Canberra CityNews September 8-14, 2011

Merchants unite to smarten up Manuka

Business owners in Manuka have united in an effort to sustain the area’s village atmosphere and clean the place up for the Centenary of Canberra. LIBBY HILL reports

IN the past 18 months, the Manuka Business Association has accumulated about 50 members who are working together to improve the image of the “Double Bay of Canberra”.

Chairwoman Dorothy Barclay says the association is a great way for everyone to have a voice.

“Being in small business is getting harder and there is a lot of pressure on us at the moment. Anything we can do to work together is going to be so much more effective,” Dorothy says.

The group’s obvious mission is to convince government to maintain the area’s beautification and help solve problems with rubbish, paving and general upkeep.

Gail Lubbock owns Escala Shoes at

Manuka Lawns and says some parts of the village, particularly Palmerston Lane, are looking ghastly.

“Certain areas are very dangerous,” she adds.

“Manuka is supposed to be the Double Bay of Canberra, but lots more needs to be done in terms of cleaning and keeping the place looking fabulous, particularly in the lead up to Canberra’s centenary.”

Canberra’s upcoming 100th birthday is a focus for the Manuka Business Association, and a committee has been formed to determine ways to make Manuka a part of the celebrations.

There are early plans for a Manuka fair with music, food, crafts and activities for children.

As owner of Forrest Hotel and Apartments, Dorothy says Manuka is a destination in itself for visitors to the capital.

“In all our marketing, we promote Forrest Hotel and Apartments as being a short walk to Manuka shops and that’s why some people stay with us,” she says.

Marilyn Gray is the owner of MBE

index / contacts

Arts&Entertainment 21-24

Canberra Confidential 14

Cinema 23

Dining 24

Garden 26

Home 27

News 5-10

Property 28-32

Puzzles 25

Social Scene 15-19

Sport 6

Cover: King O’Malley lookalike winner Leo deBoer with this girlfriend Indi Herbert.

Story

17.

Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111

GPO Box 2448, Canberra City 2601 www.citynews.com.au twitter.com/city_news facebook.com/canberracitynews

Chief executive officer: Greg Jones 0419 418196, greg@citynews.com.au

Senior advertising executive: Ernie Nichols, 0421 077999

Advertising sales executives: Mara Stroppa, 0431 245130

Rebecca Darman 0411 225169

Advertising sales co-ordinator: ad@citynews.com.au

Sydney advertising sales: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777

of Manuka...

Manuka and is the secretary and treasurer of the association. She agrees that it’s important to improve the image of the area.

“Manuka has a real village atmosphere but it’s one of Canberra’s major

tourist areas as well,” she says.

“The association is a great way for us to liaise with government to get issues resolved and ensure we have a stronger voice. We also find it really beneficial as a way of networking.”

Since 1993: Volume 18, Number 25

Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au

Journalists: Libby Hill, libby@citynews.com.au

Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

Arts editor: Helen Musa, 0400 043764 helen@citynews.com.au

Design and photography: Silas Brown, 0412 718086

Graphic designer: Leonie Fox

Contributing photographer: Andrew Finch

Accounts manager: Bethany Freeman-Chandler accounts@citynews.com.au

Distribution and circulation: Richard Watson, circulation@citynews.com.au

Sporting Confidential with Tim Gavel

Player Emily struggles to kick goals

AS a 12-year-old girl in a boys’ rugby league competition, Emily Ernst has been tested plenty of times in her 90 games with the Gungahlin Bulls.

The battles on the field though, will pale into insignificance as she takes on the Australian Rugby League Commission.

Apparently, there is a rule that prevents girls from playing rugby league with the boys beyond the age of 12. The primary reason given is the physical difference between boys and girls at that age. According to those who have seen Emily play, she more than handles her own against the boys.

The rules state that 12-year-old girls need to play in an all-girl competition. Emily says she would be happy to play in an all-girl league, the only problem is that there is no such competition in Canberra. So where does that leave Emily?

Emily and her mother Melissa are now campaigning to change the rules so as to allow girls to play rugby league in a boys’ competition if there is no equivalent girls’ league in the area.

They have sought support from the Bulls’ Juniors and the Canberra District Junior Rugby League. Karen Ebsworth, from the

Canberra Junior Rugby League, says she is keen to see whether there is interest in establishing a junior girls’ competition in the ACT. Until then, Emily and Melissa are keen to take up the fight for her right to play with the boys.

Life’s a beach

LOOKING down the list of ACT Academy of Sport athletes heading to the London Olympics, one name that stands out is beach volleyballer Natalie Cook Cook, who won gold at the Sydney

Olympics, has qualified for a record fifth Games.

She is an unusual recipient of an ACTAS Scholarship; she lives in Brisbane and the beach volleyball program is based in Adelaide. At 37, she is established in business in Brisbane and wasn’t prepared to move to Adelaide and, as such, a compromise was needed.

Natalie’s strength and conditioning coach Phil Moreland is now working at ACTAS and she was keen to keep working with him, so support was offered in the form of a scholarship.

To qualify for the Olympics, she has raised $200,000 to get to London.

In return, Natalie has been invaluable in her role as a mentor to some of the young Canberra athletes preparing for the Olympics: Caroline Buchanan, Melissa Breen and Anna Flannigan had sessions with Natalie.

Beach volleyball is something you would not associate with Canberra, but in this case, it would appear to be a natural synergy.

Canberra’s big test?

JUST on rugby league… the ACT Government is vying with Perth for the rights to host the Anzac Rugby League test next year at Canberra Stadium. The proposal includes a week of community activities in the lead-up.

Beware of burnout

LAUREN Jackson says she is committed to playing with the Canberra Capitals next season despite a massive program that sees her leading Australia to the Olympics, playing a season in the WNBA, before returning to play in the WNBL.

Added to this, she is also having a house built in Albury.

Her program will need to be monitored to avoid burnout.

It won’t be easy. To add to her time, the Canberra Capitals will be seeking to utilise Lauren in marketing their brand during her time in Canberra.

Grammar dragons beat the world

DRAGON boat teams from Canberra Grammar School and Canberra Girls’ Grammar School have together topped the medal count for the standard boat category of the Lee Kum Kee 8th IDBF Club Crew World Championships in Hong Kong.

Four thousand rowers from more than 20 countries were competing in Victoria Harbour. Second in prestige only to the world championship, the event attracts the cream of dragon boat racing – almost 170 of the world’s top clubs participated in this year’s event.

