'Monster cookies' join gift list for Redland mothers

Image from the Express Cookies facebook page

BEACH fishing on North Stradbroke Island is a favourite recreation for Darren Lind, of Victoria Point, but the line will stay in the reel this week as his business enters a new phase.
Darren was working in his trade as a carpenter when just over three years ago he decided to seek a new career.
He set up a home-based business, Express Cookies, distributing tasty treats supplied by a Victorian factory.
Darren is now known as “the cookie man” as he travels around south-east Queensland delivering to cafes and restaurants.
His typical working day starts early with trips between Redcliffe, Kingscliff and Ipswich on his schedules.
“It's still just a small business but growing each week and getting to the stage where it will need dedicated premises somewhere,” he says.
Darren says the offer of a free sample pack to restaurants and cafes has helped business growth.
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A colourful notice in the Classifieds has announced a new era for Express Cookies, offering Mother's Day baskets containing 10 wrapped 'monster cookies' and either a candle or a coffee mug, with delivery on the Redland mainland.
Darren conducted a trial of a themed promotion at Easter selling similar baskets, complete with bunny.
Encouraged by the response, he plans to market cookies for other occasions on the cultural calendar and offer personalised baskets for birthdays and anniversaries.
Darren expects a busy weekend, also attending Redland Bay markets on Sunday.
Cookie vendors may have an insight into dietary habits. Darren says trade ebbs during summer but rises in autumn.
“As it cools down people drink more coffee and that goes with cookies, muffins and things like that,” he says.
While most Redlanders bemoaned this week's cold snap, Darren could rub his hands in anticipation of brisk trade. After growing up in the South Australian inland he can handle the chill.
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This year is the 25th anniversary of the young carpenter's arrival in the Redlands during his travels, stopping first at a Capalaba van park.
His hometown of Woomera was no match for our bayside. “I just fell in love with the place,” he says.
Darren first settled at Wellington Point and he says he has no plans to move from Victoria Point, which has been a good base for his business.
“The cookie man” sometimes has helpers on his rounds – his wife Nicole and their teenage son, Dolton, who enjoys travelling with his dad, and of course has inherited his parents' love of fishing at daybreak with feet in the Straddie sand.
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This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

'Health and wealth' echoes as mantra for baby boomers

A LONG journey on some highways and byways of Queensland life has led Tim Campion (right) to Victoria Point but he's not resting as he advances toward retirement age. Once a "typical country boy" who grew up on a sheep and cattle property on the western Darling Downs, Tim now describes himself as an entrepreneur.
At 62 years old, he is not winding down but rather ramping up to prepare for his senior years with a mantra of "health and wealth" at top of mind.
He works out at a gym three times a week and brims with energy as he talks about his new projects.
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Tim has already lived a full life, after he left the family property while in his twenties, to study for a business degree.
"I stumbled across the opportunity to start my own business, line marking, and had contracts around the greater Brisbane area including the Redland Shire Council," he says.
"At the time I was living at Sheldon and started a nursery there."
In the late 1980s, Tim returned to work on the family property, between Miles and Chinchilla, and decided to study law. 
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He says his admission as a barrister allowed him to start a practice in Chinchilla and Toowoomba and he later served as the senior lawyer with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service in Mt Isa, then moved to Wellington Point and defended in cases in the Cleveland, Wynnum and Holland Park Magistrates Courts.
Tim says he mistakenly believed the sale of the family property to a gas company almost four years ago would allow him to retire.
However, after seeing how quickly his wealth was shrinking, he knew positive action was imperative.
"We can no longer rely on a little nest egg of superannuation to get us through," he says. "So many people in the baby boomer category are looking for the means to give them quality of life in their impending retirement." 
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Tim believes he has found a perfect solution in the marketing of a US-developed dietary supplement, Protandim, that is hailed as a weapon against "oxidative stress".
That is the background to the "medical breakthrough" that Tim recently announced in the Business Opportunities column.
The Protandim website says the supplement's five natural ingredients work together to activate an enzyme that communicates with the body's cells, "instructing them to ... survive in the face of stress from free radicals and other oxidants, and ... help the body function at an optimal level".
If enthusiasm and energy are any guide, Tim Campion appears to be a walking and talking example of the supplement's efficacy.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Paddle with passion in 'wilderness' with houses in view

