141106 citynews

lowbrow / free wifi briefly

Danger lurks when the WiFi runs free

THERE’S good news and bad this week.

The bad news is you probably need to get a VPN provider. And that’s going to be $10 a month from here until the end of time.

The reason for this is that public WiFi networks are sprouting like topsy with Chief Minister Katy Gallagher launching the first nodes in Civic last week.

It does everything your mobile data plan already does, only now the ratepayers are footing the bill to take business away from the telcos.

That and it’s monumentally insecure. Every other machine on a public WiFi network can see all the unencrypted traffic sent on it (and can, if so motivated, have a red hot crack at the encryption for good measure).

If you’ve got an app on your phone that is sending data back to the server unencrypted and the password you use is reused somewhere else (and who doesn’t reuse passwords to try and keep track of them?) you’re in big trouble.

How do you tell if your app is encrypting your data? You can’t tell.

In your phone or tablet’s web-browser you can look for an address of https rather than http, or a closed padlock icon, but for your apps (pretty much all of them) that also access the internet, and phone home periodically, it’s a mystery.

Even worse, if your phone automatically checks for WiFi networks (and I know mine does) then even without consciously logging on to these free networks there are hacking devices that can poll your phone for networks it’s been on recently (like your home WiFi) and then pretend to be that network. Your phone connects, sends the hacker the key to your home network, and then starts spewing data thinking it’s safe and at your quarters.

If you’re thinking this couldn’t happen to you bear in mind on October 21 the Minister for Justice had this to say:

“In 2011-12 more Australians reported being a victim of identity crime than victims of robbery, motor vehicle theft, household break-ins or assault.

“New figures in a Commonwealth Government report released today show that each year between 750,000 to 900,000 people fall victim to identity crime resulting in financial loss.”

You could tell your phone to not automatically connect to known networks (but who has time for that?) or you can shell out for the Virtual Private Network (VPN). This puts all your network traffic, regardless of the

If you’ve got an app on your phone that is sending data back to the server unencrypted and the password you use is reused somewhere else (and who doesn’t reuse passwords to try and keep track of them?) you’re in big trouble.

app, in an encrypted tunnel to the country of your choice where a server belonging to your VPN provider conducts your business on the internet as if it were you.

Not only are your traffic and passwords secure (except your home WiFi key, that’s blown and waiting for a van with a high-gain antenna to park outside your house on the street to snoop in), but you’re no longer broadcasting your location to the internet via the frequently mapped topographies of wireless routers.

Android phones, for example, use in their navigation products the network addresses Google’s StreetView cars have discovered and associated with GPS data.

It will cost money (annoyingly) but there is an upside.

With a VPN you’ll be able to get access to Netflix in the US to watch “Game of Thrones” rather than getting gouged by Rupert Murdoch, and your metadata will be safe(r) from government snooping.

Until now I haven’t bothered. But I think now is the time we can’t afford to wait.

TorrentFreak (who have some considerable skin in the game) have a review of VPN providers at this address: http://torrentfreak.com/which-vpn-services-takeyour-anonymity-seriously-2014-edition-140315/

John Griffiths is the online editor for citynews.com.au

JOHN GRIFFITHS

Local winery wins trophies

MOUNT Majura Vineyard’s 2014 riesling has won trophies for the best Canberra district riesling and the best dry riesling at this year’s International Riesling Challenge. Describing it a career highlight, winemaker Frank van de Loo said: “It’s such a demanding variety to make well, but so special when you do.”

Chloe’s big gig

YEAR 12 Burgmann Anglican School student, Chloe Robbins, has been awarded one of the four inaugural Opera Australia Regional Student Scholarships. Selected from more than 100 applicants from regional NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT, she will receive professional training from artistic, music, language and drama coaches at Opera Australia during January and perform for artistic director, Lyndon Terracini.

Lights of hope

THE Leukaemia Foundation’s “Light the Night” research fundraiser will be held at Kings Park, beside Lake Burley Griffin, from 7pm on Saturday, November 8. Featuring hundreds of “lanterns of hope”, Christine McMillan, local GM, says: “It is an uplifting event which reflects our belief that one day there will be a cure for everyone.” Registrations or donations to lightthenight.org.au or call 1800 500088.

Spring fair blooms

“SPRING Garden” is the theme of this year’s Orana Steiner School’s fair with a special ecological and environmental feature – the Bee-Friendly Plant Stall – in the school grounds, Unwin Place, Weston, 11am-3pm, on Sunday, November 9. Stalls will also feature handmade natural toys, paintings and ceramics, and jewellery.

from the experts

Leading experts will provide the latest insights into GI cancers which occur in the digestive system (oesophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas nd bowel).

Don’t miss this free event to hear about the latest advancements in medical research and life after cancer. Enjoy refreshments as you network with service providers, cancer specialists, survivors and carers.

Limited tickets – Register today!

When: Tuesday 25th November, 6.30pm–9pm

Where: Canberra Rex Hotel, 150 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon Register: gicancer.org.au/register, engage@gicancer.org.au For more information call 1300 666 769

Since 1993: Volume 20, Number 41

Arts & Entertainment 19-21

Canberra Confidential 14

Cinema 20

Crossword 18

Dining 21

Garden 22-23

Horoscope 18

News 3-10

Politics 8

Socials 11-13

Sudoku 18

contacts

Cover: Tim Gavel and Jenny Andrew

and Eske. Photo by Gary Schafer. Story Page 6.

CEO: Greg Jones, 0419 418196, greg@citynews.com.au

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

Journalists: Kathryn Vukovljak, kathryn@citynews.com.au

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

Senior advertising executive: Ernie Nichols, 0421 077999

Advertising sales executives:

Graham Spencer, 6262 9100; Rebecca Dann, 0431 042087; Charlotte Cuttle, 6262 9100

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

Sydney advertising sales: Ad Sales Connect, 02 9420 1777

Production manager / graphic designer: Janet Ewen

Graphic designer: Paulette Leo

Photographers: Gary Schafer and Andrew Finch

Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

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

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

Phone 6262 9100 Fax 6262 9111 GPO Box 2448, Civic 2601

Tram-cost fears and lots of Fluffy tears

Right up there were England’s victory over Australia in the Headingley Test of 1981 and the Rugby World Cup in 2003! Fair dinkum… seven days

THE much touted release of the business case for the Gungahlin to city tram line was not terribly convincing; and that’s the easy one with a ready made track down Northbourne Avenue.

It was supposed to be just the first stage in Canberra’s light rail network; but if the controversy it aroused is anything to go by the whole project will stop right there. So that, I suspect, is what we really must decide before any further money is spent or contracts let.

KATY Gallagher’s fight for the Mr Fluffy victims clearly took its emotional toll in the struggle against the Feds’ Senator Eric Abetz . There was clearly no artifice in her distress in the Assembly this week; and when you read what they’ve been through it was thoroughly understandable. The former asbestos removal taskforce head, Keith McHenry, was shocked by the Feds’ unfeeling stance. It was “improper for the ACT Government to have to pay for what was a massive failure by the Commonwealth,” he said. That was putting it politely. And Canberrans, stuck with a shortfall of up to $500 million in repaying their billion-dollar loan, will not easily forget.

A THOUSAND thanks to “CityNews” editor Ian Meikle for stepping into the “Seven Days” breach during our recent trip to the UK. We sampled village life in Derbyshire for several weeks before descending to the crowded theme park that is London 2014.

Not even a night at the Reform Club and lunch at Claridge’s couldn’t make up for the chaos of the British capital. And most of it is now owned by bent Russian oligarchs, oily Arab sheiks, bloodthirsty African despots and a handful of British aristos who made their family fortunes in the black slave trade of the Indies and the white slaves they called “convicts”. Give me our own Bush Capital every time!

