Melbourne Cup

The 1st Tuesday in November each year is an important and exciting event for Australians - the running of a horse race called the Melbourne Cup. I don't know why it is special, because there are Brisbane Cups and Sydney Cups and horse races every Saturday throughout the country. None of these garner any interest except amongst horsey followers, but the Melbourne Cup is special. It is a huge party event all over the country,..there are Melbourne Cup parties and Melbourne Cup luncheons and then there is Melbourne Cup betting.

Almost everyone will go down to their local betting agency and stand in a long queue to put a few bucks on their chosen horse. -- no-one has a clue and there are myriads of reasons for choosing a horse ..you like it's colour or it's name or it's jockey or it's jockey's silks or it's mother or it's father..the list is endless and it can take days of poring over the newspapers and listening to the radio to settle on a horse.(or horses in my case..I'm too indecisive to pick just one, so I end up with a few.- invariably none of them come anywhere except maybe last) Then it's off to the betting shop to stand in line and place your bet. This year, I chose 2 horses..Nom de jeu, which came nowhere and Bauer which came 2nd by a whisker. Exciting!! I managed to come out a few bucks ahead, but the real excitment of the day was the Melbourne Cup lunches
....I scored 2:) ..My wonderful fun neighbour Mary, hosted a glam affair at her home... we were only 5 , but Mary didn't let the intimacy of the affair interfere with dressing properly for the event..next year I'm buying a hat...such fun :)

Next, it was off to DY RSL with Helen and Robyn... we lunched on champagne, lobster, lamb cutlets and chocolate mousse.



I flogged the rsl's decorations and brought them home. I took them up to Andy. He loved them and he looked so cheerful and colourful:)..(Chris where were these balloons when you had your 21st..we could have done with them!)

Noodle Markets

Sydney has been abuzz with Spring activities - for me - Dj's floral display, Sculpture by the Sea, a cruise around Pittwater on the Lady Hopetoun and the Noodle Markets. For Megs, Spring racing carnival and a clutch of concerts. I took a trip into town to meet Barry for dinner at the Noodle Markets.. It turned into just one of those nights where things don't go right, but I got some pics and it was an event after all!:)
Dad, after promising he would be able to meet me in Hyde Park nice and early, arrived, in is inimitable style, an hour late, by which time the queues were very lengthy and the chairs and tables all taken. I filled in the time wandering around taking shots of the local area in the late afternoon sunshine and subsequent gathering gloom.

Trainee Fireman

The Lady Hopetoun had a weekend steaming around Pittwater. After 6 months of arduous lectures, homework and coursework and a gazillion hours in volunteer restoration work, Barry finally had his maiden voyage as trainee fireman. He was like a kid on Christmas morning!! .- absoutely in 7th heaven shovelling his coal and peering at his gleaming pressure gauges:)








Megan and I went along for the ride. It was a perfect Sydney spring day and the trip was beautiful.

Halloween

Millie Tim and Megan ,home at 4.30am , after Tim's first professional gig. They looked fabulous - Millie had the doll with scary scar outfit, Megan was catwoman (with batman leggings and Tim was just scary!! They had a great and exciting evening.... - more photos and details to follow later.