Eight diehard early morning swimmers visited the pool on Monday but only six entered the water after Legge Street dweller Don McHattan baulked at the last moment as did North Street resident Leslie Doyle. Then the next day Leslie's daughter Anna Wood pulled the pin before she got wet mainly because the water was only 19.9 degrees Celsius.

There was action aplenty at the pool last Saturday morning when no less than 87 people turned up in the first hour to attend aqua aerobics, the birthday party for eight-year-old Olivia Hoy or just for a social visit.

Great to see Olivia's mum Chloe leave the pool with both daughters- including one-year-old Heidi -who Chloe left in town with babysitting grandparents John and Judy Smolders last week. After Chloe finished work she started to head home to 'Sunnybrook' on Bishops Road and about halfway through her journey realised she forgot Heidi.

Former Walcha sheriff Anthony Smith left town last weekend after he combined with fellow Manly Sea Eagles supporters to defeat Steph Sweeney and Bernardo Lynch at pool on Friday night. Anthony thoroughly enjoyed several farewell syrups with a few mates at the Apsley Arms Hotel. Sad to see Smithy go really.

After qualifying for the New South Wales Open Golf Championships Andrew Brennan would have been even more excited when his father Wayne and older brother Luke were in the gallery to support him. Absolutely no doubt AJ's mum Cathy would have been looking down cheering him on as well.

Flippers president Angus Warden travelled to Adelaide last weekend for a bonding session with some of his Michin Moore Private Wealth colleagues where they played golf and went to the Test cricket. Gus tracked up 36 Stableford points which included chipping in from a sand bunker off a steep downhill lie.

Well done to the Walcha Central School debating team Sammy Swaine, Emily Blake, Ali Kealey, Harriet Crawford and Jemma Warden on representing Northwest at the State Debating Championships. Because of the bushfires, the finals were conducted as a video conference where our team won one and lost two of their arguments.

For the second time in three weeks Jemma Warden has set a Walcha world record after she bettered her own 12 years 4x 50 m medley record by over two seconds on Tuesday - stopping the clock at 3 minutes 19.18 seconds.

Some people don't get to compete at state championships at any stage during their career but that's certainly isn't the case with Jemma Warden who has represented Northwest at swimming, athletics, cross-country, hockey and now debating. What a great effort Jemma.

Festival Friday has finally arrived and will be presented by Walcha Central School tomorrow evening commencing at 4pm and going through until 8pm. Although the fireworks planned for the night have been cancelled there are plenty of other activities to keep everyone entertained. Free entry to the grassed area beside the Angle Street entrance.

Special guest is former NRL player and Dally M medallist Preston Campbell who played for the Gold Coast Chargers, Cronulla, and won a premiership with Penrith before becoming the inaugural signing for the Gold Coast Titans in 2007.

There is every chance Preston will be out at John Oxley Sportsground this afternoon and there is a strong rumour floating about that the Presbyterian church minister Graham Barnes will attempt to persuade him into having a trot with his Touch team The Cougars who have apparently been doing it a bit tough so far this season.

Local cricketer Barry Hoy reckons one of the highlights of his recent trip to Perth to compete in the veterans over 50s national championships with the New South Wales Emus was getting to walk on the WACA ground where there wasn't a blade of grass out-of-place.