The arrival of Melbourne Farmers Markets down the road really has completely changed the vibe of our little pocket of Alphington all for the better over the last 5 years - I am sure you agree.

Remember that weird suspended watering system and how neglected and industrial the view into that site was from Yarana Road before Miranda came along? Now we have the walking/bike path connecting to the parklands and lots of planting, and fun and educational artworks and signs, inspiring vegetable gardens and shipping containers and … bees and mushrooms and all the things!

It is quite exciting to have this creative urban ag. hub in our backyard - bringing those cool vibes along with great fresh produce right to our doorstep.

But … MFM and the other tenants don’t have a secure ongoing licence … and Miranda and her colleagues are now putting together their expressions of interest to stay in situ for the next 5 years.

As part of the process Miranda is keen to document community support for their vision for the site. So if you too visit the market regularly, stop in for a coffee and bread at the new bakery, or enjoy seeing all the micro-enterprises popping up, read the poster below, follow the link via the QR code (or click here) and register your support.

Fingers crossed that the process is smooth for you Miranda and all!

We’re kicking off our new monthly Tuesday Movie Club on the 14 February and we’re going to see a romcom, from the makers of Bridget Jones Diary and Love Actually etc. So why not join us for a very romantic Valentine’s Day activity!

What’s Love Got To Do with It? is on at Westgarth Cinema at 12.45pm. The cost is $12.

If you want to come with us you’ll need to be at Alphington Community Centre at 12pm to catch the 12.07pm train at Alphington Station. We’ll arrive at Westgarth Station at 12.12pm. This gives us 30 minutes to walk over to the cinema and buy tickets etc.

If you plan to make your own way there that is great too! Just let us know so we can look out for you when we arrive.

If you are interested in joining in this activity please email us here. We propose to create a Movie Club What’s App group, so that we can easily organise this new ongoing monthly activity!

Here’s the official promo for the movie!

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A pitch perfect ballad of emotions, this romantic comedy follows a filmmaker who decides to document her best friend’s journey toward arranged marriage.

Moving between London and Lahore, this is a story of love, friendship, tradition and iconoclasm. How do you find lasting love in today's world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James, Rebecca, Darkest Hour), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath's (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) dismay.

For childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), the answer is to follow his parents' example and opt for an arranged (or "assisted") marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his journey to marry a stranger, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.

Striking a touching balance between respect for cultural customs and belief in the power of romance, What’s Love Got to Do with It? offers an impassioned take on the notion of love, romance and finding that special someone.

The Twilight Kindergarten Open Evenings are a fantastic opportunity for parents of future kinder aged children to visit local kinders and make a truly informed decision about which kindergarten is the best fit for their family. 16 different kinders in the City of Darebin are participating in this event this year.

As many young families already know, it useful to start looking for a kindergarten program early as enrolment processes vary across Victoria.

Local kindergartens will be open for tours between 6pm and 8pm on:

• Thursday 23 March – kindergartens north of Bell Street

• Tuesday 28 March – kindergartens south of Bell Street

To find out which kinders are part of the program and how to book in head over to the Darebin Council link here.

We hope to see lots of happy and familiar faces at the Christmas Lunch on Friday 9th of December here at 12pm. We’ll be having a traditional buffet lunch of cold cuts and salads - a visit from Santa - and we’ll be sitting outside in the garden enjoying all the hard work our gardeners have undertaken recently.

If you participate in our regular activities like book clubs, line dancing, ukulele or playgroups or use our book libraries or garden you are very welcome to join us. It would be lovely to celebrate the end of the year together.

All are welcome. We just ask for you to RSVP by email so we can cater for the right number of people.

Thank you to all the lovely stall holders that brought their fantastic items for sale last Saturday.

We hope you all enjoyed the atmosphere and the great food, face painting and kids craft on offer.

Here are some lovey photos of the day!