Canberra CityNews March 15, 2012

Good start for our hungry kids briefly

Libby Hill reports

AROUND a quarter of Australian children miss out on breakfast, starting the day distracted and hungry.

To help address this, the Red Cross operates almost 250 breakfast clubs and prepares more than 800,000 breakfasts nationally each year.

Around the ACT, breakfast clubs feed about 500 children in 11 schools in Canberra and Queanbeyan.

“Studies show that 25 per cent of kids miss breakfast and it has been identified that disadvantaged areas are more prone,” says Prue Spence, food security team leader of ACT Red Cross.

“But some parents are dropping their children off early because they have to get to work, too,” Prue says.

“Some schools have up to 70 children attend breakfast club and some kids just come along for the social element as well.”

Kids who go to school without breakfast have problems with concentration, are more prone to fidgeting and find learning difficult by midmorning, but the benefits of the Good Start Breakfast Club extend well beyond an improvement in concentration.

“It’s a good opportunity for the teachers to get to know the kids in a different way and it helps with learning about food nutrition and developing social skills,” says Prue.

“By sitting down at a table and sharing food together, the children learn about table manners and hygiene as well.

“We have also found there is a positive impact

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on school attendance and punctuality. A lot of kids who might otherwise be late to school are getting there early for breakfast club.”

The Red Cross provides up to 100 volunteers to the 11 schools in the region.

“Some of our volunteers were previously teachers and so they realise what a great program this is,” Prue says.

“Our volunteers have an interest in nutrition as well as helping kids. They understand that break-

fast is an important part of growth and development.

“Some are uni students and some are in their 70s. We also have corporate volunteers, but it would be good to have more.”

Sanitarium provides cereals for breakfast club and Red Cross provides assistance for the first three years, but after that individual schools need to find sponsors for the program.

To volunteer with Red Cross contact 6234 7634.

Lawrance takes the chair

PRESIDENT of Palliative Care ACT, David Lawrance, has been appointed chairman of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing. Businesswoman Viola Kalokerinos also joins the council as his deputy. The council comprises community representatives who provide strategic advice to the Government on issues affecting older Canberrans while helping to develop policies and services. It also provides a link between the Government and the older citizens’ community.

Frank and St Pat

OUTSPOKEN priest Fr Frank Brennan will give the St Patrick’s Day Address at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Barton on Saturday, March 17. The annual ecumenical service at noon celebrates the heritage of Ireland’s patron saint with music by the Canberra Celtic Choir, piper Brian Hungerford and harpist Carl Sampson.

Peters our top citizen

CHIEF executive of the ACT and Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chris Peters, has been named the 2012 Canberra Citizen of the Year. “Dr Peters is admired as a person who is altruistic and is someone who has difficulty saying no to anyone who seeks his assistance or knowledge,” Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said.

First peek under the news / the Canberra Centenary

ROBYN Archer has given Canberra its first taste for what’s to come in the capital’s 100th year in 2013.

The Centenary creative director says Canberra will celebrate the milestone through a year-long calendar of events, “showcasing the very best of what goes on in Canberra each year – the people, the places and the events”.

But despite Archer’s accomplished arts background, Centenary of Canberra will not only feature arts, but sports, science, politics and history.

Freyla Ferguson reports

According to organisers: “It will be the first time that Canberra’s annual calendar of events is ‘packaged up’ and promoted to a national and international audience – revealing a lively, active 21st century city”.

It’s not only about 2013, but beyond that has also been “firmly in the thinking, development and decision making of the Centenary of Canberra team”.

Archer’s big ‘calendar’

THE moment the Canberra Centenary’s creative director, Robyn Archer, started into a breathless 90-minute briefing on “the shape of 2013”, it was obvious that hers was a big picture.

A picture that showed Canberra running on a regular 365-day diary of excitement.

Archer is charged with pulling together the disparate elements of our culture, but as she was quick to admit, you’d expect her to have an arts component and she does. It won’t be a festival, but rather a “calendar”, bigger than any Adelaide Festival.

Inevitably, the major cultural institutions are involved. Though the National Gallery will hold off its announcements, we heard that the Museum of Australian Democracy will stage a show called “The Art of Influence”, the National Archives will exhibit fragile etchings by Marion Mahony Griffin and the National Museum

Helen Musa comments

of

will pay tribute to the first Australians in “Old Masters: Early Bark Paintings of Australia”. The Multicultural Festival will focus on indigenous musicians and Bangarra Dance Theatre will stage a special triple bill.

A modest $1 million fund went to community projects. Definite grants (this doesn’t close until June 30) will include $100,000 for the Royal Canberra Show, $16,693 to Tuggeranong Arts Centre for a lakeside community sculpture project, $25,000 for Kulture Break’s “Dance Nation” community project, $9900 to Artsound FM to preserve recordings and $1000 towards a cake decorators’ open day.

The Australian Ballet has been commis-

Centenary curtain

This week’s announcement is the beginning of a series of announcements that will be made from now until September, when the full program is launched. In a framework of Canberra seasons, the program’s centrepiece will be the opening of the National Arboretum.

The big party will be on the long weekend of March 10 and 11 with, “Canberra... in so many words” – a physical breakout of words all around the city, the world premiere of a new “Centenary Symphony”, commissioned from composer Andrew Schultz and to be performed by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Centenary

celebration

sioned to create a world premiere about the Parliament House building. They’ve already done a walk-through with architect and theatre-lover, Aldo Giurgola.

The Centenary has joined the Sydney Theatre Company and Perth Festival in commissioning the world premiere of local resident Kate Grenville’s “The Secret River”, adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell.