“The combined teams, as a Grammar club, won more medals than any other club in the world,” says an excited team leader and teacher, Jenny Holbrook.

The Grammar club won seven gold, five silver and one bronze medals during the five-day festival.

Little president

DIRECTOR of Libraries ACT, Vanessa Little, has been appointed president of the Australian Library and Information Association.

Circus winners

Winners of the “CityNews” Webers Circus family passes are: Rebecca Thompsett, of Florey; Renee Payne, Harrison; Pam Glover, Gunning; Rhiannon Jakobasch, Bonython and Michael McKenna, Wanniassa.

Chemist likes to communicate

A growing pharmacy group has chosen Belconnen for its first ACT store. But what makes Oze-Pharmacy so special in the competitive world of cut-price chemists? LIBBY HILL reports

“CANBERRA is a great environment and I think people have missed out in getting the offering that we have,” says Warren Turner who has been trying to get his OzePharmacy store into the ACT for a while.

After a bit of a battle and some opposition, he’s just opened the first store in Belconnen.

“Canberra’s a natural progression for us. We just haven’t had the opportunity to get into Canberra. It’s been a very closed environment and it’s quite parochial in that we had quite a few objections to coming here. But we managed to overcome all that,” he says.

Warren, who is a pharmacist, joined with a colleague and opened the first OzePharmacy store in Castle Hill in 2000. The two pharmacists had one shop assistant then. There are now 10 stores in NSW and more than 300 staff working for the discount pharmacy group.

“We’re not a big, massive corporate business, but we have sound principles to deliver what we say we’re going to do,” Warren says.

“We’re serious about what we’re doing in terms of healthcare... customer service is not about putting a product in a paper bag, it’s about knowledge of your product, communicating with people to get a product that best fits their needs, and it’s also about believing in the products you sell.”

Warren believes that Oze-Pharmacy has everything a customer can get from a smaller, locally owned chemist and more.

“We have over 10,000 lines in our stores so we probably have more choice than any

still a traditional pharmacy feel, just

of the smaller pharmacies do,” he says.

“We have personable staff that have trained in communication and we invest heavily in how we go about managing our stores.”

And like other discount pharmacies, they offer discounts on prescriptions.

“When we started in 2000, there were very few pharmacies offering discounted prescriptions,” he says.

So how do they manage to keep the prices down? Warren says, they buy in bulk and pass the savings on, they keep operational costs to a minimum and they save on rent by staying out of big shopping centres.

“It’s still a traditional pharmacy feel, just on a bigger scale,” he says.

Oze-Pharmacy is in Chandler Street, Belconnen, ozepharmacy.com.au

Spilling the family into a public life

Katy Gallagher’s sister, exposed through the Canberra Hospital controversy, joins a long and involuntary list of ‘useful’ political relatives, says MICHAEL MOORE

THEY didn’t choose to go into politics. But they still wear the flack. Such is the lot of any politician’s family. And recently it has become clear that it is not just the immediate family.

Politicians expect to take the flack – “if you can’t stand the heat – get out of the kitchen” was a favourite retort of first-ACT Assembly MLA Ellnor Grassby. But all politicians react vigorously when the members of their own family are dragged into the political melee. There might be some sympathy for others – but political outcomes are invariably more important than the momentary anguish.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher’s sister has joined a long line of useful political relatives. Bob Katter’s gay half-brother Carl was used supposedly to expose hypocrisy. It is a similar story with Tony Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster. Somehow, their sibling’s choices were supposed to influence their opposition to gay marriage. Tanya Plibersek had to deal with press revelations of her husband, Michael CouttsTrotter’s teenage involvement in heroin trafficking, his prison term and his rehabilitation.

A few years ago I identified some of the downsides for the immediate family of a politician. The argument was that the role of family in politics is really a raw deal not only for the spouse, but for the children. The same is true for siblings. At a time when the elected member is at the height of influence, making a difference in the community, relishing power relationships and making decisions that will have long-term impact; the rest of the family try to get on with their own private lives.

However, in most cases, public life spills into the family’s private domain and partners and children have no choice but to deal with the backwash. The issue is much broader than the likelihood that the person is working

long hours and will be attending many evening meetings in the electorate. The most difficult thing for family is the disempowerment.

When a public figure is being criticised the politician has the tools available to deal with the comments. They can reinforce their own ideas, generate and flick out a press release, stand up in parliament or before a committee and justify their actions. Most commonly they may create a diversion by raising another issue (often more controversial) that does not impact in such a personal way. They can also choose to ignore disparaging remarks and to lie low until the matter passes. Throughout the process they have staff and political colleagues who can provide advice and reassurance.

It is not the same for family members, who are invariably in a quandary attempting to choose between supporting the public figure and the public stance or attempting to distance themselves. Even when they disagree with the partner, sibling or parent on a specific matter, the choice has to be made either to be seen as disloyal or to attempt to justify the standpoint. It is a Hobson’s choice!

The exposure of Katy Gallagher’s sister through the diddling of the Canberra Hospital’s emergency waiting list figures clarifies that this issue applies broader than the immediate family.

Members of the public rarely recognise this predicament when chatting to extended family members. The shame is that when one politician is dragging another’s family member into the mire of politics, they do not apply the acid test of “do to others as you would have them do to you”.

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

Don’t go cheap, TAMS

IT was pleasing to read about Wentworth Avenue being repaired (CN, June 28). However, I hope TAMS are not going to use the same chip-seal surface they have recently put on Cooyong Street and Ainslie Avenue in Reid.

This surface is cheap, but generates a lot more road noise for neighbours (and tyre wear for motorists). It should not be used in residential areas.

The same surface was used in Kogarah Lane, Reid, several years ago despite many bedrooms being less than six metres from the road surface edge. The result has been very disappointing. I complained, but got the answer that the cheaper surface is preferred.

It is interesting that this surface was not used on the GDE because it would be too noisy, yet the nearest bedrooms are 100 metres away.

I also understand that chip-seal has a fraction of the lifetime of proper bitumen so the savings are not there in the long term.

Chris Emery, Reid

Macho or chicken?

MICHAEL Moore (“Why won’t Tony Abbott face his critics?” CN, June 2) raises a fundamental question: Is Tony Abbott a macho man or a chicken?

