Community spirit was alive and well in Breeza at the weekend as local markets returned to the village for the first time years.
Despite ominous wild weather predictions the day prior, Saturday morning’s market events were held in great conditions.
Among the visitors was Audrey Hood who travelled with her son Ashley from Gunnedah for the event.
Ashley is based in Brisbane but during a trip home saw the story in the Gunnedah Times about the markets and decided to take mum for a day out.
Ashley recalled the family had a farm in the area during the 1980s and he held fond childhood memories visiting Breeza’s village church.
Audrey, meanwhile, reminisced about playing tennis in Breeza during her heyday.
The market day was organised by Rick and Jo Rose on behalf of Breeza Progress Association who started the event to help raise funds for men’s mental health in the district.
About a dozen market stallholders attended the first event, which was followed by the monthly bingo afternoon at Breeza Community Hall.
Bev Watters, who has been assisting the progress association with its activities, said about 50 people regularly attend the monthly bingo sessions.
Such is the event’s popularity, bingo players from Gunnedah, Quirindi, Werris Creek and Tamworth attend the Breeza games. The bingo sessions also serve as a fundraiser for the progress association.
Bev has been living in Gunnedah since June after moving from Grafton earlier in the year.
She said the Breeza bingo events have been quite a drawcard for the village.
Also attending the markets were stallholders from Quirindi, Dave and Benita Budd.
The couple has been a regular visitor to Breeza bingo for the last year and wanted to support the new market event.
“We’re more into little places than big places,” Dave said.
Kate Yonge was travelling to Gunnedah with her dachshund Frankie when she decided to stop by the markets.
“It’s nice to see people coming out for it,” Kate said.
She was also impressed by the locally-made produce and gifts for sale at the markets.
William Timmins from Gunnedah was selling handcrafted wood pieces at Breeza. He is a regular on the market circuit in Gunnedah and had a few sales already by mid-morning.
“Most people coming through the gate have a look,” he said.
William has crafting wood for about two decades. He said there is always an element of the unknown in his work due to the unique patterns of each wood piece.
Fellow stallholder Ariya Darnell was selling a colourful range of artwork on various mediums.
From emu and ostrich eggs to bookmarks and canvas, there was something to suit every taste and budget.
The Spring Ridge resident said her small business concept has grown exponentially from humble beginnings just five years ago.
“I started with just a piece of cardboard and now I have a caravan,” Ariya said of her new art workshop.
Ariya was travelling with her dad and also planned to host a stall at Nundle markets later that afternoon.
Also travelling to Breeza for the markets was Alan and Sandra Wicks from Gunnedah.
The stallholders had an eclectic range of wind chimes for sale, each related to a unique theme or animal from the area.
“Whatever I see, I make,” Alan said of his wind chimes.
The retired abattoir worker, who also worked for 25 years with Telstra as a linesman, said the wind chimes were an idea that came about during COVID and have stuck ever since.
“There’s a lot of work in them,” he said.
Inside the hall at Breeza, bingo caller and Breeza identity Mitchum Neave was preparing for the afternoon events.
He usually starts the bingo sessions with a birthday “icebreaker” – if there are any – which he said often gets players into the fun spirit of the event.
