23 - 29 April 2013 Issue: 460
LONDON LOVING
Navigating the dating scene UK LIFE P7
SOUNDS OF AUSTRALIA
CROSSING THE CHANNEL
Paul Kelly takes us home
Aussie life on the Channel Islands
REVIEW P10
travel P12
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AUSSIE TRIUMPHS IN LONDON MARATHON
A NEW training regime adopted after the 2012 Paralympics has helped Kurt Fearnley outsprint his wheelchair racing rivals and claim victory at the London Marathon. The Australian, who won silver and bronze at the London Games, timed his sprint perfectly on Sunday to take the victory outside Buckingham Palace. “I realised last year that at the last 300m if someone’s got that extra bit of power up their sleeve they beat you every time,” Fearnley told AAP after winning in 1:31:29. “It doesn’t really matter how many kilometres you’ve got under your belt you’ve just got to be powerful enough to hit the speed you need to win.” Fearnley’s new regime has seen him spend more time in the gym and less on the road. And it’s possible he’s going to get even quicker. “We are only a third of the way through to the end result, which will be New York in November,” he said on Sunday. “See how I go then.” Fearnley, 32, tucked in behind race favourite David Weir from Great Britain over the final few kilometres. He fought hard to gain the inside line out of the last corner before powering past Weir up The Mall. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug got up for second with Ernst van Dyk from South Africa in third. Weir, bidding for a record seventh title, ended fifth. “I didn’t see myself winning that race until the last 10 metres,” Fearnley told the winners’ press conference. “I hid a lot from the guys. In the Games I spent a lot of time out front
LEST WE FORGET
Anzac Day in London: Commemorative special | P5
and it taxed me a little. “This time it was just about conserving and hiding amongst that big pack and then taking the opportunity when it came.” Canadian Josh Cassidy raged at organisers after he collided with
Tiki Gelana as the wheelchair racers passed the able-bodied elite women. Gelana, the Olympic champion, had cut left across the road to reach a drink station. Cassidy said the wheelchairs should start before the women to make the
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race safer. Fearnley agreed with him. “We’ve thought it for years mate,” he said when quizzed on the incident.
Aussie diggers to race Prince Harry
Two Australian soldiers will take part in a charity expedition across the Antarctic to the South Pole with Prince Harry later this year to raise money for wounded soldiers. Private Heath Jamieson and Corporal Seamus Donaghue, who have overcome injuries sustained in Afghanistan, have been chosen to join Team Commonwealth on the South Pole Allied Challenge. With fellow soldiers from Canada they will compete against teams from the USA and the United Kingdom to reach the South Pole unassisted. Walking with the Wounded charity patron Prince Harry announced the teams in London on Friday, before taking up an invitation from expedition leader Inge Solheim to join the UK team on the trek in December. Prince Harry paid tribute to Servicemen and women and said the charity allowed wounded soldiers to “meet challenge headon and overcome it and inspire others to do the same.” The trek is a partnership with Australian charity Solider On, and money raised will go towards providing rehabilitation services to wounded soldiers. Private Heath Jamieson, who ...continued on p3
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2 | News
23 - 29 April 2013
BBC to film new convict drama series in Australia
By Alex Ivett Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Alex Ivett Production/Design: Jackie Lampard News Editor: Paul Bleakley Business Editor: Sepi Roshan Contributors: Catherine Burrell, Tim Martin, Georgia Dawes, Phillip Browne, Michelle McCue, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Lee Crossley, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitz-gibbon, Chris Arkadieff, Bronwyn Spencer, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons,
Nicole Crowley, Alex Bruce-Smith, Sandra Tahmasby, Tyson Yates, Amber Rose, Jennifer Perkin, Josh Reich, Shannon Loves, Charlie Inglefield, Kris Griffiths, AJ Climpson-Stewart, Thomas Jones, Michael McCormick, Alistair Davis, Will Denton, Jennifer Lawton, Chloe Westley, Simon Kleinig, Mark Archbold Directors: P Atherton, J Durrant N Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird
Additional content: Who are we? Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community. If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk Address: Unit 7C, Commodore House Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: info@australiantimes.co.uk
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THE BBC is set to travel Down Under next year to film an eightpart television drama about the foundation of the first British penal colony in Australia at the end of the 18th century. The project, written by iconic British screenwriter Jimmy McGovern, will be produced by McGovern’s RSJ Films. McGovern is best known for the British dramas Cracker and The Lakes. The Guardian have reported the as yet untitled project has been a long time in gestation, having been first mentioned by McGovern in a Guardian interview seven years ago. “In 1787 Britain banished its petty thieves, whores, orphans and highwaymen to Sydney Cove – a place so hot and barren and hostile that very few people had ever set foot there,” McGovern told The Guardian. “It was an audacious social experiment, unparalled before or since. Yet these rejects from Britain, accompanied by soldiers, officers, a vicar and a doctor, survived against all the odds. In spite of famine, drought, escapes, hangings and floggings, the colony thrived. This is their story.” Dr Simon Sleight, Lecturer in Australian History at the King’s College London, says the production of this drama shows there is a market in the UK for
Your Say On: Michael Lynagh – Former Wallabies captain and Sky Sports journalist
A wonderful positive interview with Michael Lynagh. I think that this too shows the wonderful medical system we have in Australia. Marlene
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Great interview with an inspiring guy. As we follow his Marathon, we will all be thinking of those injured in the Boston Marathon. Go Michael! Margaret
On: Tony Windsor calls Barnaby Joyce supporters ‘rednecks’
That comment will lose Windsor votes. He was a member of the National Party once and they failed to nominate him, so he spat the dummy and went Independent, taking former National Party voters with him. His ego is bruised and showing. Rednecks to us are people who are racially prejudiced, and members of KKK. Not Australian people who want a fair go for the bush. Tony supported the ALP in a hung parliament. Fair enough. But – climate change policies and the NBN optic fibre rollout - I’m wondering if he is up to the job anymore. These are
? What’s your view
content focused on Australian history. “Australia continues to rank highly as a dream destination for British backpackers and older holidaymakers, and these people often have their interest fired through personal contact with what is a deeply fascinating culture and national story,” Dr Sleight told Australian Times. “It will be interesting to see whether convict Australia is portrayed as hell on earth, or as a facilitator of social mobility. “There is also some superb recent scholarship on contact between convicts and Indigenous Australians, and I hope that this
complexity is portrayed on screen.” The project was announced at the MIPTV television program sales market by BBC Television’s head of drama commissioning, Ben Stephenson, who described the eight-part fictional dram as a “passion project”. It will begin several months after the arrival of the first fleet of convict ships, as told through the eyes of three convicts. Their friendship is described as a “rollercoaster of survival set between the deadly bush and the infinite blue of the mighty Pacific Ocean”.
solutions which have left many doubting if he really understands the nature of the environment. And the demand for optic fibre networks are not realistic. What causes climates to change? Like seasons for starters, and it is weather that kills us. Tony supports the clean energy and solar/wind industries that are not so viable overseas now and benefit the carbon traders and clean energy industries. He successfully rid Richard Torbay from the race and there are on going problems there but Richard would have won. Tony’s problem is his ego is showing, in the light that he has been supporting irresponsible policies and an incompetent ALP/Greens government.
Are these ‘mates’ fifo’s or locals? Were they all miners? Gee I hope not. If these ‘mates’ were miners then there are some sick people in the industry. A terrible act over something so absolutely trivial.
TruthWillOut
I live in New England and I’m a year younger than Mr Windsor. The man has no idea about carbon dioxide, the most appropriate broadband network (he doesn’t even know how to operate a computer) or how we the electors feel about him proudly selling out to the worst so-called Prime Minister our nation has ever had to endure. He’ll find out a few things on September 14th. Fred
On: Australian man burnt alive over drinking mates’ beer, court told Imagine what they would have done if they were not mates.
Pommey
Coal miners daughter
On: Port, port, and more port in Porto
Great article about my city! It’s really hard to go on a diet in Porto. The food and wine are really great here. About the trip on Douro Valley, I would recommend the train, it’s comfortable and the view is stunning. Olivia
On: Hooroo: Australia Shop in London set to close It’s sad to hear when a business has to close, however, I was an Aussie expat in London for 2 years and only used this shop once. At £3-4 for 1 packet of Tim-Tams it was cheaper and easier to go without. Also increased competition such as Asda getting in chicken crimpy and BBQ shapes from time to time and selling them for around £1 a packet. Aussies in London are getting their fixes elsewhere. Let’s hope the online sales works out better for them.
