Our carol parade

Christmas Carols on Christmas Eve will again be a feature of the festival season at Palm Cove this year.
Co-ordinator John Felan said 500 visitors and locals joined together last year to carol around the streets of Palm Cove. "This year, the action will be solely on the esplanade, and everyone is invited to participate in the parade," he said. "There will be a horse and 'sleigh', a choir, bells, bud lights, and Uncle Friday as Santa.
"Everyone will receive a complimentary candle and printed lyrics of the carols which include Palm Cove Wonderland sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland."
The parade will begin at the northern end of the beach adjacent to the jetty at 7pm, Tuesday, Dec 24th and slowly wend its way along the esplanade to the southern end finishing around 9pm. To get your candle and lyrics you will need to be at the start of the parade by 6.45pm. "As before , we will need a choir to lead the paraders. There will be one rehearsal only and all are welcome. The Outrigger Beach Club and Spa have kindly offered their Conference Room for the rehearsal for Wednesday, December 18th starting at 7.30pm. No need to ring, just roll up," John said.
The Palm Cove Christmas Carol Parade is sponsored by Tourism Palm Cove.

Guests ride in Rolls

IF YOU are staying at Outrigger Beach Club for five nights or longer, you can be picked up at the airport by a chauffer-driven Rolls Royce.
The resort's general manager Jon Perrin said their two vintage Silver Shadow models were fully restored in Melbourne by respected restorer R A McDermott & Co who has been restoring Rolls Royces for 30 years. At least one of the pair can usually be seen parked in front of the resort.

Stamps up to 50c

THE STANDARD 45 cent postage stamp will rise to 50 cents on January 13th, local postmaster Glenn Warner says.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission approved the increase last month, the first increase in eleven years. Large letters, greeting cards, and prepaid envelopes will also be affected by the rise. "Standard size Xmas cards this year still need only the 40 cent stamp" Glenn said.

Carport art sale at Cove

FIVE local artists will display more than one hundred original paintings, pastels, charcoal drawings, hand-painted ceramics, and pottery this weekend.
Work by Sylvia Watts, Margaret Upton, Tanya Ashworth, Ilona Born, and Lone White will be featured in the carport on John and Margaret Parker's property on the corner of Cook Highway and Foley Road. (Enter from Foley Road and follow the signs.) The five artists are well-known in the region. Avid art collector Bob Ansett of hire car fame recently awarded one of them Highly Commended at Cairns Regional Galley. Other artists have collected awards in various galleries. "The sale is on 9am to 6pm Saturday Nov 30 and Sunday Dec 1st. All items are for sale, and credit cards will be accepted," organizer Sylvia Watts said. Sponsors are Terry and Ingrid Douglas of Nutmeg Grove Tropical Rainforest, Redlynch.

Cove People

QUINTESSENTIAL ARCHITECT

In the unlikely event they erect a statue for someone in Palm Cove, that someone would have to be Leigh Ratcliffe.
More than anyone, Ratcliffe has helped turn our village into the cosmopolitan, thoroughly delightful place it is. And he has obviously loved doing it. Having designed the resort that became Angsana, Ratcliffe was horrified to hear that the local council, which was Mulgrave Shire at the time, had approved a ten-storey building on the esplanade. He knew that such a building would be followed by other high-rise buildings which would inevitably turn Cove into another mini Gold Coast. Once buildings tower over the trees, any village atmosphere is lost. Ratcliffe helped council with planning regulations that restricted development height to four storeys. Buildings could not top the 400 year old melaleucas and palm trees that graced our beachfront. The ten-storey approval was amended. He also drew up a ten-year development control plan which detailed everything down to rubbish bins and presented it to council. When asked how much it would cost, he said : "Nothing. Just adopt it!" They did, and Palm Cove's future laid-back character was set in stone. Ratcliffe also designed Villa Paradiso, Paradise Shopping Centre, Paradise on the Beach Resort, and additions to Reef House that turned that small guest house for a dozen guests into an exquisite boutique hotel with 69 rooms and suites. His latest creation is The Beach Club, destined to be one of the icons of our beachfront. Ratcliffe was also responsible for the esplanade's brick paving and landscaping. Having designed the road layout, he called on building owners along the strip to find some financial support. He found little. In a magnificent gesture of conviction, he offered to pay for half the work if council would pay the remainder. They would and did. You have to admire a man like that. Leigh Ratcliffe lives in Melbourne with wife and two daughters. Beach Club's business development manager Col Price says : "Leigh spends so much time in Palm Cove - every other week for sure - that he's always been one of the locals."

Published by Jerry Dukes, 52Terebra St Palm Cove 4879. Ph 40591610; Fax 40590058
Email : jdukes@ozemail.com.au