Visitors to Queenscliffe this month may see colourful swans popping up in unusual places. 
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Community members and local artists have been tasked with adding their own creative touches to porcelain swans, for display in shop windows and elsewhere in our twin towns. 

The novel project is part of the Queenscliffe Literature Festival (QLF), and in keeping with this year’s theme, encourages people to ‘take time to think’ a little differently.

“With swans already being part of our brand I thought how fabulous would it be to do something that would connect creativity and community as an installation and window displays, the same way that writing and reading and literature connects creativity and community,” said QLF committee member Collette Stewart. 

“They’re called the QLF swans and they’re a mix of re-vamped and up-cycled swans and beautiful vintage originals.”

Collette purchased the swans, of all shapes and sizes, online. Residents and local artists were then invited to a Neighbourhood House up-cycling.

Among the participating artists is award-winning illustrator Anne Spudvilas, who used sketches from her own aptly-titled book, Swan Lake.

“I think one of the fascinating things about doing this is watching the different types of swans come back because each one is very individual,” said Collete. “Everyone has a different twist of creativity or just a different thought process. And that’s one of the most exciting things, watching that connection between creativity and community.

Through a selection of oil paintings, sketches and etchings, Soula Mantalvanos will this month take visitors to the Queenscliff Gallery on a special journey through Venice. But not the “touristy” Venice we have come to know. Soula’s Venice  reflects her own cultural heritage, travels and life experiences.

"My works are all drawn on location in various areas of Venice. These reflect a longer, more personal relationship with the city,” she says. “The colours are deeper, richer, less representative of that first bedazzled side of Venice, where you see just the gold bits.

“I'm familiar with the surrounds, the works are far more intimate and reflective of a richer experience.” 
Soula is teaming up with renowned painter and print-maker Jim Pavlidis for a special exhibition at the gallery she owns with husband Theo, titled ‘Here and There'. And just a few days out from the show, she is still busily creating more pieces.

"After saying to myself, 'ok, that's enough, surely you're done with Venice Soula', all I can think of is being back there again. Venice satisfies my love for eccentric characterisation, it's a stage set.” 

Beginning her professional career as creative director of her own design company ooi.com.au, Soula has previously exhibited  at various Melbourne galleries. 

Her love for both design and the visual arts is reprersented through whimsical characters, spiritual icons, building facades and streetscapes.

"And clothes lines! That's the face of Venice for me, sorry, no gondolas," she says.
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‘Here and There’ opens at Queenscliff Gallery on March 16 and runs until April 9.

A new business consortium aims to reinvigorate Queenscliffe’s business landscape by targeting empty shops and transforming them into new hospitality enterprises. 

The group, headed by 360Q restaurant owner Barry Iddles, has already opened its new Wharf Street Panty, in the former LIX retail space at Queenscliff Harbour, and will soon turn its attention to the much-loved Hesse Street eatery Shelter Shed. 

According to Mr Iddles, the new company - made up of current and former colleagues - was formed on the back of concern for the town's business future - a key driver of tourism and employment. 

“We were discussing how there were shops empty or hardly open when the harbour approached us to take over the vacant shop LIX. We saw it as a great opportunity to create a joint venture, Queenscliff Hospitality Pty Ltd, and set out to reinvigorate our great town,” Mr Iddles said. 

“The Shelter Shed was also on the market so we snapped it up. It is such a beautiful venue, we will breathe some life back into it as soon as the lease is signed.

A third acquisition was also potentially in the pipeline, Mr Iddles said. 

“I am so proud of my team. We all hate seeing empty shops."

While figures show tourism visitation has bounced back, several business owners are still reeling from the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions and subsequent staffing shortages. Two shops in central Hesse Street remain vacant after more than two years.

Mr Iddles said the new company’s vision was to ensure Queenscliff was “open”, with consistent trading hours and a renewed energy.  

“We are a tourist town… we need to get the whole town, businesses, to be excited about what they do,” he said. That means open and trading all public holidays, long weekends - with a surcharge for public holiday trading. 

