Rural News; Ladies a plate please!

Big River Country; Grafton and the Clarence River;

On school days I made the run twice a day to the bus station  to bring and pick up the girls. It was  located at Hazels and Alex’s Take  away shop. They also sold Petrol and had a News Paper Agency where I could buy the local rag, “The Daily Examiner”. this Paper was read from front to back, not to miss anything “important”.  Everything what was happening  in this rural area was printed, who was born, who got married, who died, who had an accident, who wanted to sell  or buy. The most baffling were the announcements which said “Ladies a plate please”  when there was an announcement of a invitation to a party, birthday anything it always said, everybody welcome and ladies a plate please.

Grafton, Prince Street

It was not just one more plate they were asking for, it had to be filled with food, generally, cookies or a cake. One could also bring salads, and always drinks like beer and lemonade.  I was told newcomers brought generally an empty plate and soon found out their mistake. I was fortunate enough to ask Ella and she introduced me to the local customs.  Hazel was Scottish and Alex Greek.  Later on they also had a Restaurant with mainly Greek Food;  they introduced the locals to Moussaka, kotopita, feta cheese, greek salad and more. They build a new house and to celebrate they invited everybody in the area. It was a huge party, with a whole steer on the spit. Hazel and Alex used to have some relatives staying with them to help. Betty was always nice and friendly she was Scottish but her husband said, her foot was to fast in the car, so she was not allowed to drive anymore! Her husband was Polish and he was always talking about the war. It was so odd, because nobody could give a hoot. While he was filling the tank with petrol he would ramble on.  Anyway he was an oddball.

Take away and  Bus Stop;

Beside the take away shop was The Plantation Motel, with the only swimming pool in the area,  all the children were allowed to go and swim there. All in all it was a generous and nice community around this area;

Shopping for groceries was a big difference to the one I was used to in Switzerland. There was no variety of rice available.  In this area risotto was unknown and  Arborio rice was an unknown quantity.  Spaghetti, available in tins, mushy, sweet, in short inedible for our taste. The Pasta that was produced was not good, as it was not produced from durum wheat.  People were not eating pasta. So a very small variety, inferior  in quality, was available.  Cheese was very limited too,  mainly cheddar, or Philly cheese,  no Camembert, or Brie or other international cheeses.  No sausages we were used to, like Salami, Cervelat Frankfurts, Wienerli, Lyoner, nothing. The cuts of meat were also very basic, mainly rolled roasts, or steaks, pork was inedible as it always stank of bore, male porkers. Beef was excellent and Lamb also. I had to change my cooking around what was available.  Well, in rural China, women cooked and still do with one wok  on a tiny cooking space, and they produce wonderful meals, so what was I complaining about?
We are so spoiled, back in Switzerland, rows and rows of different cheeses and charcuterie, meats, beautifully arranged; Breads in so many varieties, Confectionery, Cakes and so much more; I have learned to live with so much less on the farm.
The best of everything, available; crazy, super long rows of just SOCKS; socks, who does need so many socks to choose from; in a way a consumer craziness which has spread far and wide.

Plantation Motel

The people were always nice and friendly, the butcher called me “Love”, the check out lady, “Darling”  The green grocer at McKimms  said Mrs. St-hee-lee, always helpful carrying the bags, it was known as service in those days!   I have nothing to complain about my fellow, rural Australians,  they are big hearted and generous with  kindness; with a few exceptions!

Reg, a dear man who gave his help and kindness generously; he was witty and liked a good laugh;

He went barefoot to pick the beans, when he asked me to come and pick some for my family. I asked him if he was not  afraid  that he could be bitten by a snake. As along the Clarence river where his field of beans was, was also the home of the Clarence River Snake, a very dangerous snake. He laughed and said if a snake bites him, the snake will die, luckily he was never bitten.

Clarence river or rough scaled snake.

Photo Wildlife Queensland

My first bag of Rice I bought was full of little creepy crawlies.  I asked Ella what to do with it, bring it back to the store, Woolis at the time. Ella laughed and said: “just clean it pick out the bugs the worms and whatever.” I had no choice, as the next batch would not be better. There was one advantage, this rice was not poisoned otherwise the creepies would not survive in there and be wriggling and trying to escape my endavour to pick them out.  I would have never thought that the University of life would teach me this as well. I did not tell the family that I had to clean the rice of inhabitants before making a dish. I made risotto with  long grain rice which was the only one available. It was not perfect but it was edible. 

Rural idyll on Little Gem;

Sandwiches were a staple at all the take away shops, cafes and restaurants. Always the same, white bread, ham and cheese, or cheese and ham, tomato and ham or cheese or all together with a pink bleeding beetroot on top, which easily stained a white blouse with pink polka dots.  I have never mustered to eat those huge, mountainous  sandwiches which were filled with anything available but mostly, first margarine, never butter, tomato, lettuce, cheese, ham, bleeding sweet and sour beetroot  and if one was vigilant one could also find some pieces of pineapple under  the crowning of yellow  pickles; what a mess I used to make!  I shudder when I see the huge tubs of margarine, the worst one can possibly eat, but advertised as the best. Well it is a very old saying; when in Rome do as the Romans do; I may add or as close as possible with certain exceptions!

Flood at Little Gem, my Terrier, Ali alias Ali Ben Ali Ben Jussef was always ready to go for a walk to the river. This time the river came to us.

 Movies were also advertised in the local rag. Outside of the town  on top of a hill was a huge drive in. Everybody came with their cars packed up with children, rugs, food and drinks.  What good and fun times we had. We watched again "Gone with the wind"!

The agricultural research station in Grafton  advertised for sale beautiful Hereford heifers to be auctioned  next Tuesday at the Grafton sale yard , we had to be there, as we wanted to introduce  some good stock into our herd.  

Next time at the sale yard!

Still in 1989, when Ali my  Australian Terrier went for a walkabout. I was searching for him everywhere, went to the pound,  but to no avail. I was so worried,then I thought,  the  paper, if he is still around he might be in the paper...and a tiny advertisement said: Found walking along the road, elderly, sandy Australian Terrier, ring.... I thought that could be Ali. I rang  and then went to the address provided to pick him up. Luckily the postman picked him up and took him home. When I arrived, he was sitting on a sheepskin with a big bone, and he had already found a home and a new Name JOHN. His little, wagging tail nearly fell of when he saw me. It was a happy reunion and he came home with me.

.... waiting for a tidbit...Gina, Ali, Bonnie, and Tomi