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Saturday, 14 December 2013

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Saturday, 14th December 2013


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 CafĂ©. 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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