“… a place of innocent recreation and entertainment …”
In 1870, Perth people quickly took advantage of the new facilities and organised social events such as concerts and dances. Some early users of the hall raised money to help the City Council improve the facilities, while other activities supported all sorts of causes. The Town Hall was truly intended as a social centre.
Entertainments of all kinds – both amateur and professional – have been a feature of the Town Hall ever since. Concerts – popular as well as classical – continue to be popular. Plays and shows are still staged – the Town Hall has even been a venue for the Perth Festival Fringe. The Town Hall was also used as a cinema for a while in the early years of the twentieth century.
Sporting activities, such as boxing, fencing, callisthenics, and even badminton, also feature in the history of the Town Hall.
Celebrations over the years
Performances for all tastes
Dances at the Town Hall have always been popular and many community groups have organised balls there. Tuesday morning community shows still provide a popular program of entertainment for seniors.
Jane Jewell, daughter of the architect Richard Roach Jewell, sang a solo at the first concert held at the Perth Town Hall on 15 July 1870. ‘The Elfin Echoes’ is a setting of a poem by Tennyson. The composer is unknown. Performed by Valerie Bannan. MS supplied by RWAHS.
The Perth Congregational Choral Society were first off the mark. Their concert on 15 July 1870 was repeated by popular demand a few days later. All the musical forces of the colony were marshalled for a Grand Concert on 29 August 1870. This raised £43/15/8 (equivalent to more than $6000 today), given to the City Council for fitting out the building.
Local amateur musicians formed a group called the Minstrels of the West to raise money for a piano. They achieved their goal at their 10th concert in 1877.
Amateur music-making has always been important to the Perth community. Indeed, community singing at the Town Hall was a feature of the 1920s and 1930s, with radio broadcasts of these events to the West Australian community. Many local choral and instrumental groups have performed at the Town Hall over the years. The stage has also been popular with dancing schools for putting on end-of-year performances and for musical and theatrical competitions.
A concert performance on the Town Hall stage. The group is probably The Minstrels of the West. Royal Western Australian Historical Society. P1999.4423
Concert program for the tenth and final concert of the Minstrels of the West. State Library of Western Australia PR381/2
Audience at the Town Hall for the first community singing concert broadcast by 6WF, 1936. State Library of Western Australia 006489D.
Scouts dressed for performing plays and sketches at their annual meeting and display, 1934. State Library of Western Australia 095312PD.
Dining and dancing
The Town Hall today is an elegant and historic function venue.
As well as formal civic dinners and receptions, community organisations, private companies and ordinary people host monster tea parties, receptions and dinners in the Town Hall.
A tea and social in 1935 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Mr Alfred Sandover’s arrival in Western Australia. State Library of Western Australia 018921PD.
Town Hall dances have always been popular. Balls were a highlight of social activity in the early years of the Swan River Colony and the Town Hall provided the community with a new popular venue for dancing.
Dancing at the Postal Institute annual meeting and dance.
Image courtesy of the National Archives of Australia. NAA: K1131, W1552/D.
Patricia Langford, née Edmondson,
wearing her debutante gown,
on the Town Hall staircase,
at the Printers Ball, 1952.
Lance and Patricia Langford and friends at the Printers Ball, 1952.
Hand-made dress, jacket and
wrap worn by Elsie Weeks
for dances at the Town Hall,
1960s. Lent by Steve Weeks.
Many Perth couples met at Town Hall dances. Lance Langford remembers how a beautiful brunette named Patricia Edmondson caught his eye and he asked her for a dance. He was 19 and she was 16. There were many dance venues but the Town Hall was a favourite because it was the biggest, had a good floor for dancing and had a good band. Lance and Patricia married in 1954.
Exploring changing fashions of dress over 150 years of events at the Perth Town Hall
Steve Weeks also remembers the dances at the Town Hall in the early 1960s. As a child, his mother would bring him and he would sleep under the table! But later on, Steve danced there himself as a competitive ballroom dancer.
Steve Weeks remembers dances at the town hall
Social dance clubs have been popular at the Perth Town Hall for many years. This 1991 video shows the Amelia Club, which met on Wednesday nights. The pianist is Beryl Long. She continued to play for the dance clubs well into her 70s! Other clubs were Kui, Beehive and Harmony. The Kui Club started in 1947 and is still going at the Wembley Bowling Club. Most of the dance clubs moved out of the Town Hall to make way for the restoration in 2005.
The Coolbaroo Club
On 4 October 1954, the Coolbaroo Club held a Gala Royal Show Ball at the Perth Town Hall.
The Coolbaroo Club was an Aboriginal organisation well-known for its advocacy for Aboriginal rights and for organising social activities, especially dances. The City of Perth was a prohibited area for Aboriginal people, only abolished in 1954. Booking the Town Hall for their Gala Royal Show Ball celebrated the abolition of the prohibited area and publicly reclaimed the right to be on Aboriginal land. The Coolbaroo Club continued to hold events in the Town Hall for the rest of the decade.
Farley Garlett interviews Albert and Irene McNamara about their memories of the Coolbaroo Club
Find out more about the Coolbaroo Club from the City of Perth's new podcast 'Untold Stories of Perth'
Listen to Untold Stories of Perth
A wide range of sporting contests have been held in the Town Hall, including boxing, badminton, fencing, callisthenics.
The first State Badminton Championships were held at the Perth Town Hall in 1927 and in 1950 the Australian Championships finally came to WA for the first time. 1951 saw the State Fencing Championships at the Town Hall.
Boxing was controversial. Boxing was very popular, but there was also considerable opposition to the sport. Consequently, the use of the Town Hall for boxing matches was very controversial.
Lotteries were also controversial. There was strong opposition to the formation of the Lotteries Commission (now Lotterywest) in the 1930s. A 1933 meeting to protest against the refusal of the Lotteries Commission to allow newspaper competitions was said to be the biggest ever held at the Perth Town Hall. Nevertheless, the Lotteries Commission held public draws at the Perth Town Hall for many years.
