I can’t believe where the year has gone. So much for the promises of a great recovery in 2025. In my 55 years of contracting I have never gone through a tougher year. It has been very hard to keep everyone employed. We have managed to do so, but it has been hard. But then you look on the positive side of things and what we have to look forward to.

Spring time is coming along, summer holidays are on the horizon and we're living in the greatest country in the world with so much to offer. And then thoughts of what I am going to buy my grandchildren for Christmas. I’ve recently read a good book about fishing: catching fish, different sorts of fishing rods, how to bait a fishing line and the grand prize of it all, how to cook the fish. So, I bought half a dozen copies and they will be distributed among my grandchildren. I can promise you something, I certainly won’t be buying them any plastic toys or crap like that.
I was brought up in a different world as so many of us were, creating our lives of fun and adventure down at the Devonport Yacht Club, Duder's Beach and Torpedo Bay, sailing beaten-up old boats until the sun came down. Having fun with our mates up the road and lucky to have the occasional milk shake across the road from the clock tower at the bottom of Church Street to wet our whistle. The halcyon days that I so wish could return for the kids of a modern generation.
Recently in Devonport all the flower beds from the top of Victoria Road to the foot of Victoria Road (near the statue of the untidy soldier) bloomed with spring growth. Beautiful to behold, they gave the village a stunning fragrance of an oncoming summer. Then the council came along, ripped them all out and dumped them on the back of a truck. Much to the dismay of the locals, who asked why the hell would the council do this to dozens of square metres of beautiful gardens in the prime of their beautiful lives? And there the flower beds lay, a desert of nothingness. God only knows how these councils work.
I’d like to give congratulations to the St Leo’s Primary School board of trustees, teachers, parents and volunteers for their wonderful fair held in late November. This fair has been going on for as long as I can remember and does a fantastic job of raising funds to pay for the extra bits and pieces for the primary school. It’s a tradition in Devonport and long may it go on. People helping themselves to get ahead.
Election year next year is going to be interesting. I do firmly believe the current coalition government has got us going in the right direction. But it is going to take a few more years until we can enjoy the fruits of our hard work. I personally think we should stick with the current government and believe there are some really good people working hard, especially in the agriculture fields. Our farmers are currently keeping us all going and I think their lives are a lot easier without the hindrance of a useless Labour government. 
I know the new council has only been in for a couple of months but I still haven’t seen any improvement on Lake Road and I’m resigned to the fact that I never will in my lifetime. The more times the council allows new construction close to the road, the more unlikely we are to ever see the road being widened.
So, let’s just forget about all this drama and uncertainty in the world. Let’s just enjoy the next month or so the best we can. Walk the beaches, enjoy the sunrises, enjoy time with your family and friends, and don’t spend too much on the kids because they don’t need it. Stick to the basics and enjoy your life in this most beautiful country. We’ve got it good compared to so many in the world.
Enjoy your Christmas and festive season and hopefully going into 2026 economically things will improve.