July 31st, 2013 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release Where did July go.....?! It's almost August already..... But before the curtain closes on the seventh month, the Chester Trust invite you to join them, this afternoon, July 31st, at the LIGHTFOOT TOWER GARDEN PARTY & FUNDRAISER at 63 Regent Street, Chester from 5 - 7pm. Sip on iced tea and Pimm's, and nibble on delicious sandwiches with the crusts cut off. The dress code is white for the event..... and plan to play some lawn games. They will be launching their time capsule project; selling capsules to all and sundry to bury at the foot of the tower in 2014 on completion of it's restoration. Priced at $50 (6") and $100 (12"), it all depends on what you'd like to be remembered for in the future.....The possibilities are endless, so come get your capsule and join in the fun.

This Week in Chester Later Wednesday evening, Chester Playhouse presents "Fishing" starting at 8:00 pm. Paul Fisher is just a man. A 40-something, single, newspaper cartoonist. He's also a bit of a jerk! He has a failed marriage behind him and a history of 'going-nowhere' relationships...... Starring Jeremy Webb and Stacy Smith, "Fishing" runs until August 3rd. For more info/tickets call the Playhouse 275-3933. Come rain or shine, on Friday morning, the Chester Farmer's Market will be up at the Train Station from 10-2pm. Fill your baskets with local bounty and take a peek at the Oak Island exhibit and Train Station Gallery while on the hill. A new collection of wonderful works by local artists and artisans is now on display for the month of August at the Train Station Gallery. Browse the three rooms for your favorite piece. The two display cases contain all kinds of delightful surprises. Located at 20 Smith Rd. off Hwy.#3 and open daily 10-4. Bands playing at the Fo'c'sle this weekend are Jason Macdonald on Friday night and Memphis Knights on Saturday. Music starts at 9pm and with the village 'filling up', be sure to get there early to stake your space on the dance floor. The kitchen is open until 10pm. Jim Smith's pottery studio, in the front harbour, is bathed by celestial stars, but the main 'star' attraction is his award winning work. Drop by and be amazed at his creations. Invest in his fine art and treasure it forever. Pieces fly off the shelves, sometimes before they are even finished..... While on the 'star' theme, MON-STARS! OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT is on Friday - movie starts at dusk (approx 8.30pm) All Ages welcome (16 yrs & under must be accompanied by an adult).  No pre-registration required. Muhahahahahahaha! Dracula here.... inviting you to come to Graves Island and join the Chester Recreation team for our annual outdoor movie. This year the movie will be "Hotel Transylvania" starring Dracula and his 118 year old daughter, Mavis!!  What's a movie without popcorn? We've got you covered! Be sure to bring a blanket or chair to sit on. Popcorn costs $0.50 per bag. Free but donations to Municipality of Chester PRO Kids are welcome.   Saturday, is 1st Saturdays on the South Shore and Light My Fire Studio is holding a class in making "Wax and Water Candles" - Build a fantastic undersea scene in your candle. $15.00 per candle. It will be on a drop in basis between 11-5pm, though the store will be open 9-6pm. Remember they are open until 8pm on Thursday and Friday evenings throughout the summer. As part of 1st Saturdays, thanks to Bob at the Fo'c'sle, Peter Kielburger (+ friend) will be playing music on their Pleasant Street verandah from 1-4pm. Shopping, sunshine and music - a spectacular combination.......     Sunday evening, starting at 7pm, local blues guru, MORGAN DAVIS will be playing at the Chester Bandstand. Children are welcome to dance on the grass. Adults may want to bring a lawn chair. Concerts may be moved or cancelled in heavy rain at the discretion of the performer(s). For more info contact Evelyn Ernst at 634-4435. Then at the Playhouse, starting at 8pm, Los Primos will perform with Jeff Goodspeed and Silvio Pupo. Music students who have learned Cuban music from Cuban musicians working with the Los Primos project, this cultural exchange, 15-piece band is not to be missed. Okay, third time lucky...... weather permitting..... on Tuesday 6th, Darren Arsenault & friends will perform at PICNIC IN THE PARK from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in Lordly Park. Free admission. Bring your family and your picnic and your dancing shoes. Donations for the band gratefully accepted. Sponsored by GN Plastics. Raindate: Tuesday, August 27. For cancellation notice go to www.chester.ca.