First public lottery draw at the Perth Town Hall, 1932. SLWA 101652PD
Junior boxing match at the Perth Town Hall. WA Newspapers
A craze for ‘rinking’
One of the more surprising uses for Perth Town Hall was for roller skating – or ‘rinking’ as it was known.
The craze for roller skating arrived in Australia in the 1860s and a rinking club was formed in Perth in 1877. This was strictly an upper-class affair and the members met twice a week in the Town Hall.
The club held a remarkable costume ball on 17 October 1878, recorded in detail in the local papers and by Henry Prinsep’s sketch of the event. The most ‘original and remarkable dress’ was undoubtedly Captain Wilkinson’s Cleopatra’s Needle costume – which must have been very difficult to skate in!
The craze grew and within ten years commercial operators stepped in and established several skating rinks in Perth and Fremantle. Mr George Webb set up the Broadway Elite Skating Rink at the Perth Town Hall.
Roller skating was a popular family affair. Advertisements invited ‘Girls and Boys, their Fathers, Mothers, Grandmothers and Grandfathers and the Baby FREE’. On Boxing Day 1888, 5000 people were expected to attend the Town Hall rink over morning, afternoon and evening sessions. As well as general skating, there were organised games and competitions for adults and children, fast skating and races. Exhibitions of trick skating entertained the crowds, with a band supplying music.
"Our Town Hall was looking its best …"
The City of Perth decks out the Town Hall in all its finery for special occasions and celebrations, such as royal visits, commemorations – and of course Christmas!
The Town Hall was decorated with flags even before it was finished for the royal visit of the Duke of Edinburgh in 1869. SLWA 6909B/134
Decorations in Barrack Street for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York in 1901. SLWA 012500D
The 1929 centenary celebrations saw the Town Hall decorated with flags in the daytime and lit up at night. City of Perth. SLWA 095640PD.
The Town Hall lit up for the coronation of King George V in 1937. SLWA 095659PD
Another royal visit. Perth Town Hall lit for HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. SLWA 231933D
The Town Hall clock tower decorated for Christmas
We are glad to learn that the large public clock for the Town Hall is now in course of erection, and that probably in a few days' time the passing hours will be notified by the quarter chimes, and deep-toned hour bell, while the true Perth time will be shown on its four dials, illuminated at night. … This is the first public convenience which the Town Hall extends to the city; and we cannot question its usefulness.
… the grand old clock by which all Perth sets its watches, catches its trains, keeps its appointments.
Town hall clocks were once important landmarks for city life. In the days before everyone carried a personal watch – or a mobile phone – everyone relied on the Town Hall clock to keep time for the city. The sound of the bells striking the hours and the quarters carries about three kilometres and can sometimes be heard as far as Bayswater. And the clock was lit at night.
At least one resident of South Perth used to keep a telescope in his front room to check the time by the Town Hall clock. Raising a flag on the tower used to be the signal that the mail boat had arrived.
Waiting for the stroke of midnight, New Year’s Eve, 1936. WA Newspaper.
Looking After The Clock
The Town Hall clock was built by London clockmakers, Thwaites and Reed and the three bells also came from London. It was installed by local clockmaker Mr John Bowra, who maintained the clock for many years. It was originally wound by hand, but electric motors now do the job.
The Ennis family has looked after the clock now for nearly ninety years. Norman Ennis of Ennis Jewellers, got the contract in the early 1930s and Norm’s sons, Norman Junior and Ron followed in his footsteps. Today, Paul Ennis, Norm Ennis’s grandson, keeps the clock running.
Paul Ennis is the third generation of the Ennis family to maintain the clock. WA Newspapers
Any problem with the Town Hall clock was once big news in Perth. One of the hazards in the early days was birds getting into the works and stopping the clock. The clock is also affected by the weather – so in a heat wave people would complain that the clock was wrong.
Generations of Perth people gathered at Town Hall to see in the New Year as the clock struck. Radio station 6WF broadcast New Year festivities from the Perth Town Hall. And the Town Hall clock marked the two-minute silence on Armistice Day 11 November.
Norm Ennis, junior, remembers how “Everyone congregated under the dial for the clock to see the New Year in, and nearly every year there was a big article in the paper that the Town Hall clock had never struck the midnight hour. …. the congregation was so eager, that they’d start cheering and that before the clock actually struck, and then they’d claim the damn thing had never struck.” So, Norm used to climb up with a hammer to strike the bell himself if necessary. But he never needed to as the clock always worked perfectly!
A word from John Bowra
Battles over time
Commitment to the cause
The Clock Tower
A scale model of the Perth Town Hall clock made in recycled jarrah by retired engineer, James Lang, of Mount Lawley. Lent by the Lang family.
For many years, the clock tower on the corner of Barrack and Hay Streets was the tallest building in the city and would have been a prominent landmark for meeting friends.
Helen Mountstephen remembers in the 1950s and 1960s “the Perth Town Hall was one of the places where people would quite often meet.”
And Steve Weeks remembers being a newsboy on the Town Hall corner selling the Daily News.
Listen to Steve Weeks
Over the years, the platform at the top of the tower has been a favourite vantage point for photographers. More than a century of photographs taken from the clock tower show how the city has changed.
Historical Panoramas
Click here to find out more about the changing cityscape.
From “Old Derelict” to “Jewel of the City”
Since it opened, there have been a wide range of opinions about the Perth Town Hall, as the building has adapted to the changing needs of a growing city.
Governor Hampton’s views of the town hall
A much-loved landmark
The citizens of Perth were generally delighted with their new Town Hall. However, early users complained about the ‘wretched acoustics’ and the facilities.
Changes to the Town Hall began even before it was opened, with the telegraph office housed in the base of the tower from 1869. A new building to house the Legislative Council was built in the planned courtyard to the east of the building. The Legislative Council was sworn in at the Town Hall on 5 December 1870, while the Perth City Council held its first meeting in 1871.
