.

No reply was received from either department before press time.

The Local Government Inspectorate's charter is “Encouraging higher standards of integrity, accountability and transparency in local government”.

And the state government continues to release media releases about legislation which will "elevate governance and integrity standards in Victoria’s 79 councils" and that "since the last council elections in 2020, 56 councillors have resigned and 11 councils have had municipal monitors appointed as a result of governance issues".

That is all fine and dandy for those councils, but every Hepburn Shire ratepayer has the right to know what happened to their rates - and how long it will impact the delivery of services to the region. Until then, where is the integrity? And most of all, where did our rates go?

Words: Donna Kelly Your thoughts? Email news@tlnews.com.au

Education feature

Hepburn PS: The Heart of the Community

'Curiosity, Kindness and Courage' is the catchcy of Hepburn Primary School and recent visits from Daylesford Police and Hepburn CFA members took that to heart.

Acting principal Matt Beechey believes the school is the heart of the local community and the visits were just a part of the place the school and its students and staff hold.

"We were looking at our local heroes within the community and both the police and CFA came and addressed the entire school about their roles and what it means to be an active member of the community," Matt said. "We had been talking about the rules of the shire and community and then why we have our rules and responsibilities at the school to learn by."

As part of the CFA visit there was an emergency practice drill for the school's fire shelter and the chance for students to act with confidence if ever an emergency arose.

The students had "lots of questions" for both the CFA and the police members, which were all readily answered, and were able to see both organisations were there for the good of the community.

But it wasn't all serious. The police got out their radar guns to test the students' running abilities, students were able to try out equipment and look in the vehicles, and some were even breathalysed - with all returning .00!

"The students were able to see the police are really nice people and if they see the officers in the street they appreciated a thumbs up or a hello," Matt, who has led the school for three years, said.

"It is a great school, with terrific students and educators, at the heart of its community." P:

CONNECT

Yandoit School

P.s. 69\ SMALL•UN IOU E •INSPIRING NOW TAKING ENROLMENTS

Historic Yandoit Primary is a small school situated in a picturesque rural setting. We are a 15 minute drive from Daylesford and 10 minutes from Newstead. Our aim is to individually tailor a strong literacy and numeracy learning experience in a nurturing environment from prep to grade 6. We offer Multi-sensory phonics based literacy program

LOTE Italian Music Cooking Art STEM (science,technology, engineering,mathem atics)

Excellent student to teacher ratio's Modern classrooms 1-1 ipad/laptop Library Art room Kitchen Playgro und Vegetable garden Adjoining bushland

Just briefly...

The Hepburn Pavilion and Kiosk, which has operated at the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve since 1908, is up for lease.

Renovation works are being planned which will include repairs to the octagonal Pavilion. The request for proposal period will close at 5pm on Friday, May 31. The Hepburn Pavilion and Kiosk lease is separate from the lease of the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa | Daylesford Mineral Spa, for which the Hepburn Shire Council leases operations to Belgravia Leisure.

ARC Justice – a rights-based, for-purpose organisation incorporating the Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre and Housing Justice based in Bendigo and the Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centre based in Shepparton – is set to receive $1 million over the next four years to help expand its work into climate justice.

ARC Justice chief executive officer Damian Stock said climate justice was a growing area of focus for the organisation. Victorian Legal Services Board CEO and Commissioner Fiona McLeay said the funding would provide the “flexibility and certainty” that was needed to see long-term growth in access to justice.

Hepburn Shire Council is investigating key areas that directly influence the health and wellbeing of its residents.

These include tackling climate change and its impacts on health; increasing healthy eating; improving mental wellbeing and prevention of all forms of violence. The council has an online survey on its Participate Hepburn page. The survey closes on June 17.

After being damaged by flood, the refurbished bowling green at Doug Lindsay Reserve, Creswick, has been re-opened by Ballarat MP Catherine King.

The next stage will tackle improvements to the drainage and irrigation of the main oval. The Federal Government provided $750,000 towards stages 1 and 2. Hepburn Shire Council's contributions is estimated at $540,000.

The Guildford Store has closed but locals hope to form a cooperative to reopen the store and keep it operating for the community and visitors.

Community meetings have led to the formation of an interim committee which is conducting groundwork to establish a cooperative to purchase and run the store. Link: www.guildfordcoop.com.au

To celebrate IDAHOBIT on May 17, Swinburne University, alongside VicHealth and Vicsport, will present a report on one of the first Australian studies to document participation rates of LGBTIQA+ people in sport and the prevalence of discrimination for rainbow people across sport and movement settings.

A panel discussion will then follow with Carlton AFLW player Darcy Vescio, South Melbourne Football Club's Andy Brennan and Tennis Australia's National Diversity & Inclusion coordinator Irena Farinacci sharing insights and personal experiences on how to engage and empower LGBTIQA+ young people in sport.

Details: www.vicsport.com.au

An upgraded Central Springs Reserve is becoming a reality for Daylesford with major works now under way.