THE British media in the last 50 years have not changed one whit in their attitude to Australia. The only stories

worth printing, it seems, are of shark and crocodile attacks, bushfires and sport. Typical was a “Daily Telegraph” story of 10 inspirational British events: Winston Churchill’s “We shall fight them on the beaches…” was prominent, together with Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile and Henry V’s speech at Agincourt. But right up there were England’s victory over Australia in the Headingley Test of 1981 and the Rugby World Cup in 2003! Fair dinkum…

FORMER Oxford boxing blue, Tony Abbott , did rate several mentions, but sadly as heading the most recalcitrant developed country on earth in the battle against the ravages of climate change. This week’s decision to embrace the insultingly named “direct action” coincided with the EU’s commitment to cut emissions by 40 per cent by 2030. And Clive Palmer’s

ROBERT MACKLIN

turnabout showed we’ve all been sold a PUP.

HOW dare ABC boss Mark Scott and his panjandrums even consider chopping our local Friday evening “7.30” program. The brainchild of the brilliant Patricia Barraclough , who invented the heart-warming “Australian Story” series, it’s been run on a shoestring by her, host Chris Kimball and a tiny team who work round the clock to get it to air. Hands off, Scotty!

robert@robertmacklin.com

SALMON WITH LIME BUTTER

Whether it’s a quick dinner on a warm night, or a gettogether with family and friends, there’s no denying that you will take any chance possible to cook on your Observatory Living firepit. Here is our classic summer crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons of key lime juice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 salmon fillets

• 1 asparagus bunch

Directions

Prepare grill by lightly oiling grill grate over medium-high heat.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and add lime juice. Salt and pepper the salmon fillets modestly on both sides. Place fillets onto grill and brush half of the lime butter over salmon. Grill salmon for 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Drizzle remaining lime butter over salmon before serving. Serve with a side of in season asparagus to perfectly accompany the dish.

At home with Tim, Jenny, Eske and Skinny

Although Tim Gavel and wife Jenny Andrew were biologically able to have children, they ran out of time. Then in their forties, they decided to adopt, a journey that took them to Ethiopia.

KATHRYN VUKOVLJAK reports...

DISCUSSING the weekend juggle of taking their kids to their various sporting endeavours, ABC sports broadcaster Tim Gavel and his wife Dr Jenny Andrew sound like any other parents of active teenagers.

Eske, 14, will be attending a rowing regatta in Sydney, while her younger brother, Skinny, 12, is competing in a series of swimming events locally.

“We’re heavily involved in our kids’ lives, and we love it,” says Tim. “Everything we do is for them, and we’re always there if they need us. We don’t have any time for socialising, but that’s okay. We’re pretty tired anyway!”

The couple adopted biological siblings Eske and Skinny from Ethiopia in 2004, when they were four and two, and Jenny says watching them grow has been a wonderful experience.

“The teenage years are certainly interesting!” she says. “They can take you to the rooftops and back again in a nanosecond.”

“You do have to let some things go, or you’d have a blue every day,” agrees Tim. “They’re really good kids; and they’ve adapted as you’d expect in a new family and culture.”

Eske and Skinny had been living in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, with their grandparents and several others, in a tin shed with dirt floors when they were put up for adoption, says Jenny.

“Their parents had died, their father in a political uprising and their mother of an illness, but we don’t know exactly what,” she says.

“Their grandparents are loving people, but they couldn’t cope and they wanted to make sure the kids had opportunities they couldn’t offer them.”

Tim and Jenny received photos and information about four-year-old Eske and two-year-old Skinny when the adoption match was made, but one important fact was missing – they had an older sibling, Meron, then 12.

“We only found out about Meron when we arrived to pick them up, and although she was too old for us to adopt, we put her through school and brought her out here as soon as we could,” says Tim.

“Our aim was always to keep the family together, and Meron provides a connection for Eske and Skinny to Ethiopia, their parents and their background.”

Both Eske and Meron have had longterm health issues caused by malnutrition, but generally all three kids are healthy and happy.

Although Tim and Jenny were biologically able to have children, they say they ran out of time.

“We’re very busy with work and travelling, and then when we were both in our forties we didn’t want to take any risks,” says Jenny.

“We started looking into inter-country adoption through seminars held by the ACT Government, and Ethiopia was a good match, although initially we were looking at South America. Tim knew some Ethiopians and knew they were gentle people with inner strength.”

The couple say the two-and-a-halfyear process to adopt was emotionally draining with many invasive questions and endless form filling.

“We didn’t enter into this lightly, we worked away at it and although it seemed a long time to wait, we’re not complaining – after we had our kids,

the waiting times just exploded,” says Jenny.

“We have seen families who waited up to seven years, and who it never happened for. It’s like a very long pregnancy, waiting year in, year out for a child that never actually arrives.”

Jenny and Tim say that Canberra has proved a wonderful community for adopting from a different culture.

“At the start it was a challenge overcoming the language barrier,” says Jenny. “As the kids get older we would love to take them back to Ethiopia for a visit.”

Meron, now 22, came to Canberra in 2009 and has permanent citizenship and is living in Melbourne. She keeps in touch with their grandparents, who are thrilled to hear about the children’s new lives, and which Tim and Jenny say has been very calming for them.

“It has been a positive experience,” Jenny says.

“Eske is creative, with a wicked sense of humour. She loves sewing

and is into healthy eating at the moment – she’ll make her own food if she doesn’t think what we’re having is up to scratch!

“Skinny is very driven, and is a swimmer through and through. He’d love to represent Ethiopia in the Olympics one day if he could.”

“They have great friendship groups at school, and we believe they both have the potential to be anything they want to be,” adds Tim. “We’re preparing them for later in life, but ultimately they are focused, single-minded kids.

“They’re good mates, the classic siblings really – they fight a lot but when one of them is away, they miss each other.”

Tim Gavel and Jenny Andrew will be sharing more of their family’s remarkable journey for Save the Children at the ACT Council’s annual luncheon address, Brassey Hotel, Barton, on Wednesday, November 19. Tickets at $65 via eventbrite.com or to bit.ly/1vPLvya

City card shop

THE Combined Charities Christmas Card Shop, in the foyer of the City Uniting Church, Pilgrim House, 69 Northbourne Avenue, Civic, is open weekdays, 10am3.30pm until December 18 in aid of 14 not-for-profit organisations, including ACT Rescue & Foster Inc., Cancer Council ACT, Cystic Fibrosis, Epilepsy Association ACT, Glaucoma Australia, Heart Foundation, Legacy Club of Canberra, MACE, National Trust, OVCAN, Pegasus (Riding for the Disabled), RSI Injury and Overuse Association, Sharing Places and Canberra City Uniting Church.

Thai celebration

THE Canberra branch of the AustraliaThailand Association is celebrating the Thai candle festival Loy Krathong with a dinner at the Chong Co Thai Restaurant, 31 Eastlake Parade, Kingston, on Thursday, November 13. Loy Krathong, on the full-moon night of November, is to thank Mother Water for sustaining life and living. The cost is $35 (members) and $40 (non-members). Booking enquiries to 0401 867982 or e-mail Peter.Siripol@infrastructure.gov.au

Small achievements

THE annual scale-modelling competition and display by the ACT Scale Modellers’ Society will feature a special Great War centenary model competition and World War I display. It will be held at UC High School Kaleen, 108 Baldwin Drive, Kaleen, 10.30am-3.30pm, on the weekend of November 15-16. Entry is $5 and concessions available. More at actsms.asn.au

Gems galore

THE Canberra Lapidary Club’s “Spring Gemcraft and Mineral Show” will feature stalls selling jewellery, crystals, minerals, gemstones, opals, fossils and beads in the Mallee Pavilion, EPIC, 10am-5pm, on the weekend of November 15-16. Entry is $5 with concessions available.