"I employ 45 staff and our payroll is huge on public holidays but we would never consider closing these days. It is a service to the community and our tourists.”

Mr Iddles has been a driving force behind recruiting retirees and pensioners to help alleviate staffing pressures and was keynote speaker at a Victorian Tourism Industry Council forum on the benefits of employing a mature workforce. 

His growing workforce will work across the three venues.

"I'm a great believer in the law of attraction. If you get up every day of the week and say 'there's no workers' you're not going to attract them," He told the forum. 

"Our integenerational team ranges between the age of 15 and 78, so we've now got a broad spectrum of people.
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  "The comraderie between my team is incredible. It's given them a new lease of life, as in everyone learns from everyone else," he said.

For some 70 years - from 1853 - Tasmanian Steam Navigation vessels would pass by Queenscliffe’s shore enrolee from Hobart and Launceston to Melbourne.
 
Now, reminders of the long- since defunct company grace beautiful hand-made mosaics that give a nod to our region’s rich heritage. 

From a kitchen table inside one of Queenscliff’s most stately heritage homes, artist Camilla Watson creates plates, bowls and garden ornaments from broken pieces of crockery and glassware, including remnants of local shipwrecks.

Around her, the trained art teacher delves into buckets full of small treasures. There’s a bucket just for pieces from shipwrecks and others filled with pieces donated by family and friends, dug up in local gardens and broken cups and plates from former grand guest houses - including the Baillieu family-owned Ozone Hotel and the Grand Hotel - now the Vue Grand. 
     
“I get so excited when I find something, I just lose myself in the process and I get transported to that age,” Watson says. “It takes over, I just wanted to get started and make something straight away. 

“I will see something, an old company logo on a plate, a flower on a teacup and I will make that a hero piece and work around it.

“I try to be faithful to the history of that remnant,” she says. 
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Watson’s mosaics can be found at Queenscliff Harbour’s House Warming and online. She is currently taking bookings for upcoming classes from her local studio. Details can be found at  and online at;  madebymill.stokedev.cc/about-us/

Photos courtesy Tom Gelai

An idea by a group of local women to host a small fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees has ended up attracting upwards of 150 people and raising more than $11,000.

Denise Provan helped to organise the June 9 event after feeling a sense of helplessness for those impacted by Russia's invaaion of their country.

It was held at Suma Park estate, owned by Denise and husband Barry.

“At the beginning it was going to be drinks in my home, and then my husband suggested we have it at Suma [Park]... which was terrific because it meant we could invite a lot more," said Denise.

“And then we went around to ask local businesses for donations of either raffle prizes or wine, and I have to say everyone was so supportive. I hardly got the words out, and they would say ‘what do you want, what can we give you?’”

Over 200 tickets were sold, but with COVID-19- related cancellations, around 150 people attended, raising $11,700 – all of which will be used to be donated to causes assisting Ukrainian women and children who have been forced to flee their country. 

“We just had no trouble selling, in fact we had to print more tickets in the end,” Mrs Provan said.  “Everybody was just so generous and so kind.
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Contributing businesses included Pasquinis, Lon Retreat, RT Edgar, Citrine, QT Traders, Sukii, IGA and  Merne

Queenscliff Music Festival organisers will turn their attention to November’s major event, before deciding whether or not to stage another By the Pier Festival.

The smaller three-day event, staged for the first time over the last weekend of March,  which has been hailed a success, attracted upwards of 2,500 people to the town.

“We're really happy with how everything went. We even managed to get the weather right for this one,” said QMF Director Andrew Orvis.

“There were lots of happy people, artists, crew and volunteers that enjoyed the return of live music to the festival stage in Queenscliff. We had approximately 2,500 people through over the weekend. We're really happy with that result for a first-time festival and with everything that's happened over the last couple of years.”

Mr Orvis said while there were always a few areas for improvement, By the Pier succeeded in its twin aims of bringing live music back to the town and giving artists a leg up after two years of limited performances.
Twenty-three acts – largely targeted at a younger audience - performed across the three days, with acclaimed singer Vera Blue providing a powerhouse Sunday night performance to a packed audience to close out the show.