Phew! There's a lot going on in this bustling hamlet this week..... So, pop those vitamin B12s and hit the streets running. You only live once. The Other One for the Chester Merchants Group Two guys walk into a bar. One says to the other, "I didn't see it, either."

July 24th, 2013 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release The Lulu Lemons are back in the Hamlet. Designer orange and pinks are humping it up the hills of Chester. I stopped in on a friend yesterday who was on her way to a cocktail party. She was sporting a breezy black number. It was a million degrees. I suggested a white linen blouse. As I drove away I noticed my own attire. Bleach stained  shorts and a ripped T shirt covered in 3 contrasting paint samples and thought to myself "Who the hell am I to give fashion advice?"

This Week in Chester Tonight, Wednesday, Forever Plaid is back on stage at the Chester Playhouse. On the way to their first big gig in 1964, a vocal harmony group, meet their untimely demise. The quartet of nerdy but sweet angels, return to earth to play their first and final concert. Featuring many hits, such as "Moments to Remember" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," the show will have you humming the tunes and falling in love with the Plaids as they fulfill their destiny. Dig your plaids out of the recesses of the closet and parade your colours ! Remember the Playhouse offers dinner theatre packages with the Rope Loft and the Galley. Dial up the box office to book @ 275-3933. The show runs until Saturday night with a 2 pm matinée on Saturday as well. Blue Shutters Antiques, located at the entrance to Graves Island Park, is open from 10 am- 5 pm Thursday through Sunday each week. I got a lovely Hackmatack Hotel plate there the other day. More gems await from an era when people did more than look at computer screens. Kate Church is back at the Chester Arts Centre on Queen Street. This Thursday and Friday learn how to build characters on a simple wire armature. $130 includes most materials. Bring your lunch pail. Light My Fire is celebrating the dog days of summer by staying open until 8 pm Thursday and Friday evenings. The Chester Garden Club is holding its Annual Flower Show & Tea, titled "Hats Off" Thursday at the Chester Legion from 1:30 - 5 pm.  This is your opportunity to purchase gorgeous exhibits by award winning floral designers.  Novices and children can also win cash prizes, ribbons and trophies in numerous exhibit categories. Take your newly acquired flower arrangement down to the Rope Loft, plop it on your table and order up some half price appetizers from 5-8pm. Sit back, admire the new petals and watch the world drift by. Lovely. Friday the meat and pie boys are back in town at the Chester Train Station from 10- 2 pm for the weekly market. Your favourite vendors will be on deck along with many new ones and some great musicians! While at the market, stop in the Train Station Gallery and the Oak Island display. Friday evening our own artist in residence, Malcolm Callaway, is opening his new show Raven Mad at Amicus Gallery.You may look but you may not touch - they're still wet. Victoria asked if there were any storks in the show. Malcolm raised his eyebrows and Vic finished her thought with "Stork Raven Mad !" Celebrate your red dot acquisition with an evening at the Fo'c'sle Pub. Peter Grant is on stage @ 9pm for your enjoyment. Dinner is on the grill until 10 pm so get your order in. Saturday is your final day for the "Plaids" so plan to hit the afternoon performance or this evening's finale. Ian Campbell will be playing on the deck at the Rope Loft from 5-8pm Saturday evening. Park yourself on the dock, order up something with an umbrella from a blender and settle in. Continue your musical tour of Chester at the Fo'c'sle Pub where you will find Mosey Burns on stage @ 9 pm. On Sunday walk back in time from 4-6 pm at the Lordly House Museum at 133 Central Street. It is the official opening of "Municipal Main Streets - Then and Now." Go see what your old house used to look like. Sunday evening the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Band from the UK are at the Chester Bandstand @7 pm. 35  band members have flown across the pond to entertain you so you better show up! They are one of the only four remaining service bands in the UK. Brass...with an English accent - divine. Remember to congratulate them on their new heir to the throne. Also on Sunday evening at 8pm the Chester Playhouse is screening the documentary "Shakespeare - The Hidden Truth." This film is fascinating in it's ties to Oak Island. I've seen it twice and I am going again on Sunday.