Walking men

MEN are invited to walk with their families, friends and colleagues in the “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” event in support of zero tolerance for violence against women and the work of White Ribbon. It starts at the Australian War Memorial, 2pm-4pm, on November 23. Registration costs $30. More information at 0402 073957.

With something for everybody the ANU Commons is the perfect place for your Christmas party for the office, family or social group.

We have a wide variety of festive menus available, from casual canapé functions in our private courtyard, to festive buffet menus thru to more formal sit down lunches and dinners.

Enquire today, as spaces are limited.

Contact Emily Peddle Functions Sales Manager

ANU Commons

26 Barry Drive Canberra ACT 2601

T 02 6125 0228

M 0499 755 007

politics / Mr Fluffy fallout Assembly a big blessing for the little people

IT’S easy to whinge about the ACT Assembly, but sometimes it is worth reflecting on its pluses.

Despite the old catchcries of: “We didn’t want it in the first place”; “We voted against it”; “It’s just a Mickey Mouse Assembly” and “We should have just had a town council”, the Mr Fluffy debacle illustrates the Assembly’s advantages.

When Chief Minister Katy Gallagher provided her update in the Assembly the public gallery was filled with people affected by this disaster. And it is a disaster. More than 1000 homes are affected, nearly double the number that were destroyed by the 2003 bushfires. There is an important difference. The suddenness of the bushfires was overwhelming and added to the trauma of the whole city, which immediately shared the grief and rallied support. The loose-fill asbestos insulation calamity has been a much more gradual grieving process. The heartache must be even worse. Instead of the outpour-

Instead of the outpouring of support for the bushfire victims – even internationally – Mr Fluffy owners have had a slow struggle to understand what will happen to them.

ing of support for the bushfire victims – even internationally – Mr Fluffy owners have had a slow struggle to understand what will happen to them.

The Chief Minister and other members of the Assembly clearly feel the pain of their constituents and are committed to ridding the city of the houses that present an ongoing threat to community health.

The ACT Assembly is close to the people of the Territory. Gallagher told the chamber of “the social isolation and guilt that have come with learning of the risks of living in a Mr Fluffy home. Friends that no longer visit. Play dates and sleepovers, which are such normal activities for most households, stopped suddenly”.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson, declared: “On behalf of the opposition I acknowledge this has been a difficult

Bubbles and Nibbles

CHRISTMAS LAUNCH – FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER

We would love to invite you to join Pepe’s Paperie for bubbles and nibbles on Friday 7th November, from 5-9pm in our Civic store.  We will also be offering 20% off all Christmas cards, wraps and gifts for one night only, so you can get in early with all of your Christmas shopping!

journey; I acknowledge there is a long way to go. But your parliamentarians on this side of the chamber will be standing with you to make sure that, once and for all, Mr Fluffy is resolved in the ACT.”

In marked contrast, examine the view of the Commonwealth. For all of those who would like to hark back to the days when the paternalistic federal government injected huge funds into the development of Canberra, it is time to think again.

Under their watch and failure to regulate, Mr Fluffy was allowed to operate in Canberra. And now, despite significant lobbying from Brianna Heseltine and the Fluffy Owners’ Action Group, the ACT government and all ACT federal MPs and senators, the federal government’s

contribution is pathetic. A concessional loan! So what? Thanks for nothing, Senator Pontius Abetz.

Residents across the border in Queanbeyan and the south coast have also been the victims of Mr Fluffy. The NSW and federal governments seem completely disinterested.

The more conservative the government, the stronger the belief in personal responsibility and non-interference by government. The ideology fuels the view that it is just bad luck or lack of due diligence when either originally commissioning insulation or when purchasing the home. The owner’s fault – the owner has to wear it. In the minds of the ultra-conservatives it is not the business of government.

When Katy Gallagher shed tears in the Assembly, in speaking to the media and when she has dealt with families, it is clear

that she feels their pain deeply. However, she still has a broad responsibility to the whole community. She told the Assembly: “We believe it is the right decision. We have sought to balance fairness for homeowners with a scheme which the ACT community can afford”. And later she was appropriately frank acknowledging “it is not what everybody wants”.

It is the time to reflect on the advantages of having a small parliament close to the people.

Michael Moore was an independent member of the ACT Legislative Assembly.

Why Mr Fluffy will never go away

WHEN Chief Minister Katy Gallagher stood alongside the Minister for Employment and the ACT, Eric Abetz, to make the major Mr Fluffy announcement there were those who believed we were about to hear the solution, but an all-encompassing solution is never going to be possible.

There are 1000-plus families involved in this. Although these loose asbestos fibres have drawn them all together, they’re all different. Their houses are all different. Their stories are all different. It’s impossible to construct a one-size-fits-all solution that’s going to please even half of them.

I was most disappointed with the Commonwealth’s contribution to this. They haven’t given much beyond kindly allowing us to borrow $1 billion dollars that we have to pay them back with interest. Mr Fluffy asbestos went into these homes while the ACT was under

It’s impossible to construct a one-size-fits-all solution that’s going to please even half of them.

Federal control. Irrespective of any legal waivers that have been signed, I think there is a moral responsibility for the Feds to put a lot more skin in this game.

I put that to Senator Abetz. He smiled his polite smile and explained all of the legalities away. He assured me that if the ACT had been inundated by floodwaters that forced the demolition of 1000 homes, the Commonwealth response would be exactly the same. We all know it wouldn’t be.

Abetz knew that Gallagher was under enormous pressure to announce a “solution” and that, as a consequence, she’d accept the loan offer. She had no choice. I’m annoyed with the Feds. Many Fluffy owners are annoyed with the local government.

Mike has lived in his “Mr Fluffy home” in Kambah for 12 years. He called my radio program. How does he feel? “Appalled, disgusted and let

MARK PARTON

down,” he said. “Nothing good is coming out of this for me and my family.”

A number of houses on Mike’s street were razed by the 2003 bushfires. He now wishes that theirs had gone up in smoke, too.

“If it had burnt down, we could have just rebuilt and we’d be fine,” he said.

Matt now lives in Dunlop. He grew up in a “Fluffy home”. His father has mesothelioma. Did the house cause it?

“How would we ever know?” Matt asked when I spoke to him last week. “He worked as a motor mechanic for many years so he could have been exposed in a number of ways.”

Despite leaving the offending residence years ago, Matt feels bitter and helpless.

And Steve from Pearce doesn’t want to leave his home: “We like it here. It’s been our home since 1967,” he said. “They’re going to have to drag me out kicking and screaming”.

I think we’re a long way from being done here, folks.

Mark Parton is the breakfast announcer at 2CC.

Kick-starting laneway culture

THE closure of three nightclubs in the Sydney Building may be the impetus we need to kick-start Canberra’s laneway culture.

In a young city, buildings with history and character must be treasured. Sadly, the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings have lost much of their original character, as well as their amenity and economic viability.

Dating from 1926 but not completed until 1946, the buildings were the first privately-constructed projects in the capital. Heralding their arrival in October 1927, the daily paper trumpeted that “Civic Centre is rapidly assuming its due place in Canberra and its colonnades will soon pulsate with the private business of the capital”.

Now, we have a golden opportunity to restore these Florentine colonnades to their former glory – and to turn the buildings inside out to make them places for people once more.

