TAMWORTH

SUNDAY 24.01.2016: The sun is shining, birds are singing and the grass is growing - everything is good in downtown Nundle. This year the ONLY reason for being at the Tamworth Country Music Festival is to attend the final professional performance of Bella. Karen O'Shea, Lyn Bowtell and Kate Ballantyne are a local Port Stephens group that have been singing together for well over 15 years and have received a "Golden Guitar" for their "Gravity" album. On the bus at 8.00am - performance was at 1.00pm! 10 minutes out from Nundle and Sybil making casual conversation asks Carole "do you have the tickets?" There are times when facial expressions really do say it all! As usual we share our problem with anyone that will listen and in this case it was the bus driver.

KATE BALLANTYNE, KAREN O'SHEA &
LYN BOWTELL

We resolved to catch another bus straight to the Longyard Hotel and speak to the Manager - whatever it took, plead Alzheimer's, anything! Arrived at the hotel at 9.30am and headed to the ticket desk - we emotively explained our situation and the young lass provided some avenues for a solution. We plaintively thanked her - next minute, "just wait here I will be back." She returned with two Bella tickets in hand courtesy of the Longyard Hotel - H-U-G-E thank you to the Longyard Hotel, Tamworth. Okay, we are all set for the concert - oh, no shows on at the Longyard till 1.00pm. We picked our I-D-E-A-L seats and were in place by 10.00am - those of you that know Carole will appreciate what a wait of 3 hours with no Sudoku, Crossword or newspaper means to her!

Bella came on stage to a full house and it was brilliant. The girls performed their "socks off". There were tears, laughter, jokes and all their beautiful songs - a bitter/sweet afternoon. Bella have unfortunately reached different roads in their lives - the only hope is that they have 'reunion concerts'.

 

Made our way back to the Tudor Hotel and watched the entertainment before heading home to Nundle.