All players and spectators are asked to wear something green. There will be a trophy for the ‘greenest’ outfit 

A highlight of the day is the ‘tasting of the famous “Grant’s Cream” which will help in the discussion of your golf game.

At present it is bubbling away and will be ‘greener’ than ever this year.

I met up with Wal Sloane and Josey Van from Forster last week when they were on a nostalgic visit to Grenfell.

Wal is the nephew of the late Jack Sloane – the former owner of the historic “Sloane’s Cottage” in Main Lead behind the O’Brien’s Hill Gold Mines. 

A street now running off O’Brien Street now bears the name Sloane’s Lane in Jack’s memory.

Wal and Josey from Forster have been touring Australia since April and could not miss the opportunity to visit Grenfell.

Wal remembers being in Grenfell when he was about 4 years old and remembers well the dirt floors in his uncle Jack’s cottage.

Whilst here they visited the ‘cottage’, looked for the graves of Jack and his mother in the Grenfell Cemetery and visited the Grenfell Museum checking out family history.

Wal’s father, Walter (known as Bill) was Jack’s brother – Mick was another brother and there were two more brothers whose names he could not recall.

Wal, who retired eight years ago, was a Local Government Engineer last visited Grenfell in 1970.  Following his retirement from Local Government, he worked for sometime as a Consulting Engineer in Sydney.

Mary and Greg ‘Doo’ Fanning enjoyed an evening to dinner at Fettlers’ Restaurant to celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary on March 2 and Greg’s birthday March 3.

Their son Daniel and his partner Melissa Martens and their children Stella and Jack were on hand to celebrate this milestone. Congratulations Mary and Doo.

Chris and Hilton Lennard from Kambah and good friends Marilyn Rowland and her friend John from Macarthur, Act visited Grenfell for a few days at the end of February.

The group booked into Pam Livingstone’s beautiful B & B “Stray Leaves”   in Weddin Street.

Chris (then Creech) was our back door neighbour for many years and I was invited up for afternoon tea on the Friday to catch up.

On Friday evening, Chris’ brother Stephen Griffin and his wife Jill and her sister Lyn and husband Steve Grace, Mary Fanning another ex neighbour and Howard and Mary Hunter joined them for an informal dinner.

Howard worked for the Creech Family some years ago.

Jim Crossley, his wife Ricky and son Robert returned to Grenfell at the end of February for a visit.

They booked with Sally and Bob Jackman at the Calico Duck for a few days and had a wonderful time with them. When their son arrived they decided to stay an extra day.

As Sally and Bob had already planned to go away, Sally booked them into Warwick’s   Historic accommodation Grenfell Hall in Weddin Street for the last night. 

When Jim was a young man growing up in Grenfell his family lived in the little cottage in 18 Dalton Street. He has a brother Graeme who now lives on the Central Coast and two sisters Carmel who lives in Townsville and Kathy at Forster.

Jim left Grenfell in 1964 and departed for the UK in 1967, where he now lives in Essex and has worked in London City ever since as a company secretary. 

Jim and Ricky were married in 1968. Their son Robert lives in the Eastern suburbs in Sydney where he is studying.

Naturally they visited all the tourist spots – Ben Hall’s Cave, Seaton’s Farm, the gold mines, our Henry in the Main Street  to name a few and Ricky spent some time in Jan Parlett’s   Country Experience at  the Exchange Hotel and  Jan Myer’s Louisa’s Locker.

Jim said that she did not have any of that ‘drastic plastic’; hence he had to be on hand to pay the bills.

Jim also had a great time catching up with old school mates Max Oliver and Geoff McClelland

Happy birthday to Sophie Norris who turned 16 on March 7 and her brother Kyle who turned 18 on March 9.

The siblings were taken to dinner by their mother Kathy and their grandparents Robyn and Allan Gregory on Saturday evening March 7.

Also joining the group for the celebrations were Sophie’s school friends Kira Anderson, Bethany Eyles, Charlotte Simpson, and Jack Cooper. 

Kathy’s parents (Grandma and Poppy) hail from Drouin Victoria and were in Grenfell visiting for the grandchildren’s birthdays.

Don’t forget - The inaugural “Festival of Small Halls” for Grenfell is drawing closer, where Local artist Hayley Shone will perform with Gordie Mackeeman and His Rhythm Boys from Canada and the Australian Sister Duo “Siskin River”.

This folk music concert is for all ages, so why not bring the family along or organise some friends for a great night’s entertainment?

The show is at the Grenfell Showground Simpson Pavilion on Wednesday March 18 – doors open at 5.30pm, drinks and snacks available and the Grenfell Lions Club will cook a barbecue to have during interval. 

Tickets are on sale at CJ Andersons Real Estate now.