Husband and wife team Michael and Anthea Newton run ‘a day on the green,’ and came to Mudgee for last weekend’s concert headlined by Kasey Chambers.

“The day was excellent,” Mr Newton said. “We had beautiful weather and I thought the acts really fired up.”

He said the concert was a treat for both the audience and the performers, who have the pleasure of playing for a huge audience in Mudgee’s scenic surrounds.

Unfortunately, the day had its downside for the couple, with the theft of Mrs Newton’s hat and a two-way radio microphone, left unattended for a few minutes towards the end of the night.

Mr Newton said the organisers hired their radio microphones and would have to pay $1500 to replace the stolen equipment, which was of no use on its own, but said the loss of the hat was really more upsetting.

The purple Hermes hat was a present from Mr Newton to his wife. He described it as “a real favourite of some sentimental value.”

Working with ‘a day on the green,’ the Newtons are in the sun all day, and spent a long time searching for the perfect hat.

“It’s not the end of the world,” Mr Newton said, “but she was a bit upset, and it was just a bit disappointing.”

The hat and radio microphone were taken from a table outside the office, accessible to employees and patrons.

Mr Newton encouraged whoever took the items to send them back to the winery or a local ticket sales point, and said no questions would be asked.