The upgrade includes the construction of three mineral spring pumps to connect to the new bore which was completed late last year. The project will also deliver a new shelter with an electric bbq, new park furniture, landscaping and connecting path network. Hepburn Shire Council is also working to include a feature by a Djaara artist together with cultural stories related to the area. The project is due for completion in August.

Bendigo Airport’s new terminal and business park has opened.

The terminal - which is approximately four times larger than the previous building - includes new check-in facilities and departure lounge, upgraded restrooms, provision for future security screening, and an indoor arrival area and baggage collection to support seamless travel. The project also features a 183-space carpark and an expanded apron that can fit two 70-seat aircraft, allowing the airport to include new airlines and future flights to new destinations.

*Got some news to share? Email news@tlnews.com.au

Hepburn House's Memory Lane Unit

Hepburn House's Memory Lane, a 15-bed unit built specifically to assist residents with dementia, is now open!

Hepburn House is at 1 Hepburn Road, Hepburn. Book a tour of the new unit or the existing accommodation and living areas. Bookings: dianne@hepburnhouse.com.au For everything Hepburn House has on offer head to www.hepburnhouse.com.au or call 5348 8100. (RAT tests may be required.)

Women on Women exhibition in Maryborough

Women on Women is the latest exhibition at Central Goldfields Art Gallery in Maryborough.

Three artists from Central Victoria and three artists from Melbourne are brought together in this exhibition that spans painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and textiles. The unifying theme is the celebration of the diversity of women’s experiences.

Central Victorian artists are First Nations artist Tashara Roberts, Tenar Dwyer from Bealiba and Fiona Somerville from Talbot, alongside Melbourne inner-city artists Ruth O’Leary, Starlie Geikie and Lyndal Walker.

The exhibition itself is the result of a partnership between Central Goldfields Art Gallery and the Melbourne based not-for-profit organisation, Satellite Projects, that supports visual artists through an innovative program of exhibitions, networking and professional development.

Fiona Somerville has been making her paintings and drawings for 40 years. Focused on the theme of the ‘ruin’, her work delves into a historical and mnemonic exploration of Australia’s rural past.

Lyndal Walker's solo practice has been concerned with themes of gender, identity, time and fashion. The nature of images and the process of looking are core conceptual concerns that pervade her photographs and installations.

Ruth O’Leary’s multi-disciplinary practice interlaces feminist, subjective and spatial ideas played out through performance. As a mother of three young children Ruth is working towards bridging the gap between representation of mothers in the contemporary art space and text-based works.

Starlie Geikie’s practice archives the past and ruminates on the future. Her work includes myriad references to utopian architecture, armour, cinema, feminism and images associated with the 1970s, generating both visual and historic dialogues.

Tashara Roberts is a contemporary Indigenous conceptual artist whose practice includes photography, moving image, installation, mixed media, printmaking, sculpture and jewellery. Her work is sometimes subversive and politically charged.

Tenar Dwyer is a regional Victorian artist who primarily works in oil painting using a representational format. Her art focuses on the familiar and everyday, aiming to elevate the ordinary and mundane to evoke new meanings and establish a personal connection with the viewer.

The exhibition is on display until June 16. Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Contributed

A Meta and The Local initiative

Tashara Roberts

Tenar Dwyer

Fiona Somerville

Lyndal Walker

Starlie Geikie

Ruth O’Leary

Council news

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Council’s meeting on 16 April 2024

• Moved a condolence motion which I put forward. Councillors and staff extended their heartfelt condolences to the McGuire family of Clunes on the tragic loss of their beloved daughter Hannah. The opportunity was taken to reaffirm Council’s resolute commitment to support the prevention of all forms of violence. This position is entrenched in Council’s Plan and the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan. The scourge of domestic and gender-based violence continues at alarming and unacceptable rates and presents a significant challenge for all levels of government and society generally. It is nothing short of a national crisis and is simply intolerable. It is time for men to step up and address this crisis.

• Adopted a revised policy to govern Council’s various grants programs to ensure they are best practice, well governed, meet the needs of the community and deliver strong outcomes. The grants programs cover Quick Response grants, Events grants, Community grants, Biodiversity grants and Landcare grants and are a significant means of enabling Council to tangibly support many community groups. Details are on Council’s website. Council’s Special Meeting on 30 April unanimously resolved to release the five draft town structure plans and the draft rural strategy for a six-week period of further consultation with the community and stakeholder engagement. The Future Hepburn project is the most important project Council will deliver for many years and has the potential to touch every landowner and resident in the Shire, now and into the future. Council has already heard from the community that you want Council to protect and enhance the character of our townships and rural settlements. The strategic planning controls proposed in these key documents will help Council appropriately manage future growth and development. The plans have been prepared with specialist technical advice from consultants and Council officers with expertise in planning, ecology, infrastructure, transport, recreation and economic development. They seek to protect the environment and biodiversity; preserve the heritage, amenity and character of our towns; address bushfire risk and the effects of climate change; and guide urban design and housing.

