Exciting Times December 2023

 As usual at year's end life gets busy and interesting. Here are a few images that justify this claim. At the start of December, Armidale's privately run playhouse staged a gorgeous production of Broeknville. This play charts how a grouo of young people - aided by one older person - try to renew life in a badly damaged community. It was wonderfully produced and acted bfore an enthusiastic audience. Our little town of c. 26,000 people stages a huge number of excellent stage shows and musical concerts. Dot and I greatly appreciated this event. Look up 'Brokenville' on-line if you'd like to find out more about it.

A week later, Dot and I drove the 23 km south from Armidale to the small, but very interesting, town of Uralla. We're both members of the Probus organisation and were among a large group of people enjoying an excellent lunch at the historical McCrossin's Mill Museum dating back to the 19th century. Our probus branch is mainly populated with elderly but highly networked people, many having a professional or business background.

Then, today, Thursday 15th of December, we enjoyed the build-up of thunderstorms and I took a whole lot of photos showing great cloudscapes this provided.

The northern tablelands where we live has been excessively dry through spring and we were longing for a lot of rain. Over many weeks temperatures have been much higher than usual damaging agricultural production. We might be c. 1,100 m above sea level 

(c. 3,200 feet) but on many days we experienced temperatures of well over 30 C (86F). Well yesterday we experienced major storms and Armidale airport registered 22 mm or getting on for one inch.

The following cloudscapes date from around lunchtime on the follwing day - the 15th December  - and they looked like a storm in the offing. Well, 90 minutes later I was proved right and we welcomed another downpour ochestrated with donner und blitz. Local farmers must be loving this ... along with environmentalists worried about bushfires.

Don't we enjoy an interesting life?

AS

Fiori Musicali Evocation

 Dot and I had a wonderful experience a few days ago. We went to a new and mind-blowing musical event of a kind I'd never previously seen. It was brilliant and I'd recommend its adoption where possible.

Basically, it was about celebrating beautiful artworks in Armidale's wonerful art gallery. And the music was songs about various art-works. However, the songs were - I gather - written specifically for this occasion. And the songs were delivered by Armidale's Fiori Musicali which on this occasion comprised 6 sopranos, 6 Altos, 6 tenors, and 5 basses. The conductor was Inga Brasche and the choir was aided by a pianist, a cello, and an oboe.

The first two pictures below show the room at NERAM where the event was held. They were taken as the enthusiastic crowd assembled. 

And here's Fiori Musicali at the beginning of the performance.

And here are some of NERAM's lovely pictures that were subjected to song. Each was, in turn, illuminated as shown here.

I've rarely such an enthused audience. But the occasion was highly innovative, beautiful, well-delivered, and merged differing art-forms. I'm hoping for another such performance in the near future. Armidale may only have 25,000 people, but many are creative and innovative. It offer a lovely life-style.

AS

75th Anniversry of the Hunter River Lancers

 We live in an increasingly military age with horrible consequences for nations and regions. So it was with some relief that Armidale this week welcomed a local military group - the Hunter River Lancers (HRL) - who were granted freedom of the city to celebrate 75 years since its foundation post world-war 2. They, in turn, were successors to a hugely esteemed military group ... the Australian Light horse (ALH) ... which had many members from our region.

The ALH had quite a bit to do in helping to set up the current conflict between Israel and Hamas! Based in of all places, Gaza, they attacked the Turks at Beersheba in what is now Israel and their stunning victory started the removal of the Turks from Palestine. That in turn gave the UK postwar management of Palestine ultimately leading to foundation of the state of Israel post WW2.

Interstingly, Armidale's Light Horse Museum is located on a large block of land called GAZA!! Fortunately, this has not been attacked by Israel and nor does it accommodate Hamas!!

The HRL troops assembled on our creek-land pasture before taking part in a parade to the town centre and on to the city's main central park for the ceremony. The first picture shows the parkland concerned and one of the horses.

We also saw a military truck somewhat camouflaged. 

The main group of troops assembled near where Dot and I were standing.

And a band played aprporpiate music aided by the drummer show here.

At the start of the march, this truck appeared to lead the parade only to be overtaken by a horse which in turn led to troops marching to the town centre..

Two trucks followed before several guys on horseback trotted forward.

They, in turn, were followed by an elderly group of former military personnel headed by two holding a banner. They were followed by a another guy on horseback.

And here is the first destinantion: the town centre. The building on the topright is the Armidale post-office. Many members of the public gathered here. You can see some of the marchers beyond nearing the central park in the next block.

Alas, Dot and I had to go elsewhere so we missed the final cermony.
Nevertheless, it was a very interesting and memorial event. And it reminded us of how well Australia is travelling right now. We're a multinational country with strong ties to many adjacent nations.