Glorious Moreton Bay, courtesy of www.louisedenisenko.com

MY research has failed to identify the thinker who coined the often-quoted phrase, "Stop and smell the roses", but one thing's for sure - he/she didn't live in our bayside districts.
The best advice to or from anyone who knows our great Redland City and south-east Queensland's huge air conditioner, Moreton Bay, must be, "Get out there on the water and enjoy it - now."
We may take the bay for granted as we soldier on with day-to-day issues of survival in our modern urban lifestyles.
Just take a minute to soak up the vista from the mainland to Straddie and north toward Moreton Island and think how lucky we are to live in such an environment.
Better still - hop in a kayak and pit yourself against the elements. Get close to the other side of the mangroves you normally drive past. Feel that little nip of apprehension that you may interest a shark - and the sweet anticipation of getting up close and personal with a dolphin.
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Bruce Mitchell, of Thorneside, has done it. He has been out there, with a dolphin and calf swimming beside his kayak and keeping him company for "quite some time".
He is thankful he has not had a close encounter with the species with the teeth while kayaking on Moreton Bay and its waterways, and says the scent of the bay is better than a whole field of roses.
Auckland-born Bruce migrated to Australia in 1986 but did not bring his kayak across "the ditch" - as freight - until about a decade ago.
The kayak then crossed the Nullabor atop his car, and he paddled on Western Australia's Murray River before moving back to the Redlands.
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Bruce later bought a top-range 4.8m model. His favourite outing has been up Tingalpa Creek, "all the way to Capalaba".
"It's like you are in wilderness, among the mangroves and bush, although you do see the houses in parts," he says.
"Kayaking is such a great experience, and we are very lucky to live where we live."
Bruce was sad to advertise his beloved kayak for sale, after a spinal injury that was unrelated to his paddling passion.
"A hell of a nice bloke has bought it," he says. "He's from Victoria Point and is going to paddle back down there."
Bruce estimates the trip will take probably four hours. His advice to kayakers is to ensure the wind and tides are on their side.
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This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

 

Scarred by tragedy, grieving dad tells of rebuilding his life

Image: From the Bayside Family Cars website.

APRIL always begins with laughs and leg-pulling but it's a month of sadness for Cleveland resident Craig Shemmell. In April, 2000, Craig's daughter Kelly died in a car accident on the Gold Coast, just six weeks after her 18th birthday. She was driving the birthday present from Craig, a car dealer who in the 1980s had sold a big Victorian dealership to move northward for a bayside lifestyle at Wellington Point.

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Craig says the tragedy was too much for him to handle – "it knocked me around badly" – and he was unable to 'move on'. "I lost it and had a breakdown," he says. "Then I woke up one day about 12 years ago and thought I better get it back together. "I didn't have any money left but I did have a diamond ring that my daughter had bought." Craig says the ring allowed him to borrow enough money to start buying cars for resale and with the support of Cec Curtis at Birkdale Road Car Sales his life turned around. After several years Craig began trading as Bayside Family Cars, Capalaba. More joy was on the way during that period, with Craig's wife Jodie giving birth to a son, Lochlan, now eight years old and a student at Sheldon College.

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Recent advertising in the Motor Vehicles column has heralded a new era. Craig is clearing stock, with a new lessee soon to take over the Old Cleveland Road site. "I started here with just five cars; now we have about 60," he says. "The business is now too big for me." Craig says he has succeeded over the years by stocking the yard, which has been a Capalaba landmark for more than 20 years, with "variety at the right price" and building a reputation for giving buyers choice when they shop for a suitable vehicle. The yard is now expected to trade in vehicles no more than five years old.

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Craig's March 18 ad gave an indication of some of the deals on offer during the clearance, with 'as is' trade-ins including a 1995 Pajero $2800, a 2000 supercharged Calais $1500 and 2002 Commodore automatic $2000. Craig says he looks forward to the change after almost 40 years in the motor trade but he will leave Bayside Family Cars on April 30 with that sadness that always hangs around this autumn month as it is the anniversary of Kelly's accident.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

In control of the crowds, DJ twirls dials as educator

Image: A characteristic disco bass rhythm from Wikimedia Commons.

