Looking back this week

Looking back 10 years to 2012: Maid Mossop celebrated her 102nd birthday at Salisbury House in Upper Beaconsfield the only way she knows how, with a champagne and lobster lunch with her family. There were four generations at the party - Maida with her daughter Ann, granddaughter Jade and great granddaughters Alana, 6, and Courtney, 3.

30 years to 1992

Reaction from local residents was phenomenal before the opening of Pakenham’s newest supermarket, Ritches SSW. Store manager Laurie Hudgson said people had been knocking on the door every day wanting to know when the supermarket, on the corner of Drake Place and Main Street, would open. “For Pakenham’s population and the outlying areas it draws, it really needs a second supermarket,” Laurie said. “With no disrespect to Safeway, the town needs competition and choice.” Laurie had worked for Ritchies, which now has 11 stores throughout Melbourne, for the past 18 years, mostly as a store manager. The liquor department manager is Russell Webb. Over in Berwick, supermarkets were also a hot topic, with north side SSW supermarket owner Bill Peeler objecting to establish another supermarket and specialty shops on the south side of Berwick Village.

20 years to 2002

Rob Cutler was presented with the Photographer of the Year trophy at Pakenham Camera Club’s annual presentation evening. The evening included the presentation of the 2001 Print and Slide of the Year competitions, judged by Gazette photographer Stewart Chambers. As well as the Photographer of the Year title, trophies were presented to Jenny Trotter (A Grade Print of the Year), Doug Hamilton (A Grade Print Aggregate), Ada Kellett (B Grade Print of the Year), Roger Berry (B Grade Aggregate), Bev Pascoe (Slide of the Year), Rob Cutler (Slide Aggregate) and Marie Harding (winner of a special FX competition).

10 years to 2012

The extraordinary run of hole in ones at the Pakenham Golf Club went from the sublime to the ridiculous on Christmas Eve when first Michael Bainbridge and then Alan Tagell hit consecutive shots into the bottom of the 165-metre 16th hole. The dual aces were the 11th and 12th recorded at the club in 2011. According to a study done by Golf Digest magazine, the chances of two players from the same group acing the same hole are 17 million to one! Is it any wonder the two were excited by the feat? Bainbridge, 22, from Lakeside, plays off a handicap of five and was first to tee off. A perfectly struck eight iron landed just behind the hole and spun back. Tagell, 63, from Beaumaris has been a member at Pakenham for 20 years and never witnessed an ace in his life. He stepped on to the tee still buzzing from Bainbridge’s freak shot. The 25 handicapper pulled out a three iron and struck it sweetly and as his ball bounced in the gully at the front of the green he yelled ‘go in!’. “The ball rolled up and dropped in the hole; we couldn’t believe it.”