Some Events Last Week - end of October 2023

 Armidale might only have a population of 25,000 but it's host to many extremely interesting events. Here are some of the things that interested my in the last week of October. The first item isn't confined to Armidale. It's a picture of avery large moon taken from our garden.

These next two pictures were taken at an event organised by Armnidale's Smart Regional Incubator (SRI) which focusses on promoting local businesses and infrastructure. This event last Thursday focussed on expanding the region's huge role in delivering green electricity to northern NSW - through wind, phot-volcaic cells, and hydro. Numerous regional leaders - as shown here - discussed best options and managment for the transition. I've known Lou Conway standing on the left for many years and she's head of the SRI.

Two days later I found myself at Armidale's commercial Art Gallery for a book launch. Armidale has regional Australia's largest art gallery with many classical art-works created over perhaps the last 150 years. The town gallery - shown in the first 2 pictures below - sells the often magnificent work of contemporary local artists.

However, what really attracted me to the event shown was the launch of a book bringing together the art-works of a friend of mine - Terry Cooke - shown below addressing the large audience. Some of his work is shown in the picture two-above, but he also placed his recent work in a lovely bookl focussing on his perceptions of Armidale and its region.

The next day, Sunday, saw the monthly Markets in the Mall, which Dot and I attend regularly looking for local foods and heaps of local creations - clothing, equipment, art-work, and stalls promoting their political, cultural or charitable activities. There's usually a collection of musicians like the excellent group shown below.

 Life here is not at all boring, but rather attractive as many of my posts to this blog regularly show.

Why don't you come and live here?

Cheers, Tony

More Recent Activity 240923 to 151023

 Hi there again! This time I'm reporting on 4 major experiences I've had over the last three weeks or so up to mid-October 2023. Firstly, I'll show some images of Armidale's old courthouse which was open to the public on 24 September. This building has been vacant for years while Council tries to think of ways of using the premises.

Next, I'll show you the meet-up with friends that occurs every thursday at 10.30 am at a popular local cafe called the Goldfish Bowl (GFB for short).

Then, on October 1, Dot and I attended a brilliant Jazz concert in a local theatre. It stunned us.

And, finally, I travelled to Sydney to attend Cousin David's 80th birthday party and catch up family members I now rarely see.

The courthouse is quite an imposing building in the main shopping centre. And the image on the right shows it maybe 70 years ago.

Today, one of the impediments to broader public use is the furnishing of the large courtroom as shown in the 2 pictures below.

At this moment in time, we're not close to finding a use for the premises.

The GFB is the meeting place of maybe 10 blokes on Thursday mornings ... even through the winter months ... and we usually sit outside in the adjacent courtyard. On most days we get somewhere between 4 and 6 of us talking on a wide range of national and international issues. The chatting is lively and often provocative!

On Sunday October 1st, Dot and I headed to the Armidale Playhouse wondering what sort of Jazz music we would receive. The experience was amazing. The main participants were a mother and daughter, with the former a pianist and the latter singing great songs. Amazingly, the mother was a great pianist and works at our conservatorium of music. Even more amazingly, the daughter lives and works in London (UK) where she is a highly regarded musician!

She, also, could beautifully strum a guitar.

Here they are together on the stage.

Mother and daughter were also, however, accomanied occasionally by usual Jazz musicians.

All up it was a great evening. Let's now turn ro David's birthday celebration. I flew to Sydney on 6th October and David kindly picked me up at the airport. He took me home for lunch and, later in the day, I partnered his wife Shlomith in a bridge game on-line. However, I slept for all 3 nights while in Sydney at his daughter, Sharon's home fairly close by not to far from the famous Bondi beach. This picture ... if I get things right (!!) was taken at Sharon's home and shows from left to right Harry - her son, Sharon herself,  mother Shlomith, and then her sister Shelley who had flown in from Melbourne.

  

On Saturday the 7th, David and I didquite a lot of walking around various parts of Sydney's rather posh Eastern Suburbs. But it was Sunday the 8th that was the focus of the weekend - David's 80th - and Sharon hosted the event in her lovely apartment. Of course, there were the usual recognition items like a balloon and a cake.

There was heaps of delivious food for the c. 16 or 17 of us invited guests - family and friends. I'm not good at counting numbers on such occasion so I just hope I'm correct - or close to!

We sat outside to celebrate the occasion - Sharon's lovely home has a covered balcony as well as, believe it or not, an outside garden.

And, here at last, is a picture of the gentleman in question - David seated on the left and greatly enjoying the occasion.

I can't resist showing the picture below, which I saw - as far as I can remember - for the first time. I  hope I'm not wrong in claiming to be in the picture which must have been taken something like 65 or 70 years ago in the UK. I hope David can work out the names of everyone there!

That's enough for now. Even at my age ... 78 ... life can be very interesting and diverse. And our little town is amazingly rich in things to do. Right now I'm wondering if I should attend a highly unusual musical event. Have you ever been to a performance of Japanese drumming!?