Cultivating civic space is certainly part art, part science – and we cannot simply cut and paste the ideas from other cities to our

Sadly, the Sydney and Melbourne Buildings have lost much of their original character, as well as their amenity and economic viability.

own and expect immediate success.

However, the fact that Melbourne’s laneway buzz is now being transported to other places – Sydney, Adelaide and Geelong for starters – should tell us something. People love laneways, and are inspired by the intimacy, the creativity and the surprises that can be found in secret streets and clandestine corners.

Imagine food carts and flower markets, hole-in-the-wall bars and micro-breweries. Picture cool cafes and courtyards that showcase live music, alongside intimate art spaces and pop-up stores selling handicrafts.

Service courtyards – now home to hoppers – could be transformed into piazza-style spaces and become second frontages for bars and restaurants, enabling Canberrans to sit under the mature plane

trees, browse through boutiques and bookshops or just soak up the atmosphere.

To do this, we need to transform the courtyards and laneways of these historic buildings from shortcuts to destinations. Loading Zone café and Soju Girl’s soon-tobe-completed laneway deck on to Odgers Lane are but two of the jewels in the treasure trove that awaits us if we open ourselves to the opportunities.

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

CATHERINE CARTER

scene / around canberra

Social event of the week / Affirm

AFFIRM, the Australian Foundation for Mental Health Research, held its annual Executive Business Luncheon and Adam Boland was the guest speaker bringing his perspective, experiences and resolve to his own often very public dealings with a bipolar disorder.

It was for this audience an insight into Boland’s highs and lows of a career that coruscated brilliantly and burnt out spectacularly when he, like so many others with bipolar, experienced the roller coaster ride heading for disaster.

The tabloids had a field day with the boy who ruled at Channel 7, then briefly at Channel 10, but to meet Boland is to like him because he’s personable, intelligent, obviously brilliant and has a fascinating tale to tell of the behind-thescenes workings of television in “Brekky Central”, Boland’s memoir, which is a ripper read and no doubt a cathartic experience.

He’s been brave and honest and that has led to a new association with Affirm as an ambassador for it and as a member of its panel of experts who decide where to allocate funds for research. Positives from despair and happiness with the support of his partner Kenny Ang as they set off on a new adventure in a tranquil place, but their new apartment, Canberra based, will always be home.

Sunday Roast

Canberra Confidential

In memory of Clarrie whatshisface

REGULAR readers will know that this column can’t resist dozy bureaucratic cock-ups and this is a doozy. Spotted by one of CC’s favourite sharp-eyed snouts, who was city bound along the Barton Highway, near Gungahlin. We’re thinking of offering TAMS the services of our revered proofreader Glenda Anderson

Can you spot the difference? ‘Cos all the resources of our Most Glorious Leaders didn’t. It’s the spelling of Clarrie Hermes/Hermies Drive in consecutive signs. How is it possible? Does no-one check these things before they are committed to giant, costly signs?

Just to ensure they correct the right one: Hermes is correct. The drive is named after Clarrie Lindsay Hermes (1920-91), the ACT’s chief magistrate between 1980 and 1984.

AND it’s not only Clarrie being remembered, former, long-time Chief Minister of the ACT Jon Stanhope’s turned up in a “Canberra Times” online heading as: “ACT’s John Stanhope back and in the job queue”. It was corrected.

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Here come the meatballs!

COMPETING furniture retailers glower at all the free media and fuss Ikea is attracting, the latest being the sod turning ceremony which flushed out the Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and her deputy Andrew Barr to the dusty site at Majura Park, which the Swedish company promises to transform into the largest standalone retail store in the region at 26,000 square metres and attracting more than a million visitors annually.

Clearly chasing the Costco gourmands across the road, among Ikea’s first-year projections are the nutritional revelations that it will sell 24 tonnes of meatballs (the weight of two fully loaded double-decker buses); 23 tonnes of cinnamon buns (apparently equal to the weight of 22 African elephants) and, most depressingly, 300,000 17-centimetre hot dogs that, if laid end to end, equals 53 kilometres, the distance from Canberra to Yass!

Motherhood takes a dive

AT the end of this month Kambah mum of five Maya Myers is planning to jump out of a plane and skydive 14,000 feet as part of the first Canberra team to jump for Support for Mums. She won’t be alone, there is an army of plummeting mums all across Australia, taking the plunge on the same day to raise funds for the not-for-profit organisation that was set up to provide mums and their families with practical, short-term help with babysitting, cleaning, child minding and more.

Awards win new friends

AS the ACT government pulls out funding, the tireless Coralie Wood’s annual Canberra Area Theatre Awards have been saved by the NSW Government, which has coughed up $20,000 to support the valued local and regional amateur theatre awards.

Deputy Premier and Arts Minister Troy Grant turned up at The Q in Queanbeyan

“Having experienced some hardships and crisis in the past, I wanted to jump to raise awareness and much-needed funds to help mums like me who have needed support,” says Maya. Any intending jumping mums contact alli@motivatingmum.com and sponsor a mum at mycause.com.au and search for MotherJumpers.

announcing the lolly while local member John

made no bones, saying: “Amateur theatre might not be ‘avantgarde’ enough for the ACT government to have any interest, however it is popular for regional communities and brings people together.” And it has, the astonishing CATs turn 20 this year.

Frank talking

RADIO announcer “Uncle” Frank Vincent, who was spinning discs at 2CC in the early ‘80s, has returned to Canberra to host 2CA’s Classic Breakfast show after a decade in Europe, where he gained a reputation for his offbeat sports commentaries. He hosted the English Breakfast show on 99.4FM Amsterdam.

Indulge in café style and ambiance…

There’s nothing like a great café; with impeccable service, fine coffee and delicious food, and there’s nothing

‘Premier’ coffee destination

CIVIC: COFFEE Lab should be known as a specialised coffee house rather than a typical café, says proprietor Michael Rose.

“It’s Canberra’s newest premier coffee destination,” he says.

Coffee Lab, which was opened earlier this year, uses the Sanremo Opera, a coffee machine that “represents the pinnacle of espresso technology,” says Michael. The machine uses five separate boilers for maximum temperature stability and features a weight-based dosing system to more accurately pour espressos.

The coffee house also features the Alpha Dominche Steampunk, a machine that quickly and consistently brews filter coffee and teas using a full immersion, siphon-style brew method. This machine is the only one of its kind in the ACT.

Using this advanced technology to make coffee “removes human error from the brewing process, meaning each cup will be as delicious as the last,” says Michael. “Our passionate baristas perfectly prepare every cup, using the finest coffee beans and machinery.”

Michael says the atmosphere inside Coffee Lab has been created by marrying lots of natural timbers with funky and rustic materials, resulting in a unique, trendy but warm environment.

Coffee Lab, 26 Narellan Place, Civic

like the opportunity to see and be seen amid the ambiance and style that great cafés around Canberra can offer

Exclusive coffee in the food court

CIVIC: WHILE the coffee “sells itself”, pastry chef Angie Torrealba would rather focus her attention on making the sweets at the Xpresso Bar, in the newly renovated lower food court, Canberra Centre.

“It’s a very chic style of café, not the average franchise coffee shop,” says Angie. “It has more of an exclusive atmosphere”.

The locally roasted ONA coffee beans, supplied by ONA

The Lanyon Café

in Fyshwick, and renowned for their flavour and quality, have a big following, and “there are lots of regular clients who come to buy bags of coffee,” Angie says.

“We serve gourmet wraps, croissants, cheesecakes –including a very popular Mars Bar cheesecake – and a lot of South American sweets,” she says.

As well as the coffee, Xpresso Bar serves hot chocolates, thickshakes, milkshakes and plans to make smoothies now that the weather is warming up.

Xpresso Bar, shop CL 11, Canberra Centre, Bunda St, Civic.

