Update To ABBAFanatic Website

For those who may look in on my website sometimes, be sure to check it out in the upcoming weeks.

I am working on updating the site with lots of changes and plenty of new content.

It's a slow process but it really needed a major overhaul after being somewhat neglected for quite some time.

I appreciate those that have continued to visit the site even with all it's issues and I hope that it will be an enjoyable place to visit once I have completed it :)

You can follow the changes right now !

Check it out here:

www.abbafanatic.com

A Childhood ABBA Memory From Australia

For some reason, this particular image has always been stuck in the back of my mind since the 70's - I remember seeing it again for the first time as an adult after not seeing, or looking at, ABBA things for a very long time, and my heart did a little bit of a flutter. I remember so clearly absolutely loving this picture in the 70's. Apart from the few film clips, and the Bandstand Special, we saw very few images of ABBA before the memorabilia market went crazy in this country in late 1976. So, of course, once the memorabilia became available, it was heaven :)
All these new images of ABBA ! Pictures of ABBA in other countries, doing all sorts of things including performing on stage - amazing and wonderful. For some reason though, among all of this new amazing ABBA imagery, this picture hit my heart at the time. And when I think about it, I think it is because it made me believe that one day I could be that close to ABBA, getting an autograph - this was not just a staged group shot - this was ABBA walking in a normal street among people and you could get that close to them ! I reckon that all Aussie kids had this image of ABBA in their minds when they toured here in 1977. Maybe that's why we seemed so crazy at the time - we all believed we would be able to get up close and personal to them. Unfortunately for us though, there were too many of us, which made that impossible - unlike the situation in this picture :)
Tens of thousands of adoring fans could make walking the streets a little overwhelming I guess lol
This picture was used on the Aussie bubblegum cards, which I adored (and still do) and the card was where I first saw this image - and that was all it took - one very small picture on a trading card. It always brings back those wonderful feelings and memories of being a young girl in Australia at the beginning, and at the height of, ABBAmania in this country. It was something to behold. I know there are many ABBA fans around the world - all with their own memories of the beginning of the love. But I really do feel that nothing could possibly compare to the love affair Australia had with ABBA in the 1970's - and I feel so blessed - not only that I was lucky enough to be there for that most amazing time - but that I was one of those that felt the love - so deeply that it has continued for 40 years. What an absolutely magical time it was in my life - the most profound and deeply moving time. Apart from all the obvious reasons, this is why I am still such a devoted ABBA fan - because one image can evoke such a range of memories and emotions that they sometimes make me cry. I am truly lucky.

Scanlens Bubblegum Trading Card

And how perfect that they put this beautiful photo on a t-shirt as well :)

and in 'The Fabulous ABBA' Poster Book - although reversed:

 

and on the Sticker Sheet :)

Trundle ABBA Festival 2015 !

Trundle ABBA Festival 2015 was truly an amazing event. A small town in Central West NSW with a population of under 700 stages the only major ABBA event in Australia each year - and this year it was apparently 3 times larger than last year - so it's growing all the time.
There were over 1500 extra people in this little town for the ABBA Festival - I can tell you, it was overflowing with people from all over NSW - plus others from even further afield, including QLD.
Such an amazing atmosphere - everyone was there to have a good time and that is exactly what they did ! 
The town's folk were wonderful - so friendly - and all in the spirit of the festival. 
I have no doubt at all that this Festival will continue to evolve, improve and grow - this was only the 4th year. It was said that there weren't a lot of ABBA fans there because they didn't know about it - well, everyone else knew about it, that's for sure !

The ABBA train was a huge success - carrying lots of Festival goers from Forbes, Parkes and Bogan Gate - and everyone already in town went down to the station at Trundle to watch it's arrival - it was a real event in itself watching everyone disembark in their costumes lol

 

 












Very few people wore actual ABBA costumes as you can already tell from the photos - mostly Mamma Mia inspired outfits or 70's style costumes.

 We stayed at the Super Trouper Campground in Tent Town - a fabulous set up by Pete with large tents, lighting for the night time, 24 hour coffee station (much needed lol) and bacon & egg rolls in the mornings - and major thanks to Pete for giving us a blow up double mattress for our tent The showground was packed with tents, caravans, campervans - I was amazed at how many people were there - and at night there was a great campfire to hang out at (after festivities of course).

A full program - and I actually found it hard to keep up with it - mainly because I ended up spending so much time having lovely chats with locals and other visitors - including a nice young English girl who came to Australia a few years ago, visited Trundle, and decided to stay ! She works as a rouseabout and loves it there !

