After a tortuous 1 hour and 15 minute drive to Karen's place on Friday afternoon we left for Inglewood together with Karen driving us in her car.
We were in high spirits - especially me, as I had been offered a new job today, and will start it Monday week.
Arrived in darkness around 6.30, unpacked what was necessary, and then walked up to the Empire for dinner.
Defied tradition, and had a seafood basket, while Karen had a steak.
After we'd finished our meal, Enzo asked us if we'd like some champagne (Karen had told him about my new job). There was obviously only one answer for that, And we asked him to come and join us.
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| Enzo and Karen #1 |
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| Enzo and Karen #2 |
He stayed with us for one drink, and told us that we could take the bottle home (which we did)
Luckily it was a relatively mild night so we didn't feel the need to light a fire in the dining room (I also didn't want to have to clean it in the morning in readiness for the Open House).
Stayed up and drank our wine and chatted. Went to bed relatively early.
Got up around 7am and went to IGA for milk and bread, to the butcher for a butcher's hook for my salted pork leg, to Denise's for the laminated room crib notes that Robyn V had printed and laminated for me, and to Nevins to give Jamie my winning meat voucher - so that he could pick up my meat in Bendigo for me some time later. (he wasn't there)
Got back home, had some breakfast, and then started getting ready for the potential hordes. Blue-tacked each of the room's key feature notes in each of the rooms. Put all of our personal stuff away. Karen had brought some stainless steel bollards with heavy cording which we put out the front, and we changed into our costumes which she had borrowed from her school's costume department. I was Lady Muck - in a long gown, and Karen was my maid
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| Karen and me on tip toes (the dress was a bit long) |
Justin arrived around 9.45, and got changed into his own Laird outfit, while outside people were clamouring to get in. Well maybe not clamouring, but they were lined up, and even traipsing through the garden for a sneak peak.
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| Karen and Justin in his Laird outfit |
Karen told them that we were like Myer, ie if we say we'll open at 10, we'll open at 10 and not before!
Luckily, I had a group of willing helpers to "mind" the rooms. Michael arrived looking like Ozzy Osborne, all in black with a long frock coat, and little round glasses (unfortunately I didn't get around to taking a photo of him). He had the red room, and cruised around the top hallway. Maile had the dining room, David the study, Terry the library/dormitory, and Jill the green room. In the afternoon Michelle took over the green room while Wally & Genevieve were in the kitchen. Justin and I floated around, and Karen was at the front door taking the Renovation Fund donations.
As I said there were people lining up before 10am, and certainly a rush once we opened the doors. People came from all over the place, Charlton, Wedderburn, Maryborough, Melbourne, and of course many people from Inglewood. Jill did a an audit at one stage and counted 48 people in one 1/2 hour time frame. So, we figure that we had around 200-300 people all up over the 2 opening time frames :-10 -12, and 2- 4
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| Terry in the background |
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| a couple of vistors |
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| getting crowded now |
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| Karen greeting people at the door |
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| people lined up out the front |
At one stage we had a traffic jam on the stairs, so many people coming down, that no one could come up. Alan Nixon introduced himself to me, and said he had some original photos he could show me, I was also invited to an afternoon tea date TBA by another friendly couple from Inglewood. A Mr Bradley told Genevieve that his Dad put the Lux stove in the kitchen back in around 1940, and another woman told me how her husband's nephew had boarded with Jim Secombe back in the 1940s as a young 15 year old carpentry apprentice, and that he would be willing to speak with me and share his reminisces of those times.
As I had said, David P was in the study, and he said that a few people had commented on the portrait of Justin's Dad, and wondered if it was David
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| David and the judge |
And not only was Karen the maid, and chief door opener, but she provided a dog minding service also
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| dog minder |
Steve, looking very dapper came and helped us out also, as we had run out of the flyers that Robyn had printed up for us. She printed 100, and they only lasted about an hour. He organised for David O to print some more up for us
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| Dapper Steve |
Anyway, Justin and I were swanning around the house, talking to all sorts of people and having a whale of a time. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and were very complimentary about what we had done, and how wonderful it was that we had opened the house.
