Heavenly Beverley : Passions

A pleasant change this morning. More than two seconds to scratch myself. In spite of the noise in Hollywood Hospital's Gastroenterology Unit, Michael has drifted off to sleep whilst we are waiting for his gastroscopy. In a stroke of genius, I remembered to throw my laptop and camera into the car to accompany us to the Big Smoke. In a rare morning of nothing else to do, I have had time to gather my thoughts and launch into this post.

Yesterday was a fairly frenetic day. The usual suspects of washing, emails and puppy entertaining. The ironing pile continued to grow. Michael constructed the desk we had collected from Callum and Bronwyn in the Gallery. Suddenly we had two large corner desks insitu with more drawers, allowing me to undertake a much-needed rejig of my work station area.

After much huffing and puffing and trying various configurations, we have ended up with a far superior Artists' table towards the rear of the main Gallery. The glass cabinet has moved from adjacent to my desk to in front, allowing our guests easier access to the displayed items.

The divine Ms George came to our aid once again and is in charge of the East End Gallery today. When I return to my accustomed position tomorrow, my first job will be placing paintings by our newest artist, Deb Robins around the Giftshop. Deb, who grew up in Beverley, has maintained her passion for our town, in spite of her current location in Busselton.

There's that word. Passion. The last ten-and-a-half years of living with my beloved Michael has involved bucket loads of passion. My introduction to the stories of the Goldfields. Learning to fossick. Camping under an outback sky show with a glass of vino, sitting around dancing firelight. Our flight to Beverley. Discovering we had moved to a wonderful community by sheer chance. Creating a parkland garden out of a barren landscape. Painting the House that Rocks in vivid colours.

Occasionally, passion has confounded and confused. Michael's instant love affair with the Forbes Building wreck was incomprehensible. He could see past the dereliction to her hidden beauty. From the very beginning, he was sure about the quest and focused on her restoration. No surprise that he was vindicated.

The East End Gallery exudes warmth and love and shared passion. I feel like I have been waiting all my life to be Front-of-House. I know our artists. I know their stories. I have a personal and tangible connection with each and every one of them. How lucky am I?

And then, there's Heavenly Beverley. Over the last nine years, I have grown in my knowledge of our beautiful, quirky and genuine country town. We have heritage and art deco and federation buildings. Lucky Find - the best frock shop I know. Nourishabley, orchestrated by the fabulous Janet, who rouses on us when we don't turn up for SLAB and gave Michael freedom of movement of his neck earlier this week. Our notoriously friendly post office and gift shop. Station Arts and the Platform Theatre, housed in the renovated railway station precinct, presenting performance and visual arts all year round. U Beauty Country, run by the energetic and inexhaustible Kerryanne, with able assistance by Jessica and Lindsey. A proper old-fashioned hardware store with actual service and packed to the gunnels. Alex's Green Corner at one end of town and Suzie's at the other end - suppliers of odds and sods, second-hand everything, plants and curios. Wareswest between U Beauty and the East End Gallery, operated by the quietly cheerful John, who will probably never retire as he continues to bring furniture and homewares into his emporium on an almost daily basis. We are certainly not short of characters.

The golf club conveniently located next to one of our two cemeteries. A choice of pubs (Freemasons Tavern and the Hotel Beverley)and cafes (Country Kitchen and Red Vault). An awesomely yummy bakery. Dead Finish, Beverley's first hotel and boarding house for teachers. Ferguson's Vintage Machinery collection - enthusiasts may never return to the real world. Or they may feed their fervour for all things that clank, clunk and roar at Avondale Farm, the district's oldest agricultural endeavour. Avondale has also just opened short-stay accommodation in their cottages, which were given the tick of approval by the testing groups. An easy climb up Quajabin for a breathtaking view. Yenyening Lakes, part of the vast Swan/Avon catchment, dry for ten years until refilling with water. Hence the rising, like the phoenix, of the Ski Club, which reformed in about five seconds once there was a surface that allowed boats and skiers. The Beverley Gliding Club flies all year and is the second biggest gliding club in the world by kilometres flown.

Plus, Beverley boasts a bulging calendar of ongoing events and activities. The Australia Day pool party, the Easter Art Prize, the Easter Tennis tournament, Station Arts' Artist-in-Residence programme, Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services, the Rose Show, monthly markets and this weekend, the tremendously thrilling 2019 Beverley Heroic, a weekend celebrating the bicycle.

Lastly, our Visitors' Centre, located in the purpose-built, Art Deco-inspired Beverley Cornerstone, has a team of eager volunteers, interactive displays, local produce and gifts. Yesterday, unexpected guests to the East End Gallery commented that I could give the Visitors' Centre "a run for their money".

No bloody way. I am proud to support and promote our Visitors' Centre. We complement each other in our mutual drive to present Beverley to the known universe. We are the best-kept secret in the Wheatbelt.

Don't just take my word for this. Hop into your vehicle of choice and weave your way out of the Big Smoke. Be Very Beverley. And receive a decent dollop of passion from me.