In my view, Archer satisfactorily answered complaints that she was sidelining local artists, had no interest in multiculturalism and had stolen the limelight from distinguished Canberra artists. Her street-cred, established when she directed the National Festival of Australian Theatre here, is now apparent in “seeding” projects such as the youthful “You Are Here” festival. We can look forward to a year-long look at what Canberra is and can be.

choir, multiple music stages featuring Canberra bands for both young and old and performances by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and for the over-18s “The Longest Bubbly Bars in the World” to treat people on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin to local taps and wine.

The weekend will also coincide with “Enlighten”, which will be in its third year, the Canberra Festival “absorbed into the wholeof-March celebrations” and the youthful You are Here festival.

Over the other months there will be strong partnerships with the cultural institutions and interaction with the wider community, including “Portrait of a Nation”, an interactive online project that invites residents to discover the stories, secrets and meaning behind their street and suburb names – most of which are named after prominent Australians.

“Spin: Canberra’s Weekends on Wheels”, a multi-sited event across the city will celebrate all-things-with-wheels and, so far, includes 2013 WEMBO World Solo 24 Mountain Bike Championships and the National Trust ACT’s Centenary of Canberra Vintage Car Rally.

Throughout the year there will also be an emphasis on Canberra’s sporting excellence with events including; the IPS Handa Australian Women’s Open golf tournament; the British and Irish Lions versus Brumbies match; the National Archery Championships; Scott Australian 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships and the Australian Masters Rowing Championship.

The latest program is at www.canberra100. com.au

Let’s get our mojo working

EVERY year more of our young people leave Canberra. Why?

As the seat of national government, unemployment in Canberra is low and the average income higher than the national average. Canberra is home to excellent schools, world-class universities and tertiary education levels are high.

But our city is an expensive place to live and it’s hard to get around without a car.

And for many young people, the peace and quiet, and the largely suburban lifestyle don’t meet their desire for a more dy-

Catherine Carter property

namic, exciting and vibrant place to live.

Canberra is a hard-working city, placed within a relaxed, urban setting, but there’s no bustle, no sense of “busyness” and, some might say, no easily discernible energy or personality.

So, what’s the solution? City planners often say that creating the personality of a place is among their highest priorities. So, how do we design a city plan that lets per-

sonality shine through? Where’s the mojo and what do we do to capture and keep it?

Politicians, bureaucrats and planners don’t define the personality of a city; the people of Canberra need to speak up. And this should be much more than a debate about urban density and infill versus retention of our bush suburbs. Why can’t we have both? Why can’t we have dynamic, bustling places, and quiet places, too?

Catherine Carter is ACT executive director of the Property Council of Australia

Fun at the big house

THERE will be entertainment for all ages at Government House on Sunday, March 18, for the Smith Family’s family fun day.

It’s an opportunity to explore Government House and picnic in its picturesque gardens while keeping adults and kids entertained with acts including Questacon’s Excited Particles, ACT’s Youth Orchestra and Rock ‘n’ Roll Club, Warehouse Circus, hot-airballoon rides, a fly over from the Roulettes and joy rides on traditional wooden boats on the lake.

Visitors can explore the market stalls showcasing regional food, wine, arts and crafts.

Regional program manager for The Smith Family, Pierina Lucchesi, says kids will be entertained with the exciting range of activities on offer including singing, science, stories, dancing, acrobatics and craft thanks to the Dynamic Dance Studio, Questacon’s Excited Particles, Warehouse Circus and ACT Libraries’ storytelling.

Government House Open Day for The Smith Family will be held Sunday, March 18, 10am4pm. Tickets available at the gate – $10 adults, $8 concession card holders and $25 families.

More information at thesmithfamily.com.au/ghod

White way or the highway

Newcomer Jake White’s not off to coach England any time soon. TIM GAVEL looks at the man the town is pinning its hopes on to rebuild the Brumbies

THE Brumbies’ coach, Jake White, is complex in personality and is, without question, demanding of his players and support staff.

From a media perspective he is, at times, hard to deal with and reluctant to give too much information away, thus avoiding giving the opposition ammunition.

It is part of the package that makes Jake White a great coach. It is evident with other great coaches, such as Wayne Bennett, that you don’t have to be liked by everybody to achieve success.

The response from the players about White is they are happy with the structure, they receive constant feedback and they know exactly where they stand. There are no mind games and every player is judged on performance with little evidence of hierarchy.

The other positive factor is the belief in

briefly

Guitars on parade

THE fourth annual National Vintage Guitar and Amp Expo will be held at the Statesman Hotel, Curtin, 10am-8pm, Saturday, March 24 and 10am-6pm, Sunday, March 25. The event showcases vintage and rare acoustic and electric guitars, basses, ukuleles and valve amplifiers from pre World War II to the present day. Entry is $10. The expo also features the “Vintage Roadshow” sessions in which experts offer free appraisals of vintage instruments brought in by members of the public. More information at www.guitarexpo. com.au

Richards recognised Advocate group Women with Disabilities ACT and Canberra community sector worker Kathy Richards have been honoured with 2012 ACT International Women’s Day Awards for their ongoing efforts to improve the lives of women and girls in Canberra.

what they are doing under his guidance.

He gives the impression that rugby tactics consume his every waking moment in a similar fashion to Eddie Jones, although that is surely not possible!

On second thoughts, it could be possible given his South African heritage and the dominance that rugby union has in that country.

Having observed coaches for the past 23 years, my sense is that Canberra has been a learning curve for him. There is a battle for professional football sporting codes:

the Brumbies, the Raiders and, now, GWS, all seeking their share. Rugby is very much in a battle for ascendancy.

Jake White got off to a rocky start when he offered an ambiguous response to speculation linking him with the South African coaching job just months after taking up the four-year deal with the Brumbies. That was soon clarified yet, more recently, there has been a certain amount of unsteadiness at the news that White would be targeted for the England coaching position.

