Roll Up for the Royal Easter Show

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Originally uploaded by phoof.

Brent and I braved the crowds on Sunday and ventured to the Royal Easter Show. The show conjours up all sorts of childhood memories of long days, animals, showbags, and classic acts such as the paddlepop lion, holden precision driving team and truckasaurous! It was good to see that even in its new home at Homebush it still (pretty much) lives up to the memories (except for Truckasaurous who was probably still bogged in the old showground arena).

Andrew & Jess are Married

Wedding season kicked off in style on Friday with the wedding of Jess and Andrew. The inclement weather managed to hold off just long enough for the ceremony to be held on the Band Lawn at the Botanic Gardens with a the wonderful Sydney harbour backdrop. Jess looked gorgeous in her dress complement by her dapper groom and multicoloured bridal party.

After champagne on the lawn and a (very) quick detour to the opera bar the cocktail style reception was held at the botanic gardens retaurant. Complimented by a never ending glass of champagne we were served up delicious canapes including mini fritata, satay skewers, scallops and roast beef on polenta. Followed by a slice of the personalised wedding cake. After speeches, cake cutting and other official business was over we all danced the night away to the band.

(photos)

Cupcakes and Cocktails

Saturday night was Sue's final fling before the ring. The theme was Pretty in Pink and on the agenda was:

1. Afternoon tea complete with pink cupcakes, little boys, wedding pass the parcel, and the best bit, a 3 minute angel to give everyone a massage!

2. Cocktail lesson at the Vanilla Room Liechardt, provided by our charming bartenders - Beckett, Angus and George. Everyone got a go behind the bar making yummy cocktails such as my favourite - the sour Apple Martini. We also organised for platters of anti pasta, pizzettas and salt and pepper squid to sustain us for item 3...

3. Boogying at Retro. We could count at least another 12 hens nights just on the floor we were on but Sue's was hands down the funkiest! We danced and sang and shook our groove thangs till way after pumpkin hour and limped on to....

4. One final cocktail at Bar Cleveland on the comfy lounges

Phew, it was a big night!

There are lots of other photos, here and here

Who needs an iPod Anyway?

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What did we listen to before iPods, before discmans, before walkmans, before ghetto blasters?

Stepped back in time last weekend when my Dad cleaned up my grandfathers old portable gramophone. It had been sitting in my grandfathers shed for at least the last 28 years and then who knows where it had travelled before that. After all those years all it took was a good clean up and, without the aid of batteries or electricity was pumping out the olde time tunes again.

Couldn't believe how simple it was, it consists of a needle attached to a tube that feeds into an empty box that amplifies the sound - and what a sound - never imagined it would be so loud! And there is no volume control, although there is a brake and a speed control. And you need to wind it up after every track. Not sure just how old this player is, any experts out there?