Located in one of the historic outbuildings at Lanyon Homestead, The Lanyon Café offers modern colonial cuisine in the picturesque surroundings of Lanyon.

We offer: • Coffee • Cakes • Slices

• Pastries • Homestyle meals

Open for breakfast, morning tea, lunch as well as dinner by appointment, we are available for weddings and corporate functions.

Tues – Sun: 10.00am – 4.00pm Lanyon Homestead, Tharwa 6237 5268

and enjoy the “Il Covo Experience”

coffee time

Casual coffee with the kids

BRUCE: THE atmosphere of Cafe Momo is “bustling and friendly”, says owner Spiros Tsiros. “There is always something going on.”

Serving the Bruce community for more than 20 years, Cafe Momo provides full restaurant service, exceptional staff and corporate catering.

The first café in Canberra to offer Elements coffee, a Melbourne-based, 100 per cent Arabica coffee that is roasted to order, Cafe Momo also serves a wide range of breakfast and lunch meals, and sweet things. From

Coffee from local roasters

CIVIC: “WE have some of the best coffee in town,” says Con Kobas, owner of the Glass House Café in City Walk.

“We wanted to support local business, so we use Cosmorex signature blend, which is produced by local roasters.”

After almost three years, the Glass House Café is still providing Canberra with gourmet modern Australian

Family-friendly comfort

HACKETT: “BEING a chef by trade, having my own café bar has been something that I’ve always wanted to do,” says Corey Danvers, of Wilbur’s Café Bar.

“Now I’ve finally had the opportunity to do it.”

Wilbur’s Café Bar has developed its own organic blend of strong-bodied coffee that Owen says is easy on the palette and suits all coffee drinkers. Using

muesli, pancakes and eggs on toast, to salads, pastas and burgers, everything is made on the premises, and in ample portions.

Cafe Momo also provides corporate catering to the Canberra area, including delivery.

For Spiros, “it’s the thrill of looking after my guests and giving them great food and service, in the time frame that they want, that makes my job worthwhile. And I love making coffee!”

Cafe Momo, 14 Thynne Street, Fern Hill Park, Bruce. Call 6253 4964, or visit cafemomo.com.au

cuisine, “with a touch of Italian”, says Con. One of the features of the café is the outdoor seating area, within a large glasshouse, which is sunny and warm, pram friendly. The Glass House Café also offers half-sized portions for the kids, or those who only want a light meal.

The Glass House Café, Industry House, 10 Binara Street, Civic. Call 6162 1155 or contact: glasshousecafe@ iinet.net.au for more information.

local produce, Wilbur’s has a comfortable, family atmosphere, and provides a kids’ menu featuring jellies that “children from all around Hackett come to get,” says Corey.

Wilbur’s Café Bar also features live music and different themes each night of the week to appeal to the younger crowd.

Wilbur’s Café Bar, 14 Hackett Place, Hackett. Call 6262 5406 or find Wilbur’s Café Bar on Facebook.

Espresso to go

CIVIC: AS one of the first espresso bars in town, Tosolini’s has been in Bailey’s Corner for 28 years, and is a great spot to grab a takeaway coffee or linger for the homestyle Italian food and gelato, says owner Carlo Tosolini.

The café uses Lavazza coffee, which Carlo says is a superior roast and makes great coffee. His brother, Danny, won the Barista of the Year title in 2010, and “knows his coffee,” he says.

“At the end of the day, a good coffee is 70 per cent barista, and we offer the best training for our staff,” says Carlo.

For Carlo, a good coffee makes his day. “I wake up to the smell of coffee on a daily basis and it kick starts my day,” he says.

Tosolini’s, Bailey’s Corner, Civic. Call 6247 4317

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Our Café has…

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• A Great team of friendly staff ready to look after you

THARWA: “THE satisfaction of making people happy and giving them fresh, hearty and homemade meals” is what Owen Brennan enjoys about running the Lanyon Café at the historic Lanyon Homestead.

With inside and outside tables looking out over farm country, the Brindabellas and the Murrumbidgee River, the Lanyon Café has provided modernised colonial food in a relaxed, rural atmosphere for more than 12 years. As well as coffee, the Lanyon Café serves cakes, slices and pastries, all of which have been made on the premises, and they use as much fresh produce from the Lanyon Homestead garden as they can in their

A relaxed vibe in farm country Just as long as you...

LYONS: COSY, homely and stylish, Stand By Me is owned and run by siblings Ben, Phoebe and Allison Holland.

As well as a range of delicious baked goods, breakfasts, lunches and toasties, they have their own special coffee blend from Roastworks Coffee Co in Sydney.

“Our blend is mild and fruity, a mix of washed Ethiopian and El

homestyle meals for breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, or lunch.

“It’s definitely kid-friendly,” says Owen. “There’s a whole acre for them to run around in.”

The Lanyon Café is available for dinner by appointment, wedding receptions, venue hire and corporate functions, and even runs “host-a-murder” parties in conjunction with a Sydney company.

Lanyon Café, Lanyon Homestead, Tharwa Drive, Tharwa. For bookings call 6237 5268

Salvador beans,” says Ben. “We also serve Real Chai and Swiss Water decaf ground to order.”

Stand By Me has fresh flowers, bright artwork, comfy cushions and classic vinyl playing in the background.

Ben says the food is generous, hearty and rustic, and they do all-day breakfast on the weekends.

Stand By Me, 1 Lyons Place, Lyons shops, Lyons. Call 0458 962716 or visit facebook.com/standbymecafe

CIVIC: “IL Covo offers a fun, vibrant experience,” says owner Cameron Bailey-Price. Serving traditional, healthy Italian food, Cameron says Il Covo has provided enthusiastic and friendly service for more than nine years.

Cameron says Il Covo specialises in traditional Italian pizza, but has a wide range of menu options. From coffee, breakfast, a range of sweet tarts and pastries, and homemade

tiramisu, to gourmet paninis, wraps, healthy salads and stone-baked pizzas. They even have a new range of gluten-free and vegan sweets, by Creative Cookery.

A family business situated in the heart of Canberra, Il Covo has a relaxed and familiar feel where “everyone is a regular”, says Cameron.

Il Covo offers catering for office events, conferences or celebrations, and provides a wide selection of gourmet catering options, made fresh to order.

Il Covo, 3/40 Allara Street, Civic. Call 6162 1099 or visit ilcovo.com.au

FAMILY LAW IN CANBERRA

puzzles page

Joanne Madeline Moore

your

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

The week starts with a powerful punch as Mars links up with Pluto and there’s the potential for power struggles, especially with authority figures or work colleagues. Then Mars squares Uranus mid-week, resulting in restless, rebellious and even reckless behaviour from rowdy Rams. It also shortens your limited patience and increases your need for speed. So slow down or you might just blow a fuse!

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Buying something extravagant appeals as long as you can afford it. Avoid being too black and white about relationship issues. There are many shades of grey, as you negotiate and navigate your way through a changing romantic landscape. With Venus visiting your partnership zone, your motto for the moment is from birthday great Robert Louis Stevenson: “Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer.”

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Creative brainstorming, followed by carefully targeted action, leads to professional progress. For non-working Twins, find ways you can contribute your versatile talents to your local community in a voluntary capacity. It’s a good week to take a long hard look at your daily diet and exercise routine. Healthy habits established now will lead to less problems in the future, so aim to be responsible and proactive.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

When it comes to a romantic relationship, work issue or money matter, avoid being hasty. If you are too slap-dash you’ll just make mistakes along the way. Smart Crabs will come up with a carefully formulated strategy and stick to it. Stern Saturn pours cold water on displays of affection mid-week, so don’t expect positive feedback from loved ones. They are preoccupied dealing with their own problems.

