170727 citynews

MICHAEL MOORE

Barr says no to boy attacked by dogs

CHRIS COLEMAN

Strange how strange people can be

HELEN MUSA

Freddie's still kinda magical

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Experience Kingston & Manuka

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Jockey KAYLA NISBET 's fight to stay in the saddle

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Training for long walk on the wild side

By Danielle Nohra

WALKING after work until midnight in Canberra’s winter can be torturous, but for four public servants it has to be done.

The group, three women and one man, are training for the Sydney Oxfam Trailwalker Australia, which is a physical and mental challenge that raises money to help fight poverty around the world.

Starting together and finishing together they must walk a 100-kilometre bushwalk over 48 hours, which one of the group members, Belinda Parkes, 42, believes they can do in under 32 hours. And that’s without stopping!

The walk starts at Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury and finishes at Mosman on the north shore. Fewer than 50 per cent of teams have all members finish

“Some teams walk half of it and then sleep and then finish it but that’s not something we’ve even considered,” she says.

For the event the group are named “The Bald and the Beautiful” because, Belinda says: “Quite literally, John is bald, and we’re all beautiful”.

The group started with Belinda and Emma Lowe but because of injuries, two people dropped out.

“It’s a pretty big mental battle, so if you do have an injury, after a few hours of walking it’ll come undone,”

Belinda says.

Luckily, John Goodrick and Stephanie Kock stepped into their places and made the eligible number again, four.

“The hardest part has been the commitment, especially in Canberra’s winter,” Belinda says.

And, being a mother of two young boys, Belinda understands the strug-

gle to commit weekends and some weeknights to train.

“I want to show them that I’m committed,” she says. “They tease me if it’s raining and say ‘I have to go’, so I threaten to take them with me.”

After Belinda’s dad completed the walk 15 years ago, she was driven to do it herself.

Since 1993: Volume 23, Number 27

Arts & Entertainment 18-21

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Crossword 23

Gardening 22

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News 3-8

Politics 5

Socials 10

Sport 8

Wine 21

Cover: Jockey Kayla Nisbet. Story Page 8. Photo by Andrew Campbell.

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

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“He couldn’t stop raving about the opportunity of doing it as part of a team,” she says.

This will be Belinda and Emma’s second time completing the Oxfam Trailwalker, but their first with people who they aren’t close with.

They all met through the Federal Departments of Agriculture and Environment and have grown closer in the lead up for the walk, which is described as being the toughest track compared to Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

“In our walking we all pick each other up when we’re quite low and keep the banter between each other,” Belinda says.

“One of the big challenges I find is combining exercise with eating food because you need to have substantial meals to keep going.

“You think I’m not going to pack chips because they’re not healthy, but you get to the point when you need ‘feel-good food’.”

This is where the support group comes in, whose job is to come in every three to four hours and bring things such as food or dry clothes.

So far, The Bald and the Beautiful have raised more than $2000 and will continue to raise awareness and funds until the walk begins on August 25.

Donate at trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/ my/team/28709

IT MATTERS

Hughes gets talent

THE internationally renowned Australian Piano Duo will be the guest performers and judges at the fundraising “Hughes Got Talent” event, a fun-filled family afternoon with entertainment and prizes for all ages. Performers include ballet dancers, singers, pianists, drummers and guitarists. In aid of the Operation Christmas Child, it will be held at Hughes Baptist Church, Groom Street, on Saturday, August 5. Doors open 1.15pm and entry is $10 for adults, $5 for children and seniors. Under threes are free. There will also be a silent auction. More information at 0435 250270.

Decades of fashion

A FASHION parade featuring original garments from the ‘40s to the ‘70s is the inspiration behind the Lions Club of Canberra Brindabella’s fundraising event in aid of motor neurone disease at the Albert Hall, 2pm, on Saturday, August 12. The show starts with a post-World War II wedding, features clothes from the swinging ‘60s and on to the ‘70s. Tickets to the “Cavalcade of History and Fashion” are $30 and include afternoon tea. Bookings to 6290 1711 or 0437 329371.