After under-performing at the last World Cup there is an expectation that England will do better at home and the Rugby Football Union is putting every possible resource into achieving success.

Why not go for somebody like Jake White, he guided South Africa to the World Cup in 2007?

Yet White has put this speculation to rest once and for all and we can all now concentrate on the next four seasons. In Jake we trust!

Birthday on hold

Tharwa Village’s 150th birthday planned for March 18 has been cancelled because, as organiser Libby Gerner says, “the site is a swamp” and there are fears that the weather forecast is not good.

“If it’s a sunny beautiful day on Sunday, I will bury my head in the mud and scream loudly,” she writes, promising to make the annual Tharwa Preschool Fair in spring a bigger event to celebrate the village’s birthday.

Painting up for grabs

NATIONALLY known artist Ken Duncan has donated a $4500 picture called “Daintree Rainforest” as a prize at a trivia night and silent auction at the Salvation Army, Tuggeranong, 7.30pm on March 24 in aid of the Chikankata Hospital, in Zambia. Canberran Peter Trick visits Zambia annually and last year “CityNews” ran a feature on Ken’s tireless work painting the hospital. Entry to the trivia night is $10.

More pollies? The ayes may have it this time

MORE MLAs in the Assembly? Should we just have a city council? More power to the Assembly? Single-member electorates? Five per electorate or seven? Different electoral boundaries? A premier rather than a chief minister?

These are some of the questions to be considered by an Assembly Committee looking at the operation of the Australian Capital Territory (SelfGovernment) Act 1988 (Cwlth), which is effectively the ACT Constitution. Submissions are due this week.

Most Canberrans accept the reality that self-government is here to stay. So it is not a bad time to ask how it can be improved. Three of the four committee members considering this issue are in their first term: Speaker, Shane Rattenbury is chairing the committee with other MLAs Amanda Bresnan and Jeremy Hanson. The long-term MLA, John Hargreaves, brings some

dose of dorin

Columnist MICHAEL MOORE says it’s time we grew up, democratically that is

of the Assembly’s “corporate knowledge”.

Former Speaker Greg Cornwell, in a submission to the committee, argues for a bigger Assembly to 23 or 25 members for the 2016 election. He argues that the ratio of voters to MLAs at the inception of the Assembly was one to 10,000. With the most recently published figures of 248,087 ACT voters, the ratio of voters to MLAs is now closer to one to 15,000.

One of the documents that should form the basis of the committee’s considerations is the 1998 “Review of Governance of the Australian Capital Territory”. When Philip Pettit chaired this last inquiry into self-government supported by Tim Keady and Bill Blick, he was professor of political philosophy at ANU. He is now professor of politics and human values at Princeton University and has made a submission.

The 1998 review recommended modifying the Self Government Act so that the

Territory has the same powers “as those enjoyed by a State parliament” and also recommended retaining a ratio of one elected member to 10,000 voters.

Professor Pettit has now written to the committee suggesting consideration of “Deliberative Democracy” for dealing with controversial issues. In a nutshell, voters are selected randomly, presented with all the arguments for and against a controversial issue and then asked for a final view of what action the government should take. The system has been used successfully in British Columbia and a number of other international jurisdictions. Variations have been used in Australia to gain informed views from the public rather than relying on popularity polling.

No democracy provides a perfect system of governance. However, the self-government Act should be referring to the Assembly as a parliament, the leader should be premier and the ministers should wear the title “Honourable”, the same as every other Minister and some local councillors throughout Australia. The ACT Parliament should be able to determine its own limits in the same way as all State Parliaments in Australia. While this is not the case the ACT Parliament and its people will remain secondclass citizens.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly (1989 to 2001) and was minister for health.

Details of the Inquiry may be found at http://goo.gl/5wUHN

autumn/winter fashion

The look is smart, retro and feminine

Once again, we look to the past for our fashion inspiration as stores fill with autumn/winter collections inspired by decades past, says fashion editor LIBBY HILL

CANBERRA Centre stylist Colleen Cuneo has taken inspiration from the Gucci collection with looks inspired by the boho 1970s and the vintage glamour of the 1940s.

“There is a timewarp spinning out of control at the moment,” she says.

Key colours for the season include jewel tones such as emerald, aqua and mulberry with grey and camel heavily featured as well.

“It’s another take on the colour-blocking trend. We can get our colour blocking from our accessories as well,” Colleen says.

The vintage look heralds the return of kitten heels, tweed and tartan. Clothes should have strong silhouettes with rich colours such as navy blue, dark brown or burgundy. Skirts and dresses should be kneelength and tailored, while jackets require defined shoulders.

“It’s a flashback to femininity and a more modest time,” Colleen says.

“Remember, our trends are influencing us – they’re not exact. With vintage we want to put a bit of modernity into it as well.”

Rodney Clark marketing manager Vanessa Stuart says we will see a return to “smart dressing”.

“We are seeing strong colours for winter with lots of reds and cobalt blues coming through,” Vanessa says.

“There is some striped knitwear, which is very much a classic look that has been modernised.

“Accessories are quite bold, which is a great way to accent an outfit,” she says.

A key look is a cinch at the waist. Whether wearing a coat, skirt or dress, the 1940s silhouette focused on a high, cinched waist. The best way to achieve it is with a thin belt fastened high on your natural waistline. A pair of tailored, high-waist pants also provides the cinched and sleek look of the era.

autumn/winter fashion

autumn/winter fashion

autumn/winter

Canberra Confidential

A bird? A plane? No, it’s Singo

SQUILLIONAIRE advertising guru John Singleton made his first visit to the Canberra racing world since the ‘80s by landing in the middle of the Black Opal race meeting by chopper.

Singo was here to watch his Gai Waterhouse -trained horse Later Gator run third in perfect weather at Thoroughbred Park’s humongous race meet, the Kamberra Wine Company Black Opal Stakes.