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Lions can too easily get stuck in a self-satisfied rut, as you keep doing things you are very good at and receive plenty of applause for. But are you challenging yourself? Jupiter is visiting your sign (until next August) which encourages you to be much more adventurous. Be inspired by birthday great Georgia O’Keefe: “I’ve been terrified my whole life and it’s never stopped me from doing anything.”

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Your creativity and compassion are sparked as you connect with your inner muse or help a friend in need. Some Virgos will experience deja vu as you meet someone special or go somewhere ‘new’ that feels very familiar. Singles – love lies waiting in your local neighbourhood, or via an introduction from a relative. If you are attached – spice up the relationship with some romantic and risque texting!

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

The Venus/Jupiter square stimulates your Libran spending gene early in the week. Then Saturn sends a reality check your way, when you are hit with unexpected expenses and discover there is less in the kitty than you thought. When it comes to a work issue or family matter, you’ll have to ask some hard questions to discover what’s really going on. You won’t get far if you continue to sit on the fence.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Stop sulking and complaining about the tough time you’re going through! We all know you have Saturn moving slowly through your sign, but this week Mars and Pluto help provide the courage and persistence you need to conquer challenges and slay dragons. Be inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson: (born on November 13): “Life’s not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Avoid the temptation to be lazy and self-indulgent – no one wants to be around a selfish Sagittarian! Don’t underestimate the positive effect you can have on those around you. Personal projects need to be put on the backburner (temporarily) as you roll up your sleeves and serve others. So take a look around and see if there is someone you can help; a cause you can champion; or a right you can wrong.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

If you try to control loved ones they will resist. Strive to give others plenty of options, personal space and room to shine. Criticising less, and praising more, is also a good place to start. You may feel discouraged on the weekend, as long-term goals suddenly seem way out of reach. The gap between dreams and reality is wide but with plenty of patience and persistence you’ll get there Capricorn.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Travel, adventure, rural destinations and foreign countries are highlighted this week, as you explore the big wide world. But impulsive actions could lead to an argument or accident so pace yourself Aquarius – and be extra cautious when travelling, driving, cycling, jogging and walking. The weekend is a wonderful time to open your heart and be extra generous with your nearest and dearest.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Group activities look problematic, as someone tries to take over. Your natural inclination is to go into hibernation mode but the more passive you are Pisces, the more stressful the situation will be. Creativity is highlighted mid-week, as a delicious daydream whisks you away into fantasy land. However, getting yourself further into debt is a recipe for disaster. Have fun but don’t break the bank.

10 Which telegraph line connected Darwin NT to Adelaide SA in 1872?

11 What is a more familiar term for a fiddle?

12 Name an NT Peninsula, the site of bauxite mining

13 What is the inclination that one line makes with another when not at right angles?

16 What are marks left by healed wounds, sores, or burns?

19 Name a hard, round, yellow cheese

21 Which major planet is the seventh in order from the sun?

22 Which receptacles do apiarists use?

23 Which acid is found in lemons?

in 1938, Tina ...?

2 In which early TV series did Clint Eastwood take the role of Rowdy Yates?

3 What was the given name of the NSW premier 1976-86, ... Wran?

4 What shape is a rectangle?

5 Name the Prince of Wales, born 1948

6 What is an alternative term for lucerne?

7 Which parts of the harnesses of horses include the bit, reins, etc?

13 Who was Australia’s triple world champion racing car driver, Sir Jack ...?

14 Which term describes a returned soldier?

15 What is a dictionary also known as?

17 What is a written contract, especially relating to land transfers?

18 In poker, what is a straight flush?

20 Name a particular sweet wine

arts & entertainment

All about the beautiful boy

By Helen Musa

IF Canberrans don’t know the name Antinous, they’re about to.

He was the breathtakingly beautiful Greek boy whose lover, the Roman Emperor Hadrian, so mourned when he died that he founded a cult devoted to his worship.

Now the respected Canberra theatre writer/director David Atfield has written a play about to take the stage at The Street in which Antinous partly becomes the means to exploring important issues of sexuality and identity.

Atfield came across the story in 2001 while travelling in Europe and set about writing a play about Antinous, applying to put it through The Street’s “Hive” process where it was dramaturged by Peter Matheson and Julian Hobba. In 2012 Hobba directed a reading and a second reading followed in 2013. Now Atfield is directing the play himself. So, given the Greco-Roman predilection for older-younger man relationships, why “scandalous”?

That, Atfield tells me, comes from the views of Christian historians who tended to praise Hadrian as a peaceful and cultured ruler while belittling Antinous as the object of banned heretical worship. Naked statues of Antinous abounded in Greece, Rome and Turkey – and he was so good looking.

by Lorna Sim

Atfield explains that Antinous drowned mysteriously in the Nile at age 19. “My play theorises on one possibility of murder… but I’m not going to give the plot away,” he says. “The facts of their relationship are extremely sketchy, so I got to write what I wanted to write about.

“I wanted to look at the nature of ageing, defining yourself through your sexuality and the way that can cause problems… as well as the question of older men looking for younger partners… it’s the same thing with older men and young wives,” he says.

In short, the story raises a thoroughly contemporary issue, our obsession with youth and beauty, and the pressure to be perfect looking and thus resorting to beauty therapy and abuse of steroids

Antinous first met Emperor Hadrian when he was 16 – “that’s a big gig for a young guy,” Atfield says. A member of the “eromenos” class of boys trained to please men, he could have been dumped for a younger successor, but he wasn’t.

“I theorise that Hadrian fell in love for the first time in his life,” says Atfield.

True, there was no Roman word for “gay” at the time, but he believes Hadrian was “essentially gay”, with his wife Sabina’s tacit acceptance. The play is written for five actors – a large cast these days, as he says –Antinous, Hadrian, Sabina and two fictional characters.

“It’s written in contemporary language with contemporary music (including an instantly recognisable gay anthem) and costumes,” says Atfield who has scored a coup in getting Sydney TV star and gay spokesman Nicholas Eadie to play Hadrian.

But in the end, the story is told from Antinous’ point of view, as actor Ethan Gibson, playing Antinous as a statue in a museum, interrelates with the audience through flashbacks.

“Ah, yes”, Atfield warns with some relish, “there’ll be nudity and sex scenes in the play – something unusual for Canberra.”

“Scandalous Boy”, The Street Theatre, November 14-23, bookings to 6247 1223 or thestreet.org.au

When the Queen came to town

By Helen Musa

ONE of the highlights of the enormouslypopular British Film Festival will be “When the Queen Came to Town” by Canberra’s Wildbear Productions.

Directed by Maurice Murphy and narrated by Bert Newton, the new doco provides a remarkable snapshot of pre-TV Australia when the young Queen visited the antipodes in 1954. It mixes professional cinematography in glorious Cinemascope with home footage.

The idea, according to Wildbear’s executive producer, Michael Tear, was entirely that of their producer, Tina Dalton, who accidentally came across an “amazing” Technicolor film version of the 1954 royal visit that, she was stunned to find, had only ever enjoyed one screening.

“It was such an incredible mass event,” Tear tells “CityNews”, with possibly three quarters of the population coming out.

“Look, you might think you’re a republican, but even republicans are fascinated by the Queen, they can’t help but admire her… she was a young

woman and she made herself available to the public,” he says.

The proof is in the frocks, he comments, which were quickly reproduced in department stores –she was in every way, the “People’s Queen”.