Mark
Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk
News | 3
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Boston in his thoughts, Wounded soldiers to join South Pole charity trek says Kurt Fearnley ...continued from p1 The Australian last week finished fifth in the Boston Marathon before two bombs exploded near the finish line killing three people and injuring more than 170. The London race was the only time since then Fearnley hasn’t thought about the Boston victims and their families. “During the race you’re just trying to ignore the pain and look at the guy next to you,” he said.
Immediately after the race – before he spoke to reporters – Fearnley tweeted: “Boston ur always in our thoughts.” Australian Christie Dawes finished fourth in the women’s wheelchair race behind United States winner Tatyana McFadden who dedicated her victory to Boston. No Australians ran in the elite races. - AAP
New governor-general matter for next PM, says Abbott By Paul Bleakley OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott has written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard warning her against naming a new governor-general before this year’s federal election. Government insiders are speculating Abbott intends to nominate former mentor John Howard to the position if the Coalition is elected in the September poll. In a letter obtained by Fairfax Media, Abbott claims that the Prime Minister would be going against traditional convention if she names a replacement for Governor-General Quentin Bryce, whose term is due to end next March. Bryce’s tenure as Australia’s head of state has already been extended by six months to avoid conflict with the federal election and avoid becoming a partisan political issue. Abbott wrote: “Quite properly, arrangements regarding the appointment of a new governorgeneral would be, and should be, a matter for a new or a returned prime minister after the September 14 election. Thus, I seek your specific assurance that this precedent will be respected and that arrangements for the appointment of a new governorgeneral will be a matter for an incoming or re-elected government.” The Opposition Leader cited Gillard’s recent appointment of a new Australian Electoral Commissioner had already proven that the Prime Minister was willing to subvert the political convention of not making important appointments in the period directly preceding an election being held. Abbott has argued that Gillard’s early declaration of a September poll date had effectively kicked off the 2013 campaign season and signalled the beginning of Gillard’s period as ‘caretaker’ Prime Minister. Abbott wrote: “In my view, the decision to announce these appointments subverts the established
convention that no government should make decisions that are legitimately the province of a potential successor,” he wrote in the letter dated April 21. “The announcement of appointments expressed to take effect almost nine months into the term of the next parliament and some 15 months before they become operative is a blatant abuse of power.” A senior government figure told Fairfax Media that they believed that it was Abbott’s intention to prevent Gillard naming a replacement for the governor-general in order to keep the position open for former colleague and Liberal Prime Minister John Howard. They claimed that the appointment of a divisive partisan figure like Howard would fundamentally politicise the position of governor-general and compromise the relationship between government and the monarchy. The unnamed government source said: “Abbott has missed the point of due diligence,” the figure said. ”This is not just a matter of putting out a press release; we cannot afford another (controversial GovernorGeneral) Peter Hollingworth.” The role of the governor-general is to act as the monarch’s representative in Australia, signing off on all legislation and government appointments on behalf of the British royal family. The position has traditionally been considered ceremonial and apolitical, with previous governors-general typically accepting the decisions of elected government. Current Governor-General Quentin Bryce has served in the position since 2008, acting as Governor of Queensland for five years prior to her appointment by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. She was the first woman appointed to the position of governor-general, and had previously served as Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner under the Hawke government.
...continued from p1
was shot in the neck in 2011 in Afghanistan, underwent rehabilitation to learn to walk again. Corporal Seamus Donaghue was shot in the leg, and has told AAP the upcoming challenge will require mental and physical strength. “It’s important that you push yourself beyond your injury,” he said. “Going on these treks will hopefully inspire others who are in rehabilitation and tell them that amazing things are still possible.”
During the challenge teams will race across Antarctica in temperatures of minus 45 degrees Celsius and battle 90km/h winds. Cold weather training in Iceland has helped prepare the Aussie diggers for the conditions they may face in the Antarctic. “Working towards something like this lets you be part of a team again, get your mind back on what’s important and gives you the motivation to keep going and get better as best you can,” Pte Jamieson told Australian Times at the time.
Prince Harry welcomed the teams from the Commonwealth and the US and said he was looking forward to seeing them at the finish line. “As a member of the British team, I will have a brew on ready for you when you join us at the Pole.”
4 | Exclusive Interview
23 - 29 April 2013
the Expat factor
Extraordinary Aussies in the UK
I’ve been in the UK since September 2002. I came over here to set up the London office of an Australian company called Social Change Online, which was at the time a world leader in online campaigning work for trade unions and advocacy groups. The UK had a much bigger market in this area, and at the time the Australian dollar was very competitive – three to one. It made exporting Australian technology and software a very competitive business. There was also a gap in the market in online social campaigning, and the Australian company were looking to expand internationally. We were quite successful in working with large British trade unions, and expanding to Europe to work with the European Union. After six years the company was sold, and I moved on to working full time for the British Labor Party. I’d had the politics bug for a while – I had been a Labor councilor in the Sutherland Shire from a young age, and had stood for Parliament for the Labor Party in Australia. When I got involved in the Labour Party in the UK, the local area was in pretty dire straits. They had lost the local elections just before I arrived. The local MP was resigning, and Emily Thornberry, the now Shadow Attorney General, was looking to win the seat of Islington South and Finsbury. I ran her selection campaign and election campaign in the 2005 general election, and we won by 484 votes. It was a tight race, but a very interesting experience and a good way to get a good sense of how London works. Islington is a very divided place. You have a lot of wealthy people in banking and finance, media and other well-paid professions. On the other hand 40% of the population
live in social housing, mostly earning less than £15,000 per household. I’m now an elected councilor on Islington council and Deputy Leader of the Labour group. I was elected in 2006. Not many people realise Australians are eligible to stand for public office – a legacy of Australia being part of the British Empire. Simply by being in the country we have the right to vote in UK elections as a Commonwealth citizen.
Immediately after the general election I became involved in Ed Miliband’s leadership campaign. I became the person responsible for coordinating the trade union area of the campaign. Trade union affiliate members that can vote total 2.7 million ordinary workers, like cabbies, bus drivers and cleaners. We got 59% of the votes ordinary union members cast.
As President of ALP Abroad I feel lucky to have a network of like-minded Australians to count as friends. It is a network of supporters who do a range of fun events besides helping out at elections. No one who is part of it is doing so because they expect to be selected as a member of Australian parliament. We’re all supporting it because we feel it’s the right thing to do. What I love about London is the diversity of people. It is an international city that just happens to be in Britain. I love the diversity of cultural choices. I have made a rule for myself to go to plays or public galleries at least twice a month. You have to take advantage of it whilst you’re here.
I’m currently the only Australian citizen who is an elected person in the UK, although of course there have been a number of Australians who have been local councilors in the UK in the past. We’ve also had a number of members of UK parliament who have been Australian citizens, including George Reid – the fourth prime minister of Australia. After he served his term he came over and took up a seat during WW1 representing what is now Westminster for a short period before he died. I’ve also been part of the transformation of the Labour party’s election strategy. It made a shift from under Tony Blair – who had a centralized approach to running the campaign – to a much more grassroots campaign. It’s a bit like what Obama does – knock on doors, talk to people, engage volunteers to engage with the electorate. The 2010 campaign for Emily Thornberry using this approach was very successful in pushing our vote from 12,345 to 18,407. Quite a turnaround in an election where Labour lost overall.
a need to get outside on the few sunny days of the year and take advantage of the open space.
It’s hard to pick a favourite spot – it’s a calibration of choices. My favourite thing to do is show people around London when they come to visit. It doesn’t matter how different each visitor is there is always something in London they will like. I’m a bit of a history buff. I am always going on historical walks. I’ve been here for ten years and I’m still learning about the city. It is a city with immense social history. It’s what happened in a place and the people, the feeling and the history that I like - rather than the place itself.
Paul Smith
Islington Councilor and President ALP Abroad As member of the council I do a range of things. I’m responsible for the environment. For the Aussies, they may be interested to know Islington is the only council in
London where you can have a BBQ in the park – because I changed the rules. It’s very popular here because many people live in flats, and their living spaces are so small. They have
Australians are much more direct than the English. They tend to tell it like it is, and I’ve had to learn here to be slightly less direct, because it’s not the way people speak. The British are also obsessed about fitting you in to the social class scale. It’s something I’ve become conscious of – people try to assess you and work out where to fit you – and they just can’t quite work out where Australians fit! It’s not to say we don’t have class or social divisions in Australia, but our approaches to this issue are quite different. I went back to Australia for Christmas in the Sutherland Shire. Going down to Cronulla every day and having a swim – well, it was rather nice. Lots of sunshine and plenty of Vitamin D. Interview by Alex Ivett
Sydney Choir to perform at Villers-Bretonneux n
The Sydney Male Choir is embarking on a European tour set to include a performance at the Anzac Day service at Villers-Bretonneux in France and a joint performance with the Croydon Choir in London. Celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year, the Sydney Male Choir is a not-for-profit organization whose objective is “bringing joy through song”. Since 1930 the Choir has performed yearly in Sydney’s Martin Place for the Anzac Day dawn service. This year the 60-strong choir will sing at the Anzac Day service at VillersBretonneux in the Somme region of France, site of the Australian National War Memorial honouring the Australian soldiers, airmen and nurses who served on the Western Front. The Choir is proud of having maintained the highest musical standards through its long history.
