I’m Famous

Its November Already!

So many good things have been happening in Freo this year, just in the last 3 months we’ve had everything from a new Mayor (good on you Brad!) to the Sui’s Season Opener…

Well Coming into November are 3 of my Favorite Events, No doubt being a Freo person your aware that the Freo Festival is just around the Corner starting on Saturday the 7th November, THAT’S THIS WEEKEND!!! and going through to Sunday the 15th.

Now I rekon one of  the best things about the Freo Festival is the Bhangra during the closing party, if you’ve never experienced Bhangra, make sure you get to the Festival closing party on Sunday night the 15th and check it out, it’s Awesome!

There are of course lots of other great things about the Freo Festival, make sure you get along to it and give it your Support…

Get the Festival Program here

NEXT!

On a much smaller but just as much fun scale is the North Freo Water Sliders Party. This is an Annual event put on by a great bunch of crew who live in NF, it happens in Alfred rd Park North Freo usually around the first 3 weeks in November weather depending.

If i asked you to meet me at the local park with a hose, a 50m sheet of black plastic and some dish washing liquid, you’d probably look at me funny.. but honestly this is the most fun you can have in a superman suit, just have a look at some of the photos from last year…

Anybody who loves to waterslide is welcome at this event (it’ll keep the Tin Lids busy for Hours) I usually roll up with a few beers, boardshorts and lids in tow. You’ll need to keep an eye out for when its on as its not advertised heavily anywhere…

Have a look at the groups page on that other famous social networking site (the one that rhymes with spacechook, acecrook, basecook – yeh that one) for more info…

Go On Get Your Slide On!

Number 3

Two Wheels Good – Like most people that live in or around Freo, you own a bike, you ride your bike around the river, to the park, to the beach, late at night in summer, Whenever/Wherever and you love it.. Two Wheels Good is about celebrating the love of the humble bicycle.

As part of the Freo Festival on Sunday November 8 at the Arts Centre, the worlds best bike show will be on… so take the two wheels that you love so much and ride them over to Finnerty St for an arvo of unbridled two wheel fun!

You Go Freo!!

i’m Famous Dave – and i Love Freo…

Healthy Balance

Somehow the closer I get to the end of the year, the busier my life seems to get. Not only am I flat out at work, my social calendar is bursting as well. That’s great, but I have to remind myself to keep a healthy balance – like displayed on this old Freo building: 8 hours work, 8 hours leisure, 8 hours sleep. My life is currently something like 10-9-5 (I guess if it was 5-9-10 I wouldn’t complain).

Thailand Island

A hungry couple roaming the streets of Fremantle landed on Thailand Island on Sunday around 5pm. A friendly Thai lady, wearing a beautiful Asian dress, welcomed them with a big smile and the question “Dine in or take away?” Even though it was more a small shop than a restaurant, the atmosphere was very homely with nice music, candles on the tables and some beautiful Asian scent in the air, so the couple decided to dine in.

The man ordered the ‘Jungle Curry’, which was hot (he had been warned by the lovely Thai lady), but also full of beautiful flavours. The woman went for a healthy option – fried vegetables with Tofu and steamed rice. The vegetables were fresh and crisp and the dish had a beautiful sesame flavour. Both agreed, they’d love to strand on this island again.

Thailand Island

Jungle Curry

Stir-fried vegies with tofu

Thailand Island
14 William Street
Fremantle WA 6160‎
Phone/Fax (08) 9335 8003

Monday–Sunday
11am–10pm
BYO

Happy Halloween Freo

Halloween is my favourite day/night of the year and in honour of this glorious occasion I made some festive cupcakes. Now I must hurry away and put the finishing touches to my costume.

Halloween Cupcakes

South Freo Developments

This morning I went down to South Beach Village, to check out the new developments. Gosh, South Fremantle is going to be a busy place with all those new apartments. I just hope it’ll keep its quirky beachy charme, like this display of floatsam and jetsam on a house at the southern end of South Terrace.

Our Izzy is Perth Designer of the Year

Izzy – a founder, leading contributor and chief photographer of Love Freo - is not one to overtly blow her own trumpet, which gives me the perfect excuse to do it for her. You can scan the page below to see her great articles and eye-catching photos, and if you have an eye for detail plus a good sense of style, you will be as thrilled as I was to hear that the PADC voted Izzy their ‘Designer of the Year 2009′.