Nostalgia can cut both ways, of course, and survivors of the 1960s may cringe at some scenes from that paean to the permissive era, “Darling”, for which Julie Christie won an Oscar playing bored model, Diana. That will be part of a retrospective that also includes “Billy Liar”, “The

Italian Job” and “A Hard Day’s Night”.

Opening the festival on November 6 will be “Testament of Youth”, based on the memoirs of World War I pacifist Vera Brittain.

The closing film “The Imitation Game”, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, should interest Canberrans familiar with the story of Alan Turing who cracked Nazi Germany’s Enigma code, tipped for a swag of Oscars.

In comedy, “A Long Way Down” features Toni Collette, Pierce Brosnan and Aaron Paul, while Rosamund Pike and Billy Connolly set off on a disastrous road trip called “What We Did on Our Holiday”.

For film connoisseurs there’s veteran director Ken Loach’s “Jimmy’s Hall”, in which political activist Jimmy Gralton is deported from Ireland during the “Red Scare” of the 1930s.

A must for theatre lovers is “Miss Julie” featuring Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell. And for art buffs, the “must” is “Mr. Turner”, starring Timothy Spall as painter J.M.W. Turner.

The Emirates British Film Festival, Palace Electric, NewActon, November 6-23, bookings to palacecinemas.com.au

GREATSALE! SEATS ON

A Magnificent Musical Showcase

Enjoy superb performances by three of the world’s most beautiful voices. Starring Latvian soprano Inessa Galante, who is known for her voluminously warm and resonant voice and depth of expression. The superb voices of tenor Simon O’Neill and baritone Peter Coleman-Wright will perform famous male duets such as the Pearl Fishers Duet for the first time at the Voices in the Forest concert.

The spinning Webb of truth

“Kill the Messenger” (M)

as much credibility as does any film claiming to be based on real events.

“Peter Coleman-Wright brings great humanity to music. He is one of our great actors on the stage”.

Brett Dean, composer

“Simon O’Neill is the most complete Otello since Placido Domingo — his grandest passages are deeply stirring”.

Michael Tanner, BBC Music Magazine

THE source for Michael Cuesta’s film is Gary Webb’s 1996 articles in the “San Jose Mercury” telling how the CIA set in motion the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic by importing planeloads of cocaine into the US to finance the Nicaraguan Contras. Why did the articles not generate a media frenzy? Because concurrently with Webb’s articles, Monica Lewinsky’s palating of POTUS’ prong was the hot-news ticket.

Cuesta and writer Peter Landesman follow Webb’s trail through the dirty, drug-trafficking world, projecting him as a decent man good at his job, devoted to revealing the truth. The result offers

The film is unclear about whether POTUS was ever made aware of what the CIA was doing in pursuit of an ideology-based foreign policy without any sort of concern for the consequences for a major domestic policy.

The film is a tour de force for Jeremy Renner as Webb. Rosemarie DeWitt plays his wife. Oliver Platt is the editor of the Mercury and Barry Pepper is the attorney engaged by the CIA to try to stop publication of the articles.

In 2005, a coroner ruled that Webb’s death from two gunshots to the head was suicide. Think about that.

At Capitol 6 and Palace Electric

“The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet” (M)

IN this charming little odyssey written and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet from a novel by Reif Larsen, 10-year-old TS (Kyle Catlett) leaves the family ranch on the crest of the Rocky Mountains near the Canadian border to travel to Washington DC to receive a prestigious prize from the Smithsonian Institution. His family doesn’t know where or why he’s gone. The story’s dramatic construction deftly weaves splendid outdoors imagery as TS rides a freight train through mountains and across plains. The journey ends when the semi-trailer driven by Iraq-war

“Pride” (M)

REMEMBER “Brassed Off” and “The Full Monty”, films in which British underdogs confronted crisis and the establishment with novel solutions to current industrial problems?

Weren’t they great fun?

So is Matthew Warchus’ film of Stephen Beresford’s screenplay about one oppressed minority joining forces with another in 1984.

In London, working out of a bookshop run by Gethin (Andrew Scott), gays and lesbians are collecting donations to support striking coal miners. They choose the Welsh mining village of Onllwyn to benefit from their collection. There, gays and lesbians are initially unwelcome. The film is most of all about the slow replacement of opposition with acceptance, encouraged by union secretary Cliff (Bill Nighy), teacher Dai (Paddy Considine), housewives-with-a-conscience Sian (Jessica Gunning) and Hefina

veteran Ricky (Julian Richings) carries him from Chicago freight yards to the front steps of the Smithsonian. There, bureaucrat Ms Jibsen (Judy Davis) recognises TS as a ladder that can carry her up several career grades. After all, he has built the perpetual motion machine that has baffled science for millennia. TS’ film has strong feel-good values carrying him through adventures, close shaves, meetings with folk who might or might not deal kindly with him. Carrying a grievous burden that the film’s in no haste to reveal, he’s very much an innocent little country boy vulnerable among the risks of being alone in an urban adult world. I enjoyed his film very well. At Palace Electric

(Imelda Staunton).

But bigot Maureen (Lisa Palfrey) goes to the tabloid press to smear the growing amity between the two groups. It matters little that “Pride” travels a path marked out by others. It’s agreeable, good-humoured and credible. And a film about workingclass Welsh men and women would be incomplete without a hall-full of them singing something patriotic. Few do that better than the Welsh.

At Palace Electric, Dendy and

DOUGAL MACDONALD

The tasty wonders of cooking on a spit

I WASN’T sure what to think when I walked into the massive space that is Wood & Coal in Civic.

I was impressed that we were swiftly attended to: a table will be ready “in five”, would we like to perch ourselves at the bar and enjoy a drink in the meantime?

I wasn’t so impressed with the Guns N’ Roses tune blasting my head off. What do I have against Guns N’ Roses? Nothing. I just wasn’t expecting this style of music, so loud, in a place like Wood & Coal on a Tuesday night.

But let’s park the music and get on to the heart of the matter, and that’s the at this new

By the bar is a massive, glassed-in cool room in which hangs, on big hooks, whole pigs and big slabs of meat. If you don’t like meat don’t go to Wood & Coal. Indeed, don’t go anywhere that devotes itself to slow-roasted cooking on open flames.

The food is super tasty. Super tasty. And I’ll put it on the table that we’ll be back, but with a bigger crowd so we can explore more dishes in one sitting – perhaps beef ribs with capsicum glaze ($36 for 350 grams) or yearling lamb ($45).

But first it was a small plate to get our tastebuds dancing. The milk bun thit (like a Vietnamese mini bun) is made with the special spit meat of the day ($12). We lucked it with the spit-roasted pork, creamed honey and maple packed with Japanese-style yuzu mayo, pickled carrot, cucumber, coriander and chilli ($12 for two buns). We were delighted with the crackling on top.

The beef hump tasted amazing, with the caramel soy and beer adding great depth ($28), but it was too tough for us to enjoy. So we concentrated on our innovative veggie side dishes. The fried cauliflower, with vino cotto, harissa, and crispy onion was delicious and only $12 (generous serve). The brussels sprouts

arts in the city

(before you say “yuck”, hear me out) were equally delicious with the Green Goddess dressing ($15).

I said don’t go to Wood & Coal if you don’t like meat, but I slap myself on the hand for that because large plates include a pasta, charred mackerel, Fremantle octopus and delicious-sounding salads ($28 to $36).

The wine list is extensive and impressive,

with many wines available by half carafe. No expense has been spared on the fitout; tables range from small twoseaters to large communal-style. In some areas tables are crammed in. Indeed, no one, not even a “stick person”, could have squeezed by to sit at the table nestled behind us. And on chairs? Some are comfy. Some aren’t.

125 Bunda Street (most of the restaurant is physically inside the Canberra Centre), Civic. Open seven days, noon til late. Call 6162 0055.

