how's things?

Hi Jennifer, how’s things?

What a memorable year! Everything changed with COVID-19 and we wound up the final half of the last year of our 2016-2020 Council term doing Zoom meetings and liaising with residents in a different manner to usual. 

Then we entered a Local Government election like no other. No packed community halls for candidates’ forums, no door knocking and limited face-to-face contact. 

At the start of the election campaign I slipped badly and broke several bones in my leg and had surgery. Now sporting some impressive hardware, I’ve had quite some time perched in a chair from where I managed most of my re-election campaign. Thank goodness for social media! 

Now out of a moon boot and nearly off one crutch, I’m looking forward to driving again ASAP. Dancing will have to wait until the new year.

Let’s just say it’s good to be nearing the end of 2020.

You’ve just been voted in and officially installed for your first term as Mayor. It all sounds very ceremonial and exciting. How does it feel? 

It’s a bit surreal to be honest. I’m only a few days in and am now getting organised! 

I put my hand up as I felt the experience of the first Council term would be useful, especially having been Deputy Mayor during that time. I am familiar with leadership roles from my professional career and felt that my skillset and experience were a good fit for the role. 

In particular, I believe my Doctorate of Public Health stands me in good stead for understanding the intricacies needed to support pandemic responses in the community. 

Starting my career in research microbiology and then nutrition, I’m aware of the importance of healthy eating in supporting immune function. 

Over the coming year I look forward to making any contribution possible that improves the quality of life of Bendigo residents.

It’s a pretty interesting time to be taking office that’s for sure. Are there any particular big ticket items you’re planning to tackle over the next six months or so?

The biggest ticket item is the COVID recovery - we’ve done so well as a community in Victoria - all those double donuts! We’re world leaders in addressing this thing in a serious and comprehensive manner. We are excelling in resilience. It says so much about our community, who have taken especially the second lockdown so seriously. 

However, to be honest, it has been a scary time and people have faced added burdens, increased isolation and uncertainty in planning for pretty much most of what we had taken for granted as we return to a new version of normal. 

At some stage we will see a COVID vaccine. That will be a turning point, hopefully, allowing us to lift our horizons once more.

The past few months in Bendigo have been pretty dramatic in particular, in terms of going back to stage three lockdown, and various big events such as White Night, Bendigo on the Hop and the Blues and Roots festivals being either postponed or cancelled. As restrictions begin to ease, how do you think Bendigo is going to bounce back from all this? How about Australia and the rest of the world in general?

We know some in our community have taken a bigger knock than others. Those in uncertain employment, such as hospitality and the arts and creative industries in particular, and within that many young people as well. 

As things play out with various supports removed, there is a possibility that we haven’t seen the worst of COVID’s impacts on our businesses, economy, and health and wellbeing. 

It’s a time to support ideas, to add value to the small and fledgling initiatives, to invest in people and industries that will be important in our future and will mean jobs.

Australia’s remoteness is a double-edged sword. It may distance us to some extent from further outbreaks or enable us to manage them better. 

However, it’s going to take some time for people to feel confident to venture overseas. I think the vaccine will help with that confidence, which in turn will help local and national tourism industries to recover.

Globally we have seen many countries leaping to local transformations of their open spaces and planning to accommodate and prioritise access to green space plus walking and cycling - look at Paris as an example, and now Barcelona. 

Then there is the use of stimulus packages to address the looming climate crisis, with investments in renewable energy and clean jobs. 

The ‘pandemic gardening’ phenomenon is worldwide and reflects people’s awareness of and desire to grow their own food. We hope they keep up these good habits as it’s also a way to start localising our food system, which in time will help to prevent shortages like we have seen as a result of the pandemic and also with the bushfires during 2020.

We’ve all been affected in some way or another by the events of this year. Would you say that your world view, or way of looking at life has changed somewhat?

Not really. Given my health background, I’ve always been aware of pandemic risk and also concerned with issues such as the need to strengthen our food system. 

I take a great interest in following science, which has identified other risks like the deterioration of our natural environment.

When there are multiple risks like this, it’s what we call a ‘threat multiplier’, so I feel an added urgency to get our house in order to support the best possible outcomes for our community, whether that’s looking after our health and wellbeing or enhancing our environment.

Being an optimist, there are opportunities that come out of challenging times, things like investment in clean jobs by government is one example of how we can respond to and limit some of the risks around us, while supporting prosperity and a thriving economy at the same time.

If the pandemic was a character from a movie, which character comes to mind? 

I will go for a cartoon character. It’s a bit of a stretch but stay with me - I reckon Wile E. Coyote is like the virus, trying to get us in all sorts of settings. 

Victoria is the road runner, and I acknowledge that people individually have been caught and impacted, but as a state we have thumbed our nose at the virus and been smarter. That’s my take anyway.

Is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? Yoga? Meditation? Gregorian chanting perhaps?

I find art relaxing but it’s been a long time. I had set up a table with my art bits and pieces and was finally going to get creative when my accident intervened. 

Normally I would be busy in the veggie garden but have been content to grow tomatoes and sunflowers from seed inside the house, while supervising our summer plantings. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty in the garden again. That certainly keeps me balanced.

Finally, is there anything in particular you’d like to say to our Facebook followers, and fellow Bendigonians in general?

I would say ‘well done’. 

Our collective efforts and resilience have paid off and I hope that we can still be saying that this time next year. Be encouraged by the positives that have emerged as we ease into a COVID-normal - how good is the outdoor dining expansion?! 

New business ideas that are working could continue and maybe some new perspectives on what really matters when it comes down to it. 

Connecting with significant others would be top of many people’s lists. And let’s keep up the home food growing phenomenon and the new exercise routines. 

Let’s look forward to a new year that is happier and healthier with a renewed sense of optimism.

Hi Margot, how’s things?

Gosh I can’t complain… much.

You are well known as the hugely successful owner of the Jimmy Possum furniture company, which closed in 2016. What have you been up to since?

Once we closed Jimmy Possum I retired for about two weeks. 

My brother has a house at a fishing village on Java, Indonesia, and we were holidaying there. We were at a massive fabric market in Jakarta, and I said to my husband Alan, “How about I buy some fabric and start making clothes to sell when we get back home?” 

So with my brother interpreting we bought 50 kg of fabric with loads of sequins and embroidery. 

Alan asked how he could help in the new business? From timber furniture maker to ladies fashion? Upon our return to Bendigo we started a label called Mimi the Label (Mimi because Mimi is the name our 16 grandchildren call me).

Mimi produced gorgeous, distinctive ladies fashion. We employed sewers and I also sewed. And Alan cut almost every article! So for three years I loved designing, sewing and chatting all things fashion to ladies every day.

As one of our 13 grandsons came to live with us early in 2020 I decided to retire again so I’d have more time available for him.

The Mimi Workshop retired at the end of March, five minutes before COVID came to town.

For the unaware, can you please tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up starting a furniture company in the first place?

Alan was a timber furniture maker AND had started a business called California Gully Traditional Furniture Company way back in the 1970s. 

In 1995 we found ourselves living in North Harcourt with loads of kids, some of whom were wanting to start university… and that’s expensive!

So we had a long chat over a bottle of local red and chose between going back into children’s clothing manufacture, food preserving or timber furniture manufacturing.

I’m much more adaptable than Alan so we decided to start manufacturing furniture again. This time we would manufacture in a wholesale capacity to sell to retailers.

The business exploded and we ended up with a totally vertically integrated business which designed, produced and retailed our product across the breadth of AUSTRALIA. But always based in Bendigo.

We freighted our product, we trained our staff, we marketed our product, we merchandised our stores, we delivered into homes… we did the lot. And loved it! JIMMY POSSUM became Australia’s most recognised furniture brand.

As someone with a raft of experience in retail, how bad has it actually been for the industry this year? What kind of things have you seen the industry put in place to cope or adapt? Click and collect plus an increased focus on digital come to mind.

