I thank the universe for the exit of 2025. The dawning of 2026 has already treated us with some unexpected positive windfalls, along with a gathering of kindred spirits rallying around us.
Michael's zest for life, which had been missing in action, is returning. His burst of motivation began due to some very special people giving freely of their time and energy. We will forever hold in our hearts Sue Martin and Rebecca Buglass for clearing every artpiece and all the furniture from the East End's main gallery into the smaller space. Plus, lining every join between the floor and the skirting boards with protective tape. Then, Liam, Bec's husband, repaired the damaged ledges and other damage with lashing of cement and filler. As a volunteer, along with Bec and Sue. Then these two fabulous women single-handedly painted the tired and stained chipboard floor with extremely evil smelling oil undercoat. Twice. Girls and Liam, you all deserve medals!
During this awe-inspiring exercise inside the Forbes Building, magic was also occurring outside. A bloke named Kim Brennan joined us onsite in his caravan. the first four days he was resident with us, the weather was brutally hot and windy, so he just set up the van and annex and waited for the Great Heat to pass.
Then, without any impetus from us, he began to work. He cleared a pathway so we (particularly me) could all get to the back door of the building without any injuries or reports. He arranged Michael's sundry disorder of external metal into a semblance of tidiness. He volunteered for roof and bituminous painting duty. He sanded the back door to the area previously known as the Black Hole of Calcutta, fixed the door architraves and transom and then varnished the lot. Inside the wet area, he has filled gaping cracks, holes and trip hazards on the floor.
Meanwhile, Michael was watching all these wondrous individuals returning the Forbes Building to life. He began remembering the satisfaction as the initial saviour of a smelly, filthy, rotting and unsteady building from 2012 until 2016, a building that nobody else had cared about for decades. And she (yes, the Forbes Building is a 'she') had become tired and a bit dishevelled over the last ten years, in spite of our best efforts.
Almost overnight, a blast of Michael's MoJo well and truly erupted. He wanted to be involved again. He wanted to restore her back to beauty once more, just as he had previously done. Kim has become Michael's willing and able offsider, using all his skills from his property maintenance role. The East End Gallery will be renovated to a welcoming and wonderful space once more. Our dreams for the East End Gallery are materialising once more. And Michael is right back in there, up to his elbows in paint!
Before I forget, there are others I completely forgot to thank for their support in the past few months. Jen and Chris Hill have become close friends and have opened their home to us for sleepovers and meals. They saw Michael during his bleakest moments and enveloped him (and me) with love and light. We hope to see them soon so we may thank them in person, from the bottom of our hearts.
Alison Higgins, artist, friend and supplier of the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever seen uplifted my soul during those fraught and exhausting weeks I was caring for Michael. Her instinctive empathy and glorious gift carried me through until when our Christmas began with the kids and grandies.
To all our friends, including that fantastic bunch of canine parents we meet every evening at the Beverley Oval, I hope you know who you are and how appreciative we are of you all.
My son Callum is one of the great joys in my life. His Tuesday evening phone-calls have become legendary, ranging from news of Bron, Immy and Violet to his hopes and dreams to often side-splitting stories in his professional life as a primary school Performing Arts Specialist. Bron and our little granddaughters hold a substantial space in my heart and I love each and every second we spend with them all. Even Ragnar, the particularly omnipresent fickle feline.
Our Autistic and ABI Superstar, Alex, spent four nights with us for a late Christmas and New Year. Alex faces challenges every day but manages to exude enthusiasm and positivity as his natural state of being. He watched one of his favourite movies "The Patriot" on New Year's Eve whilst we attended a hilarious Karaoke night at the Hotel Beverley. We finished up seeing the old year out and greeting 2026.
Our Christmas extended well beyond then as we were expecting the arrival of Jef and Hippy back from Laos, where they spent six weeks with other ex-pat backpackers. They arrived early on Wednesday morning and we have loved hosting them again. They were soon leave us on their own great adventure across Australia together until they leave the country at the end of March. We shall lost forward to every photo, reel and story as they make their way back to Belgium in their springtime. Just to add another language to Finnish and English, Hippy is learning Flemish prior to their arrival in Belgium.
As for me, the hot weather has been causing chaos with my health. From having loved those fiercely bright summer days, and conversely the cold and grey of winter, I no longer feel well in extremes. The air-conditioner in our bedroom has become a fast friend and I am struggle to get enough sleep. Even today at a balmy 32 degrees, I have become listless and slightly nauseated, so the air-con has just been activated. Bollocks.
The good news is that being confined to quarters has woken my little grey cells. Once the East End Gallery's renovation has been completed, then the fun part (and lots of heavy lifting) will commence. I have a picture in my head how the Gallery will look and I am sure that we will knock the socks off all our guests, friends and supporters.
Our first East End Gallery Residency begins with the awesomely talented Narelle Higson on 26 February for two weeks. Narelle is known (by us anyway) as 'the Scribbler' and her mastery of oil pastels has to be seen to be believed. Ros Newick joins us for a week at Easter in April, with Kelly Duncan using our Studio Space in July. Hence we only have Residencies (with accommodation) STILL AVAILABLE in May, October, November and December. Studio Space (no accommodation) in STILL AVAILABLE in June, August and September. The closing date for Residencies with accommodation is 31 January, so get in fast! After 31 January, May, October, November and December will become available as Studio Space only.
I shall be hopping back on the free social media bandwagon to begin publicising the East End Gallery once again. Our Gallery is a unique entity that does not fit into any pre-conceived box. We can't be classified as a business like the supermarket or the chemist or the butcher or the hardware store. We certainly are not a shop as shops make money. Our Gallery doesn't make any money whatsoever. How can anybody package our passion and belief? Those are the values that have sustained us over the last eleven years. Every step the East End Gallery takes is due to our hard work. Bec, Sue, Marion, Michael and I. Kim and Liam as the back-up team. Our artists add to the dynamic atmosphere, and are incredibly supportive of us, but the buck stops with those of us who truly wish upon the Gallery.
So, we are the East End Gallery. We promise you - our artists, our guests, our friends, our supporters - that we will strive to be the best Gallery possible. Please join us on 2026's voyage of discovery and continue to live the dream that is the East End Gallery.
Sophisticated air-conditioning in place - check...
And look what was hiding under a plinth!