This is a huge achievement for Izzy, and thoroughly deserved for her work on an exclusive auction publication for a range of unbelievably rare diamonds. Alas, the award itself was not one of these diamonds, although good for us otherwise Izzy would be too busy out buying Ferraris and helicopters to be spending time at Love Freo HQ.

Izzy’s principle work is as a communication and graphic designer. I have seen a lot of her work over the last couple of years… and so have you probably, because it adorns shops, billboards and brochures all over Perth, WA and beyond. Izzy is one of those rare people that are truly talented at what they do, and I am proud to call her my friend.

Izzy collects her award on a severely sloping floor

Freo Front Doors

It’s always nice to just stroll through Freo and have a look at the various different houses. Today I came across some nice doors. I love the red one, but I think my favourite is the cricket door – what a great idea.

North Fremantle Bowling Club

Photos by Block, Coda and Lompen

Last night Love Freo went to the North Fremantle Bowling Club to take part in the Block vs Coda bowl off. The battle between the ‘north of the river designers’ versus the ’south of the river architects’ ended in Block winning the much coveted lion trophy. Playing bowls after dark at a pretty run-down location somehow had the atmosphere of a crime scene. That changed when a band started practising Afrobeat in the clubhouse. As far as I remember (after a few tasty $5,- semsavs) they were called ‘Ziggy and the new generation’ (please correct me if you know better) and are one of the many bands which play African music at the bowling club. The friendly publican told me that there are usually concerts on at the club Fridays and Sundays – many of them by bands which otherwise perform at venues like Kulcha. I like the idea of bowling and dancing on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The clubhouse has the quirky charme of a bygone era (a mix of 1950s and Freo Hippie culture) and is currently undergoing some renovations.

North Fremantle Bowling Club
40 Stirling Highway
North Fremantle WA 6159
Phone: 9335 1509

The Ticket Test

This may seem ridiculously unimportant, but being a communication designer I just can’t understand why the ticket machines in Freo have been designed against the visual rules. E.g. in the western world people read from left to right and from top to bottom. So what I read first on a Freo ticket machine is ‘2 Tickets’ (but I just need one…). Well that’s not nearly as confusing as the fact, that to get my ticket I have to press the red button. Generally red is used for stop, warning and danger signs, so one would instinctively hesitate pressing a red button. Red means’ stop’, green means ‘go’, but for the Freo ticket machines this rule has been turned around – crazy world.

Weekend Happenings

So it’s going to be a scorcher this weekend, and not before time. I have the fan on in the house for the first time this summer, I’m wearing shorts and have plans for some minor sunburn later today. As a complete Friday bonus, the sea breeze hasn’t blown, meaning a late arvo swim will also be an option. And there are some good things going on in Freo this weekend… just to make a change

Friday night, 16th October

• Mojo’s – Abbe May plays tonight at Mojo’s, supported by Horny Pony & The Joe Kings. You can check out Abbe’s myspace for more details. From 8pm. Tickets $20 on the door.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Natalie Gillespie and Dave Brewer Band. Singer/songwriter and Blues guitar man.
• Fly By Night - Motown and Northern Soul. Tickets $10 from 8pm.
• Kulcha – The Whistling Dogs are an acoustic trio with an eclectic sound, making use of a variety of instruments like the charango, saxophone, singing saw and keyboards. Tickets $15 on the door.
• Norfolk Basement – The Witness and Hand Stands for Ants. The Basement’s myspace is a bit out of date, so have no info on these guys.
• Newport Hotel – Paper, Scissors, Rock. From 8pm.
• Moondyne Joe’s – Dave Gillam Trio. This place has some good acts in a friendly atmosphere.

Saturday night, 17thOctober

• Mojos’s – Sunshine Brothers A dub/reggae/soul combo via some sort of DJ set. $10 from 8pm.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Matt Gresham! From 9pm.
• Kulcha – Paul Gioia Trio. A night of hot Blues, Gospel and Jazz. Tix $18 on the door. From 8pm.
• Norfolk Basement – Kevin Smith & The Seven Story Jumpers. 8pm.
• Moondyne Joe’s - Murdermouse Blues

Sunday daytime.  The Fishing Fleet Festival.

This festival is part of Freo lore, and has ancient origins from Molfetta and Capo d’Orlando in Italy (which also give their names to the harbour wall roads in Freo).  The festival is a procession from St Patrick’s Basilica through Freo, to Fishing Boat Harbour.  A great one for the kids, finishing off with a huge fireworks display. I like fireworks.

Monday onwards. Clancy’s 21st Birthday Festival Week. More on this to follow.  Oh, and we’ll have a new mayor too.

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