The organisers and volunteers have done our city and surrounds a great service once again.

Our show is a great mix of all things country, with displays of all types of cars, trucks and machinery and lots of families just having fun.

I hope to have results from sections by this time next week.

TEN people have nominated for election to the board of Central Tablelands Local Land Services and the voting process will operate from May 10-31.

The nominees are Howard Sinclair, Barry Gay, John Lowe, John Stuart, Peter Blore, Fiona Bennett, Mitchell Clapham, Wendy Bowman, Donald Bruce and Geoffrey Beath.

Details of the nominees can be accessed on the Central Tablelands LLS website.

AN article in the Western Advocate recently told of Eglinton resident Lindsay Cox’s purchase of an all-electric Nissan leaf.

This is probably the first fully electric passenger vehicle to be sold in Bathurst and Lindsay could well become a tourist attraction as the car is a bright lipstick red.

Tracey Sorensen regularly mentions the prospect of a race for electric powered cars on our Mount and this is a prospect of a peep into the future.

We only have to use some of the 18 volt power tools that are freely available to see what will come to the market in the very near future.

 A LONG-TIME farmer friend and former client tells me that he is absolutely petrified of retiring from farming and moving into town.

He lists his worries as being noisy neighbours, barking dogs, boredom and nothing to do.

Most farmers dislike shopping but bowls, social golf, U3A, Probus and night trots are all interesting options.

We must all remember that a positive outlook is our greatest asset and that our partners don't deserve to be stuck with a complete dope.

A REMINDER of current rules for the lighting of fires in the open with in Bathurst Regional Council area:

SOME thoughts for Mother’s Day from the show:

I think any mother would love these products.

RELIABLE sources tell me that during the calendar year 2016 our public finance sector loaned 60 per cent of domestic financing to housing and that almost half of that figure was for housing investment loans.

Business loans were slightly less than one-third of the finance total.

With so much emphasis on housing investment loans, there is much reason to play really carefully in case the housing bubble threatens to deflate.

The finance sector has no scope to further lower interest rates as 1.5 per cent must be rock bottom.

We will all probably sleep much better if our housing investment strategy isn't too highly geared.

THE wool market opened cheaper on the first day after the Easter break before gaining ground on the second day.

The northern market indicator finished the week on 1597c/kg, down 11c/kg.

The market is trading at very good levels with fine and superfine merinos being around 800c/kg above last year’s levels.

The medium merinos are around 200c/kg dearer than last year and the broad merinos are trading around 50ckg dearer than last year. The cross-breds wools are around 40c/kg cheaper than this period last year.

The market should be firm to a little dearer next week with supply levels starting to drop and good competition still coming out of Europe and China.

Sales next week will see 40,785 bales on offer nationwide.

Mark Horsburgh, TWG Landmark

A CAREFUL Scot had finally won $6 million on Lotto after many years of trying.

“We’ve made it, dear,” he told his wife, but she replied: “But what we will will we do with all the begging letters?”

He instantly answered: “Oh, will just keep sending them, dear.”

***

THE new arrival applied for a job and was told that an IQ test was mandatory.

“A person with an IQ of 150 would be admitted to university, while a fellow with an IQ of 50 would be battling to tie his shoe shoelaces,” he was told.

Our man replied: “Ah yes, now I see why so many Aussies wear thongs.”