Our main amazing sponsor- who helps make our day happen is Elders Bangalow .

We are also very grateful for support from local businesses for our raffle prizes and cricket day prizes.

• Brookfarm
• Bangalow rug shop
• Brauerbirds
• McGrath Real-estate Ballina
• Design Bank
• Bangalow Hotel
• Bangalow Cellars
• Millar & More
• Foodworks
• Bangalow newsagency
• Mi casa tu casa
• Bangalow Lounge
• Bangalow Solway’s

• Nashua Valley Organics
• Bangalow Coffee
• Ken Trimble
• JusticeWorks

Coming soon – a buy sell swap page….

seems we all have something to move on or something we need… well here’s a space to do that!

here’s a hint… prices and details soon!

Jacinta has an extension oak table for sale

Wanted: Second hand cub scout books and bits…

details and pics coming….

Congratulations to Jayne Douglas and Gerry Rihs

August morning in Nashua' by Jayne Douglas

runner-up Open section 'Nashua Sunset' by Gerry Rihs

Oh, Jacinta, how utterly, UTTERLY delightful all the stories were!

It’s so hard to choose a winner.

They all had great merit; I loved the fact that Ray Savin’s life story had pictures. Loved the poem, loved the power cut (oh, how I remember those!), and the dairy drama.. The lovely prose in the piece titled ‘Nashua’ drew a charming picture of life in a lovely place, and joy of living in Nashua was clear.

I really did so enjoy reading them all, and it was a difficult decision.

The winner in the Primary section is the delightful tale of how Mr Scarrabelotti’s car ended up in the creek.

And the winner in the senior section is the correspondence between those formidable cake bakers, Mrs Savins and Mrs Trimble. It was cleverly written, showed great imagination and a wicked sense of humour.

As there were no names attached, I have no idea who wrote any of the essays, but to all the authors, well done.

Congratulations to all who entered the writing competition; a fabulous effort all round!

Cheers,

Maggie

Will Nash (7yrs) who won the primary writing section with this entry:

One day old Mr Scarrabelotti was sun baking on his deck chair when some playful kids were passing by. The kids noticed that Mr Scarrabelotti was outside and they thought it would be fun to ride in his car on a nice day like this.

So, they all hopped in the car but they found there was no key in the ignition. Luckily Carl, the oldest, knew how to pick locks so he was able to start the car without keys. They all went down the road, bouncing around in the back of the car, pretty excited. They got to the top of the hill where they could see a steep view down the hill. It looked fun, but when they got to the very edge of the hill Carl couldn’t find the brake. Nathan said, “Do you know where the brake is?”

“NO!’ shouted Carl. He was stepping around on all sorts of pedals when he got to the accelerator! The car suddenly shot off the edge of the hill. They veered off and the car tipped and they went barrel rolling down the very steep hill, over cow pats and hitting rocks; getting huge dents in the car.

Finally, the car went splashing into the deep, rocky creek. The kids were scared and quickly jumped out of the car windows. They clung onto the car desperately as they scrabbled over to the slippery bank. The friends dried off, trying to hide at least a bit of the damage from their parents ,so that they would not know what had happened to them. But then they realised that their clothes were all torn and muddy. They ran home and had to tell their parents after all.

Their parents were angry and they made the boys get all the money they had in their money boxes to repay and buy a new car for Mr Scarrabelotti.

Mr Scarrabelotti laughed when he heard the news and said he had been going to get rid of the car very soon anyway because the brake didn’t work!

And to this day Mr Scarrabelotti’s car is still in the creek.

A series of ‘fictional letters’  by India Nash won the secondary writing competition

3^rd November 1932

Lot 7 Scarrabelottis Rd,

Nashua

Dear Mrs Trimble,

Following last week’s Nashua cricket game, I feel that I must bring up a rather delicate matter with you.

As you and I are both aware, my husband, Robbie, delivered two of my infamous light-‘n’-fluffy-double-layer-sponge-cakes-with-sugared-passionfruit-and-fresh-cream to your doorstep on the afternoon prior. I would like to emphasise that I personally ensured that my contribution to the day was delivered early, as you requested, simply to avoid any extra exertion on your part.

Considering the effort which I made to prepare these sponges earlier than necessary, I believe that it is more than fair to write this letter to you, to inquire as to what became of the second of my sponge cakes.