Warm clothing sale

WARM clothing for all ages, blankets and doonas await the winter weary at St Ninian’s Uniting Church, corner of Mouat and Brigalow Streets, Lyneham, 9am-1pm, Friday and Saturday, August 4-5. The kitchen will serve scones, soup, muffins and hot dogs.

It’s all about vibrancy, says the high-rise prince

With the Greens in all manner of strife nationally, the ACT branch is fighting a different but just as potentially damaging battle.

CANBERRA developer Nick Georgalis’ sophisticated vision for the capital may explain Barnaby Joyce’s zeal on transplanting the heart of the city to the bush.

In a profile piece in the property section of “The Australian” Georgalis, Geocon’s founder, says: “When you think bush capital you think Akubras and R M Williams”.

According to “BRW”, the son of a carpenter is now Australia’s richest Greek under 40. Georgalis says: “When you visit Rome, Paris and Athens, there’s a vibrancy about people living close together and providing high-rise apartment living in Canberra provides that vibrancy”.

FORMER Canberra broadcaster Mike Jeffreys’ comments on community stalwart Val Jeffery captures the essence of the scores of tributes which have flowed since news broke of his passing, aged 82. Jeffreys who spoke

often on air to the lifelong volunteer and short-term ACT MLA, described the unofficial Mayor of Tharwa as “a man of integrity and determination”.

WITH the Greens in all manner of strife nationally, the ACT branch is fighting a different but just as potentially damaging battle. The Canberra Greyhound Racing Club has begun defamation action against leader Shane Rattenbury over comments he made about having evidence of animal cruelty within the sport.

THE writing was on the wall even before the official unveiling in 2011 of the controversial public art the Belconnen owl. Dubbed “the penis”, the $400,000 sculpture has been daubed accordingly ever since. Finally, the ACT government has “twigged” and installed CCTV to deter further “artistic commentary”.

TEAM mates from the Raiders’ glory days, Laurie Daley, Mal Meninga and Ricky Stuart have featured heavily in the State-of-Origin wash-up. While Meninga is urging Daley to stay on as coach, Stuart has called for the axing of the more contemporary Bruce besties Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson. The NSW pair is in hot water over a marathon drinking session just days before the origin decider, won by Queensland.

STILL on green and Michael Matthews heads the list of Canberra sportspeople making headlines overseas after becoming only the third Aussie to wear the Tour de France green jersey. Matthews describes the past week as a “dream come true”.

CANBERRA Paralympian Cameron Crombie set a world record and smashed a PB in winning gold for Australia on the opening day of the World Para Athletics Championships in London. The volunteer firefighter’s victory in the men’s F38 shot put event, vindicates his switch to athletics from rowing after missing selection for Australia’s Paralympic squad last year.

NOT to be outdone, Nick Kyrgios has promised to be responsible when he shows

off his latest “ride” to his Canberra mates. Just days after his early exit from Wimbledon, Nick splashed $180,000 on the 700-plus horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat which he “fell in love with and had to have”.

CANBERRA Hip-Hop duo Coda Conduct is riding a wave with the release of a new YouTube video and making it on to the music site Happy.com’s top five artists in the ACT list. The site raves over the the pair – Erica Mallett and Sally Coleman – describing them as: “Absolute queens. The hip hop mistresses are absolutely killing it. Their hilarious personalities and social commentary have earned them a regular place on Triple J”.

THE acquisition by local news/opinion site RiotACT of the Canberra business magazine “B2B” signals a shake up of the local media landscape. According to RiotACT co-owner Tim White , “B2B” is just the first step as “RiotACT is actively seeking to acquire additional media assets”.

A NEW voice has been added to the FM breakfast radio mix, with former SBS press gallery reporter David Sharaz joining Kristen and Wilko on MIX 106.3 as newsreader. Brisbane-raised Sharaz, who cut his radio teeth at 2CC, says: “When news breaks, I’ll be on it but when it’s not serious don’t be surprised if I’m talking about cats”. Sharaz has three cats, one of whom, “Robinson”, has 10,000 followers on Instagram.

politics Barr says no to help boy attacked by dogs

CHIEF Minister Andrew Barr has declined a request for an ex-gratia payment of $200,000 to cover medical and other costs for a boy who was viciously attacked by two dogs in 2010.

