Heavenly Beverley : A Most Successful "Open House" Launch

COVID 19 has been responsible for some innovative thinking and new practices that have impacted all our lives. Now that restrictions have been relaxed, I am in two minds about the resumption of the East End Gallery's linchpin event - our World Famous Sundowners.

We were due to host a Sundowner last Saturday, during the quaintly-named WA Day long weekend. However, seven days ago, we were still limited to twenty persons inside the Gallery at any one time. Plus, all the headaches that social distancing would cause as our Sundowners are definitely Not Famous for guests staying one and a half metres apart.

What to do? We had only resumed Gallery operations the previous week, money was tight and the BBQ was somewhere in the depths of Michael's workshop. As an aside, sorting and cleaning his workshop had been Michael's Lockdown Project. However, we had both rather enjoyed the benefits of isolation a little too well, as although Michael had made Progress, his workshop was still in a state of total chaos.

As an alternative, the concept of an "Open House" became quite appealing. This would be held during the day, be very low-key and we asked all attending to bring a plate and a bottle. With no surety of live music, we rolled out a BYO favourite CD to play during the afternoon.

In the end, the indomitable Mister Lawrence Jones rocked up with his guitar and he and Nina Simone inspired Mizz Jan George sang together, adding that extra level to the occasion.

We were delighted to welcome back Steve and Di (with Brinn the Border Collie) from Pingelly who dragged two other delightful couples along. These city slickers had thought they were going to enjoy a sedate country long weekend together. They were seriously mistaken and were already a tad stunned when they arrived for our Gallery Open House. Fortunately, Steve was there in his capacity as Skipper and we assume all travelled back to Pingelly without mishap.

So, instead of Michael becoming completely wrecked in the company of Mister Jones, we all partook in an entertaining daylit afternoon and tossed the last guests out as evening was falling. Michael heated up the leftovers for an impromptu dinner with Lawrence and me, I just lasted until "Operation Buffalo" concluded at nine-thirty and retired to bed. True to form, the Boys did remain up for sometime but on Monday morning Michael was only slightly Under The Weather instead of his usual total Failure To Launch.

All in all, our Open House/Gallery was a roaring success, so much so that I am planning our next one to coincide with Michael's sixty-fifth birthday celebrations. This promises to be much more low key than his sixtieth, which ran over an entire weekend and ensured that he was out of action for several days.

The actual date is still hazy within the confines of my brain as we are still hoping to have a Reader's Digest version of a northern safari this year. With intrastate borders lifted, Michael is itching for a return to Marble Bar as well as a detour to his beloved Goldfields.

We shall keep you all posted. In the meantime, I am tossing titles around for our Gallery daylight activities. Open House/ Gallery is OK but I'd really like a catchier phrase. What about Daylight Dalliance at the East End Gallery? Or does that suggest a trip to a brothel instead of a gallery...?

And as for our Sundowners, we will be hosting two of these before year's end - the September Queen's Birthday (!) long weekend and our birthday around mid-December. Just don't expect my darling husband to be compos mentis too soon after either of these nightly extravaganzas.