Patricia Saunders, Chapman

Drug strategy

MICHAEL Moore’s article “Here’s cheers for action on alcohol” (CN, June 28) pointed out correctly: “Commensurate with increasingly liberal regulation has been increasing harm”. Incongruously, Mr Moore has never made a secret of wanting legalisation of illicit drugs, which under the same liberal regulators would bring more harm.

Thankfully the Prime Minister rejected drug legalisation as recently as April. A local example to support her stand: Sweden has approximately 30 times the population of the ACT, which has around 900 people on methadone. Per capita, one could expect Sweden to have about 27,000 on methadone. But they have an estimated 1100 on that drug. Why the difference? Unlike Australia, they have a strategy that, at its core, aims to restore drug-free lives, not one based on drug maintenance.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Orangutan fundraiser

THE Orangutan Project is hosting a fundraiser at “The Deakin”, ground floor, Deakin Court, Deakin shops, 6.30pm-8.30 pm on Thursday, July 26 in aid of saving the orangutan from extinction. There will be a raffle, silent auction, best dressed jungle attire and lucky door prizes plus a display of photos from Borneo and Sumatra. Tickets at $30 are available from www. orangutan.org.au or Belco Pets, 65 Oatley Court, Belconnen. Enquiries to 0417 025935 or act@orangutan.org.au

Sheep on the run

BOOROWA’S Irish Woolfest, which includes the noon “Running of the Sheep” event down the town’s main street, will be held from 9am on Sunday, September 30.

A street parade follows with a colourful display of floats. Other events include The Blessing of the Sheep, Irish singers and dancers, a growers’ market and quality stalls to showcase country wares, an art show and non-stop, free entertainment.

More information from www. irishwoolfest.com.au or 02 6385 3962.

‘Smiles are great investments: the more you collect, the better you feel’

The home of healthy smiles heads north

AFTER more than 23 years of creating healthy, beautiful smiles in Civic, Supersmile Orthodontics has expanded with a new Belconnen practice – at the request of their north-side patients.

Orthodontists Dr Michael Hyde and Dr Ray Te Mo are specialists in high-quality, contemporary orthodontic methods and agree a beautiful smile is the greatest asset a person can have.

“Smiles are great investments: the more you collect, the better you feel, someone once told me, and we focus on creating beautiful smiles that people can be truly proud of,” says Dr Hyde.

“And if they are happy with their smile, they will present more confidently and so are likely to be a lot more successful in social and career situations.

“If your teeth are asymmetrical, crooked, have large openings in between them, or are overcrowded and on top of each other, it can cause you to have low self-esteem, but it can also cause problems later.

“Having straight teeth can help you chew, bite, and speak better. We don’t just straighten teeth but make sure that we leave

Orthodontists

Dr Ray

Te Mo, left, and

Dr Michael

Hyde... “Our patients keep telling us that it’s our team that makes the difference,” says Dr Te Mo.

a face in perfect balance. This is why it is very important to see a specialist orthodontist.”

Dr Te Mo says orthodontics isn’t just for teenagers with crooked teeth and that people of any age can benefit.

“Supersmile Orthodontics uses the most state-of-the-art technologies that allow fewer appointments, less missed time from work and school, less discomfort, and shorter

total treatment times,” he says.

Dr Hyde says a lot has changed in the field of orthodontics, but never the high quality of professional, specialist treatment at Supersmile.

“When you think of braces today, with tiny brackets, space-age wires and trendy rubber bands in a rainbow of colours, it’s hard to imagine how braces used to be,” says Dr Hyde.

“Once braces involved a mouthful of metal, now there are several options –coloured braces, clear braces, invisible braces and Invisalign.”

Dr Te Mo says 25 per cent of the Supersmile patients are adults who often want clear or invisible braces.

“Now people can choose Incognito braces that go on the back of your teeth. This is the ultimate in invisible braces – they can’t be seen at all,” he says.

Patients who only have minor crowding of

the teeth can choose invisalign, which is the non-braces option.

With music videos playing from large screens, computer games and plenty of space, the Supersmile practice – located next to the Jamison Centre and has easy access to public transport and parking – has a fun and friendly atmosphere designed to make patients feel happy.

“The team’s purpose is to excel in care of our patients, to enrich the lives of our staff and to work with compassion and fun in a stress-free, empowering way,” says Dr Hyde.

“Who said that fun and work were mutually exclusive? Have we unknowingly incorporated the quote used in exercise ‘no pain, no gain’ to the workplace? Is work meant to be stifling and boring? Let’s hope not. We hope it makes you smile, it’s a happy place for everyone.”

Dr Te Mo says the average orthodontic treatment can be between 9-24 months and the team get to know families really well

throughout the treatments.

“We know families are busy and have several appointments through the day. Our team prides itself on being punctual, on time and fun” he says.

“Our patients keep telling us that it’s our team that makes the difference. We build long-lasting orthodontic rapports, one smile at a time and we take great pride in helping you achieve your dream smile.”

Dr Hyde and Dr Te Mo regularly attend and speak at conferences around the world and share a particular interest in teaching. Both lecture in orthodontics at the University of Sydney.

“We solve hard orthodontic problems so our patients can make the world remarkable,” Dr Hyde says.

City: Suite 1, Level 6, 17-21 University Avenue, Civic, call 6249 7818.

Belconnen: Unit 44/21 Wiseman Street, Macquarie, call 6251 0663.

More information at supersmile.com.au

Canberra Confidential

Dance of the coat-ofarms swans

READER Leo Sutton, a retired Commonwealth public servant, wonders what part of his anatomy would have been summarily removed had he ever got the kangaroo and the emu, so beloved of our national coat of arms, back to front.

The way he sees it, the coat of arms is sacrosanct. Except, it seems, when it comes to the ACT’s.

Leo, who notices these things (his wife has urged him to get a life), has amassed a sheaf of newspaper and magazine clippings of Territory advertising in which, incredibly, the black swan and the white swan on the ACT’s coat of arms change sides, depending on the media placement.

When published as black on white, it’s right. When the image is reversed to, say,

white on black, the effect is that the black swan turns white, whereas the official white one, which now becomes the black one, has a white etch around it to signify it’s still got white sympathies, but it’s actually turned black.

That makes it all perfectly clear, now. Thanks, Leo.

Tax (work) dodging

YOUR taxes at work... a deep throat in the Civic Tax Mahal, says there’s a public servant in an IT enclave, in a funk because he was overlooked for promotion four years ago, who hasn’t done a stroke, like absolutely nothing, since. When work is proffered, he simply declines to do it. This tells us two things, not promoting him was the correct decision and his boss should be demoted for doing nothing about it.

