Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday 19th July 2026

Last Sunday was definitely a Brigadoon morning. The sky was grey and visibility was very poor - we couldn't see our back fence-line. Our trip to the Market was taken very slowly and quite a few of the stall-holders had given it a miss, including Jeff, our dog treats man! On the way home we stopped at Baker's Delight & bought spinach & feta Danish - just the thing to warm us up after the cold morning.

When Wes & I debrief each evening, he often has stories to tell about family & friends he has been researching on Ancestry.com, and we sometimes ask ourselves - what happened in their lives to make them move home, go into or leave a relationship, or make  some other big change. As a result, I've been thinking about what brought us to Daylesford, and I realise that future generations will ask the same question about us. Why did two committed inner-city Brunswick people move from their beautiful 1883 2-storey terrace to a small country town?

Day 1 of Maloney Insurance Brokers - 1st July 1988

The answer is quite simple, but needs a lead up. For about 10 years we had shared a holiday home in Blairgowrie with our good friends, Sherryn & Paul Danaher, and after we all agreed to sell, Wes & I found ourselves without a weekend escape. As we ran Maloney Insurance Brokers P/L from our home, we could be contacted at any hour of the day or night & frequently were. 

As I remember it, we were on a plane returning from a trip to Sydney, when I suggested to Wes that we look at Daylesford as a possibility for a new holiday home. We had enjoyed one by the sea, and now we could try weekend living in the bush. He was in agreement, and we drove here one Saturday in August 1998 to buy a house. The first three estate agents didn't listen to us, and didn't even accompany us to look at properties, and we were feeling very downhearted, when I persuaded Wes to try one more agent. Fortunately, we met Glenda Rozen, and she showed us the only house on her books that satisfied our criteria of ducted heating, a view of Lake Daylesford, an open fire and a quiet street.

Lake Daylesford views from Holly Cottage 1998

We bought Holly Cottage as it was known, and moved in a month later. After just two weekends here, we knew we wanted to live here fulltime, not just on holidays. A couple of months later, OAMPS made a generous offer for our business, and we agreed to sell, provided all our staff could be re-employed in Abbotsford, if they wanted to move there. After a year working for OAMPS, I was desperate to leave and live here full-time and Wes agreed. He retired two years later and we both enjoyed many years of new friendships, volunteering plus Rotary & Council activities. Full-time living here meant a new home where Holly Cottage had been as it was definitely a weekend!

Maloney Folly nearly finished in 2004

The rest of our week has been quite busy for us. Lots of catch ups with friends and family, and lots of chats solving everyday issues! We sat down to go through our Executor's Dossier, and were pleased to find very few corrections were needed before sending the updated copy to Adrian Tinetti, our solicitor. 

Apart from his regular interactions with Barbara in New Zealand; Wes touched base with Gerard Westen, who went to school with him at St Bernard's College; he had a couple of chats with Helen Hanrahan; talked footy with Carole Hardwick; enjoyed a long overdue lunch with Danny Moynihan at the Daylesford Hotel; visited Cliff Talbot in Bendigo on his 85th birthday, and provided support for Wendy Owen whose husband Roberto is very unwell. 

Care staff singing birthday songs to Cliff

I had a very welcome remedial massage with Sarah Hunt; enjoyed chatting early with my aunt, Jeff, and my cousin, Leigh, in Torksey Lock; caught up with my sister, Leanne; heard Terry Borg's latest news, and had a delightful WhatsApp chat with the only Old Friend available - Kathy Lazzaro - and we made plans for our trip to the footy together last night.

Wes reading the paper with a little help from Morse, who brought his rug with him!

On Friday I had an appointment with the dental hygienist in Ballarat for a long overdue teeth clean. Wes very kindly drove me and afterwards we went to Wen & Ware café for toasties & hot drinks. We had a few chores to do, including dropping in to Ballarat Mazda on our way home as our sat nav had been playing up. It took the serviceman 1 minute to show Wes how to fix it, much to our relief.

Yesterday, I packed my little suitcase for yet another overnight stay at The Windsor, and Wes drove me to Ballan Station. The trip wasn't straightforward as trains were late, then cancelled, but I eventually checked in and had a rest before walking through the Treasury & Fitzroy gardens to The Pullman Hotel to meet Kathy & Gerard for a drink before the game. They had found a quiet spot and we enjoyed chatting before Kathy & I walked across to the MCG.

The game was even for three quarters, but Carlton had three injuries and were running on low in the last quarter, which allowed the Pies to run out 21 point winners in front of 83,000+. Ged met Kathy & I after the final siren and we walked back to town together.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 12th July 2026

 
Time for Peppermint Patty & Marcie again!

