To knock one's socks off is to mightily impress or surprise. As I have aged, having my socks knocked off may not occur as often as when I was a wide-eyed child, but I still love being captured by those fabulous and unexpected moments. Those special instances make me stop in my tracks and take my breath away.
As we gear up for the Easter long weekend, Heavenly Beverley is looking forward to a smorgasbord of events and activities. The curation of the Beverley Annual Art Exhibition is well underway. Cancelled due to COVID 19 in 2020, this year's Beverley Art Prize has attracted over four hundred entries. Beverley Station Arts president Jenny Broun was stunned at the number of art pieces, a record, that will take our fantastic volunteers all their expertise and innovation to hang the lot before Thursday's opening.
The Exhibition preview is between 10 am and 4 pm on Thursday in the Beverley Town Hall. Sales commence with the official opening from 7 pm. The art show then runs all Easter weekend between 10 am and 4 pm. This is an occasion not to be missed.
Also beginning on Good Friday is the 87th (!) Easter Tennis Tournament. Wander north up Forrest Street to the Beverley Lawn Tennis Club and watch matches until Monday. Forget Wimbledon; this tournament will be worth viewing!
Saturday promises to be an absolute humdinger. The Platform and Community markets will both be offering a plethora of stalls for the discerning visitor in the Old School building and the Station, both on Vincent Street. Ferguson's Vintage Machinery will be open at 22 Hunt Road on Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 10 am - 4 pm. Machinery enthusiasts are in danger of never being seen again once they enter Barry Ferguson's property!
Our Visitors Centre in the beautiful Art-Deco inspired Cornerstone will be open between 10 am - 4 pm on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday. At other times, all your tourism information is available through the East End Gallery.
Don't miss a chance to see the Dead Finish Museum on Sunday between 10 am - 4 pm. Located on the corner of Hunt Road and Morrison Street, the museum is housed in Beverley's earliest surviving hotel, which also served as a boarding house for the school teacher. The garden is a recreation of a typical Wheatbelt yard and very pleasant to explore.
The Easter weather forecast is currently perfect for outdoor activities. Take in a leisurely stroll and follow the Town Heritage Walk, drive out to Yenyening Lakes (our beach in the Wheatbelt) or for a more active enterprise, hike up County Peak/Quajabin and take in the breathtaking vista from the summit or marvel at the gliders stationed at the Beverley Soaring Society. Watch these glorious and quiet flying machines as they cruise across the sky or book a glider to experience this amazing form of flight.
If arriving in your caravan to stay at our RV site, make sure you arrive early to secure your ideal spot. There are plenty of trees, benches, the Federation Gazebo with toilets and BBQs across the road by the Avon River. I suspect that the caravan park, the pubs, Avondale Cottages and the Beverley B&B are already fully booked, but last-minute cancellations do happen, so give these venues a call if you would like to stay overnight.
When all these activities cause rumbling tummies, head for the Beverley Bakery, the Red Vault Cafe, the Freemasons' Tavern or the Hotel Beverley for refreshments, beverages or something more substantial. Enjoy!
Anyway, I've digressed. I've listed everything that Beverley has to offer over Easter, that will surely knock your socks off. The supposed purpose of this post was how to knock my own socks off...
Which hit me in a lightbulb moment yesterday afternoon. As part of my preparation for this Easter, I took a few photographs of the East End Gallery after I'd tidied up. Then I watched as Michael constructed the stand for "A Beverley Mandala". Friends Celeste and Riley assisted with the movement of the finished sculpture after a few final touchups. Suddenly, I realised that my socks had been knocked off.
The East End Gallery and Giftshop are looking, in my totally unbiased opinion, just stunning. "A Beverley Mandala" is Michael's latest triumph, taking three months to create. And the final flourish was producing a removable frame so that the sculpture can free stand on display at the Town Hall this weekend.
When I downloaded my photographs this morning, my socks were knocked off for a second time. I had taken one hundred and twenty images of the Gallery, Giftshop and Workshop. What was meant to be a minor and quick snapshot as part of our Easter countdown turned out to be a love story of Michael and me and the East End Gallery.
Oh, last but not least, the East End Gallery will be open from Thursday - Monday between 11 am - 5 pm, plus our Famous Sundowner on Saturday evening. Be dazzled by artworks from over a hundred artists. Enjoy great company, witty conversation, a generous spread of shared plates, our free Sausage Sizzle and our East End Musos playing LIVE music from 6.30 pm. Prior to the evening's entertainment, Kim Allison from York will be facilitating a FREE card-making demonstration between 1 pm - 4 pm at the Artists Table in the Gallery. So, drop in, take a seat and have fun.
We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new guests all Easter weekend. Whoo-hoo!