It is part of a European tour which will see the Choir visiting and performing in Paris and Versailles, as well as a number of UK venues. In London the Choir is set to perform with Croydon Choir at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls on Saturday 27 April at 7:30pm. The two choirs will sing individual sets, before coming together in a shared finale. The Musical Director of the Croydon Choir, Richard Hoyle, told Australian Times he is very excited about the upcoming joint performance. “We are looking forward to a very special evening at such an auspicious time for all Australians. The
programme for the evening is broad and varied, featuring traditional male choir repertoire alongside several new pieces, including a new take on Waltzing Matilda written especially for the event,” said Mr Hoyle. “The evening ends with two Welsh hymns to be sung by the two choirs combined. We can promise all visitors a very warm welcome.” The Sydney Male Choir will also be competing in the Cornwall International Male Voice Choral Festival before travelling to Plymouth and Bristol for further performances. Tickets to the joint performance of Sydney Male Choir and Croydon Choir
on Saturday 27 April are £10 and are available at the door, or from the CMVC ticket office on 07546 445 506.
For more information on the Sydney Male Choir European Tour see www. sydneymalechoir.com.au/2013tour.
Community | 5
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Anzac Day Anzac Day in London
Memorialising mateship By Chloe Westley
On Anzac Day we remember the stories of Australian spirit in the early years of our nation’s history. We remember those who have worn our nation’s uniform, and died for our country whilst doing so. We remember those who still fight under our flag today. It is not a glorification of war, but of mateship in wartime. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand troops were defeated in what is now perceived as one of the greatest military disasters of the First World War. As Britain’s ally it was decided that the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corp) would help the British invade Turkey and ‘knock them out of the war’. It was Winston Churchill’s initiative to conduct a naval invasion on the shores of Gallipoli, and when the Turks displayed more resistance then originally predicted, it was decided that a land invasion would have to follow. The ANZACs first landed at Gallipoli at dawn, on 25 April 1915. The Turkish soldiers were waiting on the cliffs of the beach, shooting down all enemies in sight. Those that survived built shelters in the cliff face, living amongst sand
bags and being careful not to venture out too far onto the beach. Letters were later found in the trenches, which the ANZACs had attached to watches and photographs to be found after they died. An unknown soldier recounts: ‘They were short of both bombs & ammunition, but were sticking it out, cursing & swearing, as I believe, only Australians can…’ In December the surviving ANZACs were evacuated, by which time over 8,000 Australian men had lost their lives. News soon spread around Australia about the tragedy, but it was not only the deaths and body count of Gallipoli that captured the hearts of our nation. Mateship and courage were ascribed as the distinguishing philosophy of the soldiers at Gallipoli, and became known as ‘the spirit of the ANZACs’. It became a symbol of hope for all soldiers still fighting in the war, and a defining characteristic of our national identity. This spirit remained with Australians during World War Two, and become more than just an ethos for soldiers, but for anyone who showed human kindness and warm spirit in tough times. When the Japanese forces landed
For the fallen
in Papua New Guinea in July 1942, my great-grandfather was sent with Australian forces to prevent the Japanese from venturing past Kokoda to the shore, where they could more easily invade Australia. The battle is now famously remembered for the friendship and courage shared between the Australian and New Guinea troops who carried thousands of wounded soldiers through the jungle to safety. My father always told me it was important to remember these stories. Each year on Anzac Day we would wake at dawn and go the service at our local beach. I used to marvel at the soldiers’ uniforms and the way the entire crowd remained silent in respect as the sun rose above the ocean. This year I’ll be waking at dawn in London to attend the service at the Australian War Memorial along with other Aussies far away from home. I’ll remember my great-grandfather, the men at Gallipoli, and the tragedy of war. Most importantly, I’ll remember the Anzac spirit. To carry on their tradition of mateship wherever I go, and always remember what it means to be Australian.
11am: Wreath-laying service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall
12pm: Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey Service lasts approximately one hour. Complimentary tickets are required to attend this service and are available at www.anzacdaylondon.com. 9pm: LAFS Film Screening of Gallipoli at Hackney Picture House The London Australian Film Society are hosting a screening of Gallipoli. Tickets are £10 from www.picturehouses.co.uk.
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An Anzac Day message from Australian High Commissioner His Excellency Mike Rann CNZM to Australians living in the UK. circumstances most of us could scarcely imagine. Gallipoli was a conflict that helped define our identities as new nations. In the words of war correspondent Charles Bean who bore witness to the Gallipoli campaign ‘the consciousness of Australian manhood was born.’ There will be hundreds of services around Australia and New Zealand, in the humid climates of Papua New Guinea and the cold spring mornings of Villers-Bretonneux, Flanders field and Fromelles in Europe. Many Australians living here in the UK, including I’m sure many readers of the Australian Times, continue to make the pilgrimage to these sacred places for Dawn Services. There will of course be a Dawn Service here at the Australian War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London. It will be my first as High Commissioner as it will be for my New Zealand counterpart Lockwood Smith. It’s entirely appropriate that we celebrate Anzac day wherever we are in the world but it may surprise some to learn that Anzac Day actually has a long
5.30am – 7.30am: Anzac Day breakfast at Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane Full English breakfast available for £15. Bookings are not required.
This is a non-ticketed event. It will last approximately 30 minutes.
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This Thursday 25 April 2013 will mark 98 years since the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli in Turkey. Anzac Day allows us to say our quiet and humble thank you to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It also affords us a chance to honour those who continue to serve our country in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The death of over 8,709 Australians and over 2,700 New Zealanders at Gallipoli is well known but we should not forget the more than 21,000 Britons that died as well as the French, Indians and the massive Turkish losses. The legacy of Anzac isn’t counted in numbers, as terrible as they are. It’s about the courage under fire, the sacrifice they made and the mateship that was extended to each other in
5am: Service at the Australian Memorial at Hyde Park Corner This service is open to the public, is a non-ticketed event and lasts approximately 45 minutes. Suggested arrival time is 4.40am
• 65 Years of Experience
history in London. On the first anniversary of Anzac Day in 1916 there was a service at Westminster Abbey attended by King George V, this service continues today. Also on this day over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets of the city. There is a picture of this hanging up at the High Commission of the diggers marching passed Australia House. A London newspaper reported on the march and dubbed the diggers «The Knights of Gallipoli». This week we will honour these ‘Knights of Gallipoli’ as well as those that have followed their legacy in the name of Anzac by having served and died wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations around the world. Lest We Forget.
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6 | UK Life
23 - 29 April 2013
SUBCULTURE SLEUTH > PAUL BLEAKLEY
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Millwall mugs
Despite the disturbing football hooliganism of a few, our sleuth discovers a club still deserving of support in Millwall.
