150205 citynews

Tony’s confessions are wearing thin

MICHAEL MOORE

Lessons from making a noise

TIM GAVEL

Love in a harsh new world

JOHN GRIFFITHS

We can’t escape the role of coal

DON AITKIN

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Banking on Christine

By Helen Musa

WHEN thinking of the musical, “Mary Poppins”, I’m guessing the world of commercial banking doesn’t pop into your mind.

It’s far more likely that you’re busy trying to remember how to pronounce “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” or wondering how the main actors will dance across chimney tops.

And yet, as I discover when I meet Christine Wallace, playing the principal role of Mrs Winifred Banks in the coming Free-Rain Theatre Company production of the show, banks and banking are very much to the fore.

Indeed, when the late Walt Disney and his team set about adapting the “Mary Poppins” novels by Australian author PL Travers, it was the story of Mr Banks and his dysfunctional family that formed the backbone of the plot we now know.

For in the story, husband, wife and children are close to estrangement when Mary, the unorthodox nanny from who-knows-where,

“pops in” to show how a loving family should be.

To be sure, as Wallace explains to me while we swing around the red velvet drapes at historic Albert Hall (the nearest thing to Edwardian England that we could find in Canberra) Mrs Banks, as a member of the Suffragette movement and a former actress, has ideas of her own, articulated in the song “Being Mrs Banks”. And Mr Banks, an honourable, upright member of his profession, is over-preoccupied with choosing between corruptible and more honourable clients.

But all that, as 10-year-old Jake Keen, from Tuggeranong, and 10-year-old Victoria Hunt, from Ngunnawal tell me, is no excuse for being remote and unfeeling parents. They play the Banks children, Michael and Victoria.

Luckily, as we know, Mary turns up in the nick of time, after the household has gone through six successive nannies.

“Yes, we are really, really naughty,” Jake explains, “but we’re crying out for attention,” Victoria adds, “especially from our dad, who rejects us even when we say goodnight.” She

gets to speak the line: “I hate him, and he’s mean and rotten”.

But that all changes when Mary Poppins arrives on the scene like “a breath of fresh air”, as Jake and Victoria chorus. “She is stern, but not stern and she takes us on all the adventures. She makes our toys come to life and the statues in the park come to life.”

Even better, Mr Banks’ frosty goodnights become warmer and, by the end, he even flies kites with his kids.

Mrs Banks could be seen as playing second fiddle to the tough Mary, but the children assure me that even though they’re sorry to see her go, they’re ready to resume a loving relationship with their mother and father. “We have a mum and dad again,” as Jake says.

Wallace is entertaining us with “A Spoonful of Sugar”. She’s an experienced singer who trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and a former on-camera journalist with WIN TV, who now works as media co-ordinator for the AFP. But she’s lucky to get a word in, with two such articulate young performers

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as Jake and Victoria obviously already across the show.

Wallace confirms everything the children say, also using the expression “a breath of fresh air”. Mary, she says, “shakes the family up in the best possible way – it’s very uplifting”.

With the role of the diva Carlotta behind her in Free-Rain’s “The Phantom of the Opera”, the easily flustered Mrs Banks is a venture into the comic idiom, something new for Wallace, who once played Juliet in her school Shakespeare production.

When Mary Poppins begins, she explains, Mrs Banks is thoroughly miserable, she is out of her depth socially, trying to work out her role in high society and she simply doesn’t know how to manage her children. Mary shows her how, before she “pops out” of their lives.

So the show is about magic, imagination, tough love, honour versus affection, but above all, it’s about family.

“Mary Poppins”, Canberra Theatre, March 12-29, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

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Stars of the needle

THE ACT is the national leader in childhood immunisation rates, according to the latest Australian Childhood Immunisation Register figures for December. The figures show that Canberra has the highest rate of children fully immunised in each of the three reportable age cohorts.

“We have a higher percentage of one, two and fiveyear-olds fully vaccinated here in Canberra than any other state or territory,” said ACT Medicare Local chair Dr Martin Liedvogel.

He says the results show Canberra parents are keen to protect their children from preventable childhood diseases such as whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella.

Just for kids

THE ACT Bilingual Education Alliance’s children’s sanctuary in Ainslie Place (opposite Civic Square) during the Multicultural Festival will offer family fun, 11am-4.45pm, on Saturday, February 14, including face painting, balloon modelling and entertainment from Johnny Huckle and clowns. More information at actbilingual.weebly.com/events.

Pancakes galore

ALL Saints Church, at the corner of Cowper and Bonney Streets, Ainslie, is inviting the public to share a Shrove Tuesday pancake evening from 5.30pm on Tuesday, February 17. Pancakes with sweet/savoury toppings and drinks will be available for a gold-coin donation. RSVP, for catering purposes, 6258 7420 by February 15.

Foundation garments

THE “Territory Trekkers” will be walking the 55km Sydney Coastrek on March 6 to raise $2000 for the Fred Hollows Foundation. In support, the Ab Fab Shop, in Lathlain Street, Belconnen, will host a fashion afternoon at 2.30pm, on Saturday, February 7, with music, refreshments, prizes, and raffles. All purchases will receive a 10 per cent discount and a further 10 per cent will be dontated to support the foundation. Bookings to ernestarichter@gmail.com or 0402 127793.

Final safety grants

BEFORE winding down, the NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust is making its final call for applications for grants to support road safety projects for its 2015 grants program in the ACT and region. There are no specific priority topics or funding limits. The Trust has allocated more than $20 million to over 400 innovative road safety projects since its inception in 1992. Application forms are at roadsafetytrust.org.au. The deadline is March 11.

Todd takes over

TODD Wills has been appointed Canberra managing partner for national accounting firm EY. A partner since 2012, he replaces Lucille Halloran, who has been promoted to a new role heading up EY’s government and public sector practice across Oceania.

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seven days

Quickly driving the dagger home

“IF it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly.”

So said the Macbeths as they contemplated dispatching the king and taking his place on the throne. And while Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop have been models of loyalty to their liege, the pressures from their backbench will now decide whether they clasp the dagger and drive it home.

In politics, timing is everything. PM Tony Abbott’s act of obeisance to another monarch on Australia Day is the perfect case in point. It was a barbecue stopper on national barbecue day. And the nervous backbenchers will want the leadership issue – which now dominates the scene – resolved before their fate becomes irredeemable.

CALLS from Rupert Murdoch (among others) for the dismissal of the PM’s chief of staff Peta Credlin totally misunderstand the forces at play. Her sacking, resignation or even an extended sick leave

The Australia Day fracas revealed just how much we need a genuinely Australian occasion to celebrate our unity since January 26 just doesn’t cut it.

would be a disaster. In the Australian system – unlike America’s – staffers are not scapegoats-in-waiting. Women everywhere would be outraged.

THE Government’s attempt to persuade the new Indonesian President Jokowi to spare the Australian drug runners Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran was always going to be a tough call. And to think, it was all so unnecessary – if only AFP chief Mick Keelty had picked them up when they stepped off the plane in Australia instead of informing the Indonesian authorities, they could have served their time in an Australian slammer… perhaps even Australia’s third worst jail, our own Alexander Maconochie Centre.

ENOUGH of the nasties. The good news is that the Australian Republic is back on the agenda. Indeed, the Australia Day fracas revealed just how much we need a genuinely Australian occasion to celebrate our unity since

January 26 just doesn’t cut it. However, the day we finally snip those colonial ties and become a republic would fill the bill very nicely.

CLOSER to home, the good news continues with the release of the master plans for a rejuvenated Woden, Weston and Mawson shopping centres. Indeed, the Woden development looks absolutely spiffing with some entertainment venues for an exciting nightlife. There’s even a light rail envisioned. Oh well, what’s another billion dollars among friends. In fact, you have to wonder if the rise of Uber will affect the tram’s financial modelling. Will that figure in Andrew Barr’s taxi review I wonder?