At 11.55, I went through the house ringing a bell, as a 5 minute warning, as we were closing at 12. Or rather , at 12.05 Robyn V and Kevin P were bringing in a deaf tour for a "private" viewing. I started talking to this group, but found it a bit disorienting having the deaf interpreter sign everything I said. Made me feel self conscious, so I let Kevin take over.
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| Kevin and the deaf group |
And it was around this time too that the reporter from the Loddon Times had come and wanted to start taking photos. He took a couple of photos of Justin and I on the stairs
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| Justin and I - courtesy of the Loddon Times |
and some of Karen and Justin out the front of the house
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| Karen and Justin - courtesy of the Loddon Times |
And it was the above photo that was used for a front page. Go team!
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| Front Page! |
We took a well earned breather from around 12.30 til 2pm. Justin went to GGs and got the 3 of us (the others had all gone home) hamburger each which we ate outside
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| maid and master enjoying a hamburger and a glass of wine #1 |
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| maid and master enjoying a hamburger and a glass of wine #2 - with Justin taking the below photo of me |
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| Me having a glass of wine - having finished my hamburger |
After lunch, Karen and I went for an enjoyable promenade down Brooke Street, swishing along in our 19 century finery/work uniform. Said hello to various people. And then it was back for the 2nd opening.
Once again people were lining up, and there was great interest, it only started to abate around 3.45pm by which stage we were all getting a bit tired. One of the last people through was a woman called Kanon from St Arnaud who I got to chatting with, and she took the below photos of myself and Justin
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| Lady Muck |
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| Lord and Lady Muck |
So we closed up at 4pm, and Karen and I made yet another trip to the IGA to get some supplies for my thank-you dinner tonight. Justin took the below photo, as he thought it looked a little bit incongruous of us in our old fashioned clothes swinging a modern shopping bag between us
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| Lady Muck and Maid #1 |
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| Lady Muck and Maid #2 |
Although I had already cooked up the pulled pork, marinaded the chicken, and made the pate & onion tart back in Melbourne. I still wanted to do more food here - ie apple crumble, coleslaw, roasted vegies, avocado dip and red dip. This kept me busy pretty much until they arrived.
It was dinner for the 10 of us, - Justin, me, Karen, Terry, Maile, David, Michael, Michelle, Genevieve and Wally - to show my appreciation of their giving up their time to "mind" the rooms for us - and answer questions, make sure that the candlesticks weren't pinched etc.
Once again it was a fun and boisterous evening
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| volunteers dinner #1 |
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| Volunteers dinner #2 |
I guess they all left around 12 or so, and then Justin put some music on for some unlikely dancing
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| Friends. Countrymen Romans..... |
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| Boogy #1 |
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| Boogy #2 |
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| Boogy #3 |
So, what a day we'd had, full on with the 2 x opening times, and then a big dinner, so of course we had a slow start on Sunday.
Unfortunately, we didn't have any house elves to do all of those dishes over night, so Karen and I had to do them. She had come up with the brilliant idea of doing them in the scullery - better sink, so that's what we did. Looking forward to getting a dishwasher in there sooner rather than later!
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| Karen washing the dishes |
Next on the agenda was to get my curing pork out of the salt, and into a wooden box. Now, if I'd made the box, it probably wouldn't have been very straight, so I asked Justin if he could do the honours
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| Justin making the box #1 |
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| Justin making the box #2 |
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| Justin making the box #3 |
Then I had to remove the pork from the salt
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| removing the pork #1 |
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| removing the pork #2 |
Somehow I had mis measured the length of the pork, so the box Justin had made was shorter than expected. It was still ok however, we just had to hook the pork up higher
\
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| Add caption |
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| this better fit |
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| whoops.... |
Easier said than done however, as it was difficult to get the hook through. Justin ended up doing it, but thought that it was maybe going off a bit, as there was a flap/open part that I hadn't put salt in/didn't know existed - and he said that it was a suspicious greenish colour. That would be very disappointing.
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| getting that hook through |
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| still trying |
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| Justin's taken over now |
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| success |
Nonetheless, we put it into the box, and put the flywire around it, and then into the cellar. It's supposed to hang there for 9-12 months. I guess we'll know soon enough if it's gone off....
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| looks pretty good to me |
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| 2 hams |