Singleton told “CC”: “I don’t race as many horses as people think. I breed them and I sell them.”

Second place Faustus, was also one of Singleton’s horses before he sold it.

And he says if his horses keep running in at least third place in Canberra, he’ll be back. Also making an appearance at the course was former cricketer Steve Waugh and his horse-training wife Kim, who rubbed shoulders with punters in the Steve Waugh Marquee.

Doug’s Prime time ends

AFTER 20 years with Prime TV, the network’s prominent local chief executive Doug Edwards will part with the company in June.

A Brumbies board member, Edwards has been made redundant in a management

restructure at Prime and his work will be assumed by group CEO Ian Audsley. But is there more to it?

“The Australian” reports: “Prime TV has been nominated as a possible acquisition target if suggested changes to the media ownership laws made in the interim report of the Federal Government’s Convergence Review Committee are adopted.

“That has led to speculation the restructure might be aimed at ‘tidying up’ the group for a potential sale.” As they say in television, stay tuned.

No energy for Earth Hour

WITH Earth Hour just around the corner, it’s sad to report that the local media didn’t have the collective energy to muster for Environment Minister Simon Corbell ’s launch of the local slice of the world’s “biggest voluntary action for the environment” at Tosolini’s in Civic. The call, which also included guest speakers, ActewAGL’s Paul Walshe and local Property Council barker Catherine Carter, was cancelled, says Corbell’s office, because “no media was able to attend”. Funny that, because “CityNews” was and, ironically, at the same coffee den not 45 minutes later, did “CC” spot a “Canberra Times” senior Assembly reporter in a close huddle, sans notebook, with a leading business identity.

Anyway, to take part in Earth Hour, it’s lights out from 8.30pm on March 31.

Green and Blue

HANNAH Paris stepped out of the local

How much is that doggie... what the!!!? Snapper Silas Brown was loitering in Fyshwick when he happened across a commercial furniture store with this, ahem, eye-catching display. We’re not sure if it’s the work of a window dresser or a wag, but it brought a smile.

pre-selection cat fight for Greens’ candidates to launch her eco-fashion label Audrey Blue, which uses certified organic and fair trade cotton.

The former economics adviser to Greens leader Bob Brown shared the ACT Greens Senate ticket with Lin Hatfield Dodds in the 2010 Federal election and aspires to run for the Legislative Assembly at the October election.

Hannah has turned her hand to fashion, describing her clothing range as: “Organic, fair trade, ethical... Audrey Blue creates affordable, eco-friendly, stylish smart casual

clothing designed to suit real women’s bodies, their lives and their budgets.”

Michelangelo, master chef?

THE National Gallery of Australia has gone mad with alliteration as it announces an “Afternoon of Aperitifs and Antipasti” to accompany the “Renaissance” exhibition, says arts editor Helen Musa Veteran Sydney journalist David Dale and his writing collaborator,

restaurateur Lucio Galletto, will explain their theories as to why the Italians – as opposed to Anglo-Saxons – have the secret of human happiness.

Galletto has discovered from some rare documents that Michelangelo was a whiz in the kitchen, especially clever with “tordei”, large-size tortellini, and has embarked on a historical detective novel in which Dale asks, what if the celebrated artist were down and out in marble-rich Carrara and forced to turn his hand to sleuthing?

And like many a super-detective before him, the master in marble may well turn out to be a master chef.

At the NGA, 2.30pm, Sunday, March 18. Bookings to 6240 6528.

Treading the boards

A LITTLE bit of T he Rocks has come to Canberra with cast-off planks from the Park Hyatt’s old boardwalk being recycled at Kingston Foreshore.

Developer Terry Shaw, from Englobo Group, says the ACT Government bought the castoff timber planks when the swanky hotel renovated its wharf. The boardwalk is almost complete and expected to open in only a matter of weeks.

At International Women’s Day lunch, Convention Centre At Chief Minister’s

At the Kamberra Wine Company Black Opal Stakes Day, Thoroughbred Park

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars / March 19 - 25

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Expect the unexpected as the Sun, Moon and Uranus join up in your sign. You’ll feel fiery, restless and rather rebellious but pace yourself Rams, or you’re likely to blow a fuse! It’s the best week of the year to initiate projects but there’s a danger you’ll overdo things - and be careful you’re not so carried away with big ideas that you overlook important details.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

With vivacious Venus sashaying through your sign you’re at your beautiful best, as you charm the cynics and flirt up a storm. Pay close attention to your dreams – they will provide you with ideas and inspiration that are hard to obtain in other ways. As writer Gloria Steinem (born on March 25) reminds us “Without dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.”

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Twins thrive on constant communication and garrulous gossip but resist the urge to be the neighbourhood nosey-parker. With Mercury in retro mode (until April 4) stick to the facts and – when in doubt – say nothing. Group activities are favoured as you amp up your networking skills, expand your social circle, plus make new connections in exciting and unexpected ways.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Cautious Crabs have a tendency to side-step problems (or just put your head in the sand!) With four planets in assertive Aries, it’s time to try a direct approach as you face challenges head on – especially at work. Be a confident Crab, as you assert your independence in positive and proactive ways. As birthday belle Reese Witherspoon says “Confidence is everything.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Is life in Leo Land becoming boring and predictable? With the Sun, Moon and Uranus activating your adventure/travel zone, you’re restless and ready for a new challenge so it’s time to introduce an exciting international flavour to the mix. Put on your thinking cap and start planning (and saving) for that Timbuktu trek, Arctic adventure or heavenly Himalayan holiday!

