Editor’s Page From
The Magpie Whisperer
the Editor
No giving up Christmas gift giving
One of the hardest things in life to do is to continue toward a goal in the face of adversity. When all the signs are that your idea won’t work, but you believe it will and keep working towards it, it often leads to ridicule, and disbelief. It is with this in mind I would like to publicly pay respect to Macgregor Ross. After the demise of the Celebrate Lithgow, Macgregor decided not to give up on a festival celebrating the region at this time of year. He was able to book the amazing (if you weren’t there on the weekend, that single word is not doing it justice) NSW Fire and Rescue Marching Band, and with them as a headline act, he continued to work against all the odds to pull an event together. The crowd may not have been what he would have hoped, but thanks to some support from Council, some free marketing from us and Lithgow 2790 Facebook page, there were some people there, around 300 in total throughout the day. Those that did come out on a glorious Sunday to the show ground were treated to a fine display of local talent in the lead up to one of the most amazing band’s I have ever seen. I am not normally a big band guy, I love my rock concerts and heavy music, but the way this band engaged the audience and arranged their one hour show just blew me away. So Macgregor, I dedicate to you my favourite words: Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
The Village Voice
Rich Evans, Editor Email: editor@villagevoice.net.au Kellie Evans, Sales Email: sales@villagevoice.net.au Cass Dray, Designer
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At about this time every year, up pops the contentious suggestion that we forgo the giving of Christmas presents to anyone except children (ie.up to age twelve). The proposed ban is only for the festive season, and gifts at other times of the year, like birthdays, are fine. Those supporting the idea reason that for a lot of people this is the least wonderful time of the year, full of all sorts of pressure and financial worries, and reminders of how they’re not doing as well as they’d like. The last thing they need is the added stress and extra shopping this annual ritual entails. So, why not give everyone a break? As the pro-ban advocates see it; we should still buy gifts for children, if only because they’d complain so loudly if they entered the living room to find there was nothing under the tree but pine needles. And it’s nice to see the expressions on children’s faces when they open their presents. But adults? Why do we buy each other gifts? So everyone has to fake more excitement and gratitude than they actually feel when opening them? Thanks for the soap, the socks, the bottle of wine. Here, there’s something for you, too. It’s as though we’ve all entered into a pact that makes everybody’s lives that little bit harder. With the money you would have spent on gifts for other people, you can buy yourself something you want. The whole problem is the obligation - that we are expected to want and receive gifts at this time of the year, and then expected to express gratitude. And gratitude is a good thing. But it’s much easier to accept in instances that aren’t so laden with obligation - the feeling that we’re all taking part in an outdated tradition we’d actually rather not be. By banning festive gift-giving, proponents believe it would relieve people of the obligation to buy gifts - a sort of collective gift of relaxation. However, local retailers should not be too concerned, because most people in the greater Lithgow region are far too generous of spirit to view a ban on giving Christmas presents as anything other than what it is - curmudgeonly bah, humbug.
Holiday Trading Hours
ATM SERVICE AVAILABLE
Specialty Stores Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – 9.00 am to 5.30pm. Thursday 9.00 am to 8.00 pm Saturday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm - Sunday 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 pm Wednesday 23rd Dec - 9.00 am to 8.00 pm Thursday 24th Dec - 9.00 am to 5.30 pm Friday 25th Dec - Christmas Day CLOSED Saturday 26th Dec - TBA Sunday 27th Dec - 10.00 am to 3.00 pm Monday 28th Dec - 10.00 am to 3.00 pm Tuesday 29th Dec - 9.00 am to 5.30pm Wednesday 30th Dec - 9.00 am to 8.00 pm Thursday 31st Dec - 9.00 am to 5.30 pm Friday 1st January – selected stores 10.00 am to 3.00 pm Saturday 2nd January onwards normal trading
LITHGOW VALLEY PLAZA Cnr Bent and Lithgow Streets, Lithgow Ph: (02) 6353 1886 | manager@valleyplaza.com.au | Like us on FACEBOOK SHOP IN AIRCONDITIONED COMFORT 7 DAYS PER WEEK WITH PARKING FOR OVER 800 VEHICLES DAILY
SILCOCK ST POTTERY WORKS
HASSAN ST BENT ST
11am to 4pm December 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd
Target – commencing 6th December Monday to Friday - 8.00 am to 10.00 pm Saturday - 8.00 am to 8.00 pm. Sunday 6th Dec - 8.00 am to 5.00 pm Sunday 13th Dec - 8.00 am to 8 pm Monday 14th Dec to Friday 18th Dec - 7.00 am to 10pm Saturday 19th Dec - 7.00 am to 8.00 pm Sunday 20th Dec - 8.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday 21st Dec to Wednesday 23rd Dec: 7.00 am to 12 midnight Thursday 24th Dec - 7.00 am to 7.00 pm Friday 25th December – CLOSED Saturday 26th December – TBA Sunday 27th Dec to Thursday 31st Dec – Normal Trading Friday 1st January – TBA Saturday 2nd January onwards - Normal Trading
MORT ST (TO BELLS LINE OF RD)
MEET SANTA
Coles –commencing 14th December Monday 14th to Saturday 19th - 6am to 10 pm, Sunday - 8 am to 9 pm Monday 21st to Wednesday 23rd - 6am to 12 midnight, Thursday 24th - 6.00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday 25th - Christmas Day CLOSED Saturday 26th - Boxing Day TBA (see in store for details) Sunday 27th - 7am to 9.00 p.m. Monday 28th to Thursday 31st - 6 am to 10 pm Friday 1st January - New Years Day - 8 am to 8 pm From 2nd January - Normal trading
LITHGOW ST TO GREAT WESTERN HWY
Plus 35 specialty stores 2
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