If you are not so keen to be out and about at nighttime in the city for whatever reason, but love classical music, did you know that you can sign up to get a whole series of Melbourne concerts streamed live to your lounge room (or bedroom or bathroom for that matter - perhaps we should just say to your device wherever that may be …).

Melbourne Digital Concert Hall offers a range of packs that enable you to support the arts and local artists from the comfort of home. They start at $24 for one concert (with $20 going directly to the artists) and could make a lovely gift for those family members or friends who really need nothing but enjoy experiences.

It is pretty amazing the way things have changed in the last year or so, isn’t it? And it’s fabulous to think that streamed concerts are now de rigueur - enabling so many more people to access our fabulous arts culture live, as it happens.

Chris Howlett and Friends 1 - Brahms Sonatas and Songs, 28 April

Last Friday Anne (our chair) and I were delighted to show Cr Gabrielle de Vietri, Yarra’s new Mayor, around the house and talk to her about all the exciting and neighbourhoodly things we do here. Gabrielle came along with Kathy who is our main contact and lovely colleague at Yarra Council and Elly who supports volunteering across Yarra.

It was a great morning to visit as it was Brett’s birthday and we decorated him a pretty fancy cake. We’ve attached some photos so that you can admire our efforts and wish you too were here to partake of the sugary delight!

So, if you would like to eat cake and coffee with nice people in the neighbourhood any Friday during school term, just pop past at 11.30am. Alternatively join us from 10am for art, craft and gardening (and possibly some cooking/cake decorating). We hope to see you soon!

All or our book clubs are recommencing for the year this month. We run 5 book clubs (Kalimna here and Jody at Darebin Libraries do a fabulous job of juggling and managing the confusion of books and people and loans and return dates) and we have a couple of spots left in our Monday and Tuesday evening groups.

So if you’d like to get together once a month with a group of local folk to chat about a book (and make neighbourhood friends) you can sign up here.

It costs $60 per year to join.

We hope you and your family and those you love the most get the chance to get together this year (and if not that you can catch up with local friends) to share the joy of the Christmas season.

We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy and hopeful new year.

We’re looking forward to seeing you back at ACC after Australia Day. Our programming recommences onsite in the first week of February.

It really has been lovely to reconnect with so many of you recently! And a big thanks to the helpful community friends who have offered to water our garden through January!

I thought we’d leave you with a classy Christmas video or two - hopefully our staff finds these as entertaining as I do … If you are suitably impressed and want to make your own just download the elfyourself app!

The first one is here!

Merry Xmas from ACC - Part 1

If that wasn’t enough the second one is here (I had to make 2 to fit everyone in … you can only put 5 people in per video!)

Merry Xmas from ACC - Part 2

Our community Christmas tree is up. Thanks to everyone who did a little drawing for it!

A photo of Lee doing the finishing touches and stringing the metal ‘tinsel’ with washer ‘baubles’.