Jeff Page

How long have you lived in Parkes and why do you like living here? All my life – 71 years! In the early days there was
not much choice, you got the first job you applied for, which I got at 16. I’ve always enjoyed the friendly, sporty atmosphere of Parkes. It’s a great place for kids to grow up in.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I am self-employed and have been working at Jeff Page Automotive Services for the past 35 years. I’ve been a motor mechanic all my life and have seen a lot of changes from a basic vehicle that was very easy to fix to the modern computer-operated engine posing many challenges to find out what is wrong.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? I played hockey up into my 60s and was very involved with coaching for 40 years. I still play squash and love the game and meeting lots of people.

What are you really good at? I would say being a motor mechanic.

If you could have a super power what would it be? I would love to have a power to ensure the country is being run smoothly with no problems as Australia is such a wonderful place to live. It would be great if everyone could have a job.

What is your pet hate? Nothing really – I am just an easy-going person.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. All my holidays are good. I love going to the Sunshine Coast in winter time.

How long have you lived in Parkes and why do you like living here? I’ve lived here all my life. I like the laid-back country lifestyle and being close to family.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I work at Roads and Maritime Services and I enjoy getting out on the road, meeting new people and improving the safety of the road for all users.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? After work I like taking my dog for a walk and enjoying the fresh air. On weekends I like to get out and experience new places.

What are you really good at? Losing my phone and finding it in random places.

If you could have a super power what would it be? The ability to predict the future. It would be good to know what’s going to happen next.

What is your pet hate? Bad drivers.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. My first overseas trip was to Christchurch in New Zealand. I went a few years after the earthquake and to see half a city in ruins was an eye opening experience but they found some creative ways to fill in the empty spaces.

 

Deanne Freeman 2017 Parkes Showgirl

Gary O’Brien

How long have you lived in Parkes and why do you like living here? I was born in Parkes and have lived here all of my life. It is such a progressive town and we are lucky to have such a friendly community. The way local business and people from all walks of life support our annual show is a great example of what a great place Parkes is to call home.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I work on our family farming operation. I like the variety of tasks a mixed farm offers, being able to work outdoors, the interesting people you meet along the way and the other staff are pretty friendly too.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? I don’t mind watching a good movie, going fishing and generally just hanging out with my gorgeous girlfriend Lou.

What are you really good at? I pretend to be really good at cooking but it doesn’t always work out. At the moment I am actually quite good at annoying people by singing the AA Blatch jingle all the time, it’s quite catchy.

If you could have a super power what would it be? Living a bit of distance out of town I think it would be pretty handy to be able to fly, quite the timesaver, not sure about the tights and cape though.

What is your pet hate? Despite having more tv channels than you can poke a stick at there are still times when it is impossible to find something worth watching.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. I have fond memories of family holidays with cousins to Forster. More recently we have explored the coastline around Newcastle, finding some nice little places you don’t hear much about.

Beth Thomas

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like about living here? I’ve lived in Parkes (on and off) since 1968. I kept returning because many of my family are here; it’s such a great community; and it will always be the place I love to call ‘home’.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I have just opened ‘Top Tutors Parkes’ with my husband, Bill. I love how our students come in with a happy greeting and a smile on their face. We know they feel a sense of pride in what we help them achieve.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? My passion is dragon boating. It’s a fabulous sport for fun, fitness and friendship. And there’s not much that beats paddling across the calm waters of Lake Forbes on a Sunday morning, with the drum beating like the dragon’s heartbeat as we watch the pelicans glide across the water. I also like to read, write, garden, ride my motorbike and play bridge.

What are you really good at? I guess I must be good at dragon boat paddling as I represented at national level last April. And I must also be good at writing because Pegasus Publishers accepted my historical fiction novel ‘Remember Oradour’ and it is selling well in England, France and Australia.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? I would love to fly! I often fly in my dreams and it’s the most amazing and liberating experience. Sheer joy!

What is your pet hate? I detest that people drop their rubbish or throw it out of their cars and litter this beautiful land of ours. There’s no need for such slovenly and disgusting behaviour when bins are so easily accessible.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. We are just back from three months in The Kimberley. Although I’ve loved and raved about many overseas destinations there is nowhere comparable to the unspoiled beauty of this last frontier of Australia with its ancient spirituality. I may even have found inspiration there for my second novel….

Allan Ryan
How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like about living here?
About 20 years. Having lived in Sydney for 10 years, I much prefer to live in a small town. It’s a great place to raise a family.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? At the RMS. I enjoy playing a part in making the roads safer. Everyone uses roads.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? For many years I followed the kids to various sports. Lately it has been rugby union. I also try to get a bit done around the garden.

What are you really good at? I like sports photography. I contribute to the local papers, and put plenty of pics on social media where they turn up on peoples home pages and news feeds with funny comments, and in local newspapers in other towns.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Time travel – walk with the dinosaurs, find out who shot JFK, go forward to next week and get the winning lotto numbers, etc.

What is your pet hate/s? I have a few (I’m old and grumpy: 1) Hypocritical people who travel the world in aeroplanes, live in a big house, use multiple cars, excessively heat up or cool down their open plan house, only drink bottled water etc. but consider themselves green. 2) The recent trend in reality TV, like Survival shows have little to do with survival. 3) People who stare at you in the street but don’t say hello.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. Went to England last year. I called it my Curries and Castles tour it was great. It’s not a holiday but every Sunday I have the family over for dinner. It doesn’t get better than that.