The case has finally been in court with a decision handed down in May finding no legal liability requiring the government to pay. However, although no legal obligation, there is a moral one. This is why the lawyers for Jack Hartigan have asked the ACT government for an ex-gratia payment.

The court heard that, at six years old, Jack was attacked to such an extent that he spent more than six weeks in hospital, lost 13 teeth and had to have 17 medical procedures including a skin graft to his head.

It is appropriate for the Chief Minister to reconsider his decision that is based on the government having “breached no duty of care”. This is the very point of an ex-gratia payment. This case is not about legality but about justice. Section 130 of the Financial Management Act identifies such an expenditure as “an act of grace payment”. What is needed is an act of grace!

Liberal MLA

Steve Doszpot has been persistent in relentless pursuit of the issue although he makes it clear that he has never met the family. Appropriately for an MLA, he has seen an injustice and has pursued it obstinately. And it is an injustice. The letter of the law does not always deliver either a fair or equitable outcome.

The government has more flexibility than the courts on such matters. The Financial Management Act states that act of grace decisions apply when payments “would not otherwise be authorised by law or required to meet a legal liability”.

Doszpot is not critical of the decision brought down by Justice Hilary Penfold. She found that the ACT Commissioner for Social Housing was not liable. Her judgement also found that the tenant “while she was clearly liable … would apparently not be able to satisfy any judgement against her”. In other words, she would unlikely be in a position to pay damages in the order of $200,000.

Steve Doszpot sees the approach of the Chief Minister as a case of mixed priorities. He draws attention to the government purchase of a Tradies Club property in Dickson for $4 million even though it remains occupied by the Tradies for a peppercorn rent of $1 a year. Then there is the $1.9 million spent on the failed container park and $750,000 for six beach volley ball courts.

At six, Jack Hartigan spent more than six weeks in hospital, lost 13 teeth and had to have 17 medical procedures including a skin graft to his head.

Andrew Barr replied to Steve Doszpot explaining he was sympathetic to the serious injuries, but that he is “not satisfied that there are special circumstances to warrant authorising a payment to Mr Hartigan and it is for this reason that I am declining your request”.

Having read the judgement, my contention is that there are special circumstances. The judgement indicates compensation is appropriate and there is a way around setting a precedent.

Concerns about precedent are understandable. Government cannot open the floodgates for other claims that largely blame the government for actions of tenants. However, Justice Penfold’s judgement goes further than government liability. It implies that it is appropriate for Jack Hartigan to have compensation even though the tenant will not be able to pay. Her Honour does point to a process for the future (para 329). She suggests “an insurance scheme that could provide compensation to people like the plaintiff who suffer from the actions of dangerous dogs which have been lawfully kept in the ACT”.

Dangerous dogs are dogs that the Registrar of Domestic Animal Services has declared to be dangerous.

The trouble for Jack Hartigan is that this is for the future. However, it does provide a way forward for the Chief Minister without the concern of setting a precedent. The appropriate action for the Chief Minister is to make an act of grace payment after announcing the government’s intention to implement a scheme of the type suggested in the judgement.

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

The Paris End is where you’ll find an eclectic mix of local Crafters, Makers, Designers, Artists, Artisans and Purveyors .... and probably something more.

Open Tues to Fri 10am - 5pm, and Saturdays 10am - 4pm

Phone: 02 6262 3237 theparisendcanberra@gmail.com 1/56 Heffernan St, Mitchell

Strange how strange people are

Holidaying CHRIS COLEMAN comes face-to-face with some strange people

PEOPLE are strange. Pretty sure you know that, but sometimes it takes a few days away to underline just how strange.

In a forthcoming column I’ll review some of the great stuff to do in the centre of our country; and it’s amazing just how much is on offer at Uluru these days – a far cry from the basic campgrounds of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Now, it’s possible to drive there and judging by the number of NSW-registered cars, plenty of people do.

