Flannery’s Pharmacy has been looking after Forbes for nearly 60 years, taking pride in providing excellent customer service, professional advice and support to the Forbes community. This week Flannery’s are celebrating their brand-new store, and the Flannery’s team is offering a range of promotions and giveaways to thank their customers for embracing their change. The opening celebrations will be held on Thursday, 1st December. The first 50 customers will receive a goodie bag, and a Lucky Door prize will see one lucky customer go home with a basket of luxury goodies.

There will also be an hourly prize draw, bonus LifeClub vouchers for customers, and free balloons for children. The celebration will continue into the evening, as Flannery’s Pharmacy will be hosting a VIP Christmas Shopper evening from 5.30pm to 7pm. Customers are invited to enjoy drinks and nibbles in store, and take advantage of double dollars on any fragrance or Christmas gift purchases. Of course, customers are welcome to enjoy the pharmacy’s new features anytime, which includes automatic doors for easy access, and new cooling and heating for year-round comfort. The most impressive improvement is the three new consultation rooms for professional services and clinics,
offering comfort and privacy.

Flannery’s have also extended their health focus with a new range of organic health foods, including raw honey, glutenfree products and hemp protein. They have also stocked a new range of organic beauty products for those who are conscious of what they are putting on their skin. And there are plenty of indulgent things that would be perfect gifts for Christmas. Plus, there’s some special opening offers on everyday items. Flannery’s want to thank the extremely professional local tradesmen: Matty Jack and Cameron Greenhalgh, Abe Duggan Plumbing, Matt, Mark, Trevor, Dustin, David and the Shead and Nicholson team, Brett Myers and team, Scott Andrews, Mick Jordan and his team from M J Mowing and Odd Jobs, Kevin Gunn’s cleaning team and Johnno Roylance and team.

Owners, Michael Flannery and Sarah Hazell, together with Business Manager Debbie Prior, would particularly like to thank the wonderful Flannery’s team who have worked tirelessly to ensure the pharmacy continued to operate during this very challenging refurbishment. Thank you also to Flannery’s customers who have been very supportive.

The weather looks promising, the prize pool is fantastic so get your best race wear on and head to the Forbes Spring Races tomorrow. Forbes Services Memorial Club is the major sponsor and 43 other local businesses have donated to the $6,000 prize pool consisting of cash, vouchers and prizes. Fashions on the Field organizer, Leigh Bartholomaeus said: “We have such a wonderful community that continually support and donate to the many fundraisers and
events in the Forbes district.”

Five categories will be hotly contested and the new special category, Fashion in Flood, will no doubt feature very interesting and creative outfits. With a minimum $500 cash prize for the Fashion in Flood category alone and nearly $6,000 in prize packs for the other categories, many contestants are expected to try their luck. Judging criteria applies to all categories. Full details of categories and criteria are available on the Forbes Spring Races Facebook page. It is recommended to observe the criteria carefully.

Registrations open at 1pm tomorrow at the Fashions on the Field marquee, with preliminary judging starting at 2pm and final judging on the red carpet at approximately 4pm.

By popular demand, the all-singing, alldancing Songs In The Key Of Motown is coming back to Australia! Two of the best and biggest Las Vegas soul shows are coming together again and bringing with them the best in soul and Motown music. Transporting audiences back to the era where The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha & The Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles reigned supreme. Songs In The Key Of Motown will literally leave you breathless.

It is a spectacular live concert production that takes you on a journey through Motown. Featuring Spectrum, a first-class vocal quartet that draws upon the talent of four radiant voices and diverse personalities. They have spent six stellar years recreating the sound and style of the Four Tops in Las Vegas.

Superstars and Legends In Concert the group has developed the versatility to credibly cover the music of groups from the Platters to the Temptations to Boyz- 2Men. It is this versatility that has propelled them to the status of headlining their own shows in which they perform stirring renditions of all the best cover tunes. They have teamed up with Radiance, a talented vocal quartet formed specifically to pay tribute to the Disco and Motown era paying tribute to the music of The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas, The Marvelettes and other female artists from that amazing musical era. Together they have created SONGS IN THE KEY OF MOTOWN, a spectacular show transporting audiences back to an era of music that formed a major cornerstone in American music of the 60’s and 70’s. The costuming, the choreography, the harmonies, the energy and excitement are second to none.

Together they provide an array of talent that is the best in entertainment that leaves audiences wanting more! See them perform on Thursday, 24th November at the Orange Civic Theatre.

The infamous bushranger Ben Hall held Forbes captive last Saturday night as he rode into town in the independently produced feature film The Legend of Ben Hall. The notorious character was larger than life as his story was projected onto a huge inflatable screen at the Forbes Showground for the audience of 900 people who attended the world premiere.

Lead actor Jack Martin bore an uncanny resemblance to the outlaw, and his brooding portrayal won many fans, and quite a few hearts. “I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting him,” he joked. “But I did a lot of research and felt a great affinity with him,” he said. Jamie Coffa plays John Gilbert, Ben’s partner-in-crime. Jamie said the cast had to do a horse riding crash-course for the film. “It was the most challenging part of filming,” he said. “Doing dialogue, on a horse, while shooting a gun; they don’t teach you how to do that at drama school.”

The film is the brainchild of writer/director/ producer Matthew Holmes, and has been his enduring passion for the best part of a decade. Matthew was slowly crowd-funding the finance, when Forbes Shire Council got involved. With their faith in the project, momentum quickly picked up, and the team was able to embark on production. “The scope of the project was epic,” Matthew said. “We were constantly facing a battle of the budget.”

The film was shot in locations across regional NSW and Victoria and the production took a grueling two years to complete. The filmmakers were delighted to bring the film back to the heart of Ben Hall country for its premiere screening. “We are so grateful for the support from Forbes Shire Council, and it was great to be able to bring the film back to where it all started,” Matthew said.

By Raen Fraser