While you were once again reprimanding one of your uncontrollable children, I happened to be laying out the cakes. I was, however, shocked when I discovered the second of the tins which had contained my light-‘n’-fluffy-double-layer-sponge-cakes-with-sugared-passionfruit-and-fresh-cream. This tin was empty except for a smear of cream and a few moist crumbs.

Unfortunately for you, it is not only me who is so appalled by this series of events, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Cook and Miss. Cook have all advised me to compose this letter to you and agree that it puts you in a very compromising position.

I do not wish to lay any blame nor make any enemies through this letter. I have written to you only because you are, after all, the only person who has laid hands on it since my husband delivered it to you.

Your friend,

Mrs. Savins.

4^th November 1932

Lot 2 Booyong Rd,

Nashua

Dear Mrs. Savins,

How is your husband? He looked rather unwell when he delivered not two, but one, of your excessive sponges. Please do not think that I am jumping to any conclusions; I simply wish to inform you of your mistake in stating that you personally ensured that the two cakes were delivered to me.

If you try to be more realistic about the matter, you personally ensured nothing except that the cakes made it to Mr. Trimble’s cart.

I think it very unfair to bring Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Cook and Miss. Cook into this matter. If you intend to sabotage your own reputation with your inaccurate claims, that is your choice, but it is highly unnecessary to drag other, perfectly reputable women down with you. Anyways, I spoke to the Cooks only this morning and straightened out the half-truths with which you had been leading them astray. They, Mrs. James and Mrs. Flower now fully agree with me.

As for my “uncontrollable” children, at that time I happened to be tending to my youngest son, as your eldest had pushed him into a fresh cowpat!

Please discuss this matter with Robbie before disgracing yourself further.

Your neighbour,

Mrs. Trimble

6^th November 1932

Lot 7 Scarrabelottis Rd,

Nashua

Dear Mrs Trimble,

How dare you even suggest that my husband would be greedy and deceitful enough as to eat one of my light-‘n’-fluffy-double-layer-sponge-cakes-with-sugared-passionfruit-and-fresh-cream en route to your house?

After your last insulting letter, I did in fact bring up the matter with my husband and it has uncovered a rather adverse new piece of information. Although it will, I’m sure, shock you, I feel that it is something that you should know. So here it is, the real story:

My Robbie set off with two of my cakes on the afternoon before the Cricket Match. As he came through the gate to your property, he happened upon your Charlie and Mr. Johnson, who were fixing the fences. When Robbie called out hello to them, Charlie politely asked why he was calling. Robbie replied that he was bringing my two passionfruit sponges, at which they became remarkably more interested. They then slyly enquired as to whether it was absolutely necessary for both to arrive.

Unaware of what your husband had in mind, he replied that although my light-‘n’-fluffy-double-layer-sponge-cakes-with-sugared-passionfruit-and-fresh-cream would undoubtedly be the most popular cake available, there was sure to be enough food to go around. That, it seems, was enough grounds for them to take the second cake, urging Robbie to go on with the other.

When he came past on his way back down from your house all that remained of Charlie, Mr. Johnson and the stolen cake was the empty tin, lying in the dirt. On the day of the match, my husband, not wanting to cause me any distress, placed the empty tin with the rest of the cakes and slices being laid out.

Please explain to your husband how much trouble he has caused through this rude and unthoughtful act.

Yours,

Mrs. Savins

7^th November 1932

Lot 2 Booyong Rd,

Nashua

Dear Mrs. Savins,

I simply cannot see how you are so sure that you have the real story. I have not been as foolish as you were and instead, I have asked several people for their version of the story.

It seems to me that your perfect Robbie has carefully excluded certain parts of the story-for example, the part where he helps to eat your cake. However, it is not just this, have you not considered the possibility that perhaps he hid the cake to hide the fact that he had eaten it himself?

Taking into account that both my husband and yours were the cause of the disappearance, I think that it is best if we forget the matter entirely and agree not to discuss it anymore. Please, forgive and forget.

Yours,

Mrs. Trimble.

6^th November 1932

Lot 7 Scarrabelottis Rd,

Nashua

Dear Mrs Trimble,

Forgive and forget what?

Your dear friend,

Mrs. Savins.

The Hills of Bangalow: By Michael Douglas – Winner of the open writing section.

Gentle as the call of the morning mist and rain,

Soft and green the fields, and the valley and the plains;

The birds give their gentle song of quietude,

And I am lost in a distant solitude;

My heart now deepened, the hues of the morning glow,

For I am of the hills, the hills of Bangalow.