THANK goodness the tennis is over. We spent hour upon hour hypnotised by grunting millionaires belting little lime balls across the net when we could have been doing something useful. The men – aside from our own Nick Kyrgios – were an unattractive bunch, and once Nick departed no one at our

ROBERT MACKLIN

place really cared who won. But still we watched.

Some of the ladies looked terrific – and if those tennis dresses were any shorter they’d be bodices. How far we’ve travelled since Gertrude Augusta (“Gorgeous Gussy’) Moran outraged the tennis public in the 1950s when they glimpsed the hem of her frilly panties.

WARMEST congrats to our own Peking Duk, Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles, who are exciting the pop world like Nick in the tennis. I’m told they’ve just signed a big recording contract in New York. Today Canberra, tomorrow the world!

robert@robertmacklin.com

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sport Lessons from making noise

THE Big Bash final at Manuka and the Asian Cup Football matches at Canberra Stadium have set the benchmark for the game-day experience now expected by sports fans in this city.

Last season, the Brumbies and the Raiders struggled to find a crowd for home matches at Canberra Stadium. Both organisations have tried to lift the game-day experience with a limited budget, but it’s obvious that if the teams are to attract bigger crowds there is more to it than winning.

People don’t need to go to Canberra Stadium to watch the Brumbies and the Raiders; they can stay home and watch the games on television in comfort without any of the hassles associated with going to the stadium (although it is acknowledged that getting to Canberra Stadium is easier than getting to most major stadiums in Australia).

Admittedly, both the Big Bash and the Asian Cup were one-off events, but the large crowds shouldn’t be dismissed as people going out of curiosity.

During the seven Asian Cup soccer matches, Canberra Stadium was dressed for a great attraction; it had the feel of a stadium staging a major event. The question has to be asked: Why doesn’t Canberra Stadium look that good for Brumbies and Raiders games?

People

want to go to a sporting event these days as much for the contest as the prospect of having a good time, a chance to escape.

I have made a few calls on this and it would appear there have been restrictions placed on the teams and the level of control they have over the ground. That needs to change if the Brumbies and the Raiders are to attract bigger crowds.

At Manuka Oval, the Big Bash final provided an insight into the extent to which sport has become entertainment.

We have seen sport at such venues dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the dark ages into acknowledging it is in competition with other forms of entertainment. For many years I held the view that most people at sporting events went purely for the contest. I have to admit being a part of this. I love the contest, but my most recent experiences are proving the catalyst for a rethink.

The Big Bash League has changed my thoughts considerably. People want to go to a sporting event these days as much for the contest as the prospect of having a good time, a chance to escape – and in many respects, the Big Bash League is

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pure escapism with music, fireworks and fans are encouraged to make as much noise as possible with instructions on the screens around the ground telling them when to cheer.

There is also such a considerable build up that spectators can easily feel as if they are playing a role in the event. This seems to be a vital part of the modern sports experience.

That is the great challenge faced by the Brumbies and the Raiders. How do they get their spectators more involved in what is happening on the field? Let’s take some inspiration from these most recent local events and see what can be done.

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Love in a harsh new world

A NEW thing happened to me a few weeks ago.

I was out on a date with a blonde woman and she gave me a steely gaze saying: “So, I’ve been going through your Facebook photos. Not many blonde girlfriends in your past are there?”

This momentarily flummoxed me. A lack of blonde women in my life certainly isn’t for lack of trying.

But when pressed to think about it, and (worse) to explain myself, it is true that the girlfriends of the last 20-odd years have certainly skewed to brunettes with a tendency to burst into fire-truck red without warning.

It certainly wasn’t a conscious choice on my part, and I suspect had more to do with those brunettes having a preference for my own dark, smouldering good looks.

A few days later I was, as one does, browsing through the Facebook photographs of a new female acquaintance.

Somewhat to my consternation, I kept seeing pictures of myself. Well, not exactly me, but guys who looked a lot like me; same haircut, same beard, same glasses.

Lucky for me, I seemed to fit the type!

This is nothing new. Looking at many couples, they often don’t appear to be entirely aware of their partners.

Frequently people are just there to fill a certain shaped hole in our lives and as long as they don’t stray too far from expected norms and do their share of

Facebook: Facebook is like prison, you write on walls and poke random people.”

– Urban Dictionary

the driving to parties we’re free to rumble along with our own obsessions.

But Facebook’s particular kink to collecting and preserving all the photographs of our lives does create a damning archive.

Then, of course, we have Tinder, the 600-pound gorilla of dating.

Slap up some photos, screen-type in some words about yourself that hardly anyone will read and get swiping. Swipe right for yes, and left for no, wait for a match.

(Some strategists swipe “yes” for everything and then triage after matching, which seems a touch callous but only the victims will ever know what sods they are.)

Five photographs to express yourself, dragged out of your Facebook archive.

Drink in hand? Raging alcoholic! Kids in picture? Always going to be busy! No body shot? Must be as big as a house!

Photos all over exposed? The years have

not been kind.

There’s nothing fair, or reasonable, about it. This is the internet marketplace brought to human affairs in all its efficient brutality.

No one is going to see any inner beauty that you haven’t made an effort to find a photographic expression of.

And yet looking at the long-term couples seemingly oblivious to any detail in their partner’s life one has to wonder if this is really a problem.

It’s merciless, but it is honest after a fashion.

Is it better or worse than the pretence of yesteryear? That’s hard to say, but academics wittering about it have never seemed to slow the rising influence of the internet on our lives.

Just remember not to judge your friends too harshly when you see their profile on one of these meat markets.

You can only see them because you’re there, too.

JOHN GRIFFITHS

It’s all Tony’s fault…

RE Robert Macklin’s column (CN, January 29).

A woman cyclist gets skittled by a ‘roo while passing The Lodge. Of course that’s PM Tony Abbott’s fault – he’s been raising a mob of roos among The Lodge roses, and sikking ‘em on passing hapless cyclists.

Now what else can we blame him for?

Feral horses – they must be his Clydesdales that got loose and made

for the high country last month.

Cold weather in Canberra – of course, the man’s a climate denier, isn’t he?

Overt monarchism, guilty as charged – along with half the rest of the country.

Robert, do be careful, your gallbladder (that’s the part producing all that bile) is working overtime.

Tina Faulk, Swinger Hill

Storm in a thimble

RE Prince Philip’s knighthood and the resultant outcry: Is this the most serious situation facing Australia today?

I think not. Thanks to the

hysterical media whipping themselves into a frenzy, it has been elevated to the status of storm in a thimble!

Vincent Mawson, via email

Wake up, politicians

WITH a debt of $245 billion, and rising, we may be in the slipstream of Greece – at a time when the cerebral workings of our politicians are failing. When will they wake up?

Those senators frustrating every move to relieve our debt should copy the man who led a small, poor, corrupt country to one of the most successful – Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew.

Regarded as a master strategist, he said he wasn’t bothered how he would be remembered, but in life

he always aimed to be correct – not politically correct!

Do-nothing Federal parliamentarians and lotus-land voters will find his perspective on governance particularly penetrating. He said that a successful democratic society requires two things: a constantly interested and vigilant electorate and the ablest, toughest and most dedicated of leaders. Currently, we don’t qualify on either account.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

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Tony’s true confessions starting to wear thin

Constantly confessing about political catastrophes can only go on for so long. Large parts of the community are running low on forgiveness.

HOW many more bungles are needed before the cocky captain stops blundering?

Enough has been said about awarding an Australian knighthood to Prince Philip, but there are so many more botch-ups.

How can this Prime Minister maintain his attitude and confidence after making so many gaffes and yet cockily front up to make more? To comprehend this thinking requires an understanding of the Catholic tradition in which he was raised, along with the

he remains a very committed part of the flock. One interesting element of this part of the Christian tradition that shapes character is the sacrament of confession (now often called reconciliation). Make a mistake, confess, do penance, receive absolution and start afresh. Weekly confession was a normal practice for “good” Catholics in the era of Tony’s youth.