Sunday was cold early, but turned into a lovely sunny dry day for a change. Wes & Morse did the Daylesford Market and came home with lots of fresh fruit & vegetables, which I washed & put away. I was still coughing and feeling unwell, so had a quiet day and was in bed early again after catching up on minis of our games the previous day. 

We woke to -3℃ and a heavy frost, which led to a beautiful sunny day. I did the shopping and chores, while Wes got stuck into the garden pruning, and filled 2 green bins. Morse was delighted to lie around in the sun, and everyone I met was smiling with the change to dry weather. 

Wes has had a busy week keeping in touch via WhatsApp, Zoom, phone calls & emails. We are both very conscious that, as we get older, we are all fighting health battles, and it's important to stay in touch with each other. He chatted with Barbara in New Zealand; with Paul in Oxfordshire & Rod in Donvale, and with his sister, Denise, here in Daylesford.

On Wednesday morning, I was able to play Mah Jong with Judi in Muffins & More café. We had a good time, played about 10 games with honours about even. I was tired by 11.30, so we stopped then and I came back home to sparkling floors!

Wes had an excellent Jackson Group Zoom chat on Thursday morning, where they ranged over a number of topics. My regular Old Friends chat had been cancelled because three of us were meeting up at Chadstone. We were sorry to miss Rone's latest exhibition Home, but I couldn't have done the long day and it would have been tricky travelling on the icy roads. As well, with trains out, there would have been much more vehicular traffic, which meant delays in getting through the city. 

Kathy sent these wonderful photos to show us what we had missed. So many memories came flooding back when we saw them. Callum Preston, who works with Rone to create these exhibitions, tells me that 55,000+ have seen Home, which finishes today.

Wes suggested we go for a drive in the sunshine to make up for missing our trip to Chadstone, and we found ourselves at Trentham Falls, where the water was flowing freely after the week of rain. Many of the visitors to our area were there as it is a great picnic spot with clean toilets, plenty of parking, a barbecue, and fenced steps to view the Falls. However, we couldn't help remembering that when we first visited these Falls after we moved to Daylesford, we could walk right down to the base and behind the water - a treat we shared with Ged Lazzaro early one morning when he & Kathy were staying with us.

 

It was still icy cold early on Friday morning, so I didn't walk with Wes & Morse, but had a couple of online chats instead. First with my sister, Leanne, who had been without power for most of the day before, and was still recovering from being so cold; and secondly with our friend, Jan, in Maleny, where 11℃ is considered chilly! Wes spent the morning filling our green bin with rose clippings, before doing a few handyman jobs. 

That night Collingwood & North Melbourne fought out an exciting game with the Pies hanging on for a 4 point win in the final seconds. It was exhausting to watch as the lead chopped and changed and with 4 minutes to go the Kangaroos looked set for victory. A draw would have been a very fitting result!

Over the past few weeks, we have both been engrossed in reading the Cormac Reilly books by Irish writer, Dervla McTiernan, who now lives in Western Australia with her family. I had seen good reviews of her work, and was encouraged by Jane Knox to give her a try, so have been borrowing from our local library. No sooner have I finished a book, but Wes has it and is captivated too. The first in the series is called The Rúin, followed by The Scholar, The Good Turn and The Unquiet Grave.

Yesterday we celebrated 58 years since we committed to each other in a relationship, by having breakfast at The Convent. All those years ago, we had no idea where we would be in 2026, probably didn't even give it a thought. In the photo below, we were sitting in the Melbourne Uni folk club rooms listening to Danny Spooner, never dreaming we would run into him again here in Daylesford and enjoy re-igniting our friendship.

Last night, Carlton suffered their first loss in 8 weeks, going down to Hawthorn in atrocious conditions at the MCG. Wes was disappointed, but has enjoyed the change of fortune since Josh Fraser became interim coach, and was philosophical about the end of his winning run. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 5th July 2026

Last Sunday, Wes picked me up from Strathmore Station and we had an excellent visit with Leanne. She was in good spirits and even Smokey, her cat, said hello for a change. We drove back here, where I unpacked and then had a quiet afternoon watching footy and catching up with minis of the Collingwood & Carlton games the day before. Wes watched a very instructive webinar on Family Tree Maker, and learned some new tricks from the presenter. 

It was raining when we woke on Monday, so we couldn't walk Morse and it stayed wet all day, which meant Wes's plans for the garden were put on hold. I did the supermarket shopping, popped into Baker's Delight, visited Tonna's, went to the Post Office and the pharmacy, dodging showers all the time. We had booked a chat with each other about the kitchen - we felt it was time to see if drawers, cupboards or shelves could be better utilised. 

