On Saturday, 27 February, I had the pleasure of attending the many stalls and
exhibitions at the Heywood Wood, Wine and Roses Festival, as well as having the
opportunity to assist in the judging of the street parade floats. As reported in
the Hamilton Spectator, around 12 000 people attended the festival, which was an
excellent result. Visitors came from far and wide, including from Melbourne,
Geelong, Echuca, South Australia and Warrnambool. It is always a pleasure to be
in Heywood, but particularly so on the special weekend of the Heywood Wood, Wine
and Roses Festival.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those
involved in the festival, particularly those who spent many hours on the
fantastic floats.
The young people of the Heywood district excelled with their
wonderful imaginations, with Heywood Consolidated School, Narrawong Primary
School, and Heywood and District Secondary College receiving first place,
runner-up and a high commendation for their floats.
I would like to mention also the long hours and hard work of
the festival’s committee and volunteers, particularly president Elaine Evans,
event organiser Ross Barclay and parade co-announcer Terry Grant. It is their
time and effort that make this festival possible and a real drawcard for the
district.