I encourage community members to review the draft plans, attend information sessions and provide feedback to Council. More details are available at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/futurehepburn

The plans are due to be adopted at Council’s August meeting.

Mayor Cr Brian Hood

SHAPE THE FUTURE OF OUR SHIRE

We’ve drafted Township Structure Plans (for Creswick, Clunes, Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, Glenlyon and Trentham) and Rural Hepburn: Agricultural Land & Rural Settlement Strategy, and now we need your feedback. These important strategic documents will help guide land use planning into the future.

We engaged with the community during 2023 to understand your vision for the future and what you value about both our townships and our rural land. Further engagement sessions were held with Community Panels with representatives from your community to develop a vision statement and objectives for each of the six key structure plan themes. This feedback has helped us draft these important plans and strategy.

To gather feedback on the draft documents we will be hosting community information sessions where you can speak to a planner. Each information session will include a presentation on the key planning responses as they relate to your town. We also have an online survey that you can complete to share your ideas.

Community information sessions: Creswick

Friday 17 May, from 5pm to 8pm at the RSL, 60 Albert Street, Creswick.

• Introduction Presentation will commence at 7pm. Trentham

Friday 24 May, from 5pm to 8pm at the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre, 56 High Street, Trentham.

• Introduction Presentation will commence at 7pm. Hepburn Springs

Saturday 25 May, from 9am to 12pm at the Bendigo Community Bank building, 113 Main Road, Hepburn Springs.

• Introduction Presentation will commence at 11am. Glenlyon

Saturday 25 May, from 2pm to 5pm at the Glenlyon Shire Hall, Barkly Street, Glenlyon.

• Introduction Presentation will commence at 4pm. Clunes

Saturday 1 June, from 9am to 12pm at the Clunes Town Hall, 98 Bailey Street, Clunes.

Introduction Presentation will commence at 11am.

Daylesford

Saturday 1 June, from 2pm to 5pm at the Daylesford Town Hall, 76 Vincent Street, Daylesford.

• Introduction Presentation will commence at 4pm.

For more information, to view the draft documents and to provide feedback online visit https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/futurehepburn

The Council Plan 2021-2025 describes how Council will strive towards our vision, where to focus efforts, and how to measure progress. Each Focus Area has a series of priority statements, with actions against each item.

EAT | DRINK | ENJOY

Out & About in the Central Highlands

Comedy Looped Gigs

The Mount Players' second production for 2024 opens May 10 and runs until May 26.

Based on a real event, Looped, a comedy by Matthew Lombardo, takes place in the summer of 1965 in the editing studio where an inebriated Tallulah Bankhead needed eight hours to redub or "loop", one line of dialogue for her last movie.

Though Bankhead's outsized personality dominates the play, the substory involves her battle of wills with a film editor named Danny Miller, who has been selected to work that particular sound editing session.

The playwright uses a great deal of theatrical licence, offering us a hilarious yet sympathetic guesstimation as to what may have happened in that room on that day. Fun, funny and seductive this play is sure to appeal to many.

This is director Peter Newling’s first gig with The Mount Players. Peter is held in high regard throughout the community theatre scene across Melbourne. Vicki Smith, pictured, takes on the role of Tallulah with utter professionalism and presence and Darren Gregor grasps the role of the highly frustrated film editor with ease.

A special Mother’s Day matinee on Sunday, May 12 offers complimentary bubbles for all the mums and delicious treats at interval.

Tickets via www.themountplayers.com or call 5426 1892 for assistance.

Words: Karen Hunt | Image: Contributed

with Darren Lowe

Leavers Hotel, Creswick

Friday, May 10 - Brooke Taylor

Saturday, May 11 - Mark Wilkinson

Friday, May 17 - Elly McK and the Unbelievers

Friday, May 24 - Dumplings Darling with Synthotronica

Palais-Hepburn, Hepburn Springs

Friday, May 10 - The Valentines

Bringing smoky jazz to Palais-Hepburn, The Valentines is a new duo in town. Chrissy Schuler and Sarah Barlow have decades of experience between them, spanning classical, jazz, rock, soul and blues on piano, voice and horns.

Saturday, May 11 - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac by Second Hand News

Back by popular demand, your favourite tribute to Fleetwood Mac is returning to the Palais-Hepburn in May 2024. From 70s jams to 80s pop hits, Second Hand News will play two huge sets of songs spanning Fleetwood Mac’s incredible career.

Sunday Matinee, May 12 - The Johnny Cash and June Carter Show

Australia's most authentic Johnny Cash and June Carter Show. They will leave you uplifted and energised with their exciting show and have you wanting to get up and dance to all the hits you know and love.

Friday, May 17 - Szara Fox and Andrew Darling

Szara Fox is an exotic songstress, whose unique concoction of indie-gypsy folk is influenced by flamenco and balkan gypsy music. A Dutch singer-songwriter, Szara's songs are exciting, uptempo tales of travel, love and freedom.

