March 7th, 2026Just sayin’…
Two things have been playing on my mind lately.
One is Coles Local Daylesford and the other is disability access. I think you know why for the second one.
But first up, Daylesford’s Coles supermarket has had a facelift. Well, more than that, a real renovation.
And well done to all for getting that done while still keeping the store open. A pretty amazing feat. And the staff kept smiling through it all. (I imagine out the back the F word might have been muttered a few times but still…)
Anyway, there are two things I think Coles, not necessarily locals, could have done better.
The first is the deli. Now, I know from talking to the manager Naome for an article in a recent edition of The Local that there was talk about closing it altogether.
But Naome said after hearing from shoppers, a decision was made to keep it open. But it’s tiny. I know that means everything stays fresh but I think the bigger deli was better. And that’s not just me. I have talked to loads of people who groan when you mention the deli.
The other thing I think is a real missed opportunity for Coles is the artwork. Now David Bromley is all well and good, pretty commercial now, but good on him for making such a recognisable brand.
But I reckon Coles should have opened it up to many more Daylesford and surrounds artists and maybe either shared the walls around, or maybe offered to keep the artwork up for three months and then swap it out.
We have so many fantastic artists who we could showcase to all of the visitors who come to our town. We have a regular Artists of the Central Highlands page in The Local and Coles would be welcome to our data base.
I love the work of Brian Nash – and if you ever get a chance to visit his home you would see how incredible his murals are – and then Michael Parker is another amazing artist. I am very lucky to have two of his works. Love them.
And there are so many others, and then there are the artist co-ops with up-and- coming artists who could certainly use a boost to show off what they do. I realise not everyone wants to be in Coles, each to their own, but I think it was a mistake to stick to one artist when we have so many.
And now the second thing on my mind. As you are probably aware, if you read this column, I have been in a wheelchair for about six weeks thanks to a broken ankle.
It’s been tough but there is worse in life. But it certainly makes you think about getting out and about – and how hard it is in a wheelchair, or even a scooter.
Now and again we thought about going out for lunch etc but I rang a pub once, not in the Hepburn Shire, and asked if they were wheelchair-friendly? Yes, they said, there was a ramp to get in. Then a pause. “But we don’t have wheelchair toilets.”
Hmmm. Have a nice feed and a few wines and then what? Go for a pee in the beer garden?
Even thinking about rolling down one of our main streets was triggering. High gutters, stores with tiny doors, and once you were in, how would you turn around without knocking over half the stock?
When I lived in Japan a long time ago I asked how disabled people got around – same problems. “Oh,” they said, “we are lucky not to have many disabled people.”
Or were they just all staying home, like me. Just sayin’…