In politics, the Prime Minister’s confession has been translated into:

“In the end this is my call and I’m happy to take these things on the chin”.

He told reporters in Colac, Victoria: “I’m sure if I went into the pub to talk about it they’d say it was a stuff-up,” he said.

“I’d take that on the chin and then we’d move on and discuss other subjects, and that’s exactly what I propose to do today.”

If it was just this one bungle it might even work. However, the litany of mistakes, bungles and bad calls are

much harder to absolve.

So many calamities. The Medicare co-payment is amongst the greatest. Tony Abbott’s complete faith in the power of personal responsibility and his headlong drive

to bring a very healthy Triple-A rating Budget into surplus has blinded him to the punters’ appreciation of Medicare.

dose of dorin

12 - 29 MARCH 2015

The first attack was struck down by the Senate amongst demonstrative reaction from ordinary Australians. “Abbott-think” missed the message, ignored the democratic decision and found a way around it by asking doctors to wear a $3 billion cut or extract it from their patients. And now we learn that this was another “captain’s call”.

jumbo crossword solution

The Abbott government was able to find a one per cent tax cut for corporate Australia and remove the mining tax while asking poorer Australians to “shoulder their share of the burden”.

In the middle of the controversy, complaining about the dire circumstances left by Labor, they announced the purchase of 58 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at an estimated cost of $12.4 billion.

Then there is his attitude to women. How many times will he need to confess and seek forgiveness? One woman in the cabinet. Winking at the interviewer during a call from a phone-sex worker concerned about the Medicare co-payment.

On Fiona Scott, MP for Lindsay, he said: “Young, feisty, I think I can probably say, has a bit of sex appeal.” On gender roles: “What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing…”. There was also a captain’s call on paid maternity leave.

Attempting to turn the disaster around Abbott has tried to take control as the team’s captain.

“This is a very strong team,” he said. “They’ve got a very good captain. It takes a good captain to help all the players of a team to excel.”

Has he forgotten the prime minister is the first amongst equals?

Trust is a critical element of the successful politician and leader. Constantly confessing about political catastrophes can only go on for so long. Large parts of the community are running low on forgiveness. And so are many in the Parliamentary Liberal Party.

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

We can’t escape the role of coal

IN my recent little piece on light rail, I ventured the view that the ACT government’s initiative was driven, in part, by its feelings about climate change and perhaps a feeling that the day of “peak oil” had arrived.

The Government’s Climate Change policy says, in the introduction, that the “overwhelming weight of scientific evidence indicates that our current patterns of production and consumption, particularly our burning of non-renewable fossil fuels, are not sustainable”. Well, exaggeration aside, that suggests that we should be moving from cars to public transport, and from buses to light rail.

But of course the policy also goes on to talk about “reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, and there is a “plan” that projects that by 2020 the ACT will have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions very greatly, nearly 75 per cent of the reduction coming from smaller “energy supply sector emissions”.

If I understand all this correctly, what has happened is that the ACT Government has committed us to buying renewable energy (hydro and wind, mostly – solar hardly appears on any graph) to a high degree, and some time ago the then-minister told us that we were “on track” to have 90 per cent of our electricity from these sources by 2020.

Perhaps we are. But there’s some real uncertainty in all of this. Electricity comes from the grid (the National Energy Market). About 70 per cent of the electricity is produced through coal-fired power stations, and the proportion is not likely to be much less in 2020. Renewables are increasing very slowly, and most of the recent increase is from hydro power.

So how can the ACT have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions when 70 per cent of the electricity comes from coal? Ah, well, we will have added to the renewable energy base by commissioning new solar and wind power, and that will offset our continuing use of coal-fired power, and then there are all those roof-top solar panels.

That’s a bit on the tortuous side, I think, and it comes with an additional problem. Wind power is not available when there’s no wind, and solar power is not available at night. Solar is getting more and more efficient, but we have not learned yet how to store large amounts of solar energy.

We simply have to use fossil fuels to generate the electricity, not just to run the light rail at night and when there’s no wind, but to allow us to do all the other things we take for granted through flicking a switch.

So we simply have to use fossil fuels to generate the electricity, not just to run the light rail at night and when there’s no wind, but to allow us to do all the other things we take for granted through flicking a switch.

There’s more. The flow of renewable energy into grids disturbs the even matching supply to demand that the grid managers have to ensure. The passage of clouds affects the generation of solar power, while the variation in wind speed affects wind-based energy. In consequence, the grid managers have to ensure also that they have back-up to deal with those variations. Where does the back-up come from? Fossil fuels, usually gas, which is quick.

As I write, petrol is two thirds of the price it was only a few months ago. No doubt the price will go up again, but it’s not obvious that “peak oil” has arrived. And while petrol is cheap, the poorer members of our community are happier, and the rationale for shifting transport on to electricity becomes less powerful.

I’m still persuaded that the move to light rail is justifiable, but not because it’s going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the less said about that by the ACT government and its Ministers, the better, even though it makes lots of Canberrans feel good.

Prof Don Aitkin, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, blogs at donaitkin.com

DON AITKIN

By Catherine Carter

ANYONE who has undertaken a renovation knows that upgrades to old buildings can be expensive exercises, sometimes filled with expensive, nasty surprises.

This is especially true when it comes to heritage buildings. The current restoration of The Lodge – to repair the slate roof, remove asbestos, replace electrical wiring and upgrade the heating and air conditioning systems – is expected to cost $4.45 million.

For those of us with a passion for heritage buildings, and for preserving the stories that can only be told through bricks and mortar, this is money well spent. But it does illustrate a point. Valuing our old buildings requires more than the act of adding them to a heritage register. We must invest money in maintaining them – and in many cases this means upgrading them to meet contemporary building standards.

The former Hotel Acton is a prime example of how investment in heritage buildings reaps rewards. After

sitting “boarded up, behind wire fences”, “run down and unloved”, it is now one “of the most desirable, upmarket hotels in Canberra”, according to “The Canberra Times”.

While few would disagree, behind this rejuvenation was a private-sector developer willing to take a risk and invest time, energy and capital into the building. Debate has raged about whether we preserve or knock down ageing public-housing flats along Northbourne Avenue. Built in the 1950s, with little consideration to energy efficiency or indoor environment quality, these buildings need a substantial investment to bring them up to contemporary standards. Perhaps we need to reframe this discussion. If we believe these buildings are of heritage and architectural value, are we willing to spend money to restore and maintain them – even if it means spending less money on other projects that may boost economic activity, attract tourists and enhance the liveability of our city?

Valentine’s Day advertising feature

Love is in the air... make the most of it

IT’S not long now until the annual day of romance is upon us – St Valentine’s Day on Saturday, February 14.

According to history.com, about 150 million cards are exchanged every year, making this day the second most popular card-sending occasion after Christmas.

It is a tradition that has lasted centuries, but what are the origins of this dedication to the expression of love?

Celebrated every year on February 14, it is unclear when and how St Valentine’s Day began, with claims it started as a Christian and a Roman tradition.

Although there are several saints named Valentine, the one that stands out in history is a Roman priest of the 3rd century AD.

When marriage was outlawed by Emperor Claudius II, who claimed single men made better soldiers, Valentine defied the emperor’s wishes and continued to marry young couples in secret.

When word spread of his clandestine actions, Valentine was jailed. Yet, it was in prison where the first Valentine’s card was allegedly sent. After falling in love with the jailer’s daughter, he signed a letter to her “From your Valentine”, thus becoming the eponymous expression that is still used today.

Another potential origin of Valentine’s Day regards the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. This was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus – the Roman god of agriculture –which involved blood sacrifices and ended with women’s names being placed into an urn and chosen by the city’s bachelors to marry. Not the most romantic day, Lupercalia was later outlawed in the 5th century AD and was deemed “un-Christian”.

It wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that St Valentine’s Day became associated with love. It soon became common for couples and friends to exchange small tokens of affection and handwritten notes. As technology developed, printed cards began to replace written letters and were readily available with notes inside for people to easily express their feelings. Later, in 1969, the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints was revised and the feast day was assigned to local or national calendars, instead of as part of the General Roman Calendar.