Saturday, May 18 - Great Tenors and Sopranos

This show presents all the great tenor and soprano arias made famous by the greats - Mario Lanza Medley, Nessun Dorma, The Drinking Song from La Traviata, La Boheme, Summertime, The Prayer, Time to Say Goodbye and many more.

Let’s support our community and shop local!

“Locals supporting Locals”

Restaurants, Bakers, Butchers, Cafe’s, Local vineyards, Distillers, Brewers and of course each other.

Remember we offer free delivery, T&Cs apply. Delivery times are Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm. We accept credit cards over the phone or we have an on-board eftpos machine. You will need to be at home for the delivery with proof of age if asked by the driver. Give the Foxxy team a call on 5348 3577. Keep safe, everyone.

Wine notes with Clive Hartley

White wine with steak

It is not something I’d normally recommend, serving a white wine (chardonnay) with steak, but I had it the other night and it made a comparatively good match.

Normally, choosing what wine to have with a dish can be as simple as applying long-established rules such as white with fish and red with red meats. However, there is so much more to consider; the cooking method, sauces and impact of vegetables, accompaniments and farinaceous sides can all change the impact on the taste of the wine and the main ingredient.

Working out the overall dish's intensity and matching it with a similarly intense wine is a good starting point and ground rule. Light food with light wines etc. But wine can also be used as a palate cleanser, which is what happened in the steak vs chardonnay incident. Understanding the style of wine and not just the grape variety is another consideration. The chardonnay I had was extremely light and cool climate in style with plenty of acidity. It would have been a different story if the wine had heavier buttery malolactic notes and toasty oak.

I read a comment from Clare Burder, from Eminence Vineyard in the King Valley recently, about the time she was in Japan where a sake producer said to her 'sake doesn’t fight with food'. I think many of our wines ‘fight with food’. Our major grape varieties and warm to hot climate produce intense fruit flavours and high alcohol wines. Attributes that don’t marry with the savoury nature of food. Clare thinks that pinot blanc is the closest the wine world has to the matching ability of sake. It has low aromatics and flavours, gentle structure and can sit in the background rather than dominating the flavour of food. Italian white grapes such as pinot grigio, garganega, fiano, vermentino, verdicchio can also be classified in the same basket.

Locally you can try an outstanding 2023 Pinot Blanc from Granite Hills and Mount Towrong Vineyard produce an attractive 2023 Vermentino and a saline, herbal, light-bodied 2023 Grillo, a white grape found in Sicily.

Red wines that don’t fight with food would be grape varieties like sangiovese, nebbiolo, some gamays and pinot noir. These are light to medium bodied wines that have good levels of acidity, useful in food matching as it acts like seasoning.

Looking over my recent notes, Mount Towrong Nebbiolo 2022, Best’s Pinot Noir 2022 or J.P Trijsburg Pinot Noir 2021and Vinea Marson Sangiovese 2018 fit the bill.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. His 305 page full colour book Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) is available for purchase from Paradise Books in Daylesford or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au

Happy Mother's Day!

Love from your kids, furbabies and those who just call you 'mum'!

Scent from south of the border

Shrubs can add beauty to your garden in so many different ways, be it colourful foliage, attractive flowers or habit of growth, but one of the most welcoming ways is in filling the air with waves of delicious perfume.

It should be no surprise that many of the trees, shrubs and climbers having this particular attribute originated in South America, particularly Mexico. There the climate is closest to ours, meaning that with the right treatment and conditions they should thrive in your gardens but will obviously need some protection from winter frosts and cold winds until they are fully established.

One needing minimum protection is aloysia citrodora - the lemon-scented verbena - a sturdy, easily grown, compact shrub of 2 to 3 metres. The leaves are pale green in colour and are long with deep crinkly serrations. In spring the plant is covered with pale, mauve/grey flowers. It is evergreen and fast growing. The perfume is in the leaves, which when crushed or bruised, give off an attractive, strong, citruslike smell. If the foliage is picked and dried, it will give a long-lasting aroma to your linen closet or wardrobes.

Aloysia is easily grown and will thrive in any warm exposed position in any welldrained soil. Cut the shrub back hard each spring after flowering to keep it compact and bushy.

Choisya ternata (Mexican mock orange) is another attractive, perfumed (and one of my favourites) shrub. It’s evergreen and will grow quickly to a height of one or two metres. The foliage is dark green and glossy, and in spring the whole plant is covered in blossom, emitting a subtle, orange blossom-like perfume.

Wet feet is the arch enemy of choisya, so should be planted in a well-drained spot in the garden (especially in winter), or into a large pot of fibrous soil.

