All Things Bright and Beautiful

We had a terrific long weekend in Heavenly Beverley. Next Monday, the rest of the country will celebrate the Queen’s Birthday holiday. Needless to say, we’re a bit different here in the Wild West. Last Monday, we all enjoyed WA Day. And we have our Queen’s Birthday at the beginning of October….

So, as Molly Meldrum  might have said, “do yourself a favour and beat a trail up to Heavenly Beverley”. Tomorrow, the weather will be glorious and sunny – not bad for the first week of winter.

We have an array of treats for all the family. The two pubs provide excellent lunches for visitors. The Red Vault Cafe, opposite our East End Gallery, is open from breakfast until late in the evening. I have it on good authority from some satisfied customers that their Devonshire Teas were delicious. Beverley is also the home of the Beverley Soaring Society and welcomes visitors to sit and watch or have a go. A glider in the sky, seemingly floating in the air, is quite a sight.

If you’d like to keep your feet on the ground, the Aeronautical Museum has a full-scale plane displayed on the front lawn. Dead Finish, as our other museum is named, was originally a hotel where patrons ran out of money for drinks. On Hunt Road, Dead Finish is set in gardens that are lovingly tended by our local gardening club and is open Sundays or by appointment.

Beverley town centre is  home to some beautiful Federation and Art Deco buildings. As there is seldom any traffic snarls here, visitors can safely stand in the middle of the road to take photographs!

The top end of Vincent Street is home to the Beverley Newsagency, run by a delightful couple, Barry and Pauline. Having a chat to Barry is like being able to confide in your hairdresser – he is laid back, non judgemental and easy going. Or going to the pub with Duncan!

Also up that end of town is “Lucky Find” a clothes boutique for men, women and children with luxurious extras as well. Open Wednesday to Saturday, Kylie and her Mum, Maxine are a lovely pair of ladies have a beautiful shop which always smells divine from the scented candles and soaps available for sale.

Marlene’s rebadged and reinvigorated homewares, art and design premises is now called “Unique State”. She is delighted to have secured a shop next to the fabulous Beverley Bakehouse, so that visitors have both delicious bread and food and original art, upcycled furniture and individual gifts right next to each other.

The Bakehouse is open seven days a week and “Unique State” is open Wednesday to Saturday.

The East End Gallery is open from 11am to 5pm, Fridays to Sundays and public holidays. We are very excited to announce that we will also be open on Thursdays from the very near future as we have had an offer of assistance to open an additional day. Those of you who have visited us know we are so much more than a gallery. We welcome kids and dogs – we even have a water bowl for canine guests – plus we have comfy chairs to sit, relax and enjoy the artwork. Our art speaks for itself. And any visitor who wishes gets “The Tour” – to view the awakening of our building from a derelict bomb to a restored labour of love. We have a slideshow on the laptop to see more of our story and a chance to still see the last forty-five square metres of “The Before” that was the entire building.

Down the street from us is Brett’s Vintage Motorcycle Hub. A motorcycle enthusiast, Brett, his partner Larissa, their boys and their dog Shiloh open their haven for revheads when Brett isn’t away working. We know when he’s there. Every teenage boy in town can be found hanging around, breathing in the atmosphere of the two and four-wheeled vehicles to their heart’s content.

Diagonally across Vincent Street from us is “Everything Beautiful”, another hidden gem here in beautiful downtown Beverley. Mescal, who owns and runs this treasure trove, is ably assisted by her regular helpers, Pat and John. Entering “Everything Beautiful” is like opening Aladdin’s Cave. Mescal has collected antiques, porcelain dolls, glass, pottery, table linen, furniture and delightful ornaments, old books and quality bric a brac. And unlike us, Mescal opens a little earlier for day-trippers – 10am Thursdays to Sundays  – who enjoy getting out and about in the briskness of morning.

And just to show you some of Mescal’s wares at “Everything Beautiful”, here’s is a sneak preview!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

4 comments to “All Things Bright and Beautiful”
    • Caro, would very much like for you to drop into Heavenly Beverley. We have lived here for four and a half years and we think Beverley is the best-kept secret in the Central Wheatbelt. Of course, we’re biased!

    • It certainly is a cool shop. Like I said, Beverley is the best kept secret in the Wheatbelt. Come and see us on a Friday or Saturday morning. The joint’s jumping!

Comments are closed.