Much retail has experienced a disastrous year in 2020. Many people simply stopped buying, for a variety of reasons. Obviously COVID lockdowns contributed strongly to this.

But some areas of retail absolutely boomed in 2020… those retailers with anything to do with HOME. People have been locked up for much of this year at home, so home became very important. 

Inside and outside home. Kitchen stores, furniture stores, home office stores, DIY stores, home hardware stores and nurseries have never seen anything like it. HOME is a very important place, especially in a pandemic lockdown.

Sadly, many areas of retail have suffered but lots of innovative retailers are still standing strongly.

I’ve been involved in retail for over 50 years, and it’s always been a challenge. You’ve got to meet current demand with the best level of service possible. There has to be a reason customers will purchase your product over the product of your competitor.

OK, time to put on our serious hats here… Bendigonians are a pretty resilient, down to earth lot. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world? 

Holy Moses that’s a big consideration, what will the world be like in 5 years? I’m an optimist so I think we will bounce back quickly. At least I hope so.

Fundamentally I always hope for the same things… that is that as a society we view our community, environment and economy with great reverence and appreciation. I could go on and on about this topic but I’d be here till Friday week!

Do you think there are any lessons in particular we can learn, both individually and as a society, from what’s gone on, as well as how we’ve collectively coped as a community?

I think Victoria has done a marvellous job by recognising a very serious health issue, following strong leadership, working hard together (it’s been very tough going for some people), accommodating the restrictions and seeing marvellous results which other nations can only dream of. It’s about the collective good. IMHO.

An abstract question - if the pandemic was a particular piece of furniture or home decoration, which piece of furniture or home decoration would that be? Any reason for that?

Absolutely no idea about that! I think home, decoration and furniture are wonderful and a pandemic is rubbish so I can’t see any tie in! Sorry.

Finally, is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? A bit of oil painting? Some pottery? Tie-dyeing maybe?

I never do anything by halves so we now live in a jungle! 

Balance is not in my vocabulary. I’ve always loved indoor plants… they add great life to a space. But during lockdown Alan says I’ve replaced people with plants. Maybe it’s kept me sane talking to my beautiful plants! 

So it’s quite difficult to navigate a clear space in our home for the leaves and fronds! One of our bathrooms is even a pink leaf space! And that’s seriously beautiful.

So much so I’m thinking seriously about the next business venture… Mimi Leaves!

Hi Wil, how’s things?

Things are going great thanks! Certainly no complaints - given all that’s going on in the world, I feel I’m very lucky to still have my full-time job, let alone doing something I enjoy, and I love that we’re living in Bendigo. What a wonderful place to be eh? 

It wasn’t long ago my wife and I were living in the UK, so we feel pretty stoked about having made the move back home. We can’t imagine what it would be like to live there right now - yikes!

For anyone who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of your company, can you please let the folks out there know a little bit about your background and what you’re up to now?

Well I’m Bendigo born and raised, and these days I work as a journalist for a mountain biking website called Flow MTB. 

I write stories, shoot photos and edit video, which is mostly based around testing bikes and equipment that gets sent to us by various brands in Australia and overseas. 

Before the pandemic, I also travelled quite a bit to report on events and new trail developments. 

I’ve loved cycling for as long as I could balance on two wheels, and somehow I’ve managed to make a career out of it over the past 10 years, which is marvellous. 

While there’s more hard work behind it than it sounds, I still consider it to be my dream job, and it’s brought me some incredible experiences during that time.

The situation we all find ourselves in has had different impacts on different sectors. As someone who works in the media, which pretty heavily relies on the advertising dollar, how has the industry been affected? What about your own publication in particular?

Ooh good question! 

Well when the pandemic first hit back in March, everything went into a bit of a spiral. Talk of an incoming recession and job closures got everyone spooked big time. We had a tonne of advertising either postponed or flat-out cancelled in the space of two weeks. 

And since we’re only a small team of two with a fairly modest income stream, we were bracing for a significant impact. 

It wasn’t just us either - I’ve got journo pals in the UK and the US who were in similar positions, massive drops in advertising that were putting huge holes in the budget. 

Given all the doom ’n’ gloom chat, I was convinced I had weeks before I’d lose my job. 

I started thinking about what other skills I had, and how I could start looking for a more recession-proof job. 

Online alcohol sales and supermarket shelf-stacking seemed pretty solid at the time. But then things changed. 

About two-three weeks later, once things had started to chill out a bit but we were still on restrictions, cycling underwent a boom. And not just in Bendigo or Australia, but all around the globe. 

With team sports cancelled, travel off the cards, workers required to stay at home, and huge parts of the population confined to their local neighbourhoods, the bicycle was suddenly rediscovered as a tool for freedom. 

Of course we already knew that, but for folks who hadn’t ridden since they were a child, it was a proper reawakening. 

And over the past six months, the bike industry has gone ballistic - every shop in town is busy with repairs, and they’re struggling to keep up with demand for new bike sales, because it seems everyone wants to get out on two wheels, which is fantastic! 

The local bike paths and mountain bike trails are full of new riders, kids, mums and dads, and that is so good to see. 

Bringing it back to my work specifically, with all these new riders getting into the sport and new trail networks being developed all around Australia, our web traffic is through the roof. 

Our social media channels are growing, and we’re just generally firing on all cylinders as far as our content output is concerned.

That being said, while the industry has been booming, marketing departments are still being cautious, so while things have recovered to an extent, we’re definitely not seeing the full flow-on effects of the boom. 

Mind you, you never get into the cycling industry to make a lot of money - it’s ultimately passion and enthusiasm that keeps us in it. As long as we can keep things ticking along and I still have a job, then that’s ace. 

This question won’t appeal to your humble nature, but we’re going to ask it anyway. We also know you as a bloody fantastic DJ - so… we’d like to know what does music mean to you, and has it taken on a slightly new meaning in the past six months? 

Awww thanks! Alongside mountain biking, I absolutely love electronic music and DJing - we’ve had some pretty raucous parties at the Cambo in the past, and I play semi-regularly at Handle Bar in town. 

Being behind the decks for a five-hour set, blending grooves and rhythms, feeding off a crowd’s energy and trying to read the room - I love it! 

Music is so good for the soul, and at the end of a hectic week of work, I can’t think of a better way to unwind and focus on something so pure.

I had my first set a few weeks ago since the first lockdown in March, and I can’t tell you how much I missed playing through a loud sound system in an open-air space. 

I kept playing music at home during lockdown, occasionally doing some Facebook Live sets so my pals around Bendigo, Melbourne and beyond could get together online for a boogie. 

It’s a different vibe to having a live crowd in front of you, but it’s still a load of fun and a great way to connect when it’s otherwise been so difficult for many.  

If the pandemic was a particular genre of electronic music, which  genre would that be? Any reason for that?

Trap music for sure. It’s brash, all-consuming, and it constantly makes its presence known to you whether you like it or not. 

And just when you think it’s died down, it mutates and comes back disguised as another genre of music like dubstep or pop.

Bendigonians are a pretty resilient, down to earth lot. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

Gosh that’s a big question! I do hold hope that there will be positive changes to come out of the pandemic. 

I hope that folks will be encouraged to more enthusiastically and regularly support local independent businesses, and that they’ll choose to explore within the region rather than disappearing overseas. 

I also see huge opportunities for local government to invest in infrastructure that supports access to outdoor spaces, given we all have a newfound appreciation for how important that is for our physical and mental wellbeing. 

With off-road cycling booming over the past decade, I’d love to see the City of Greater Bendigo and Parks Victoria help to support that growth by investing in dedicated off-road cycling tracks so that we can get more people out of their homes, away from screens, away from cars, and out into the bush. 

We currently have just 4.5km of legal mountain bike trail in Bendigo, and given the tens of thousands of people who are riding off-road, it’s a bit like having a huge football team with lots of enthusiastic players, but without a football ground to play on. 

