For years, since we moved to Melbourne Bayside, we have driven past the Beaumaris Hotel. As the years have passed, the hotel has had a mixed life. With several owners, its had its ups and downs. For us, it was a family restaurant when the boys were young. There wouldn't be a week when I don't pass it on the bike or car several times.
1903
1920s looking from the east
1920s looking at the front
1923
The latest incarnation prior to demolition
The proposed new Beaumaris apartments
Maybe the new building building will be an impressive replacement for what was in recent years a poor image of its past grand architecture. Things change - nothing lasts forever.
After three Funky Fridays I am now starting to feel very comfortable with Fridays - In the words of Julias Sumner "WHY IS IT SO".
Well let me explain - four weeks ago I discussed with my employer that I had not had a salary increase over the previous seven years. I'd calculated that with CPI increases over the period of 7 years, this equated to a four day week for the next 12 months. Do you know what - he agreed.
So now I am on a four day week and that makes for a three day weekend. I still look at emails, do the important stuff where required but now take time to do the things that are really important to me. This year I turn 65 - the things that are important are spending time with family, friends and relaxing the mind and body.
Having said that, the day started with a 100 kms ride with friends, completing a proposal for submission that needed to be posted today for a project that could mean a great swan song towards my retirement. Sue and I went shopping at IKEA and later bought a bottle of Prosecco for our traditional Champagne Friday while our son Mitchell prepared dinner.
I think I'm warming to my four day working week.
It may even give me more opportunities to BLOG more often - something that has sadly been missed.
Earlier this week while taking a different route to work (well, I get bored with the same old route), I came across a skinny building. Sometimes streets make triangles because our town planners back then may have had this strange little moment and thought, "someone might just build a skinny building here".
Someone did!!!!
The building is the International Order of Rechabites in Melbourne.
What a hideous order that pledges to "Drink no Wine" - not something I would want to have anything to do with!!
Today I rode my bike with friends to a cafe in Middle Park today - its a suburb of Melbourne on the bay. Middle Park and Albert Park are two of our early inner suburbs (4 kms from the CBD) with some great architecture. Middle Park and its neighbouring Albert Park are both Heritage Conservation areas due to the buildings from our early history. The wide leafy streets of the suburb were part of of some very forward thinking by our early town planners.
Below are photos from early last century.
Next weekend, Albert Park, the neighbouring suburb will host the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix which I expect will thrill the local residents to no end. Since the inception of the F1AGP, there has been a strong local lobby group to have the event stopped but to no avail. ($$$$$$) However figures are never released of what this event costs the tax payers of Victoria.
