Hi everyone

How can it be March already?

We’ve had a busy start to the year - getting our new food programs off the ground and all the usual things back up and running.

A couple of things to note:

1. Garden to Plate - today at 11.30am. We’ll be making pesto gnocchi for lunch - using up the basil from the garden! Yum. Sign up online and come along if you are keen.

2. Our Ukulele groups are now full for the term - if you are interested in Uke you can go on our waiting list (just contact the office).

3. We only have 1 spot left across our Book Clubs - on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. It is not too late to collect the book an join in the first conversation this month if you are interested. Join online.

4. Our Thursday Supper Club will start up next week on the 13 March and will run for 4 weeks this term. It costs $5 per week (that is $20 for the 4 weeks). We will have a couple more spots available on top of those already booked, so if you are interested please sign up online.

5. Crunch is up and running - and we have a great crew of regulars but would love some new faces to come along too! Thursday from 12.30-2pm - $15 weekly for a yummy lunch including a fancy coffee and an art activity with the materials provided. Book in online.

And we’re getting ready for the Alphington Show.

This year we again will have the Alphington CWA ladies helping us run the event and judging the winners … and they’ll be making Devonshire Teas … which will be inside, served from the kitchen on the Saturday. And we’ll also have some lovely locals from the Preston Garden Club come along and judge the floral side of our show.

Also … the pony rides are back. For $10 you can bring your little ones along for as many rides as they can fit in from 11am -1pm … when the ponies go home and the Dog Show starts. There will also be a guess the lollies in the lolly jar competition (who doesn’t want a their kids to go home with a big jar of lollies …. ???) and crafty activities as well.

We’d love you to join in the fun - so start cooking and crafting and thinking about what you can enter now. You can find all the details here.

Have a great week.

Cheers Leanne

Here are all the details of the Alphington Show …

Last week Rob brought his rescue parrot in on Thursday evening … and about 12 people came along to do some parrot life drawing and painting.

It was lots of fun! Thanks Rob and Ruby - and everyone who came along. We’re looking forward to the next one!

And our preservers did a great job making zucchini pickles and tomato relish last week - it is excellent to have seasonal preserves for sale again!

This week we are getting on with organising the Alphington Show coming up at the end of next month … you’ll see the sign boards are up if you go past our site or Alphington PS or Fairfield PS … they are both so nice letting us advertise our fun community events across the neighbourhood! And in early March we’ll have a display in the library windows.

We had great interest in Rosie’s yoga classes this year … and have had to set up a weekly booking process to manage the numbers. So jump online and select your dates if you are keen to book in.

We’re about to do a bit of an arty upgrade to our raised gardens in the front yard … the picture frames we’ve used for climbing plants have had their day … and Clare is excited about putting in a new installation in their place. Keep an eye out! She’s hoping get to it on Friday. Come along and join in if you are keen - we love having more people along on Fridays.

That’s it I think.

See you round (like a rissole).

Cheers Leanne

In anticipation of the Alphington Dog Show we’ve put a great big new FUN sign on the fence … check it out below … and then pop past for a pat.

The Alphington Show is coming up on 29 March from 11am - 2pm, with the Dog Show starting at 1pm.

If you have a crowd friendly fur baby you might like to come along and join in! It’s low and family friendly.

We had a great but crazy community lunch on Friday … people who hasn’t been since before COVID came, and Yarra Deputy Mayor Sarah McKenzie came with Kathy who is our colleague on staff at Yarra Council … and there were also some new faces and friends of friends … and we ran out of food temporarily (yikes that never happens) … but it was fun.

And, in the morning the lovely crew from GenU Thornbury came to craft (first time back for the year) and because I was sitting down with them I made some little Valentine’s Day cards - that I then gave out to everyone at lunch - with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate (donated by Margaret - thanks Margaret).

And then, in the afternoon we ran the first session of AAA Arts for the year - it was lovely to see everyone - we had some newbies there as well!

This coming week we have lunch on Monday - Garden to Plate where we’re preparing and eating Asian food - smashed cucumber salad, garlic chicken with coriander and capsicum, rice and then fruit with coconut ice cream.

On Tuesday we’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen with Preserves Group. Zucchini Pickles and Tomato Relish are on our radar.

On Thursday night at 7.30pm we have our first Alphington Arts for the year - where Rob will be sharing how he draws and paints birds - and bringing along his parrot for some life drawing/painting. If you love being arty and want to make arty friends in the neighbourhood this is for you. Book in online.

Or come along at Thursday lunchtime for Crunch - our creative lunch. 12.30pm.

My Our Thursday Supper Club has 4 or 5 people interested now. Call us if you are keen to share a weekly dinner on Thursdays around 5.30pm … we’ll get started when we get 6-8 people signed up.

Also … book into our op shop tours. They’ll be fun. First one is early March - on a Saturday. Great for those working … and students etc.

See you soon.

Leanne

What a great night for Alphington on Tuesday at Council.

Not only did Councilors agree to fund neighbourhood houses with a 3.5% minimum increase (as we advocated for) for the next 4 year agreement and to allow us to access to community grant program, but they also voted for the Alphington Bowls Club community proposal for a refurbishment rather than a knockdown rebuild of the clubhouse. It’s’ quite nice to think that our two classic yellow brick 1950s buildings will continue to be part of the urban fabric of Alphington and that they are supported to remain strong community assets, isn’t it? I am sure the bowls club will be able to do an amazing job reorganising the spaces inside to make the building meet modern day needs.

Thanks to everyone that advocated on behalf of our houses, and we are also super pleased for our friends at and associated with the bowls club who have invested a simliar amount of time, energy and advocacy into coming to a consensus on their preferred pathway forward.

Happy days.