It was an excellent use of our time and we made a few changes that make access to frequently used items a bit easier to manage. e.g. our Sunbeam blender was in a low cupboard, hidden behind the Sunbeam Mixmaster, and therefore difficult to reach. The blender ended up in the pantry next to the microwave and within reach of a power point.

  

Morse ignoring the wet weather 

On Tuesday, after an good WhatsApp chat with my aunt, Jeff, followed by a catch up with Leanne, I visited Springs Medical to see Dr James and find out what happens next. James told me I had a few cavities in my lungs, and the antibiotics had cleared up some infections, but we needed to try something else to clear up the rest. So now I am on a new asthma regime - Trelegy, which I inhale once a day and we'll see how that is going in three weeks' time. James also recommended I get the latest pneumonia injection, Pneumovax, so I had that while I was there. 

The result of the injection was that I started to feel quite unwell, coughing & headachy, so missed out on Carmel Lazzaro's funeral the next day. Wes left here in fog and rain, but arrived safely in East Bentleigh about 2 hours later in time for the 11am start. It was a lovely celebration of Carmel's life and he was so pleased he was able to attend. Many of the roads out of Daylesford were impassable with water and fallen trees, but Wes left in plenty of time to give himself options.

Lovely photo which graced the cover of the Requiem Mass booklet

On Thursday we both did very little - I had a short WhatsApp chat with friend, Terry Borg, in Burwood, and an even shorter catch up with Karen S & Joyce, as I was coughing too much to make the experience pleasurable for anyone. Wes had two chats booked, but neither was able to occur. 

By Friday the rain gauge was showing 82mls for the week - no wonder everywhere is flooded. I had postponed chats with Leanne & Jan as we had planned to have breakfast in Gordon with Rob & Dene to say goodbye before they headed overseas for a couple of months. We had to cancel that & will catch up with them on their return.

We were sad to learn that Petrus Spronk had died this week. He was a most talented artist and his bowls are prized possessions. He found himself in Daylesford in the 1980s and walked in the door of Springmount Pottery to meet Tina Banitska. From 1991 when she opened The Convent, he curated her exhibitions for the next 25 years. We were very fond of him and Wes last chatted with him in May at Alan Harrison's funeral. 

Vale Petrus.

You helped make this World beautiful, intriguing, simple, questioning, reflective, and pleasurable.

We were always a step behind you in our understanding but eager to be in your smile.

(Warren's tribute to him on Facebook).

Yesterday was another quiet day, although Wes was able to take Morse to the cemetery for a long overdue run. Morse loved it, but needed towelling down when he arrived back home. Australia was beaten by Egypt in a penalty shoot-out in the soccer World Cup, which will have disappointed their many fans, but we probably wouldn't have progressed any further. We've been unable to sit and watch the games as we find the lack of scoring too difficult to cope with.

We had scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast before settling down the Saturday Age, which is always full of good reading. In the afternoon there was plenty of footy to keep us occupied, including games by both our teams. All the matches had excitement - Melbourne were ahead of Hawthorn by 90 points before the Hawks slammed on 12 unanswered goals, falling short by 35 points at the final siren; the depleted GWS team beat the ladder leaders, Freo, by 21 points ending their 14 game winning streak; Collingwood & Gold Coast were neck and neck with the Pies holding on to win by a goal, and Carlton & Richmond played a close game with the Tigers storming home in the last quarter, but failing by 2 points.

The exterior of the beautiful Hotel Windsor in Spring Street, Melbourne

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 28th June 2026

 
Poor Snoopy - doesn't like change

Last Sunday was a very quiet day for all of us. I was tired from my trip to the footy and back, and after doing the washing, found myself in bed. Wes had been busy doing all the things we both do, so he had a quiet afternoon as well, reading & watching footy. 

Gerard Lazzaro's wonderful mother, Carmel, has died, and her funeral is next Wednesday. We were due to go to Chadstone Shopping Centre with Kathy & Ged the next day to see Rone's latest exhibition Home, and decided none of us would be up to that, so we have deferred it until 9th July. This took some doing, and cancelling our earlier tickets wasn't easy, but it all eventually fell into place. 

On Monday, after shopping at Coles, and a trip to the pharmacy, I headed next door to give James another lesson in Mah Jong. We started by playing a couple of hands that we had practised the previous Monday, then added 3 more, which gives him a repertoire of 7. He's not available for the next couple of weeks, so his next lesson will be on 8th July at Muffins & More, playing with me & Judi. 