No kidding...

WHICH red-f aced local radio announcer, talking to a journalist from the “Queanbeyan Age”, was astonished to discover, alas on air, the other day that James Bond actor George Lazenby spent his teenage years in our neighbouring city? Lazenby, as common folk know, famously took the dashing lead after Sean Connery vacated the movie role. And for the corner of the blotter, it’s also good for broadcasters to note other celebrities from Queanbeyan include F1 racing superstar Mark Webber and rugby union legend David Campese

Shiny Apple?

IS this the spot at Belconnen Mall where the new company-owned, shiny Apple store is to be located and open by October? That’s what “CC” has been told by someone, wink, wink, with a deep voice, if not a deep throat, who got it from a horse’s mouth. So it must be true! But we definitely know that Apple is directly seeking staff via an employment website to work in a new store. “CC” wonders what this will mean for the ACT’s long-time, principal Apple reseller Mac 1?

AND on all things shopping: the Canberra Centre is busily clearing an area to accommodate a big shop for international fashion retailer Zara. It’s due to be open by October.

PS, it’s the election

HAPPILY, in our business we get people interested in advertising all the time. However, one publication-free, Canberra industry peak organisation was startled to receive a “Dear Editor” request from Chris Doyle, of

the ACT Greens, wanting to place “advertising material into its future publication(s) between now and October 2012”. Oh, come on, Chris, if you’re going to write that “we are a political party and understand that some

publications may be unable to accommodate this request”, you can tell them it’s election advertising, too

Snaps shoots and leaves at lunchtime

NO, not a marijuana crop; it’s the innocent, first glimpse of the 25th Floriade gently nosing its way out of the frozen ground at Commonwealth Park towards the milky, winter sun. Silas Brown stumbled across these first glimpses during his lunch break (you can go home early tonight, snapper).

There’s a lot turning on these little shoots. A check with the Floriade website and we discovered we are to “Be spring inspired” by this year’s rather nebulous

theme, “Style and Design”. Certainly on message, the Floriade ambassador is veteran frock designer and new mum Leona Edmiston, who has 26 boutiques as well as ranges in Myer and stores in LA, London and Shanghai. Apros of nothing, smh.com.au reported in April that Edmiston and husband (and business partner) Jeremy Ducker, had twins believed to be named Dusty and Dylan, born in the US via a surrogate mother.

At a welcome reception for the Indian high commissioner, ACT Legislative Assembly, Civic

At Junior Chamber International – Canberra Chapter event, Uni Pub, Civic

At Venezuela National Day event, National Gallery At Hays Recruitment’s networking event for executive assistants, Novotel Hotel Canberra

King O’Malley’s Irish pub will be a centre of Centenary celebrations with its huge King O’Malley look-alike competition on July 4 – O’Malley’s birthday.

King’s big return for the Centenary

IT’S already a local icon, but King O’Malley’s Irish pub in Civic will be a centre of Centenary of Canberra celebrations, according to publican Peter Barclay.

In the spirit of reflecting on our city’s history for 2013, Barclay has introduced the King O’Malley look-alike competition, which will be held on July 4 – O’Malley’s birthday.

American-born King O’Malley is celebrated as one of the “fathers” of Canberra. He was a member of Australia’s first Parliament and, as Minister for Home Affairs, declared Walter Burley Griffin the winner of the international planning competition for the national capital. On February 20, 1913, he drove in the first peg to mark the start of the development of the city. He was also present at the ceremony for the naming of Canberra on March 12, 1913.

The competition in his honour was held for the first time this year and the winner was 26-yearold Leo deBoer with his girlfriend Indi Herbert.

“I’m always getting involved in dress-ups and things like this. I enjoy putting time into these things,” Leo says.

He is such a fan of a costume party and even went through a phase where he would dress up in costume whether the invitation requested it or not!

“It’s a good ice breaker. I enjoy it and people have fun with it,” Leo says.

King O’Malley’s is Leo’s local. He works nearby for ActewAGL and says he goes there every Friday.

“It’s my favourite pub,” he says. While there were six weeks of preparations for the beardgrowing, Leo and Indi sourced

King O’Malley... one of the “fathers” of Canberra.

their outfits on the day of the competition, scouring Salvos stores and spending $25.

Leo says Indi was keen to get involved in the night and dress up and she loves his long beard.

The pair are soon to embark on a round-the-world backpacking trip, but thanks to $500 prize money from the competition, they now look forward to a couple of nights of luxury accommodation during their travels.

No doubt Leo will be up against some tough competition for next year’s King O’Malley look-alike competition with plans to make it bigger and better.

It’s an event publican Barclay cares about and he’s the first to admit to being a big King O’Malley fan, despite the irony of O’Malley being responsible for a ban on alcohol in the ACT.

“I’ve always thought he was a pretty interesting character and I’m passionate about Canberra history in general,” he says.

“King O’Malley was a teetotaller, but I’d like to think that if he were alive today, he would happily come into the pub and see that it’s a great meeting place.”

At the Robbo’s Harley-Davidson 5th birthday, Fyshwick

At the Kulture Break 10th anniversary gala night, Civic

Mongolian National Day, July 11 /

Mongolia’s midsummer reason to celebrate

Mongolia’s national day is celebrated with the Naadam Festival, which formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself an independent country.

JULY’S annual Naadam festival is described as the highlight of Mongolian life for locals and visitors alike, when the three sporting passions of Mongolians – horse racing, wrestling and archery – are played out over three days.

The biggest festival is held in Ulaanbaatar during the national holiday from July 11-13, in the capital’s national sports stadium.

This is the only time when a country, known for its remarkable emptiness, experiences crowds and chaos. People dress in their finest deel, the traditional long colourful silken robe, the men adding the local touch of a cowboy hat and boots.

Other cities and towns across Mongolia and those with significant Mongolian populations in China, have their own, smaller-scale Naadam celebrations.

It begins with an elaborate introduction ceremony opened by the president of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar and features dancers, athletes, horse riders, and musicians. After the ceremony, the competitions begin with a tournament of wrestling and archery in the stadium, while horse races take place outside the city.

Naadam (Mongolian for “games”) is the most widely watched festival among Mongols, and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. Now it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself a free country.

Another popular Naadam activity is

the playing of games using shagai, sheep anklebones, that serve as game pieces and tokens of both divination and friendship.

