January 27th, 2020Just sayin’…By Donna Kelly

THERE is no doubt we are living in traumatic times.

The bushfires, road accidents, the crazy world of politics where a man in power (Trump) can make fun – and mostly get away with it – of a teenager trying to get the world to listen to her message about climate change.

But there are also good things happening. Every day. It’s just that the media, and I am talking mainstream, love a good bad story, if that makes sense. If it bleeds, it leads.

Luckily, at The Local we are able to concentrate on good news and hopefully spread a bit of much-needed cheer.

For example, the new events we have on the calender which we have featured in the first few pages of this edition. Whether you are into music, or words, or, well, OK, music or words, then you are going to love Winter Sounds, the Book Club Friday symposium, the Mountain Writers Festival and Festival No. 23. There’s also the Winter Spirits Solstice which is not about scary spirits but the feeling good kind along with craft beer, cider, artisanal food and even a craft spirit cocktail competition.

Festivals, and we have plenty, are a great way to not only bring people together but to also bring others to our wonderful part of the world. Motorfest kicks off for the second time in February – and I love that the month was chosen because it is traditionally pretty quiet. So lots of peeps coming to see some great vehicles and then hopefully staying on to spend a bit of money in Daylesford and the Central Highlands. A win-win.

We also responded to an email from the Kyneton Croquet Club asking if they could have one of the free community adverts to lift their profile. They asked very nicely so we went one step further and ended up doing quite a decent spread. Check out pages 14 and 15. Turns out they are not so nice after all. (You have to read the story to get that bit…)

Finally, I had a chat with Harriet Churchill, who we had photographed for the front page. Well, she didn’t know that at the time. Harriet and her husband Henry were all set to become Australian citizens last Saturday. And talking to Harriet, I could understand it was a very thought-out decision – nothing rash. The couple, who run Zig Zag Wines, love Australia, our way of life and the community. Of course, Harriet said her English family were calling it a personal Brexit but they also understood the couple’s need to take the next step to fully embrace their chosen home. 

Along with a celebration with friends at a restaurant, Harriet and Henry will also head somewhere out bush for a night or two with their son Albie to really connect to their new land. Wow, when Kiwi Kyle became a citizen he just had a Chinese meal with mates.

So, hard times, but also good times always being created. The ying and the yang. We give and do what we can to help, but we also have to live our lives. Just sayin’…