Ballarat East Community Men's Shed

Begonia Festival - Parade

When we were asked to build the 3 little pigs float I thought it should be a simple task, but in reality it has taken a huge amount of hours and some ingenuity. Some of the guys have displayed talents we did not know about, and everyone worked together to get the job done. Our intention was to build the elements in a flat pack form but this was too difficult as each item took shape. The following is a list of volunteers who worked on the project and I apologise if I have missed anyone. Len Cooper, Denis Costigan, Frank Dixon, Tim Finch, Ron Lancaster, Mal Harbridge, David Paton, Keith Pilven, Bernie Ryan, Merv Slater, Doug Smith, Graeme Staley, and Paul Tims.

We were fortunate to have major sponsors in Wilsons Fruit and Vegetables, and Caines Real Estate, also Ballarat Trailers and Towbars who loaned a tandem for 5 days, and Dulux for paint. Clayton Edwards, the set designer gave us a free hand on interpretation and was a great help. Clayton’s wife made the masks which received positive comment over the weekend. Thanks also to John Eagle’s grandson Andrew and the Withers girls who were the wolf and pigs! Thanks again everyone for a great effort, and not forgetting Ron Hucker who found room in the back shed to construct the float and store it.