Meanwhile, Wes vacuumed and washed our car, Snoopy, and then filled two green bins with rose clippings. Morse slept through all of this activity, but woke with a vengeance when Paul, Glen's mowing man, started up his mower. Paul loves labs, but likes to tease Morse by moving rapidly from one part of the garden to another, and Morse races up and down the fence trying to keep up with him. Eventually I bring Morse inside and keep him there so the mowing gets done!

We lost another Daylesford friend last week. We were very sorry to read that Vera Killingback had died in Geelong. She and George were two of our earliest Daylesford friends, and she taught me (& others) how to use an abacus - I had owned one for years, but didn't know how to use it, and was very grateful. 

My favourite photo of George & Vera - a marriage made in heaven!

During the week I Zoomed with Leanne, and caught up with Old Friends, as well as having a cuppa with our neighbour, Glen. Wes also had a quiet time with chats with Barbara; with his cousin, Amanda; our friend, Helen, and with the Jackson Group. 

Before playing Mah Jong with Judi, I had a haircut at Hair & Beauty Salon in The Rex, which was marred by an asthmatic reaction to the essential oil blend that was wafting through the room. I have trouble with a lot of perfumes these days, especially those with artificial scent. Judi & I had a good morning, although Muffins & More was quite noisy with lots of locals. We both tried new games and were thrilled to go Mah Jong or get close. 

Three Great Scholars - a lovely hand I haven't achieved before

It was warm enough on Wednesday to join the boys on their early cemetery walk, and we all enjoyed being together again albeit in the dark. I suffered no ill effects, so continued to join them - it's an excellent chance for Wes & I to share stories or news and starts the day off just right.

On Friday, I had a lovely breakfast catch up with Fiona Groundwater at The Convent. Fiona's parents, David & Annie, were our best friends in Daylesford in the early days, and we were delighted when Fiona & her husband, Les, decided to make their home here in 2022. 

Annie, Fiona & Karen at the Mollongghip Open Gardens 2019

Yesterday we read that Craig Ritchie, partner of artist, Perry Snodgrass, had died. They used to live here and we own one of Perry's distinctive paintings. Craig was a big help to me in the early days of Hepburn Shire U3A, when I was looking for computer programmes suitable for membership details. I particularly remember one visit he paid me when we were living across the road at #77 and his battery went flat. He asked me to start him with our jump leads and I opened the bonnet of my little black Mazda MX5 only to discover there was no battery. We eventually found it in the boot!

Collingwood played Richmond in the late afternoon, so Wes & Morse took me to Ballan Station to catch the train to Melbourne. I arrived in plenty of time, checked into The Windsor, donned my warm gear & walked over to the MCG. For once, the weather in Melbourne was colder than Daylesford by a couple of degrees. The Pies had a win against a very gallant Tigers team, which is still decimated by injuries. Earlier the Blues recorded their sixth win in a row, easily beating the West Coast Eagles. 

When I arrived back at The Windsor, it was dinner time, so I ordered prawn cutlets with salad and a glass of Riesling, while I watched the start of the 60th Showdown at the Adelaide Oval, where Port proved too good for Adelaide in a sold-out and skilful match.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 21st June 2026

 
With the Soccer World Cup on, I thought this was perfect!

Last Sunday was a beautiful sunny, but cold day. We had a good trip to the Daylesford Market and came home with our usual lovely haul of fruit, vegetables & Morse food (apples, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage & broccoli), all of which he devours with gusto, usually accompanied by rice or pasta, and a dollop of yoghurt. 

We've had a quiet week with lots of rain stopping activities, but plenty of human contact. Wes has been in touch with Barbara in NZ twice; Terry Larkins in Gisborne; Helen Hanrahan in Lower Plenty, and his cousin, Gary Testro in Pascoe Vale. I caught up with my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock; twice with my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, and had a good chat with Old Friends - Kathy & Joyce.

Wes has continued to prune fruit trees and roses when the weather has permitted, as well as working on Ancestry; and a big project he is undertaking to put all of my Dispatches together. We're missing those I wrote in 2000, 2001 & some of 2002, but we have all the rest. I think he's enjoying re-reading them as he goes and sharing the memories with me. 

A stunning collage from ANZAC Day 2020, when the trees at Lake Daylesford seemed to glow red

Wes discovered that another Daylesford friend, Graham Ogden, had died, back in 2022. Graham was an expert on the Old Testament, and he and his wife, Lois, had done missionary work before we met them. They came here because their daughter, Mel, was living & working here. They both joined the U3A, and Graham took on the Presidency, which he carried off with aplomb. We really enjoying spending time with them, and were sorry when they left Lyonville to live in Ballarat. 