Commemorating the centenary of the first meeting of the Council in 1971. City of Perth.
The plan to use the undercroft for a market was controversial from the start. The market did eventually open in 1872, but only lasted a few years. Instead, the undercroft was progressively enclosed and altered from the 1880s to provide space for Town Hall staff and lettable offices to increase revenue.
In 1875, Perth acquired a fire engine. It was kept under the arches at the Town Hall until the new fire station was built in 1901. There was no room for a stable, so if the fire alarm rang the horses from the cab rank outside the Town Hall were hitched to the fire engine.
From the 1890s, discussion began about replacing the Town Hall with a more modern building to meet the needs of the Council as Perth grew. For the next thirty years, every scheme that was proposed met with opposition. One problem was that the land title only included the land on which the building stood. This was an obstacle to any future expansion. It also became clear that many citizens were attached to the Town Hall as a landmark and for its historical associations, despite its inconveniences.
Finally, in 1924, the Council bought the Strelitz Building on Murray Street for offices and Council chambers. The move was financed by converting the ground floor of the Town Hall to shops – described by the West Australian at the time as ‘municipal vandalism’. At the same time, alterations were made to the Town Hall itself, including remodelling of the stage and gallery, and a new kitchen and supper rooms. Various alterations and repairs have continued over the years.
Converting the undercroft at the Perth Town Hall into shops in 1925. SLWA 008814PD
Craven’s Pharmacy on the corner of Hay and Barrack Streets, 1925. SLWA 008314PD
Shops under the Town Hall
Over the years, various businesses have had premises in the Town Hall. Craven’s Pharmacy was the longest tenancy and became a landmark in its own right on the corner under the Town Hall clock. As the 1927 advertisement said:
Try Craven’s Pharmacy, under Town Hall Clock, first.
If they haven’t got it, it can’t be got.
Other shops in the 1930s included Ferstat, jeweller and tobacconist, the Rose Marie Fruit Palace, Petals florist, Warner, jeweller, Rutland and Thomas, tailors, and the Rosebud Tea Rooms.
After World War 2, Maxim’s Café was a favourite destination after dances at the Town Hall – as Lance Langford remembers:
I loved the food … popular in the evening with a cup of tea – a pancake with syrup like a waffle … only two shillings.
There was a public outcry when the Council closed Maxim’s in 1956 for major alterations to the shops.
Rose Marie Fruit Palace. SLWA 128411PD
Maxim’s Café. SLWA 103462PD
Click here to read more about Mr Epstein’s Rosebud Tea Rooms.
A heritage jewel in the historic heart of Perth
The Town Hall narrowly escaped demolition in the 1950s when the new Council House was planned. The new Council House was built, but public protests ensured the old Town Hall was not replaced.
In the 1990s, conservation studies recommended restoration of key features such as the brick arches, as well as necessary repairs resulting from the construction and demolition of the R&I bank tower. Modernisation of the facilities secured the use of the Town Hall into the future. The Council embarked on a major program of restoration in 2001, which was completed in 2005.
Today, the Perth Town Hall is once again appreciated as an iconic landmark and a key element in the complex of historic buildings at the heart of the city, including the State Buildings, St George’s Cathedral and Government House.
Captain Stirling and his party arrived at Kuraree on 12 August 1829, and marked the site of the future City of Perth by felling a tree. This event began a period of conflict over land and resources. For the dispossessed Whadjuk Nyoongar, life would never be the same again. The settlers, with their houses, fences and roads, their crops and their animals, took over the land and stopped access to traditional hunting and gathering places.
Chris Pease, Land Release 3 2008. The artist shows how British land tenure was imposed on Nyoongar Country. City of Perth Cultural Collections
Nevertheless, over the years Whadjuk Nyoongar have continued to fight for recognition and asserted traditional ownership of the area where the city stands.
The Aborigines Protection Act of 1905 gave power over all aspects of Aboriginal people’s lives to a ‘Protector’. This included employment and wages, where they could live, who they could marry, and often children were taken away from their parents to be brought up in institutions such as Moore River Settlement. From 1927, central Perth was a prohibited area. Aboriginal people needed permits to enter the city and were arrested if found there after the 6pm curfew.
A permit allowing the holder to be in the prohibited area
City of Perth Elder Margaret Culbong remembers those days.
We hardly went into Perth because we were only allowed in parts because of the racism and discrimination. My Dad worked on the railways and got a free pass on the train into Perth. That street that ran past the station, we were really only allowed to go. The corner of Barrack Street and Wellington is where we used to sit. Dad and Mum did business and went to Perth for medical business. We would sit on the seat and watch all the traffic go past.
We only went down Barrack Street if we went to the government garden. We had to walk on one side of Barrack Street past the Town Hall, not the other side. Weren’t allowed to do that. We went into the government gardens. Walking on the right side, never on the left side of Barrack Street. Because of all those restrictions. Racism and oppression.
City of Perth Elder Margaret Culbong
Over the years, various Aboriginal organisations, mostly based in East Perth, such as the Coolbaroo League formed in 1947, provided social services and campaigned for Aboriginal rights. When the prohibited area was finally abolished in 1954, the Coolbaroo League lost no time in reclaiming the City of Perth by hiring the Town Hall for their Royal Show Gala Ball.
Today, the City of Perth acknowledges that it is on Whadjuk Nyoongar land and City of Perth Elders have contributed to developing the content for this exhibition.
Crochet shield in Aboriginal colours, by City of Perth Elder Margaret Culbong.
I do a lot of crocheting – beanies and that sort of thing. Get the cheaper wool when I can pick it up. I had this wool left over and I thought maybe I should make something with it. I thought the City of Perth had all their coat of arms whatsit things. I thought I’d do one too. Thought I might as well crochet a shield. At the time it didn’t really mean anything and no real significance, but then as I went along with the crochet it did begin to matter. It became something. It mattered. It had the white man’s shape and size but it was putting our mark and our claim on our country.
Margaret Culbong
City of Perth Cultural Collections.
