Community & Business
25 October, 2023
Clifton comes alive for Country week
A beautiful sunny day welcomed locals and visitors from near and far as Country Week kicked off in a carnival atmosphere with parking spots in King Street all gone by 9am and stall holders keen and ready to display their wares.
The atmosphere was lighthearted and friendly as people shopped and enjoyed meeting up with old friends.
Outside the Pink Pub the Tillberry Greens entertained with the music of a variety of well known artists such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Kinks, and The Beatles.
Young children were quick to find the ice cream and sweets stalls before venturing onto the giant slippery slide.
Stalls of every description gave shoppers plenty of choice and raffles were available all along King Street.
The arrival of a steam train from Warwick was eagerly awaited by many but unfortunately the dry conditions meant it was replaced by a diesel locomotive because of the risk of hot cinders from a steam locomotive causing a track side fire.
Nevertheless, the Downs Explorer brought an excited group of passengers from Warwick and they were quick to find the market stalls and food trucks.
Those seeking somewhere quiet to relax for morning tea found the CWA Rest Rooms a delight as tea, coffee and of course scones, strawberry jam and cream were served.
One group who enjoyed time to relax there were ladies from the Stanthorpe Red Hatters who added a splash of colour with their purple dresses and red hats.
A total change of atmosphere was available at the “Show n Shine “ car and bike display.
Lovers of vintage and classic cars had their addiction satisfied as they wandered around cars such as Mustangs, a standout beautiful reddish coloured EH Holden, American luxury cars from the 50s and 60s and for a change of horsepower a group of Volkswagen Beetles.
Bike lovers had a smaller but no less impressive collection of high powered touring and sports bikes to spark thoughts of days gone by when they either owned or dreamed of owning a shiny flash bike with lots of chrome and horsepower to burn.
Those longing for something more sedate and artistic headed for the Iris and Rose show where beautiful roses and impressive iris flowers added a real splash of colour to the Senior Citizens Hall.
The ability of gardeners to have their Roses and Iris at the peak of perfection in such dry climatic conditions impressed everyone.
Clifton Country Week continues to draw a crowd with visitors from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Stanthorpe, Toowoomba and towns such as Millmerran, Pittsworth and Inglewood.
The F. E. Logan Hall will be the venue for a bush dance on Friday night and Country Week concludes with the running of the Clifton Cup in a five race program at the Clifton Racecourse on Saturday.
