This week the blogging is shared by Lisa and Justin
Lisa: Justin and I left for Inglewood after dinner on Friday night, as I planned to help Terry et al with the cooking on Saturday morning.
Arrived around 10.30pm, and we thought we would go and visit the Royal Hotel and have a drink. Not that we really felt like one, but we wanted to show a bit of patronage. Bryn was there, and so was Greg & Gail from GGs. Had a quick glass of red, shared a pack of chips, and then home to bed
 |
| Re-opened Royal Hotel (old photo from the internet) |
Woke early, and went to the IGA for some milk and bread (for once I didn't make any). Saw that there was a garage sale in Verdon Street, so thought I might drop in later.
Went home and had some breakfast outside in the sun ( was a nice day) and read the paper a bit. Ad then I wandered down to the garage sale. Saw Jamie Nevins on the way, and he told me that Memsie had sold for $605,000 for the house and another $400,000 for the land.
 |
| Memsie homestead (designed by the architect Vahland who designed Nimmitabel) |
Bought a box of assorted candles at the sale for $2. I can never have too many candles. And I was also tempted by an old gold detector machine and a compressor, but Justin wasn't when I told him, so I left those purchases to someone else.
Walked back to the house, and then jumped in the car to drive to Terrys to get there by 9am.
His son Dermot and grandson Rowan were there, and June, Arlene, Chrissie and Bev came along a little later.
Justin: Meanwhile, back at the house, I spent the morning and some of the afternoon cleaning up the dust I had created when sanding the floor of the upstairs hallway. I was in text communication with "the band" and received updates as to the delays in their departure from Melbourne. My friend Chris was driving and was to bring his wife Jo, fellow band member Yvonne and my friend (and former master at the Bar) Jon.
I vacuumed and mopped most of the house. I found that the hallway floor upstairs was not entirely dry and was still a bit oily. Initially I tried to assist the drying process with the use of a blow heater. However, the heater combined with the vacuum caused the fuse to go in the powerboard so I abandoned the heater and covered the floor in plastic.
Lisa returned some time after 2 p.m. and then Karen was the first of the weekend's guests to arrive. Chris and his group arrived as did Karen's husband Mark and we sat outside discussing, amongst other things, the night ahead and running through a couple of songs. We were joined by Yvonne's friend Geoff who had booked accommodation through Airbnb in Bridgewater and, as a bonus, had to remain sober as one of the designated drivers
 |
| The band running though some songs before leaving. Yvonne looks unimpressed. |
We left for Kingower at about 6:15 as Lisa wanted to be there to assist in setting up. There may have been a smattering of nerves amongst those of us who were going to perform. For my part it always makes me a little edgy knowing that I am going to have to get up in front of a crown (I think you mean crowd LC) and play and, more particularly, sing. And I think recognised the same strains acting on Chris and Yvonne to varying degrees.
 |
| Justin hides his nerves from the camera. (unfortunately blurry photo from Lisa) |
Chris set about setting up his guitars and the system through which the sound would reach the speakers. He was very particular and created a web of interconnected cords which had to pass through some sort of magic box with lights on it. Meanwhile Lisa was asking me to pose with Chris's telecaster.
 |
| Justin poses with Chris's Telecaster. Don't drop it. |
The evening got under way and the food was, as usual lovely. I was having difficulty focussing on the food knowing that I would have to get up and play. I was also conscious that I needed to pace myself insofar as my alcohol intake was concerned. Just enough to reduce nerves but not so much that I forget what a C chord is.
 |
| Here we see Jo, Mark, Karen, Geoff, Yvonne and Jon at our table. |
The new Kingower Rangers kicked off the evening's entertainment, and did so with their usual skill and enthusiasm. They wore red bow ties and looked very smart.
 |
| The New Kingower Rangers looking smart in bow ties. |
We then had Mark Gilmour performing a few songs solo and then with his daughter. They did their terrific version of Jackson amongst other things.
At this point Chris started re-evaluating what songs we should be playing to this particular crowd. I am not sure exactly what brought this on but he told Yvonne and I that we should play Yellow Submarine. We had never even mentioned the song before, let alone practiced it. We firmly told him no.
Then it was our turn. When we got on stage our first song was to be Tonight You Belong to Me with me playing the ukulele and Chris and Yvonne singing. But Chris, ever innovative, had other ideas and kept us on our toes by commencing with an instrumental piece on guitar in honour of one of the other guests who was having his birthday. We then moved on to our song list.
 |
| Jon (on the left) came up and joined us for a couple of songs |
Jon had told us that he had a watching brief only but, I think it is fair to say, it didn't take much convincing to get him to come up and belt out a couple of songs.
 |
| Jon and the band again. |
 |
| This might be Jon leaving the stage after a song. |
In any case we ran through our set and I don't recall any gross errors. There were a number of minor ones but we bravely played through them. I know there is a video of all of this that I am yet to see so I may yet change my view on that.
 |
| David R |
There were a number of other excellent acts over the remainder of the evening. David got up and did some solo songs which were terrific and there was a first ever appearance by a band of young fellows who did some original and some cover songs. They were warmly received.