“There were lots of really happy artists back doing what they love,” said Mr Orvis. “One of the big reasons for doing this event was to get artists back on stage, crew back working, vendors back trading, and people back to Queenscliff.
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“We'll look at all the feedback in the coming weeks… we’re going to wrap this year’s up, get cracking on QMF for November 25-27 this year, and then we'll have a look at what the future holds.
“We've also got some great shows coming up in the Queenscliff Town Hall that are worth checking out,” he said.

Who would have thought that the Rolling Pin Bakery’s nationally-acclaimed pies were actually soared powered!

The Queenscliff bakery is among local businesses and organisations at the forefront of efforts to address climate change to feature in a new documentary, aimed at inspiring other communities across Australia.

The Climate Council, which is producing the documentary, chose to highlight Queenscliffe after it was recognised in December with a national award for its commitment to reducing carbon emissions through its Climate Emergency Response Plan (CERP).

Among those interviewed during two days of filming last month were Mayor Ross Ebbels and Queenscliffe Climate Action Group (QCAG) founder Kitty Walker.

Others included Nathan Ulph, owner of the Point Lonsdale Health and Wellness Clinic, which has transitioned to 100 percent renewable energy, members of the Queenscliffe Neighbourhood House Boomerang Bag initiative, who since forming have sewn and made freely-available hundreds of reusable fabric bags, and Point Lonsdale Boardriders Club Vice President Rodney Nicholson.

“For a bit of fun, Queenscliff's Rolling Pin Bakery gave away a few free pies to punters willing to chow down on camera to show that they were consuming solar powered pies - much to the entertainment of the small crowd who gathered on Hesse Street to watch,” said Ms Walker.

“[We] had planned a major, all-in 'Sea of Red' activation to highlight erosion issues at dog beach but, in light of high COVID-numbers, decided to cancel.

“The response received by community members wanting to show up in red and take part in the film was inspiring and QCAG were gutted not to be able to go ahead, deciding to create a small moment with QCAG Committee Members and their families instead,” she said.

The documentary is an initiative of the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership (CPP) – Australia’s largest network of local councils, including Queenscliffe, who have committed to a zero emissions future.

"As a national organisation that's working with over 165 communities from across Australia to tackle climate change, the community of Queenscliffe is an absolute stand out,” said CPP director Dr Portia Odell.

“The level of enthusiasm, innovation and collaboration across community groups, local businesses, council and individuals is truly inspiring. That’s why, to make our next video highlighting local action on climate, we chose to focus on the Borough of Queenscliffe. “From solar powered bakeries and health clinics, to a genuine partnership with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, Queenscliffe is leading the charge to a sustainable and healthy future," Dr Odell said.
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The Queenscliffe CERP, adopted in May last year, includes 49 separate actions and a commitment to transition to a zero carbon community by 2031.

Home grown band Bones and Jones have been a little luckier than some others during the pandemic, according to founding member Jasper Jolly.

“We chose to release some songs every month and stream them during the first lockdown and then we had a bunch of shows scheduled and it just so happened that they were for the two months that there was no lockdowns, so we’ve kind of managed to dodge COVID a bit," Jolly said.

Nevertheless, when the five-piece outfit finally takes to the stage next month at Queenscliff’s much-anticipated By the Pier Festival, it will have been many weeks between live gigs.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I think it was meant to be our sixth show of the year, but instead it will be our first now.,” said lead vocalist Jolly. “It will be great to be playing live again, we’ve got a bunch of new songs that we’re going to play and it will be good to get the year going.

“It’s great that there’s going to be a festival again for young people to go to.”

Pandemic setbacks aside, the band – best friends from Ocean Grove, Geelong and Surf Coast - have been on a steady climb since coming together in secondary school. Their dynamic live shows have been described as a “must see,” their first album ‘Living Given’ was picked up by Triple J and the band named one of the station’s ‘Top 5 Victorian bands to keep an eye on.’

Despite their youth - the oldest member is just 23 – the band also notched up an impressive resumè of performances at festivals and live venues across the country and alongside distinguished international and Australian artists.