Find out more about Aboriginal culture and heritage in the City of Perth at Perth Online


After Emily came Unity
“Never paint from anything but real life whether it is a person or flower.” — Unity Bainbridge
[We have only just been informed of the death of author and painter Unity Bainbridgem who live more than one hundred years. – Ed.]
Unity Bainbridge of West Vancouver was a distinguished painter and an amateur ethnologist who frequently visited the Lillooet and Whistler area, painting many portraits of First Nations people. In editions of 1,000 copies she self-published Songs of Seton: The Three Sisters of Nekiat (1974, 1975, 1976) and Lullaby of Lillooet (1977). Along with text in the form of diary extracts, Bainbridge’s paintings recall her visits from 1942 and 1976 with a romanticized, tragic perspective. “This book is written in memory of lovely things that have gone… the lost little churches and the villages of Lillooet,” etc.
On a social level, Bainbridge preceded a community of artists and arts supporters in West Vancouver during the 1940s and 1950s that included Gordon and Marion Smith, Bert (B.C.) Binning, Jessie Binning, Alistair Bell, Betty Bell, Geoff and Ruth Massey. Her contributions to art and society were eventually recognized with the Order of British Columbia in 1993 and a Queen’s Jubilee medal.
Born on July 6, 1916, she died on November 30, 2017, predeceased by her parents, Ursula Ridgeway (her sister) and husband Bob. She was survived by her daughter Deb Ryan (Rick) and sister Monica Reznick as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Her work is in the permanent collection of many galleries such as Buckingham Palace, Imperial War Museum, Diefenbaker Museum and the Vancouver Art Gallery.
[See obituary below from Emily Carr News]
Bainbridge, Unity. Songs of Seton: The Three Sisters of Nekiat (s.p., 1974, 1975, 1976).
Bainbridge, Unity. Lullaby of Lillooet (s.p., 1977).
[BCBW 2018] “First Nations” “Art”
Unity Bainbridge | In Memoriam
Posted on December 15, 2017 | Emily Carr News
We are sad to announce the passing of one of our most loved and respected alumni, artist Unity Bainbridge, a 1936 graduate of the Vancouver School of Art. We are sharing her obituary, lovingly written by her daughter, Deb Ryan.
Unity (Bainbridge) Brewster, a long time resident of West Vancouver, passed peacefully in her sleep in the late hours November 30th 2017. Unity was predeceased by her parents, George P. and Deborah Bainbridge, and her sister Ursula Ridgeway. Unity is survived by her daughter Deborah Ryan (Rick), granddaughters Lisa Denton (Caley), Cindy Devlin, grandchildren Isabelle and Emma Denton, Chase and Hudson Devlin. Also left to mourn are sister, Monica Resnick and many nieces and nephews.
Unity, an early pioneer Canadian artist, was born in Victoria BC on July 6th 1916. Her talent was exhibited as a child and perfected as a student at the Vancouver School of Art (Emily Carr University) from which she graduated in 1936. She felt a kinship with other artists who shared her love of nature. She was a classmate contemporary of Ed Hughes and was influenced by her discussions and visits with “Group of Seven artists Frederik Varley and Lawren Harris.
“History must be left intact” is a phrase often associated with the work of Unity when one views her work and reads the details of her subjects in her books and the marginalia integral to her art. Unity saw and experienced the mystical magic of the world and always sought to reflect that mysticism in her work.
Unity never ceased to remind people “We were taught at Art School to always draw from life and strive to do as well as Leonardo. Art is life and life is Art. We would have been expelled if we were found copying. I along with my class mates were taught that you do not paint to sell: you paint because you are passionate about something and to embrace that passion so others can experience it.”
Unity’s art has been exhibited in galleries, large and small, from the early thirties to the present day. She had her first large one woman show in the early fifties. Her work is in the permanent collection of Buckingham Palace, Canada House, Imperial War Museum, the Diefenbaker Museum, Vancouver Art Gallery, as well as in numerous galleries and homes around the world.
Unity was always drawn to the Indigenous people. She believed the First Nation traditional culture provides the foundation blocks for creating a healthy, compassionate society possessing respect for the power of nature.
Unity received many awards over her lifetime including the Province of British Columbia’s highest honour, the Order of British Columbia.
« Unity Bainbridge (1916-2017)
#292 What’s OK & not OK in OK »


Latvia to enter month-long lockdown
HELSINKI (AP) — Latvia will enter into a nearly monthlong lockdown, including a curfew, on Thursday due to the worsening coronavirus situation in the Baltic country where the vaccination rate is among the lowest in the European Union.
Following an emergency government meeting late Monday, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said that the lockdown from Oct. 21 until Nov. 15 and accompanying drastic measures are needed as the pandemic continues to spread quickly, causing hospital wards to fill up with COVID-19 patients amid scarce health care resources.
Only slightly over half of Latvians are now fully vaccinated, and Karins admitted that his government had failed in sufficiently luring citizens to get jabs.
“There are many people, too many people, who are not vaccinated,” Karins said, as quoted by the Latvian public broadcaster LSM.
So far Latvia, a nation of 1.9 million, has recorded some 190,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 2,900 deaths.
The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia said on Monday that the country’s COVID-19 incidence rate per 100,000 population stands now at 864, currently among the highest in the world.
A nationwide curfew will be imposed between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. as of Thursday. Most stores will be closed and indoor and outdoor gatherings, including entertainment, sports and cultural events won’t be allowed.
Karins and Health Minister Daniels Pavluts apologized for the stringent measures to those Latvians who had already been vaccinated.
“We, the government and society as a whole, haven’t succeeded in achieving a high enough vaccination coverage. So we must ask you to suspend your lives for several weeks to avoid the worst possible scenario,” Pavluts said.


France: Russia is funding Wagner Group mercenaries in Mali
PARIS (AP) — France on Thursday condemned the Malian transitional authorities’ decision to allow the deployment of the Wagner Group, and accused Moscow of funding the private military company’s use of mercenaries in the West African country.