Heliotropium arborescens (cherry pie) is a compact evergreen shrub growing to a metre high. The leaves are oval and dark green with a furry texture. In spring the branches are covered with deep purple, lantana-like, subtle but sweet flowers. Provided the plant is pruned each year after flowering, heliotropium will make a neat, round shrub or can be used as a low bordering hedge. If planted in any exposed area in light soil or heavy loam they would appreciate protection from frost in the first winter.

Philadelphus virginalis (mock orange) is another attractive shrub bearing the same common name and originating in Mexico but this time it's deciduous and quickly attains a height of 2 metres. It flowers mainly on second-year wood so care should be taken to ensure that this wood is cut back hard after flowering to be sure of plenty of healthy young wood for the next season’s crop of large single fragrant blooms to pick and take indoors.

Plumeria rubra v. acutifolia (frangipani) is another but please note I include this one with a note of caution. Frangipani is a widely grown native of Mexico and would require a glass greenhouse, well-lit sunroom or a decidedly frost-free position in a large but moveable pot to succeed in our local climate.

They need to be grown in well-lit and warm positions in very well drained soil. Their greatest enemies are collar rot and wet feet which are brought about by excessive water especially during their dormant periods. So if you keen enough to try, use a large tub and sandy loam so that the amount of water they receive can be strictly controlled and fingers crossed. Oh, by the way, it would be best to wait until the warmth of spring.

Above right, our pittosporum teniufolium in the annual embrace of our fence-covering ornamental vine (vitis vinifera) before its annual “haircut”this year it beat me to it by producing an early season festoon of beautifully coloured leaves Got a gardening query? Email glenzgarden@gmail.com

2nd SUNDAY OF THE MONTH 9AM- 1PM, FRASER STREET

*VFMA Accredited *Monthly Wood Raffle *Live Music *RSL BBQ & Devonshire Tea *Dog Friendly *Food *Coffee *Artisanal Produce Stallholder & General Inquiries Email: marketsocials@clunesvic.org.au

CORNED BEEF

(Mum’s Breakfast in Bed.)

Nothing says Mother’s Day quite like breakfast in bed or even a lovely Autumn lunch sitting in the garden soaking up the last of the sun before Winter to celebrate your mum.

This recipe is super easy as you can change it to suit your cooking skills and what you have on hand. It is also perfect with our streaky bacon. Made from the belly, it is beautifully smoked, with a good layer of fat and seasoned with herbs giving it a rich, salty smoky flavour that pairs beautifully with the eggs. You can use fresh or frozen spinach, substitute with kale, add any other green herbs - have fun experimenting. Just make sure you leave the quiche to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it so it has time to firm up. You can serve with some fresh dressed leaves on the side and of course, a giant cup of your mum’s favourite brew.

For this recipe and many others, click on the QR code or visit daylesfordmeatco.com.au

$16.99/KG

Our beautiful beyond free-range Green Hills Natural Beef is expertly brined. Also known as silverside - we make our corned beef using topside so it is leaner but requires long slow cooking.

SMOKED PORK HOCK $17.99

Smoked pork hocks, also called pork knuckles, are incredibly tasty and add a rich, smoky, meaty flavour to a lot of dishes including pea and ham soup.

Lest We Forget Anzac Day 2024

Images: Michelle Donnelly

Artists of the Central Highlands with Eve Lamb

When bodily stresses intervened, artist and designer David Dawson went from making a living as a builder to creating Blampied’s unique Overwrought Garden Art workshop, gallery and display garden. In so doing he and his partner Karen McAloon have created a thriving enterprise that now employs nine staff and has become a much-loved attraction for the region. It’s a prime example of marrying art and functionality to create enterprise and bring joy into the lives of many.

Eve: Hi David. How long have you been here now?

David: We’ve been here (Overwrought Garden Art at Blampied) for about eight years but we’ve been in the area, living at Mount Franklin for 20 years, from Melbourne originally.

Eve: How did you get into this line of creative work?

David: Well, even when I was a kid I always loved working with my hands –Lego and plasticine. I used to work with wood and I ended up working as a builder. But it got too hard on my body so I had to look at another means of making an income. I started out making some wrought iron gates. I took them to the Seymour farmers’ expo and they sold. I got orders and I thought ‘that worked!’ But I didn’t just want to make wrought iron though. I wanted to make really unique organic designs with trees and leaves and birds, and so I looked into different ways of making different shapes and came up with laser cutting. Initially I got this done in Ballarat and had it couriered back here, and I then shaped and welded it here. I did that for a couple of years. But then I realised I could do my own cutting and I started out with a CNC plasma cutter before I bought my first laser cutter about seven years ago. Then we got a second one during Covid. I’ve come up with all my own manufacturing techniques and I make all my own jigs.

Eve: What items do you make?

David: If it’s metal we make it. Garden art, sculpture, wall art, garden furniture, gates, privacy screens, bird baths, fire pits. But we don’t do structural engineering jobs. I’m not a structural engineer.

Eve: How do you come up with the designs?