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

With Mercury and Mars both reversing, nervous energy is high so pace yourself or you’ll be super stressed by the end of the week. Explore different ways of relaxing like tai chi, yoga, meditation or massage. It’s also not a good time to initiate business deals or sign important contracts. Be patient and wait. Single Virgos – look for a lover who is not your ‘usual’ type.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Singles - romantic sparks are set to fly, as the Sun and Uranus link up in your partnership zone. But (courtesy of retro Mercury) the course of true love won’t run smoothly so be prepared for a wild card. Attached Libransthe challenge is to get the balance right between give and take. Make sure you’re not doing all the giving, and your partner all the taking!

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Stubborn Scorpios can easily get stuck in a boring rut. But Uranus has some surprises for you this week as your daily routine is shaken, stirred and turned upside down. Use it as an opportunity to reboot, refresh and re-energize. Friday’s New Moon lights up your wellbeing zone so it’s time to diet, detox and de-stress plus find fun ways to boost your fitness levels.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You’ll be hard to ignore this week as you ruffle a few feathers with your impulsive ideas and spontaneous shenanigans. On Thursday, the Sun and Mercury join up in your entertainment zone so your curiosity and enthusiasm are at an all-time high. But jumping to conclusions could land you in hot water – especially when it comes to children, teenagers or friends.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Have you been burning the midnight oil? All work and no play make Goats grumpy to live with. The New Moon encourages you to lift your nose from the career grindstone and enjoy the comforts of casa Capricorn. A neglected loved one may do something surprising and startling, in order to gain your attention. Perhaps some emergency TLC is required ASAP?

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Community activities are highlighted, as the New Moon increases your desire to be actively involved in your local neighbourhood. The Sun and Uranus hook up in your travel zone on Sunday, so you’ve got a need for speed (which makes you more accident-prone than usual). Slow down Aquarius! Less haste and more concentration sees you arrive safe and sound.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Money runs through Fish fingers like water this week. So aim to reign in extravagant spending, plus make sure your plans are financially realistic. And don’t let fear of the future paralyze you, and sap your Piscean confidence. Be inspired by Reese Witherspoon (born on March 22): “With determination and the right kind of coaching, you can accomplish anything.”

arts & entertainment

A world away from Doc Martin

IF it’s true that the hit TV series “Doc Martin” outscored the summer cricket on Canberra TV, British actor Martin Clunes is flattered, for as he says, “nothing moves Australia like cricket.”

And he knows what he’s talking about, for he’s been here many times. He’s even been to Canberra, just before the Olympics, with the documentary series, “Men Down Under”, and claims to have interviewed a female rower by the lake.

I’m talking to Clunes by phone at his Dorset farm in England, far from any theatres and TV stations and 177kms away from the village of Port Isaac, where “Doc Martin” is filmed.

The quietly-spoken Clunes would absolutely hate to be mistaken for a soap-opera actor, confused with the character he plays. So he doesn’t know anything much about medicine and, as he enters his 51st year, he’s finding it increasingly hard to remember the complicated medical names in his on-screen diagnoses.

Rather, he comes from a professional theatre background. His father played Hastings in Laurence Olivier’s “Richard III” and his mother was on the board of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Clunes trained at a London arts academy (“it was the cheapest”) located above a truant school in Kings Cross. There was no one there,

“Doc Martin” tops the television ratings in Canberra, but in this EXCLUSIVE interview, its star and co-writer Martin Clunes tells HELEN MUSA he’s more at home with horses than medicine

he tells me, “they were all truants.”

“Early on I did the odd, little telly jobs but far more theatre than TV,” Clunes says, “but I haven’t done theatre for a while simply because I don’t live near a theatre.”

Now President of the British Horse Society and Patron of Animal Care in Egypt, Clunes is absorbed in farm life, but it’s hardly the quiet life.

“Most of my mornings are taken up with feeding cats, dogs and horses – and a 12-year-old daughter,” he says.

The “animal” side of Clunes’ life, quite unlike the animal-hating Doc Martin, was something he fell into.

“My daughter, like most children, loved animals and Philippa [his producer wife Philippa Braithwaite] used to have a pony, now we have 14 horses… I just, kind of, caved in.”

He is also a doggy person, so deals with “two very different creatures to be treated differently… one is a predator and one is the prey.”

So how and why does he fit his TV career into this bucolic existence?

“Well, as you can see, my private life is really expensive,” he explains and that’s why he and Braithwaite have just started writing series six of “Doc Martin”.

“We do it every other year,” he says “that way our daughter gets to

see us every other summer.”

Additionally, he notes, it gives Port Isaac a break – “we are quite obstructive, but largely welcome there”.

One of the challenges in writing “Doc Martin” is to keep it original so it’s not in danger of becoming just a long-running soap opera.

Though each episode is intended to be quite different, there’s a common thematic thread, the relationship between Doc Martin and Louisa, and he loves doing the scenes between them.

“Caroline’s so brilliant,” he says of his co-star Caroline Katz.

“It’s a different thing with the Doc when he’s with her than when he’s with the others.”

While not giving away much, he does give me some hints.

“We’re going to have a go at co-habiting seriously; it’s almost the only thing we haven’t tried.”

So, to the almost unanswerable question: why does everybody love Doc Martin so much when he is so dysfunctional?

“I dunno, because he is so good at his job, I suppose… I’m very impressed by him… he’s such a good doctor, but I wouldn’t want to meet him,” says Clunes.

Win a “Doc Martin” Series Five boxed set. Details and entry form at citynews.com.au/win

Martin

and his television series baby James Henry Ellingham... Doc Martin is “such a good doctor, but I wouldn’t want to meet him”.

Grand ambitions for Archibald artist

IT’S the time of the year for what Carwoola artist Kerry McInnis calls “the upcoming portrait prize circus”. She means the Archibald Prize, and has entered a portrait of 2011 “CityNews” Artist of the Year, Michael Le Grand. McInnis has previously been hung in the Dobell Drawing Prize and the Archibald’s adjunct “Salon des Refusés.”

