WITH the memory of her mother and father close by, Helen Tucker visited Swan Hill for a weekend of fashions off the field.
Part of her racewear was a ring that belonged to her mother Sheila, who died 20 years ago, and a pair of boots that belonged to her father Noel, who died three years ago.
“This would have been the third year for us to attend (the Swan Hill) cup but the ‘rona (coronavirus) ruined two,” Ms Tucker told The Guardian.
This year was the second time the Swan Hill June Racing Carnival was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic and restrictions.
“My sister Sue Buxton and nephew Ben Buxton live up here, so we thought we would still come and hopefully support the economy after a tough couple of years for regional Vic,” she said. “We are also in a regional farming town and know how crap it has been.
“I decided to dress up each day to celebrate the cup.”
Her outfits were mostly vintage clothing, including a red “flapper” dress with matching earrings, a black and white dress bought online from England, an original hat box, and an array of fascinators.
Ms Tucker even awarded herself a plastic trophy for her fashion picks.
“I bought the plastic trophy because I won. I was going to enter the fashions on the field, so I thought, bugger it,” she said.
Ms Tucker lives in Anakie, a small country town between Bacchus Marsh and Geelong, with “one milk bar and a football club”.
“One blink and you miss it town,” she said. “It’s a rural farming town. Dad was a farmer in Anakie.”
Her nephew, Ben is a builder in Swan Hill and his wife Libby is a nurse at Swan Hill District Health.
“We will attempt to book our fourth year – fingers crossed,” Ms Tucker said.
