Heavenly Beverley : On Any Given Sunday...

There is a weird little belief floating throughout the air in Heavenly Beverley that nobody comes to town on Sundays. That odd conclusion has been given as a bona-fide reason why the Beverley Visitors Centre does not open on any given Sunday. As a broad generalisation, one might be of that view, as some Sundays (in the height of summer or the depths of winter) may be a tad slow. With locals anyway.

The Beverley Visitors' Centre is a charming location to begin a tour of town on any day other than Sunday. The building is quite lovely, mirroring the Art Deco town hall opposite. The gardens are getting some attention after looking a bit tatty over winter and early spring. The displays are informative, the brochures are helpful and there are some Beverley oriented gift lines. However the Centre is not the be-all and end-all of places to obtain the fascinating history, the rich stories and the surprising attractions that abound in Beverley and her surrounds.

Sundays are often a hive of activity in Beverley. Take the most recent Sunday, for example. A large contingent from Lotus Cars Perth drove up for a splendid Sunday lunch at the Freemasons Tavern. Glorious Lotus vehicles of all colours lined Vincent Street. The hospitality and meal offered by Graeme, John and the crew at the Tavern was absolutely outstanding.

Other patrons duly arrived for lunch as well. Carlo and Sue, the former chefs at the Freemasons', were the epitome of cool on their fabulous Harley Davidson. Think a luxurious lounge on wheels to get a picture. Chris, the genial organiser of the Lotus Perth trip, was most impressed with the East End Gallery, which led to a continuous stream of guests in and out our doors. Jodie in her Vincent Street Emporium was also visited by the Lotus bunch, which caused them all to declare that a return outing would be on the cards very shortly.

The previous Sunday, that Dynamic Duo of Carole and Jean, Artists in Residence from Nannup, enjoyed an outstanding final day of their Residency. They were inundated with enthusiastic visitors, making their packing up somewhat less arduous. We all benefitted from each other, demonstrating that, if venues are open, they will come.

The Caravan Park and RV site continue to be well patronised. We have taken to sitting in front of the Gallery in the early evening and always have visitors stopping to chat. Our tourism information stand is well stocked and eagerly sought after for activities in and around Beverley. We are also in the position to chat to Rodney, that legend of Beverley's past, John Islip, Man-about-Town and other locals who love the opportunity to share their stories with us.

Whilst waiting for the Red Vault to begin again, the Bakery and the pubs offer our tourists a variety of places to eat. Plus, the Beverley Dome Roadhouse, has just opened under New Management. Michael visited today, noticing the cleanliness and friendliness of the Dome Roadhouse and they have big plans. What an excellent addition to our town and I hope locals and travellers get behind them.

Sundays are looking up even more in Heavenly Beverley. Although the Dead Finish Museum will close soon for its summer hiatus, the building and the gardens are definitely worth a visit. Barry Ferguson is still following his passion of his Machinery collection on Hunt Road and open to the public every weekend. We have a brand new Artist-in-Residence at the Station - Fenella Dexheimer - for the entirety of November. Jodie's Vincent Street Emporium is open 10am - 2pm. Cool mornings and evenings are perfect times for a hike up Quajabin or a stroll on the beach at Yenyening Lakes. Thinking about a glider flight? Just do it.

In the East End Gallery, we are approaching our November 29 Celebration with great excitement. Who would have thought that two escapees from the Big Smoke - us- could achieve our dream of our Gallery in Heavenly Beverley.

And in my best Mae West impersonation - "Come up and see me sometime"!