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Staghead

We flew. Remember the story a few months ago where a man in America was dragged – forcibly – off a flight that was overbooked? This trip started with my first flight from Canberra to Sydney being overbooked.

At check-in, Virgin asked if my wife and I would mind taking a later flight as they had a passenger with an overseas connection in Sydney. Alas, our travelling companions had already checked in so it was, apparently, too hard to bump the four of us to the next flight, even though we were more than willing to be pushed back an hour.

No big deal, except that as departure time crept ever closer, they still hadn’t sorted it. You can only imagine how the people with the international connection must have been feeling. With a few minutes to go, two customers were lured to a later flight and offered some time in the lounge.

So a bit strange, but everyday strange behaviour was still to come, after landing at both Sydney and Ayers Rock* Airport. As soon as the announcement was made that items could be retrieved from the overhead lockers, the majority of passengers stood up and got hold of their luggage. And then continued to stand. For ages. Unable to go anywhere as the plane doors were still shut. Strange. Or sheep-like.

One of the highlights of Uluru is the Field of Light, an after-dark experience which is exactly what the name described: A huge field, illuminated by thousands of lights at ground level. It was a great chance for some people to exhibit behaviour that harks back decades.

Check out Olympic footage from the 1980s. At almost any event, as soon as the starter’s gun fired, thousands of people took photos with pocket cameras sparking a flash that nicely illuminated the back of the head of the person in front.

With that in your mind, imagine an area the size of at least four football fields, lit up under the inky desert sky, by around 50,000 lights at ground level. And sure enough, people took photos of it using a flash. Strange.

One more? Sure. If you haven’t been to Uluru, take my word for it that it’s big. It’s the biggest single piece of rock in the world. But just 50 kilometres away is Kata Tjuta (used to be called the Olgas, a story for another time, but again a strange one).

Kata Tjuta is a collection of some three-dozen rock domes, some of which are taller than Uluru, and they stretch across a much greater distance. They’re not that far apart when you think about how far most people have to travel to get to them, yet over the past six decades, the tourism has revolved much more around the one big, impressive rock, as opposed to the huge rock formation just up the road.

Yeah, strange. But that’s people for you.

*Yes, it’s still called Ayers Rock Airport, despite that sobriquet being dropped from common usage decades ago. Strange.

Chris Coleman is the presenter of “Canberra Live”, 3pm6pm, weekdays on 2CC.

Cold comfort: no home and sleeping in a car

By Danielle Nohra

GROWING up, Cary Wood never had a static home, he was raised by nuns in Goulburn, forced into “homes” in Canberra and then placed into the foster-care system.

When he became a young adult, he was no longer eligible for these services and had no choice but to live in his car while waiting for a real place through government housing.

This was Cary’s first “stint” living in a car and, he says, it was the longest – “about three months”.

During that time Cary would go in search for public showers and food.

Cary says he was young and angry at the world then, and was often left sleeping in his car after something bad occurred.

“Usually it happens when you’re down and you’ve had a drama with rent or unemployment and you have nowhere to go,” he says.

Cary continued in and out of houses, in and out of jobs and in and out of his car for some of his life.

During this journey Cary met MissionWorx director James Boyce, 34, who helps run a drop-in centre in Civic where homeless people can get a bite to eat in a safe environment.

James, who gives support and helps make food, has been with the charity for about seven years and says cases such as Cary’s aren’t uncommon.

“There is one man who visits our drop-in lunches who told me he broke up with his wife and was sleeping in his car in the open-air car park opposite our drop-in space for a few months,” James says.

“He used to have a house and life with his wife here in Canberra, but when the relationship broke down he

had only his car left.

“When I asked him where he was staying he gestured to the car park and pointed out his car ‘over there’.”

James says most people put on a brave face when sleeping rough, but they always appreciate any blankets, food or conversation.

“It can be a lonely existence for much of the day,” he says.

Cary agrees and says he first came to the drop-in centre during a time when he couldn’t afford food, but continued to come for the social life.