“We are aware of the involvement of the Russian government in providing material support to the deployment of the Wagner group in Mali,” the French foreign ministry said in an emailed statement. It called on Russia “to revert to a responsible and constructive behavior” in West Africa.
Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in the country’s northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies.
In June, Col. Assimi Goita was sworn in as president of a transitional Malian government after carrying out his second coup in nine months. Mali faces increasing isolation from the international community over the junta’s power grab. Elections are due to be held in February, but there are fears they will be delayed.
“We deeply regret the choice of the Malian transitional authorities to use already scarce public funds to pay foreign mercenaries instead of supporting the Malian Armed Forces,” the French statement said.
The Wagner Group has been accused by western governments and United Nations experts of human rights abuses in the Central African Republic and involvement in the conflict in Libya. France and Germany have both objected to the presence of its mercenaries in Mali.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the company has a “legitimate” right to be in the West African nation because it was invited by the transitional government, and he has insisted that the Russian government is not involved.
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The Clover Club
When I first started working on this project in 2004, I had a head full of ideas and was working my way through them when in 2013 I was admitted to hospital in a serious condition. Fortunately for me the amazing doctors and staff at Clatterbridge Hospital in the Wirral pulled me through. Not surprisingly after that, my family had a lot to say about the amount of time I was working on Post Racing and the additional time I would be spending on my vision. This caused me to sit back a bit, take stock and look at what I could do once I got back to my desk. I accepted I did far too much, hardly ever took time off and consequently it had taken its toll. I decided to go back to basics last year and the results speak for themselves. Now, however, I am looking at how I can take the vision forward starting in October 2021 without it putting me back into hospital!
I believe that by working in a different way, the Post Racing Clover Club is achievable and that once you read the rest of this document, you will agree and help to make it happen.
PRIMARY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
My aim, as always, is to make sure we all feel part of the Post Racing community, back enough winners each year to cover the subscription fees and produce a profit that will ensure the longevity of the community year after year.
The Post Racing Clover Club is based on bringing together the equivalent of potentially 1000 members, who will make a one off payment of £1000 each to cover Post Racing Clover Club membership for four years, starting in October 2021.
Using the information, ratings and profiling I provide it has been demonstrated that it is more than possible to cover the cost of the four-year subscription fee in one season alone. In the year August 2017- September 2019 enough profit was produced from a bank of £1k to purchase 40 shares. The number of subscribers will determine to what degree the Post Racing Clover Club aims and objectives can be achieved, but those that do subscribe can be assured of having a brilliant journey over the four years.
THE NEW PACKAGE
The cost for each share for the new four year subscription package as previously stated will be £1,000 and there is no limit to the number of shares you may purchase.
Originally the decision had been made not to permit monthly subscriptions because experience tells us that people come and go, returning for just the flat racing season, leaving when the NH racing commences, and vice versa. We have now addressed this and several monthly options for subscription now exist.
However, when you compare what other organisations offer for the money they charge, I believe you will agree that what Post Racing is offering is terrific value for money. Once you have paid for one of these shares there is no more to pay for the next 4 years.
The Post Racing Clover Club package is equal to a cost of just under 69p per day across the four years of membership, from October 2021 to October 2025, and I am convinced you will not find anything else to match this simply amazing deal anywhere else.
Neither will you be asked for any further subscription payments to cover anything else we do during those four years.
The Primary Aim target to have the 1000 shares sold before October 2020 would provide an investment of £1 million pounds to kick start Post Racing’s aims and objectives.
POST RACING’S CLOVER CLUB
…….and I am sure that those who sign up for the Post Racing Clover Club will be in “clover”!
I enjoy everything about Post Racing. My members, other people I meet, the charity work and of course trying to make money from my love of horse racing.
I hope that is what comes across to you and I appreciate those people who have already put faith in what I do and subscribed to this. I love everything associated with Post Racing and hopefully on many occasions bring good luck to all those associated with it.
Four words in that paragraph stand out to me: Hope, Faith, Love and Luck.
If you Google the meaning of the number 4, you will find a section on the four leaf clover and, symbolically, each of the leaves represents one of those words.
Post Racing’s Clover Club will symbolise everything about Post Racing.
As is the current situation, 10% of all subscriptions will be put aside to be used for good causes. We will continue to support racing charities and other amazing projects such as the Sensory Garden at Clatterbridge Hospital’s Stroke Rehabilitation Unit.
The creation of that Sensory Garden in particular was an incredible achievement, thanks to Post Racing subscribers.
Can you imagine what else we could do with £1,000,000 spread across four years!?
We will be able to invite representatives from a number of racing charities that we have previously supported to a racecourse once a year for a day out. This will also enable us to provide an opportunity for some of our members to present a cheque to each of them.
Can you imagine the good this will do for these charities and ,how you will feel making the presentation on Post Racing’s behalf?
As well as racehorse syndication, our aim will be to have horses racing in Post Racing Clover Club silks.
We also want to have at least one horse that we can loan to Bob Champion, who rode Aldaniti to win the 1981 Grand National, and donate any prize money won to the racing charities that we support.
If we achieve that, members will have the opportunity to be taken to the Grand National meeting on Legends Day…..Grand National Saturday.
FANTASY HORSE RACING
This has been my “baby” for many years and a game was created a few years ago that was superb. Many people, worldwide, joined in but because of the expense of upgrading the website and the necessary coding to bring it up to date, I put it on the backburner.
Connect, the company I approached about five years ago, were tasked with creating the new game and website and produced a mock up that was simply outstanding. Their work does not come cheap but it is the best.
The total cost of developing the specification and producing the game and site itself would have cost in the order of £65k. I said I’d get back to them….they are still waiting.
It would have already been done and dusted but for my enforced period out of the game whilst in hospital during which I lost a third of my membership.
The aim will be to meet with the heads of the IJF, Greatwood, Racing Welfare and the Bob Champion Cancer Trust, to discuss Post Racing having stand alone games created for them, for which they would obtain sponsored prizes.
