Lots happened over April - including a fantastic Easter Twilight Market - and of course the Anzac Day Dawn Service.

The Market joined in the fun of the gather Round, with members of the Torrens Valley Lions FC encouraging youngsters to come and have a go with Auskick. There were some great stalls and of course, a busker (Gordon Wehr with his smooth jazz vibes - one of my favourites).

The Easter Twilight Market was huge - perfect weather and a fantastic atmosphere. We are really lucky that this has become such a feature. The Caravan Park has been full, and we’ve had major horse events, all of which benefits our community. It must be said that some of the aftermath has been less than we would have wanted, with some manure being left (cleaned up later) and the oval bearing the brunt of horses hooves on a soft surface. The council have been notified, and we hope that a solution is found so that the oval fares better for ALL of the users.

The Anzac Dawn Service was again well attended, with the crowd spilling over into the CWA garden, and along the road. There were also over 200 Gunfire Breakfasts served (thank you Men’s Shed and Progress), the SACWA also supplied hundreds of Anzac biscuits. Thank you to all who came along to mark this important commemoration, and than you to all who assisted. President of the Mt Pleasant Gus Van Lakerveld and crew should be proud of the effort they made, and how it was received. More info and photos on the RSL Facebook page.

Voting has been going on for some time, with pre-polling open a while back. It is said that over 6 million people have already voted. We should know by late on the 3rd, which party will govern us for the next 4 years. The Polling Place is again at the school, which I think is a silly place for so many reasons - not the least being that people with mobility issues are not looked after properly, as the parking area is on a slope. Also, most people break the law by parking where they shouldn’t, as there is a single unbroken line along the road outside the school. Not a very safe situation at all. If you have any issues or want to air your opinion on the site of the Polling Place, please contact The Australian Electoral Commission and have your say. You can do it online.

The nights are cooler, but we still have the most glorious weather during the day, which would normally be a good thing - but - until we get decent rains, it’s hard to celebrate. Fingers crossed we get some decent rain in May! Stay warm.

Sort of glad March is over - and it could be because I’m getting older. But then again, it could be because I really wish things could be spread out more. I usually only do WOMADelaide, buy my tickets early, and for for the whole four days with my friend. We stay in town and meet up occasionally for meals, and get to see and experience as many entertainers as possible. This year it was pretty hot, so hot in fact that I didn’t go the last two days. The event area is set up well for heat, but nothing could beat to 40 degree days. The good things was, I saw who I really wanted to see - namely the Bangarra Dance Troupe and Nitin Sawnhey. A couple of the acts I had seen before - Central Australian Women’s Choir, etc - so tried to see new acts. As is always the case, I met a few people and had some great conversations. I always joke that as a family, our superpower is finding connections, and it’s in that we find South Australia really earns it’s big country town status. Next year, I think I’ll try the Fringe.

Paula decided we (the History Room - Mount Pleasant Community Association) should have an entry in the Barossa Vintage Scarecrow competition - to give Clyde from the old Police Station a run for his money (Clyde won last year). Drawing on the experiences of the early settlers, Paula created Tatty Bogle, representing our Scottish heritage. Unlike the rest of the Barossa, Mount Pleasant was settled predominantly by Scottish and English immigrants. Tatty can be seen at the front of the CWA Garden, and if you can, please vote for her (and Clyde!). Just google it and you’ll find a link on the Vintage site.

So, the Show actually did quite well, even though the livestock weren’t represented. Kudos to those who went and supported this great local event.

We have a few things coming up in April - namely Easter at the Market. This year the Market will also join in with the Gather Round Fun - so look out for shenanigans on the 12th, when there will be a ‘Festival of Footy’!

We will also have the Tungkillo Monster Auction on the 13th - not to be missed.

And of course, on the 25th, our RSL will be hosting the annual Anzac Day Dawn Service. Always a solemn event, there will be displays by the local school children, the History Room and the RSL. For those who can’t resist, we’ll have the usual Gunfire Breakfast, and Two Up and Crown and Anchor will be played.

At the end of March, we said farewell to a very popular identity in Barrie Mills. Some of you may not know his name, but I’ll bet you know of him. You may have even stopped for a chat sometime. Barrie could be found at the Bakery (because he loved coffee and cake), he was at the Bowls Club on Thursdays (although he never played bowls), and the Men’s Shed whenever he felt the need (although he never lifted a hammer). Early each month, he would meet up with a group of blokes and enjoy a steak dinner and several glasses of Merlot. We will miss him and his gentle humour and warm personality, and if there is an afterlife, we hope he will be reunited with his lovely wife Marion. Rest in Peace.