May 7th, 2026Just sayin’…
This was an interesting edition to write. Lots of stories – somehow seemed to be a bit Daylesford-centric but sometimes it’s just how the edition turns out.
I used to be the editor of a newspaper that covered Sandringham and Brighton. I regularly had people getting in touch to say it was “all about Sandringham” and at the same time others said it was “all about Brighton”.
I actually added up the yarns and it was 50/50. With a story about Hampton thrown in for good measure. Sometimes you can’t win.
Anyway, I had a good chat with Robert Burrowes about the war service of his uncles and his father, and his mother for that matter. It is a sad story but one I think that was good to tell. Although they have all now gone I did ask him to pass on my gratitude for their service to Australia, and its people.
Anzac Day has come and gone but there is a new WWI memorial in Daylesford now. It has been a long time coming and only happened thanks to many people. Huge congratulations to all involved. Too many to mention but you know who you are.
It’s great to see Anzac Day return to being a big event. A few years back it looked a bit doubtful but it has truly been embraced by a younger population – which is great. Kyle and I always attend a Dawn Service – our first was when we met on Hamilton Island. We walked up the hill together, hand-in-hand, only to find out we were an hour too late – 5am start in Queensland. Oh well.
And then we have the education feature. Thanks to all the schools who got involved with this one – school is so different from my past. Thank God.
I remember my mum teaching me how to write my name in cursive before I got to prep and when I showed off my skill my teacher told me “we don’t do that yet”.
Another teacher asked my grade 1 class “who would run with these scissors to take them to the next door class?”. I shot up my hand – and was told off because I was prepared to run with scissors. Talk about a setup.
Mostly I liked my time in the library, both in primary school and high school, reading books and writing to my favourite authors. I got a letter back from Ivan Southall once which was a thrill. I read later he replied to every letter he was sent. That is commitment.
I also joined the religious education lunchtime group during high school. That was because it was held inside and meant we could avoid the freezing winter. The same for the Scrabble Club – although I was pretty good with words.
Mind you, when I headed to England for a year in my 20s I spent some time doing a job called granny bashing. It was nothing like that, you were just a companion for an older person or couple for a few weeks. It was a good gig. Board and food, a wage, and generally a very nice house. And no personal care.
But one woman I stayed with loved Scrabble and I had to play every night for four weeks. And she always won. One of those people who had a Scrabble dictionary by her side. I have not played since.
Finally I had a media release from the council with Mayor Cr Tony Clark thanking the “Albanese Government” for money to close off Albert Street. You don’t usually get official releases using Albanese instead of federal. Although Cr Clark is an ALP member. In reply to a query he said it might be protocol for federal funding – I don’t think so – or maybe just lifted from Ballarat MP Catherine King’s media release. Hmmm. Not sure about that one. Just sayin’..