As well as playing Mah Jong with Judi, I also started to teach our neighbour, James, how to play. He is a quick learner and because his wife, Yoko, is Japanese, he found it easy to read the characters on the tiles, as Chinese & Japanese characters are very similar. We spent 90 minutes playing and he has booked me in again for tomorrow morning. 

The results of my CT scans came through and I had a telehealth call with Dr James to discuss them. It appears I have a cavity in my lungs, probably caused by chronic asthma, and germs are finding their way in there. This is causing the persistent cough and phlegm, so I am on an antibiotic regime of 60 capsules over 10 days to see if that will solve the issue. The other scan showed that I have no build up of calcium or anything else that is causing my cholesterol reading to show borderline. We were both very relieved with these results, and hope the aggressive use of amoxicillin will solve the lung issue.

Stunning sunset in May 2020

Yesterday I travelled back to Melbourne to see Collingwood host Port Adelaide at the MCG. Wes & Morse kindly drove me to Ballan Station, and in the afternoon, Wes took David Hall to Politics in the Pub a monthly event at the Farmers Arms Hotel here, before returning home to watch GWS & Carlton play at the Sydney Showgrounds. We were both delighted that our teams won - Carlton were too good by 23 points and the Pies prevailed by 26 points in a game marred by rain, injuries, interesting umpiring and a goal-less last quarter.

Before the game at the MCG the rain bucketed down

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 14th June 2026

 

Last Sunday was cool, wet & misty most of the morning. There weren't many cars at the Daylesford Market when we visited, but we hoped that visitors braved the weather and supported the stall-holders, who were all keeping warm and dry as best they could. 

We spent the day listening to the ABC Classic countdown and were delighted to find a few more of our picks made it. I ended up with 8, including The Planets by Gustav Holst at #3, and The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams at #4. We were both very disappointed that Beethoven's Ninth topped the poll and suspect heaps of choristers voted for it. However, we both enjoyed sharing texts with friends who were also listening - thanks to Squiz, Helen & Wendy for keeping in touch. 

That night Carlton somehow managed to beat Essendon after the Bombers held the lead with a few minutes to go. Wes was very relieved, and my Essendon friends were proud of their efforts. 

On Monday, I did the supermarket shopping and had my first & only cup of tea just before the 8.35am deadline, as I had to move to water for the 24 hours before one of my CT scans. Then it was time to catch the Ballarat train to Southern Cross & from there to Jolimont Station and the MCG. I was part of 88,019 people, almost all of whom were wearing Big Freeze 12 beanies, including me. 

We witnessed some fun with the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, among the 10 sliders who braved the ice-bath to honour Neale Daniher and donate to the Fight MND cause, which has raised over $150 million in total to find a cure for this fatal disease. Then the players ran through a joint banner before making a circle with the umpires as we remembered Neale. 

The game was full of highlights - marks, goals, and tackles; and marred by an injury to Brody Mihocek, current Melbourne, and former Collingwood player, who ducked his head awkwardly to avoid a tackle by Billy Frampton and ended up being taken to hospital and having neck surgery. The Demons won by 8 points in the end, and deserved their win as they made fewer mistakes in the last minutes.

Wes & Morse picked me up at Ballan Station that evening and we went home to a late meal of footy food - pie for Wes & pastie for me. I was very tired and slept well in preparation for Tuesday's visit to Lake Imaging in Ballarat's St John of God hospital.

We left early and arrived in plenty of time for my 8.35am appointment. I can't remember having had a CT Scan before, but both of these were painless and easily done - the hardest part was removing the adhesive "spots" afterwards. Wes and I then drove to our favourite café, Wen & Ware, desperate for hot drinks and something to eat. Before we came back home, I popped into Bed, Bath & Table to buy some navy Winter sheets as our current ones were past their use by date. As usual, I had great service, this time with Leah, and walked away very happy with the purchase.

On Wednesday, while Wes toiled over the floors at home, I pumped mineral water, did some chores, and then played Mah Jong with Judi, where honours were even. Once again, Muffins & More was full of locals, and the Collingwood supporters were keen to know what I thought of the King's birthday game. 

Although we woke to a very cold morning on Thursday, the sky was full of stars and a crescent moon was shining over Daylesford cemetery. The mist lifted and we had a beautiful sunny day for a change. Wes Zoomed with the Jackson Group and I caught up with Old Friends on WhatsApp, before he went outside to prune fruit trees & rose bushes, and I spent the morning washing glass jars and refilling them with pasta, seeds, herbs & spices.

Friday was our 56th Wedding Anniversary, which we had decided to celebrate with High Tea at The Convent. We booked for 12 noon, and enjoyed walking through misty rain to Bad Habits Café. We were seated at the best table (13) with a Happy Anniversary banner, some roses, a gift from Tina & the staff & complimentary bubbles. We couldn't have chosen a better spot, and were spoilt beautifully by everyone there. 