Luckily, Cary never ended up on the streets but living in a car is just a step away from the concrete pavements.

“Some people are elderly and sleeping on the street in these [winter] conditions,” he says.

“It’s a lot tougher than being in a car, you can’t just get up and make a cuppa or go to the bathroom.”

For this reason, MissionWorx and Fusion Canberra are teaming up this month for Homelessness Week, August 7-13, to raise money and awareness with the event “Sleep in Your Car”, which aims at keeping people like Cary from sleeping on the streets.

The community fundraiser asks people to experience one night without a home by sleeping in their car at Eternity Church, Kambah, or on some cardboard in the foyer, or even in their car at home.

The event aims to raise revenue and awareness towards Fusion’s work with disadvantaged young people and MissionWorx, which works with the homeless in the heart of Canberra.

Sleep In Your Car Canberra, Eternity Church, 490 Sulwood Drive, Kambah, from 6pm to 7.30am, August 12-13. Contact Fusion Canberra at 0422 525748 or sleepinyourcar.com.au

Kayla keeps overriding the odds

KAYLA Nisbet’s story of overcoming the odds to pursue her dream of becoming a champion jockey should be mandatory reading for young people who are often labelled as a generation unprepared to do the hard work to achieve their goals.

Twenty-two-year-old Kayla, the daughter of Canberra racing legend John, suffered an epileptic seizure in June last year. NSW Racing initially told her she couldn’t ride for six months, which extended to nine months.

It was heartbreaking given the battles she had already overcome to stay in the sport. In 2014 she broke her foot and wrist and was out of the saddle for five months, she returned only to break her leg and was out for another three months. During her rehabilitation she battled to maintain her riding weight, thus another hurdle and another reason to give up; not that it didn’t cross her mind. The desire to continue was stronger. Undaunted, Kayla fought her way back to secure an impressive book of rides only to be hit with further time away from riding as she underwent a series of tests to determine what triggered her seizure last year. She says it’s possibly a combination

of fatigue and a car accident when she was four years old in which she suffered a fractured skull.

Kayla says she is on medication, managing her fatigue and back in the saddle.

If ever you needed proof that the racing industry is one big family this was it. Inspired by the support from her family and the wider racing community she was more determined than ever to stay in the sport.

Her return to the winner’s circle on Black Opal Stakes day in Canberra earlier this year on board the

Barbara Joseph-trained Mercurial Lad has been the catalyst to getting more rides.

It was a major breakthrough. There may have been doubts in the minds of some but the ride proved that Kayla was capable of getting back to where she was in the middle of last year. Given the struggles to get herself physically and mentally right to race again, she says the victory on Black Opal day remains one of her favourites; it

felt like her first winner.

Kayla says the whole experience has made her a better, more determined rider.

This is often the response from elite athletes when faced with the prospect of a career finishing earlier than planned.

It is why we rejoice in athletes overcoming the odds to achieve success; Michael Milton is one who readily comes to mind. We are currently seeing it with Christian Lealiifano and his return to rugby after being diagnosed with leukaemia 11 months ago.

If nothing else, it provides inspiration to us all and for which the likes of Kayla, Michael and Christian should be lauded. Their stories remind us of the importance of resilience and determination; two human qualities that have been admired through out history and hopefully will be qualities that will be celebrated in the generations to come.

Students learn about the future of jobs

A FORUM featuring top business identities discussing the rapidly changing nature of jobs into the future will be a highlight of this year’s CareersXpo.

The expo at EPIC between August 2 and 3 will be visited by more than 8300 Year 9 to 12 students with visitors coming from Tumut, Gundagai, Crookwell, the Sapphire Coast, Yass and from schools around the ACT and Queanbeyan.

The students and parents will be offered guidance from more than 100 local, national and interstate exhibition booth holders from universities, colleges, trade training and career-placement organisations.

CareersXpo, presented by the Rotary Club of Canberra City in partnership with ACT Education, showcases a wide range of career professional, technical and trade pathways for students, parents, teachers and career advisers.