We will run those games for them free of charge and in addition for those involved, play for some amazing prizes.
ABOUT FANTASY HORSE RACING
Fantasy Horseracing is a cross between Fantasy Football and the old Racing Post Ten to Follow, but with a million whistles and bells.
A player begins with a budget of £20m and selects a stable of 15 horses with varying values.
They will have a maximum of 10 on track, with five remaining in their stables and when their selections race in “real life” they will need to make sure they are placed on the “track”.
If they win or place they are awarded points and accumulate the prize money won by those horses in real life.
This prize money is added to the player’s “banks” and provides them with an opportunity to “horse trade”.
When new horses come along they will be introduced into the game and given a value.
The game will be played seven days a week and a “Weekend only” game option will be introduced so that those unable to play during the whole week will have an opportunity to play the game at the weekend.
Including testing, Post Racing’s Fantasy Horseracing will take about a year to build. The game will be 100% free to play and potentially we will have many 000’s from around the globe playing it.
This will be more than a game though and incorporated into the website will be access to a stats database that may provide you with answers to questions that might well prove valuable when it comes to finding winners of horse races.
Racing Charities will be able to create their own game inside our game and promote it to their existing supporters and potentially new Post Racing members.
HOW CLOVER CLUB MEMBERS WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY FROM FANTASY HORSE RACING
Fantasy Horse Racing will be free to play but monetised in multiple ways to produce a profit, 50% of which will be divided equally between The Clover Club members, the other 50% being divided equally between the charities supported by Post Racing.
Tony provides our football tips together with a very good explanation as to why he is recommending particular bets.
His football knowledge and expertise will ensure that we can get some very profitable outcomes from his advice.
COMPETITION PRIZES
It has always been important to me, to give most of what comes in from my subscribers, back to my subscribers and we have, over the years, provided some absolutely fantastic prizes.
The best, for sure, being a year’s membership of the Harry Fry Racing Club, that saw Peter, one of our Scottish based members, become part owner of a Cheltenham Festival winner in UNOWHATIMEANHARRY.
Post Racing has enabled Members to travel to Paris, for the Arc meeting with all expenses paid, provided all the prizes for the raffle conducted to get the Sensory Garden built and so much more over the years.
It’s what makes Post Racing different. Just wait until you see what the prizes will be once we move into 2020.It’s what dreams are made of!
One thing I have promised my wife Karen is that I’ll not try to do everything myself. I will most certainly be looking for people to work on Fantasy Horse Racing.
It is anticipated that due to the complexity of the build and the level of input and support required, Connect will be contracted to maintain, upgrade and host the Fantasy Horse Racing game. They will also train up those required to work with the dashboard of the Fantasy Horse Racing website.
I will have someone on board that can take care of any in-house IT issues and I will also be looking to introduce contributors to the website. Their contributions may not essentially be about tipping but simply interesting things for us to read.
Same as it’s always been. To ensure that you continue enjoying being involved with Post Racing and to do my utmost to make sure you get the best information daily that will enable you to cover your subscription fees, and more.
My primary aim at the moment is to try and help anyone interested in the Post Racing Clover Club to be able to get involved.
It is also in our interests to get as many of our current and past Post Racing members on board and with that in mind there are a number of options that hopefully will help.
These are mainly covered in the following question and answer section.
Q) WHAT ARE THE PAYMENT OPTIONS?
A) We have introduced several options, one of which provides Life Membership of the Post Racing Clover Club.
If you are happy to make a one off subscription payment of £1000 you will, after October 31st, 2020, never pay another penny to Post Racing.
For those fully subscribed by October, you too will become a Life Member.
MONTHLY OPTIONS
You currently have two options.
You can opt to make varying payments between now and October (inclusive), to cover your full £1000 subscription fee
36 x £35
Options 2 & 3 provide you with full membership until October, when you will automatically convert to Clover Club membership.
These options can be accessed by clicking HERE
Q) HOW MANY SHARES CAN I BUY?
A) As many as you wish!
I myself have already purchased 53 and will most certainly be taking more….I’m in this as much as anyone!
Q) WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE FOUR YEARS?
A) Any syndicated horses owned by the Post Racing Clover Club will be sold. All prize money won and dividends from the sale of those horses will be added together and divided by the total number of Post Racing’s Clover Club shares.
If we were lucky enough to have purchased a Derby Winner (let’s keep that dream alive), then we could be looking at prize money close to £1million pounds.
Q) I CURRENTLY SUBSCRIBE TO ANOTHER PACKAGE AND DON’T WISH TO CHANGE.
A) Not a problem. Simply retain your current membership package. You will, if you choose, be able to have your own league within the Fantasy Horse Racing Game to play for some outstanding prizes and continue to receive exactly what you receive now by way of information and advice on punting.
By October 2020 we would 1000 Post Racing Clover Club shares sold and, with your help, it will be accomplished. By working together we can make all the above happen. I have already started the wheels moving on this.
If you require any further information or explanation, please do not hesitate to contact me.
SUBSCRIPTION METHODS
The Post Racing banking details are:
PAYEE: Post Racing
REFERENCE: YOURSURNAME/CC
Please send cheques made out to Post Racing to:
8, PRESCOT STREET
CH45 9JW
Please include you e-mail address for confirmation of receipt.
Bob Champion says….


Saturday morning quotes 6.29: Willaert
This week we feature a new video and offer more insights on the music that may be heard on our new recording, Magnum Mysterium, and seen in its companion book of scores. Highlighting the fourth of four settings of the Christmas responsory text, “O magnum mysterium”, we turn to the lute-friendly composer Adrian Willaert (c.1490 – 1562).
In addition to his estimable output of sacred music as maestro di cappella at San Marco’s in Venice (1527 – 1562), Willaert composed an ample amount of secular music including French chansons, Italian madrigals and Villanesca alla napolitana. Some of Willaert’s most beguiling madrigals are the settings of texts from the Canzoniere of Francesco Petrarca (1304 – 1374), published in Musica Nova, 1559.