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ENGLISH football is a world of extremes, and nothing exemplifies that better than the recent images of Millwall fans fighting amongst themselves in the stands of Wembley Stadium. Cameras were rolling as fists went flying and little girls started crying. People in the stands reported that drug use was rampant in the stands before the melee, and the FA is under fire for giving Millwall fans enough time to get well and truly drunk by scheduling the game in the late afternoon. I have been put in a tough position by the fracas at Wembley. I wrote an article late last year detailing my trip to watch a Millwall home game and spoke about how it was a surprisingly safe experience at a stadium that gave off the raw atmosphere of local community football. I had never been a Millwall fan before the match, however watching the team play from
the supporters stand was such a great experience that I ended up taking them on as “my team”. The experience that I had at Millwall could not have been any further from the scenes beamed across the world of the club’s fans acting like watered down 1980s hooligans. The supporters I came across were mostly families taking a day out to watch their favourite team take to the pitch. Despite the club’s reputation as racist thugs, half of the supporters in the bay were from an ethnic background. The Millwall fans bonded over more than football: they spoke about their families, their work and other issues affecting the local area. It was not about getting drunk and hurting someone else. It was about being a part of a community. I had intended on joining Millwall FC as a club member going into the 2013/14 season. I still intend on
The London tan n
Surviving the London winter is much easier when you’re the one Australian who doesn’t tan. Honeymooning Nomad > Jacqui Moroney
AS OF next month I have officially been a (honeymooning) nomad for 12 months. Our year seems to have flown by so quickly, even though we’ve been to numerous countries across three continents, spent two months recovering from foot surgery in France, and spent almost six months replacing stolen passports and visas. After months of traveling, couch surfing and subletting, we have finally signed a lease agreement and a work contract that will see us through the next year. This is a cause for celebration since I have recently come to realise (on my walk to work in the drizzle this morning) that London is where I am meant to be for
the foreseeable future. Secretly, it doesn’t bother me that winter has bypassed spring. Perhaps I was made for this weather and this lifestyle. Having recently arrived back from two glorious weeks in the Egyptian sun, many colleagues have commented on the supposed tan I have allegedly gained during our Nubian and beaches adventure. However, my Australian friends laugh at the patchy reddish / light brown colour I have developed while away and asked when my sunburn will start to fade. In the words of Mark Twain, “Denial is not just a river that runs through Egypt”. I think that I have been living in denial for the past 20-something years and it is finally time for me to give in. I am the Australian who does not tan. At the moment I am sporting a few
signing up. Why? Because the only way to combat the hooligan element is to show that not every fan of a certain team is a drunken thug with a chip on their shoulder. The fans arrested at Wembley last week do not reflect the majority of good, salt of the earth people that take the train to South Bermondsey every week to watch the team play. The Millwall fans involved in the stadium brawl at Wembley did their club a significant disservice with their hooligan actions. That being said, we should not shy away from football because a handful of fans made themselves look like mugs. I am a Millwall fan. And I will continue to be.
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more freckles and a light and patchy excuse for a tan (that I top up with Dove tanning moisturiser once a week). At least now I can look down at my arms and not see through them like I could a month ago. Don’t get me wrong, celebrating our first wedding anniversary (and my birthday) in Egypt was a truly amazing adventure, and I hope that everyone has the chance to experience Egypt like we did. But, after two weeks of continuous burning sun I am secretly glad to be back to the cool weather and patchy sunlight of London. Despite translucent skin and winter trying to hijack spring, I love living in this huge city with its April daffodils, cool and refreshing air, and fast and frequent transport systems. Hailing from a city that seems to be either in a state of drought or flood, London’s slight drizzle and patchy sunny days are somewhat welcome (for the record, this light mist is not really rain). I love being able to cuddle up with a cup of hot tea under the doona (duvet) and having an excuse to use the drier rather than hang out the washing. I love not burning throughout the day and having to apply copious layers of Aloe Vera gel at night. I love winter fashion and being able to wear boots, scarfs, jackets and hats. I also love that everyone appreciates the sun more when it makes the odd appearance. One of my favourite London sites is watching workers spill out of their offices during their lunch break, rolls up their pants and sleeves just to sit and bathe in the limited sunlight that is bestowed upon them. Perhaps this is what is in store for me next winter. I am a proud survivor of my first London winter and very much looking forward to a London summer of music festivals, travel opportunities and no burning sun. Roll on London summer!
UK Life | 7
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Layer up Edinburgh Expat > Tyson Yates
HERE’S the situation - you are suddenly awoken from a state of peaceful slumber. The world you find yourself in is dirty, dark and cold it is your bedroom. After taking a moment to collect your thoughts, you drag your feet to the kitchen where you soon discover the milk is gone stolen from us, Precious - usually by the flatmates. Filthy Hobbits. That’s right, milk: the foundation of the breakfast empire. Without it there can be no cereal, porridge becomes a watery joke and how will you take your coffee now? Black? Well, that’s not too bad I suppose EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT YOUR COFFEE IS OF THE INSTANT VARIETY. May the Gods have mercy. Alas, there is but one option. You must venture beyond the bedroom, to the place they call Tesco, maybe even a Sainsbury’s. Waitrose? Why don’t you just send your butler to get it for you? Anyway, go forth brave morning soldier and retrieve
the brunch that is rightfully yours. Off with you. Go. Now obviously you can’t leave the house without underwear, right? So the first thing you do is shimmy out of your Spiderman jammies and whack on a pair of Bonds. Done. For the sake of this column, let us assume winter is coming, though here in Scotland it never truly left. So what you will need to do next is pull on those thermal long johns. Immediately after this you pray. You pray that there is never an occasion where a living human person will ever see you wearing long johns. They are practical, yes, but all those squat thrusts and bun burning exercises are now for nothing. It doesn’t paint a clear picture of what’s going on down there, is all I’m saying. Now, take a deep breath and swan dive into the sea of unwashed clothing that is your bedroom floor. This is where you hope to salvage that mythical pair of semi-clean jeans you know in your heart exists. With nothing but your senses to guide you, you feel past anything that is too damp and too sticky, you scan each item of clothing for overtly visible stains and most importantly, you sniff. Hmm, they don’t exactly smell of roses, but this pair will do. Next. Singlet. Check. Shirt. Check. Jumper. Check. None of these really matter.
Sure adding those layers is going to keep you toasty, but paying attention to what is worn on the top half of your body during winter is pointless. Why? Because of that goliath coat you have hanging in your closet, that’s why. Weighing twenty six kilos and being big enough to cover a bison, this ugly piece of clothing is made for one purpose: to repel. It repels the cold, it repels the rain and it repels prospective partners. Nevertheless you lug it over your shoulders and tend to its 364 mismatched buttons. By this point you’re exhausted and the time for brunch has well and truly passed but don’t let that stop you. You’ve come so far and you’ll be damned if a pair of shoes is going to get between you and your Cheerios. Shoes: the final piece of the puzzle. You flop down in your lounge, curse the fact that you have already put on your jacket as it seems to be impairing your reach. However slowly but surely you get it done. And now, you have earned the right to step out into that wind and rain and retrieve your precious dairy. To put things in perspective, here is how a similar situation would play out in my part of Australia. You wake up, you put on some shorts and you head to the store. Shoes optional.
London Loving
Great News!
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Playing the dating game when you don’t know the rules.
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By Lana Penrose WHEN I moved from Athens to London as an Australian expat, I arrived a little like Lindsay Lohan staggering through life with an axe through her head. But I was determined. I would pull myself together, hit the town, get amongst it and, of course, find true love. I was working alongside an Aussie pop sensation at the time so the chances of hooking up with someone interesting were high. Or so I thought. In reality, it wasn’t long before I was scouring internet dating profiles in the vein of a serial killer. And here are but a few examples of what I dredged up. After a number of email and telephone exchanges, I wound up rendezvousing with a PR guy who had a northern accent to die for. He DJ’d on the side. He rocked and he rolled. He balanced things nicely through exercising his culinary skills. Further, his profile shot suggested that he was secretly Johnny Depp, and I couldn’t quite believe my luck. • When we met face to face, however, I was surprised to see that he was: • Streaked head to toe with orangebased fake tan. • Bloated, like Elvis during his deepfried Mars bar period. • Modelling a double denim stonewash ensemble. • Wearing eye make up as cobalt as the deep blue sea. • And nursing a bandaged hand … because he’d been involved in a fistfight the night before. I was somewhat deflated. And it didn’t end there. The evening culminated nicely when he admitted that he was, in fact, a vampire. A real
one. Yes, he was sure. He was just ‘born that way’! He’d even had an orthodontist craft a pair of bespoke fangs, tailored to perfectly fit his mouth. Understandably, our affiliation ended rather abruptly. Shortly thereafter, I wondered if UK internet dating was the way forward after all. I put this to a friend while strolling through Westbourne Grove one afternoon, and he took this as his cue. He strutted towards the first guy he spotted on the footpath and began forcefully shouting with evangelical vigour. “Hey! See this girl here? She’s single! Do you want to take her out on a date?” I tittered like a debutant tanked up on spiked punch, and the slicklooking stranger appeared somewhat flummoxed, but it wasn’t long before he and I exchanged numbers. A night or two later, we met at a pub called The Champion. Mere minutes into conversation, it was established that the devilishly handsome guy was in actuality … a crack addict. I repeat. A crack addict! He admitted this quite candidly before having a moodswing mid-sentence, storming out of the bar and leaving me to stare into my half full glass of bourbon. Actually, make that half empty.
But was I deterred? Uh-uh. No way. I was in London – a city brimming with hipsters and potential. I would wrap my head around this local dating scene, even if it killed me. I therefore dated a death metal drummer one hundred years younger than me, a cult escapee and a slew of other specimens so disinterested that I presumed myself dead. I even had a crack at Russell Brand, who found me about as interesting as a carpet trampled Corn Flake. While Russ may claim to shag anything that breathes, there’s a little known sub-clause that reads ‘unless it’s Lana Penrose’. Anyway, after playing air guitar to the beat of my biological clock, I ultimately discovered just what I needed to tackle and bag that slippery little thing that I wanted more than anything else in this world: love. It took me a while. And I made a great twat of myself in the process. Lana Penrose is the bestselling author of ‘To Hellas and Back’, ‘Kickstart My Heart’ and ‘Addicted to Love’. ‘To Hellas and Back’ offers a raw, real and hilarious account of expat experiences and has been optioned for film adaptation. Her books are available through Amazon.co.uk, Smashwords. com and lanapenrose.com.au.