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THE fascinating history of a social phenomenon that makes the lips of the young and the old curl in opposing directions has reflected under the 'Musical' heading in recent editions of the Classifieds. Attraction to the partytime atmosphere of the disco must be one of the human traits that fades with age. The flashing lights, the pounding beat, the feeling that, with all that adrenaline, grog and who knows what else pumping through the veins, something could flip out of control ... Nah – some of us would rather watch another rerun of Inspector Morse.

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Francis De Cruz's notice asked a question that could at least make the young smile: Want to be a DJ? Francis, a highly accomplished DJ who won Brisbane's inthemix open decks DJ competition in 2011, is offering a 10-week course for "anyone wanting to learn the basics ". With the stage name, DJ De Cruz, European-born Francis says he has been "in control of the crowds" at some big gigs in the United Kingdom and Australia. He says his enjoyment comes from seeing the crowd energised by music, "keeping the crowd on the dance floor all night and wanting more". While most would relate the disco image to post-1960s culture, online students of the phenomenon trace its origins to the early 1900s in the US, with working class people dancing around apparently gramophonic jukeboxes.

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Disco is short for 'discotheque' and the French references included wartime gatherings of resistors to the Nazi rule. "The true art of today's club DJing, mixing/playing multiple songs at the same time – or beat matching – has its origin debated by some," Francis says. "Some say Paris at discotheques was the home of club DJing and some say true DJing took off in the US with Brooklyn House and house music being the true originator of mixing music seamlessly. "Today, much of the true art form is lost with computer technology mastering the art of beat matching/mixing."

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Francis says vinyl, CDs and mp3 format computer systems all "give the same result to the listener but a truly skilled DJ will use his talents rather than a computer to mix the tracks and music". He sees his course as a way "to give back to music what it has given me – the many years of travel, meeting great people and playing quality dance music". DJ De Cruz's favourite dance album is Tri State and favourite songs are Can't Sleep and Good for Me. He says Above & Beyond's melodic ability is seldom matched in today's trance and progressive dance scene.

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This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Forget cyberspace and get down to business on ground

Image: Bob Platz's notice seeking a tenant.

THE recent focus has been on telecommunication and internet services as essential for Redlands business growth but cyberspace surely comes second to useful, efficient and comfortable space in a good location on the ground. That premise led me to chat this week with Bob Platz who advertised a 155 square metre building for rent in Russell Street, Cleveland, touting its suitability for retail, wholesale, workshop or storage. Bob has had a long association with the Redlands as the proprietor of Bayside Air Conditioning after he drove down from Dalby in 1990 with his wife Lorna and their teenage children Martin and Angela to settle at Cleveland. Bob wasn't unhappy about the shift as his earliest memories of the bayside suburbs included his grandfather, Sam Clelland, then running a boarding house on the site of the existing Manly Hotel, giving him an half-penny to buy a sherbert from a nearby shop. This time, a lot more than a lolly prompted the trip. Bob had taken up a major contract with the Queensland Railways and more big jobs were to follow.

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Eventually Bob sold his longtime Dalby business, Darling Downs Air Conditioning, to centralise his equipment on the bayside and since 2007 he has operated from the Russell Street complex which includes the advertised rental space. Bob says he often visited the complex over the years as one of his component manufacturers was based there. "I dropped in one day after there was a fire in one of the sheds," he said. "The gentleman who owned the place was waiting for the plumbers to measure the roof because it had to be replaced. "I walked over to say 'gooday' and had a chat; I gave him my card and said to give me a call if he ever wanted to sell." Less than two months later the deal was finalised, Bob says. On the day after they had met, the owner had fallen from a ladder while inspecting the roof, and decided to sell the property.

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There's a lot of activity around the complex at present as Bob said Bayside Air Conditioning was gearing up for two big jobs – a chiller installation for a Pinkenba warehouse and another system for the National Archives at Cannon Hill. Although Longreach-born Bob Platz enjoys the bayside lifestyle, he says Dalby still drags on his heartstrings, mainly because of the friendliness of Queensland country people. "You don't just have one friend in the country," he says. "You live there for 50 years and you have 50 friends or more." Bob gets back to Dalby at least "a couple of times a year".

