BITS AND PIECES

The wartime song It’s a Long Way to Tipperary was written for a bet in a pub at Stalybridge in England in 1912? Jack Judge and his musical friend Harry J. Williams were challenged by a group of actors to write a song and perform it in the same day. And they did.

Within 24 hours, the song that would become an anthem for British troops during the Great War was complete. Unlike other songs about heroism, soldiers could identify with being lonely and far from home.

Judge sang it at the Grand Theatre in Stalybridge, which is now in Greater Manchester but was then in Cheshire in north-west England. It was a hit and soon recorded by more famous singers. COFFEE lovers need to meet Giuseppe Anapo, the master roaster who grew up with coffee aromas filling his family home.

His love of a good coffee has continued throughout his life and these days he selects the best estate grown green coffee beans to roast award-winning coffees.

After taste-testing around the world and working in hospitality for more than 40 years, Joe began roasting in the garage of his home 10 years ago.

A year later, he moved to larger premises to become the first coffee roaster in Logan City.

Enthusiasts who want more can take a tour of the roastery and learn more about the history of coffee or sign up for a workshop to learn about tasting methods around the world and to get behind the scenes before sampling the end product.

Meet Joe at Simply Beans, a one-stop coffee house with espresso bar, retail shop and wholesale warehouse at Compton Rd, just off the M1 at Underwood.

Visit simplybeans.com.au

Winners of double passes to see the heart-warming film Dream Horse, which opens in cinemas on June 10, are Frances Houlihan of Hemmant, Ian Unwin of Logan Central, Robyn O’Hare of Brighton, Kay Fraser of New Farm and Graham King of Ferny Grove. Based on a true story, Dream Horse is a classic tale of triumph against adversity, as a checkout worker (Toni Collette) makes her wildest dream come true, a beacon of hope in a former mining village in South Wales. Passes are valid for most cinemas and are in the post. Congratulations to all winners and thank you for your entries.

LETTERS

LIKE the editor (YT May) I have also contributed substantially to the Porsches and Jags of dentists here and overseas over a number of years.

It was overseas where I had substantial – and very expensive – root canal work which was, I later realised, bungled. Back in Australia I treated the resultant abscesses and eruptions with pain killers and a couple of extractions by the Queensland seniors dentistry service, a great program which is mostly bulk billed. However, they told me the root canal problem might be recoverable but I’d probably need to see a private dentist about that.

Off to the nearest surgery I went only to discover that I’d also contracted some kind of gum disease which meant my teeth would all eventually fall out. That’s beginning to happen.

So it’s dentures or implants. My late partner’s ordeal with dentures put me off, as did the cost of implants (I’ve been quoted anything from $28K to $50K depending on the type of implants.)

With much trepidation, I‘m about to embark on an implant program. It won’t be easy and it certainly won’t be cheap.

If there’s a moral to my tale it’s this: Seek treatment early for whatever ails your mouth. The longer you leave it, the more it’s likely to cost.

Robert Humphreys