We went to lunch at All Saints Estate recently. The restaurant is called The Terrace and in the past was in a permanent marquis type structure. But they are undergoing some major renovations and so the restaurant has moved to their events hall. This is a large hall, lined with wine barrels that are still in use.
Why was this a trigger? Well, 22 years ago our daughter was married at All Saints Estate in their rose garden, with the reception in this very hall. While the marriage did not last, it was interesting to look around and try to remember it as it was set up for the occasion. I could not work out whether it looked bigger or smaller. It was hard to picture how we had set up the venue. Memories from the past are not always as clear as we expect. And the layout as a restaurant and tasting room were a far cry from a wedding reception arrangement, overshadowing what it would have looked like many years ago.
Northeast Victoria
But there is even more.
Our daughter had met her husband in Wodonga; his family came from Yackandandah; they bought their first home in Chiltern.
The weekend after our lunch in Wahgunyah we had a visit from my sister-in-law, escaping Melbourne for the first time. She had some business to conduct in the area, as well as wanting to spend some time with us. The areas she wanted to visit from a business perspective were Wodonga and Chiltern. Then she wanted to visit Beechworth, with signs to Yackandandah along the route from Chiltern to Beechworth. A long day in the car with her but seeing places and place names from twenty years ago.
So in the space of five days I visited and saw much from our daughter’s past.
Ballet
Is this one a trigger? I am not sure. But maybe. Perhaps though it is just history repeating itself.
I have just been speaking with our granddaughter who had some news. She has been accepted into an elite dance program at her local ballet school. This effectively involves full-time ballet/dance. Schooling is by negotiation with her local secondary school, or distance schooling. A lot of discipline required to keep up the studies while spending much of every day at the dance school.
Why is this a trigger – or history repeating itself? Our daughter, her mother, also attended an elite dance program from around the same age. The advantage our daughter had was the school she attended had a program in place for the young people involved in elite dance training. In years 8-9 two of their elective subjects were dance, and in year 10, three subjects were dance. Their sport was dance rather than school-based sport activities. They spent four afternoons a week at dance classes, so only spent one full day a week at school. Add to this all-day Saturday every week, and often Sunday as well if there was a visiting dance teacher.
I am yet to find out more of the details of what is involved for our young granddaughter. It does seem after trying lots of different activities she has at last found an activity she is passionate about.
Joy Shirley
November 2021