• Bouquet to the Council for confirming the continuation of the Hop Skip and Jump bus with no action to “review the service” but brickbat for putting the signs up in September saying the service had been reduced to a weekend timetable in July due to COVID.

• Final Bouquet to “Lighthouse Bob” Tagg “Lighthouse Bob” Tagg passed away a few weeks ago leaving a big gap in his family and our community. He was renowned as a character with a wonderful and checkered past who maintained a close watch on his much loved Manly water areas and in particular the plight of the critically endangered little penguins.

Bob lived in a high rise apartment along Addison Rd with his beloved family from where he could report all the comings and goings of the little penguins and all manner of other maritime activities.

For many years he supported the Little Penguin Recovery team with counting and recording the numbers of penguins rafting up out in the harbour. In recent times he sadly reported the dramatic reduction in penguin numbers.

• Bouquet to Kim Smee who has been keeping us all updated with local news and COVID details specific to the Northern Beaches. No one else provides this level of detail and we thank Kim for her work. Check out manlyobserver.com.au

• Bouquet for the Council for finally removing all the red tape and revealing the beauty of East Esplanade park. The new grassy area and exercise area are proving very popular

Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash