One of my favourite things to do is to go to a local market and talk to the vendors about their products and the story behind them.
I recently came across a group of more senior gentlemen with a love of woodwork. They made beautiful handcrafted gifts of pepper grinders, bowls and other the like. I asked them about their wares and one fella said with a smile, “Oh my wife said I needed to clean up the garage so here we are.” I looked at the beautiful lines engraved in the wooden coasters and naively asked if he used a soldering iron. With a grin and a wicked glint in his eye he said, “nah I attach a couple of cables to a microwave generator and see what happens!”. While I suspect there is a little more expertise to this craft than what our senior friend was letting on, the result is a truly unique piece of art that looks like lightning has struck it.
I feel privileged to be able to walk among the community markets again, as 2020 has been a long hard road for everyone. The many small businesses that rely on local people supporting them by choosing to shop local, shop small and shop Australian made, have been doing it tough.
Throughout the coming weeks we will be celebrating you and your stories. We love the uniquely Australian originality and sense of humour. Looking forward to talking to more of you and enjoying your ideas and creativity.
Say Hi to your neighbour,
The Local Side Team