Just scan this QR code or go to
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8 | Food & Wine
23 - 29 April 2013
Back to basics chris’s
kitchen
> CHRIS ARKadieff
Making your own bread has been a labor of love for centuries. I find it can be a very rewarding experience to build a loaf from scratch. It requires the use of ‘strong flour’, or ‘bread flour’ as it is known in Australia. This flour contains more gluten and proteins, which makes the dough more elastic and produces a softer, lighter bread.
Starting with quality flour, this dairy free bread recipe is very versatile. Play around with it by using different flours, nuts and savoury ingredients. I like to serve this bread slightly toasted with cheese and chutney. The bread can be easily stored in the fridge or freezer. Remove an hour before using to defrost the loaf correctly.
What you need
• 225g plain flour • 115g caster sugar • 115g honey • 150ml hot water (bottle water)
• ½ cup of roasted walnuts, roughly chopped • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda • Zest of 1 lemon
What to do
• Preheat the oven to 160°C. • Butter a 450g loaf tin and line it with baking paper. • Mix the flour and sugar together in a large bowl. • Melt the honey and water in a small pan. Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over the water mixture and stir. • Pour this over the dry ingredients, add the lemon zest and mix. • Turn the mixture into the tin and bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes. • Remove from the tin and brush the top with honey for a nice sticky finish. Cool, then serve thinly sliced.
Dairy-free honey and walnut bread 1 small loaf
Royal China @ Queensway n
In Australia many families have their own version of a Sunday roast – a visit to their local Yum Cha. ALEX IVETT finds a perfect UK location to continue the tradition with a visit to Royal China.
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THERE is something oddly familiar about walking into a Chinese restaurant serving Yum Cha. They’re uniquely ubiquitous. With softly trickling water features, cavernous rooms, and big round tables covered with thick white tablecloths, they always seem to be a hive of activity. Full of big family gatherings, dining couples and bustling Chinese waiters throwing around bowls, chopsticks and teacups like they’re dealing a casino hand of cards. Walking into one feels, well, like home. Being Australian, I grew up on Yum Cha. Our Sunday lunches were not home-roasted legs of pork with a mountain of potatoes, but a weekly family visit to our local Sea Treasure. The front window was lined with tanks of shellfish – desperately clawing lobsters stacked ten high watching the diners work their way through piles of dumplings before pointing in their direction for the main. It was a busy place, with trays and trolleys weaving through the restaurant aisles offering up staples like prawn toast, spring rolls and dim sums. Despite the variety being paraded before our eyes we’d always get the same thing – pointing out the pork buns, steamed prawn dumplings and salt and pepper calamari that was then plonked amongst the bottles of Stella Artois and cups of green tea with barely disguised indifference. We would always leave with bellies bulging, having spent a very convivial two hours not thinking – just pointing, chatting and eating. Which is why my first, and really only, disappointment with Yum Cha at Royal China Queensway is that there is no trolleys. No trays. No pre-inspection of the offerings before making your choice. It is Yum without the Cha. Luckily, the
flipside is the food is all cooked to order and deliciously fresh. Plus, with menus heavily decorated with pictures of all their favourite specialties, it’s almost, just, close enough.
Get the pork buns wrong, and you may as well call off the whole event. Luckily, Royal China’s offering is spot on. Sweet, barbecued pork wrapped in a soft, pillowy white dough. A pork bun aficionado, my fellow Aussie diner declares it the best pork bun – ever. High praise indeed from an expert. The only other disappointment is not being able to fit more in. Looking around I enviously eye off the duck pancakes, the san choy bow being dished up at the table and a big plate of fresh scallops in their shells. If we’d been in Australia, I could have just reached over and grabbed them off the passing trolley. As it is I’ll just have to come back to Royal China and make sure to order them off the menu – along with multiple serves of the pork buns.
Just like Yum Cha in Australia, we over-order. Plate after plate of dumplings appear before us. The crabmeat and spinach dumplings are fine, but infinitely surpassed by the prawn – incredibly fresh tasting prawns which come out steaming hot. The crispy duck with rice pastry rolls have an unusual crunchy coating and are definitely worth their status as a house specialty. The prawn toast – another important Yum Cha staple – is generously coated in sesame seeds and is the perfect mix of crunchy and soft. The wicker baskets arrive, and leave just as quickly emptied of their contents. Steamed chili pork dumplings are followed by pork puffs generously sweetened with a honey glaze. The Royal China cheung fun plate is a mix of beef, prawn or pork rice noodle rolls with a tangy sauce. A standout however is the pork buns, to which no trip to Yum Cha is complete without.
Royal China have a number of London restaurants, including Baker Street, Canary Wharf and Fulham. Royal China Queensway is at 13 Queensway, London W2 4QJ.
10 | Entertainment
What’s On Chet Faker 21 May @Sebright Arms Xavier Rudd 24 June @Koko Tame Impala 25 June @ Hammersmith Apollo Kate Miller-Heidke 3 July @The Islington
23 - 29 April 2013
Merrily we roll along Paul Kelly @
to the West End n
Cadogan Hall By George Katralis
Winner of the Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical, the revival of Merrily We Roll Along is about to re-open, this time in the West End. Damian Humbley, an Australian musical theatre performer, is staring in the highly acclaimed show. Merrily We Roll Along, Damian Humbley, Mark Umbers and Jenna Russell (c)Tristram Kenton
Flume 4 July @Heaven Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite 16 July @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds 26 - 28 October 2013 @Hammersmith Apollo
For full details... ...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment
See what we are following this week on
Londonmarathon @Therese_Rein Simply the best, Kurt RT @612brisbane: Aust’s Kurt Fearnley has won the wheelchair race in the London marathon. @overingtonc The great @kurtfearnley has won the London marathon. Go you good thing. @JuliaHB1 Now I can watch thousands struggling and sweating thru the London marathon from the comfort of my own sofa, as God intended. @jxmy Favourite London Marathon costumes: Man in Kylie’s gold hotpants; Queen Victoria (male); 80-year-old woman dressed as Mavis Cruet; a brain. @richardbranson Incredible crowds at the Virgin London Marathon. Keep cheering, your support makes all the difference! #VLM2013 @simonpegg Good luck to all the runners in the London marathon. Would love to be there but I rolled my ankle tonight, also I’m in Canada. Ow my foot!! @stephenfry Right, on my way to the original Marathon. By car - thoughts with Boston victims & best wishes for those preparing for London tomorrow.
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By Thomas Jones Confucius says…Applaud loud enough, and ye shall receive. The Chocolate Factory’s production of Merrily We Roll Along was so good and so popular it’s giving audiences a generous encore; 12 weeks at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End. Directed by Maria Friedman and with music by Stephen Sondheim, this musical, like one of its featured songs, has got a ‘Good Thing Going’. Australia’s own Damian Humbley, who stars in the show, attributes its popularity and ‘hit’ status to the right combination of people and performances. “I think the reasons for its success is due to Maria’s fabulous direction, and her wonderful casting – there are so many good people in this show – and due to the score shining through. The music is so good,” he tells Australian Times. “Great tunes like ‘Good thing going’, ‘Not a day goes by’ and ‘Old Friends’ – songs that most people would know, but don’t know they’ve come from this show.” Humbley stars as Charlie Kringas, a lyricist who with his friends Franklin, a composer and Mary, a writer, struggle to hold onto their dreams, their artistic integrity and their friendship when Hollywood comes a knockin’. “This show, funnily enough is one of his (Sondheim’s) most commercial scores,” says Humbley. “The irony is interesting, because the show itself is about selling out to commercialism and holding onto your dreams and the lengths of compromise, which we can all relate to.” However this show is not your average musical. “It is told backwards. So you start with the disintegration of the friendships and then you slowly get them back and by the end of it you’re seeing them starting out. “It allows the audience to be in the know, as opposed to the characters on stage. You’re able to see all these dreams
fade and these compromises made knowing exactly where it ends up.” As a performer, this unique structure provides its own unique challenges, but Humbley finds the whole experience rather “liberating”. “You can only play the stakes of the scene you’re playing in the moment.” Spanning three decades, this show does not simply depict one point in the lives of these characters, but rather gives the audience a real insight into the highs and lows of working, and living, in the entertainment business. “I think it’s one of those great shows, as it does what theatre and art is supposed to do in general, which is to cause reflection. “Hopefully you leave the theatre with a positive outlook that you want to not end up like that, that you want grab hold of your dreams.” Grabbing hold of your dreams is something Humbley is all too familiar with. Humbley moved to London in 2005, after graduating from a Musical Theatre course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). He has since starred in a number of shows including Lend Me a Tenor – The Musical, Fiddler on the Roof and Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Woman in White. Merrily We Roll Along marks his 5th show on the West End. As a performer, Humbley says compared to Australia, London has more opportunities; more stage doors for him to open. “Walk down Shaftesbury Avenue, and you’ve got more theatre there than in any capital city in Australia. Back home you either have to pick Melbourne or Sydney to live and each one had their own benefits. “From London you can do anything you want, which is very much a good thing. You never know what to expect.” Merrily We Roll Along is at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London SW1 from 23 April – 27 July. Contact 0844 871 7622 or see www.merrilywestend.com.
