G'Day Sandra, Breezy, Andrez, JennieG, Ebbie, Megan, Artbrooks, & Maeve ...

I've been sweating on on the fates and a lot of friends up in the Bell / Clarence region up along Bell's Line of Roads.

Previous weekend Patricia & I stopped in our friend Helen's home at Clarence ... next door to the Engineering / electrical design & construction works ... up on the road frontage of the 20 acre double block with her eldest son's home ... down the long steep dirt access road ... while he's overseas visiting friends and relatives!

I got home the other night ... and Patricia said she had turned on the TV ... and got coverage of the Bush Fire Brigade fighting for the 'Ampletech' workshops (her son's business (founded by his Dad).

I rang Helen and she told me how her younger son, despite some communications problems he has at times, had been directing the firies ("Bush Fire Brigade" personnel... basically everyone in the district!) and they all had succeeded in saving the works and the home (... only lost an older caravan and a couple of the 3-whheeler off-road vehicles used around the 20 acre home block!

I then rang the home of Richard Evans ... Concertina maker, repairer and player ... ~ about 10 km east at Bell ... perched above the valley and joining fire fronts. Richard was down in Lithgow ... picking up his medications ... and Eva quickly told me she and the Bush Firies were fighting for the house, workshops and property ... and a helicopter was starting to "water-bomb" the house, cars and workshops!

I left her to the work in hand ... and haven't got back through since ... and the Bush Fire Brigade has told all Bell residents to evacuate post haste down to Lithgow!

I remember that, the week before, I had been in Richard's workshop, waiting for him to get back and see visiting musician / friends ... and demonstrating some of the dozen or more high-quality concertinas of all marques and systems!

I hope they were quickly moved somewhere safe - and eveacuated when the Bush Fire Brigade told all Bell residents to evacuate!... as they would have been worth more than a good Sydney home!

I also noted fire alerts for other Bush Music friends, living down the Southern Highlands ... but haven't been able to get through to them ... but the Southern Highlands don't seem to have been anywhere near as volatile as the Bkue Mountains ...

Regards all,

Stay safe

BobB