St Valentine’s Day has come a long way over the years and the annual day of love has established itself as one of the most widely celebrated events of the year.

Fair full of travel ideas

TAKE some inspiration from St Valentine and plan a getaway with your loved one.

Don’t miss the opportunity to speak directly to a group of travel experts all in the one place at the Unique Travel Fair, at the Alliance Francaise Language School, McCaughey Street, Turner (near O’Connor shops), 11.30am-2.30pm on Saturday, February 14.

Hosted by established travel agents Travel Makers, its managing director Phil Dalley says this year’s event truly reflects his company’s philosophy to provide unique worldwide products.

“We have companies and individuals representing such places as Africa, South

America, Asia and, of course, our unique European flavour,” he says

“At this year’s fair we will have holidays and tours to suit every taste, cycling, walking, cruising, coach touring, rail tours or self-drive holidays.” For many years Travel Makers has been developing unique, private tours, capping the number of participants at a maximum of 24 to give an intimate yet social aspect to the trip.

“We will be presenting a range of these tours at the fair,” says Phil.

“At Travel Makers we believe in a high level of customer service and consultation to help make your holiday a complete success.”

Four courses ‘to die for’

SITUATED inside the new five-star Avenue Hotel, Braddon, Marble & Grain offers a four-course Valentine’s menu. At $85, the menu includes a glass of Chandon on arrival and a gift box of handmade petit fours.

Since the opening in November, the European steakhouse has become popular amongst Canberrans and offers a refined service. A spokesperson said: “It is an intimate and romantic atmosphere. The setting is superb with beautiful decor. The food is to die for.” The Valentine’s menu includes a choice of high-quality courses such as scallops, parsley root ravioli as well as a special eight-year, pasture-fed, strip loin with roasted beets and olive oil bearnaise.

Desserts include milk chocolate dulce with waffle cone and a choice of sorbets to cleanse the palate.

Bookings essential. Enquiries to marbleandgrain.com.au or call 02 6246 9555.

Beautiful bouquet of Red Roses, always a favourite on Valentine’s Day. Or you can choose the colour that will send your special message of love.

LET your floral inspiration bloom this Valentine’s Day and visit the River Road Nursery situated on 38 River Street, Oaks Estate.

With 30 years of experience, River Road Nursery specialises in growing and supplying quality plants to the public at genuine wholesale prices. This year, bunches of roses are available at $25 on the day.

Manager Carmela Krecak said: “We have thousands of roses in the ground and they are quite spectacular. Ours are fresh, we cut them the night before Valentine’s Day and they will be available all day.”

“The roses are grown here locally. People say ‘wow’, they can’t believe how fragrant they are. Many florists sell roses which aren’t fragrant but we have a variety that were planted over 20 years ago”.

On February 14 there will also be a free barbecue, where there will be steak sandwiches and a range of drinks on offer.

Enquiries to 0418 663934 or email riverroadnursery1@gmail.com

Creating new memories with candles

CREATE new memories this Valentine’s Day or revisit old ones with Moosie Soy Candles, which owner Brooke Frizza says takes you to your “happy place” with scents that bring back good memories.

Made from soybeans and with cotton wicks, these homemade candles are cleaner to burn and environmentally friendly.

Brooke creates varieties of the eco-friendly candles in her “zen” workshop at home.

She said: “There are hundreds of scents available. One of the most popular is champagne and strawberries, which is a perfect present for Valentine’s Day”.

With three sizes available, you can buy a large candle for $18 which will burn for 60 hours. A deal will be on offer for a large and small candle together for $24.

“I think that candles bring back a lot of memories.

Customers say that certain scents remind them of their husband or their trips to places like Fiji or Bali,” she said.

“They can even remind you of something you did when you were young. The flickering lights take you to your happy place.”

Order online at moosiesoycandles.com.au (free delivery) or call 0413 502498.

All sorts of beautiful gift ideas

“WORDS express, gifts deliver” is the slogan of Beautiful Gifting , a store that provides unique, Australian-made gifts for all occasions.

Located on 84 Monaro Street, Queanbeyan, there is a gift for everyone.

Owner, Deborah Keenan said: “For Valentine’s Day you can buy something for your partner that lasts forever, instead of buying a box of chocolates, buy something that they will remember you by.”

Offering a range of French glassware, ceramics, keepsake greeting cards and pottery by Robert Gordon, the products are all unique.

The range of beautiful candles provides a suitable gift for St Valentine’s Day, for both women and men.

Beautiful Gifting offers something a little bit different with its collection of Man Candles created by L’ascari.

“We have candles that are designed for men, it is something totally different. We have five different scents which are beautifully presented. Candles are a lovely gift for anyone” Deborah says.

Beautiful Gifting currently has 30 per cent off soaps

and body products and gift wrapping is available.

For enquiries, call 0419 627 210 or email to beautifulgifting@gmail.com

2015 Boutique World Travel Fair

Saturday 14 February 2015

Don’t miss your one and only opportunity to speak directly to a group of travel experts all in the one place! We have companies and individuals representing such places as Africa, South America, Asia, and of course our unique European flavour. At this year’s fair we will have holidays and tours to suit every taste, from cycling, walking, or cruising, to coach touring, rail tours or self-drive holidays.

Attendees will go into a draw to WIN one of two First Class Eurail Global Continuous Passes which are valid for a 21-day duration!

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day

The

Corner’s got the lot

FOR all sorts of Valentine’s Day inspiration, why not visit Bailey’s Corner in Civic?

FLOWERS

SAY I love you with flowers from Janine Florist & Gifts. Open from 7am till late every day, there are a variety of roses, fresh flowers and gifts.

Owner, Janine Batley said: “We offer the best flowers in Canberra and have helped people for many years make the love of their life feel very special.

“We have the best delivery service and deliver all over Canberra several times a day. We create flowers to suit your budget and we make sure we help everyone. We are really good at helping you say ‘I love you’.”

Janine Florist & Gifts will be delivering over the Valentine’s weekend.

WATCHES

GET your Valentine a personal gift this year at AJ Watch Repairs, where good quality watches and ornate clocks are on offer to suit all budgets.

Watchmaker Krzysztof Jakubaszek said: “We are primarily a watch repair shop, but we have unique brands exclusive to Canberra and brands that not many places in Australia have.

“If you’re with the one you love, you want to make it personal”.

A.J Watch Repairs has been in Bailey’s Corner for 17 years and a family business for 26 years.

“We have good quality products to cater to your budget, but also if you want to spend a bit more on an expensive gift, customers are guaranteed to find something”, Krzysztof says.

He said: “We make sure partners find something special; for Valentine’s Day people usually look for a gift for their loved one. There are accessories such as ties, cufflinks, satchels and suits”.

Last year customers were searching for red-themed accessories ready for February 14.

CONFECTIONERY

TAKE a walk down memory lane this Valentine’s Day and visit Billy Bean’s Fantastical Chocolate and Sweet Shop. There are 195 different lollies on offer, as well as chocolate and trinkets all imported from England.

“You can buy your loved ones the sweets they had when they were younger” says Debbie Giles, of Billy Bean’s.

“It is a different present, thought really goes into it. There are little quirky things to suit everyone’s tastes. I used to like old school sweet shops, they were a treat”.

Originally, from Sheffield in England, the owner Rodney Giles imports different lollies and if someone wants something specific, he will look into it.

Debbie says: “My father does his research if someone asks for something, he will do his best to get it for them”.

MENSWEAR

Ken Cook Menswear in Bailey’s Corner has provided Canberrans with quality men’s clothing and accessories for 20 years. Store manager Adolfo Albero ensures his customers find the right item.

“We find personal items that suit the customer’s taste,” Adolfo said. “We provide fittings and offer full, quality customer service”.

