REMEMBER THE SMELL of hot pies warming in the pie warmer of the school canteen? Irresistible!

Everyone had their favourite school pie: in Warrnambool it was usually a Chitticks. In Port Fairy, Cobbs pies. In Mortlake, Clarke’s. In Timboon, the Timboon bakery…

For those lucky enough to be able to “buy their lunch” – wow! – the canteen ladies (and they were all ladies) would squirt the pie with a squiggle of tomato sauce (it was free) and slip it into a crunchy brown paper bag ready for it to be devoured while sitting on a bench in the shelter shed.

Some of us may have even had a pie AND a finger bun.

And to think, there was no such thing as childhood obesity back then – we just ran it all off.

Each week we post a gem from Gumtree – the online buy, sell, swap site – that is odd, unusual or just plain different. Most items are for sale in South-West Victoria or not far beyond.

If you would like to follow up on an advert, please do so through Gumtree.

Here is this week’s offering:

[box] Still works -needs some tightening up – only selling because I’m too short for the lowest setting! Buyer to dig up and remove. I think it folds up some how. $60.[/box]

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”]F[/dropcap]or every fantastic community event, there is usually a band of hardworking, energetic, enthusiastic and lowly paid band of volunteers keeping it alive.

Look behind the scenes of many of the wonderful events happening around Port Fairy-Crossley at the moment, and there is fair bet that you will see Carol McDonald in there somewhere, helping out in some way.

The indefatigable Carol is technically ‘retired’, but she is not one to slip into her slippers and watch daytime television. Instead, she has become an invaluable supporter of the local arts community, particular through her involvement in the Port Fairy Ex Libris Festival of Words, held a fortnight ago, and the women’s community choir, the Red Tent Singers, who perform regularly throughout the South-West.

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] M [/dropcap]ost recently, however, Carol has been the driving force behind the wonderful Fifteen Minutes of Fame nights held on the first Friday of the month at the St Brigid’s Church community hall at Crossley. Carol and her team of volunteers have created an opportunity for newcomers to show their talents, and for more seasoned performers to reach a new audience, while providing a relaxed and entertaining night out for the audience. The hall is always crowded and each event helps to raise funds for the church building, which is community owned and operated by the Friends of St Brigid’s.

Carol loves a laugh, loves a champagne and loves to spread her energy to the benefit of others and so she is our very worthy third quiet hero.

Bluestone Magazine is donating a voucher for coffee and cake to each of our quiet heroes. This week it will be at Slitti Cafe, Bank St, Port Fairy.

If you have been following this section, you will know that given we are called Bluestone, we thought it only fitting that each week we dig out a track that has the word ‘blue’ in its lyrics or title.

What better way to start the working week than with some music?

So click play and let the voice of the late, great Etta James ease you into the week.

(We have chosen this version to save you having to watch the Youtube ads)

Given we are Bluestone, each week we are going to dig out a track for our Blue tunes – songs that have the word ‘blue’ in their lyrics or title.

Last week we kicked off with a classic track from Linda Ronstadt.

This week, something very chilled…a cover version of the New Order song, Blue Monday, by the wonderful Flunk.

(We have chosen this version to save you having to watch the Youtube ads)