The three games of Naadam start with wrestling where 512 or 1024 wrestlers meet in a single-elimination tournament that lasts nine or 10 rounds.

Mongolian traditional wrestling is an untimed competition in which wrestlers lose if they touch the ground with any part of their body other than their feet.

In 2011, Mongolia scored a “Guinness Book of Records” entry for the biggest event in national wrestling history and the first in the world when 6002 national wrestlers were involved in a single competition at the central stadium in Ulaanbaatar, which continued for nine days straight.

The horse racing, the most important race of the year, involves several hundred horses. The jockeys are aged between 12 and 15, mainly boys. A successful jockey can become a national hero, but it’s the horses that are almost deified.

Unlike Western horse racing, which consists of short sprints generally not much longer than 2km, Naadam horse racing is a cross-country event, with races 15-30kms long.

The length of each race is determined by age class. For example, two-year-old horses race for 16kms and seven-year-olds for 27kms.

Up to 1000 horses from any part of Mongolia can be chosen to participate.

Mongolian archery is unique for having not only one target, but hundreds of beadrs, or surs on a huge wall. In this competition, men and women participate. It is played by 10 men/women teams which are given four arrows each; the team has to hit 33 surs.

Men fire their arrows from 75 metres away while women fire theirs from 65 metres. When the archer hits the target the judge says uuhai which means “hooray”.

The winners of the contest are granted the titles of “national marksman” and “national markswoman”.

In 2010, Naadam Festival was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.

Land of the blue sky

MONGOLIA – the land of blue sky has a history that spans more than 5000 years.

It is the second-largest landlocked country and the most sparsely populated independent country in the world with 1.5 million square kilometres of land and 2.75 million people.

With vast steppes and mountains to the north and west and the Gobi Desert to the south, Mongolia has a harsh continental climate and is considered to have extreme weather conditions. The average temperature in Ulaanbaatar is °C during winter time, making it the world’s coldest and windiest nation capital.

However, Mongolia has 257 cloudless days a year proving the status of a country of eternal blue sky.

MONGOLIA is the world’s second largest producer of cashmere, after China, producing about 3000 tonnes a year or 21 per cent of the world market.

Mongolian cashmere is considered to be amongst the finest in the world, at around 14.5 microns thick (whereas Australian cashmere measures 18.5 microns and Scottish cashmere is at 16-17 microns). Mongolian goats are bred at a high altitude of almost 1800m above sea level and thrive in the harsh dry mountainous climate that makes them produce longer and finer cashmere.

Symbolism in the Mongolian flag

ON the national flag is the Soyombo, the symbol of freedom and independence of the Mongolian people and is explained as:

Fire is a general symbol of eternal growth, wealth and success. The three branches of the flame stand for the past, present and future and will flourish this three times.

The sun and moon symbolise that the Mongolian nation will exist for eternity as the eternal blue sky.

The two triangles allude to the point of an arrow or spear. They are both pointed down to symbolise the defeat of the enemy.

The two “laying” rectangles give stability to the round shape and to make it upright. Round is supposed to contain an unstable spirit.

The rectangular shape was to generate honesty and justice of the people of Mongolia, whether they stand at the top or at the bottom of society.

The arga-bilge – round form looks very much like the ying yang symbol. In Mongolia, it is explained as two fish. Fish are supposed to never close their eyes so they can always be watchful. The fish symbolise reproduction.

The two upright rectangles represent firmness and strength.

arts & entertainment

Persian music to aid manuscripts

WHAT a remarkable place Canberra is – a city where mild-mannered people beaver away by day in the public service, then come out at night to show their true colours as writers, visual artists, actors and music-makers.

One such is musician Salar Ayoubi, who is throwing a fundraising concert to help raise $100,000 to purchase two illustrated Persian manuscripts for the Iran-wise State Library of Victoria. It’s a labour of love for his yetunnamed Persian music ensemble.

It’s made up of recently-arrived Farzin Jamatlou on the “tonbak” (Persian drum), visiting “kamancheh” (string player) Gelareh Abdollahpour, ANU communications student and pianist Shahriar Etemadi Tajbakhsh, ANU medical science

doctoral candidate Sahar Mirzaee as vocalist and Ayoubi himself as vocalist, also playing “tat” and lute.

The group, he says, has “a very bright future” and may

morph into a more permanent ensemble to be called “Sarv”, after the tall pine tree of Persian poetry.

ANU Persian lecturer and international classical poetry expert, Dr Zahra Taheri, will join them in the concert to perform verses by the celebrated poets Rumi and Hafez.

Ayoubi, who trained at the Tehran Conservatory of Music, first came here in 2000 to sing at the National Folk Festival, returned the year after for a four-month project, met and married his wife Nassim in Canberra and stayed on. Eleven years later, they have two children, and he’s still busy by night doing concerts, mainly for Canberra’s Persian Australian Community Association.

I attended one such gig and it was packed out – and not just by Iranians.

Persian music night, ANU Arts Centre, 7.30pm, July 28, bookings to persianaustralian@yahoo.com.au or 0421 548832.

Animals caught in indigenous art

IT is all-too common for those outside the art world to imagine that indigenous Australian art is just “dot paintings”.

There is, of course, far more to it than that, as the ravishing basket-inspired works and sculptures in the current Indigenous Triennial at the National Gallery prove. As well, the art market has recently turned its attention to sculptures from Elchoand the Tiwi Islands.

Now Object Gallery and the Australian Museum have joined the National Museum to bring in a touring exhibition featuring sculptures depicting Australian animals, produced by well-known and emerging artists, among them local art star Danie Mellor, who works across a bedazzling variety of media and whose large mixed-media works in the Triennial place indigenous culture in the context of classical civilisation.

Danie Mellor and the exhibition’s curator, Nicole Foreshew, will discuss contemporary indigenous sculpture, in Visions Theatre, NMA, 12.30pm to 1.30pm, Thursday, July 26. Free but bookings essential to bookings@nma.gov.au or 6208 5021 (9am-5pm weekdays).