AS autumn asserts itself, it’s also time for the “Weereewa: A Festival of Lake George”. Elizabeth Cameron Dalman’s Mirramu Dance Centre is running a residential weekend of workshops in dance, photography, tanka poetry and sculpting in nature and a concert finale. “Escape to the Lake,” Mirramu Dance Centre, Lake Road, Bungendore, March 23-25, bookings to www.mirramu.com “Dusk at Mirramu” (including “Jazz by the Lake” with the James Luke Trio) at Mirramu, 4pm-7pm March

You’ve got to wonder theatre

“The Mousetrap”

By

Agatha Christie, directed by Jordan Best, designed by Brian Sudding, The Q, Queanbeyan, until March 24.

Reviewed by Joe Woodward

OUT of curiosity, people might wonder what made “The Mousetrap” so successful in England. Any play that can run for 60 years obviously has something going for it!

With the English theatre achievements still providing the impetus for much of what is presented in Australia, “The Mousetrap” must have seemed like an obvious choice for theatre presentation in Queanbeyan.

The joy in the play is found in the qualities of the various characters, however the performers need to be highly skilled in character portrayal and only Jim Adamik (Mr Paravicini) and Liz Bradley (Mrs Boyle) displayed the necessary capabilities to breathe life into the work. They brought a presence that could fill The Q with the necessary mystery and tension.

It was jarring at times when the production worked against the style and the extraordinary set that were so reminiscent of its 1950s genre. So much so, that people must still be wondering what made the play so successful!

25. In the event of very wet weather, the concert will be relocated to the Memorial Hall in Bungendore. Gate/ door sales only.

ARTISTS Karen Green and Gosia Orzechowska are celebrating women in an exhibition where Orzechowska focuses on women’s portraits, while Green explores womanhood, domesticity, and

sexuality. At Yarralumla Gallery and The Oaks Brasserie, Weston Park Road, Yarralumla, seven days a week until March 30.

QUEANBEYAN City Library will soon relocate to 6 Rutledge Street. Good news is that staff is seeking expressions of interest from artists living or working in the town for public artworks on the theme: “The

word and its many expressions”. The maximum cost is $10,000. Contact Georgina Peri at 6285 6170 or georgina.perri@qcc.nsw.gov.au

CANBERRA Concerto Orchestra

String Quartet’s concert tour of Victoria and NSW winds up here next week. Led by cellist Charlotte Winslade, the ensemble has staged no-fee concerts for disadvantaged children in Melbourne and for International Women’s Day in Cootamundra. CCO, at the Tim Murray Theatre, Canberra Grammar School, 3pm, Sunday, March 18, tickets at the door.

THE new 400kg bronze sculpture, “Lady with flowers”, by Dean Bowen was commissioned by the ACT Government though artsACT. It was project-managed by Canberra’s Beaver Galleries and modelled and cast in the Perrin Foundry in Melbourne and is next to the northbound bus stop on the corner of Flemington Road and Nullarbor Avenue in Harrison.

Yes, they’re the winners!

Winners of the double passes to see “Yes, Prime Minister” at Canberra Theatre, are: Glenda Prowse of Gilmore; Robyn Singleton, Braddon; and Kate Thretheway, Hackett.

arts & entertainment / reviews

New-wave festival with old friends

“IT’S going to be about young faces, new faces – a new wave,” enthuses Philippe Milloux, the director of the 23rd Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia.

Well, not quite.

Followers of this festival will be pleased to hear that we’ve already spotted two appearances by Gerard Depardieu, not least opposite Catherine Deneuve in the closing night film, Truffaut’s 1980 “The Last Metro”, which is, according to Milloux, “as good as it was when I was 20”.

Or what about “And If We All Lived Together”, where Geraldine Chaplin, Guy Bedos, Claude Rich, Pierre Richard and Jane Fonda play people who’ve been friends for more than 40 years?

But Milloux is near enough to being right in promising new stories in new films with

Helen Musa reports

There’s a lot to boast about. For one thing, the festival will again present the full program of 45 films in the national capital. But the pièce de résistance is the introduction of a Francophone element that sees countries such as Canada and Belgium represented in the program.

new stars for new fans. Very appropriate, as he predicts the Academy Awards success of “The Artist” will prefigure the reinvention of the French cinema industry, already pouring out more than 250 films a year and a tribute to the tax incentives of the Mitterrand era.

Now you can see the generational changes that resulted from that encouragement.

Take Daniel Auteuil, famous for his starring role in ”Jean de Florette” and now in this festival behind the camera as a director of “The WellDigger’s Daughter and “Beloved”, where Chiara Mastroianni appears with her real-life mother, Deneuve.

With this in mind, two special events will take place, “Nothing to Declare” on at 6.30pm, Tuesday, March 20 (GU Manuka), sponsored by the Royal Embassy of Belgium, including Belgium chocolate tasting session and free Belgium beer, and the film “Café de Flore”, at 6pm, Friday, March 30 (Arc Cinema), including a reception sponsored by the High Commission of Canada.

“The 23rd Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia” at the National Film and Sound Archive and Greater Union Manuka cinemas, March 14-April 1. Bookings to www.affrenchfilmfestival. org or www.greaterunion.com.au

Kennedy opera: black, deep and meaningful music

WESLEY Music Centre in Forrest is proving a powerhouse of classical music. With packed-out lunchtime concerts and back-to-back recitals, it’s like an around-year music festival.

A quietly sensational example was seen on March 10, when Co-Opera brought in a performance of American cellist-composer Jeremy Beck’s mono-drama “Black Water.”

