You can set your imagination free at the Macquarie Credit Union DREAM Festival in Dubbo from 18th to 28th October celebrating all forms of creativity – lights and lanterns, pianos on the pavement, music and markets, art competitions, traditional Aboriginal dance.

DREAM is an acronym that stands for Dubbo Regional Entertainment Arts and Music.

With over 18,000 people attending last year, the event favourites are set to draw a lot of attention again this year. Make sure not to miss out on:

· Pianos on the Pavement – everyone welcome to participate or listen to the lovely melodies (18 Oct)

· Wabuul River Dreaming – celebrate all things river including lantern decorating (20 Oct)

· Sushi in the Shoyoen Gardens – pre-order your sushi and enjoy the afternoon sun and entertainment (21 Oct)

· Music + Markets | Lights + Lanterns – great afternoon for the family, featuring singer Mojo Juju (27 Oct)

· Zoocoustic – lazy Sunday afternoon vibes in the zoo – perfect way to finish off the weekend (28 Oct)

New events include:

· Westview Drive-In – back by popular demand. Re-live your youth and introduce your children to the ‘original’ open air cinema (19, 20 & 21 Oct)

· PubROCK – love to belt out a few tunes in your car; this is your chance to be in a choir that ROCKS! (24 Oct)

 

More than 50 motorbikes revved through Parkes on the long weekend for the 42nd Annual Motorcycle Rally organised by the Parkes Antique Motor Club. Riders gathered at the Henry Parkes Centre on Saturday afternoon for a short ride to Baldry and again on Sunday morning with the option of a short run of 150km to Yarrabandai, or a longer run of 250km to Bedgerabong.

The riders were mainly from NSW, including Griffith, Wollongong and Newcastle, but also came from as far as Queensland and South Australia. “They like riding out this way, especially with the older bikes,” said local rider Paul
McClintock, “because it’s flatter country and not many hills. Some of those old bikes, like the ones that still have pedals, only go 20 miles an hour.”

On Sunday night the club held their presentation dinner at the Parkes Leagues Club where the votes were counted for each category, ranging from pre-1919 to modernday. There were some locals among the winners with Nym Dziuba getting first prize with his 1970s Kawasaki Z900. John Frogley came second with his 1950s bike, while Bob Steel also won second place with his 1914 Douglas.

The event, organised by rally director Bruce Danson, concluded with a farewell breakfast on Monday.

By Beth Thomas

AUTHOR TALK – Noel Braun
Noel Braun embarked on a spiritual quest of self-discovery after the suicide of his wife Maris. He decided to walk two of the more popular routes of the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage routes through Europe to Santiago in the north-west of Spain. His two most recent books, ‘The Day was Made for Walking’ and ‘I Guess I’ll Just Keep
on Walking’ describe his journey. Woven into his spiritual and emotional journey are fascinating stories of the people he meets. Noel undertook these pilgrimages in his late 70’s and early 80’s. Last year at the age of 84, he embarked on a fifth journey. All his walks are dedicated to the memory of his wife. Noel, an advocate for suicide awareness and prevention, will be at Parkes Library on Thursday, 11th October at 2pm. Please RSVP on 6861 2309 or email library@parkes.nsw.gov.au.

ONCE UPON A STORYTIME
Tuesday 10.30 – 11.30am. During school term; commences Tuesday, 23rd October. Come and enter into the wonderful world of books. We will have our own very special storyteller who will guide us through many adventures.
Who: Children 3-5 years and parents/carers (younger children welcome).

BORROW ANY TIME, ANY DAY
Parkes Shire Library RBdigital, offers full colour, interactive digital magazines for your enjoyment. Browse from the collection of popular titles with no holds, no checkout periods, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download. Go to www.rbdigital.com/parkes/ You can browse and download popular books on your computer, laptop, eReader, phone or tablet from the Parkes Shire Library eCollection. You can borrow three eBooks or eAudiobooks at a time. Go to parkesshirelibrary.wheelers.co/

Small Business Month during October will be celebrated in the Parkes Shire with free events and workshops for owners and operators to gain valuable and innovative tools to take their business to the next level.

“Small Business Month is a great opportunity to learn about the latest marketing trends and digital tools, hear from leading experts on the art and science of mutually beneficial negotiation, find out how to use census data to support your business, and receive face-to-face advice on how to start, grow or innovate your business model,” said Parkes Shire Councillor and Parkes Business Chamber representative Alan Ward.

A highlight of Small Business Month is The Henrys Business Awards gala dinner on Friday, 19th October when the local business community celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship and why it all adds up for business in the Parkes region.