“We started writing songs when we were pretty young, the five of us were inspired by Creedence and the Beetles and those types of bands and we’ve kind of grown from there,” said Jolly. “We all write differently from song to song but everybody’s has got input to throw in.”

Having first performed at the Queenscliff Music Festival, where Bones and Jones was awarded an emerging talent grant, Jolly welcomed By the Pier’s focus on a younger demographic of music lovers.

The Bellarine in its entirety was fast becoming an important player in the industry, he said. A new seven inch album to be released this month, a collaboration with Folk Bitch, was produced entirely from Bonsai Records, his partner’s Wallington-based recording studio.

 “I grew up playing at Queenscliff so it’s good to see that shift. Music has really grown across the Bellarine over the past 10 years and the festival probably played a big part in all of that,” Jolly said. “And with the Point Lonsdale Arts Collective and the events they are running at New Hall, and with more people living down on the coast every year, there’s definitely a growing crowd for it.”

The inaugural By The Pier Festival will run from March 25 to 27.  
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The lineup also includes Vera Blue, Client Liaison, San Cisco, Julia Stone, Briggs, Electric Fields, Jarryd James, Harvey Sutherland, Thandi Phoenix, Kim Churchill , Pierce Brothers, Sam Teskey, Didirri, Southern River Band,Telenova, Mama Kin Spender, Ryan Downey, Maple Glider, Cry Baby, Isabella Khalife, Hassall + Weekend and DJs Chook & Moluck.

Brightly coloured scallop shells are hanging from the windows of homes on Queenscliff’s Fisherman Flat as a sign of good things to come. 

The shells have been hand-painted by sisters Rihanna and Tahlia Mercieca, reviving a local fishing tradition.

“Spring was traditionally a time of hope and prosperity for the fishing families on the Flat. It meant fish and shellfish were plentiful, bills were paid and they could look to the future with hope,” said local historian and fellow Flat’s resident Maggie Stowers. 

“Some fishermen decorated their houses with scallop shells. So we came up with an idea to decorate scallop shells and offer them to the residents of the Flat to brighten their houses and bring a little bit of hope.”

Rihanna and Tahlia - St Aloysius Primary School students - collected, scrubbed and decorated the shells during the recent school holidays with some help from their parents. 
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“It took many hours to create the beautiful artwork on the shells, and they look stunning in the windows and on the houses. The project has brought hope and happiness to the Flat,” said Mrs Stowers.
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Organisers of Queenscliff’s annual Sacred Edge Festival have announced it is “full steam ahead” for next month's event.

Normally staged in May, the three-day Queenscliffe Uniting Church (QUC) celebration of diversity – has been pushed back to avoid missing a second straight year.

This year’s theme is ‘Delving deep into diversity.'

“We are excited about the unique and unfolding line up of musicians, story tellers and poets. Many of our booked artists for the [cancelled] 2020 festival are available for the 2021 dates, but there are some new surprises as well,” said spokesperson and QUC Reverend Kerrie Lingham.

Upwards of 30 presenters, artists and performers come from a range of backgrounds, including indigenous, refugee and LGBTIQ.

The initial line up includes award winning writer, speaker and educator Joel McKerrow, regarded as one of Australia’s most successful performance poets. 

Victoria’s Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Ro Allen and CSIRO Chief Research Scientist and internationally recognised climate change expert David Karoly will be among keynote speakers.

Others include Somalian-born refugee and multilingual writer Awale Ahmed, Indigenous musician Scott Darlow, environmental campaigner Claire Dunn, Australia’s leading klezmer violinist Ernie Gruner and leading refugee advocate Jeanine Hourani.

“Sacrededge is our response to a sometimes harsh and fearful world. It is an opportunity to connect with people from diverse backgrounds,” said Rev Lingham. “Rather than debate and argue about issues Q&A style, this unique festival listens to people from the edge… their stories, music, poetry.