–Helen Musa

“Menagerie: Contemporary Indigenous Sculpture in Australia”, at the National Museum of Australia, July 14 to October 14.

arts & entertainment

Bride’s return to Smiths

THE Paperback Sessions is bringing APRA winner and co-founder of the group Leonardo’s Bride, Abby Dobson, to Smiths Alternative Bookshop on July 20. She hasn’t performed here in more than a decade. Yes, the bookshop may change hands soon, but the show will go on and performers have been booked until November. Bookings to www.paperbacksessions. com.au

FILM-MAKING hopefuls have until July 16 to submit their final cut to the 17th Canberra Short Film Festival, now directed by Christian Doran. The festival runs at Dendy, September 14-16, and this year adds documentary and international to the open national, Canberra local, and schools categories. Details at www. csff.com.au

EVERYMAN Theatre is back again at Canberra Theatre’s Courtyard Studio with a double-bill of two comedies, Woody Allen’s “God” and Mark Ravenhill’s “Pool (No Water)”, which is, they threaten, “guaranteed to wipe the smile off your face, and then staple it back on”. July 19-28, bookings to 6275 2700.

THE Capital Arts Patrons’ Organisation president, Neil Doody, is over the moon about news of a new award in 2012 sponsored by Macquarie Bank. It’s a significant addition to the list of local, national and international businesses that sponsor CAPO’s annual arts awards. Applications are due by August 3. Visit www.capo.org.au or phone 6249 7860.

LAST week we neglected to specify that the Austrian Australian Choir’s tour to Europe is in September 2013, not this year. Weekly rehearsals are held at the Harmonie German Club in Narrabundah on Tuesday evenings from 7.30 pm. Singers are welcome.

Helen Musa arts in the city

Abby Dobson... at Smiths Alternative Bookshop, July 20.

FOR the past 10 years, Chapman Gallery director Kristian Pithie tells me, Kerry Johns has been exploring the natural world through the abstract elements of visual language. She’s recently moved to Canberra and is “a real find”. Her show is at the gallery, 1/11 Murray Crescent, Manuka.

JENNI Kemarre Martiniello is everywhere, including, as we reported two weeks ago, in Honiara. Her glass works, aerial photographs and portraits of women are at PhotoAccess Huw Davies Gallery until July 22 under the title, “Grandmothers’ Countries”. Inquiries to 6295 7810.

MEANWHILE, Tuggeranong Arts Centre has a show called “Different Stories”, where Martiniello’s work is exhibited with art by Margy Duke, Helen Tiernan and Peter Weatherall. Until July 21. Inquiries to 6293 1443.

Comedy creates a real vibe

Dougal Macdonald cinema

“Hysteria” (M)

WHY 21 producers commissioned a “based-on-real-events” film telling how Dr Mortimer Granville invented a DIY solution for women beset with unfulfilled libidinal needs is not important, but the result is a delightful comedy that probably takes liberties with the truth.

Until the sexual revolution of the ‘60s and particularly during the 19th century, it was common belief that women could not have orgasms. Women who understood the physiology of their needs probably did for themselves in privacy.

Writers Stephen and Lisa Dyer have given director Tanya Wexler a happy, uncomplicated screenplay redolent with stylistic homages to Gilbert, Wilde and Dickens.

Dr Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) engages Granville (Hugh Dancy) to share the workload of manustuprating women complaining of “hysteria”. Granville’s flat-mate (Rupert Everett) has invented the forerunner of today’s vibrator. The film is about where the interaction of those two concepts led.

Dalrymple has two daughters. Emily (Felicity Jones) is meek and unassertive. Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has a strong social conscience and suffragette principles.

Where the film is going is never in doubt. Getting there is much fun, sprinkled with occasional bloopers that don’t harm the plot. It pays scant attention to men’s role in women’s erotic pleasure in the 1870s. A collection of talented actresses play characters of various ages and social conditions who happily submit to Dalrymple and Granville’s treatments. The profound implications of its low-level bawdiness and the pleasure to us watching are delightful.

Opens July 12 at Dendy and Greater Union

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Masturbation is when one does it for one’s self, while “manustuprating” is when somebody else does it for you.

“Take This Waltz” (MA)

THIS study of a woman working out which of two men is right for her is less about social importance than examining relationships and making a choice between options.

The romantic levels are high. Enunciating the pitfalls for Margot (Michelle Williams), her husband Lou (Seth Rogen) and Daniel (Luke Kirby) across the street, Polley’s screenplay strips away

Hugh Dancy as Mortimer Granville in “Hysteria”... taking liberties with the truth.

most but not all the minutiae of middle-class suburban life to focus on Margot’s dilemma.

Both men love her. But after five years, Lou’s obsession with inventing chicken recipes for publication has dulled marriage’s initial bloom and erotic life has faded.

Margot finds exploring the excitement of a new lover to be confusing and risky. Daniel provides good sex when she succumbs, but there’s more to a relationship than that.

Michelle Williams is without question a splendid actress. Seth Rogen’s portrayal of Lou is a major shift away from the comic guy from Judd Apatow films. In expressing her commitment to significant themes, Canadian writer/ director/actress Sarah Polley delivers a handsome observation of suburban Toronto.

At Dendy

“Ted” (MA)

WITH this comedy of bad manners, Seth MacFarlane graduates from TV to big screen features. As well as writing and directing, he also plays the stuffed toy bear that, for three decades, has been the close companion of John (Mark Wahlberg).

The origin of Ted’s humanoid capabilities in a way defines the film, which would not exist without that fantasy moment. John has shaped his life around Ted’s needs. And John’s lady-love Lori (Mila Kunis) wants to supplant him.

“Ted” depends on two elements – essential stupidity, but in a somewhat charming way, and

totally unrestrained coarse crudeness. This combination delivers a film that on its opening day pulled a moderately large audience that laughed a lot. Especially when Ted got among groups of bosomy young women ready to embrace him intimately despite his lack of a penis.

For dramatic diversion, MacFarlane introduces Donny (Giovanni Ribisi), a doting father ready to go to whatever length may be necessary to acquire Ted for his overweight teenage son Robert (Aedin Mincks). Much of the rest of the film is about Lori’s lecherous boss’s campaign to bed her.

Ho Hum. Interspersed with varying intensities of laughter, sometimes deserved.

At Dendy, Hoyts and Limelight

“Ted”... a comedy of bad manners.

Inspired touches to curious ‘Cats’

CATE Clelland’s decision to set this production backstage in a run-down theatre, instead of the usual garbage dump, is just one of many inspired touches which help breathe fresh life into this most curious of musicals.

Based on T.S.Elliot poems about a meeting of a tribe of cats to choose which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life, “Cats” is something of an acquired taste.