VINTAGE CLOTHING

FOR a nostalgic Valentine’s Day this year stop by April’s Caravan, a treasure trove of all things vintage. It offers a range of quality clothing from the ‘50s to the ‘80s as well as unique gifts such as tea sets, books, records and jewellery.

Why not have a themed Valentine’s Day? April’s Caravan will help you choose clothes and accessories to suit your chosen era.

Sales assistant, Robbie Jamieson said: “There are lots of knick knacks in store, they are all one-offs. If people are looking for something different this year, we certainly are something different. We have pretty much everything”.

You can also hire out garments and if the choice is too much for you, gift vouchers are available.

scene / around canberra

Event of the Week / Flix in the Stix, Botanic Gardens

FLIX in the Stix brought a good crowd to the Eucalyptus Lawn at the Botanic Gardens for another of those evenings where the trudge to the venue requires you to load up with all the comforts required, on this occasion the paraphernalia for a predicted shower.

We’re getting good at it and while the crowd was probably less than anticipated it was a night where the juggernaut that is Flix in the Stix put on a great show for an audience happy to sit back and be entertained with this eclectic mix of flix curated by the lovely Deborah Mailman.

“My Friend the Chocolate Cake” performed as did “Tripod” and the crowd meandered, lined up for the beer, cider, coffee and free popcorn, to go with the pizza and pulledpork buns or their own tasty gourmet picnic fixin’s.

The reclining was on the now ubiquitous Commbank yellow plastic blow-up back rests or beanbags in the expensive-seats section.

It was a night of exceptional international short films and constant social media communications to find out if the Socceroos won, if the LNP lost and if Serena is still number one. All in the affirmative!

SUNDAY ROAST

Stay in touch with the names making news on Sundays from 10am as 2CC and “CityNews” present Canberra’s only local weekend news and current affairs program.

It’s a revolving panel show that brings to the microphone great “CityNews” commentators and 2CC personalities.

Be part of the conversation and call 6255 1206 between 10am and noon.

Canberra Confidential

Canberra chalkie meets President Obama, sort of

HERE’S a photo of a new year 2 teacher for Hughes Primary School. It’s the guy on the right!

Meet Ryan Devlin, boys and girls, who is pictured at the White House with President Barack Obama during the US 2014 National Teacher of the Year ceremony, for which he was a finalist representing his home state of Pennsylvania.

So from Washington to Canberra, how come? He met Hughes Primary principal Kate Smith on a “lunar mission” at a week-long Space Academy for Educators Camp at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in July.

She recruited him to Hughes. Devlin previously taught high-school English and technology at a small, rural town 180 kms east of Pittsburgh and was the state’s youngest Teacher of the Year.

“I have been teaching teenagers for the past eight years so I am really excited to work with a new age group,” he says.

“It will be fun to create innovative and engaging lesson plans using a new curriculum.”

Devlin says he likes to use technology in the classroom and, while teaching in high school, turned his classroom 100 per cent paperless.

“I enjoy finding unique ways to make content come alive so that students are fully engaged and excited to learn,” said Devlin.

Who cares, Mick does

AS unpopular Tony Abbott has painfully discovered the perils of not consulting, so the ACT Government needs to worry about the downside of insincere invitations to consult (does anyone really imagine any feedback from the current round of tram consultation is going to save a tree or change a thing?).

As Planning Minister, Mick Gentleman

• Quality custom designed chairs, sofas and bedheads

• Re-upholstery of dining chairs, sofas, chairs and ottomans

• Window seat cushions, outdoor cushions and scatter cushions

• Upholstered wall panels for warmth, peace & quiet

• Free consultation with an experienced designer in store

• A local business that has been in Canberra for 30 years

6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick Phone: 6280 4464 www.dreamdesignfurniture.com.au

wants to know what we think about a supersized Woden and, as Roads and Parking poobah, he wanted us to have our say about a new mega-blight of 40km/h zones across the city.

But the invitation was embroidered with this sort of prejudicial stuff: “Research indicates that the introduction of a 40km/h speed area can significantly reduce the risk of death for vulnerable road users.” Who can argue with that? Make a decision, Mick.

Platter chatter

ANYONE who can remember some strange ‘70s ritual called “record clubs” will thrill at being at the National Film and Sound Archive’s Vinyl Lounge, 5.30pm, first Friday of the month, to remember the “Golden Age of Vinyl” (‘60s-’80s, apparently).

Leading the platter chatter and spinning the discs will be sound specialists Graham McDonald and Thorsten Kaeding , who promise pop, rock, folk, world, funk and lounge music. Own discs welcome, too. Free entry, drinks and nibbles from 5pm.

Terrify your friends

HOW sick is this?

Furtively photographed interstate by a snout trawling a cheapcheap store is a “Terrorist Man” dress-up kit that, for $29.99, includes hat, coat, shirt and trousers… and a high probability you’ll be shot on sight by a police patrol before you get to the party.

Gold with that?

TO mark the Chinese New Year 2015, a company called Goldgenie is flogging limited edition Year of the Goat iPhones embellished in 24k gold and laser engraved with a Chinese symbol of the goat, “thought to bring a gentle peaceful energy into the year ahead”. Presented in a “unique cherry oak finished box”, the phone is priced at about $A5500 for a 64-gigabyte model ($999 from Apple). Reassuringly, the shipping is free.

Designs on Tuesdays

IT’S been decided (by The Design Kids) that there’s too much emailing and not enough socialising going on among designers. And a couple of local graphic designers have elected to launch “TDK Tuesdays” at Honky Tonks, in Garema Place, Civic, 6pm, first and third Tuesdays of the month.

Hosts Gabrielle Carrigy and Juliette Dudley say it’s a great way for designers to have fun, swap notes, get involved and just generally build a bigger design community.

The national TDK movement bridges the gap between students and industry within the Australian graphic design community.

arts & entertainment

‘Top Cat’ comes home to sing

By Helen Musa

IF there were ever a candidate emerging from the Canberra arts scene for the title of “Top Cat” it’d have to be the celebrated coloratura soprano Lorina Gore.

She’s something of a favourite of “CityNews”, someone who has featured many times in these pages – when she won the Joan Sutherland Opera Scholarship, when she headed up Opera Australia’s concert on Bondi Beach, when she played Honey Barbara in Brett Dean’s operatic version of “Bliss” and when she scored the role of the tragic Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata” in NZ last year.

Now, with a scintillating performance as the star of “Opera in the Domain” last month behind her and her ascent to play Violetta in OA’s 2015 winter season, the petite diva has hit her straps. Why then has the sought-after Gore agreed to tread the boards of Llewellyn Hall at the coming Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) gala awards night on February 21 singing numbers from “The Phantom of the Opera”?

It’s simple. She’s a Canberra girl made good and not about to forget it. Unlike many homegrown stars who leave the ACT to further their careers and immediately suppress all connection to the national capital on their CV’s, Gore has never forgotten her origins – her time with Stephen Pike performing in the popular show at Tarzan’s Theatre Restaurant in Kippax, her vocal training at the ANU School of Music and her win in the National Aria at Llewellyn Hall that enabled her to study in London.

It was in Canberra that Gore met her future husband, Jonathan, the choral singer who didn’t want to become a professional and who has provided her and their now six-year-old son Joshua with a stable, loving environment in which her career could flourish. I am fond of relating how she told me shortly before her marriage: “There’s only room for one diva in this household”. Her in-laws are well known figures in Can -

Celebrated coloratura soprano Lorina Gore… the petite diva has hit her straps.

berra’s cultural community and she is a frequent visitor to town from their home in Kangaroo Valley, from which she conducts a busy career.

In recent months Gore has performed with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra concert in Hobart, in a Christmas concert in Paddington to raise money for the Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award and Foundation and since New Years’ Eve as Musetta in “La Boheme” at the Sydney Opera House.

So what’s her connection with the CATs? Again, it’s simple; in 1995, the first year of the awards,

she was named Best Actress in a Musical for playing Sarah in “Guys and Dolls” at Daramalan College, winning her award over all the adult nominees.