Tina, the owner, flanked by Tenille & Steve

Needless, to say, we couldn't finish all the goodies and brought home the top layer to polish off yesterday. Thanks to everyone who commented on the post Wes put up on Facebook, and everyone else who sent good wishes - much appreciated. We were married on a wet Friday in June at 6.30pm at Newman Chapel in Melbourne University, after a busy day collecting our best man, Deane Wells, and matron of honour, Terry Branch, who had both flown in from Brisbane & Sydney respectively. Deane needed a shirt, so we bought that for him, as well as visiting FMI, in Queen Street, where Wes worked, to celebrate with the staff. 

Yesterday was quiet - I was still recovering from our lovely outing, and we were expecting up to 20mls rain. Wes was able to walk Morse, but I couldn't join them, and had tea & toast in bed instead. 

Apart from chatting with Old Friends, I also had a Zoom with Leanne this week, and a WhatsApp chat with Jan in Maleny, where we agreed that getting old, especially hitting 80, is the pits. Wes managed to chat with Barbara in NZ twice; had a lovely WhatsApp catch up with Carole in Essendon, and rang Hymie in Caulfield to chat about Carlton & politics. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 7th June 2026

 
Guess who?

Our week started very quietly as we were still tired after our trip to Melbourne last Saturday. Wes & Morse did the Daylesford Market for me, and came home with lots of goodies. I spent the day in the lounge, watching footy & sewing up a jumper I have been knitting with some lovely donated wool. I dropped it into the Salvos on Monday and the manager very kindly told me she looks forward to Winter & my knitted offerings.

The main colour is actually pumpkin, rather than yellow, and blue & green stripes seemed the best fit

We have enjoyed quite a lot of rain this week, although we were able to walk on Monday morning, and Wes did some pruning before it set in. Everyone I met in Vincent Street agreed that last Saturday's fog was the worst they had ever driven in - particularly in the aptly named Pleurisy Hill, christened by Gail White when she & Terry lived in Lupin Cottage, Grenville Street, near the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.

Once again, we have discovered we have lost a friend - this time, Sheila Hollingworth, who died in WA in 2024. We spent many happy hours with Sheila & her husband, Vaughan Brown in Daylesford. They lived in a wonderful home in West Street and were very generous hosting U3A & Words in Winter Events. Sheila was a cartoonist & writer, and the last we know she was volunteering at schools, helping young people develop their skills & interests.

Sheila & Vaughan on their wedding day in 2008

On Tuesday, I visited Springs Medical Centre to see my GP, Dr James Smith. He listened to my breathing & suggested I have a CT Scan to check my lungs to see if that would explain why I have been coughing all year. I'm booked in for next Tuesday morning. 

Wes has been busy with phone calls, Zooms & WhatsApp chats this week - he's spoken with Barbara in NZ twice; Helen in Lower Plenty; Danny in Queensland, & Paul in Oxfordshire. He had planned chats with Sam in Brunswick, and Wendy in Clifton Springs, but both are looking after very unwell spouses and couldn't fit Wes in. Meanwhile, I chatted with Leanne in Strathmore, Shar in Heathcote, Terry in Burwood, and Old Friends - Karen in Port Melbourne, Kathy in Burwood & Joyce in Reservoir. 

Meanwhile Judi & I played Mah Jong on a rainy morning in a packed & noisy Muffins & More café. I won most of the games, but Judi tried some interesting hands and enjoyed the challenge. 

By Thursday, it was three days in a row since we had been unable to walk Morse and the rain was persistent, and occasionally heavy. I imagine this weather has been good for our new volunteer-run Cinema, named the Phoenix, as it has risen from the ashes of the previous one in The Rex Arcade. The local developers of The Rex, Eddie Comelli & David Bromley, have made good on their promise to re-open the Cinema, and it seats 64 in comfort with excellent elevation. We haven't been yet for various reasons, but I am hoping to get to The Sheep Detectives before it disappears from the screen.

Morse was very happy to stay warm & dry inside

The rain finally stopped at 3am on Friday morning, but everywhere was so wet underfoot & full of puddles that we didn't walk Morse. However, I had a lovely Zoom with Leanne, missed out on a WhatsApp chat with Jan in Maleny; and headed into Vincent Street to complete all the chores that had been building up during the week. I overhead one shopkeeper telling another that they, too, had closed early the day before, as no-one was venturing out in the incessant rain.