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Stuck on a stick in the eye

Image: A poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

SCREAMS of 'My eye, my eye ...' echoed down suburban Wolsely Street, Buranda, Brisbane, after a sharp branch on a footpath tree impaled a man, pinning him to the spot and striking him into panic. That man was me, forever to remember the sickening feelings of the sharp end of a dead branch in my eye socket and the pressure with just one millimetre of movement. A few minutes earlier I had parked my car and, running late for an appointment at the hospital, hurriedly fed the meter for a two-hour stay. Then I had turned hastily. One quick step put me on a 'collision course' with the tree, and the unforgettable burst of pain, which soon turned to hysteria as I realised the branch was stuck in the eye socket The branch was pressing hard on the bony bridge of my nose and I don't think I'll ever forget the disgusting feeling of its penetration into the socket.

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Rightly or wrongly, I felt I had to get free of the tree as quickly as possible and pressed with one hand over the closed eye as with the other I tried to break off the branch. However, the branch was springy and obviously would not break easily. I took a deep breath and pulled my head away for yet another sickening feeling, that of the branch's actual exit with a distinct sliminess that I feared was the eyeball fluid. As I sank to crouch on the footpath, moaning and wondering what to do two passers-by and a woman from a nearby private hotel rushed to help. One of the passers-by, a woman, asked to see my eye to check for damage but I refused to remove my hand as I could only think the worst and said I would open it only in hospital.

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A man who had heard my screams immediately took preventive action, breaking off the offending branch and then, seeing blood run down my cheek, giving me a handkerchief to place over the bloodied eye. The hotel manager, Jennifer, called the ambulance on her mobile, and I began to calm down. The man, Sukhi, took a picture, using my smartphone. I called my wife, Jenny, to warn her that she may have to make a trip to move the car because it was anyone's guess how I would come through it all and to ask her to call the council about the accident. A crew of three paramedics arrived to take me on the one block trip to the PA Hospital. They asked to inspect the eye but I refused to open it, saying the confirmation of blindness would freak me out too much. I had already peeked with my good eye at the handkerchief and seen blood in a watery mess. Was it eye fluid?

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During the short wait for the doctor to take me to the special eye room, fear finally started to fade. I opened the eye just a little and could see light through the gauze. With the advice, 'Buy a lottery ticket – you are very lucky today,' the emergency dept doctor announced my all-clear of any serious injury. No apparent eyeball, nerve or muscle damage, just a graze between the eyes. So that's the story behind that hysteria in Wolsely Street just after 10am on Tuesday, March 4, 2014.

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My thanks to Jennifer; Sukhi; the other passer-by; Brendan and the rest of the ambulance crew; the PA doctor; and the Brisbane Council officers who immediately trimmed the tree and followed up with a call to my home yesterday. A mate counselled: "Don't rush to do anything – that's when accidents happen." But it's not that easy: When you've got to get there, you've got to get there. But thankfully trees don't always get in the way.

Jobseekers' flood stuns wholesale nursery manager

Image: A colourful crop on its way to retail outlets from Marlborough Nursery, Redland City, Queensland, Australia.

JOBSEEKERS often complain about their heavily massaged applications 'falling into a black hole' without any response from the employers. Although recruitment specialists say the applicants should not take this personally because employers are often too busy to reply to dozens or hundreds of candidates, many bemoan the lack of advice. Someone who has their heart set on an advertised position may need closure to let them move on and continue on life's pathways. A bright magenta and yellow notice in the Classifieds has invited employers to place a simple two-centimetre notice to notify unsuccessful applicants and allow them to escape their 'limbo'. The campaign underscores the good old-fashioned courtesy that underpins the service mentality of classified advertising through many generations. Tuesday's Bayside Bulletin helped about 150 people 'move on' with Marlborough Nursery's notice thanking applicants for the recently advertised nursery hand positions.

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Nursery manager Michael Duffy was surprised at the big response. He said the nursery recruited new staff twice a year and this time received about double the usual number of applications, most by email. The nation's growing unemployment rate has been making headlines, and Michael said the response rate could be 'a sign of the times' but many applicants had indicated they were seeking a change of direction in their lives. The applicants ranged from teenagers to seniors, with men and women equally represented. Michael said few had horticultural qualifications or experience – which had been more common when the Redlands' nursery industry was bigger. He has worked with Marlborough Nursery for about 30 years and has been manager for about the past 10. The nursery has 26 staff and needed four new hands this summer.

