February –  Time to settle in

February always seems to me like the month when everything gets back to normal … the visitors go home, the kids are back at school and life settles down a bit. It is also Valentine’s Day month – a very special time for those in love and for those who want to tell someone special how they feel without even having to say a word. I pretend that it’s all American propaganda, but secretly wait for my long stemmed roses to arrive. No chocolates for me though; I am sticking to the resolution that I decided not to make on New Year’s Eve.

Many people I speak to are waiting until after the Australia Day festivities to start new regimes. Mid January was the right time for me to go back to Curves, start walking the dog, eat less cake and drink (slightly) less coffee. I also tried to give up wine, but I really enjoy a glass or two of an evening and if I have to give that up too, then I will be giving up not one, but two great loves – food AND wine.

The Manning River Summer Festival was another cracker this year, with visitors and locals enjoying the many events that were held over January. The riverbank in Taree was alive with people on New Year’s Eve to witness spectacular fireworks from floating pontoons (some say ours were better than Sydney!)

Large crowds visited Harrington for the Harrington Festival and John Gollan Fireworks on the 1^st and 2^nd of January, with some fabulous markets, carnival rides and again, fireworks to entertain the whole family. It was beautiful weather, which was a welcome change from the rain, and many were out taking advantage of the sunshine. As part of the festival, outdoor movies were held in three locations around the Manning: Old Bar, Harrington and Wingham. We packed our barbecue chook and headed to Central Park for a night under the stars with the Pink Panther, to see Pink Panther 2; it was an hilarious movie and a relaxing evening made even better by the icecream van that arrived with choc tops.

Scrapsidaisy Wingham held its first weekend retreat at the Wingham Golf Club in January. Guest Teachers were flown in from WA, Victoria and Far North Queensland to provide tuition and speciality classes to the 35+ attendees.

These scrapbookers had heaps of fun, with a challenge night on Friday where all participants were given the same materials (and a glass of wine?) and had to create a layout or card. They participated in Singstar on the Saturday night and a delicious afternoon tea on Sunday afternoon.

Participants agreed it was a fabulous event and would like it to be held yearly in Wingham. When the long weekend finished, the teachers enjoyed a couple of extra days of rest and relaxation in Wingham … shopping, dining and exploring.

They were particularly excited about the extraordinary friendliness of the town’s people and can’t wait to come back again!
The inaugural Head 2 Head swim was held at Blackhead Beach on January 3^rd, with around 210 participants braving the rain and the cold water to compete in two swims. The first was a 700 metre swim at 9am, followed by 1.5 km at 10am. Hundreds of spectators surrounded the surf club to support and cheer for their favourite swimmers. The results were pretty spectacular, with 14 year old Kurtis Kavanagh from San Remo taking out both races. Forster’s Jake Loring came a close second in the main swim, with another Forster favourite, Zoe Dowsett coming third. Organisers were extremely happy with the event and particularly surprised at the number of participants, with many registrations on the day – despite the rough seas.

At Bent on Food’s last music night for 2009, we were fortunate to have some visitors from Drummoyne Water Polo Club, who were in town for the Manning Mug, held annually at the Wingham Pool. The group of twelve was looking for some fun, but they had to wear their florescent orange safety vests so that they could be identified from the other teams.

These guys and gals work hard in the pool by day and play hard in the evening, dancing and having a wonderful time, before heading to their home for the weekend, the Wingham Hotel. Peter Mullany, Helen Knight and Mike Brown played fabulously as usual, with their individual style impressing the visitors – who have asked for a repeat night next year.

Back to the festive season for a moment … the tenth annual Redhead Christmas party was held the week before Christmas on the picturesque Redhead Reserve. More than 100 local residents gathered to share Christmas goodwill and fellowship in true village spirit.

Co-ordinated by the executive of the Redhead Community Group Inc. and other local residents, barbecues were provided by BBQs Galore Taree and Ocean Dreaming holiday apartments, while Steve Aiken Electrical supplied Christmas lights.

James Johnston performed live on the grounds of Harrigan’s Irish Pub in December after his highly successful Idol journey. It was a fantastic night of great music and some laughs, while James shared some of his Idol experiences.

A crowd of around 300 fans were excited to see James and thoroughly enjoyed his interactive style as they danced and cheered under their umbrellas, despite the cold, rainy night.

James successfully plays a wide repertoire, from Country and Western to Jazz, which is a skill that sets him aside from other musicians. Local band the Hydrofonics were the support act and got the crowd rocking in the rain.

See you next month.

Please email me with any events you have attended or organised and send me some pics so that I can include them in the social pages. I can only write about what I am aware of so be sure to share some information with me.

donna.carrier@bigpond.com

Cheers, Donna.