Beginning Monday and running for 10 days there is the Artisans & Crafts Sale at the Chester Train Station from 10 am - 4 pm. There will be folk art, bath products, sewing, beeswax candles, sea glass, shell art and polished gemstone jewelry. For info call 275-4906 / 275-2225. Looking ahead to next week the Chester Trust is hosting a garden party at the Zoe Valle Library grounds at 63 Regent Street from 5-7pm, Wednesday, July 31st. This is a fundraiser for the Lightfoot Tower and they will be selling time capsules. Snippets of your life, your home and your family mug shots all preserved in a time capsule to be opened in 50 years. Think of the possibilities. Sandwiches with the crusts cut off, tea and other libations will be served. There will be boules, a jigsaw puzzle challenge and a treasure hunt. Wear white as it's an English tea. "Make your history part of Chester's history." Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group

July 17th, 2013 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release Recently I came across a couple of young cousins, fishing up a storm for squid on a glorious evening. The excitement, freedom and camaraderie reminded me of the simple pleasures one can have - right in your own backyard or off the government wharf. Summer is when that freedom is extended and your antics become the stories you recount in winter and for years to come.......shortening the 'distance' between family and friends.

This Week in Chester Talking of memories, take a 'trip down Memory Lane in Plaid style'. "FOREVER PLAID" is opening on Wednesday 17th at the Chester Playhouse at 8pm. Featuring many '60s hits such as Moments to Remember and Love is a Many Splendored Thing....... Why not dress the part too? It runs through Saturday 8pm each evening with a matinee at 2pm on Saturday, and the same the week after. Friday marks the 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHESTER CONNECTION TRAIL. Come meet the friendly staff from the Municipality of Chester Recreation Department at the Chester Visitor Information Centre at 10:00 am and enjoy a leisurely walk along a small section of the trail. Gord Tate will be available to give an intro to Geocaching and you will have a chance to win some prizes. All ages welcome.  (If you're in to geocaching, and the idea of hidden treasures tickles your fancy, you may want to mark you calendar for the Chester Trust's upcoming Time Capsule project that will be launched on July 31st at their Garden Party........... Stay tuned. Info next week.) To complement this blistering heat, on Friday night, "Lucky Dog Blues" are playing at the Fo'c'sle and Saturday night "Memphis Knights". Bands start at 9pm. Dance till you drop...... Saturday 20th heralds the return of the CHESTER GARDEN TOUR (RAIN OR SHINE) from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Hosted by the Chester Municipal Chamber of Commerce, this is a one day multi-destination, self guided tour of beautiful private gardens in and around Chester. Enjoy Niki Jabbour for a question and answer period, music, and a house tour. Advance tickets $30/person ($35 day of event) and includes a picnic lunch. For more info email Admin@ChesterAreaNS.ca - LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE. On Sunday, 21st, The 351 Llewellyn Sea Cadets are fundraising for their trip to Chester, England in August 2013. So consider getting over to the Chester Legion for their Chinese Auction, Cold Plate Lunch and Bake table and give them your support. 10 - 3pm. Sunday at 7pm, THE CHESTER BRASS BAND will be playing at the Chester Bandstand. For more info contact Evelyn Ernst at 634-4435. Also on Sunday, make sure to get front row seats at the 8pm screening of 'Seducing Dr. Lewis' at the Playhouse in aid of Our Health Centre. Brought back by popular demand, it's a great film with lots of laughs as residents of a tiny fishing village scheme to secure a resident doctor. Sound familiar?! Dan Cox will host the evening as half his family is in the film, having been shot in his home town in Quebec.   With the promise of more cooperative weather, the second PICNIC (and dancing) IN THE PARK is on Tuesday with "Makeshift" from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Lordly Park. Free admission. Bring your family, your picnic, and your dancing shoes. Donations for the band gratefully accepted. Sponsored by Premiere Self Storage. Raindate: Tuesday, August 27.  For cancellation notice go to www.chester.ca.    Lots is going on at the Chester Art Centre: check out their website for more information on 'Intro to Playwriting Workshop' (July 19-24) with Griffin McInnes and 'Polymer Clay Figurative Workshop' (July 22-23) with Kate Church. She won't do it herself, so I'm going to plug The Mecklenburgh Inn - home away from home, right in the heart of the Village. Wonderfully casual and cosy - if you've got troublesome guests that tend to overstay their welcome, let Suzi sort them out! Her breakfasts are so good that next time they consider a visit, you might find them booking in there first....!

