I have mentioned before and it was shown to me again tonight, the Australian community spirit is alive and well and will remain so for a long long time.
It’s something I noticed very early on following my move here, well, it’s difficult not to notice it. The Aussies love a local business, they love a local event and they love helping out their neighbours. And I don’t think that local communal spirit has been demonstrated better than after the floods, when even bigger floods of volunteers turned out for the big cleanup.
Well how about this? Our local school has just finished building their new sports hall. And quite impressive it is too. I know, because tonight was its grand opening night and lots of the locals turned up. About 20 tables were set up inside the hall for local businesses to promote their services. No charge, completely free.
One of those businesses conducted a quick, free Zumba class inside this fantastic new hall….
The view of the hall from outside is just as impressive…..
And we occupied one of those local business stalls ourselves. You already know my wife is pet mad, that’s why she runs Dogwalks. Well, she also wanted to start a local pet care business, not on her own, but with me. Can you believe that? Me and my wife working together! Surely that will end in tears.
Well, no. We’ve been doing it for about 10 months now and still no sign of a divorce. Meet the At Home Pet Care team….
From left to right: Rolo-polo the Dalmation, a cute little girl called Elizabeth, Mr and Mrs BobinOz and Lulu the electronic cat. And this week we unveiled our website KarensPetCare. Yes, the Australians love a local business and that’s why we thought we’d start one. Well that and the fact that my wife told me we should.
It’s only part time and it’s never going to make us rich. But we do make an awful lot of hungry pets happy. And that’s a lot of fun!
Outside of the hall, food, drinks and cakes were on sale. All profits went towards three local community organisations whose properties were damaged during the floods.
There was a bar (under the blue canopy in the background) and a band….
And of course, a sausage sizzle…
The whole event started at around 4.30 in the afternoon and was still going strong at eight o’clock in the evening…
… And I can’t even begin to tell you how great it feels to be part of this community.
But There’s More – The Friday Video.
And finally, this event was special for us, because Elizabeth was singing live, onstage, in the choir, for the first time.
She climbed on stage, with about 50 of her school mates, and together they sang their first song live. To protect the innocent, I’ve cartoonified the video, but the singing is as wonderful as it was live.
Take it away boys and girls…
I think that went pretty well, don’t you?
Bob you need some way of blocking people on your site to stop losers like this… He can’t even string a centence together. Ignore him!
Already taken care of Steve.
I received eight further comments from him today and have removed six of them for breaking my comment policy, particularly the bit about not being offensive. This guy was so insulting, he posted derogatory comments about Anzac Day and Australian war heroes.
And he thinks I’m ‘the worst type of Pom’.
Unbelievable, isn’t it?
You remind me of the worst type of Pom unloved by your own people and being born a Pom looked down on by the Aussies .
Most Aussies like the anti-Pom banter and just think your kind are sad.
Grow up as this go home crap is immature and is hardly helping those thinking of coming here.
Here Bob give up trying to covince yourself the Aussies even know who they are living next door too , this we all in it together will be short lived and the walls will go back up again , give me an English Country Village anytime.
Gazza, why do you live here?
What’s holding you back from returning to that utopian English village? Are you being held prisoner here in Australia?
I hope the pet business goes well bob, in a country where pets have their own fridge section for food (bigger than the burger section and sausage section combined) you can’t go wrong!!
You are right there Steve, seems everyone has pets around here. Dogs, cats, horses, chooks and birds, many people’s back gardens are like mini zoos. Yes, I think it will go well.