Paul Kelly told me: “When you play songs you get to know the songs in a different way. You start singing them differently and they start evolving.” Paul Kelly’s performance at Cadogan Hall in London’s Sloane Square on Friday 11 April was these words of musical exploration put into practice. So personal, touching and satirically witty at times, you couldn’t help but notice the individual personalities each one of his songs possessed. Paul was jubilant in his welcome to the expectant crowd, who all knew his songs better then we know our own national anthem. He arrived armed and ready to show off his new album Spring and Fall with his nephew and sparing partner Dan Kelly in tow. The show was kicked off with an introduction and a promise. The promise - we’d get to hear all his old songs later. But first, it was all about Spring and Fall and the concept behind its creation. He described it to us as a song cycle. Each song telling a story that leads on to the next in order to get a complete picture. As promised, that picture came through. A lyrical painting of a relationship from beginning to end, vividly drawn in our imagination. Songs like the beautiful ‘I’m By Your Side’ and the jaunty ‘For The Ages’, with my new favourite Paul Kelly lyric of ‘You Went to The Ball Dressed by St Vincent De Paul’, are sure to be staples in his live shows from here on out. And then, onto the promise. ‘Before Too Long’ to ‘Dumb Things’, ‘Love Never Runs On Time’ to the Christmas classic ‘How to Make Gravy’ – the songs had the punters on their feet and calling on their fellow countrymen to join them standing. The night ended with a sincere encore played by a man who enjoys sharing his gift. Anyone in attendance left knowing they had just witnessed a great show. We were not disappointed as everyone mouthed the familiar words to the songs that have helped shape our lives. As my friend said, “these songs make me miss home”, because Paul Kelly is undoubtedly Australian, unquestionably ours.
Travel | 11
AustralianTimes.co.uk
Aussies in the Channel Islands
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The local population of Alderney, in the Channel Islands, have long found a range of alternative uses for the deserted bunkers built by the Germans during World War 2. Now two enterprising Aussies have given one searchlight bunker the special green and gold treatment. By Mark Archbold ALDERNEY is part of the Channel Islands and is a British Crown dependency. The area is 3 miles by 1.5 miles, making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands. It is around 16km to the west of La Hague on the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy, France and 97 km from the south coast of Great Britain. It is the closest of the Channel Islands to both France and the United Kingdom. In June 1940 the entire population of Alderney - about 1500 residents were evacuated. The Germans arrived to a deserted island and began to follow the orders to fortify Alderney as part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. The Germans (using forced slave labour) built bunkers, gun emplacements, air-raid shelters and concrete fortifications. There are about 600 WWII structures on the tiny island. The population today is around 2090. Amongst this are about 10 Aussies who have found their way to this little island for work and retirement, including two who have found a unique way of bringing a little bit of Australia to Alderney by way of an “Aussie BBQ Bunker”. In March 2012 Mark Archbold and Bruce Florance decided to rent one of the old German bunkers. It had been classified as a “60 cm searchlight bunker” where the Germans had their searchlights to light up the waters off Alderney. After the war most of the bunkers fell into disrepair and a few were blown up by British forces. Today, most of the bunkers are used for storage or are open to the public. Many have absolutely sensational views of the surrounding waters or wildlife. Some are even added to many of the Victorian forts around the island. This particular searchlight bunker
has been used since the war by a number of people for differing purposes, including as a pigeon coup. Now, after a lot of hard work and elbow grease Mark and Bruce have secured the bunker with doors and windows, and painted it internally. The Aussie BBQ Bunker is fitted out with a BBQ, tables, chairs, sound system, 12v lights, a solar panel power system (to watch the Cricket, AFL and NRL). It has views to France, the English Channel and across Alderney. Nearly every weekend you will find Bruce and Mark having a BBQ while taking in the views, often watching sailing boats racing from Cherbourg to Alderney. The Aussie flag is raised every time Mark or Bruce are there, mainly to let other islanders know to drop in for a beer and a snag. In the early days when the bunker was used for a large birthday party for an Aussie who is the chef at the Georgian Hotel, over 40 people turned up for the event. A decision by Mark and Bruce was made early on that one of the internal walls was to be a “signature wall” where all who visit sign and date the wall. To date there is over 100 signatures. If you are at all interested in the history of the Channel Islands, or in particular Hitler’s Atlantic wall, Alderney is a must see adventure. Drop in the Aussie Bunker while you’re there for a taste of home and a beer with some friendly Aussies. Just look for the flag down by Alderney’s historic lighthouse.
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12 | Travel
23 - 29 April 2013
n
France’s Celtic corner offers rugged scenery, fascinating history and more flavours of pancakes than you can possibly get through in one trip. JOHN BURKE shares his tips and tricks for making the most of this unique stretch of coastline.
*
Brittany has France’s longest stretch of coastline, making the greygreen province three times the size of Cornwall, which similarly juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rugged scenery is not the only unique aspect of the large peninsula bounded by the lookalike namesake of Saint Michael’s Mount. Both face the English Channel and St Nazaire, where the Loire flows into the Bay of Biscay. The stubborn, seafaring (and sometimes separatist) Bretons are a race apart from the Franks and Gauls, being cousins to the Cornish with whom they share the legends of King Arthur and almost the same ancient language.
Popping over the Channel
It is easy to relax in this romantic and remote region that, nonetheless, is easily reached from England. One of the finest and cheapest ways is to take the car-ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe (£15 each way for foot passengers), as it allows you to stop over in Normandy and also take a break in the French capital. LD Lines also goes from Portsmouth to westerly Le Havre. If you go straight on by train, an express (TGV) gets you from Rennes to Paris in 125 minutes, so the whole journey from the time you board the boat is done in 10¾ hours. Rennes replaced southerly Nantes as Brittany’s chief town, and although inland, it is an ideal base for excursions if you do not have time to tour all 2,730 kilometres of coast. Rail Europe does various passes,
*Trips for 18yo and over
and the one for all France on any six days (£243 or £160 youth) means you can cover a lot of the peninsula, in addition to the journey out and back.