“Our presenters, artists & performers come from a range of backgrounds – Indigenous, Refugee, LGBTIQ folk, Carers for the Earth and Ocean. They are the voices from the edge who are vulnerable and not normally heard,” said Rev. Lingham.
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Sacrededge will run from September 3-5. Booking details can be found online
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“Geelong is such an amazing place for success stories”, and one of those who has achieved more than most, has a mission to tell them.  
 
Through a new podcast series, AFL great Barry Stoneham is exploring what and who are responsible for making this region the fastest growing in Australia.

From business and tourism, to politics, art and of course sports - ‘City of dreams’ sees the former Cats captain and Point Lonsdale resident chatting with notable locals to learn what it is they do and why they live where they live. 

Russ Watson, owner of the hugely-popular ‘The Whiskery’, Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher and Lon Retreat owner Claire Gemes are among those to have featured in the podcast’s first episodes. 

“There’s plenty of stories around a huge amount of content,” he says. “I think having lived here, especially being here full time last year, I hear some good stories and have a good knowledge of what’s going on around the region, stories that others may not necessarily know.

“A lot of people have made a success of what they’re doing in a whole range of areas, and I don’t just mean high profile people,” Barry said. 

Born and educated in Geelong, Barry played 241 games with Geelong and captained the side between 1995 and 98. He was named best-and-fairest award in 1990, and made the All-Australian team in 1992 and represented Victoria seven times. He was also named at centre half-forward in Geelong’s Team of the Century.

And while he retains strong links with the club, his interests and connections run far deeper. 

“I don’t pretend to know a lot about the arts, but I’m interested in some of the people and stories and this region boasts some of the best galleries anywhere, whether it be Salt right here, or Boom or through the Geelong Arts Centre, it’s one of those areas where I personally want to know more and want to share those stories,” Barry said.

“There’s also tourism, which is such a big part of the region, and business - there are people who were maybe born and raised here, started a business or have achieved in other ways. There’s so much to talk about.

“Having lived and worked in Melbourne in recent years, when you talk to your work colleagues about Geelong, they aren’t aware of some of the stories. There are people who think it’s still a long way away and once they get down here and see what’s on offer, I changes their mindset.” 

The timing for the podcast could not be better, with the pandemic and low interest rates driving an influx of newcomers to the region. 

For Barry, who moved to Point Lonsdale permanently just over 12 months ago having loved and being a frequent visitor over many years, 2020 served as a reminder of just how special this part of the world is. 
 
“Lonnie has always been special, I have close friends down here and have been coming for many years. Me and [partner] Leanne brought a place four years ago but moving down and living here over the last 12 months, you just appreciate it more.  

“And that’s sort of where the idea for the podcast came from. I just sort of thought, hang on, there’s a lot more to this place than meets the eye.”
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The City of Dreams podcast series is available on Spotify via the City of Dreams Instagram page - cityofdreams.podcast

COVID-19 encouraged many people to look inwards and find new perspectives of home and surroundings. Queenscliff-based artist David Beaumont used the time to forge new relationships with the natural landscapes that he is continuously drawn to.

In his latest exhibition ‘Here And There’, Beaumont reinvents those landscapes that frequently inspire his work. Through a new found perspective, he re-captures the beauty and power of his local Swan Bay and the Rip, and one of his favourite destinations, Lake Mungo. 

His signature style of boundary pushing abstraction invites viewers to embrace their imagination, while his chosen palette encourages recognition of the silence, subtlety and nuance of the environments.

“It really wasn’t until covid came along that I started to stalk the Rip more intently - early mornings and late at night… particularly during autumn, winter and early spring,” Beaumont said. 

“During those darker months something opened up and the paintings that will be in this show, they’ve got a streak, a moodiness to them… this hardship beauty that the Rip has.”   

‘Here and There’ also features new sculptures that beautifully compliment his latest collection of paintings. 
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‘Here And There’ will officially open at Salt Contemporary on Sunday 27th December from 2pm and the exhibition will continue through to the 7th January.

An art exhibition with a difference will be held later this month - restrictions permitting - capturing the creativity of locals in lockdown. 

The ‘Magic Show,’ an initiative of Point Lonsdale’s Lighthouse Arts Collective, is aimed at promoting community connection.