The grass illuminates with viridescent green,

Trees of fig and wattle, and cedar to the scene;

Wompoo and wren, at home in this special place,

And lowing cattle graze with a gentle grace;

Harmonious as I dream, ‘neath the branches low,

For I am of the hills, the hills of Bangalow.

My home, my home awaits with its warm desire,

The children at the hearth gaze into the fire;

Where verse is shared, and songs of the soul are sung,

Eliot and Yeats, so too the lines of Donne;

Our words, they are alive, our prayers, they are aglow

For I am of the hills, the hills of Bangalow.

Invoke all this beauty, this holy accolade,

For there I lose my soul amid valley and glade;

And I cry into the fields with the morning sun,

For my heart is blessed with wonder unbegun;

My dreams are dancing with joy, my tears how they flow,

For I am of the hills, the hills of Bangalow.

A thousand blessings!

My grandfather is from a small rural locality in the north of County Tipperary, in Ireland.  On the several occasions that I have been there, I am bade farewell with a greeting that oft resonates in my heart:  ‘a thousand blessings upon you!’  Nashua feels a lot like that village -low green hills that embrace the morning mist, lowing cattle, and a people with a richness of story.

In our early days in Nashua back in the late 80s, we had a delightful neighbour, Bob Burnett, who would dutifully – frost, rain or bright sunshine – wander barefoot across the paddock every Saturday morning for a cup of tea. Jean and Bob had been farming the land for 50 years, although talk of pineapples and pigs gave way to more significant yarns of fishing and the ‘off-lawn’ activities of the Bangalow Bowling Club.  They were humble and joyful days, and underlined the warmth of community and a shared sense of neighbourhood.  Both Bob and Jean have since died, and their land is now proudly nurtured by the Haywards and Webbe/Neighbours today.  With the changing dynamic of the hamlet, however, we witness a renewed commitment to all that makes for good community in the broader locality.

Over the past 18 months, the Landcare group have embraced a series of community projects, in an effort to not only beautify the place, but to bring us all together as a community.   Our being here in Nashua has one important common thread – we all have a love for this small patch of earth. We are the present-day custodians of this land, and we all share a desire to treat it with its due respect.  Welcome signs and rainforest gardens now adorn our locality entrances, a means to build our pride, and provide an external sign of the beauty that we aspire to as a community.  Cricket days, history talks, and farm walks have become a part of our community calendar.

The local charity, Rainforest Rescue, has very generously supported this endeavour also.  Over the past year, they have donated more than a thousand trees for community as well as private landowners – replenishing and enriching the fabric of our landscape – not unlike the growing sense of community that appears again emergent.

A thousand trees . . . a thousand blessings.  What a beautiful place that we have!

Michael Douglas

Originally written for the a Nashua landcare newsletter in August 2008

Janice Maple & Duncan Lorimer from Elders Bangalow

Great news for the Nashua Community Cricket Day.

For the 4th year in a row,  we are delighted to announce that Elders Bangalow are sponsoring our now annual community cricket day in Nashua!

A change in team at Elders has seen the new owners Duncan Lorimer and Janice Maple pick up the bat and continue to sponsor Nashua’s main event.

Janice who attended last year’s cricket day with her family invites you to stop by Elders Bangalow and introduce yourself to the team there…or find her at the cricket game again.

‘I love the community feel to the cricket day. This is an important event in Nashua and we are proud to continue with our support!’
Janice Maple

Chris Casagrande

By Victoria Cosford (in the Byron Shire Echo)

Chris and Kaye Casagrande can stretch their avocado season out to nine months of the year because of their two main varieties, Hass and Fuerte. Among the original stallholders at the Byron Farmers Market, the Nashua-based couple grows, apart from their glorious creamy avos, custard apples and citrus, cabbage, pumpkin and potatoes.

‘We use native bees to pollinate our avocados’, Chris told The Echo, ‘With bees you have to move them 3 kms or 3 feet, you have to let them go through a whole generation (of four weeks).. the about a month.’

Chris, born in Jiggi but in in Nashua for the last 15 years, has been farming all his life. He and Kaye restrict themselves to the two farmers markets, Byron and Bangalow.

‘Avocados grow so well in this district’, he told The Echo.

Asked to nominate his favourite way with them, he replied mashed up with cocoa powder and a little lemon – it’s the best chocolate dip you’ve ever tasted in your life!’ He recommends dunking bananas in it or using it as an icing for cakes and says it freezes well.