Here’s hoping CoGB can get behind the boom in off-road cycling - not just to support healthier people in our local community, but also to attract tourism dollars and establish Bendigo as a go-to riding destination.

In general terms, has the pandemic changed the way you view life and the universe? Has it altered your hopes and dreams for the future?

I think like many others, it’s definitely made me appreciate what I do have even more - work, my lifestyle, the people around me, family and friends - especially when you know full well that others are being affected far worse than I am. 

As for altering my longer-term hopes and dreams? I can’t say I’ve ever been a ‘hopes and dreams’ kind of person anyway - I’ve always been happy going along with the flow and letting things happen organically, and changing up things when I feel they need changing. 

If anything, the pandemic has cemented that approach for me - just take things as they come. 

So much of it is out of our control anyway, so you might as well enjoy the ride even if you don’t know where it finishes right?

Finally, is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? A bit of trampolining? Some calisthenics? Cross country running maybe?

Riding lots and playing music has always kept me balanced, and I’ve been fortunate to have done more of each over the past six months. 

Riding isn’t just for exercise and thrills though - it’s also about immersing yourself in the natural environment, away from the city, where you can appreciate the bush, the flora and fauna - I love seeing kangaroos, wallabies, kookaburras and echidnas when I’m out exploring on the trails, and the spring colours out there are popping right now. 

On top of that, I’ve been doing more dog-walking, more home-cooking, and just generally looking after my body more with regular stretching and sessions on the foam roller - all of that has made a huge difference to both my physical and mental wellbeing, and I’m developing a new appreciation for taking a little extra time out of the day to look after myself.

 Hi David, how’s things?

Yeah, not too bad! Strange times we are living through but I’m lucky enough to still be working. Home-schooling has been interesting, challenging but also rewarding. Lockdown 2.0 depressed me a bit, which was interesting to observe in myself, as I’m generally pretty cruisy. But the slower pace of life has, for the most part, been nice. I’m OK, thanks for asking!

You’ve been the manager of Emporium Creative Hub at the former Morley’s Emporium building for a while now, although due to current circumstances this has never managed to open, despite a fantastic looking renovation. For the unaware, what is it?

OK I’ll try to keep this succinct..! 

So the Emporium Creative Hub is an initiative of Creative Victoria (part of the state’s first ever Creative State Strategy), and the project is being managed by ACMI (Australian Centre For Moving Image), who I am employed by. 

We are located in the iconic Morley Johnson building on Mitchell Street (the old Toy World building) and our purpose is to help people working within the creative industries - so think industries like photography, film-making, writing, fashion, digital media, illustration, gaming, graphic design, architecture, marketing through to visual and performance art, music and everything in-between - develop their creative enterprises - to help them professionalise and grow. 

We do this in a few ways: physically we are a co-working space - 24 desks available for short or long term hire - with meeting rooms, video conferencing capabilities, super-fast internet (500mbps each way) and fantastic studio space perfect for photography, filming and podcasting. 

But yes, the pandemic has made it hard for us to allow people in to utilise the fabulous space (we were about to open the doors just as everyone was told to work from home!), so we are focusing on the other part of what we do, that is professional development and building the creative community. 

These have always been part of the plan, we have just had to tweak a bit to deliver things online. We have just launched a 12-session Business Incubator program and a mentoring program, both specifically designed for people working within the creative industries. 

Bendigo has a strong reputation for arts and culture (thanks in a large part to Bendigo Art Gallery and Bendigo Tourism), but there are so many other talented creatives in Bendigo that also deserve a light shone on them, and we aim to help do that. OK, I’m gonna stop there...

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you eventually ended up living in lil’ old Bendigo?

Born in North Wales, but grew up in Yorkshire, lived in lots of places in the UK before moving to Australia in 2004 (this means I support Wales in the rugby, England in the cricket and Australia in the soccer!). 

In 2004 I decided to travel around the world, first stop New Zealand, second stop Australia! The third stop was supposed to be South East Asia and I had planned to get on a train in Beijing, travel the Trans-Siberian railway and then keep going on a train through Europe, ending up at my parent’s home in Yorkshire. 

I thought it would be cool to get the train from Beijing all the way to my little home town of Driffield! But after falling in love with a Bendigo girl I never got any further! 

We lived in Melbourne for a while (I LOVE Melbourne) but we couldn’t afford to buy a house there, and by this time we wanted to get married, have kids and the rest of it, and opportunities came up in Bendigo. 

The money that was struggling to buy us a two bed apartment in an area we were only mildly happy with bought us a four bedroom house on a large block of land close to the city centre in Bendigo. It was a no-brainer really!

The situation we all find ourselves in has had different impacts on different sectors. Obviously the arts industry has taken a huge hit. It’s been pretty rough eh?

It has. I spoke to a couple of photographers when the first lockdown came into effect, both of whom told me the next 6 months' work had evaporated overnight. 

Obviously for performers and anyone who supports them behind the scenes, it’s the same story. 

There seems to be winners and losers in this whole drama, and Creative Industries have, on the whole, definitely been a loser. 

It makes our (Emporium Creative Hub) existence even more important I think. While it has been rough, I have been impressed by the resilience and adaptability of many people working within the creative industries. 

Many of the people I speak to are entrepreneurs and so by their very nature are flexible, resilient, adaptable. Add to that they are creative, not just in their practise but often in the ways they go about business, and what strikes me is that they are well placed to make it through these tough times. They inspire me!

A little birdy told us that you have a side gig playing guitar in local cult cover band Iffy Pop! What does music mean to you, and has it taken on a slightly new meaning in the past six months?

These are all fantastic questions that I could write pages for each answer! 

So first, yes I am in a band, and I love it. Of everything the pandemic has thrown at us, for me, not being able to play with the band is the hardest thing. We have a WhatsApp group where we sometimes share bits and pieces we are working on alone, but we all agree that we cannot wait, as soon as we are able, to get together and make music again. 

As much as anything, it’s a mental health thing. Apart from the process of working with other like-minded people in creating music, which we all love, we get to talk to each other about what is going on in our lives. It’s great for that. 

As to what does music mean to me, I mean how does a musician answer that?? After family, that’s the very next thing. It’s always been there for me in one way or another. Legend has it that I could sing Mull of Kintyre (Wings) before I could actually speak. 

As I grew up, I used to sing for hours at the top of my voice in the bathroom - looking back I think I liked the acoustics in there, but didn’t know at the time that that was what it was. 

I started learning violin at seven, piano at 13, guitar at 15 and taught myself drums from about 16. 

I sing all the time at home. My kids reckon I know every song in the world. I also drive them mad by singing a song related to anything they say (“Dad, can you pass me the honey?” Me: “Sweets for my sweets, sugar for my honey”). I listen to music all day every day, and I play music every day (so you’d think I’d be a lot better than I am!!). 

We built a house recently. My wife got me to agree by telling me I could have a music room!! This has now become a home office, but I have actually moved the piano and one of my (six) guitars into the lounge room. 

I think music should be accessible and part of everyday life, not locked away in a room. And I much prefer having them in the family environment. 

Has music taken on a new meaning in the past 6 months? Not really, but I have enjoyed learning a few new things while in lockdown… (see below).

Bendigonians are a pretty resilient, down to earth lot. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

Such big questions !!!! I love it, but wow !!! 

OK, so I love Bendigo and I love the community spirit here. I have lived in a lot of places in my time, and for me Bendigo probably has the strongest community spirit. There are so many great people doing so many great things. So I think we will bounce back OK. I mean, I am an optimist, so that has to be the answer, right ??? 

In 5 years? Let me just fish out my crystal ball… Hmmm… look, Bendigo has a really good reputation and for good reason. 

We are known for things like the Bendigo Bank, the Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo Tourism have done a great job over recent years, and then also for things like the Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival, the Easter Festival, the Stupa. 

What I HOPE we can see in five years time is that Bendigo becomes renowned for more of these home-grown, grass roots initiatives. BBRMF is amazing - home grown. Zinda Festival - amazing, home grown. 

