Just have to share this

[Allan at Wallan]

A couple of weeks ago I went back to my boyhood town, Powelltown, which is a small community of 200 people. There is only a timber mill and a general store there.

I was standing outside the general store and looking at a small miner's cottage
next door in which I lived as a youngster. Beside the cottage was a small wooden garage. On closer inspection I noticed the garage has been turned into the
"Little Yarra Gallery" which I entered. Fair dinkum, my hair stood on end as the
shed is now full of woodturnings. The proprietor is not a wood turner but specializes in pyrography and his wife makes scented soaps etc. The woodturned items are submitted by local turners.

I introduced myself and within minutes he had requested me to have a look inside the cottage and see what changes he had made recently. It was hard enough for me to remember the original interior as I lived in it some 60 years ago. It was hard to tell who was more excited as we both enjoyed the experience.

He invited me to put some woodturned items in there for sale. As there were no pens on sale but plenty of other items I took him up on his offer. I then cleaned up a piece
of Osage Orange, about the size of a dinner plate and two inches thick, sanded the top and gave it some coats of Minwax Wipe on Poly, drilled ten holes in the top and placed a pen in each hole. Looks ok even if I say so myself. I apologize that I did
not think to take a photo of the finished item/s. I went back on Tuesday this week and submitted the pens etc to him.

To show my appreciation I also presented him with a business card holder and about eighty business cards showing his gallery details. I had done them in my computer and then laminated them. Previously his cards were rather primitive and done with a rubber stamp. He and his wife really appreciated the gift.

While it will be nice to sell some pens through the gallery I am simply chuffed that my pens are for sale in what used to be the garage for our 1928 Dodge. The front door of it must have nearly worn out as I practised for many hours belting a tennis ball against it in a bid to be better than Ken Rosewall and others. Ahhh, memories.

Allan

[Sawdust Maker]

great story and no doubt fond memories and new memories
hope you sell a pen or two

[NeilS]

Allan

... one thumb for the story and the other for lots of pen sales.


Neil

[artme]

Great story Allan!!

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Of the house, the gallery and anything you may put in there!

Powelltown? Powelltown? That rings a bell, but I can't quite place the place. Other side of Yarra Junction?

[ElizaLeahy]

That is a wonderful story. Although pictures would be good, your words paint a picture of their own. It's a true "bush ballad"!

Thank you for sharing it with us!

[Allan at Wallan]

Of the house, the gallery and anything you may put in there!

Powelltown? Powelltown? That rings a bell, but I can't quite place the place. Other side of Yarra Junction?

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Skew: Yes, it used to ring a bell (until they closed the church) and it is
about 17 kms from Yarra Junction on the road to Noojee.

Have managed to now include a photo of the gallery with our old cottage
to the right of screen.

Cheers,

Allan

[dai sensei]

Looks familiar to me to, probably passed it whilst lost and looking for forumite residences

Great story Allan.

[tea lady]

Great story. Who ever said you can't go home.

[ficfac]

Great story Allan!!

here here

[munruben]

Must have been a great experience mate. Love the picture. Must bring back a lot of memories for you.

[terry arnold]

If you sell a pen or 2 its a bonus!!!

Cheers Terry

[NeilS]

Have managed to now include a photo of the gallery with our old cottage
to the right of screen.

.... Idyllic!


Neil

[Ed Reiss]

...what they all said twice over

[Farnk]

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Skew: Yes, it used to ring a bell (until they closed the church) and it is
about 17 kms from Yarra Junction on the road to Noojee.

Have managed to now include a photo of the gallery with our old cottage
to the right of screen.

Cheers,

Allan

Well done Alan!
Always tugs the heart strings when you explore the places of your youth!
Powelltown is a wonderful place, been through quite a lot recently for work as it's on the back road out from home to Tarago. (I've been doing some work on the new water treatment plant out there.)

I was passing through a couple of months ago and stopped into the Timber mill to say G'day and see what sort of timbers they process. What was intended as a brief chat ended up as a half hour tour of the plant and me on my way with a big heap of offcuts that were just right for some turned christmas trees I was making for a local kinder.

Great towns like that are a breath of fresh air after suburbia!

I hope you sell a heap of pens mate!