Based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates, it parallels the death in 1969 of Mary Jo Kopechne who, driven home, by Senator Ted Kennedy, drowned trapped in a car, while the senator escaped.

Preceded by Beck’s evocative 13-minute Sonata

opera

“Black Water” Music and libretto by Jeremy Beck, presented by Co-Opera, Wesley Music Centre.

Reviewed by Helen Musa

No. 3 (“Moon”) performed by cellist Zoe Wallace and pianist Julie Sargeant, the 40-minute “Black Water” proved a brilliant vehicle for Canberra soprano Karen Fitz Gibbon. With sensitive accompaniment by Sargeant, Fitz

Gibbon universalised the role by using an Australian accent to play out the last moments of the young girl in flashbacks and visions – flirting with “the senator”, talking to friends, reflecting on her family and consumed by the black waters rising in the car. The singing part is interspersed seamlessly with spoken segments that set the scene. Beck’s music is accessible and melodic as it moves from the light-hearted syncopations of a party to the grim sense of water rising. In the unbearable conclusion, the girl imagines hearing the sounds of rescue – an appalling intersection of music, opera and real-life.

Theft with excitement

“Headhunters” (MA)

THIS Norwegian film delivers elegance, excitement, violence and action as it tells a story about theft, relationships and deception.

Roger works for an Oslo recruitment firm. His breathtakingly beautiful wife Diana works in an art gallery. A Reubens painting unseen since the Nazis looted it may have been located. Clas wants it, badly enough to kill for it and sell it. He also has an eye for Diana. When Roger gets the gig to find and steal the painting, he has no notion what

Dougal Macdonald cinema

he’s let himself in for.

Director Morten Tyldum’s film based on a novel by Jo Nesbo takes a while to build up speed, during which a sense of foreboding begins to develop but nobody gets hurt.

Then there’s a litany of murder, betrayal, infidelity, more murder, road crashes, narrow escapes, brutal beatings, indeed, all the good things that make thrillers such popular cinema.

The person who cops it hard is Roger, a resourceful thief passionate about Diana and desperate to live a normal life with kids, which is not high on her wish-list. Who among the film’s characters can he trust?

The film pulls no punches as he sorts out a long list of tribulations, such as pain, injury and hiding in a cesspit.

Entertaining and handsomely mounted, “Headhunters” has been compared with the Millennium Trilogy (from which it has borrowed some exterior shots). Comparison is often odious. Here it is merely nugatory.

“Headhunters” stands unaided as a work of escapist cinema. None of its competent cast is familiar which is why I haven’t named them. But if they appear in more Norwegian films, they will merit mention.

At Dendy

WRITER/director Andrew Stanton’s motivation for this film is early20th-century escapist novels that he enjoyed as a child, written by the creator of Tarzan, which may mean something to older film-goers but not much to younger generations who went off-planet for their cinematic kicks.

Former Confederate Captain John Carter gets transported to Mars, which he finds to be not only a survivable environment, but also home to a quartet of tribes trying to put each other out of business. Stanton builds this well-trodden dramatic path from fervid fantasies devised by Edgar Rice Burroughs into a modern layer of fantasy that had its cinematic flowering in “Star Wars”, “Star Trek” and others of that ilk. Populating the fantasy of a habitable Mars are some wonderful imaginations – animals with six legs, humanoid bipeds with four arms, a dog that most resembles an outsized grub.

Taylor Kitsch plays Carter. Lynn Collins plays Martian princess Dejah, the views of whom evoke mid-20thcentury, sword-and-sandal movie heroines.

The film runs for 132 minutes. A competent workaday director of B-movies half a century ago could have made it in a shorter run-time. And, frankly, less tedious. At all cinemas

Edgars: In with the inn crowd

Wendy Johnson dining

Let’s start with the comment my friend made at the end of our dining experience at Edgar’s Inn: “If I lived in Ainslie this would be my local.”

It’s no wonder Edgar’s Inn is up for Best Pub Bistro in this year’s Australian Hospitality Association Awards, a category it won last year. Pubs are unique and, no matter what their personality, the best ones are all about friendship: endearing places that make you feel at home; places to enjoy a few drinks and good, old pub grub.

At Edgar’s Inn, the long bar is a major feature and sports fans love the flat-screen televisions. One blackboard lists the wines and another advertises the new tasting paddle – four small samples of beers for $13 (take your paddle back to the bar and you get a schooner of your favourite).

We were there for pub grub. My friend tucked into the Gourmet Dog ($18) and we giggled when we saw the size of the bun. It was massive, but perfect for its thick,

spicy toulouse sausage and fresh rocket (adding a nice peppery element) and a sprinkling of fried shallots. I got a kick out of watching her manoeuvre around the bun, or trying to anyway. Eventually, she deconstructed the meal, but that was part of the fun.

Other pub classics are burgers, schnitzels and fish and chips. The menu featured some lighter dishes, such as my char-grilled orange and chorizo salad ($18), with goat’s cheese, basil and rocket. The fresh citrus dressing was perky, but could have had a bit more punch. Still, it is

perfect for those who like a combo of healthy veggies and a “bit of grease”.

Bar snacks include crispy chick peas ($8), oven-roasted almonds ($6) and marinated olives ($9). Specials are also available throughout the week, including a rump on Tuesdays.

The particular chardonnay we ordered was out of stock ($32) and we didn’t want to cough up another $14 for the only other one available, so we switched to another style of wine.

Staff are friendly and, even though it’s counter service, one member checked in to ask if we were enjoying lunch.

I was told, when I called, that Edgar’s Inn doesn’t take reservations on weekends, although when we arrived two large communal tables had reserved signs on them. Still, we found a seat inside. Luck was on our side given we couldn’t sit outside in the large, outdoor dining area because of the rain.