Exploring the region
You can also take a 90-minute bus trip northwards to Mont Saint-Michel, the mediaeval fortified abbey that becomes an island during one of the highest and fastest tides in the world. Trains, however, take only one hour from Rennes to the walled city of Saint-Malo. The vast yachting harbour is just visible from one of the Channel Islands. The statue of Jacques Cartier, who discovered Canada, is on the ramparts, from where the sheltered and sandy resort of Dinard can be seen across the choppy Rance estuary. Other trains go westwards, past St Brieuc, the gateway to the Emerald Coast, to Brest where France bases her Atlantic fleet. The line skirts such ports as Roscoff, where Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie each landed in bygone days, as well as St Pol de Leon whose cathedral, built in 1250, has one of those distinctive hollow belfries that
Travel | 13
AustralianTimes.co.uk
For more information: www.raileurope.co.uk www.ldlines.co.uk www.tourisme-rennes.com
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withstand high winds. It is only 80 kilometres by bus from Brest to Quimper where the houses are timbered, musicians play bagpipes and fishwives speak Breton. Their tall bonnets of white lace remind one of the three lighthouses on the craggy western tip of Europe. This is the Cornouaille district that includes the little ports of Douarnenez and Concarneau whence trawlers go out into the Bay of Biscay for tunny and sardines. Beyond them is the Wild Coast where wind and waves hurl themselves against the coloured granite, from which are made the Breton churches and calvaries that get many pilgrimages. Yet mediaeval Vannes and its yachtbasin are so sheltered by the lakelike Gulf of Morbihan that there is a profusion of sub-tropical flowers and foliage. Halfway along the southern railway between Quimper and Rennes, this resort boasts a chateau too, but even more impressive is the castle at Josselin. Another attraction nearby is Carnac whose rows of
Everywhere, you will see the onetime duchy’s flag with black and white stripes, although it could be confused with that flown by visiting boats from Cornwall. The Breton symbol of three suns spiralling out of three joined rays is very similar to the three legs on the Isle of Man’s flag. Those of all six Celtic nations, including Wales and Scotland, fly outside a restaurant in Saint-Malo’s rue de Chartres where I had mussels, chips and wine all for £9. Many highclass menus offer the famous oysters from nearby Cancale. Nearby is one of Brittany’s many Irish pubs. France’s fine wines cost less than in England, but usually I drank rough cider from Bédée ice-cold. This traditionally washes down the regional pancakes. There are 31 different types on offer, including savoury flavours (galettes) such as Breton onions. Another 45 pancakes (crêpes) are sweetened with anything from Chantilly cream to Calvados, an apple spirit from Normandy that is set alight on the plate. There are a dozen pancake-bars in Rennes, including Les Piplettes which offers a £9 menu with free coffee for diners showing a city-pass. A city-pass costs £11 at the tourist office in the cobbled old town and it will save you money if you use the underground railway, tour the old parliament
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and visit the Breton Museum. The Museum displays the folk-costumes and folklore in this land of myths, as well as detailing the eventful history of the area after its ruling Duchess Anne married a French king in 1532. The museum is a short walk from the train station/bus terminal, Maison de Verre (free Internet) and various hotels. Mercure is a good pick for businessmen, starting at £61 single, while the two-star Victoria costs £54 double. Far cheaper are guest-houses as well as rural cottages (£150 upwards per week), camp-sites and even caravans in the hilly countryside around.
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14 | Professional Life
Networking in London > SEPI ROSHAN
Business and professional life is more than being good at what you do: it is also about having fun, making connections and collaborating (the technical term for this is “networking”). We, Australians, have known this for yonks. Henry Ford has been quoted as saying: “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” As the effects of the financial crisis continue to be felt, many entrepreneurs and professionals in the UK are beginning to see the benefits of a more collaborative way of working. It is true to say that in business, no-one goes it alone. The fast-pace of change and deluge of information means that it is impossible for any one person or organisation to have all the answers. To open up possibilities and solutions, you need to tap into available networks. The Business After 5 with Qantas networking series in London is just one networking opportunity for professionals. Hosted by Australian Business and sponsored by Qantas, it is testament to how collaborative modes of working can benefit everyone. The second event for 2013 was held on 11 April, in the elegant surroundings of the Hyatt Regency London. Kim Dillon, Executive Director of Australian Business says from feedback received, members love networking opportunities, as it is a great way to connect with fellow Australians and others who have a connection with Australia. Catherine Dunkerley, Marketing Manager, Europe, Australian Trade Commission points out that networking for professionals new to the UK can help get themselves known, both to people within London and the broader UK. Kevin Skipworth, Agent General of
the Government of Western Australia says that the Business After 5 events are a “a golden opportunity” to network with Australian businesses here in Europe and the UK. If you have not taken the opportunity yet, despair not. “We have a lot of business lunches coming up: Archie Norman, John Buchannan, the Governor General of Australia, and the Ashes lunch; some economic updates in the calendar as well and some more Business After 5 networking events,” says Ms Dillon. Nick Crabb, Marketing Manager of Qantas says that the reason why networking events are of great assistance to professionals is that they allow people to get to know each other without them trying to sell anything to each other. It’s more about finding people you have something in common with. “Business comes off the back of relationships and people who gel with each other and often think “where is the common ground for our two organisations?” which is good,” says Mr Crabb. Mr Crabb believes organisations that work well together for the right reasons naturally achieve greater output than they otherwise might. In between drinks and canapés, networking allows us to share professional and personal experiences. As well as making new friends with likeminded people, there is the opportunity to explore new ideas and possibilities.
Dollar Review
Aussie Dollar weighed down by slump in gold By Jaco Herselman The Australian Dollar has continued to feel the effect of the fall in gold prices. Following the price of gold plunging by more than 9% on Monday last week amidst fears of a possible sell off by the Cyprus’s Central Bank, other commodities and commodity currencies such as the Australian Dollar likewise took a hit, according to Easy Forex currency dealer Tony Darvall. By mid-week the Aussie had recovered slightly on the back of news that gold prices had stabilised and of better than expected US economic data. The higher AUD was to be short-lived however, as disappointing Chinese economic data along with the weakness in commodity prices, particularly copper, weighed down on the Australian currency. According to Robert Rennie, chief currency strategist at Westpac, there is a growing list of negatives that are
weighing down share markets and currencies. Gold prices started showing signs of recovery towards the end of the week though, after what proved to be the biggest drop in three decades. According to Sean Callow of Westpac, the fact we seem to have put that gold flash crash behind us is helping people’s nerves and the on-going money printing by major central banks is also helping boost the price of the Aussie dollar. The AUD traded in a range between 1.051 and 1.029 to the USD and between 0.684 and 0.673 British Pounds during the week.
Exchange rates GBP/AUD: 1.483 EUR/AUD: 1.271 USD/AUD: 1.025 NZD/AUD: 1.219 08:53 GMT, 22 April 2013
Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.
You can find out more about the Business After 5 with Qantas Networking Series and other events at Australianbusiness.co.uk. Tune in to the fun from the Business After 5 with Qantas Networking event on 11 April with live interviews on Astute Radio on AustralianTimes.co.uk.
GAIN A PROFESSIONAL EDGE FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS
Sepi Roshan is Business Editor of Australian Times, and Director of Astute Coaching & Development, helping Professionals become fearless presenters and leaders. Find out more at www.astutecd.com.
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Sport | 15
AustralianTimes.co.uk
RUBDOWN
Milne set to miss Anzac clash against Swans THE ST KILDA veteran Stephen Milne has taken his notoriety for getting into the face of an AFL opponent too far. Milne is set to miss Thursday’s historic Anzac Day clash with Sydney in New Zealand after the match review panel charged him with making unnecessary contact to the face of Essendon defender Courtenay Dempsey. Milne has a well-earned reputation as one of the league’s biggest on-field sledgers.
He received a two-game ban for the Dempsey incident, which will be reduced to one match if Milne takes the early plea. The Saints would risk the two-game penalty if they took the case to the tribunal. Thursday’s game in Wellington against Sydney will be the first AFL match for premiership points held outside Australia. Footage of the incident in the last term of the Saints’ loss on Saturday
at Etihad Stadium shows Milne becoming involved as teammate Ahmed Saad grapples with Dempsey. As the Essendon player goes to ground, Milne’s hand pushes into his face. Milne also received the stiffest penalty as eight players were fined for a half-time melee. It was his third melee offence, costing him $3000 if he accepts the charge. By Roger Vaughan in Melbourne
Mariners head to Korea feeling invincible ...continued from p16
“So it took a bit of the shine away from it. “But the boys have all managed to get their minds focused on Tuesday’s match.” The Mariners are currently third in Group H, one point ahead of Suwon and need at least a point to keep their hopes of qualifying to the knockout stages alive. Suwon, who are equally desperate for points, will be hoping to take advantage of a weary Central Coast side.
