We didn’t get to publish the beautiful photos that Kalimna took from our fun community weekend last week because we had a technical computer hitch … but we’re back up and running now.

So thank you to the Alphington Open Studios artists who we worked with for the Open Studios weekends. It was fabulous to have a shared opening night that everyone could come along to and just super to have works by all the artists in our space. Yarra Council provided us with some funding to activate our inside hanging space which supported this project.

And then thanks to our stallholders who made wonderful produce and goods for the Christmas Makers Market on the Saturday. And thanks to all the community who came along to shop and enjoy our lovely neighbourhood. I know I made a good start to my Christmas present shopping … and I am sure lots of others did too.

A special thanks to Ivanhoe Rotary who personned our BBQ. It makes such a difference to our centre to have these sorts of community partnerships and we value them so much. And my mum Cheryl who ran the kids activity - she’s a gem and the trees were very cute. And finally, finally Elaine who volunteered on our craft stall. She’s an amazing knitter and community giver as well.

Thanks to everyone who came along for Christmas lunch. It was a funny old day - sunny ☀️ one minute and cloudy ⛅️ the next - but we shared a lovely meal together - cold meats and salads, including lettuce from Sandra and Jim’s garden, nasturtium flowers from ours, pickles made by our preserves group and a delicious Gusto passion fruit sponge kindly donated by Anne.

Manu came along early to help us set up - thanks Manu! Jim won the lucky door prize and shared his chocolate winnings.

Win. Our longstanding friend Win (who also purchased a ticket for Bev) was the lucky winner of our raffle.

We dropped off the prize to her on Tuesday … and forgot to take a photo. But she was pretty chuffed!

Thanks Nelson Alexander for your long-standing support of our neighbourhood house with advertising boards for our events and raffle prizes etc. along the way.

Well it’s nearly December and the season is suddenly upon us. So … do you fancy a round of Jingle Bells or have a hankering to belt out Good King Wenceslas alongside your fellow neighbours?

Join us for Community Carols on Sunday 19th December at 7pm at the Alphington Bowls Club.

The Alphingtones Choir might be a little rusty after two years of mostly Covid zooming … and will probably be part of the audience rather than up the front this year. But it will still be very nice to get together for a sing-a-long … and I am 100% sure Santa will pop past!

A date for your diary. Bring the whole family along to this long-standing and low-key cross-generational community activity. Always on the last Sunday before Christmas 🎄.

Well that was fun! And exhausting!

Thanks to everyone that came along to the Alphington Open Studios opening on Friday night, our Christmas Makers Market on Saturday, and/or popped in to the Open Studios salon show at ACC right across the weekend. We had great weather and it was just fabulous to see such a cross-section of our community enjoying our facilities.

I will quickly add some pictures below … and include some more next week, with some detailed thankyous etc. then.

But don’t forget the studios are all open this coming weekend as well! Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm. You can collect a map from ACC this week (or when our salon show opens again on Saturday morning). Isn’t it just great to collectively celebrate our lovely, creative, arty community … it warms the cockles of the heart!