But this fine ensemble production, with its wellstaged set pieces, imaginative costumes and make-up, clever choreography and talented cast, captures Andrew Lloyd Webber’s surreal world so successfully, that it’s not difficult to understand why so many people find this musical a magical experience.

The slight storyline is told through a series of songs and dances and Free Rain Theatre has assembled

musical theatre

“Cats”

By Andrew Lloyd Webber

Presented by Free Rain Theatre ANU Arts Centre, until July 22.

Reviewed by Bill Stephens

a superb cast of talented performers for whom choreographer Laura Pearce has devised spectacular and entertaining routines that echo the original Gillian Lynne choreography, showcase the strengths of her excellent dancers and flatters her singers.

Vocally impressive throughout, particularly during the chorus items for which Lisa Keen’s superb band produces exactly the right sound, with excellent sound design that ensures the lyrics are clearly heard and a series of magical moments, add to the pleasures of a production which is a credit to all concerned and a compelling demonstration of the strength of talent presently on show in Canberra.

All change at Rocksalt bistro

The flavours are a-changin’ at Rocksalt with a new chef and new menu –perfect timing for winter, says WENDY JOHNSON.

TUCKED away at Hawker shops, Rocksalt has changed its décor and food from its original fine-dining style to a casual, comfortable bistro style.

I hadn’t been for yonks and was delighted that it’s now open early for breakfast with a coffee counter that sees cappuccinos, lattes and espressos flying out the door.

New chef Paul Hopgood has just joined the team. After finishing his apprenticeship at Aubergine (2002), Paul travelled to the UK and helped open a gastropub in Hampshire (now award-winning). He’s also worked at Alto. Rocksalt’s team includes Geoff Brooks, front-of-house, who has been in hospitality for decades (his father owned a seafood restaurant in the same building in Hawker many moons ago).

Some favourite dishes remain on the new breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, but the chef has broken free introducing exciting new elements.

The salty, marinated olives get the gastronomic juices flowing ($6).

The entrée-size Parmesan-crumbed lamb’s brains with mustard sauce ($15) were soft, creamy and light. Paul has added his own twist now creating the dish with spinach (great brain food in its own right), bacon lardons and burnt-butter sauce. Rocksalt offers wine matching and recommends this dish be enjoyed with Yarra Valley’s Innocent

Bystander Pinot Noir ($9 a glass).

Our other entrée, the quail, is not on the new menu, but I would return for the Szechwan-crusted calamari with spiced almonds and mixed leaves ($16) or crab and ginger spring rolls with seared scallops and mango chilli sauce ($18).

For mains, the sumac of lamb with potato and parsnip pave and smoked paprika jus remains ($28). It’s finished with a rustic pepper stew and is matched with Barossa’s Young Blood Shiraz from Tomfoolery Winery ($8.50 a glass). I loved the veggie components and the smoked paprika, but found the lamb chewy.

Rocksalt reported they were road testing a new supplier and no doubt this is now all sorted.

Other enticing mains include eye fillet with rosemary and goat’s cheese hash (nice one!), served with wild mushroom ragu and wilted baby spinach finished with truffle oil ($30) and a crisp skin confit pork belly with celeriac puree, caramelised apple and broccoli, finished with a thyme jus.

Vegetarians visiting Rocksalt needn’t fret, with two interesting mains ($25) including a potato gnocchi with asparagus in a vermouth and cream sauce topped with hazelnut and blue cheese and a vegetable tarte tartin. Rocksalt adapts several dishes for cœliacs. Rocksalt, 4/78 Hawker shops, open breakfast, lunch and dinner. 6254 7865. BYO (corkage $10). Free parking.

Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars / July 16 - 22

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Finding solutions to stubborn domestic problems sees you nurture your home and family in innovative ways. With Uranus in your sign, there’s never been a better time to embrace change and get your personal life back on track again. If you are a rash Ram on Thursday, you could upset others – or even have an accident. Slow down before you blow a fuse!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Bulls – are your relationships stuck in a boring rut? The New Moon urges you to find fresh ways to connect with those around you whether at home, at work or in your local community. You have much to offer, and much to learn. On the weekend, tap into the beauty around you and enjoy life’s little luxuries – like a relaxing massage or a stroll in the park.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Are you having a cash flow crisis? Twins aren’t terribly good at saving (spending is your forte – especially on the latest technological gadgets), but it’s time for a fresh approach to fiscal affairs, as the New Moon lights up your $$$ zone. Mercury is now in retrograde mode so financial planning is fine, but hold off making any major money moves until after August 8.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Get ready to update your image via a hip hairstyle, revamped wardrobe or new physical fitness routine. If you find yourself in an emotional tug-of-war mid-week, try to retreat gracefully (plus be extra tactful with a frazzled family member). Your New Moon inspiration is from birthday great Carlos Santana: “The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Leos love to live out loud but perhaps it’s time to slow down and contemplate your life and where you’re going? The more reflective, compassionate and caring you are, the better the week will be. And, with Mercury reversing through your sign (until August 8), choose your words wisely. The Leo Moon on Friday and Saturday favours fun activities and creative play.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Are your dreams taking forever to manifest? The New Moon highlights your hopes and wishes zone, so be patient. But with Mercury (your ruling planet) now reversing, resist the urge to be super critical of yourself – and others. The best way you can teach those around you is by example. It’s the ideal time to research a topic that has always fascinated you.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

How’s your career going? With the New Moon stimulating your professional zone, it’s time to re-think your approach to your job. Avoid the temptation to rest on your lovely Libran laurels. Your motto for the week is from Nelson Mandela (born on July 18): “It is what we make of what we have – not what we are given – that separates one person from another.”

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Making goals a reality may feel like one step forwards and two steps back at the moment. Hold onto the dream – passion and persistence are the keys to putting your aspirations into action. If you’re a stubborn Scorpio mid-week, expect power struggles and domestic dramas. The New Moon boosts your brain power and curiosity, so make sure you study something new.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

You’re at your generous and gregarious best this week, as you spread positive vibes all over the place. The New Moon promises a fresh start to do with joint finances and shared possessions. Be tactful though – you want changes but is the other person really ready? Sunday’s adventurous Jupiter/ Uranus aspects encourage you to shake things up and think outside the box.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Conscientious Capricorns are the workaholics of the zodiac, but professional accolades often come at the expense of your personal life. This week’s New Moon powers up your partnership zone, which gives you the opportunity to reboot a tired old relationship – or navigate a hot new one. So make sure you put aside plenty of time (and energy) for romance and love!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

It’s time to catch up on daily basics (like cooking, cleaning, washing and routine chores). Plus how’s your healthy diet and exercise plan going? And how long has it been since you enjoyed a swim, a massage or a walk in the park? Some regular body maintenance will put an extra spring in your step. Sunday favours looking at old problems from a fresh perspective.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

You’re in the mood to mix and mingle, but that doesn’t mean you’re happy about who you’re fraternising with! If friends are playing power games (or laying guilt trips on you), then perhaps it’s time to move on? Don’t settle for second-best, Pisces. The New Moon urges you to surround yourself with mates who boost your confidence and celebrate your talents.

