Welcome.
Before our family birthday gathering recently, I went shopping. My first stop was Identity, where Bill has never failed me in selecting something for my grandson — who, by the way, is looking quite professorial these days. I bought a cardigan. All my grandson needs now is a pipe! I then went to a new store next door, in Fraser St, where I met an old friend.
I’m sure it has happened in your life and it has certainly happened several times in my own experience, where an original friendship has been so real and meaningful that it survives a lifetime. Even if time, distance and circumstance mean you rarely see one another. That is the situation for Kellie Beverly and me.
We first met at the newspaper office, where Kell was looking after administration of the department and making life easier for the senior people in advertising. She was a first class personal assistant. During those years we became friends. Kellie was, and is, a dynamo — quick in thought and action, looking after us and our clients. She appeared to be indispensable, and that became a problem.
One day she told me she was tired of recording the department’s activities and wanted to create some of them. In other words, she wanted to sell advertising. One of the senior people really did not want to lose her — she was too good.
I strongly felt that ‘too good’ was a poor reason for holding people back, so I went to the boss, who agreed. With training, a fair chunk of common sense, a warm, outgoing personality, and her instinctive, first-class customer service, Kellie was a successful member of the sales team, and eventually managed the features department.
But life moves on. After 10 years at this newspaper, Kell met, fell in love with and married a young dairy farmer from Gippsland, Stuart Beverly. They lived on the family dairy farm for a while and then took a leap into the unknown and moved to Queensland. They returned home, with son Jack, in 2019. This is interesting because Shepp isn’t really ‘home’ to either of them.
However, it felt that way to Kellie, who had moved here from Melbourne in 1989. She holds the fondest of memories from her earlier years in Shepparton; it’s where she became an adult, developed her career, made many meaningful and lasting friendships and felt part of a thriving community — it’s the place she has called home ever since. When we finally made a date to catch up (2019), Kellie needed to postpone. I remember saying to her, “We have lived without one another for 20 years, we can probably manage a few extra days”.
The difficult days
Like many of us, Kell found the pandemic lockdowns hard going. She was particularly distressed by compulsory immunisation with, she says, “A product that was experimental, plainly under-tested and failed to prevent people getting the virus or passing it on to others. In fact, it did more harm than good.” She also felt that it made little sense that there was zero “public health advice” on how to support one’s own immune system, or why the prescribing of tried and tested, safe and effective anti-virals were outlawed.
Her husband and son had little choice if they wanted to keep their jobs, as was the situation for many — but as Kell was working from home at the time, she had the luxury of choice.
Kellie’s comment about building up our own immune systems reminded me that, in the midst of it all, I asked a doctor what we could take to ensure our immune systems were functioning well. He said it was a good question and waffled until I asked “What about zinc?” and he agreed that would help. “What about vitamin D?” He again said “yes” — and I went away with my own suggestions, which worked well until this year, when we’d stopped taking them.
Be Mellow
Kellie’s mum passed away in December last year and it was another tough time for her. However, the woman I met in her charming store was the former Kellie — full of hugs, smiles and laughter. She has opened her beautiful store, Be Mellow, in memory of her mother, who was always telling her to relax and enjoy life.
Kell and Stuart have another business — almost ‘hands free’. But this store is her passion. She feels it is time for her to ‘give back’, to ‘pay forward’. To give smiles and warmth to her customers — to add a little sunshine, if you like.
As I stood outside her unique store, admiring the window displays (so very stylish, so very Kellie), I read the words she had placed on the glass: ‘Be Inspired’, ‘Be Home’, ‘Be Joyful’, ‘Be Mellow’, ‘Be Love’, ‘Be You’, ‘Be Gorgeous’. Her business card says her store stocks ‘Fashion, Heart and Home. Because life is meant to be beautiful’.
“Where are the comfy chairs? Shoppers sometimes need a rest,” I asked — thinking of myself. I should have known! There are two, at the back, near the changing rooms. They are called the ‘hubby’ chairs because they are mostly used by worn out husbands.
Remember, I was birthday shopping, and this time for my professorial grandson’s wife. Tess is quite simply gorgeous; she is 5’ 11’’ in the old language and teaches drama and music at a girls’ grammar school in Melbourne. I came out with a ‘to die for’ bracelet, some interesting earrings, and leather-look stretch gloves, which, while wearing, allow you to still use your phone. When I left, I felt just a little brighter than when I entered. A ‘good dose’ of Kellie will brighten the day of many shoppers.
And here is yet another new, locally owned store; to add colour to the tapestry of our shopping centre and to differentiate Shepparton from other regional centres. I know you will be warmly welcomed. You know me by now; I heartily agree with Kellie’s life philosophy — we worked together on it for 10 years. So, be mellow, my friends, be love.
Heartbeat and soul of Richmond
This isn’t about football; it’s about one man.
Trent Cotchin wasn’t your typical AFL captain. Tough and fast on the field, he is a gentle, quietly spoken, self-effacing man. In 2012, he was appointed captain of the struggling Tigers. And the sports press came down on him like a ton of bricks. Richmond would never make it with Cotchin leading them. In 2016, Cotchy and his coach, Damien Hardwick, were attending a funeral. Trent was strongly considering resigning from his position.
Understanding what his captain was feeling, Hardwick saw him standing alone in the church yard and went across to him. He gave him a hug and whispered “I love you”. It was enough. Trent, a Brownlow Medallist, led his team to three premierships in four years and, last Saturday night, played his 300th game. I watched him interviewed, in 2020, when the Tigers had just won their third premiership. Asked “What is Richmond’s secret? What is driving them?”, Trent’s reply was “Love”.
In 2016, a member of the Tigers’ team left Richmond to join Greater Western Sydney. He had always dreamed of a premiership and felt he wasn’t going to be part of one, if he stayed with Richmond. In 2017, the Tigers played GWS in the preliminary final and won — to go on to the Grand Final and win, for the first time in 30-odd years.
Among the huge celebration, on the field, the cameras were on Trent — and followed him, as he ran across the ground, to console his friend and former teammate, his opponent. Not often you see such a clear demonstration of care.
Jack Riewoldt (teammate and 300-gamer) said on Saturday that Trent was “the heartbeat and soul of the golden era of the Richmond Football Club”.
Now everyone, please get well and stay well. I know a couple of Town Talk’s best friends are still struggling with the beast virus, after three weeks. Zinc and Vitamin D are still good to keep your immune system in good shape.
Take care, and may it be easy, my friends.
Marnie
Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au
Letter: Town Talk. Shepparton News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.
Phone: Send a text on 0418 962 507. (Note: text only. I will call you back, if you wish.)