Comfort in sorrow

A CWA Christmas

THE Sale CWA Pop-In Shop opens Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm, until Christmas. There are numerous items on offer, including handmade crafts, Christmas gifts and ornaments, knitted and crocheted items, beautifully made dresses with smocking, dressed dolls and knitted socks, beanies and scarves. People are invited to call in, browse and chat with volunteers.

Help with family history research

EXPERIENCED researchers from the Sale and District Family History Group can introduce visitors to their rooms to the popular pastime of family history research. The group’s rooms are located in the historic Temperance Hall at 78 Macalister St, two doors from the Gippsland Times office, and are open to the public on Fridays from 10am until 4pm. Resources held by the group include Victorian birth indexes to 1920, deaths to 1985, marriages to 1942, Victorian Inquest indexes, immigration to Victoria indexes 1852-1879 and a large collection of indexes from interstate and overseas. Group holdings include historic maps, numerous local photo images, school and cemetery records, a large collection of published family histories and local history books. Local history books published by the group include the much-in-demand Pioneer Index book of the Sale and District 1848-1900, Pub Crawl a detailed history of the hotels of Sale, the Heart Book about the Heart district near Sale, St Helen’s and other Private Hospitals of Sale, and the February 1913 autograph book of the Sale and District Pioneering Association First Reunion.

Sale and District Family History Group can help point people in the right direction when they are researching information about ancestors.

Meetings are held on the second Friday of the month at 3pm, and follow COVID rules. For more information phone 0428 411 603, or see the group’s Facebook page.

Shakespeare on Avon Shakespeare Association secretary Lisa Hayman and Hilary Rash from Stratford Victoria’s Sister City organisation present The Sheila Malady Short story award of 2021. Photo: Contributed

Shakespeare short story competition now open

THE Sheila Malady Short Story competition is again welcoming entries, as part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Now in its ninth year, organisers are keen to hear from writers and their take on events set in the future, with the theme ‘What will be?’. Shakespeare himself had many prophetic characters who sought to tell audiences what was to come. From the three witches of Macbeth — “something wicked this way comes” — to the soothsayer warning Caesar to “Beware the Ides of March”, the bard’s characters seem to bring only foreboding omens. After what the world has experienced during the past 18 months, perhaps there is a less apocalyptic and brighter future to look forward to. Organisers are asking writers to submit their best original work of 2000 words or less. With thanks to the competition’s major sponsor, The Sister Cities of Stratford — Victoria and Collins Booksellers in Sale, prizes will be offered across three categories. First prize includes $300 cash, two tickets to a performance of the community play, Macbeth, and a beautiful wooden quill crafted by local artist Gavin Roberts. The local prize for a writer living in Gippsland includes a Collins book voucher, plus two tickets to a performance of the community play. The final category is for a young writer aged under 18, who will receive a Collins book voucher. The closing date for entries is Friday, March 25, at 11.59pm. There is a $5 entry fee. Winners will be announced at the opening night of the Shakespeare on the River Festival on Thursday, April 28, 2022. For all competition conditions and entry form,

visit stratfordshakespeare.com.au