And so many entrepreneurs doing absolutely AMAZING things but flying under the radar and just getting on with it. 

I’d love it if we became known as a place where ideas come to life and thrive. 

And what about Australia and the rest of the World ??? I think humans are essentially resilient and find ways to survive and adapt. I mean, I think we leave it far too late usually, we leave it until everything is just about knackered before doing something rather than avoiding that situation in the first place. 

I don’t think the pandemic is going to do away with capitalism or fix the climate crisis, but I hope we do see some small but significant change to the way we live as a result of these strange and challenging times we are living through. Jeez, what question is next !!??!?!

If the pandemic was a particular artist or artwork, which artist or artwork would that be? Any reason for that?

Banksy. Subversive. Operates surreptitiously. The authorities can’t catch him, pin him down or stop him (or her).

Finally, is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? A bit of 3D printing? Some charcoal pencilling? Script writing maybe?

For most of the lockdown, it’s the music that has kept me going. I have learned a few new things on guitar, borrowed an old bass off our bass player and been giving that a bash. Been playing about and making music on something called BandLab. 

But the big thing for me has been the piano, getting into that, learning heaps of new tunes. I used to learn tunes to play on piano that were just piano music. 

I realised some years ago that my love of playing guitar was not because I loved playing guitar so much (even though I do) it was because it was a vehicle for me to sing along with. 

So I have been learning piano music that I can actually sing along to, things like Into My Arms by Nick Cave, This Year’s Love by David Gray and Shout to the Top by Style Council. 

This is quite a sedentary activity though, and I have put on a few kilos during lockdown, so just recently I’ve gotten into exercise. I’m not a natural exerciser, I’ve tried the gym a few times and absolutely hated it each and every time. 

I got into playing five-a-side indoor soccer a few years ago which I really enjoyed because it had a social aspect to it, but that’s been off the table for a while now. 

So I’ve sucked it up, and now I’m huffing and puffing and sweating along to some dudes on an iPad in the music-room come home-office before the rest of the family wake up in a morning.

 Hi Shannon, how’s things? 

Yep going well brother. Great to see you back at it at the pub the other week mate. Normality is presenting fleeting glimpses of our previous lives, so I was nice to be able to head to an establishment like yours to have a meal again. You must be happy to be back at it too? 

You’ve had a couple of albums in the works for a little while now, which have obviously been affected by COVID. How are they progressing anyway?

Yeah well the albums will now become one due to COVID. The plan was to record one earlier this year and another later in the year. We’ve had three sessions in the studio postponed, we got in for five days in June and that was originally going to be March. 

Then we had sessions booked for August which got moved to October, now they have been moved to November. 

It’s a dynamic space for everyone but seeing we need to record in Melbourne... it is what it is. We head to Head Gap Studio in Preston because to us it’s world class and we are wanting to produce something that’s on par with some of our fave records. 

We record on a combination of 2-inch analog tape and pro tools digital. For us that’s the best way we record all together in a room and redo bits that we need to. 

I wrote about 72 songs for this record and 30 for the follow up so far. Of the 72 we have chosen 12 and 11 will make the record. 

The second record we probably won’t do till next year, but it’s likely that one will be done at Head Gap and my own studio which I’m putting together at the moment. 

We will have a record out in 2021 but only if we can tour which is a part segue...

The situation we all find ourselves in has had different impacts on different businesses. Obviously the live music industry has taken a huge hit. It’s been pretty rough eh?

Yeah it would be tough to have your sole income from just playing music. I suppose that is why we are seeing lots of albums being released during COVID. 

Artists can’t tour so if they can get some income from album sales and streaming then it’s still dollars dropping into the coffers of their business. 

Obviously Four Lions, being an independent act, we sell the majority of our records at gigs so this is why we ain’t releasing anything till we can tour. 

I personally think acts like ours will also find it really hard to get gigs outside of Bendigo because any venue who operates solely on music will put in the biggest acts they can who want to play at their venue. Makes sense, it’s a business after all, and about making money. 

Maybe venues will charge more for tickets for these, so if acts then take income off those tickets more than they normally get? Anyway, it’s a new world for venues and the artists plus how they can be adaptive together in this space. 

As bad as it’s been in Bendigo, Melbourne has copped it much worse. Pre COVID you seemed to be down in Melbourne a fair bit, whether it was adding to your vinyl collection, recording or playing music. What do you think you’ll get up to next time you’re down there? Any particular places you’ve already locked in to go to? 

Music to me has the same value as food, I’d rather buy a record then head out to breakfast. I don’t smoke so I save cash there, so I put my money into what gives me joy, which is music on wax. 

Music gives more to my soul than I could ever give back to it, it’s my teacher, my preacher, my lover and my father and everything else in the spaces in between. 

I think if anything I’ve been buying almost solely from Oz stores for my vinyl and other things due to COVID. I’m impatient and the mail delivery from o/s is slower than ever before. My collection is 500 records now and very eclectic. 

I’m hoping to get down there in November to record. Won’t be hitting anything else or going out etc, got a job to do. 

If I did go record shopping, Captain Stomp, Basement Discs, Reload Records, Thornbury Records, Dutch Vinyl, Goldmine Records are the best ones for me. 

Forward thinking in the COVID space isn’t cohesive to my train of thought at the moment. But, if a vaccine is found and things open up, we are putting the new recording together, touring Oz, then I’m going to head to the USA and solo tour for a while. 

As well as being a musician yourself, you’re a huge music fan as too... The burning question is, and we wouldn’t dare try to pin you down to one… what are your three favourite albums of all time and why?

I don’t have three favourite records but Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys taught me so much about production and how to layer harmonies. I used to want to be Brian Wilson in the early to mid 2000s, so much I studied whatever I could. 

I recall my old band pre-Four Lions hit the studio and I just made harmonic chords myself, I had seven different layers of octaves, harmonies etc... on one song. Brian’s instrumentation on that album is truly exquisite. 

Maybe it’s a cliche but Nirvana’s Nevermind made me want to learn the guitar, so after dropping out of uni in the first few months, I worked on a tomato farm and saved up cash to buy a guitar and a Marshall JCM 900 head and quad cab. 

Where I lived had 35 people in the town so I made as much noise as I wanted. I learnt a chord a day for six months, playing about 7 hours a day. 

I then bought a Dookie by Green Day tab book and a Nirvana Incesticide tab book, learnt some songs then started writing my own. 

Moved to Bendigo after that summer of working on the farm, lived in a caravan beside a dog kennel in Strathfieldsaye and brought a 4-track machine to record songs and the rest is history. 

(Also) Ryan Adams Heartbreaker because there hasn’t been another artist who has influenced my own songwriting more than him. 

He inspires me to delve deep into myself musically, to be diverse as an artist, don’t be tied to making one genre of music, and to question is this the best this song can be on a structurally, instrumentative, sonic, production level? 

Lyrically he makes me want to go even deeper into my own internal abyss where it feels so uncomfortable to express and expose yourself in song, but that’s where the best stuff is and it’s cathartic. 

Plus, he writes stuff like “I've never been to Vegas, but I've gambled all my life”.

Bendigonians are a pretty resilient, down to earth lot. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world? 

We need a cure before anything on a macro level is considered. For now the only cure I can focus on is The Cure. How good is Robert Smith? I love em, their album Disintegration is genius. 

If the pandemic was a particular musician or band, which musician or band would that be? Any reason for that?

Autotune (the plug in) and the way it’s modernised music. It’s everywhere like a pandemic. 

Finally, is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? A bit of time on the flute? Or the Djembe? Some Hammond Organ maybe? 

I’m getting fit again, hiking, walking, running and eating better. 

But I’m still enjoying a tipple, life is all about balance. 

I think I have some level of awareness of self care in a holistic sense. I think we all are striving towards finding some level of fulfilment in life - working out what your own individual needs are, and how to work your spirit towards that coloured light before the end of your time in this life. 