David: People always ask me that and I don’t really know how to answer. I see things in nature and I imagine how they’d be in steel. Sometimes I start with a photo and I edit and adapt the design. I love a challenge and some of the best designs come from people saying ‘can you make this?’ For example a tawny frogmouth project.

Eve: Can you tell me a bit more about your journey of establishing this site here at Blampied? It’s transformed a fair bit since you started out here.

David: Yes. This (gallery and retail space) was a fallen-down hayshed with a dirt floor when we started out here about eight years ago. The workshop was an open shed with no floor. I and another guy rebuilt the entire place and I landscaped the garden. I designed and built the garden here from scratch and I am really happy with the way the garden has come together.

Eve: How many people do you employ here now?

David: We’ve got nine employees, not counting myself. We are very proud to be able to support local people and we try to buy all of our materials locally.

Eve: What would you rate among your more memorable projects to date?

David: Probably the biggest one was a set of gates for Burnley Gardens. They were a 150th anniversary for the gardens and the design featured espaliered fruit trees.

Eve: You and Karen are just back from a pretty interesting trip to Vietnam.

David: We’ve always tried through this business to support local and other artists and while we were in Vietnam we did some arts workshops, and we met some artists making interesting pieces and we have now brought some of those pieces back to exhibit and sell here. We went to a place called The Hope Center in Hue. It works with people who have disabilities and gives them vocational training. We have brought back some of these pieces to sell here and we want to continue to support them. I want to go back and spend more time there, meet more artists and build more contacts.

Eve: With your own work, what materials do you work with?

David: Mild steel and we use hydrochloric acid to rust the surface. I also use stainless steel for backing, or acrylic sheet, and also galvanised iron for backing. I can also work in corten which is designed to rust and then stop rusting.

Eve: What do you find most fulfilling about your work?

David: I love seeing the joy it brings to people. Some of the work I try to make is a bit quirky. It makes people smile and I love that. Everything I make I get a kick out of making.

Image: Eve Lamb

Lost Gems from The Golden Age of Hollywood

Christ Church Concerts presents Lost Gems from the Golden Age of Hollywood with Australian-born virtuoso violinist and film composer Patrick Savage, and acclaimed pianist Konrad Olszewski.

Touring Victoria and Tasmania the concert will feature music from Patrick’s recently released CD The Golden Age of Hollywood: Concert Works for Violin and Piano

Patrick, pictured right, a leading virtuoso in Britain along with the brilliant pianist Konrad will present obscure works from Hollywood’s Golden Age with film music by some of the most acclaimed film music composers at Christ Church, Daylesford on May 25.

Researched and compiled through Covid lockdowns the album was recently named BBC's album of the week and has already received rave reviews from many including from The Strad

Composers featured in the concert include Saint-Saëns, Shostakovich, Schnittke and Copland as well as virtuoso works by John Williams.

Patrick brings to the stage a formidable career including (former) Principal First Violin for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and first violin in the Tippett Quartet. Now a freelance concertmaster, soloist, studio session player and West End musician, Patrick is also a film music composer with scores including the cult horror The Human Centipede and forthcoming puppet horror, Abruptio. Patrick has also composed for theatre and video games.

Each of the composers represented on the album were Academy Award-winners or nominees and made an extraordinary contribution to the art of film scoring during Hollywood’s Golden Age.

This concert offers an opportunity to experience live performances of rarely heard music composed during the heady years of the frenetic film production period of the 1920s to the 1960s.

During this time Los Angeles was a magnet for violin super-heroes, including the man who influenced the sound of cinematic violin playing more than any other, Jascha Heifetz. While the composers of old Hollywood were generally accomplished pianists, they called upon the magic of the violin to make the tenderest, most direct appeal to the heart.

All concerts in this series commence at 2.30pm. Link: https://www.trybooking.com/eventlist/christchurchconcerts w

Biggest Morning Tea

An Australia's Biggest Morning Tea will once again be hosted by Carol Collins, far right, at the Daylesford Bowling Club on Monday, May 27 from 10.30am.

The cost to join in is $15 with plenty of raffle and door prizes and lots of great morning tea temptations - created by Carol and her friends.

Every dollar raised through Australia's Biggest Morning Tea helps fund Cancer Council's life-saving research, prevention, support programs and information.

Every cuppa makes a difference. Just $150 provides two people recently diagnosed with cancer with one-on-one support, connecting them to a trained Cancer Connect volunteer, $500 helps provide training to leaders of cancer support groups where people can meet and share their experiences in an emotionally supportive environment and $1000 pays for an analysis of two gene samples for a research project.

RSVPs not needed, just pop along to the Bowlo.

Words: Donna Kelly | File image: Kyle Barnes

Native timber support available now

Native timber harvesting has ended in Victoria but support is still available.

Native timber businesses, workers and communities can continue to access a range of support including:

• The Victorian Forestry Worker Support Program

– including payments and training, 1:1 case management, employment services, health and wellbeing support.

• Business support – including exit packages and funding to help diversify.

• Community support – health and wellbeing services.

For more information:

• Forestry Transition hotline - 1800 318 182

• Victorian Forestry Worker Support Program - 1800 122 001 vic.gov.au/forestry

Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre 13 Camp Street, Daylesford

r SVP sales@central-spark.com

Kyle’s Rant

Tesla motor cars, in my opinion, aren’t all that they are cracked up to be.

Here at TL HQ we have joined the electric car race and decided to trade the 2009 Toyota in on a Y series Tesla (T). Now, I have been searching around the new car market for a while as regular readers are aware, and it has been important to get an electric vehicle not a combustion engine.

The other side of the purchase argument is it had to be a long-term car as we don’t change our cars very often, so we decided on a new bouncing baby, red Tesla. It was a bit more expensive than other electric cars, however it is built from the ground up to be electric. Not just had its engine pulled out and replaced with an electric engine as some manufacturers are doing.

When parking the thing I am contending with all the sensor sounds and bonging of the proximity alerts, but I do have quite a few cameras looking around to help out this incompetent human.

Oh, and then there is the wife who is constantly reminding me in a worried “lookout” voice about things I could bump into, so no more Braille parking for me. (And the worried voice beside me turns to a scream when the T offers me an auto park and I accept.)

But I must admit the auto park leaves something to be desired as the other day I was well lined up for a reverse park and could have completed the manoeuvre in one fell swoop. But I gave into the T’s desire to have a crack. It then had half a dozen goes at trying to get in and I stopped it, overrode it and with a flick of the wheel was home in my park. It was flicking the wheel from lock to lock, flying full speed back and forward and back again and by that stage we were both screaming. Is there such a thing as a dumb, smart car?

And then there is the auto pilot where we did more than scream. I thought we were dead. Now these things come with two stages of auto pilot - the first is adaptive cruise control which is like regular cruise control, but it also locks onto the car in front. It then adjusts to their speed so you don’t hit them or of course you can change lanes and the cruise will get back to your speed. I could drive with that all day long.

The second marvel of technology comes in the form of a real auto pilot. You know when you have achieved this mode as a rainbow road comes onto the screen. But this bit of tech proved dangerous for us as we found out on the Calder Freeway recently. I was doing an overtake at 110km with a car following us, not too close, perhaps about three car lengths behind.

Everything was going well when the T decided to instantly brake to 60km for some unknown reason. And please bear in mind two of the great things about the T are its take-off - and braking. The car behind us didn’t stand a chance and if it hadn’t been because it was my first time in this mode and my hoof was hovering above the accelerator we would have been in all sorts.

This phenomenon is called “phantom braking”. It is where the vehicle picks up on something and according to Tesla “errs on the side of caution”. Tell that to a huge semi that’s just entered your tailgate.

So we have since decided that as the autopilot was simply a $5000 'over the air' upgrade, that we wanted it taken off the car. Surely it falls under the rights of the ACCC for a refund if something major is not working?

However the good folks at Tesla are duckshoving from one department to another skipping the pub test completely.

Stay tuned rant over…

Local Lines

Mother you ate a Royal Gala saved a seed planted it in rich earth. You laughed as I stared at the tiny apple you reverently placed on my right life-line while legally announcing you named its tree after me.

Taste it! Taste it! you begged stunned by your own success. I could have popped the apple into my closing mouth and still have had room for congratulations without lisping.

Now it sits brown stem up healthy-green and cherry-red on my kitchen window-sill. When the sun rises it slides a foggy moon-sheen over the apple’s right cheek –I change its name to Glow.

Into the third week washing dirty dishes singing Forever Young by Bob DylanShocked I stop Glow! You’re losing weight!

One week later; Glow! Your skin is crepe paper! I rub clear sunscreen cream into its skin.

Another week in; What have I done! Glow! Your crown is brown!

I smell apple cider! Two skin-split drip squirts down my kitchen window! I dip my pointer in and taste Apple tears!! Oh Glow don’t go!

Apple of my Eye

Your body crumples into a brown ball creased like a half-written love note. Through my kitchen window I see you coming mother with a branch of little cousin applesI lock the doors!

- Jan Price

Note – planted apple seeds do not reproduce original size or species.

Jan Price heard Kath Walker (Oodgeroo Noonuccal) say in an interview that a dove’s call sounded like, ‘I love you’ ‘I love you’. From then on, Jan began to hear all types of sounds translate into words. Using this tool helps the poem be remembered more than a sound. Jan’s poetry continues to be published in Australia, the USA and England.

Local Lines features poetry by locals about local and any other matters. Please submit poems to Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com

Pick me, pick me!

G’day! I’m Boston and as you can see I am a handsome Jack Russell terrier.

I am eight-and-a-half years young. I still have a lot of energy for a mature dog. I am very active and I love to be around people and to go for walks.

I need ongoing training and consistency, and a securely fenced yard to prevent me escaping.

