Eric didn't have any trouble passing the time at Changi Airport though once he found this corner of the duty free. We watched a few movies to help pass the time. I saw 'Grace' and 'Boyhood' while Eric saw 'Jimi Hendrix'.
He did a great job driving out to Mooroolbark where my brother Colin and Beth are in the process of moving into a house in Bickleigh Vale. This area was once the farm of renowned landscape architect Edna Walling. She lived there in a stone cottage she built while she worked as a gardener at Dame Nellie Melba's Coombe Cottage at Coldstream. In the early 1920's she bought the adjoining property and then subdivided. Vetting the buyers as suitable, she then oversaw the construction of 16 cottages and gardens. From the 1920's to 40's Edna held open days at her stone cottage known as 'Sonning' and became sought after as a garden designer by Melbourne's elite. She designed city and country gardens in Victoria and some in New South Wales. Clients included Dame Elizabeth Murdoch, Mrs Harold Darling, Sir Clive and Lady Steele and the Baillieus. She wasn't impressed with the encroaching suburbia though and in 1967, at 71 years of age, she moved to Buderim, Queensland where she started a new home and garden. In 1989 Bickleigh Vale joined Victoria's Garden Scheme. The gardens of five of her original cottages, some now extended, are open to the public one day each spring and autumn. Colin had visited during that time and always thought it would be an ideal place to live but never actually thought it might one day happen. It is so lovely to see them so content in a house probably built in about the 70's.
You can't put a value on a magnificent tree like this in your front yard. We were constantly distracted from our conversations on the front deck by passing wattlebirds, cockatoos, magpies, fantails and many more.
The wedding took place in a small church in the main street of Yarra Glen. Presided over by Pastor Luke from the outreach church Anna and Yaaren belong to, it was a joyous occasion for everyone who attended and standing room only for any late arrivals. Anna's brother Nat is in London, but other than that it seems everyone was able to attend.
The reception was held in the RSL Hall across the road. The playground proved a huge hit for all the children who attended, many who took part in the service. The families and friends had transformed the hall into a fabulous venue, so far removed from the memories the Caddy offspring hold of the place as teenagers who spent Saturday nights here at the 50/50 dances. Mum enjoyed the whole event and lasted as long as we did into the evening.
On Sunday we drove out to Yarra Glen again to collect her and bring her back to Bickleigh Vale, the first chance she has had to see the house. Then my sister Judy joined us and we all had lunch together in Croydon to celebrate Cols birthday. It is only about 20 mins to Mum's and Croydon is their preferred local shopping centre and where we bought our first home. After lunch we dropped by to have a look at the little 2 bedroom weatherboard home in Rose Court. We bought it for $26,000 in 1981 and we can see that it sold in 2011 for $401, 000. It was nice to see it still loved and well cared for.
In the evening, after dropping Mum back home, we shared a lovely relaxed meal with Col and Beth. They are very happy 'nesters' despite the fact that there are a lot of items on the 'to do' list.
On Monday Eric went into the city to meet his brother Laurie and wife Sue who had come down from Maryborough to meet up. They had lunch at Federation Square and then walked down to Rod Laver Arena and did a tour which they all found interesting. Eric particularly enjoyed walking the Avenue of Honour and seeing the past champions from back as far as 1988 when it took over from Kooyong as the home of the Aust Open.
Meanwhile I drove down to Judy and Roger's in Beaumaris and spent the afternoon enjoying their company in another lovely home with a great outlook. Eric caught a train down to Sandringham in the late afternoon. Despite the fact that Rog had undergone a medical procedure on his calf in the morning, he cooked a lovely risotto for dinner which we shared with their children Jas and Bec who drove over to join us. Bec is planning a trek in Nepal soon so we had lots to talk over and Jas and Georgie are off to the USA not long after. The dining room table was strewn with maps and planned itineraries for Judy and Rog's trip to Portugal and Spain finishing with a golfing trip on the courses around Paris. Aren't we a lucky lot? Our grandparents could never have dreamed travel would be so affordable.
On Tuesday we drove back towards the airport but called in on a dear friend at Essendon. We first met Glenice teaching together at Katherine School of the Air, then she joined Eric at Gray Primary, eventually retiring and moving south. She expected Geelong to be where she would resettle but after renting and joining her beloved Cats at many games she has now bought a lovely single fronted home in Essendon, home of the mighty Bombers of all things! To our delight she also had Yve and John staying with her, friends from Darwin who have also retired down south. We were not sure when we would catch up with them again since they are planning to eventually settle in Adelaide. Together with Glenice, we interrupted the three of them planning their itinerary for a trip to France later in the year.
After a lovely lunch we returned the rental car and caught our flight home. We have enjoyed an incredibly social few days and it was so good to see everyone enjoying good health and having interesting plans for the near future.
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