There is something magical about returning to a familiar place. A place where you were born and where your relatives have always lived. A place you move back to after many years away. The magic happens when you realize it’s the same place but delightfully different. Phyllis was born in Stratford and grew up in Perth County. As a child, she watched moving picture shows at the Avon, shopped at Shapiro’s Ladies Wear and Hudson’s, studied Shakespeare in school, and went to plays at the Festival Theatre. Recently, Phyllis attended an alternative theatre production — the story is in the book — at the Stratford Masonic Concert Hall. It was a trip down memory lane for her because she tap danced there when she was twelve. After high school, and a short career in banking — with a stint as a teller in Stratford — she groomed racehorses, worked at Disney World, attended Wilfrid Laurier University, and earned a degree in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, where she met Lamont Mackay in a writing course. Together, they travelled throughout Europe for nine months, owned five restaurants in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, explored Canada and the United States in a motorhome for nine years, and owned a test kitchen on the north shore of Lake Erie. Phyllis moved back to Stratford in 2018. Phyllis suggests you read Lamont’s bio for more details, to include them here would mean you’d read them twice. Lamont provides the particulars because she is the note-taker.

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A photographer for the daily Stratford Beacon Herald for 35 years, Scott Wishart’s specialty is now event coverage, portraits and workshops. His work has also appeared in the Justin Bieber: Steps to Stardom book and will be appearing in the entire Stratford For All Seasons book series.

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