I would make a great companion and best buddy. Come and meet me at the Mount Alexander Animal Shelter in Castlemaine.

Phone: 5472 5277.

M/N: 956000004254554

(Pick me, pick me is run in memory of Rosie & Curly - we picked them. And proudly supported by Daylesford's petstock.

Just sayin’...

By Donna Kelly

I have been wondering how this year's council elections will go with no ward boundaries.

The decision to remove them was made this year by the Victorian Electoral Commission, with input from councils and ratepayers.

Thirty councils will change to a single-member ward structure and four councils will change to a multi-member ward structure - Buloke Shire Council, Northern Grampians Shire Council, Surf Coast Shire Council and Yarriambiack Shire Council.

The final five councils will change to an unsubdivided structure - Campaspe Shire Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Moorabool Shire Council, Strathbogie Shire Council - and Hepburn Shire Council.

So we keep the same number of councillors but we all vote for anyone from any ward. Well, the wards don't exist after this election, so we vote for anyone from any town, hamlet, farm...

But I just don't know how that will work. For example, in our little town of Glenlyon, which used to be in Holcombe Ward, we voted for people we knew cared about the region - hopefully because they lived there.

And because all the Holcombe Ward people were voting for someone in Holcombe Ward, someone in Holcombe Ward ended up on the council - hopefully pushing for the rights of our little ward.

But now there is no requirement for a certain amount of councillors to be voted for any area. So, for example, with the majority of the Hepburn Shire ratepayers living in Daylesford and Creswick, I would imagine the majority of those elected will be from Daylesford and Creswick, that just makes sense.

But who will put their hand up to help with a battle in Glenlyon, or Little Hampton, or Hepburn? I know, the councillors will be asked to represent all of their constituents but human nature being what it is, wouldn't you help your neighbour first?

And surely this no-ward structure means the only people being voted in are those with the highest profile already - like Mayor Cr Brian Hood who is oft quoted in media reports. Not sure who else - but you know, Alla Wolf-Tasker, who I am sure would never want the role, would have a good chance, or one of the local former AFL footballers could be in like Flynn.

Sadly old John Smith, who lives down the road at nowhere's-ville, despite being a great bloke, really keen on transparency, knows all about due diligence and finance and has plenty of time on his hands to make a communnity contribution, doesn't have a snow flake's chance in hell.

Money is the other thing that could come into play. If you are watching free-toair television at the moment, you would have seen myriad commercials about some convention Clive Palmer is holding throughout Australia - with some American guy coming out because our two countries are so similar with the same great values. Hmmm. Yeah, nah.

Anyway, love him, or like me, loathe him, Palmer has money - although his Queensland workers were left wondering where it was - and has tried before to buy an election with campaign dough.

So, if a local resident wanted hard enough to get voted onto the Hepburn Shire Council, they could up their profile if they had enough cash to spend a bit on advertising themselves. And that just seems a bit unfair to me. Cash may be king, but we should be living in a republic by now. Please note, under commerical law, The Local must accept advertising from anyone. We can start your campaign any time you are ready...

Anyway, it will be an interesting election and I am keen to see who is going to put their hand up. I did once you know. Way back in 2016 I guess. Not sure what I was thinking but I failed miserably.

It was the day of the election and the counting was under way. I was still a bit hopeful and a bit "oh no, what have I done" when a woman wearing a hat covered in fake birds stopped me outside Coles in Daylesford.

"You came last in the count," she announced, quite loudly. I laughed. Thought she was joking and replied: "Oh, no, they are just doing the count now..."

"Yes, I was there," she said. "You polled last."

So a nice comedown, from a woman in a hat covered in birds, although I did get enough votes to get my registration money back. And to be truthful, while I was a bit miffed, I did think later I had dodged a bullet.

Mind you it was before Covid so there were plenty of long drives to council meetings in Clunes and Creswick, in the dead of winter, through sleet and snow. Now, it's all on Zoom out of the Daylesford Town Hall.

If you decide to run, I would love to hear from you. You know, just for the scoop. And do I have a campaign package just right for you. Just sayin'...

W RD CROSS

Here is the crossword solution for Edition 304. How did you go?

All words in the crossword appear somewhere in the same edition of The Local.

To market...

Every Sunday - Daylesford Sunday Market

First Saturday - Daylesford Farmers Market, Trentham Neighbourhood Centre Makers Market, Golden Plains Farmers Market, Woodend Farmers Market

First Sunday - Castlemaine Artists’ Market

Second Saturday - Trentham Community Group Market, Kyneton Farmers Market, Ballan Farmers Market, Kyneton Rotary Community Market

Second Sunday - Maldon Market, Clunes Farmers Market

Third Saturday - Trentham Farmers and Makers Market, Glenlyon Farmers Market, Leonards Hill Market, Creswick Market

Third Sunday - Talbot Farmers Market, Woodend Lions Market, Malmsbury Farmers Market

Fourth Sunday - Trentham Station Sunday Market, Buninyong Village Market