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Marlborough Nursery began in 1979 as a small ‘back-yard’ hobby nursery and developed on a Wellington Point site but later expanded to Redland Bay where it now does all its growing. A wholesale nursery, it does not open to the public but its products feature in stores, garden centres and florists "from Cairns in North Queensland to Adelaide in South Australia and everywhere in between". Marlborough Nursery specialises indoor flowering and foliage plants, with a range including anthuriums, bromeliads, spathiphyllum, orchids, alocasia, calatheas, dieffenbachia and stromanthe. The nursery states two of its milestones as being in the first group to be accredited under the Nursery Industry Accreditation Scheme Australia (NIASA) in 1993 and more recently gaining EcoHort accreditation. "We pride our self on our quality and service and are continually trialling new varieties to add to our existing range," the nursey says.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Forget Sochi as battle of churches rages on bayside

Image; Oh, and while we're talking - we're all praying for a fine day next Saturday ... from Redlands Lutheran

THE spectacle of the Winter Olympics faded to a mere bit of fuss over a few sport events when the battle of the churches erupted recently in these columns. Readers of the Classifieds must have been riveted to their seats as Capalaba Uniting Church, Cleveland Baptist Church and St James Lutheran Church, Cleveland, went 'head to head'. It was indeed one of the most exciting Garage Sale columns in publishing history as the three churches promoted their fundraisers. The lengthy lists of tantalising items – complete with the use of capital letters, italics and exclamation marks – showed the palm-sweating anticipation.

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Jokes aside, the churches are firm believers – they know they can get results with prayers and classified notices. Capalaba Uniting Church's Owen Roberts, whose wife Pauline is a church elder, says its February 8 carboot sale was a great success, with about 24 stallholders, about as many as the Ney Road property can hold. The vendors pay $10 a stall, which has helped the church with maintenance and other costs for about the past 15 years, he says. The market is held every two months. Further east, Joye and Evan Kriedemann are the co-ordinators of Cleveland Baptist Church's monthly "Community Car Boot Market". Joye says the market is "going from strength to strength" and the Waterloo Street church was abuzz with activity on February 1. "It was fantastic," Joye says. "We now have about 45 stallholders at each market."

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The church has focused on making the market more than just a buying and selling experience by setting up a special stall to promote community groups and causes. The next market will be on Saturday, March 1.

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Motorcycle leathers, yes – gang patches, NO!

THE Newman government's campaign against outlaw motorcycle gangs appeared to be working when sets of leather jackets, dry riders and helmets featured in the For Sale column. But the vendor, a Wellington Point man, said he was simply having a clean-out after selling his bike and indicated the only patch he would wear would be to give up smoking.

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Bridge lobby general stays optimistic

THE grand old lady of the Russell Island Bridge Lobby, Joyce Webb, 90, says she was not disappointed by a smaller than usual turn-out for the advertised annual general meeting at Redland Bay on February 1 and the failure of a television crew to attend. Joyce said the Toondah Harbour development issue was a distraction on the day. The lobby was just short of a quorum to hold elections but still had its executive serving almost 1500 members around Australia.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Tenterfield terrier knows he's my funny Valentine

Images: What a dog! What a card! What a great greeting first up on February 14!

JUST before Classie Corner gets back to business in the marvellous community of classified advertising and while the warmth and fuzz of Valentine's Day 2014 lingers on, here's some entertainment for all the Tenterfield terrier lovers who lap up my posts about this fabulous breed. Joey left me a card - and a Lotto ticket... For other posts about terriers on this site, use the search box above and see why dog lovers around the world keep clicking on the links.

Daughter keeps dark secret from mum after theft

Image: The Ormiston woman's appeal from the heart.

FEELINGS of violation and loss can haunt victims of break-in and theft but they may be just part of the agony. Add 'guilt' to the mix and the victim, rather than the criminal, receives the severe punishment. Such is the case for an Ormiston woman, who admits she has difficulty 'moving on' months after a theft from her home. She blames herself for not ensuring the security of the stolen property, which belongs to her mother. The suffering is compounded by a dark secret: "Mum still doesn't know." For this reason, the woman declined to be identified. We'll call her "Vicky" – short for 'victim'.