Hi Wayne, how’s things?

My “things” are good. How are your “things”?

This is my usual smartarse reply as a lame attempt in banter that I find myself regularly engaging in, usually over a counter with a customer as an ice breaker. 

(I'll) judge the look on their face then decide the direction of the conversation:

A little smirk of recognition – Great! Open, fun, easy, relaxed engagement.

No acknowledgement, blank stares – “OK How can I help you today?”

Look of shock – Dive right in, double down, something twice as smartarse and wait for one of the above reactions.

I enjoy my customer engagement. Unfortunately though with the workings of business the more time I spend in engaging the more I get behind.

You’re a long time local and have worked many years in the hospitality and food industry in Bendigo. Can you tell us how you got your start and how you ended up where you are?

Well this has the makings of a long story – I’d better dot point this one as it starts when I was 15 when my parents bought “Pratty’s Patch” – fast forward 30 years and I’m still in hospitality and I am still in Bendigo! 

Here goes.....

• Move into Pratty’s. This was the family home so working in a restaurant was part of everyday life
• Commence my chef apprenticeship with Mum (Carol Kelly) after the completion of VCE
• Move to Melbourne to gain experience throughout my apprenticeship (Cotswold House – Sylvia Johnstone and Gary Cooper; Rathdowne Street Food Store – Ricky Holt)
• Move to Perth as a qualified chef to work at Hyatt Regency (Gershwin’s Signature Restaurant – James Archer)
• A stint in the WA mines running camp kitchens, bulk cooking 200pax
• Return to Bendigo Pratty’s Patch, Green Olive – Tony and Kathy Ciancio
• Move to Rochester to manage the hospital kitchens
• Step away from cooking to work with JL King Fruit and Veg as a customer service rep
• Open Feed of Fish in Kangaroo Flat circa 2005
• Open Feed of Fish Strath and open third store in Golden Square
• Move Feed of Fish to Ironbark – present.

The rest is history!

The situation we all find ourselves in has had different impacts on different businesses. Obviously hospitality has taken a huge hit, but there does seem to be a resurgence in people supporting their local shops. How has Feed of Fish gone?

I jokingly refer to my business as the Yo-Yo business; friends say I play “musical shops”.

The past year’s Feed of Fish has had many changes so COVID just presented the next challenge.

Although we closed our shopfront – retail in January, we had not altered any of the equipment. 

Once we made the decision to open, it happened quickly and smoothly. The timing with Easter only a few weeks away meant people naturally sought out fresh fish and were made aware of our new business model.

The wholesale component of our business nearly stopped overnight, losing 80% of our trade. Butcher shops and supermarkets we supply kept the cogs turning.

Retail on the other hand has been amazing. We open only on Friday and Saturday and the support we have received from past and new customers has been humbling. 

Obviously people have more time at home and want good ingredients, so they have been seeking us out, along with an increased spend.

As bad as it’s been in Bendigo, Melbourne has copped it much worse. You travel down the Calder pretty often as part of your business. How’s that been?

My Melbourne trips have been streamlined.

I made the decision early to avoid the Melbourne Seafood Centre (MSC) where 200 to 300 people from all over Melbourne converge in a 3-hour time slot most mornings.

Using a trusted, longstanding supplier I engaged their services to carry out my morning business.

Now, instead of running around the market for two hours, I give my order to George who brings everything I need to the new state of the art factory they built last year. 

This means I interact with very few people, load up and return to Bendigo, stopping once at the checkpoint coming out along the Calder.

So I leave later, run around less and with little traffic on the road it’s quicker.

In the past if I left Bendigo after 3am I might as well add two hours to my trip. One of the few COVID benefits now I can leave at 5am.

The topical question is, and we wouldn’t dare try to pin you down to one… what are your three favourite seafood recipes and why?

I am a diehard seafood lover. Even when we go out for dinner, 90% of the time I will order seafood.

1. Salt and Pepper Squid! 

It’s one of those items most establishments will have on their menu and I like to critique each one. 

I cannot help myself and if ever there is some fresh calamari left on a Saturday it usually ends up on a Sunday grazing plate at the Kelly household. 

I like to marinate it in a little fresh garlic, chilli, parsley and olive oil before dusting it in salt and pepper seasoned flour, and passing it through a hot wok with a little more olive oil – squeeze of lemon and bon appetit!

2. Fish Curry

Green Curry is my choice and as it is fish it is a quick curry (45 minutes as opposed to minimum 3 hours for meat). 

As long as you have some nice chunky fish pieces, the type really doesn’t matter. Get your curry sauce tasty and balanced and in the last 5 minutes simmer the fish and the sauce gets better. 

Serve with rice – simple and delish!

3. A good “Feed of Fish”

A good piece of fish needs very little doing to it and my favourite is

Blue Eye – lightly dusted in seasoned flour and pan fried in a little olive oil with a knob of butter. Turn when golden brown and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. 

At times I cook an assortment of fish like this whilst entertaining. My guests get a fork and the fish placed in front of them as we chat. So far there have been no complaints.

Bendigonians are a pretty resilient, down to earth lot. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

Bendigo has been fortunate and unfortunate at the same time.

Fortunate – to be a regional city with an amazing infrastructure, facilities and leaders who have embraced the situation and acted to keep the area safe and mostly COVID free.

Unfortunate – to be lumped under the restrictions imposed by the problems of Melbourne and hindered, if not crippled, by restrictions that in my view seem excessive.

How Bendigo will bounce back will depend on how Bendigo works together. 

I deal with a large portion of the hospitality sector. Everyone is a little miffed (and they have the right to be, after all in most cases their life’s work is on the line) but everyone is fairly positive too. 

I think the Government grants and payments for now have softened the blow and in some cases helped certain businesses expediently.

If Bendigonians continue to support and help each other out I think we will gain a lot of positives from this surreal experience. 

Personally, we have felt more engaged with those who come in to say “Hi” and the intent when someone asks “How are you?” is no longer a flippant term of engagement.

I’ll refrain from speculating where we will be in 12 months and continue to treat each day as it comes.

Could this be a shakeup that we (the world) needed? 

As long as we take the good from the bad, embrace our new ways and not forget in five years' time what happened.

Stay positive, be kind, smile and “roll with the punches” as my Nana used to say!

If the pandemic was a particular fish or sea creature, which fish or sea creature would that be? Any reason for that?

Moby Dick. I feel like I am living a fable, removed from what I hear and see happening around us. Watching news snippets of the scenes unfold overseas feels like a surreal story. 

The local reaction although quite debilitating is in response to what could happen if we come face to face with the great monster.

So here I sit, safely inland, miles away from the ocean, not swimming with any giant whales and thankful. Not overly concerned, but in no way complacent.

Hi Bryan, how’s things?

Good as you can be in this weird world we are living in! 

Mate, you’ve lived all your life in Bendigo and done a lot of things around the traps. For people who don’t know you, can you give them a bit of a snapshot of your life and career here?

I grew up in North Bendigo & Eaglehawk, going to North Bendigo primary school and White Hills tech… I was big with sport when young, particularly indoor cricket, and owned and ran indoor sports centres in Coburg and Bendigo before finding a love of radio in 1993 at 3CV then 3BO (now Triple M). 

You’re known as a huge supporter of community events in Bendigo. Unfortunately the BASL seniors comp, Bendigo Footy and Netball League, Basketball, junior comps, pretty much everything has been cancelled for this year. Same with the Bendigo Show, the Swap Meet, Bendigo on the Hop - it’s a long, long list. Pretty catastrophic hey? 

Yeah it’s been a different year but there’s always opportunity out of adversity. We will have to do things differently, but we now will respect the things we took for granted before, as you do when something is taken away… We will back stronger.

As bad as it’s been in Bendigo, Melbourne has copped it much worse. Have you noticed that all of the news coming from Melbourne has somehow affected the mood up here too?