Yesterday we woke to discover, in spite of the Bureau's predictions, Daylesford was wet & misty yet again. Morse missed out on his walk, and a bath - the latter didn't bother him too much. We settled down to listen to the ABC Classic Top 100 Greatest Music of all time, punctuated by footy games, including minis of the two close games already played - Adelaide's 1 point win against Geelong on Thursday night, and the Western Bulldogs' amazing 8 goals to 1 second half to beat Hawthorn on Friday night. 

So far we've not had many of our selections make it into the Top 100 - we both chose Chariots of Fire by Vangelis, which came in at 75, and I had O Eccelesia by Hildegard von Bingham, which was 84. Fingers crossed for better luck today when 50 through to 1 will be played.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 31st May 2026

 
I'm sure Morse thinks he is!

As promised last Sunday, we had a very quiet start to our week. Wes had made a superhuman effort to get out of bed and drive me to the station on Saturday, and then collect me the following morning, after walking Morse & doing the Daylesford Market shopping. We watched most of the Carlton game again, the last quarter of the North match, and minis of everything else!

On Monday, we both walked Morse early, where the temperature was a balmy 11℃ at 6.15am. I did the shopping at Coles and came home with our Baker's Delight treats - spinach & feta croissants, which were still warm from their oven. Then we compared Calendars and booked in an Anniversary celebration next month, and a visit to Chadstone Shopping Centre in July to see the latest Rone exhibition - Home ("This immersive exhibition reconstructs a Chadstone shopfront as a familiar yet disquieting Australian weatherboard house. Visitors step inside a space that feels at once intimate and nostalgic, where materially rich, time-worn interiors sit in contrast to the controlled architecture of the centre.")

I went back into town to collect our monthly prescriptions and met old friend, Barry Spall, at the pharmacy. We have known Barry almost since we arrived here in Daylesford, and I am especially grateful to him for running a wonderful gym for many years - I benefitted very much from his advice, programmes & guidance. We chatted about footy of course - he is a Doggies fan, and they had beaten Melbourne in a close, exciting game the night before. His wife, Fran, is a very keen Geelong supporter, who has been enjoying the way they are playing at present.

My Mother's Day Oriental lilies opening beautifully

The next morning, Wes & Morse walked early, while I tried to contact my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire for our fortnightly WhatsApp chat, but had no luck getting in touch. Afterwards I Zoomed with Leanne, who was booked in for her COVID booster; before heading to Leitches Creek to pump mineral water, and then onto Hepburn Springs for a manicure with Juls, who is busy planning her 70th birthday party in Melbourne next month. 

It was a warm day for May, so Wes got started on the pruning - he filled a green bin, and then mowed before retiring to fix a couple of areas that had been damaged by the cockies. We had learnt of the death of Neale Daniher - an amazing man, who was last year's Australian of the Year for his fight to find a cure for MND. He was diagnosed in 2013, after a career as an Aussie Rules footballer, coach & administrator, and spent his remaining years fund-raising. He will be given a State Funeral and next month's King's Birthday clash between Collingwood & Melbourne will celebrate his legacy in style. 

Wes was able to wash & vacuum the floors on Wednesday while I had a full blood test at Springs Medical, and then played Mah Jong with Judi. I had fasted for the test in the hope that would give a more accurate reading, so needed something to eat & drink before Judi arrived at Muffins & More café. Fortunately there was a savoury muffin left, and I was delighted when it was served warm & with curls of butter!

Yummy muffin

 My beautiful All Honours Hand with 3 concealed Kongs - that doesn't happen often

Lovely photo of Judi with the Three Philosophers' winning hand

That night, Wes has another go at steaming dumplings - this time the prawn & ginger ones he had bought from the Ballarat Fish Supply, and he used our rice cooker. The dumplings were perfectly cooked and very yummy with a little soy sauce on the side. We finished our meal with an interesting English cheese & crackers.

We walked Morse early again on Thursday before Wes drove Snoopy to Ballarat for its 12 month service. I had set aside the morning to change from our lightweight to heavyweight doona cover, and apart from a great WhatsApp catch up with Old Friends, I spent most of my time around the laundry! Wes arrived home at lunchtime with custard tarts & a date roll for afternoon tea from Golden Nugget bakery.

On Friday, I had my regular appointment with my podiatrist, Peter Dietsch, at Springs Medical Centre. He was only 15 minutes late, which is pretty good by his standards, as he drives to Daylesford from Castlemaine, and I suspect he is already late by the time he leaves home. Meanwhile Wes spent the morning in the back garden doing more pruning & mowing as we were expecting rain for the next few days. That night Carlton had an unexpected and excellent win against Geelong, one of the Flag favourites. Wes is on Cloud Nine after three wins in a row. 