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RACKED by torment, Vicky recently placed a Public Notice in the slim hope she might recover some items that she says "held great sentimental value". Tears seemed to run through her 10-line notice, which began with "Can you help?" and told of her desperation after the discovery in December that nine plastic storage tubs were missing. The sad saga began in July when Vicky and her husband helped her mother move into a nursing home. The couple stacked the tubs in a covered area behind their home. "I thought my husband had moved them, maybe into the garage, and he thought I had done it," she says. "Before Christmas, I looked for a handmade fabric nativity scene that my mother treasured – that's when I realised the tubs were missing."

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THE police were sympathetic but unable to offer hope of recovering the property with so little information after so long, Vicky says. "I can't really say what was in the bins because I don't know," she says. She has been touring secondhand shops in hope of seeing something familiar. She can remember only the nativity scene, hand-embroidered tablecloths, a porcelain dinner set with floral motifs, craft magazines and knitting patterns. Luckily, she had taken some items including photographs inside her house; the 50-litre tubs with coloured plastic handles contained many "bits and pieces".

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VICKY says her home has a high fence with a gate and a lot of trees and shrubs, making "a very private area". She believes the intruder(s) would have needed a utility or truck. A construction project was under way in the street at the time. "If only I had known straight away," she says. The theft was the first such incident that Vicky and her husband have suffered during their 25 years at the one address. Today, during her daily visit to her mother, Vicky again will carry the weight of her secret, fearing the revelation would break another heart.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

'Dog lady' sets out on mission to keep city's canines cool

Image: Just one of the amazing wet dog pictures posted by fellow blogger dr barkman

A CARING Redland woman known as "Deb the dog lady" is on a special mission this summer – helping the city's suffering canine population. With her beloved terrier Yoda at her side, Deb Humphreys is in action across the city's suburbs, offering a cool bath and a comforting groom for overheated dogs. Deb's recent notice asking "Is your dog hot?" heralded the 2014 Queensland heat wave – and caught the eye of new and existing customers. The proprietor of a one-woman business, Creature Comfort, was delighted with the response. "I worked in marketing some years ago and I like playing around with words, I guess," Deb says. "I tried to think outside the square, and this time it has worked."

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WEST Australian-born Deb, who has lived in the Redlands for 14 years and is about to move to Thornlands, says she found the perfect job when she bought Creature Comfort about six years ago. "I come from a long line of dog whisperers in the family and I love doing what I do," she says. "I sometimes wonder if I'm starting to smell like a dog as they'll come straight up to me in the street, sniffing and with their tails wagging." Deb says Yoda, a Jack Russell-Chihuahua cross, is a good offsider when she arrives at each address during her Operation Hot Dog: Some 'dog diplomacy' helps to put the clients as well as the pets at ease. Three panting Maltese terriers have been among the beneficiaries of the Deb and Yoda show this week. She says the owner had been worried about the dogs, which were overdue for a service, and the ad's message was timely.

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AS the forecasters predicted the current heat wave, the Queensland RSPCA early this month warned pet owners about the dangers of heat stress to their animals, saying a dog can die in just six minutes if left in a car as the mercury soars. Seeing Eye Dogs Australia reinforces this message and advises: Give your dog has access to plenty of fresh clean water; keep the dog out of the sun as much as possible; the dog will probably prefer to lie on tiles rather than on carpet or its bed; damp towels for the dog to lie on can help; the dog may enjoy a fine spray with the hose and/or a wipe off with a damp towel; hot weather treats such as dog icy poles are good; and if the dog seems unusually listless or not coping, contact your veterinarian, using damp towels to lower the body temperature if required.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Wife's fascination with soapie leaves special gift idea

Image: From Acorn Media's Upstairs Downstairs 40th Anniversary Edition.

HAPPY memories of the television soapies in black and white come flooding back. The endearing stars shone brightly in glorious monochrome in the two decades of Australian television before colour arrived in 1975. Abigail as the saucy blonde in the Aussie soapie Number 96 had eyes glued to screens back in 1972 but a rival female, with a bit more class, was on her way down under after her debut in the UK.