We did get up for a second set late in the evening but we were running out of steam by then.
Or so I thought.
When we got home there was a particular hard core who determined that the night was not over.
 |
| The hard core contemplate where the evening will go from here. |
Chris, Jon, Yvonne and I stayed up into the small hours. I eventually reired some time after four and the rest of them followed not long after, so I am told.
And it's back to
Lisa:
Going backward in time, while Justin was mopping, I was cooking up a storm with the usual crew
We made sausage rolls in biblical proportions
 |
| mixing through the sausage mix |
 |
| adding in some vegies |
 |
| and some more vegies (actually this might be the pastie mix!) |
 |
| June mixing through the sausage mix |
 |
| and some more |
 |
| look pretty good don't they |
Followed by beef and vegie pasties
 |
| Arelene cutting up some potatoes |
 |
| preparing the pastry |
 |
| starting to to assemble |
 |
| a finished pastie |
Fruit flans - with a 10 x egg yolk custard, 5ml sliced kiwi fruit, and only perfect strawberry halves
 |
| Terry had made the cases earlier |
 |
| getting ready to fill them |
 |
| Dermot cutting the kiwi fruit |
 |
| assembled, but not yet glazed |
Had a mid morning coffee break - Terry really does make the best coffee
Back to work - and we started assembling sushi rolls
Then a break for lunch outside- Terry had made up a delicious filo and spinach pie, which we had with a green salad and a cheeky white
 |
| a fine lunch for the cooks |
It was a very still day - (luckily) and DSE was doing a controlled burn behind Terry's property
 |
| smoke #1 |
 |
| smoke #2 |
 |
| smoke #3 |
We had to keep checking the wood stove which is the regular stove for the sausage rolls and pasties. Some got a little darker than intended. But others such as those below, were just perfect
 |
| looks like we should open a bakery |
Given that Terry had used so many egg yolks, he had an abundance of egg whites, so I made up some macaroons - approximating a Stephanie Alexander recipe I'd used a couple of times. Put in chopped almonds, cocoa powder, and chocolate - plus of course some sugar and corn flour. Turned out not bad
 |
| my ad hoc macaroons |
Finished up, and got home just before 3pm - no one else had arrived yet, and poor old Justin was still mopping etc.
As Justin had said unfortunately the floor wasn't quite dry from the previous Monday, however we were going to have a house full of guests, with most of them upstairs, so Justin put drop sheets on the floor and and asked everyone not to wear hard soled shoes
Karen arrived soon after I did though, and the others maybe an hour later. The garden was looking festive and bright so I took some more flower photos
 |
| freesias from Jill B |
 |
| White iris from Vashti |
 |
| purple & white iris |
 |
| those freesias again |
 |
| gazania |
 |
| different gazania |
 |
| lots of gazanias |
 |
| euphorbias in bloom |
 |
| flowering bromeliad |
 |
| succulent in bloom |
And here Chris is playing for us
 |
| Add caption |
I also spied on them from up on the veranda
 |
| and the band played on #1 |
 |
| and the band played on #2 |
Damien and Nicole dropped by to say hello, but sadly weren't coming to the music night, as they had other plans
As Justin said we arrived at the church early - around 6.30,as Terry had requested some assistance in setting up. We were also able to nab the table of our choice
 |
| Jo opening up a very nice bottle of bubbles |
We started dinner with 2 x large dips (hummus & capsicum) with turkish bread.
Followed by a literal cup of chicken and noodle soup
 |
| cup of soup |
So, as Justin wrote the night went well, and we got home around 1am. Mark and Karen went to bed, I stayed up for a little while in the dining room with the others. But then went to bed, and shooed them into the kitchen, as they were a bit noisy
|
| more music |
Unsurprisingly, a late breakfast. Jo had very generously brought up delicious breakfast provisions - eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach bread. Logistics were a bit tricky for this many of us. Remember, only one powerpoint to heat if using heat. So the boys cooked the bacon and eggs, and fried up the bread on the BBQ. I used the hotplate for the tomatoes, and spinach, and also to boil up the important kettle for some much needed coffee and tea
 |
| breakfast of champions #1 |
 |
| breakfast of champions #2 |
 |
| breakfast of champions #3 |
Ps, I forgot to add that we went to the Blue Eucy Heritage Festival in the afternoon. Justin hadnb't been there before. saw a lot of the Inglewood regulars, and also Maile and David. There was an interesting display from the Maxwell Gold Mine people with old and new photos, a eucalyptus oil making demonstration, and some old films. Quite good
 |
| Photo from the internet |