Upwards of 100 entrants have paid $20 to take part in the show. They have each received an A3 piece of paper to create their very own artwork, using any medium. 

“At the heart of the project is a desire to promote community connection and provide a hopeful and creative focus during lockdown and this topsy turvy time,” said the Collective’s Suzie Wylie.

“It was important to us that the invitation to participate was simple and engaging - by providing the essential material (the paper) and by ensuring participants had complete creative freedom, we hoped the nature of the project would capture the imaginations of our community, from those that consider themselves creative to those that don’t.”

Ms Wylie said the project was the brainchild of a collective community member. 

“It developed quickly and joyously and was announced to the community the following week. Good ideas are sometimes like that - Magic!”

“We have been overwhelmed by the response. The enthusiasm around the project has been so energising, and so heartwarming especially at a time when so much of what the collective had in place for 2020 has had to be postponed or cancelled,” Ms Wylie said. 

Participants have been given four weeks to create their works at home. They will be submitted by September 21 - which coincides the end to current stage three restrictions - and will subsequently be displayed in the Collective’s New Hall when it it safe to do so. 

“If this is not doable in the foreseeable future we will come up with a creative online way for the project and it's participants to be celebrated,” said Ms Wylie. 
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The Collective is among many groups within the arts community to have been hard hit by the pandemic. Proceeds from the entry fee and the sale of works will help with the staging of future events.

The draft design of Queenscliff’s long-awaited $5.75 million Cultural Hub redevelopment has been released for public feedback. 

Created by award-winning architects Kerstin Thompson, the design incorporates the Queenscliff Library, Museum and Visitor Information Centre under one roof. 

The library’s heritage façade is retained, however the two level rear section of the proposed development will include a modern new layout, with public spaces for meetings and lectures. 

“This is a design that reflects feedback from our community, the tenants and incorporates input from our award-winning architects,” said Mayor Ross Ebbels. “We hope residents will let us know what they think of the design for this exciting new community hub.” 

One of the more controversial elements of the design is a new verandah extending beyond the building’s façade and over the Hesse Street footpath.

The Hub, which has been on the Queenscliffe’ Council’s wish list for close to a decade, became a reality when the State Government transferred funding to the project from the now shelved Destination Queenscliffe. 

The Federal Government and BoQ have also contributed funding. Construction is expected to begin in October.
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The design can be found on the BoQ webpage. Community submissions close on Sunday June 7.

Local art galleries are gearing up to play an important role in welcoming visitors back to our towns, with three significant exhibitions launching in coming days.
 
After 10 weeks in lock down, Salt Contemporary is preparing to throw open its doors to a show of new paintings by Craig Parnaby, depicting the simple pleasures of life by the beach. 

“Craig’s paintings capture moments in time that are oh so familiar - a carefree bike ride, catching a wave with a friend, an afternoon spent lazing on a beach,” said Salt Director Fiona Kelly. 

“These are the moments that up until recently we have perhaps taken for granted and yet it is precisely these moments that many of us have found ourselves looking forward to and yearning for. 

“Through their work artists can challenge us to pause and reflect, to see the world a little differently.  Through his art Craig Parnaby creates a world that is calm, gentle and uncomplicated and there’s never been a better time to strive for such a world,” Kelly said.

Similarly, important themes for this time will be celebrated at Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop, in an exhibition of works - sculptures, drawings, prints and lithography - by good friends of many decades, Robert Hague, Peter Lancaster, Jim Pavlidis and Geoffrey Riccardo celebrating mateship. 

“The four men’s friendship and artistic expression are forged in continuity,” said the QG&W’s Soula Mantalvanos. “Their homes, studio environments and materials are testimony to timelessness and resilience - a bulwark against the advances of technology… and proof that living and working without succumbing to unnecessary change is still possible. 

Meantime, a new-look Seaview will turn to some of its favourite artists to brighten the spirits of locals and visitors alike. 
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“We have refurbished with new carpet and some paintwork and are looking forward to being open again,” said owner Colleen Kenwood.