Among modern lutenists, Willaert is known for his Intavolatura de li madrigali di Verdelotto da cantare et sonare nel lauto, intavolati per Messer Adriano, published by Scotto in 1536. As the lengthy title indicates, this work consists of madrigals from Verdelot‘s Il primo libro de madrigali, 1533, arranged for solo voice and lute. It is from such historical intabulations that we take inspiration for our own work as we continue to create arrangements of particularly good historical polyphony.
Returning to the subject of Willaert’s motets:
“Willaert’s greatest and most enduring compositions are his motets. Out of a provisional total of 175, 79 are for four voices, 51 for five, 38 for six and five for seven or eight voices. The motets enjoyed wide circulation during his lifetime in manuscripts, printed anthologies and a series of influential publications issued by Scotto and Gardano from 1539 on. These publications, which include two books of motets for four voices (1539, repr. 1545), one book for five voices (1539, repr. 1550) and one for six voices (1542), were among the first printed books to focus on the music of a single composer, attesting to the high regard in which Willaert was held at the time.”
– Michele Fromson, “Adrian Willaert”, Grove Music Online
Although Willaert was very highly regarded in his day, his music is rarely performed today. We aim to rectify this situation in future performances of our vocal ensemble.
“O magnum mysterium” and its secunda pars, “Ave Maria” (which we have featured in a past post) are from Willaert’s Motecta … liber primus, 4vv, Venice, 1539 (reprinted 1545). Setting the entire Christmas Responsory text, Willaert’s music is sublimely calm and understated, the cantus part almost narrative and descant-like as the lower parts weave and intertwine in leisurely imitation. The work is obviously the result of a thoughtful and deliberate composer aiming to create the perfect music to express the text—no matter how long it may take.
“Willaert is known to have been a slow worker. His pupil Gioseffo Zarlino writes that he composed in great concentration and without haste. In a letter of 15 March 1534 Ruberto Strozzi, a nobleman resident in Venice, writes to his mentor, the humanist and historian Benedetto Varchi, that he will do all he can to get Willaert to set an epigram to music, but that he can promise nothing, for much patience is required to persuade Willaert to compose.”
– Ignace Bossuyt, “O socii durate: A Musical Correspondence from the Time of Philip II”, Early Music, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Aug., 1998), p. 441.
Much patience indeed. We all know the type who is compelled to try every possible approach to a thing, and its inverse, until the correct solution emerges. But Art cannot by rushed.
The quiet beauty of Willaert’s setting is established at the outset with his delicate treatment of the lower voices that tread lightly on tiptoes, following one another in not-quite perfect imitation while whispering among themselves; in awe of the great mystery unfolding before their eyes. The cantus enters midway through the ninth measure with an arcing line that is gently declamatory, the notes expressing the text perfectly right down to the “blue” note that colors the word “mysterium”.
Our performance of Willaert’s “O magnum mysterium” may be heard on our new recording, Magnum Mysterium, available with a companion edition of scores arranged for voice and lute, with transcriptions of all lute parts in standard notation for harp or keyboard.
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Home American History Halloween History and Origins
Halloween History and Origins
As the masses disguise themselves in ghoulish attire and beg for candy, they should give Halloween meaning by familiarizing themselves with the holiday’s origins.
Halloween has become one of America’s most favorite holidays. Children and adults participate in fun activities inspired to scare and entertain on Halloween night, celebrated on October 31st. This year, instead of blindly following these rituals of dressing up in ghostly attire and begging for candy door-to-door, participators should educate themselves on the history and origins of this nationally-recognized holiday.
Halloween’s Beginnings – The Samhain Festival
Centuries ago, Celtic farmers believed that there was one day a year where the season of life met the season of death. The belief was that malicious spirits could rise on this night and walk amongst the living. Nicholas Rogers, author of Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night states that in Celtic Ireland, this day was referred to as “Samhain” (pronounced “sa-win”), meaning “summer’s end.” This idea turned into a great festival, where Druid priests would gather to determine whether or not their villages would survive the winter and have bountiful harvests the following spring.
The Halloween Costume Ritual
Today, many people know that Halloween institutions include dressing up in creative, scary costumes, but the origins of this ritual remain unfamiliar. At the time of Halloween’s formation, villagers would light a great bonfire and where disguises in order to bewilder and ward off the roaming spirits. Popular costumes today represent a variety of myths and legends including vampires, werewolves, witches, and goblins.
Pope Gregory III, of the 8th century Roman Catholic Church, established “All Hallows Day” on November 1st, designed to honor all saints known and unknown, states history.com in their educational video, “Haunted History of Halloween.” This holiday is now known as “All Saints Day.” This was an attempt to distract pagans’ October 31st festivities. While this new holiday was accepted by the public, they did not see a reason to give up their previous revelries and decided instead to simply change the name to “All Hallows Eve.”
Potato Famine – Interrupting Puritan Ideals
The English Puritans, who had traveled to America, decided to leave many pagan rituals behind, including the “All Hallows Eve” celebration. History.com explains that it was not until a million starving Irishmen set sail for America, during a potato famine in the mid-19th century, that this holiday regained popularity. Some previous rituals were exchanged for the traditions established today. For example, the bonfire was replaced with jack-o-lanterns, originally carved from vegetables, such as the rutabaga and turnip.
Souling – Modern Day Trick-or-Treating Ritual
The trick-or-treating stems from the act known as “souling.” During souling, poor families would go door to door and pray for the dead in exchange for small cakes, as explained by history.com. It was not until the mid-20th century that this holiday was gaining a footing as an American tradition and the term “trick-or-treating” was first seen in print.
Halloween Today
From its Celtic roots, Halloween has become one of America’s most popular holidays. Children and adults alike will participate in the time-honored traditions of wearing costumes and trick-or-treating, enjoying parties and ghostly galas. Remembering the history of this beloved holiday can add more meaning to the festivities this year.
