What a busy start to the year, having only the one weekend off between Christmas and New Year, things have been pretty hectic over the holiday season.
The working bee crew had a good break, but we are back at it now getting a few jobs done in readiness for the Easter Market and it is also our first birthday just before that.
We have had a couple of cruisy Sunday afternoons with Sonic Fusion playing all of our favourite tunes, also on stage we had Gipsy and Slim aka Marguerite and Mick. The Brian Letton concert on the 8th of February also featuring Cactus Martin was held at the Institute and it was well attended with quite a few music lovers coming to check out the Butter Factory before the concert.
Over the hot days we had while open on weekends we were mostly blessed with a cooling breeze later in the afternoon, making a wine on the deck the place to be. Last Saturday with temps well into the thirties we had a Cyanotype workshop in the morning and it really warmed up in the afternoon. So all of the doors were shut and with the “air conditioner” going in the cellar, a reversed 300mil. extractor fan blowing the cool air from the cellar up the dumb waiter shaft, the temperature stayed at 26 degrees in the barrel roof section while outside it was nudging 40 degrees. In the cellar the temp stays at a constant 19 degrees.
On the 15th and 16th of February we had our first food orientated workshops with the Fleurieu Food and Wine team of Jackie and John Mazzocato holding a mozzarella cheese making workshop attended by 31 food lovers. In May, during History Month more mozzarella and butter making workshops are planned for Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of May.
Also during History Month the Milang and District Community Association and Friendly Street Poets, invite listeners and poets to experience an afternoon of poetry and music at the Butter Factory on Sunday 4th from 1.30pm. With a $10 entry fee for slammers for a chance to win $250, plus other prizes. Listeners free.
There are lots of other workshops coming up, a Raffia Coaster Workshop with Danielle from Creative Raffia on the 15th of March at 1pm at the Community Centre.
Two workshops on the 22nd of March, one with Robyn Shearer making Rag Rugs at 10am at the Community Centre. Kathy Smith is holding a Watercolour Scenery Painting at 2pm in the Butter Factory.
Our next concert is on Sunday March 30th at 2pm in the Butter Factory featuring Allan Webster and the Shelley Jones Band bookings through MOSHCC on 85370687. Food and wine will be available from midday.
Already Read Books is still turning the pages, with donations for their books steadily coming in, it’s becoming an institution with the regular local book lovers.
A few weeks ago we had a couple of women sitting across the road in front of the Butter Factory sketching, turns out they were part of a group called Urban Sketchers Fleurieu and were celebrating their first birthday with a stay in the caravan park to sketch all around Milang, a great bunch of very enthusiastic artists, and part of a worldwide community.
On the working bee front we have been busy giving some of the woodwork a second coat of varnish and hope to finish the foyer this week with the help of Ray’s mini scaff. Work on restoring the ‘Knock em Down’ is progressing with the hopes it will be ready for Easter. Talking of Easter don’t forget the Market on Easter Saturday, once again the Butter Factory will be hosting a variety of Artisan’s stalls, hope to see you there.
Cheers
John Bradford.