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THE 'migrant' was Lady Marjorie. The central character in Upstairs, Downstairs became the greatest screen heroine for newlywed Evelyn Le Brocq, who moved to Queensland from Melbourne with her husband Barrie 44 years ago. Evelyn grew up in suburban Collingwood with fierce loyalty to her local football team and Barrie in Caulfield with his heart behind St Kilda, "the mighty Saints". "It was quite a day when the two teams played each other," Barrie says.

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BARRIE recalls shuffling on the sofa in anticipation of a switch to the AFL match of the day as his wife tuned into every episode of the frightfully English story of an upper class family and their servants in the early 1900s. The ups and downs in the London household failed to win the heart of the mechanic who spent 15 years with Mack Trucks, then turned his skills to rebuilding small engines.

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EVELYN worked as a payroll/personnel officer until her retirement. The couple lived in Redland Bay and Cleveland in their senior years before moving to Cornubia. In November last year, Evelyn died, aged 79. Barrie says he became quite familiar with Upstairs, Downstairs through not only the original screenings and reruns but also his wife's collection of 68 episodes which were released on DVD to mark the show's 40th anniversary. "I had to watch it – it's quite good really but it's more of a women's thingo," he says.

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BARRIE's For Sale notice highlighted the fairer sex, suggesting the collection as a Christmas present "for Mum". Mourning the loss of his wife, Barrie, who describes himself as "a crazy golfer", has been unable to play because of knee troubles. One of his main interests is the Mates for Mates program with Beenleigh RSL to help servicemen returning from Afghanistan.

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Fundraiser update

CHRISSIE Stephens, of Victoria Point, thanks the guests who attended the recent morning tea at Redland IndigiScapes Centre for her daughter Sarah Gillies, who has leukaemia (Classie Corner, November 1). Chrissie says her neighbours Colleen Binstead, Carol Sneezby and Julie Jerrett have given much support. She asks that blood donors talk to Australian Red Cross about stem-cell donation. "If you would like to donate your stem cells, please – you can save another life like Sarah’s," Chrissie says.

This column appeared in The Redland Times in December.

U3A sets mission for seniors to learn with pleasure

Image from www.u3aredlands.com.au/

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A SNAPPY little acronym that has featured in the Redlands for a quarter of a century reflects a growing movement that has enriched the lives of many thousands of seniors. U3A stands for University of the Third Age, which is dedicated to providing "affordable education and the opportunity to study and learn in a relaxed environment". The term, "third age" is sometimes associated with the fantasy fiction by author JRR Tolkien but it's a reality when describing those in active retirement.

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A recent Public Notice announced the U3A Redlands' 15th annual general meeting at the Donald Simpson Community Centre on Monday, November 25, but the president, Julie Porteous, said the movement initally had operated in the Redlands as a branch of U3A Brisbane from 1988. Julie paid tribute to the inaugural president John Butters for "inspirational guidance" which she said had provided a solid foundation and when she had become vice-president in 2009 U3A Redlands had 1100 members.

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"Today we have 1600 members, 100 volunteers and over 50 subjects and classes on offer to our members." Julie said. "In 2011 I was elected as president," she said. "This was an exciting and new opportunity for me to work more closely within my own community and make something of my own 'third age'. " I am grateful and proud of the committee members who have worked together harmoniously with me to continue ensuring that U3A Redlands is held in high esteem and that we do contribute to the well-being of seniors in the Redlands."

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Learning with pleasure continued as the U3A mission, Julie said. The movement recognised the need to keep pace with the ever-increasing number of new members who were IT literate and with "the communication skills and expectations of tomorrow’s members". "Some of these new members will come from a diverse cultural background and have much to offer from their own life experiences," she said. "We will need to provide more sophisticated courses alongside the traditional ones to ensure we remain a progressive organisation." In June, U3A Redlands will host the annual U3A Queensland state conference. "We are excited at the prospect of welcoming delegates from around Queensland and also one or two from interstate," she said. "We are appreciative and wish to acknowledge the Redland City Council’s support for this event."

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U3A is among many community groups who use our Classifieds to announce their special events, making them a 'must read' to stay up to date with vibrant Redland City.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times.