The last of the Autumn leaves greeted us as we arrived home from our early walk

Yesterday we woke to a dense fog, but were able to walk Morse, and amazingly saw a bunny, who led him on a merry chase. We then drove to Strathmore to spend time with Leanne. She is doing very well, but as anyone who lives on their own knows, you sometimes need to run your thoughts past others, as you can get the wrong idea. We chatted about a few things, put her mind at rest about some of them, and had a walk around her garden where we found oranges, parsley, thyme & spinach shoots all doing well.

Last night Collingwood fell 4 points short of beating the Western Bulldogs after a spirited last quarter comeback. I fell asleep at half-time and will look forward to catching up on the second half today, which is going to be a very quiet one with more rain expected.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 24th May 2026

 

We started our week with a wet visit to Daylesford Market and Morse was very upset to be left at home. Yvonne sent an apple back for him, and he cheered up with that. We had 16mls in our rain gauge, which meant tanks were full again and the ground soaked. We had planned on breakfast out to celebrate Carlton's win the night before, but opted for tea & toast at home instead.

On Monday, we were pleased to be able to walk Morse early although it was very dark. The rain didn't start until 2pm, so I did the Coles shopping and then my other chores without getting wet. I had a massage with Sarah late in the morning, while Wes pruned in the front garden. In the afternoon, he went to Alan Harrison's funeral, which was very well-attended, and came home with some wonderful stories to share.

Our beautiful Weeping Japanese Maple at its best

Once again we had a dark early walk with Morse, and for once, I had no Zoom chats booked, as Leanne was expecting the NDIS gardeners at the time we usually catch up. I made a quick trip back to Coles to get orange juice & packets of soup - the former wasn't available, and I couldn't find the latter the day before. Wes & Morse went out and returned with some beautiful Oriental lilies for me as a belated Mother's Day gift. 

The last of our trees to change colour is this Maple at the front door

On Wednesday, Judi & I met for Mah Jong in a very busy Muffins & More café. Honours were even with some interesting hands tackled by both of us. Wes had vacuumed & washed the floors when I arrived home, which was lovely of him. 

After two WhatsApp chats on Thursday - early with Terry Borg in Burwood, and later with Old Friends - Burwood, Port Melbourne & Reservoir,, Wes & I travelled to Strathdale, a suburb of Bendigo to visit Cliff Talbot and his wife, Barbara. Cliff lives in a very lovely Aged Care Home, where all the staff were smiling & helpful. Barbara had driven in to visit him as well, and we all had lunch together. The staff had organised a table for 4 for us in a side room, which gave us some privacy and allowed us all to hear each other. It was only as we were driving back home that we realised we had forgotten to take a photo!

This photo of Wes & Cliff was taken in the hallway of Maloney Manor, 246 Brunswick Road in 1991

We woke early on Friday morning as Wes was feeling quite unwell - possibly food poisoning or diverticulosis. He was very cold and shivering, so I covered him in blankets until he warmed up again, and he spent much of the day catching up on sleep. Morse couldn't cope with the change in routine and kept sneaking outside to eat the nuts in the bird food.

We lost another Daylesford friend this week. We met Robert Bartlett when he was walking around Lake Daylesford. He had suffered from a stroke, and forced himself to stay as fit as he could by walking, which wasn't easy. We met most days for a few years as he walked the opposite way to us. One morning he had fallen over beside his car and couldn't get up - we were so pleased we heard his cries for help & were able to get him into his car. Eventually walking was beyond him and he moved into Hepburn House for 24 hour care, which his wife, Deb, could no longer manage. RIP.

Yesterday, Wes had recovered enough to be able to drive me to Ballan Station so I could attend the Collingwood vs West Coast game at the MCG, where Scott Pendlebury played his 433rd AFL game overtaking Brent Harvey's 432 to head the leader-board. I had invited Danny Millman to choose a game to attend with me earlier this year, and he picked this one, with neither of us realising it would be such a momentous afternoon. We caught up with David Lazzaro before the game, which made it perfect.

West Coast played very well and Collingwood managed to win by 10 points in a close struggle in front of 90,028 fans, an amazing turn up for this game. I walked back to The Windsor to my room, in time to watch Carlton play very well against Port Adelaide over there, and win by 34 points. Wes was thrilled - two wins in a row is very satisfying.

I took this photo of the beautifully lit Melbourne Conservatory in the Fitzroy Gardens as I was walking back

This morning, Wes was good enough to walk Morse and visit the Daylesford Market to collect our fruit & vegetables, before driving to Ballan to pick me up at 9.40am. I think a very quiet day beckons for all three of us!