Suzie Crosbie has been through hell and high water over the past year. A chef and professional nanny by trade, Suzie was left homeless after the infamous Blue Mountain bushfires raged through her neighbourhood in Blackheath last October. Suzie had literally minutes to escape before her house was engulfed. “It was a vortex of fire, I was in the fire truck with the sprinklers on which saved our lives. Everything happened so fast.” Luckily her Mum also got out with her husband though tragically her cats, geese, ducks and chickens perished, despite Suzie’s best efforts to save them. After her husband decided to abandon them and not wanting to leave her 88 year old mum to work full time, Suzie was at a loss at what to do next. “Dot (Cain) rang me up and said ‘what the %$#@ are you going to do with your life!’” she laughs “I told her I’d always wanted to own a B&B and the next minute it was organised.” Suzie had visited Canowindra on and off for around six years, but had not seen herself living here. “If someone had told me a year ago that my whole life would change and I’d be living in Canowindra I’d have told them they were mad.” Suzie has been amazed at the kindness her and her mum have received, “people just kept on giving, I had 19 toothbrushes at one stage.” She has emerged from the flames a stronger woman and after six months of living in Canowindra, Grantham House is up and running as a B&B at 33 Rodd Street. “I want people to treat it like home, spoil themselves!” Suzie’s son, Harry, currently lives in South Korea as a teacher and hasn’t seen the new house yet, though he will be home for Christmas. “After living through trauma you learn that people have to accept you for who you are” says Suzie. We hope you enjoy this new chapter of your life in Canowindra.
caption: Suzie and mum Margaret, who celebrated her 88th birthday on Tuesday with dogs Brewster and Tess