Blades are sharp and the 'army' is ready for battle

Image: Grass is honoured at Beki Cook's Cake Blog by these fabulous cupcakes.

THE blades are sharp and the sweet smell of fresh gear oil cuts through the fresh spring air. An army of hard workers are set to sweat. Yes – well, maybe – the drought is breaking after the 'scattered rainfall' this week, and the short-term out look for more showers and storms. But just as certain as another beautiful sunrise tomorrow over our fabulous Moreton Bay: the grass will grow. The lawns of Redland City are already showing a new tinge of green – and the many mowing services that rely on our Classifieds and Trade Services pages to spread their messages are itching for the action.

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MOWING must be one of the most competitive fields of endeavour in the marvellous community of classified advertising, with big and small firms all seeking clients. They can 'weather' the slow seasons with the knowledge there will always be a harvest – at some stage. The 2013-14 Queensland wet season will help many bayside families make ends meet. A new name has appeared in these pages in the past few weeks in the countdown to the mowing season. RJ's Reliable Mowing is the venture by a former energy company worker who decided that after 22 years in an office job it was time to "get outdoors and enjoy the weather".

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THE proud proprietor of the new enterprise is Rob, who grew up in the Redlands and now lives at Lota. He chose the business name carefully because he heard many complaints from householders. "Lawn mowing guys often don't turn up for the job and leave the customer in the lurch," he said. "I just want to do the right thing by the customers and be reliable. If the other guys don't want the work I'll gladly do it." After just five weeks of trading, Rob is looking for lawns in the bayside districts between Wynnum and Redland Bay.

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A BROWSE through the Gardening Services & Supplies column can show the importance of the business name or a catchy headline in a competitive environment. Readers will usually see that despite their many hours of sweat in the sun the mowing brigade seem to keep their sense of humour, as their expressions can be catchy and entertaining. The outlook from the weather bureau for south-east Queenaland coastal districts is scattered showers and storms until at least Sunday. For those who don't like the heat, the temperature forecasts are fairly mild, with maximums in the 20s but about 30 today.

Caring Redlanders support courageous young woman

Images: Sarah Gillies, with fiance Tim Attwood; Sarah is hooked up for a session of stem cell treatment.

A SPECIAL message came from afar this week as a young woman continued her battle with leukaemia, buoyed by the support of some caring Redlanders. Sarah Gillies, 27, is suffering a tough regimen of treatment in Sydney. Her mother, Chrissie Stephens, of Bayswater Drive, Victoria Point, says Sarah remains courageous and positive in her battle which began in 2010 with a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia. "Doctors couldn’t give her five years to live," Chrissie says. "Fortunately, one of her sisters was a stem cell match and in November 2010 she had a transplant. "Sarah got on with life and met the love of her life but early this year she found a lump in her breast which had leukaemia cells. "Again, luck was on her side – there were three stem cell matches in Australia and she had a second transplant in July. "Even though she has had many problems and side-effects along the way, Sarah has stayed positive and never asked for anything. "Her main worry is that her $3000 savings have been spent on medication."

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CHRISSIE, her husband Phil, and many of their Bayswater Drive neighbours and friends had a garage sale, raising about $2500 for Sarah, who has asked her mum to thank everyone for their support. Hundreds visited the participating houses, some "just to make a donation, to share their stories or buy something knowing it was going to a very special woman," Chrissie says.

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THE spirit of caring touched her heart. She has "a special thank you" for a neighbour who donated a new air conditioner which sold for $950. "The children from one house came up at the end of the day and gave me the $40 they raised," Chrissie says. "A young mother with two babies made cupcakes which along with my banana cakes raised $78. "Strangers come to me and donated money – $100 and $40. Cancer survivors came to wish her the best and she is in their prayers. "My amazing daughter, Sarah,for all she has been through and still going through can still smile and say there is always someone worse off than she is."

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ANOTHER fundraiser for Sarah is scheduled for Saturday, November 23 – a "mini high tea" at Redland IndigiScapes Centre, Runnymead Road, Capalaba, with lucky door prizes, a raffle and live music. Inquiries to Chrissie on 0419 287 256.

This column has appeared in The Redland Times

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