The early-70s buildings remain largely intact, although a small side balcony had an alarming lean to it, unfortunate retro-fit conduit tubes line the outside, and ugly Government Sports signage mars one entrance. But I followed the age-old optimism of photo buddy Frith “we’ll shoot around it”! The BreastScan bus proved a slightly distracting imposition – who could dream-up a more contrasting image: girly pink with brutalist grey concrete?

More local Iwanoff’s here.

Well it did provide a photo opportunity, and the chance to blow the cobwebs out of the Tbird. I vetoed taking the roof off the car – it was teeth-chatteringly cold yesterday in the Hills. And the sausage rolls proved to be pretty good handwarmers.

Right across the road is the Buffalo Club. How do you get into a ‘lodge’ anyway? Not that they have a dapper doorman on duty or anything. Or anyone sporting a fez.

And the Scooter geezers were out for a run too.

We dropped into the fab il Cibo for a coffee and friand. A lovely afternoon.

The Annual Cranksters Pipeline Picnic run to Mundaring is this Sunday, and it’s also the last day of the Guy Grey-Smith Exhibition at the Mundaring Arts Centre – right across the highway on the corner of Nichol St.

So, when the talk about V8s and bearing sizes begins to bore, pop over to the Exhibition for a rare chance to see a body of Guy Grey-Smith’s work, a wonderful artist and long-term resident of the Hills before his death 30 years ago. I’ve always wanted a Grey-Smith painting, and a Howard Taylor sculpture for the front garden, but both remain ‘pipe dreams’.

Yep, we know how to do fly-in, fly-out. Last weekend, we descended on Melbourne, partly for the Victorian Hot Rod Show (which Paul has covered – very well covered – here), but any visit to Melbourne is also a chance for design inspiration, shopping destinations and savings elimination. And a chance Power Rangers sighting.

We stayed at the funky new Blackman Hotel. I’d recommend it if you prefer to shun big-hotel-blandness. Tucked off leafy St Kilda Rd, it’s a stone’s throw (or a couple of tram stops) from the city, but very accessible to St Kilda, Chapel St, High St, etc. Great views from our 16th floor balcony.

A slash-and-burn trip thru Gertrude/Smith/Brunswick Sts precinct yielded a cool addition to my mid-century ceramics collection from Twenty21, and visits to Angelucci, Cerca, 3rd Drawer Down, Little Creatures for lunch, and other points in between.

St Kilda for breakfast Sunday morning, then home. Pass the Berocca, please.

Back to work today, and battling to get out of first gear!

It’s great to escape the computer screen and take the Electra Hawaii cruiser for a quick ride around Perry Lakes, to the beach or for a coffee.

Just have to remember to change into flat shoes first.

There were tales of last-minute spit and polish, a bomb-scare evacuation, and the artist even hanging his own paintings, but the opening of Outré Gallery Perth on Friday night went off with a Shebang!

It’s a great thing to have Shag ~ aka Mr Josh Agle ~ in Perth again, and he was at his amusing, bon vivant best (well, we were well-lubricated, esp. after some cocktail indulgence at Deville’s).

Check out the new 260 William St space and the exhibition ‘Inscrutable Mystery Guide’ – the paintings must be viewed in full panoramic splendor. It’s up for 3 weeks.

Snorkelling and swimming with my nephews on the long weekend was great.