Dear Friends, we were so pleased we made the effort to
attend the 20th Anniversary of the Victoria Chorale Concert at the
Daylesford Uniting Church last Sunday. We sat behind Annie Pyers & her
daughter, Sarah, as Val was praised for starting the Chorale and the singing
did the family proud.
We had hoped to play golf on Monday but the rain Gods
declared otherwise, so we caught up on odd jobs around the place and enjoyed
watching the roses and veggies leap and bound in delight with the good drinks
they were getting.
Our
breakfast table at the Food Gallery last Sunday
I watched the Aussies wrap up the 2nd Test
easily while Warren was spending time helping Barbara. In the afternoon I
received an unexpected and lovely phone call from Kathy Lazzaro and we enjoyed
a good chat. Wes went off to an ALP discussion meeting at the Daylesford Hotel, but rang me almost
immediately he arrived with the very shocking news that Stuart Rattle had been
killed in a fire in his apartment in Melbourne.
We are finding it very difficult to comprehend the loss
of this delightful, kind, generous and talented man, who only a fortnight ago
raised $100,000+ for the Wombat Hill
Botanic Gardens with his Open Garden
at the Musk Schoolhouse. We first met
Stuart and his partner, Michael, in 2003, when Wes was Mayor and they needed
his help to get permission to transform the old Musk Schoolhouse and tennis courts into the stunning home and
gardens it is today. We became friends and especially enjoyed their visits to
the Farmers Market in Daylesford,
where Stuart would choose chooks and plants and support as many of the local
businesses as he could. Michael would often empty their small change bag into
the Rotary collection container, which would boost our takings considerably.
In 2011 we asked Stuart & Michael to judge the Daylesford Rotary Art Show, which they
did with aplomb and enjoyed enormously. Since then Stuart has supported the
Show with a $500 donation each year.
Michael
O’Neill, Stuart Rattle & then Rotary President, Jim Swatman at 2011
Daylesford Rotary Art Show
The last time we saw Stuart was at his Open Garden on
23rd November – he was in his element, greeting friends and
strangers while showing off his delightful property. As we were leaving he and
Michael came across for hugs and Michael showed us all the money he had already
taken and it was only 11.30am on Day 1. It never entered our minds that we
wouldn’t see Stuart again.
On Tuesday it was the chief topic at gym and I went on
to my psychologist who was also shocked. She didn’t know Stuart personally, but
her son had installed the glorious Chinese pagoda in his gardens. Fortunately
we had a lovely long lunch with Gillie to look forward to – we took some
seriously good bubbles and an NZ sauvignon blanc to accompany her dips, pasta,
salad & cheese – most of which came from her garden. Time with Gillie is
always good – she is a relaxed hostess and stimulating conversationalist.
We awoke to another overcast day on Wednesday, which is
just as well, as the motor mower is in hospital and it would have been a shame
if Wes was itching to mow in the sunshine. Instead he had a haircut, then lunch
with Barbara and accompanied her to the Daylesford Health Centre where she was
addressing the nursing staff on life in a wheelchair. I delivered the last of
our spinach plants and some broad beans to Gillie, then off to play Mah Jong
with Dot.
Wes’s
very yummy pizzas
On Thursday we were utterly devastated by the news that
Michael had been arrested for Stuart’s murder and that Stuart had died 5 days
before the fire. We went to gym where everyone was similarly numb, and then I
had a lovely, long catch-up with Rhonda at Gracenotes
Café. Meanwhile Jason Olver and his staff were swarming all over Maloney Folly washing windows and I came
home to a sparkling home.
We had invited Glenn Mack to lunch and sat outside
enjoying Wes’s fish pie and green beans, followed by fruit salad and finally
cheese. As usual, we ranged through a wide variety of topics and thoroughly
enjoyed every minute with Glenn.
Joan
Testro circa 1969
Wes was visiting Joan Testro yesterday and offered to
drop me off at Viva’s. Leanne was rapt to get a morning off – although Viva is
bright and cheery, she can no longer make herself a coffee, get to the loo or
go back to bed, so Leanne tries not to stay out longer than an hour if she has
to leave Viva on her own. We had a good visit, as did Wes with Joan, and we
arrived back home in time for a late lunch of leftover fish pie and the first
session of the Third Test.
Just when we thought nothing worse could happen in the
week, we woke this morning to find Bilbo & Frodo missing. It appears that
when Jason left on Thursday, he used the side gate and didn’t close it
properly. The wind must have caught it during the night and the escape artists
took advantage of the opportunity. We started driving separately around
Daylesford and surrounding areas from 5.30am. Everyone has been most supportive
including Judi & Michael who drove around for ages once they heard; Barbara
who went around the Lake and then drove around until lunchtime; John & Jan
who have just arrived in Daylesford and immediately gone out, and umpteen
friends who have promised to keep an eye out. We have given out our cards, put
up posters and disseminated the news over Facebook, which is a great way of
getting the news to a maximum of friends in a minimum of time.
I’ve decided to send this out now as I may not get a
chance tomorrow. If the boys should arrive back home safe and sound, I will
send an email and post the news on Facebook. Please cross your fingers and toes
or send prayers to St Jude like Maureen Dean is!
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