Across

3 Who was one of the founders of the Australian Democrats party (3,5)?

7 Name another term for a shooting star

8 What are commemorative inscriptions on tombs or their like?

9 What is a private policy meeting of the parliamentary members of a political party ?

10 Which other word describes a harem?

11 What is a particular state of mind or feelings?

14 Name absolute orders, regulations, or proclamations

17 What type of a race is the Melbourne cup?

18 Which colour lies between blue and violet on the colour spectrum?

19 Name a person who knowingly takes in stolen goods

20 What is another name for a weasel?

21 What, colloquially, describes the act of prying?

Down

1 What is a punishment imposed as a condition of absolution?

2 Name another term for tomato sauce

3 Which sideboard has shelves and drawers for dishes and cooking utensils?

4 Name the long, narrow platform on which models parade clothes

5 What are antelopes also known as?

6 Name those who have spiritual care of numbers of persons

11 Name the capital of Iran

12 What are those things that threaten to cause evil, harm, injury, etc ?

13 What is the entire number of copies of a publication?

14 Which people see that games are played in accordance with the rules?

15 Name an institution for the promotion of literature, science or art

16 To be tastefully fine in dress, manners, etc, is to be what ?

garden Long appeal of popular plants

Cedric Bryant gardening

DOGWOODS and Viburnums are two of the most popular plants grown.

A deciduous dogwood in flower presents a spectacular sight.

One of the most popular species of dogwood, or Cornus, is Cornus florida, the beautiful North American “Flowering Dogwood”.

A large shrub or small tree, three to four metres tall, each flower has four distinctive, white, petal-like bracts in early spring. It was introduced into cultivation in 1730.

Cornus “Apple Blossom” has apple-pink flower bracts, but a word of warning for those in new suburbs: like Japanese maples, dogwoods will not tolerate hot summer winds, which will scorch the leaves unmercifully and even young branches. If you have no mature trees providing shade, it is preferable to wait a few years.

Another outstanding dogwood is Cornus kousa. Its pure white flower bracts entirely cover the slender branches in spring followed by strawberry-like fruit. Introduced into western gardens in 1875 from Japan and China, it has been given every award by the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, with the highest accolade being the Award of Garden Merit in 1969. However, for an evergreen shrub, it’s hard to go past Cornus capitata, pictured here.

The three photos show the the flowers opening initially as pure white with a touch of lime (1) and then, as the flower bracts mature over a few weeks, they gradually change to a beautiful, deep pink (2) and, finally, the strawberry-like fruit appear (3).

This shrub was introduced by one of the early plant hunters in the Himalayas in 1825. Interestingly, it was given the Award of Merit not for the flowers, but for the fruit.

I have had this Cornus growing in our Watson garden for more than 15 years and it is the most tolerant plant of weather conditions. Untroubled by frost or summer heat, this is one dogwood that can be planted in any areas of Canberra or Queanbeyan. It grows to about three metres tall and can be safely grown under power lines, rarely needing pruning; in fact, ours has never been pruned.

OF similar flowering magnificence are the Viburnums. Some are as common as mud, for example Viburnum tinus or to give it it’s full title, Viburnum laurestinus. Its quite small flowers are insignificant individually, but attractive en masse.

1

2

The main feature of this Viburnum is as hedging. It is easily kept in shape with just a couple of clips each year from one to two metres tall or higher. However, my favourite Viburnums are the deciduous varieties V. burkwoodii and V. carlesii

The former is a cross between V. carlesii and V. utile raised in the UK nursery of Burkwood and Skipwith in 1924.

The latter was introduced from Korea in 1902 with the Award of Garden Merit in 1923. Of course, not forgetting the renowned V opulus sterilis or Snowball Tree with its distinctive large white pom-pom flowers.

Both have an adorable fragrance, with clusters

3

of pink-tinged flowers appearing before the leaves. If you have room in your garden for one deciduous shrub, then consider either of these two varieties.

Back to the garden

• Clean and sharpen secateurs in readiness for rose pruning in late August.

• Break the ice on the bird bath before dashing off to work!

• Store garden tools in a box filled with sand and old sump oil spread evenly over the sand to prevent rusting.

• Plant out seedlings of onions and shallots without delay.

• Plant Globe Artichoke and Jerusalem Artichoke after mixing in ½ kilo of old cow manure into each square metre, working well into the soil before planting.

• Paint handles of garden tools with orange paint to make it easier to find them in the garden.

SINK SWIM!

Choosing the right basin is hard work

CHOOSING the right wash basin can be harder than you think.

The shape of a wash basin can change the look and feel of a bathroom and different forms can change the mood of a bathroom.

Today’s bathroom should provide a tranquil escape from everyday bustle and stress.

A beautifully refined wash basin can be a sculptural centrepiece or a discreet wall mounted element. Whatever you prefer, here are some questions to ask and help guide your decision.

DO you need to dam water in a wash basin for bathing or would a free flowing basin that doesn’t hold water be preferable? One way or the other, this will narrow down the selection you have to choose from.

WHAT material is best for a wash basin?

Hygienic qualities, maintenance needs, durability, environmental impact, size, mounting, appearance, feel and colour choice are collective factors to weigh up when selecting a wash basin and the material that it’s made from.

WHAT size wash basin will suit your space? Wash basins come in an array of sizes, shapes and forms. Wall mounting will evoke a sense of floating with less intrusion on a space, while above counter mounting can be integrated with storage. Chunkier style basins are better suited to medium and larger size bathrooms where their bold sculptural form can be fully appreciated.

DO I need a single or double basin? To help decide whether you need a single or double basin, consider how many times you actually need to use a basin at the same time as someone else. If it’s the mirror space that’s more keenly contested for use, go for a single basin with a larger mirror above.