Other activities on offer for free during the month include:
· Cenwest Innovate Masterclass – Secrets of the Great Negotiators: Skills & Tactics that Get You to Yes! on Thursday, 11th October from 11:30am – 2pm at the Astro Dish, register via Eventbrite.
· Business Bus Connect, delivering face-to face business advice to regional operators, on Tuesday, 16th October from 9am to 3pm at 203 Clarinda Street, book a session on 1300 134 359 or email connect@industry.nsw.gov.au
· Be Business Savvy Masterclass hosted by Parkes Shire Council and facilitated by Holly Galbraith: Five Essential Digital Tools for your Business Marketing on Monday, 22nd October from 6 to 8pm at the Hart Bar, register
via https://visitparkes.com.au/events/digital-health-check/
· Digital Health Checks – one-on-one checks with Holly G on Tuesday, 23rd October, register your interest via https://visitparkes.com.au/events/digital-health-check/
· Id Solutions Workshop Data, Finance and Your Business on Tuesday, 30th October from 6 to 7:30pm at the Astro Dish, register your interest via https://visitparkes.com.au/events/data-finance-business/

For more information about the Small Business Month events, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au

Only two weeks to go until The Henrys Gala Presentation night hosted by the Parkes Chamber of Commerce at the Parkes Services Club on 19th October. Tickets are selling fast for the night to celebrate the business super stars of Parkes. Get your ticket online for $85.

It will be a brilliant night of networking with drinks and platters on arrival followed by dinner and dessert. The awards will be presented with local duo Tom and Holly taking care of entertainment for the night! There will also be a photo booth this year to add an element of fun. There will also be awards for Excellence in Small Business, Excellence in Business and Parkes Business of the Year.

Australian actor, radio presenter, voiceover artist and philanthropist Samuel Johnson will be the celebrity speaker at a gala dinner on 19th October at the Forbes Services Club.

Samuel raised thousands of dollars for CanTeen in 2003 when he rode over 1,000km on his unicycle from Sydney to
Melbourne. In 2013 he set a new Guiness World Record when he went right around Australia on his unicycle. He also raised $2 million for cancer research and assisted his sister Connie to spread awareness of breast cancer.

In 2001 Samuel was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal, Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, for his services to Australian society and Australian film production. He has been named GQ Magazine’s Social Force of the Year, he shares the 2015 Research Australia Advocacy Award with his sister Connie and in 2016 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to cancer research.

An acclaimed Australian actor will be appearing in a mental health play in Tullamore in November. Tullamore Inc and Parkes Shire Council will host Gold Logie Award-winner John Wood as the leading actor in Carpe Diem at the Tullamore War Memorial Hall on 3rd November.

Supported by Chris Pidd, Carpe Diem is a contemporary portrayal of Australian males, dealing with issues of health, grief, loss and depression. Set in a fictional town, the play portrays the friendship of Nev, a hard-working farmer, and John his stock agent friend. Both have been impacted by the long running drought and are each suffering their own personal crisis.

Carpe Diem is a didactic comedy that delivers mental health messages in an entertaining, immediate and highly relevant way. It stresses the importance of mateship and professional care in times of crises. “It’s a very Australian thing (not just male, necessarily) to feel that it’s none of our business and that someone knows what they’re doing,” said John. “But men need to ask the questions and not ignore their apparent depression or inner pain.”

The play will be followed by a Q&A and meet and greet with the actors. Tickets are $20, available at Casho’s Café, 123tix.com.au and at the door. BBQ dinner from 6.30pm. For all enquiries call Megan 0478 438 052.

Excitement is building for the gala presentation night hosted by the Parkes Chamber of Commerce at the Parkes Services Club on 19th October following the announcement of The Henrys finalists. Tickets are selling fast for the night to celebrate the business super stars of Parkes. Head to parkesservicesclub.com.au/events to get your ticket for $85.

It will be a brilliant night of networking with drinks and platters on arrival followed by dinner and dessert. The presentation of the awards will kick off the celebrations, and local duo Tom and Holly will be the entertainers for the night! There will also be a photo booth this year to add an element of fun to the night.

Apart from the finalists who have been announced in various categories, there will also be awards handed out for Excellence in Small Business, Excellence in Business and Parkes Business of the Year. The finalists for these categories are being kept a surprise for the evening!

Thank you to all the sponsors who have made the event possible, and to all the businesses for putting in the hard work to nominate.

More than 130 vintage cars attracted much attention at the Henry Parkes Museum’s fifth annual Smoke, Rust and Noise Day on Monday.

The Veteran Car Club of Australia’s National Rally combined with the museum event. The collection of rally cars included a 1912 Cadillac, the first car to ever have a starter motor and the youngest of the lot at 100 years old; a 1910 Brush with wooden axels and chassis, and the first vehicle to cross Australia from west to east driven by
Francis Birtles; and a 1903 Ford, the equal oldest of two cars still in existence.

Eighty-year-old Francis Ransley OAM, who owns 23 vintage cars, arrived with his 1905 Darracq from Wynyard, Tasmania. In earlier days Francis enjoyed flying and speedboating – he still holds the national water speed record of 228km/h set in 1983.

“When I was 42 I lost my boat and plane licences on the same day after heart trouble, so I used the garage space to start my interest in vintage cars.” Francis has restored more than 80 cars.

Drivers and passengers in their historical finery were treated to morning tea and lunch, while Parkes Public School students and members of the public enjoyed the smoke and noise of engines and the history of the antique cars.

By Beth Thomas