To a certain extent… I think the problem Central Victorians have is we have been very good but have come under the one Victorian hammer with restrictions. 

This has been enormously frustrating and unfair in parts on our hospitality/gyms and some retail shops. 

In saying that, Bendigonians are a pretty resilient, down to earth lot. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

I think Bendigo will be fine… 12 months will be a settling period for us but in 5 years the population will be through the roof, with Metro people keen to get away for a better country lifestyle. 

Australia will finally realise that we CAN produce our products and the Government now has the power to make sweeping changes to laws on importing from overseas. So if that happens we are in for a golden period. 

If the pandemic was a particular song or album, which song or album would that be? Any reason for that? 

The air that I breathe by the Hollies… because no one still really knows because it’s invisible. 

Is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? Meditation? Yoga? A bit of hypnosis maybe?

Music! Songs are critical for mental health and are great for anchors to take you back to what you were doing when the song was a hit and the great memories. 

Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to our Facebook followers, and Bendigonians in general, that might cheer us up a bit?

We have a challenge on our hands to help local businesses back on their feet, and it’s up to every one of us to do our bit and appreciate what we have here in Bendigo. I personally will be pushing Bendigo through my Facebook page Bendigo iTV. 

We need to concentrate on us… spend here, not Melbourne, and be a passionate Bendigo supporter on purpose!

Hi Sean, how’s things?

Good thanks, I think I’m not alone in feeling like we’re starting to see some light at the end of this lockdown tunnel. With the weather getting nicer and easing of restrictions (hopefully) coming soon, I’m starting to feel like life might be taking a step back towards normal which is much needed.

The BASL seniors comp was called off in mid July, then the juniors a couple of weeks later. How have you been keeping in touch with everyone at the club since then?

Yeah it was a pretty rough year to say the least! To get close to being able to play at the start of the year and then almost get back to full training before having it all taken away was pretty hard to take. 

And for the juniors who got to start and then stop so soon was harsh too. Kids have had to deal with a lot this year and this was just another curveball that they had to handle.

We’ve still had a bit going on with the Committee side of things, including some messages and information we’ve had to send out to all our members. 

I haven’t spoken to the Seniors group for a while, I felt a bit drained by the end of it all (COVID-fatigue), so have taken the last few weeks to recharge a bit and spend some more time with my family. 

Finally getting to hear about restrictions starting to ease has made me keen to get back into it, I’m sure there will be a few messages buzzing around about having a kick when we can!  

As one of the senior players yourself, have you been keeping up with your training? Without being able to have a kick around with any of your fellow teammates, have you been doing any soccer specific stuff?

Not at all haha! I would hate to think how I’d go fronting up for a game if we had to this weekend. Playing and running around with my kids has kept me active a bit but I definitely would not say I’m match fit. 

No, just kicking a ball with my girls in the back yard sometimes and watching some games.

The past little while in Bendigo has been pretty dramatic in particular, in terms of going back to stage three lockdown, sports called off, schools closed. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this?

Hard to say I think. Most people will have a fair bit of pent up energy and desire to bounce back as strongly as possible, however a lot of it is going to depend on the easing of restrictions. 

Hopefully we can all continue to do all the social distancing practices to keep the virus down so that we can get back to normal as soon as possible.

Looking into your crystal ball… what do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

I don’t know if we’ll be fully back to normal in a year’s time but hopefully we’re pretty close. As for five years I’m sure that everything will be back better than ever. Hopefully we’ve got some new facilities and some more silverware at the soccer club too!

If the pandemic was a particularly disliked football team or player, which team or player would that be? Any reason for that?

Maybe Cristiano Ronaldo – sure you might not like him but you can’t deny the impact he has.

Is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? Meditation? Yoga? A bit of hypnosis maybe?

No, but my sister in-law is a yoga teacher so I’ve really got no excuse for not giving it a go. We have being doing some renovations and landscaping at home which has been fun to help out with where I can. Spending more time with the family has been great too.

Finally, how do you think Golden City is shaping up for the future? Can we hope for a few more trophies in the cabinet pretty soon?

I certainly hope so, I think a lot of it will come down to the coaching set ups that we can put in place. 

We’ve had some really great young players around the Club in the last couple of years, I’m sure with the right coaches in place guiding and pushing the playing group, anything is possible.

Hi Cat, how’s things?

Hey! I’m not going to lie, things are tough but I think the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer. 

I am thankful that I have been able to continue working and keeping that form of normalcy in my life, though like everyone else, all the activities that allowed me to de-stress from work have been cancelled.

It goes without saying that the medical profession has been hit really hard lately and people are being absolutely worked to the bone. What’s it been like at Bendigo Health and how has everyone been coping? 

I am really lucky to have been at Bendigo Health during this time. I think we were prepared from the start and had strategies in place to deal with the pandemic. 

It has been difficult at work with the world’s situation constantly changing but we have adapted well. 

The community have been a massive support with helping us cope with the pandemic with local businesses and people offering support in many ways (cooked meals, scrubs and messages of support just to name a few). 

This has meant a lot to me and my colleagues. 

Melbourne’s been hit REALLY hard compared to here. How have your friends in the profession been going down there? 

This pandemic is nothing that medical school taught us or could prepare us for. We weren’t told that going to work every day could result in sickness or death, and I don’t think that is something you can mentally plan for. 

Many of my colleagues and friends (including doctors and nurses I have worked within Bendigo) have been placed on COVID leave after caring for COVID patients and some have contracted COVID from work. 

I think we will all be glad when this is over. 

Speaking of which, are you looking forward to being able to visit Melbourne again when we’re finally allowed to? 

I am more looking forward to the opening of the borders and seeing my family in Tasmania. I haven’t seen them since Christmas and am missing them. 

All my life is in Bendigo (except them) so Melbourne doesn’t have any pull for me. 

Why would I want to go there when we have great food, pubs, shops and entertainment? 

The past few weeks in Bendigo have been pretty dramatic in particular, in terms of going back to stage three lockdown, all the pubs and restaurants shutting up shop etc... How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this?

I am hopeful that we will all band together and get back out there and support local businesses, venues and talents. I cannot wait to leave my house and enjoy everything that Bendigo has to offer (not from the comfort of my couch). 

Looking into your crystal ball… what do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

This lockdown has brought out the best in people, and I hope that this continues to happen. 

Family, friends, neighbours and strangers were all reaching out to help others so I’m hoping that this continues indefinitely in the future and brings Bendigo back stronger than ever. 

I can see masks and social distancing being a part of our lives for the foreseeable future (until a vaccine is available and distributed). 

I hope in 5 years we can look back and applaud the efforts by Bendigo residents of maintaining low case numbers. 

If the pandemic was a band or an album, or a movie or a character, which would you choose and who would it be?

I’m going to take the optimistic spin here and say “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles. We are all living in our own bubbles, unable to travel, unable to see family, but the band still plays and life goes on (and hopefully to living a life of ease).

Finally, is there any particular message you’d like to send to our Facebook followers, and Bendigonians in general about how to make sure we all get out of this as soon as possible?

Thank you! Thank you for staying home, social distancing, wearing masks and keeping Bendigo safe.

Hi Col, how’s things?

Things are different, that's for sure. Challenging to say the least, but myself and my family can't complain with how fortunate we are to have the ability to work and school from home while so many are without work or otherwise legitimately suffering through the COVID crisis. 

Our heart goes out to our artist friends and hospitality friends and family. It breaks our hearts that we can't do more for those doing it the toughest.

Like many festivals around Australia, and the world for that matter, this year’s Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival has had to be postponed. Bit of a bummer eh?

On the other hand, it’s no secret that you work yourself to the bone every year to get the festival across the line. After ten years of doing this, do you feel like the pressure’s off a bit?

I must confess, even though we'd still been working on the festival (and other events) all year to date, once the announcement went out that we aren't able to stage this year's 'festival proper', it definitely felt like a weight lifted, just a little bit. 