I actually have very few photos unfortunately, but this is because both my hubby and myself were too involved in the fun ! but this one was early on in the day:

   















This is the back of the Hotel where they did the Wedding Vow renewal ceremony as well as the singing competition - and later had Live music playing till around midnight - yep, it needs some work lol but they host a fantastic party - and the service is excellent !

The I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do wedding vow renewal ceremony was so funny with all words coming straight from ABBA lyrics of course - and the Reverend and others who did the readings were classics ! 

So next came the singing competition - now that was an experience I will never forget ! hilarious in parts - painful in other parts - but overall such great fun ! I even got taken on stage by a lovely group of ladies to perform Rock Me with them - what a hoot lol 

A little snippet of the Rock Me performance:

My hubby was still trying to work out the new camera - and had already had a few by this time, so this could explain the quality of this little snippet of my time with the ladies on stage lol - as you can see, I didn't get near the microphone too often - except one time - but I didn't care, I was enjoying dancing.
There are a few little snippets of this performance, but I think one is enough lol maybe John should not have stood behind the big fella !

These fabulous ladies were doing sign language to Honey Honey - they were so good and so funny ! 
They are teachers for the deaf - and they are great ladies.

The winner of the singing comp was a lovely young guy who made use of previous entrants to be his back up singers - he performed Super Trouper. I think it was rigged though - he was a local !

My Fernando dress was a hit - even with those who did not necessarily know it was an ABBA dress lol - I was asked later by a few different people if I had won the fashion competition in that dress - unfortunately I did not enter the competition - and if you take a good look at the style of most of the costumes, you'll agree, I probably wouldn't have won ! lol

The ladies in the bottom pic were the winners.

 











I decided it was time for a change then, so headed to our tent before heading back to the hotel - I was actually getting a little tipsy myself by this time - hence the slightly sloppy appearance of my dress ! lol

  




















Then it was back down to the Memorial Hall for the dance exhibition - and dance competition. The 2 performers from Dancing With The Stars were fabulous (Alana Patience & Carmelo Pizzino) - everyone loved it - but this time, the bad video footage was my doing - and amazingly, I found someone standing up that I could stand behind while filming also LOL but at least this shows proof that John was actually there with me - what do you think of his t-shirt ? 

  

Next came the dance competition. We were encouraged to get up and dance by a very nice lady from Northern Riverina who held my bag - on more than one occasion - and filmed us. We were not the first ones eliminated, but we didn't make it to the end - I was a little disappointed when Alana touched my arm lol

  
The dance competition was a real laugh - and the winners were not a surprise. The first couple were the runners up - the second couple were the winners.
Classics lol

 




















After this, it was time for a beautiful freshly cooked pizza at the back of the Hotel - where the stage was being set for Live music with Rock Bottom - great band - and what a beautiful setting in the beer garden:

And then, it was concert time with Bjorn Again:

After the concert, it was back to the Hotel for the Live music which played the whole time as not everyone went to the concert.

There were buskers in the main street - some of whom were quite painful to listen to - but it added to the atmosphere having Live music playing in different locations all morning as people were arriving in town - and good on them for having a go ! The singing competition was also painful to listen to at times - but again, I applaud everyone who was brave enough to get up on that stage and have some fun.

The Hotel may be in need of repair, but this is what this Festival is partly about - saving their town - and helping to restore it to what it should be - and honestly, the beer garden area out the back is just perfect for the activities hosted there - the staff are lovely, and the service is great - and who wouldn't enjoy watching a Live band in this setting ? 

The porta loos even had special signs:

And let's not forget the merchandise !

There were plenty of food tents and vans as well - very well catered for:

WIN News Central West did a little story on the Festival and you can check that out here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/WIN-News-Central-West/431557963627074

I congratulate Trundle for a super successful Festival - and I am sure it will be even bigger & better next year !

Bjorn Again are already booked to perform and tickets for the Festival will go on sale for 2016 in November, so be sure to watch out for that on their facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trundle-ABBA-Festival/222733167816456?sk=timeline

And if you need accommodation, be sure to book a tent with Pete at Tent Town - when the time comes. There is very little other accommodation in Trundle, and it gets booked out pretty early on.
Other alternative is to stay in Parkes and jump on the ABBA train !
Or bring a caravan !!

http://www.tent-town.com.au/trundle-abba-festival-2015/

But whatever you do, don't miss Trundle ABBA Festival in 2016 !!