Their bench is stuck behind a construction fence and it’s hard to snag a carpark nearby, but that won’t stop Les Love, Bevan Antcliff and Lance Loveday getting their newspapers.
The trio, known affectionately by Cathy Batchelor from Beaudesert Newsagency as the Three Musketeers, wait outside the shop every morning and have done so for decades.
They have strong opinions about the major roadworks impacting their regular haunt and Les says it’s like the town’s gone back to the old days his childhood, of dirt roads and tying your horse up outside the Beaudesert Hotel.
But even stronger are their feelings about supporting people like Susan, Bob and Cathy from the newsagency as they endure the lengthy project to fix drainage in the flood-prone CBD.
“It’s tradition, isn’t it? You’ve got to buy the paper, haven’t you?” says Lance.
“You’ve got to support the local blokes, you really have, like Bob and that. I feel for Bob, I really do, and for all of them. It’s terrible,” said Bevan, who came to Beaudesert as a child in 1948.
Les has his eye on winning a million dollars. He hasn’t won yet, so the dream of hitting the jackpot keeps him coming back too.
Lance’s newsagency trips are a way of life.
“I’ve had my paper on order here for about 30 years I reckon,” he said.
“I ordered it because my wife used to come down too late to pick it up and they’d be sold out, see, so I just ordered it, and I haven’t cancelled the order.”
His friendship with Les and Bevan is built on years of loyalty, too.
“I came to town a bit over 50 years ago and Les was my neighbour and I used to work with Bevan so it’s as simple as that,” he said.
The Three Musketeers are sceptical the work will be done by March – when Council says it will finish – but loyalty will keep them coming back for their newspaper fix, and maybe a million dollars for Les.
