My last monologue for the financial year..wow! I can’t believe that the Daily Examiner and you it’s readers have put up with my ramblings for a full year.

..and what a year it has been.

They say time flies while you are having fun, I can certainly attest to that.At the same time I am more than a little humbled by the support, encouragement and cooperation my family and I have received over the last 12 months. Both in business and privately.

From the Mighty River Redmen who ‘adopted’, my cousin Eddie and I last year when we landed, to local groups and individual members of the Business community who have thrown out a warm welcome. To the strangers who have helped me out of sticky situations a naïve city slicker can get into in the bush to the gentleman who almost let me beat him at squash last week.

On the home front my immediate family have well and truly settled into a wonderful lifestyle, with many envious family members and friends looking closely at making the move also. An especially big thank you to the families who have made CC girl welcome right up and down the Valley. The surgical extraction of a 13 year old sophisticated young Miss from the big smoke was always going to be a tough assignment, but with some subtle nudges from a wide variety of directions she is looking very much at home these days.

Workwise I couldn’t be happier with the progress the business is making. Not only has the local support been mind blowing, the capacity of our people to embrace technology and opportunity has allowed us to develop our burgeoning ‘export’ business’. As I write this David ‘sat nav’ Landenberger is racing against the clock to get a Hyundai Terracan to a very pregnant lady in Forbes, in the Central West, before she becomes a mum.

A big thank you is warranted also to our trade suppliers and customers. We have all been through a few hoops and hurdles together over the past year, but it’s been great to see the quality of individuals and businesses shine through time and time again. Thank you.

Finally I need to recognise the Mighty River crew. It’s been a steep learning curve and a rocky road for a few, however the transformation has truly been remarkable. Everyone has risen to the occasion, they have got the place fair dinkum rocking along.

So call in and allow us to return serve!.

Happy motoring,

Spratty