Was this gourmet food? Nah. Was it supposed to be? Nah. Did we care? Nah. There’s something simple about honest, tasty, pub grub, and that’s exactly what we enjoyed.

1 Edgar Street, Ainslie, MondayFriday, 10am till late; SaturdaySunday, 8am till late. Call 6257 5488. Live music Sundays from 3pm.

gryphons caffe bar / advertising feature

Griffith gets the gift of Gryphons

GRIFFITH shops has been screaming out for a place like Gryphons Caffe Bar: somewhere to watch a favourite sporting event or catch up with friends for a coffee, beer or glass of wine.

Everyone from the early-morning coffee drinker to the after-dinner wine connoisseur, will be impressed by Gryphons, says co-owner Dan Kenny.

“The response we’ve had so far has been great. People are impressed with the fit-out and they love the food,” Dan says.

Gryphons is a new venue with a relaxed atmosphere, offering dining around the clock. It is open at 7am every day and has been popular with locals since opening late last month.

With an extension to the existing establishment and a complete re-fit of the former Chinese restaurant, Gryphons is primed to become a hot spot for locals, passers by and people looking for a cosy place to meet once the winter chill sets in.

Gryphons’ atmosphere is warm and friendly, offering customers the choice of private booths or more casual dining options.

The use of warm northerly facing windows overlooking the parkland is a highlight, as is the use of timber flooring through Gryphons, leading to an open, outer balcony.

Glass cutouts in the floor give a peek into the wine cellar downstairs, an area which can also be used for private functions and wine tastings and seats about 14 people.

For breakfast, Gryphons serves coffees, hot meals and everything in between as you get moving in the morning.

For lunch and dinner there is a range of gourmet and traditional pizzas, as well as steaks, tapas and a kids menu.

“It’s warm and a little bit rustic, but it feels sort of cosy and we wanted it to be inviting,” Dan says.

“Another inviting feature is our choice of 12 domestic and international beers on tap together with our signature wine range, with a wide array of fine wines. An innovative wine dispenser has been incorporated allowing you to enjoy a glass only of premium wine instead of ordering a bottle, if that is your preference.

“We have the Enomatic wine system, which prolongs the life of the wine so we are serving premium wines by the glass,” Dan says.

“You can never stop learning about wine, there’s always something new going on so we’re making sure our staff have a good knowledge, too,” Dan says.

Gryphons is the joint venture of brothers Dan and Drew Kenny and Mark Whithear.

“We were looking at the area about seven years ago because it’s a prime spot,” Dan says.

“The Griffith shops are a great place to be with all the restaurants in the area.”

Gryphons Caffe Bar, 16 Barker Street, Griffith. Call 6260 8848 or visit gryphons.com.au/home

ABOVE: Well-kept hedges.... in Wakefield Avenue, left, possibly one of the bestmaintained hedges in Canberra, and a Bathurst Open Garden. March and October are the traditional times to trim hedges and in particular conifer hedges.

It’s

the right time to get busy with bulbs

BULB-planting time is at its peak. At the Floriade site, the scene is a hive of activity. Here are a few hints for your own garden:

• DO not plant all one variety at the same time. For example, when planting daffodils, plant a group each week over the next few weeks, this will give a longer display.

• PLANT the bulb the same depth as the bulb is thick. If a daffodil is 7cm thick, plant it 7cm deep. Ranunculus that are only 3cm thick, plant 3cm deep with the claws facing down. For a random planting of daffodils and larger bulbs, if you have the space, throw a handful up in the air and plant where they fall.

• PLANT bulbs in full sun. Bulbs can be planted under deciduous trees, as they will be leafless until after the bulbs have finished flowering in spring. This allows the spring sunshine to penetrate and warm the soil. Bulbs are some of the most drought-resistant plants in existence, coming from the hottest parts of the globe. The old song “Tulips from Amsterdam” should not be taken literally, as in reality they are indigenous to Iraq and Turkey.

Bulbs store their water requirements and, if there is no rain at the appropriate time, they will simply stay in hibernation until the following year.

• IT is essential they have good drainage. If planted in a wet and boggy spot they will rot.

Where does one find a spot in the garden at present that is not wet and boggy you may well ask?

It is a good idea to plant the bulbs on a handful of washed river sand to aid good drainage.

Even with the ground as wet as it is at present, water

Cedric Bryant gardening

the bulbs immediately after planting to eliminate any air pockets.

• DO not water at all until flowering time, unless the weather dries out completely before the first leaves appear.

NOW to hedges and a well-clipped hedge is a sight to behold with two examples shown here, one in Wakefield Avenue, possibly one of the best-maintained hedges in Canberra, and the other in a Bathurst Open Garden.

March and October are the traditional times to trim hedges and in particular conifer hedges. March, for new growth to harden off before the advent of frost and in October, when the new, soft growth does not get summer sun scorch.

In the 1920s, front hedges were encouraged in Canberra. This is still in evidence in the older suburbs of Red Hill and Forrest. In those days the Government parks and gardens department clipped front hedges at no charge!

Two important points, make sure the hedge does not bulge out at the top, preferably narrower at the top and wider at the base. This enables sunlight to reach all parts of the hedge.

Even more importantly with conifer hedges, do not cut back too hard into the old wood. Most varieties of conifers will not regrow from the old wood and this could literally severely damage or even kill the hedge.

This week...

• Keep off the garden while it is wet and boggy. Digging at present will cause more damage than good.

• Divide and replant tall, bearded iris rhizomes for flowering in October/November.

• To keep earwigs out of dahlias place a litre milk carton upsidedown on a stake near the plants and empty daily.

• March/April is an excellent time to plant evergreen shrubs.

• Take cuttings of pelagoniums and geraniums.

• Take cuttings and/or divide salvias and penstemons.

• Sow, seed or plant seedlings of winter lettuce.