Now 20 years later, she’ll be a very special guest “Top Cat”.

The 20th CAT Gala Awards Night, Llewellyn Hall, February 21, bookings to ticketek.com.au Opera Australia’s “La Traviata”, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, July 3-22, bookings to opera.org.au

Record tragics in a musical spin

By Helen Musa

PHEONIX Players’ stage version of the cult movie “High Fidelity” is bringing out the record-tragic in the actors.

The show revolves around recordstore owner Rob and his staffers Barry and Dick, “borderline OCD guys” (that’s how directors Nathan Patrech and Sarah Hull describe them) who live their lives entirely through records, playing out their relationships in Top 5 lists as they try to touch base with real life.

For the audience, it’s a chance to touch base with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, The Who and Marvin Gaye, as well as hits of the ‘90s, as the trio argue their way around the hits. Amazingly, this is no jukebox musical and features an entirely original score by Tom Kitt, played by a live band directed by Jenny Tabur.

I’m talking to Will Huang, who gets to plays the bashful Dick. Born in Canberra, he’s lived here all of his life, except for a short stint while he was in primary school when his diplomat father was posted to Beijing. It’s obvious that Huang likes to do new shows, including an unusual role as the villain in Duncan Ley’s savage play, “The Burning”, staged by Everyman Theatre at The Q last year.

That was a rare opportunity to be cast in a challenging role rather than be stereotyped as the “comic relief or one of the geeks and freaks”.

And his character Dick? He’s melancholy, he’s a bit of a social misfit and he’s definitely a musical snob.

“Dick likes everything but mainstream music – he shuns that, but he listens to everything.”

Each of the characters has

his own “little arc”, Dick’s being infatuation with a girl who comes into the shop, although he doesn’t know how to go about expressing his feelings. Alas, her musical tastes are off, and that leads to a serious conundrum – “what comes first, music or romance?”

He’s not the only one with problems. Rob (Zach Raffan) has just been dumped by his girlfriend and Barry (Max Gambale) wants to be in a band, but has no talent.

Apart from this, the show’s a lot of fun, with some fabulous choreography by Jordan Kelly.

“There’s absolutely something for everybody in this show,” Huang asserts.

“With some really groovy, memorable numbers, you’ll be hardpressed to leave without humming at least one of the tunes.”

“High Fidelity”, at ANU Arts Centre, February 6-21, bookings to phoenixplayers.com.au

NEW SHOWS ON SALE DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND

& entertainment / cinema

The brilliant ‘Theory’ of getting it right

“The Theory of Everything” (M)

OF eight nominations for best film at this year’s Academy Awards seen in Canberra to date, one resonated more than any of the others with me.

Director James Marsh’s lovely, compassionate, credible biopic, written by Anthony McCarten with Jane Hawking’s participation confirming the screenplay’s veracity, is not the first narrative film about Stephen Hawking. In 2004 a BBC telefilm took an acrimonious view of the break up of his and Jane’s 30-year marriage.

As well as observing the scientific achievements of Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), Marsh’s film tells an intense love story involving three people.

At the triangle’s apex is the immobilised genius passionate about seeking answers to and propounding a credible theory about questions that have exercised human minds ever since Homo sapiens took that first wondering gaze at the night sky. Including the possibility that there might be a god involved.

At the other points are Jane (Felicity Jones), who bore his children and cared lovingly for him while preparing her own doctoral thesis, and Jonathan (Brian Cox), the musician now happily married to Jane with Stephen’s blessing (the pair attended the film’s premiere).

For Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of Stephen, capturing the courage and behavioural minutiae of a man immobilised by motor neurone disease, the only defensible description is “brilliant”.

Hawking’s intellectual achievements are too numerous and complex for Marsh’s film to address individually but that doesn’t diminish its emotional power. The locations are as authentic as possible. The supporting players are faultless. The film manifests qualities proclaiming its worthiness to receive every peer group honour that comes its way. Which is a very good reason to see it. And for it to get Oscars for at least best actor and best film.

“Foxcatcher” (M)

SO what’s “Foxcatcher” about?

Not yoicks, tally-ho, tantivy or any of the other traditions observed by the galloping unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible. Directed by Bennett Miller, written by Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher” is a sombre account of three men chasing a dream, a real-life tragedy set among excessive wealth and heart-wrenching and irresolvable family differences.

The patent rights for chemical products including nylon and Teflon generate enormous wealth for Du Pont family companies. In the 1980s, the only family members alive to rattle around the mansion on the 325 hectare Foxcatcher estate are matriarch (Vanessa Redgrave) and scion John. Her passion is horses, his is wrestling. John believes he has the skill to coach Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) to win wrestling gold at the Seoul Olympics and that introducing him to cocaine will do no harm. Mark has lived most of his life in the shadow of older brother David (Mark Ruffalo) also a wrestler.

Steve Carell’s portrayal of John subtly and convincingly expresses the uncomfortable mixture of mental instability and emotional impoverishment besetting him, a man unloved, unloving (except of his wrestling passion) and if not a repressed homosexual, probably an asexual getting a buzz from physical and visual contact with beautiful male bodies.

Slow-paced, lacking humour or compassion, its Oscar nomination is nevertheless worthy. Wealth and social power carry an important between-the-lines message.

At Palace Electric, Dendy and Capitol 6

“Mortdecai” (M)

BASED on Kyril Bonfiglioli’s novel “Don’t Point That Thing at Me”, “Mortdecai” is a romp of comedy, excitement, secret intelligence, beautiful women and caricature of the modern British class system.

For Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow) the “thing” is the new moustache grown by her art dealer husband Mortdecai (Johnny Depp, one of the film’s producers).

For him, it is whatever weapon that people are brandishing who want him to reveal the location of a hitherto unknown, now missing, Goya looking suspiciously like the Maja Desnuda. Giving Mortdecai a rock/hard-place choice, Martland of MI5 (Ewan McGregor) threatens to activate his file of Mortdecai’s dodgy business transgressions unless Mortdecai finds the painting, which carries information about the location of a huge stash of Nazi cash.

I’m often scornful about films that use stupidity to generate laughter. “Mortdecai” uses silliness. There is a difference. Stupid makes me groan. Silly done with wit makes me laugh. Which I did several times during “Mortde cai”. Despite incon sistencies, continuity errors, gaffes and other little bloopers, it’s fun.

At Hoyts Woden, Capitol 6 and Limelight

arts & entertainment / dining

Dishes destined to change minds

JAPANESE cuisine is not everyone’s favourite, but I highly recommend – for those tentative to try or who have decided to dislike it – that you book a table at Canberra’s newest Japanese restaurant at the Burbury Hotel.

My bet is you’ll try dishes not seen elsewhere in the capital and change your view.

As for those who already love this amazing cuisine? You’ll love LiloTang.

LiloTang is the small sister to awardwinning Malamay (and just across the foyer).

It’s part of the highly regarded Chairman Group, which also owns Lanterne Rooms in Campbell and Chairman and Yip in Civic.

LiloTang’s contemporary interior features light-coloured pine sliding panels, which are on tracks and can be moved to configure spaces of various sizes, making dining semi-private if desired. It’s a nice touch. Want to start with the food or drinks

arts in the city review

Journey into the imaginary visual

art

“Imaginarium”

Curated by Amanda Stuart

The work of 20 artists working in a range of mediums.

At Belconnen Arts Centre Gallery until February 15.

Reviewed by Meredith Hinchliffe.

THE works in this exhibition explore the imaginary. Hybridity is central to the theme, and so we are challenged and intrigued by fantastical creatures, hybrid forms and fanciful realms. There is a large number of works and the exhibition isn’t a particularly cohesive whole, but many hybrid forms do much to delight and intrigue. Artists whose names are familiar and others who are less well known are included.

Suzie Bleach and Andy Townsend are showing “Alicanto”, an assemblage of welded and forged steel, a bird/animal that appears to have collapsed in a heap. It could be Icarus, as there is a wing and what looks to be a human foot.

