Hi all, we have one more Men’s Breakfast coming up this Saturday at 8am. Here is a message from John who is running this activity.

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Dear Men,

First of all I'd like to say, I'm so happy to be back on my feet after a period of healing on my hip with two fractures from a fall I had at my home.

Men’s Breakfast last one of the year — A Morning of Reflection & Renewal.

As we come to the end of another big year, you’re invited to join us for our final men’s breakfast of 2025 — a chance to slow down, breathe out, and share good company around the table.

This is a morning to enjoy the simple gifts of the season: friendship, conversation, laughter, and mateship.

A space where every man is welcome, and no man eats alone.

Bring your stories, your hopes for the year ahead, or simply bring yourself. Just come as you are.

One more thing Men, I'm inviting you to bring something to exchange, no need to spend any money or expense. It could be as simple as a one line quote, a rock from your garden (small), a ribbon, something you are ready to pass on, a piece of music or song, a book, use your imagination, anything you think you'd be happy to pass on to another man.

8am, Saturday 6 December

2 Kelvin Road, Alphington

RSVP to John 0439 899 352 to reserve your place (and help with catering) by Friday 5th December.

Looking forward to seeing you.

John

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has come by in the last few weeks to support our Keep Our Doors Open campaign asking for fairer funding from the State Government.

On Wednesday we delivered around 1000 signed postcards to Kat Theophanous’s office, all signed by locals who value the four neighbourhood houses in the Northcote electorate. Strong communities start here!

Check out some of the photos below! If you get the chance to talk to your local politicians over the next little while please don’t forget to add your support for this campaign into the conversation. The more people who talk about it the better chance we will have (we hope).

Well summer is arriving and it is exciting to see stone fruit back in our lives isn’t it? On Monday at Garden to Plate we bought the most delicious ‘fireball’ apricots - and will be hoping that we can harvest them soon from the garden. So super to have such delicious early varieties now available to grow and buy!

And we made this recipe. It is really good and makes a great appetiser (served with goats cheese) or dessert (served with ice cream), and you can even give it a try with dried apricots if fresh are not in season. Apricot trees are nearly indestructible (if my garden is anything to go by) and so I am sure there are lots of people in the neighbourhood with a home supply of apricots over the next couple of months who will appreciate this quick an interesting way of using them.

We ate these apricots with ice cream for dessert on Monday. And then I made it for Crunch with goats cheese on Thursday. And with ice cream again on Friday for Community Lunch - it really was good, see! Highly recommend. And so simple …

Fresh Apricots with Thyme, Honey and Nuts

Ingredients

·       6 apricots

·       1-2 tablespoons honey

·       1 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)

·       ¼ cup walnuts or macadamia or hazelnuts, lightly toasted and broken into easy to eat pieces

Instructions

·       Cut the apricots in half and remove pip and stalk.

·       In a bowl mix together the honey, lightly toasted nuts and thyme.

·       Fill the hollow of the apricots with the honey nut mixture.

·       Serve by themselves or with a smear or sprinkle of goats cheese for an appetiser or with vanilla ice cream on the side for a dessert.

Hi everyone,

We had a fantastic and very busy week last week, and we’re happy to be settling back down into our normal rhythm again.

The barbecue is clean and packed back away (for the next few months) and we’ve done the tidying up …. so we’ll just be sitting back in our office chairs and kicking up our feet (haha - we can only wish!!!).

If you couldn’t make it to Alphington Open Studios last weekend, luckily it runs for two weekends. We’ll have 4 artists here again this Saturday and Sunday as part of this neighbourhood-wide event. Find the map here to check all the spaces and artists you can visit across Alphington. And a special thanks to the Community Bank in Queens Parade for supporting the event this year.

We’ve still got some fun things coming up … another Op Shop Tour on Thursday 4 December (come along and do some sustainable Christmas shopping), Christmas Lunch and Christmas Carols. Check out the posts below for details. Also John is feeling better and going to run a final Men’s Breakfast in December.

Also … we’re starting to focus on programming for next year. If you have a great idea for a program or workshop, have skills to share and/or are keen to volunteer to run something etc. please get in touch asap.

For example, we’re very interested in some more after school activities running here - music lessons, tutoring etc.

We love all new ideas. Email info@alphington.org.au or call us, 9499 7227.

Also coming up with week we have:

• Garden to Plate is on today from 11.30am-1pm. Book in online here!

• Our Toy Library is open Tuesday from 1-3pm. Book your toys by 11am for easy pick up.

• AAA Bowls at Alphington Bowls Club, Line Dancing at Alphington Scout Hall and Alphington Playgroup here at ACC all on Wednesday from 10am-12pm

• Armchair Theatre runs on Wednesday 1-3pm. We’ve been enjoying listening along with them to Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas recently. Such a great ‘radio’ play.

• Crunch on Thursday from 12.30-2pm. Book online here

• Community Gardening and Craft on Friday from 10am-12pm

• Community Lunch Friday 12-1pm

• AAA Art Friday 1-2pm

We can’t wait to see you.

Cheers Leanne

On Thursday the 4th of December we will be running another Thrift Seekers Op Shop Adventure!

Led by a true expert with a LOT of experience (that’s a pat on the back for Leanne!) we will be travelling to the far away land of Preston to explore the wild expanses of Salvos, Uniting and Sacred Heart Mission op shops. With a stop for lunch at one of the lovely restaurants in that neck of the woods.

Thanks so much to the Community Bank on Queens Parade for supporting this program.

If you’d like to join us you can book in online here. Only $5. And don’t forget to BYO miki card on the day as we’re taking this adventure by PT (public transport).

Sustainable transport … sustainable shopping … a sustainable Christmas … how excellent!