Although it's not a full year off as such, the whole team breathed a sigh of relief to know that we could enjoy a lot more sleep over August, September and the first part of November that we're used to.  

We immediately started focusing though on what we can hopefully present in an online capacity in November, just to thank all our supporters and hopefully still create some paid work for some of the awesome artists we love working with.

Speaking of which, looking back to the first festival in 2011, how much has it grown since then? Any particular highlights?

It's been one of the most rewarding things to be part of - on a social aspect - seeing what we started as a purely community run event that a few locals were very dubious about grow into one of the most loved and recognised festival brands on the Victorian music calendar.

It's hard to describe how grateful I am to everyone who's rolled up their sleeves and pitched in at some stage or another over the last decade. Particularly those who've managed to keep coming back and helping out each year, as tiring as it is to do on a volunteer basis.  

But we're so proud of the way punters, local and visiting, have taken our festival into their hearts. That makes all the sleepless nights and tough grind worth it I think.  

There are so many highlights for me, I could write you a list that would take days to read through. Getting around to as many venues as I can that weekend each year though - both the ones I have to drop gear off at and pick gear up from, but also the times when I'm just popping in to see how things are going, touching base with the venue staff and enjoying a tune or two before I have to run off to keep working.

It's a buzz to hear so much great music and see so many smiling faces in a single weekend. I think that's the thing I'll miss most about not staging our festival in November this year.

The past few weeks in Bendigo have been pretty dramatic in particular, in terms of going back to stage three lockdown, all the pubs and restaurants shutting up shop etc... 

How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this? What about the Bendigo music scene in particular?

It's hard to say. On one hand, especially initially, I thought it will be tough to get people out again, to enjoy live music and hospitality, after they get used to sitting on their bums at home - but the more I express that view publicly, I'm usually very quickly shot down with the counter-view that people will be so desperate to get out and enjoy the social interaction of eating out and enjoying live tunes together, that we shouldn't have too much to worry about on that score.  

Our main concern now though is how many venues and other businesses will actually survive the downturn caused by the pandemic and the resulting restrictions. It's a scary time in that regard. 

So many passionate people trying to cling to previously successful businesses, with skeleton staff and adapted business models... we're incredibly proud of all our hospo friends in particular who've found a way through the pandemic so far. 

Let's hope we're on the other side of this thing before too many businesses (and too many people in general) go under, in one way or another.  

In regard to music - we've had to fight to get people out to music events before, so it's not a fight we're unfamiliar with and it's not a fight we'll shy away from. 

Patience, perseverance and the strength of our partnerships with venues, and engagement with audiences will see our music scene thrive again. I have no doubt.

Looking into your crystal ball… what do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

Pending the pandemic being quashed and public gatherings being unencumbered by onerous rules and restrictions around social distancing and the like, I'm confident Bendigo can come back, bigger and better.  

There will always be things to address in order to make the most of the business real estate in town - but other regional cities have tackled those same challenges and seen them off and I think we can too.  

I'm hopeful that the widespread realisation of the need to shop and spend local is something that is not forgotten after the pandemic passes. 

While we all try and keep our sanity during this tough time, I hope that we can successfully keep locals interested in supporting local businesses and local craftspeople and local artists, etc  etc...

It's easy to discount things of the past and presume they'll never come back, but the resurgence of vinyl records, and the appreciation by young people of live tunes played by hand in a shared space are a couple of indicators to me that what's great about our social and cultural lives can't be swept away and forgotten that easily. 

Is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? Mountain climbing? Jousting? Parkour or the like?

Personally, I've just been appreciating spending more time with the family - and exercising gratitude. 

Physically, I've been doing my best to keep up my boxing training, with friends when restrictions allow and by myself when they don't. I enjoy running although I only do so a couple of times a week. 

And I've been playing the drums at home like I haven't done since I started gigging 30 years ago! With no gigs to play on a weekly basis, I've had to have a hit at home to keep my sanity. 

I'm very grateful the family is willing to put up with having a drum kit or two in the middle of the house during this already stressful period. Seriously grateful !!!

If the pandemic was a band or an album, which band or album comes to mind?

Probably something apocalyptic, like Midnight Oil's Red Sails in the Sunset? Joking. I don't know. I think it's easy to get stuck in a depressive pit of quicksand if we let ourselves. 

I think it's good to get off the dooms-daying social media and take a break and take a breath right now. 

The earth is taking a breath with us traveling and polluting less (presumably) so we should take a moment to do the same I think. Pollute ourselves less and pollute the internet with less bulls__t and take it easy on ourselves and each other.

Finally, is there any particular message you’d like to send to our Facebook followers, and Bendigonians in general about next year’s (belated) tenth anniversary of the festival?

It's up to us to keep the beautiful things alive and ensure they'll be able to be enjoyed by future generations. Spotify and other art thieves can't kill a musician's need to make and share music, but it's up to all of us to show artists, in our actions, that we appreciate their contributions to the world. 

We need to pay for art, just like we pay for the food we eat and the roof over our heads. It has value. Buy artists' CDs, contribute to their paypal or patreon account or such when you enjoy their music online. It's not hard and it'll keep the wheels of live music turning, even while there are currently no gigs to go to.

We'll keep doing our best to help connect our audience with the artists we love working with and we'll keep working on the 10th Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival (now to take place 4-7 November 2021), but we hope people will keep enjoying local grass-roots music any way they can in the meantime. 

And always remember: tough times don't last, tough people do. That's us. All of us. We'll be OK.

Hi Margaret, how’s things?

Pretty good thanks. It’s been very busy but I’ve been so impressed by how well everyone in our community is working together to beat COVID-19. We know lockdown 2.0 is really challenging for businesses, for families, for students, for our mental wellbeing, but we have to keep going. Getting back to doing the things we love relies on everyone doing the right thing.

The business of Council has still kept going throughout this time, so we’ve still been meeting monthly (and a couple of times per week with briefings with the Executive Team)  and prior to this second lockdown we were holding listening posts out in the community and all Councillors are still available to speak to residents and assist them.

Each week I spend a lot of time speaking with mayors from other regional cities to share our experience of leading our communities through a pandemic, we discuss what we think would help us and then I use meetings with politicians from all sides of government to advocate for the regions. 

Every fortnight I chair the Greater Bendigo Relief and Recovery Committee, which includes representatives from the hospital, community health services, support agencies like Foodshare, Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services and Haven; Home, Safe, our business community and Victoria Police. 

This is another way to understand the challenges our community is facing and the opportunities to help us get out the other side of this pandemic.  

Our committee meetings with the community have been continuing via zoom as well where we can (Council has 42 committees – approximately 4-5 per Councillor; which happens monthly or bi-monthly).

This is your fourth term as Mayor. We’re guessing you didn’t expect it to be so eventful?

Who would have thought we would be in a situation like this? 

Communities all over the world are reeling from COVID-19 and it’s impact has been far reaching. It’s devastating, frustrating and incredibly challenging, but no country or city or region is alone.

Earlier this year it was like watching a wave making its way around the world and in March this year Australia was next in COVID-19’s path. As a community we have really been tested. 

Despite this, it has been a very eventful and rewarding four years on Council and to serve as Mayor for this time has been a great privilege and honour. 

There’s been lots of great achievements, community events and important strategic work that has been completed. 

Highlights for me have included: launching the new Bendigo to Sydney Qantas flights; the arrival of Dai Gum Loong and last year’s special Easter Parade; committing to the Bendigo GovHub project; opening Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre; the Bendigo Stadium and Bendigo Tennis Centre expansions; the redevelopment of the Soldiers Memorial Institute and new Garden for the Future; inducting a Youth Council so we can have the voice of young people contribute to Council decision making; and leading citizenship ceremonies and helping people complete their journey to becoming an Australian citizen.  

Back in June the City of Greater Bendigo launched the "Love Your Local" campaign. How do you think it’s gone?