But Sainsbury says if anything Sunday’s win has reinvigorated them. “The way we’re feeling right now, we feel invincible,” he said. “So we feel we can go and give things a real shake in Korea. “We’re going there for the three points and we go there with all the confidence in the world.” Englishman Nick Montgomery is likely to replace Hutchinson in midfield but while 36-year-old Daniel McBreen joked he “may have a groin injury” and miss the clash, he was among the travelling squad. This doesn’t mean he’ll play,
however, with coach Graham Arnold likely to field a different side to the one he did on Sunday, possibly resting some of the older players. They come into the match on the back of a 4-1 win over Daejeong, courtesy of a hat-trick from striker Tae-Se Jong - no doubt the side’s dangerman. But Sainsbury feels the Mariners have them covered. “Last time we played them, we played them at home and I thought we played them off the park and deserved to win,” he said. By Angela Habashy in Sydney
Reds need better conversion ...continued from p16
“The good thing is we created those opportunities - we didn’t take them but they were there.” Skipper James Horwill was also kicking himself for knocking back two or three penalties in front of the goalposts and going for a fivepointer, which eventually paid off in the 75th minute with a try to Liam Gill. “Looking at it my game management needed to be a little bit better,” Horwill said. “It was
probably a bit helter-skelter and I needed to calm things down at times. “You have to have your wits about you, they’ve got some real strike power,” McKenzie said of a team that boasts backline threats Piri Weepu, Rene Ranger, Frank Halai and Charles Piutau. Meantime, the Reds have scoffed at speculation world-class winger Digby Ioane is unhappy at Ballymore and plans to break his lucrative three-year contract at the end of the season. By Jim Morton in Brisbane
Try Tag Rugby All Stars Win London Rugby League 9s
The Try Tag Rugby All Stars, 2013 London Rugby League 9s champions. If you ask tag rugby players what the best feature of being part of the tag rugby community in London is besides the game itself, it’s likely to be the sense of community spirit, the feeling of finding a family away from home and the social outlet provided through playing with familiar faces and making new friends. This year members of the tag community will also play
in a number of other sports competitions and leagues around London, including Rugby League 9s, Rugby Union 7s and 10s, as well as netball. It’s a great way to spread the word about tag rugby, and have the tag ruby community provide a supporter base to tag rugby teams participating in those competitions. On Saturday 20 April, the Try Tag Rugby All Stars entered a team in
Reds player Ioane is tackled during their Super Rugby match against the ACT Brumbies on Saturday. (AAP Image/Dan Peled) the annual London Rugby League 9s tournament in Acton. The All Stars featured two Australians in the squad - former Sydney Rooster Andrew Le Breton and former Manly Marlins RU player Phillip Browne. In an epic final the Try Tag Rugby All Stars prevailed over semi professional rugby league outfit the London Skolars 16-10 to be crowned the 2013 London Rugby League 9s champions. The team was led by Kim Parkinson (coach), Shun Tamura (manager) and inspirational captain, Matt Ashe. Try Tag Rugby’s early summer competitions commence next week from 29 April onwards at 15 venues across London and Reading. The competitions cater for all standards of players with divisions including beginner, intermediate, A grade and for the ultra competitive, super league. Leagues are taking place at Acton, Balham, Borough, Canada Water, East London RFC, Finsbury Park, Fulham, Highbury, Hoxton, London Bridge (beach court), Reading, Richmond, Shoreditch Park, Southfields (Wimbledon Park) and Wandsworth Town. If you would like to register for the Try Tag Rugby early summer competition, go to www. trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details.
Round 4 By Will Denton
You know, with all the bad stuff that’s been happening around the world lately, sometimes it’s great just to hear a good news story for once. And the AFL brought a couple to the table this week just to remind us that gee, it aint all bad. Starting with the blindingly obvious, Melbourne FC managed to win a game of football. Granted, it was over the GWS Giants, and yes, most of them are still coming to terms with how to operate a Gillette Mach 3, but it will still go down as a win nonetheless. And don’t let the score line fool you; the Dees were in danger of stuffing even this one up. Luckily for them, the kids in orange wilted in the splendid sunshine during the last quarter, allowing not only the Melbourne faithful a moment of pure relief, but the rest of the nation. Let it be known that if Melbourne had lost this match, Mark Neeld would not only have been sacked, he probably would’ve got on the blower to Kim Jong Un, given him the coordinates to the MCG and said calmly ‘just push the button mate’. Feel good moment two happened just a bit after the Melbourne one, when a player by the name of Majak Daw ran out to make his debut for the Kangaroos. What’s pretty special
about him is that he was born in Sudan, and is the first of his countrymen to play in the AFL. Within 30 seconds of the ball being bounced, Majak had racked up 12 possessions, eight tackles, three powerades consumed and booted a goal with his first kick in footy. It was heading towards world record territory until, such was his velocity, he somehow managed to have a head clash with himself, got knocked out and had to be subbed off. It was quite simply the most breathtaking first five minutes of footy of all time. Also he has quite possibly the most puntastic name ever. Finally, a round four wrap-up wouldn’t be complete without mentioning new Bomber, Brendon Goddard. Coming up against an old side can be tough, especially one you put so much of your heart and soul into like he did at the Saints. So it was totally unexpected and refreshing to see him blubbering like a small child in the post match interview when questioned: “How does it feel to flog your old club?” It was a moment of pure, raw emotion that’s hardly ever seen on the footy field. Club sources also have revealed Brendon was still misty eyed, even as he jumped into his Ferrari F430 Spider. Good to see AFL is still a human game, played by real humans. Now that’s some good news.
RUGBY LEAGUE ON YOUR DOORSTEP
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BRING ON SUMMER
Try Tag Rugby early summer competition now open P15
NRL accepts blame for City-Country debacle
n
Abandoned by big name players and fans, is the traditional NSW Origin trial in jeopardy?
By Steve Jancetic and Ian McCullough in Sydney THE NRL has copped the blame for the venue and pricing flaws which led to Sunday’s embarrassing turnout for the CityCountry clash in Coffs Harbour. Adding injury to a concept seemingly already on its knees due to lack of interest from the game’s big names, fans too turned their noses up at hefty ticket prices with just 4635 gathering at BCU Stadium. It was the lowest turnout for the match since 1987 and the first time in three years the NRL had not sold out a representative fixture. The NRL said it would not abandon the annual clash, but had to learn from the mistakes made at Coffs Harbour. There were denials from Rugby League Central that head honchos would initiate a witch-hunt to find a scapegoat for the debacle. “The pricing structure wasn’t right. We’d all concede that now,” an NRL spokesperson said. “City-Country’s important, but it’s important that it’s done well. “We just didn’t get it right. That goes back to when we first picked the venue.” The issue with the venue was the lack of seating, with the NRL forced to erect a temporary stand at a high price. NRL general manager of commercial and marketing Paul Kind denied ticket prices, at $50 for a grandstand seat, were set to make a profit from the game. “When you’re paying around $35 a head to put it (the grandstand) in and getting some other costs on top of that ... clearly any suggestion that was a profit-making isn’t the case,” Kind said. “It’s a loss-making venture for us. It’s about promotion of the game in regional communities.” The match was already struggling
for credibility as a genuine NSW State of Origin trial after a host of players - many of them considered automatic Blues selections - pulled out of the match citing injury. The ramifications have already begun, with the NRL set to abandon plans to take the game to Broken Hill in 2014. Country Rugby League President Jock Colley conceded Coffs Harbour may not have been the ideal region to take the game to. “The heartland of rugby league is in the bush. Places like Mudgee (which hosted the game last year) get completely behind it,” Colley told AAP. “Coffs Harbour is a bit more commercial, a lot more spread out. Maybe it doesn’t mean as much to the people up here as it does to the rural bush towns. “We had looked closely at going to Broken Hill. It could be a bit of a gamble now on the back of a disappointing crowd yesterday.” The mayor of Coffs Harbour, Denise Knight, came to the city’s defence, claiming the community had done all it could to embrace a match which lost some lustre as a result of player withdrawals. “The crowd was disappointing,” Knight said. “But we feel like we did our bit. A breakfast was hosted and we put on a civic reception and a fundraiser to raise money for the local Group 2 competition. “I’d love to see Coffs get another chance to host the City-Country game as the people of the region love their rugby league. “(But) if they want serious crowds, they’ve got to bring their best players.”
AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport
NEWLY-CROWNED A-League champions Central Coast say they feel invincible heading into Tuesday’s Asian Champions League clash in South Korea. The Mariners beat Western Sydney 2-0 in Sunday’s grand final to break though for their maiden championship triumph after three failed attempts in 2006, 2008 and 2011. Celebrations where cut short, however, as the entire team excluding suspended captain John Hutchinson - boarded an early morning flight to South Korea. The Mariners contest their ACL match with Suwon Bluewings on Tuesday, only 48 hours after their Allianz Stadium victory. But youngster Trent Sainsbury says the team has managed to focus on the crucial group-stage clash. “We all were celebrating last night but in the back of everyone’s mind we all knew we’d still had a job to do in Korea,” he told AAP from Sydney Airport on Monday. ...continued on p15
Reds rue bombing 10 tries against the Brumbies
MOUTHY MILNE SET TO MISS ANZAC CLASH
Plus possible $3000 fine for melee | p15 Get More Sport
No rest for new A-League champs
AINT NO SAINT: St Kilda’s Stephen Milne has a reputation as one of the AFL’s biggest sledgers. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
THE Queensland Reds are searching for their finishing precision against New Zealand’s surprise-packet the Blues after lamenting they bombed 10 tries against the Brumbies. The Reds scored three tries to one in their intense 19-19 draw at Suncorp Stadium but believed it should have been many more thanks to the opportunities they created with the adventurous play in the fast-paced encounter. “I think we might have left 10 tries out there,” director of coaching Ewen McKenzie said. “We scored three and had three held up and there were other ones we left out there. “That’s just about option-taking under pressure, having the vision to see the opportunity or the skills to be able to take it. ...continued on p15