Unbridled festival of the horse

ART and horses? The “Unbridled Festival of Horses, Music and Food”, coming to Thoroughbred Park on November 15, is a celebration of the horse, but there’ll also be a jousting competition, music, entertainment and a craft market. All details at unbridledfestival.com

TWO US artists, baritone Bruce Cain and guitarist David Asbury, will perform the last 2014 concert for Art Song Canberra in “Dedications – New Works for Voice, Guitar and the World”. At Wesley Music Centre, 3pm, on Sunday, November 16, tickets only at the door.

BACK for its third season, the IMB Sunset Cinema is to screen at the Botanic Gardens, November 14-December 20, with blockbusters, cult classics, live bands, beanbags, gourmet food and a bar. Bookings to sunsetcinema.com.au/canberra

ROSSINI’S last major composition

“Petite Messe Solennelle” is nothing if not flamboyant. Alan Hicks will be conducting the work with the University of Canberra Chorale and soloists Ayse Göknur Shanal, Christina Wilson and Christopher Lincoln Bogg at All Saints, Ainslie, 7.30pm, on Friday, November 14, bookings to trybooking.com/FVMC or tickets at the door.

“LET all Men Sing!” is the biennial massed male voice concert of

Bruce Cain, left, and guitarist David Asbury... performing the last 2014 concert for Art Song Canberra.

the Male Choirs Association of Australia. With more than 400 choristers from 14 male choirs, conducted by NZ’s Dr Guy Jansen. Canberra is represented by the Canberra Men’s Choir and the host is the Australian Rugby Choir. At the AIS Arena, 2.30pm, on Saturday, November 15. Funds go to Soldier On. Bookings to ticketek.com.au or 132849.

“CURRENT”, the last “RAW Canberra” showcase for the 2014 season will bring together more than 30 local, emerging artists in fashion, music, visual and performance at the Uni Pub from 7.30pm on Wednesday, November 12. Bookings to rawartists. org/canberra/current or at the door.

SINGER-songwriter, and star of

“The Voice”, Alex Gibson, is coming to Bungendore Wood Works Gallery with a program of blues, folk, soul, jazz and soft rock. From 6.30pm, Saturday, November 15, bookings for dinner and show to 6238 1688.

THE 2014 Canberra Country Blues & Roots Festival is at Queanbeyan Showground, November 14-16. Bookings to ticketbooth.com.au or canberracountry.com

HELEN MUSA

La Scala Italian Restaurant

Celebrating 25 years of excellence and welcomed as an accredited member restaurant to The Academy of Italian Cuisine for accurately displaying Italian culinary traditions and innovations.

Tropical rainforest to glow at twilight

AMONG palms, twinkling lights and art sculptures, landscapers Terry and Mia Fox’s garden is a place to meander past bubbling ponds, ferns and maples, traverse the rainforest boardwalk and enjoy views over Bruce Ridge nature reserve and Black Mountain.

The front garden is formal and neat, with repeated plantings of structural hedges and driveway beds, but the back tells a different story, as a densely planted, private rainforest unfolds with granite paths and staircases leading downhill to the boardwalk and floating artificial-grass platforms.

The 1600sqm O’Connor heights garden will be open on the weekend of November 8 and 9, and in a break from the traditional Open Gardens Australia schedule, it will open from 4pm-10pm on

WORDS: Kathryn Vukovljak

PHOTOS: Gary Schafer

the Saturday evening, and then 10am-4.30pm on the Sunday.

“We thought we’d try a twilight opening because the garden looks pretty special at that time,” says horticulturist Terry.

“We have so many lights throughout the garden which give a glow to the foliage and the stonework, and really set things off.”

When the couple bought the property in 1997, the steep block was unloved, wild and weedy.

The timber boardwalk is a relatively new addition, inspired by a family holiday to Lord Howe Island eight years ago.

“Terry has wanted to put one in ever since!” says Mia. “It finally happened earlier this year and the kids (Oliver, nine, and Phoebe, four) love riding

their bikes and skateboarding around it.”

The open garden event will include sculptures and lighting by Matthew Manwaring, and on the Saturday night Richard Parker, of Murrumbateman winery Long Rail Gully, will host wine tasting.

The couple chose to keep most of the existing indigenous trees on the block, which provide a canopy for a layer of mixed ornamental trees and the lower storey textural plants.

“The eucalypts can be hard work as they’re so hungry, but they create privacy and protection,” says Mia. “If we hadn’t kept the gum trees it wouldn’t be O’Connor.”

24 Wongoola Close, O’Connor, open Saturday, November 8, 4pm-10pm, and Sunday, November 9, 10am-4.30pm. Adults $8, children under 18, free. Funds raised will go to Open Gardens Australia and the Australian Red Cross. More information at opengarden.org.au

There’s more…

THREE other gardens are also open to the public on the weekend of November 8-9

• AT 4 Hubbe Street, Torrens, a beautiful streetscape of mature trees shelters a cottage garden filled with colour and scent.

• AT 12 Howchin Place, Torrens, clever and successful contrasts of flower and foliage are highlights in this much-loved garden, where winding paths reveal surprises at every turn.

• AND, as featured in last week’s “CityNews”, bold reds and cool greens define a garden of beautiful mature trees and finely foliaged structural shrubs at 7 Fuller Street, Deakin.

gardening

When a garden makes scents

A GOOD time to enjoy the scents of the garden is in the still of a warm evening.

Along the drive in our garden is the truly wow factor of Rosa “Zephirine Drouhin”, a thornless, old French (1858) climbing rose. Pictured is just one rose on a north-facing wall.

This variety was a favourite of one of the most famous gardeners of all time, Gertrude Jekyll (rhyming with treacle) who had a pergola 100 metres long with 50 of these roses planted each side growing over the pergola.

In the UK, garden centres declared it the most popular rose sold. It is available here. Close behind in popularity is the ubiquitous Rosa “Iceberg”. Even in Canberra so many paths leading to front doors are lined with standard Icebergs, a rose first made popular in the famous white garden at Sissinghurst Castle in England.

Elsewhere in the garden, there is the stunning fragrance of Michelia figo or Port Wine Magnolia. Introduced into Western gardens from China in 1789, it is closely related to magnolias.

If you don’t have any at home, head to your local garden centre and drink in the perfume.

Equally heavenly in scent is Michelia yunnanensis, described by Paradise Plants as the embodiment of the timeless mystery and peaceful contemplation of the temple slopes of China.

THE head gardener of Sissinghurst Castle gardens, possibly the most visited in the UK, says: “If a plant is not thriving where it is, you have either got it in the wrong place or you haven’t got the right place for it.

“If it is a special plant and not too big, move it at least once or even twice. If it still is not thriving get rid of it, life is too short”.

In one garden, for example, I moved threemetre-tall camellias from the back to the front garden. And palms, five metres tall, from Yass to Sanctuary Cove in Queensland.

great Horticultural Society’s Spring Exhibition and Rose Show will be held on the weekend of November 15-16 at the Wesley Centre, National Circuit, Forrest. Entry by donation. It features a huge stall selling plants at cheap prices and there is a display of floral art, which offers floral-art students or flower-shop owners a wealth of new ideas.

Jottings...

• It is safe to plant tomatoes, although have covers on hand in case of late frost.

• Break up mulch that might have compacted with heavy rain with a hoe, removing weeds as you go.

• Remove the last of the winter flowers, such as primulas, and start planting summer-flowering annuals such as petunias.

• Plant dahlia tubers now. As with tomatoes, put stakes in first for tall-growing varieties.

• Besides the obligatory bird bath as the days warm, have a water bowl at ground level for

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