The artist Carbine is showing “Walrus” (pencil on paper) in men’s clothing riding his bicycle with fungi and a fish floating around him. Carbine’s deer curls up, with an arrow apparently through its belly. He is also showing “Myxomatosis” a sculpture that reminds us about the damage created by these furry animals.

Steve Roper is exhibiting some scary heads, one titled “Brother in law from hell” in BRT clay, explains it all and he is also showing some paintings along similar lines.

John Reid is midway through a personal project to solar walk across the Earth. He is doing a performance at Belconnen Arts Centre on Sunday, February 15 at 3pm. A large image of him at the front of the centre is displayed, taken by Marzena Wasikowska.

The proceeds, in addition to those from other works, of a selection of comforting reconstructed soft toys by Amelia Zaraftis, Odessa Saraftis and Thea Coddington, will go to the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre.

menu? Let’s go drinks.

If you fancy yourself a sake expert, you’ll find more than 25 on the menu. LiloTang also fully respects bubbles, Japanese beer, cider and wines, with great drops available. There isn’t a huge selection of reds or whites by the glass (start at $10). Bottles hover between $40 and $190.

Sharing is in order at LiloTang and the staff is highly knowledgeable about the menu, which is divided into small dishes, salads, robata (grilled skewers), mains and desserts.

LiloTang’s robata grill is massive. Chef Shunsuke Ota uses premium, condensed white charcoal imported from Japan that heats up to 400 degrees. This expensive charcoal doesn’t produce a lot of smoke which means food flavours stand on their own instead of being smothered by smoke.

We agreed the sashimi tuna and avocado salad with wasabi okra soy was to die for ($14.50), the tuna absolutely meltin-the-mouth, the avo creamy and the soy a third

element that made the dish dance. One of the most popular options, the restaurant confirms.

The sake steamed pipi were an interesting combination with grapes and water spinach ($26). The quail dish was sensational and the pork belly succulent ($9.50). We weren’t so enamoured with the cauliflower and walnut miso ($7.50) which seemed bland by comparison, indeed bordering on boring.

Another wildly popular dish is actually served in a hollowed-out orange. This is a dish of roast vegetables (like Shitake mushrooms and Japanese radish), with each type of vegetable cooked in its own pot and in its own type of stock. The vegetables are then combined and orange miso sauce added ($11.50). A must on my next visit.

Another must will be the traditional Japanese-style savoury pancake wrapped

Gough put to music

WHILE President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, Gough Whitlam was there the year before him. Now Canberra’s innovative Griffyn Ensemble is staging its answer to John Adams’ 1987 opera, “Nixon in China”, with “Whitlam in China” at the National Library of Australia at 7pm on Thursday, February 12. The non-singing voices of Whitlam, Bob Hawke, and Paul Keating will be heard. One of the world’s foremost pipa (four-stringed Chinese instrument) exponents, Ms Hongyan Zhang, will be performing. Bookings to griffyn.iwannaticket.com.au

GOOD news that that award-winning Canberra baritone Nikolai Morozow will conduct and sing solo with the Canberra Russian Orthodox Choir in “Gentle Light”, a concert of Orthodox sacred music at 3.30pm on Sunday, February 8, in St Peter and Paul’s Old Cathedral, corner of Bourke and Verner Streets, Goulburn. Tickets at the door. Children under 12 free.

TOP Canberra contemporary dance-makers have a double bill coming up at The Courtyard Studio, February 12-15. Made up of “Metasystems” by prizewinning choreographer James Batchelor and “Postphase: The Summit is Blue” by Chloe Chignell and Timothy Walsh, it’s part of the Multicultural Fringe. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

MEANWHILE, the Front Gallery, in Wattle Street, Lyneham, has been hosting a residency, “Back to Front”, by dancer Alison Plevey, running to Sunday, February 8. Plevey plans to “reframe” the gallery space with the body as the artwork. She’ll be viewable daily and the process there will be two half-hour performances, at 11am and 3pm, on February 7. All welcome.

THEN there’s the Silver Treads Senior Tap Dancing Group for men and women aged 50 and over. Beginners, intermediate and advanced classes

meet on Monday mornings at Lake Ginninderra Scout Hall. Enquiries to 0432 062379 or 6254 2546.

THAT quality ensemble, Salut! Baroque, is turning 20 this year, and is kicking off with “Mr Purcell’s Farewell” at 7.30pm, Friday, February 13, at Albert Hall. Henry Purcell, still surely England’s greatest composer, died aged only 35 and, as was customary, peer composers John Blow, Henry Hall and Jeremiah Clarke celebrated his life in music. Salut! Musicians will follow this tradition. Subscriptions to baroque.com.au or tickets at the door.

FROM February 12, Canberra Harmony Chorus is running a four-week “Introduction to A Cappella Singing” program for women “from all ages and walks of life”. Rehearsals are at Canberra Raiders Belconnen, 155 Hardwick Crescent, Holt, 7pm-9pm, on Thursdays. Bookings to cleaveranita@gmail.com.au or 0406 468988.

CANBERRA Glassworks is staging an exhibition curated by Ivana Jirasek responding to the various international glass collections and traditions represented by our diplomatic missions in Canberra. An A-list of artists such as Helen Aitken-Kuhnen (Japan), Erin Conron (Belgium), Klaus Moje (US) and Lienors Torre (Czech Republic) will focus on participating countries. Opens at 6pm, February 11, with a gallery floor talk atw 2pm on Saturday, Febru ary 28 and Saturday, March 7, at 2pm.

around a seafood mixture and served with barbecue wagyu on top, kind of a streetfood “surf and turf”.

LiloTang sits 100 people. Have a good look around while you’re there. You’ll discover some fascinating detail.

Burbury Hotel, Barton. Call 6273 1424.

Creating Sustainable Gardens

Glenbog Nursery and Landscaping

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gardening Rain brings out the best

AFTER a burst of hot weather at downtown Watson, we recorded 95mm of rain in the first three weeks of January. The growth on plants is nothing short of phenomenal for summer.

For example, I have struggled with growing Echinacea purpurea or Purple Coneflower, unsuccessfully for years. The regular rain has suited this plant along with so many plants this summer, despite echinacea being a native to dry prairies of North America where local Indians have used it as a medicinal herb for a thousand years in treating snake bites, coughs and colds. In more recent times it has shown to have an effect on the immune system and in research of AIDS.

The purple-pink flowers have raised conical centres made up of prickly scales reminiscent of hedgehogs (echinacea is from the Greek word for hedgehog). You will find products in any health food shop with echinacea. And what a wonderful display in the garden!

The regular summer rainfall has also been beneficial in washing dust from plant leaves. A heavy coating of dust can affect a plant’s ability to breathe.

HERE’S some surprising advice on rose pruning from Troy Scott, head gardener at the famous Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens in Kent in the UK: “Popular belief is that roses should be pruned in the English

spring [as they are here]. However, at Sissinghurst we prune in March/ August, from [northern] spring to summer.

“First we remove dead, diseased, weak and crossing growth before shortening all remaining branches by one third. At the same time removing completely a proportion of the older wood to encourage new growth.

“Finally feeding after pruning with two parts magnesium-rich fertiliser and one third potash”.

ONE of the favourite insects, so beloved by children, is the ladybird; its family name is Coccinellidae or “Clad in Scarlet”.

There are many varieties of ladybird, of which the most familiar is the seven-spot ladybird.

Ladybirds appear just at the right time in spring to combat many pests such as aphids.

So why do so many gardeners persist in using chemical sprays to attack every insect in the garden, wiping out the good as well as the bad? This is why I consistently recommend certified organic products.

Jottings…

• An easy way to overcome the problem of thinning carrot seed is to sow carrot seed tape. The seed is evenly divided along biodegradable tape. Just lay it on the ground in the veggie bed and only cover very lightly with soil and water in.

• The best and cheapest hangingbasket liner is multi-coloured foam carpet underlay. Place the plastic side on the inside with a few drainage holes. It will last for years without birds pulling it apart.

