Friday mornings are always lovely down here at Alphington Community Centre, with craft, chats, gardening and, of course, a delicious lunch.

We love to see everyone each week connecting and getting involved in the activities, and we especially love seeing our garden flourish - as it has in these spring months.

The flowers have been beautiful and the produce is looking fantastic. Recently we’ve harvested bok choy and lettuce, silverbeet, beetroot, chives, coriander, spring onion and cabbages (although someone took all of our large cabbages so we couldn’t use them in our community cooking programs (sad) … never mind. Let’s assume they REALLY needed them). Also rhubarb, parsley, cumquats and lemons 🍋. I think we even grew a lime on the tree in the middle of our raised bed this year!

We’re now getting our summer planting in - tomatoes and new silverbeet. More herbs etc. And our fruit trees are fruiting - plums and apples - it’s very exciting.

We feel so lucky to have such committed gardeners in our community who are willing to help out each week and hope you are also enjoying our lovely space and appreciate all of their hard work too, when you pass by or come here for activities.

Thanks gardening peeps!

Last week at Crunch (Creative Lunch) we got to work on an extra-special project that we hope you’ll all get to see in person soon - a new ‘welcome’ mosaic. And this week we grouted it.

It’s going to be installed at our new gate into the community garden, but for now we’re just very proud to show it off here. Thanks Crunchers (led by Lee - our resident mosaic expert).

Hi everyone,

It was nice to finish off last week with a Halloween-themed Community Lunch and our AAA Arts group also got into the spirit of things!

Just a reminder that we won’t be open this Monday and Tuesday due to the Cup Weekend public holiday. We hope you’re all enjoying the long weekend as much as we are!

We’ll be back to business as usual on Wednesday. On the radar this week we have:

• Line Dancing on Wednesday morning from 10am-12pm down at Alphington Scout Hall

• Armchair Theatre in the afternoon from 1-3pm (if you’re feeling a little exhausted by the morning’s exercise)

• Or, if you’re in need of a good stretch, Community Yoga will be on in the evening from 5.30-6.30pm

• Book Clubs are running three times this week, on both Wednesday and Thursday evening from 7.30-9pm, and Thursday morning as well from 10-11.30am.

• We have another great Crunch planned for you this Thursday, starting at 12.30pm

• And, of course, we can’t wait to see everyone at Community Lunch on Friday at 12pm, and hope you’ll come along in the morning for gardening outside or craft and chats inside.

Unfortunately, AAA Bowls won’t be running this week as the Alphington Bowls Club has another event on, but we’ll see you there bright-eyed and bushy-tailed next Wednesday!

See you soon!

Cheers Leanne

Alphington Open Studio Weekends are back! For the last two weekends of November, we will be one of a number of locations around Alphington showcasing some fantastic artists from our community.

We are very excited to feature works from Fiona Currie, Francesca McNamara, Sharon West and Jane Haussegger, and for the workshop Clare Mannion will be running on 29th and 30th of November!

We’ve just got in the new brochures for this event, so pop by soon to pick one up and find out all the details (including a handy map of where you can find all the artists). Come show your support!

A date for your diary.

It’s that time of year again… the weather is warming up, the magpies have nearly finished swooping, and our very creative community are working hard to provide another classic Christmas Makers Market. This year it will be on Saturday the 22nd of November from 11am - 2pm.

We’ll have a whole lot of great stalls selling things by talented locals, including the CWA, and our own jams and preserves, a sausage sizzle (obviously) and fun Christmassy kids’ activities.

Get in some early Christmas shopping and enjoy the (hopefully) lovely weather, and catch up with friends in the local community!