Last weekend I saw a Brahms piano concerto performance (Piano Concerto in D minor, performed by West Australian Symphony Orchestra and featuring Garrick Ohlsson on the piano)...because I have to stay 'faithful' to my instrument! :) Well that is what I think! I still play piano nowadays, and thank goodness my injury hasn't flared up again (it has flared up around 4-5 times already).
I went to see Ricki and the Flash starring Meryl Streep - the day after the piano concerto performance - a totally different genre of music involved here! This time, rock-and-roll was involved! I'd say - Meryl Streep is just amazing! She can act so well, and can certainly sing really well! Plus I think her look in the movie was really edgy and fascinating! I did enjoy the movie - but mainly because of the music. The storyline was OK but I thought that some parts could have been covered in more detail. Ah well - I don't mind watching it again though!
And I concluded last weekend with some mask-making/hairpiece making - all 1920s flapper themed! I wanted mine to be simple and monochromatic, so I chose mainly blacks, greys, silvers and white. I actually didn't plan the design beforehand - just walked in and winged it - and here are my creations! I made two hairpieces - one for myself and another for my best mate. And the mask - well - I'm gonna be using it for an upcoming Great Gatsby-themed ball!
Sometime in late June or so, I went to the Avon Valley, and visited the towns of Toodyay and Northam. Both towns are situated pretty near each other (around 1/2 hour if I'm not mistaken), but I spent more time in Toodyay than in Northam. Anyway, both towns have strong historical roots - they were established in the early 1800s (with York being the oldest inland town in WA - and yes I have been to York too!), and still retain their beautiful rustic charm. Lots of heritage buildings in the town centre, and of course, I had a really wonderful time exploring some of them! I'd love to stay here overnight someday - and really explore these places in detail!
First destination - Toodyay. And first destination within Toodyay? The visitor's centre! We picked up a map and got some recommendations, and then went to walk around the town. Along the way we passed the Connors Mill, The mill was built in 1870 and is a steam-driven flour mill - it is still operational today, and there's a museum within the building too! The original grind mill from the 1870s is on display here too - right outside the front facade.
One of the staff in the visitor's centre told us about The Cursed Cafe too - apparently before this cafe opened, there were some cafes that occupied the premises, and they closed down pretty quickly. And when this cafe took over, they decided to name themselves The Cursed Cafe (a hilarious reference to those cafes that wound up so quickly)...and so far, they have been doing well...
Crossed the train tracks, and ended up in front of the old Court House, which has since been converted into offices for the Shire of Toodyay.
Passed by a war memorial and some houses too, while on the way to the historical Old Gaol of Toodyay - and here are a couple of pics from there. Roses were blooming really beautifully!
The Old Toodyay Gaol - originally known as the Newcastle Gaol (built in 1864). It was renamed in the early 1900s when the town Newcastle was established in the East. The Gaol was functional from 1865 to 1909, and the museum within the former Gaol established in the 1960s. There're lots of historical artefacts in there, dating back to the 1800s.
Here's the main entrance of the building - the complex wasn't as big as we thought, but it was pretty fascinating nonetheless.
A step back into the past - old artefacts that were used in the 1800s and early 1900s. Medicine bottles, old cooking utensils, sewing kits...and even beautifully-decorated plates! Oh - and old metal tins too.
The courtyard of the old Gaol, where the cells were located. Some of the cells had been converted into information booths, while others had more artefacts displayed. The cells weren't as small as I thought, but the entrance was really small indeed!
How the cell would have looked like when the Gaol was in operation.
Old Police Stables - just across the road. The stables was originally made of timber, but was destroyed by fire, and had to be rebuilt. Some of the equipment used in the past were displayed in there.
Looking down the street - in between the Old Gaol and the Old Police Stables.
We then ventured back into the main town, and came across some of the heritage buildings. These included the old Victoria Hotel, the Post Office (which is still functioning), the Toodyay Memorial Hall (originally known as the Newcastle Municipal Chambers), and some others. We were lucky - the skies had cleared (it was cloudy when we first reached) - so we were blessed with beautiful weather for the rest of the day (and for the next day).
Some of the cafes/shops around Toodyay. The Toodyay Bakery (with the beautiful sign!) is an award winning bakery with some of the best pies around! In fact, they've won multiple awards for their bread, pies and other stuff!
Toodyay is also famous for the Cola Cafe and Museum, which houses Coca Cola memorabilia dating back to at least 45 years ago. From what I remember, the owner began collecting all these memorabilia when he was in Zimbabwe, and for some reason the collection grew and grew...and right now he houses them all in this cafe - on the corner of two streets (and opposite the Connors Mill). We had our lunch here - their soup and bread was amazing!
Here is a preview of the memorabilia - I literally went from cabinet to cabinet to take pics of these! I don't think I can feature ALL the memorabilia - there's just too many! But I really had a nice time admiring them, and kudos to the owner of this cafe for collecting 'em all! Imagine finding vintage Coca Cola memorabilia - there were so many of them here! After all, Coca Cola was established in 1886...
The red and white themed cafe had Coca Cola trays, clocks and what-not - even on the walls! And in the bathrooms too!!
Ah yes - and not to mention, the sign outside is really cute! I think the logo was inspired by one of the Coca Cola toy trains within the museum.
Headed to Northam next - and we took a walk around the town centre for a bit...we didn't have much time to really explore this town though - so I think I'll be coming back to visit (for the third time) sometime soon. Thankfully Northam is about 1 hour or so away from Perth - so it should be relatively easy to get there.
Our last stop - relaxation time along the Avon River. I crossed this suspension bridge to have better views of the river too. The bridge was located pretty near the visitor's centre.