When was the last time you went to the Chester Golf Club for a meal? Treat yourself to the dining room with the best view in Chester, just a short stroll from the hustle and bustle of 'downtown'. There's always a glorious breeze.....so soak up the stunning sunset with cocktail in hand, eat to your heart's content and voila!, no dishes to do...... Have fun in this exceptional summer heat...... we'll be complaining of the cold again in no time! The Other One for the Chester Merchants Group

July 10th, 2013 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release What a weekend ! Everyone basting themselves at the beach - I saw an oil slick of Coppertone off Freda's on Saturday. Everyone looked liked cooked lobsters. Speaking of lobsters, I was telling a European guest about buying Clearwater lobsters at the airport to ship home. He wasn't sold on the idea of having his next meal languishing in the cargo hold on a long transatlantic flight. I said "fine, buy him a seat, feed him some champagne, give him a headset and he will be happy as a clam before you stick him in a pot of boiling water, because he has to get there somehow and he ain't walking to your dinner table." He did get the irony of the scenario.

This Week in Chester Why not stop in at Flowers Flowers Flowers on Pleasant Street and pick up a bouquet for your better half. Robin has some fabulous stems in her fridge awaiting your call. 275-5707 In keeping with the flower theme, on Thursday there is a children's garden/flower arranging workshop at the Chester Legion. Email cynthia@spraggs.ca for info. Thursday night is half price appetizers from 5-8pm at the Rope Loft. Picture your good self in one of those lovely deck chairs all propped up with a cocktail and your grazing goodies laid out before you while the yachts race in the bay. No finer place to be. Thursday is also the beginning of the weekend run for dinners at the Kiwi café on Pleasant Street. Friday is market day. Get up to the Train Station between 10 and 2 pm to get your veggies, meat, fish, pies, soaps and ohh so much more. Load up for the week. Friday evening Shelley Mitchell is showcasing her new works at Amicus Gallery at 6 pm. Be prompt or you'll miss out on the goods and I am told there is wine at these events.... Friday night is prime rib night at the Rope Loft. Belly up to the bar for a sneaky martini and settle in. Also on Friday night SWIG is onstage at the the Fo'c'sle Pub at 9pm. Always a house favourite at the pub, so get there early with your dancing shoes. Saturday there is a boating scavenger hunt and BBQ at the Chester Yacht Club for "Our Health Centre." It is open to all comers and registration is from 8.30 - 9.30 am at CYC Saturday morning. The Mackerel Snappers Picnic is at Graves Island Park from noon - 6 pm. Raindate: Sunday, July 14.  Get your mackerel fix here. For more info call Jenny @ 275-4070.  Saturday evening Ian Campbell will be playing for your entertainment at the Rope Loft from 5-8 pm. Saturday night is also the big Chester Playhouse - no holds barred - Galapalooza from 5-8 pm. An annual fundraiser for the Playhouse, this promises to be an evening of decadence and merriment. Entertainment will be provided by The Mike Cowie trio, food by celebrity chefs Michael Howell and our own Peggy Wilson, accompanied by a fine array of beverages from Bishop's Cellar. One of the many auction items include a one week's stay at an ocean front villa in Nevis. Shuttle service is available from Chester Yacht Club. For info/tickets, call the Playhouse @ 275-3933. More music awaits you at the Fo'c'sle Pub. The George Carter Trio take the stage at 9 pm. Sunday evening at 7 pm the bandstand lights up with the Chester Basin Street Dixieland Band. Dust off your CBC kazoo and join in.

