Elvis has left the building!!!

ME AND ELVIS



Stuart's cousin Col with his Mustang which he drives in every parade.  You can't see him as it is left hand drive



??? A spiderman Elvis ???



Marilyn Munros 4





The Elvis Car


 Its Sunday afternoon at about 6.30 and nobody could tell that over 12,000 extra people had graced the streets of Parkes for the annual Elvis Festival. There was the occasional very bedraggled, swaying “Elvis” either entering or exiting one of the venues that he frequented all weekend singing and gyrating his hips.
The event commenced on Friday with an Elvis in every club and pub and just as many on the street strutting their stuff. Just in case we missed any music the Council had Elvis music coming from every lightpole up the main street.

Stuart had been up early and set up our stand and as Peter and Sandy came over from Camberra to visit and bring us some stuff left over from the cleanout of Chris’ unit they picked me up from Colin and Robyns house on Friday morning. I had made up some pikelets and we had morning tea before going in to the Market area. The main stage had a full day and evening of events on the calendar and people started arriving. The caravan parks were full and the show grounds were bumper to bumper with every conceivable caravan, motorhome, bus, and tent and it was rumoured that Council were collecting approximately $8,000 per day in rent for sites.

Friday wasn’t all that busy but very steady and Stuart was very happy with the sales. It quietened down after 3 as everyone went over to the railway station to watch the train come in from Sydney. There are about 300 booked on the train which sold out in 22 minutes in August last year. There is an Elvis on every carriage singing and shaking and entertaining and it is a big spectacle when they arrive.

Jeanette (Stuart’s cousin) and husband George invited us to dinner but as Stuart anticipated closing at about 9.00 pm, I went on up and he followed much much later. Peter and Sandy were staying there so we caught up over a few wines and inspected the improvements George has made in the last 12 months to their home.

An Art Show had 33 items entered and all had to have an Elvis theme. Robyn bought one and I would have liked to but I remembered Stuart’s mantra “it it won’t fit in the van don’t buy it” There were some wonderful entries including an Elvis chess set, a profile in black put together with black beads stuck to the canvas, some metal work depicting one of his movies and lots of paintings

Stuart and I went in early on Saturday for and we met up with Peter and Sandy and sat just down from his stand to watch the street parade. I felt it was not as good as last year but still was very good. Lots of Elvi and old cars and American cars.

Later in the afternoon they had the Guinness Book of Records attempt to have the largest number of Elvis Impersonators in one place. Las Vegas currently holds the record with 645 and Parkes had 611 so look out Las Vegas next year.

Sunday morning saw about30 couples renew their vows to Elvis inspired vows and Celebrant and all received an official certificate. In case you’re wondering - No! We didn’t.

When Peter and Sandy were leaving Stuart insisted on me going with them back to our van and resting. I protested but he won out and I had a rest.

We went to “our” Chinese Restaurant with (Jeanette and George who were friends of theirs” that we had had lunch at 2 times before and haven’t had a better chinese meal anywhere. We said our sad goodbys to them and went home where we both fell into bed and were asleep in minutes.

We said goodbye to Colin and Robyn and thanked them with a couple of bottles of wine for their hospitality and headed for guyra.

We stayed at a camp about17kms east of gunnadah and joined about 12 other vans in the pouring rain.  It did ease up after a while but rained fairly consistentlay all night.
After stocking up on groceries in Tamworth at the local shopping centre we saw an ad to say that Chad Morgan was appearing there most days through the Country Music Festival.  Would he be close to 80 by now???? How many years since his hit "Shiek of Scrubby Creek" which he wrote about the local creek at Walkerston where he grew up.
Have now arrived at Guyra and the weather isn't promising with a constant drizzle but we don't start til Friday so have booked into the "Show Grounds Hilton" for a couple of night at $10 per night.  I would like to wash but if I do I will probably have to take the clothes to the laundrymat to dry them.
What a disaster in Queensland with Toowoomba and Brisbane and Ipswich all flooding.
The Caseys are packed and may have to move from Fig Tree Pocket and Brett and Katrina and the kids have been given instructions by Council on where to go.  I hope it isn't during the night.  They have got all their stuff packed and ready to go if necessary, but I really feel for them.  At least they are safe for the while and I will be keeping an eye on the news for the next 24 hours.