Thanks Mum ... it’s tradition

THOUSANDS of chrysanthemums are blooming on time at Serpentine ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday.

Helen Garchitorena was joined by daughter Feliz at the weekend picking blooms in The Chrysanthemum Yard’s Loddon Valley Highway patch for her roadside stall and sale to florists across northern and central Victoria.

“It’s always a Mother’s Day gift to help mum pick the flowers ... it’s our family tradition,” said Feliz, a former Pyramid Hill College student now teaching VCE chemistry and biology in Melbourne and studying for her masters in secondary education.

Helen first planted her chrysanthemums seven years ago and hopes this year’s bunches will bring joy to mothers on Sunday when received as gifts of thanks from family for Mother’s Day.

240V power floor.

WITH the eyes of the world on London at the weekend for the coronation of King Charles - Bradley of Boort certainly made sure everyone remembered the date with his latest Treemendous sign - still some attention has strayed more towards Australia’s regal winter pursuit of football.

MORE of that later in this week’s OTF. First, though, we must diligently report on the missive received from our northern correspondent, none other than Stinga. The good Stinga, back from visiting the Old Dart for lessons of improvement in the game of genteel lawn bowls (a very regal summer pursuit), has linked the coronation to his equally regal Scottish roots. Powering up the pedal generator to get sufficient internet connection, Stinga wrote: “Morning to the editor or should I say God Save the King. With all the talk going on in Australian about land rights and use, perhaps Charlie boy will say sorry, gives us a voice and give us back our highlands.” Bigger question, is Stinga putting in an application to be the King’s next official piper serenading outside the window at dawn?

AND you may have last week read about the queen of cooking in Bridgey, Our Jany, turning a magical age on coronation day and earning a special regular payment from King Charles. We heard Jany was left home in front of the TV on Saturday night, eating coronation quiche of course, while her consort head off to the pub and indulged in watching a bit of football (Aussie version - not that round ball stuff).

LEADS us into an important snippet regarding the Good Doc, now thawing out in the sunny climes of Queensland. We have been told, most reliably, that the Good Doc was so convinced his beloved Pies would be defeated the other weekend, he headed into the bush at three-quarter time for a run, unable to sit through the telecast. As it turned out, it’s been a case of he with little faith.

AND thawing out on Sunday in Bridgewater on the Run for Resilience course were St Patrick’s Pyramid Hill principal John O’Connor and his St Mary’s Inglewood counterpart Stephen O’Shannessy. John, who has a sandpit named in his honour at St Mary’s, was certainly the more competitive type back at the finish line. “Did I finish before Steve? I left him behind somewhere along the river.”

LOTS of new cafe signs popping up around the Loddon at the moment. Like this one: “Men say women should come with instructions but what’s the point of that? Have you ever seen a man actually read instructions?” OTF is not venturing any deeper on that one. The good wife may demand having a few words in a future column.

ON THE GRAPEVINE Kevin Poyser has quietly done his bit to preserve the historic grapevines growing on the verandah of Inglewood’s dormant Royal Hotel. The community contributor has spent several days in the past week pruning dead branches from vines, some more than a century old. Meanwhile, sections of the hotel verandah have been replaced and made safe after a series of court orders gained by Loddon Shire Council last year but owners have not brought them returned to the same finish as the Brooke Street parts of the verandah. H PHOTO

Weight on local, Aboriginal tender

TENDER bids by Loddon businesses will have a 20 per cent weighting under the latest shire council procurement policy.

A five per cent weighting will also be applied to bids by Aboriginal enterprises.

The policy update was adopted at council’s last meeting.

It says: “Where practicable, council will fully examine the benefits available through pur- chasing goods, services or works from suppliers contractors within this category by applying a recommended weighted score of 20 per cent component for this category in tenders and quotations where sustainable procurement values are identified as an evaluation criteria”

Public tenders are recommended for projects costing more than $300,000.