Rogers, Nicholas. “Samhain and the Celtic Origins of Halloween”. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
History.com educational video “Haunted History of Halloween,” narrated by Timothy Dickinson. A&E Television Networks. 1996-2008.
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US National Dams / Find a dam / Jeffrey Kramer Pond Dam
Jeffrey Kramer Pond Dam
Jeffrey Kramer Pond Dam Share Share
Holmesville, New York
Jeffrey Kramer Pond Dam is an earth dam built on the Tr-Great Brook River and is located in Holmesville, New York. It was built in 1981 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is privately owned by Jeffrey Kramer.
Holmesville, New York, U.S.
Jeffrey Kramer
Jeffrey Kramer Pond Dam is privately owned by Jeffrey Kramer.
Tr-Great Brook River
Jeffrey Kramer Pond Dam was built in 1981.
Max discharge 84 cubic feet per second
84 cubic feet per second
Hollow Dam
Huehnel Pond Dam
Autumn Lake Dam
Imperial, Missouri
Autumn Lake Dam is an earth dam built on the Tributary TO Rock Creek River and is located in Imperial, Missouri. It was built in 1962 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is privately owned by Autumn Lake Devl. Co. It is also known as Autumn Lake Dam.
Lake Windsor Dam
Lake Windsor Dam is an earth dam built on the TR Yahara River and is located in Madison, Wisconsin. It was built in 1969 for the purpose of recreation.
Settling Pond No. 1 Dam
Penfield, Pennsylvania
Settling Pond No. 1 Dam is an earth dam located in Penfield, Pennsylvania. It was built .
The dam is privately owned by Penfield Collieries LLC. It is also known as Amdt Impoundment;No. 1 Mine Drainage Treatment Basin.
Tibbals Dam
Hiteman, Iowa
Tibbals Dam is an earth dam built on the Trib TO Cedar Creek River and is located in Hiteman, Iowa. It was built in 2005 .
The dam is privately owned by Don Tibbals.
Saddle Pond Dam
Woody Creek, Colorado
Saddle Pond Dam is an earth dam built on the Trentaz Gulch-Os River and is located in Woody Creek, Colorado. It was built in 1988 .
The dam is privately owned by Carroll Drive Properties C/O William Ziff.
Armendaiz Levee Dam
Armendaiz Levee Dam is an earth dam built on the Off Ch-North Floodway River and is located in Texas. It was built in 1960 for the purpose of irrigation.
The dam is privately owned by Lloyd Bentsen ET AL.
Camp Freedman Pond Dam
Canaan, Connecticut
Camp Freedman Pond Dam is an earth dam built on the Housatonic R. Trib River and is located in Canaan, Connecticut. It was built in 1942 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is privately owned by Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center Inc. It is also known as Camp Freedman Pond.
Black Dog Lake Dam
Burnsville, Minnesota
Black Dog Lake Dam is a gravity dam built on the Minnesota River-Tr and is located in Burnsville, Minnesota. It was built in 1953 .
The dam is owned by the public utility, Xcel Energy.
Upper Locust Creek W- 67 Dam
Browning, Missouri
Upper Locust Creek W- 67 Dam is an earth dam built on the Tr-Locust Creek River and is located in Browning, Missouri. It was built in 2000 .
Sanders Pond Dam
Baltic Community, Alabama
Sanders Pond Dam is an earth dam built on the TR Big Creek River and is located in Baltic Community, Alabama. It was built in 1965 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is owned by the public utility, Ted Sanders.
Baldhill Dam
Valley City, North Dakota
Baldhill Dam is built on the Sheyenne River and is located in Valley City, North Dakota. It was built in 1950 .
The dam is under federal ownership and is owned by the Cemvp. It is also known as Lake Ashtabula.
Williams Lake Control Structure Dam
Williams Lake Control Structure Dam is a gravity dam located in Michigan. It was built in 1972 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is privately owned by Oakland County Drain Commissioner.
Spruance Polishing Dam
Spruance Polishing Dam is an earth dam built on the Tr-James River and is located in Virginia. It was built .
The dam is privately owned by E.I. Dupont DE Nemours & Co., Inc. It is also known as Ash Pond.
Newberry Lake Dam
Brasswells Lake Environs, Georgia
Newberry Lake Dam is an earth dam built on the Unknown River and is located in Brasswells Lake Environs, Georgia. It was built in 1965 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is privately owned by Newberry, S. L.
Smeallie Dam
Amsterdam, New York
Smeallie Dam is a rockfill dam built on the North Chuctanunda Creek River and is located in Amsterdam, New York. It was built in 1974 for the purpose of irrigation.
Dam is an earth dam built on the TR Oakley Creek River and is located in Kansas. It was built in 1972 for the purpose of fire protection / stock / small fish pond.
The dam is privately owned by Smith.
Scs-Little Deep Fork Creek Site-40 Dam
Slick, Oklahoma
Scs-Little Deep Fork Creek Site-40 Dam is an earth dam built on the Morgan CR River and is located in Slick, Oklahoma. It was built in 1960 for the purpose of flood control.
The state-owned dam is owned by the Creek CO Cons Dist. The dam used to be known as Scs-Little Deep Fork Creek Site-40.
Smitherman Millpond Dam
Capelsie, North Carolina
Smitherman Millpond Dam is built on the Little River and is located in Capelsie, North Carolina. It was built in 1900 for the purpose of recreation.
The dam is privately owned by Tally Lassiter.
Robinsons Slang Dam
Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Robinsons Slang Dam is an earth dam built on the East Slang-Tr River and is located in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. It was built in 1956 for the purpose of recreation.
The state-owned dam is owned by the State of Vermont - DFW. It is also known as East Slang.
Topeka, Kansas
Ksnoname 4527 Dam is an earth dam built on the Little Soldier Creek-Tr River and is located in Topeka, Kansas. It was built in 1968 for the purpose of fire protection / stock / small fish pond.
The dam is privately owned by Moser. It is also known as Ksnoname 4527.