All the feedback we have received has been really positive. It’s been great to see local businesses embrace the campaign and place the "Love Your Local" stickers on their windows. 

Shopping local is critical to helping our economy recover from COVID-19. Our small businesses need our support, they need us to shop online, click and collect, get items delivered or buy a voucher for use at a later date. 

Shopping local can be things like buying a coffee, shopping at a local market, getting your hair cut, buying a new book, buying a birthday present or surprising someone with a locally bought gift, going out to our favourite café, restaurant or pub when the time is right, buying a bunch of flowers, or visiting tourist attractions like the Golden Dragon Museum, Central Deborah Goldmine, Bendigo Pottery or the Great Stupa when they re-open. It doesn’t have to be expensive, we just have to consistently show our support.

I always think this statistic puts it in perspective – when you spend $100 locally, $70 stays in our community when spent at a local business (either online or in-store), $50 stays in our community when spent at a local chain store and only $3 stays in our community when you shop online from a store outside of Greater Bendigo. 

The more you spend locally, the more that money stays in our community and then flows onto other local businesses.

The past few weeks in Bendigo have been pretty dramatic in particular, in terms of going back to stage three lockdown, and various big events such as White Night and the Bendigo Blues and Roots Music festivals being postponed or cancelled. How do you think we’re going to bounce back from all this?

We can bounce back from COVID-19 and as soon as we’re able to move around again, we’ll be ready to welcome visitors, big events and see our own residents back out and about and loving where they live. 

It’s really sad to see big events pull the pin but ultimately it’s not safe enough to proceed right now. We have money set aside in the current budget to attract events and stage another big exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery, as we know they help to bring people to Greater Bendigo and fill our motels, cafes, restaurants and pubs. 

The staff at the City are continuing to work on ensuring this important aspect of our local economy is ready to fire up as soon as it can.

Looking into your crystal ball… what do you think Bendigo will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? What about the rest of Australia and also the world?

I’d love a crystal ball. If only we knew and we could start preparing now. As much as we’d like to return to normal, get together with friends and family, perhaps hop on a plane and go on a holiday, I think the next 12 months will be a particularly cautious time. 

Until we have a COVID-19 vaccine, managing the spread of infection will come down to people staying home if they’re unwell, getting tested, keeping up their hand hygiene and social distancing, and perhaps still wearing our masks when we’re in crowded places. 

In five years’ time I’d like to think we will have learnt the lessons of COVID-19 and the things that have forced us to change for the better, think differently and perhaps be more innovative will remain. 

I’d (also) like to think our economy has made a full recovery and we can get back to ticking things off our bucket lists. I really hope we will have a vaccine. 

Current news reports are very optimistic about the development of a vaccine in the short term, so we just need to hope these clever people can keep persevering and crack the virus.  

If the pandemic was a character from a movie, which character comes to mind?

The Grinch – horrible and nasty! Let’s hope COVID-19 doesn’t steal Christmas.

Is there anything you’ve been doing personally lately to try and keep balanced? Walking? Cycling? Aerobics or the like?

I walk with a friend a few times a week. It’s really important to take that time to switch off from technology, share how we’re feeling and get the heart rate up. Exercise is a great way to put balance back in our days and it’s a boost for our mental health as well. 

I think it helps in times like this to also set little goals, whether that’s to bake a cake for the week, make sure we exercise three times a week, read a book in a month, or make a list of people we’re going to check-in on. When we tick off these little accomplishments it helps us to feel good and it’s another way to look after our wellbeing.  

Finally, is there any particular message you’d like to send to our Facebook followers, and Bendigonians in general?

You’ve got this Greater Bendigo. Keep wearing your masks, washing your hands regularly, social distancing and staying home as much as you can. This is our best defence.

Don’t forget to check in with family, friends and vulnerable neighbours. Give them a call, drop a care parcel on their doorstep, perhaps go for a walk with one other person (at a social distance!), or use FaceTime or Zoom to ‘see’ people.

Most importantly, if you feel unwell, even with the mildest symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss/change in taste or smell), go and get tested and wait at home until you get your results. 

If you need help to self-isolate at home with access to food, Council’s COVID-19 Helpline is there for you by phoning 5434 6237, 8.30am – 5pm daily.

We’re in this together, we can’t stop now.

Get in touch with Margaret. 

Access City of Greater Bendigo service updates and COVID-19 information.

We’re kicking things off with someone who we’ve had a very close association with for the past seven years - local brewer Doug Brooke from Brookes Beer.

So, without any further ado...

Hi Doug, how’s things? 

Things are weird. Who the hell would have thought we'd be here? Or have a less predictable future than right now? It's a great question and I just assume that it's weird for everyone, we're all under pressure and we could all use some relief.

I've taken to gift giving to help push back against what we must all think, through the toilet paper and rice crisis and the people who should be home but aren't, are some pretty selfish and unattractive behaviours out there.

I sent beers to my GP's surgery, gave hops away to homebrewers, sent hot sauce to friends, fishing gear to strangers, bought things for family. At least for me it makes up for some of the weirdness and helps keep things balanced, so yeah, I'm ok, we're all well and getting by.

Right at this moment, how is the rest of the craft beer industry in Victoria faring? People seem to be doing their best to “carry on as usual” as far as we can see !!! 

There should be no doubt that our industry is in the midst of an existential crisis, a potential extinction event. If you own a brewery that relies on visitation, tourism or hospitality, the underlying business is almost non-existent, and supports from the federal and state governments is all that’s keeping these going.

Things are crushingly serious and I really fear for the future of the industry, especially at the smaller end, or businesses that have invested recently in capacity. It's unlikely they'll see much return from that any time soon.

What shape do you think the industry will be in when we come out the other side? Surely there’s going to be a few casualties…

I suspect you're right. We're going to see those casualties at the smaller end of the industry, tap rooms and brewpubs. Anyone with economic packaging scale will be ok as long as they can maintain their customer base, manage costs and stay competitive.

We're going to see a much more consolidated industry out the other side, bigger breweries, focused on packaging and building their off premise business, either through retail or direct to consumers.

Businesses that can collaborate and work together will fare better than those who try to go it alone.

Is there anything you’ve been doing in particular to try and keep on an “even keel”? A bit of yoga, transcendental meditation, calisthenics or the like?

Haha, You know I'm somewhat eclectic.

I love my fly fishing, some may say over-love. I'm very interested in the old school split cane rods and their makers, as well as the classic fly reels from makers such as Hardy and vom Hofe. I keep my mind distracted making old school fishing gear and am perfectly at peace spending two months building a bamboo fly rod or at the lathe turning a fly reel.

I'm also old enough that regular care and maintenance of my flesh and blood is important too, though you'd never know that looking at me.

How would you describe this whole surreal, shared experience? 

Mate you said it, surreal. There's plenty to be disappointed about, the panic shoppers, security guards, anti maskers, not to mention being the pariahs of the nation. The future’s never been more uncertain either.

Like many of life's crises, the worst possible time to describe them is in their midst, so I remind myself that back in '45 when most of the world was a broke smoking wreck, our grandparents just got on and rebuilt it and kept going. We'll do it too eventually.

If the pandemic was a character from a movie, which character comes to mind? 

I'm hopeless with movies and the movies I like are the ones no-one knows - like Dead Man. City boy goes west, is shot and killed, and in his journey to death is transformed into a native of the country he passes through, accompanied by a William Blake loving Indian named Nobody. 

I don't know if the pandemic is that character, but I hope it transforms us, hopefully to something kinder, closer to nature.

What do you think the world will look like in 12 months? How about in five years? 

Well history says that things get back to normal, those who lock down hardest get back soonest in 2-3 years, others in 5-10. But there's no doubt in my mind that we're seeing history's longest sustained period of peace coming to an end.

The world will be a smaller, harder, more dangerous and less prosperous one. That'll create some opportunities as well as some risks. I hope it means we can like banks and mainstream media less, value friends more, and be a bit kinder.

Visit Brookes Beer.