In other breaking flower news, the Chester Garden Club will meet at St. Stephen's Hall Monday night @ 6:30 for 7 pm. March your green thumb over there and learn how to prepare your blue ribbon entry for the upcoming Flower Show.New members welcome. Art Centre News: Sally Warren returns with "Figure Drawing with Flare" July 15 and 16. A wide range of exercises, techniques and knowledge of human body structure that will help you bring the people in your art work to life. Suitable for beginners and more experienced artists like yourself. 10am - 3pm. Pack a lunch. The NSLC sell those nice little mini 'pichets' of wine by the checkout for an occasion just like this. Stock up and stick one in your Snoopy lunch pail. Heather Sayeau is at the Art Centre July 17 &18. "Create Dynamic Art with Simple Techniques"  will help you explore acrylic colour, underpainting, composition, scale and various tools used with brushes. 9am - 4pm. Restock Snoopy as above. When a woman says "What" it's not that she didn't hear you, but that she is giving you the opportunity to change what you said. Suzi Fraser for the Chester Merchants Group

July 3rd, 2013 Press Release!

Chester Merchants Press Release I thought we needed the above smiley sun to jog our memory......... The few seconds of sunshine that we've had this week, have had people momentarily blinded, frantically rummaging for their forgotten sunglasses, only to realize, 5 seconds later, that the umpteenth cloud had reinstalled itself over the stranger. She promises to be back on a more permanent basis by the weekend though...... so get prepared.

This Week in Chester Want a great way to start your weekend? How about siding up to John Cole Porter & the Handsome Devils at the Fo'c'sle Tavern on Friday night. With a name like that, how can you resist...?! You never know what treasures you'll find at the Chester Municipal Heritage Society's Annual Auction & Flea Market, Saturday 6th July, at the Chester Train Station, 20 Smith Road (VIC). Flea Market starts at 9:00 am. Auction 9:30 am. Bring a generous spirit, lots of cash, your cheque book and a chair to recuperate on between the exhausting bidding. Raindate: July 7 starting 1:00 pm.  Saturday is also a First Saturday on the South Shore with special events and offers....... perhaps you should take your newly acquired auction item over to Cameron's Fine Art Antiques and get a verbal appraisal of your item for only $5 per item (normally $25). You never know..... After all the excitement, stroll on over to the Chester Playhouse for a concert by Roberto López Afro-Colombian Jazz Orchestra - multi-instrumentalist Roberto López, along with his virtuoso friends, leads us to a unique encounter between the wind ensembles of Colombia's Caribbean coast and North-American Jazz Big Bands. The magic starts at 8pm. If you want a change of pace, The Stolen Tones are playing at the Fo'c'sle Tavern from 9 onwards. Can you fit it all in? It's worth a try......... On Sunday, The Bridgewater Fireman's Band will be playing at the Chester Bandstand starting 7:00pm. Children are welcome to dance on the grass. Adults may want to bring a lawn chair. Concerts may be moved or cancelled in heavy rain at the discretion of the performer(s). For more info contact Evelyn Ernst at 634-4435. Tuesday 9th July heralds the first "Picnic (and dancing) in the Park" at Lordly Park. These free concerts will be held every other Tuesday from 6-8pm, starting with local favourite Jamie Junger, joined by friends Tom Myers and Lucas Reeves. Think summer of '67 in San Francisco and bring a picnic supper, your children, grandparents and your dancing shoes. As well as providing Lordly Park, the Chester Municipal Heritage Society is making the Maple Cottage washrooms available........ so no excuses! For more information see the poster below or contact Erin at gore275@eastlink.ca or 275-5864.     If you have a budding actress/actor in the younger part of your family (9-18 years old) who has potential to bloom on the boards, there are still places in the Summer Theatre Drama School at the Chester Playhouse whose production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will make you proud on August 17th. Call 275 3933 for more information and enrollment. At the Train Station Gallery, a new collection of beautiful work by talented South Shore artists is on display for July. Chester's own Paula Booher, our featured artist, is displaying her fun and colourful work. Bring a friend and view the variety of creativity. Hwy #3 Chester. Open daily 10-4pm. PS If you didn't make it to last week's "Burning of the Young Teazer"... Chester's Suzanne Conrod hooked a spectacular representation which hangs in the Founder's Gallery of the Hooked Rug Museum of North America, which celebrated its grand opening June 15th.

Enjoy the return of sunshine with a swim and shakedown on Freda's Beach like Frankie. The Other One for the Chester Merchants Group