• If water drains through your potting mixes too quickly, mix in a quarter of clay soil for better water retention.

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According to the UK “Country Life” magazine, in August, 1976, hundreds of kilometres along the English coastline were clogged with a mass migration of ladybirds, estimated double the number of human beings who have ever lived on this earth. They are voracious feeders and each day can consume a dozen or so sap suckers such as aphids.

They have been introduced into Californian citrus orchards as biological pest controllers where they are harvested with vacuum cleaners and sold to farmers in bulk for pest control, with 1500 to the ounce (28 grams).

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Joanne Madeline Moore

your week in the stars – February 9-15, 2015

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Your Valentine’s Day stars encourage impulsiveness in relationships. Some singles will fall in love at first sight, while attached Rams are in the mood for displays of affection. The fiery Moon/Uranus/Jupiter aspects are a combustible combination so avoid saying and doing things that you later regret. “I am not one of those who do not believe in love at first sight, but I do believe in taking a second look.” (H. Vincent)

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

One of your most admirable qualities is your ability to ride through tough times with a dependable demeanor. Attached Bulls – this Valentine’s Day, find a dream you can share. Singles – love is waiting online, or a firm friendship could turn into a romantic relationship. “To be capable of steady friendship or lasting love are the two greatest proofs, not only of goodness of heart, but of strength of mind” (Willa Sibert Hazlitt).

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

With Saturn sauntering through your relationship zone, avoid taking your partner (or potential partner) for granted. If you are attached, you need to work on the relationship and accept responsibility for fixing any problems. “Love doesn’t just sit there like a stone. It has to be made like bread, remade all the time, made new” (Ursula Le Guin). Singles – don’t rely on dumb luck! Put more effort into finding a compatible mate.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

If you are attached, this is the time to transform your relationship so it’s deeper and more emotionally satisfying. Singles – avoid being a clingy Crab. Nurture your selfesteem and enjoy being on your own; only then will you be ready for a partnership of equals. Your motto for the moment is from Erich Fromm: “Immature love says: I love you because I need you. Mature love says: I need you because I love you.”

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

Lions are born romantics, but love is not always a bed of roses! With Saturn in your romance zone, you need to face the fact that there’s more to love than passionate declarations, candlelit dinners and kisses in the moonlight. Do you have what it takes to run a marathon, rather than a sprint? Your quote for Valentine’s Day is from William Barclay: “Love always involves responsibility, and love always involves sacrifice.”

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Stop criticising others and complaining about the long list of things you can’t control – whether it’s politics, world events or the weather. With Venus and Mars both moving through your relationship zone, it’s time to enjoy and appreciate your partner – or actively go looking for love. Your motto for Valentine’s Day is from Franklin P. Jones: “Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Disappointed that your partner, or potential partner, isn’t perfect in every way? Leap off your pedestal and live in the real world Libra! Your mantra for Valentine’s Day is from Ann Landers: “Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.”

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Scorpios can too easily get caught up in relationship failures from the past, or dating disasters from the present. Let it all go! You can’t improve your present partnership or find a new love if you are still brooding over a broken heart, stewing over who said what, or searching for someone to blame. Your mantra for Valentine’s Day is from philosopher Henry David Thoreau: “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Sagittarians love to chat but with Saturn in your sign, strive to be more thoughtful and circumspect as you stop talking long enough to hear what your partner has to say. On Valentine’s Day, heed the wise advice of Paul Tillich: “The first duty of love is to listen.” Single Archers – you may feel a sudden attraction to an amorous Aries or a gorgeous Gemini. Saturday is a super day to take an impromptu trip or learn something new.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Ambitious Capricorns often place all their eggs in the career basket – then your personal life suffers from neglect. Don’t make the mistake of putting work before relationships! Your job is incredibly important, but it must never take the place of close companionship and love. Your motto for Valentine’s Day is from French writer George Sand: “There is only one happiness in life; to love and be loved.”

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Aquarians adore freedom and plenty of personal space, as you savour spending time with a very special person – you. With Jupiter in your relationship zone (until August 11) you’ll find increased enjoyment from being extra generous and attentive towards your partner. “There is more pleasure in loving than in being beloved” (Thomas Fuller). Singles – love, travel and education are linked in surprisingly wonderful ways.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

With Mars and Venus visiting your sign, it’s time to be bold and beautiful. Attached Fish – be authentic and tell your partner how you really feel. Single Pisceans – don’t settle for second best. Have the confidence to wait for the right person to come along. Your Valentine’s Day motto is from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

1 Who painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006, Rolf ...?

7 Which person carries out the provisions of a will?

8 To be talented is to be what?

9 Name the force whose main duty is to fight international crime

10 Which gas is used to inflate, and so provide lift for balloons?

11 What is another term for immoderate indulgences?

14 What is a straight line passing through the centre of a circle?

18 Which word describes forms of expression peculiar to a language?

19 What are long series of wanderings?

21 What do we call a small earthquake?

22 Name another word for a program of forthcoming events

23 Which informal expression is descriptive of a foolish person?

1 Which beer barrel has the capacity for 54 imperial gallons?

2 What is the sale of commodities in small quantities direct to the consumer?

3 Name the material that settles to the bottom of a liquid

4 Who is remembered as the sex symbol of the 1930s, Mae ...?

5 Which units of liquid measure are equal to two imperial pints?

6 Which N American dog is also called a “prairie wolf”?

12 To baptise someone, is to do what?

13 Name the extinct classical literary language of India

15 To formerly accuse a person of an offence is to do what?

16 Who is said to have pioneered hypnotism, Franz Anton ...?

17 What is a systematic arrangement of summarised literary materials, or data?

20 Name the large, flightless, three-toed Australian birds

KRYSTELLE came to see me excited at having been promoted at work and now entitled to a fully maintained car.

“I know nothing about salary packaging a car, but the one I’ve chosen costs $70,000 on road,” she told me.

“Congratulations Krystelle, that is very exciting,” I told her.

“The car you have chosen is over the luxury car limit, which is currently $57,466, and this impacts on both income tax and Fringe Benefit Tax calculations.

“With an income of less than $180,000, the most efficient way for you to pay for the car is to use the employee contribution method because by not being in the top income tax bracket, it will cost you less than FBT.

“The employee contribution method is where you pay a predetermined figure from your after-tax earnings. The employee contribution is calculated so that there is no FBT to pay.”

Krystelle said: “So, there is more than one method of calculating FBT?”

“Absolutely,” I told her. “There are two methods. Firstly, the statutory formula method is calculated at 20 per cent of the GSTinclusive cost of the car less stamp duty and registration. That amount is the employee contribution that you have to pay. This is the best method to use if the car is not used much for business purposes.

The other is the operating-cost method, which is a little more complex. As you have a luxury car, the calculation takes the GSTinclusive price of all running costs including lease payments, repairs, registration and insurance and then applies the businessuse percentage against this total. That amount is the employee contribution you have to pay. You can choose a different method each year if you wish.”

Krystelle looked concerned. “Gail, can you advise me which will be the better for me?” she asked.

“Of course,” I reassured her. “As you use the car for business a fair amount, it appears that the operating-cost method would be best for you.

“However, there are a couple of other things you need to know. Firstly, the car will be provided under a novated lease, which is a special type of lease that contains clauses so that if anything happens, for example you change your employer, then you become liable for the lease payments and your employer is not left with the car.

“Secondly, the calculations required for income-tax purposes and used by your employer for their calculations are not the same as those required for FBT.

“Instead of deducting lease payments in the calculation, deemed depreciation is calculated using the luxury-car limit and deemed interest is also calculated using the interest tables provided by the novated leasing company and these are added into the calculations instead of leasing payments. So you may well be surprised when you see the income tax calculations provided by your employer.”

“Wow,” Krystelle said, “that’s a big help. I am now a lot wiser.”

If you require any information on FBT or any other tax-related matter, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 6295 2844.

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