Heathcote and Taylor ‘survive’
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It is great to report further that Wayne Heathcote survived the Pollie Pedal charity ride from Moree to Sydney with no mishaps this year and he avoided any encounters with wildlife (after being seriously injured when hit by a feral deer last year).
“It was also fantastic to have another “local” along as Federal Member Angus Taylor was one of the “Pollies” who completed the whole ride.” Wayne said.
Quite a few politicians rode various parts of the ride, which started in Moree (Northern NSW) and travelled through a number of country areas including Tamworth (where Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce joined the ride for one day), Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Mudgee and Lithgow before finishing in Sydney. Over $740,000 was raised for Carers Australia to assist them in their work for Australia’s 2.7 million carers.
During the ride Carers Australia also launched their Care and Work initiative which is about helping full time carers combine employment with their carer’s role.
As well as meeting a lot of the locals along the way the riders were able to join in community events, visit schools and visit aged care and other organisations. One such highlight included a visit to the Coonabarabran Men’s Shed. “We also discovered that roads which seem quite flat when you are driving a car are not so flat when you are on a push bike, and the hills seem a lot longer and steeper, particularly those between Mudgee and Lithgow.” Wayne concluded.
Wayne said “PM Tony Abbott was very disappointed that he missed a large part of the ride as he loves getting out on his bike in the bush and connecting with the locals.
He came to Moree for the launch of the ride (I sat with him for the dinner) and then he flew from Moree to Mudgee via The Hague, London, Middle East and Singapore.
Maybe next time he can find a more direct flight!!!!. He received a great reception when he arrived at our dinner at Robert Oakley’s Winery in Mudgee before he had to suffer the hills (with jet lag) through to Lithgow the next day. It was interesting having the PM on the ride, particularly with his security detail and all the press, but on the bike he was just another one of the boys and girls.”
Wayne was photographed with the Prime Minister Tony Abbott and local member Angus Taylor after the last day’s ride.
Jenny Harvey and her Mum (Lorna Morgan) were visiting Cowra last week to attend a very special lunch to celebrate the 100th birthday of Elvine Elliott – Horsfall, a long- time friend of the Morgan family.
Elvine had become friends with Jenny’s parents when she met her father, Dr Bill Morgan, whilst nursing Sir Edward Hallstrom back in the 1950’s. As children they delighted in her visits where she was always accompanied by a small fluffy white dog, with a bow in its hair!
A delightful lunch for Elvine was held at the home of Rowena Casey on August 21, and included many friends and work colleagues she has befriended over her long life.
They then travelled to Grenfell for a short visit, a town which held both happy and sad memories for them.
Lorna’s sister, Jeanette Anderson and her family have been long standing members of the Grenfell community, residing at their property, “Dalkeith”, on the Bimbi Road. Jenny’s family spent many happy holidays at the farm, with Jeanette, Ron and their cousins Peter, Vicki and Doug.
Jenny said “To our family of four kids from the “big smoke”, the amazing pantry stocked full of Aunty Nett’s homemade biscuits, days spent on the back of a ute excitedly searching for fly -blown sheep, piggy backing on motor bikes around the creek beds, picking mushrooms, riding our push bikes for miles to get the mail whilst trying to avoid the terrifying black bull, bottle feeding new born lambs whose mothers had deserted them, and the special outings to the Cowra Picnic races and the Grenfell movie theatre, filled our childhood holidays in the most wonderful of ways. It was in later years when happy memories were accompanied by such sad ones, with the tragic deaths from road accidents of our cousin Doug and his girlfriend Anne, the Andersons’ and my great friend, Bruce Smith, and Mum’s second cousin Jamie Pattrick.”
During their afternoon in Grenfell, they helped to boost the local economy with a visit to the amazing Roses Gallery, and then caught up with Lorna’s cousin, Graham Pattrick and his wife Chic, at their lovely Forbes St home, where they had a chance to see the beautiful garden that they have created, inclusive of a croquet lawn!
It was then on to dinner at the Railway Hotel, to meet up with Jenny’s great friend and bridesmaid, and a well- known teacher in Young, Vanessa West.
“A chance encounter as we were saying our goodbyes, with Deidre Carroll, who I believed recognised Mum’s likeness to Jeanette, proved yet again that the “six degrees of separation theory” is alive and well!” Jenny said.
The next day they concluded their visit with morning tea at Elvine’s, and of course the chance to meet her new dog and 100th birthday present her adorable Maltese Shihtzu, Honey.
“It was a really enjoyable return visit for us, to a place which will always be rich with memories.” Jenny concluded.
Congratulations to Angus Nielsen, Superintendant/Operations Officer of the Mid Lachlan Valley who was the recipient of a medal for his long service in the Rural Fire Service.
The medal said 40 years, but in fact it is actually 46 years.
Gus came to Grenfell in 1995 as the Fire Control Officer at the Weddin Shire Council.
In late July Gus was presented with his medal from RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons and Region West Manager Paul Smith.
Alan and Marie Wood (Nee Dykes) formerly of Grenfell, now residing at Glasshouse Mountains enjoyed a nostalgic return to Grenfell last week.
During their trip they caught up with good friend Wendy Anderson and they all enjoyed the Young Society of Artists Incorporated exhibition at the Grenfell Art Gallery.
Grenfell is once again gearing up for the 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour on Wednesday September 10.
The Cup, together with the touring party will visit all schools in Grenfell, travel to the Weddin Mountains where Caragabal and Quandialla Schools will be in attendance and visit the Grenfell MPS.
A tour of the Main Street in a horse drawn carriage will also take place and dinner has been arranged for the evening at Fettlers Restaurant at the Railway Hotel where everyone is invited to attend.
Tickets for the two course dinner at a cost of $20 are now on sale at CJ Andersons, Grenfell Shoes and Louisa’s Locker. All proceeds from the dinner will go to the Grenfell MPS.
Sympathy is extended to the following families who have lost loves one recently including; Alison Cranmer Nicoll, Don McSpadden, Lawrence Flanagan, Jeanette Honeysett, Lorris Napier, Jean Maidment Hughes and former residents Clare Connell, Hilda Wicker, Eve Trevitt (nee Myers and sister of Ollie Mitton) and Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