Chairman of the Rotary Management Committee Len Goodman said: “The aim is for a one-stop information bank for students as they face choices to equip them for the prospect of multiple career paths in an evolving job market.”

The featured forum, chaired by Australian Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell, is a new CareersXpo initiative and its theme – “Choose wisely: Matching course choice to career realities” – recognises evolving changes in the jobs market, or indeed self-employment, and the need for an open mind about opportunity, multi skilling and innovation.

While acknowledging the accepted range of professional careers from degree courses, Mr Goodman says the forum will highlight the developing range of apprenticeships, traineeships, technology, manufacturing and construction courses, as well as small business career opportunities.

The discussion panel includes Canberra Business Chamber CEO Robyn Hendry, entrepreneurial businessman Brand Hoff, pro vice-chancellor of the ANU Prof Mick Cardew-Hall and Jenny Lambert, of ACCI.

The forum will be held at the Conference Centre EPIC, Flemington Road, Lyneham, 5.30pm-6.30pm, Wednesday, August 2. Entry is free but registration is required via eventbrite.com.au

Cold facts about keeping warm

By David Snowden

WITH Canberra shivering through one of its coldest winters on record, many of us have been pulling the spare heaters or extra electric blankets from storage.

While seeking warmth, it’s also important to stay safe. Over the winter months hospitals see a range of injuries, be it burns from heaters or hot water bottles or electric shock from damaged electric blankets and heaters. Here are some practical winter product safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe this winter:

Hot water bottles

• Replace them each winter and check them for any damage such as cracking of the rubber before use.

• Don’t overfill or fill them directly with boiling water from a kettle.

• Wrap them in a towel or use a cover and don’t leave on the same part of the body for more than 20 minutes.

• Don’t sit, lean on or sleep with a water bottle. This may cause it to burst.

• Don’t use hot water bottles with babies, children and people such as the elderly who may have reduced feeling in skin or limbs.

• Consider using wheat bags and ensure they are heated according to instructions. Heater safety

• Check the leads of any electric portable heaters for damage or fraying before use.

• Make sure heaters are installed by qualified tradespeople and maintained regularly.

• Choose portable heaters with automatic safety switches that turn the units off if they are tipped over.

• Keep portable heaters away from wet areas to reduce risk of electric shock.

• Don’t cover heaters or leave unattended.

• Supervise children and pets around heaters.

• Ensure curtains, tablecloths, clothing and bedding remain away from heaters.

• Use a fire screen for open fires and clean flues and chimneys at least annually.

Electric blanket safety

• Check them for damage and wear each season.

• Don’t leave them on when sleeping or during the day.

• Carefully monitor their use around children.

• Do not pile clothes or heavy objects on a bed when an electric blanket is on.

General safety

• Regularly check smoke alarms.

• Don’t leave cooking unattended.

• Make sure everyone knows how to exit your home in case of fire.

• Clean lint filters each time before using a dryer.

• Ensure power points and power boards are not overloaded and switch appliances off when not in use.

• Do not leave lit candles unattended and keep them away from curtains and flammable items.

Also remember to check that any of the products you may be using are not subject to a recall. You can check at productsafety. gov.au/recalls

David Snowden is the ACT commissioner for Fair Trading.

Open Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 9am-1pm • Unit 3, 80-82 Kembla Street, Fyshwick

Kingston & Manuka advertising feature

Discover the prestige and history of the inner-south

THE prestigious, inner-south centres of Kingston and Manuka are rich in the history and early days of Canberra.

Kingston, named after Charles Cameron Kingston, the former Premier of SA and minister in the first Australian Commonwealth Government, is one of the oldest and one of the most densely populated suburbs.

It has undergone enormous transformation over the years and now features a blend of high-rise units, boutique shops and cafes.

Kingston is a vibrant, affluent place that offers attractions such as the Old Bus Depot Markets and the adjoining Fitters’ Workshop, where art exhibitions and concerts are held and the century-old Powerhouse, which is now the Canberra Glassworks.

Beyond the traditional shopping precinct, the foreshore area on Lake Burley Griffin has become one of Canberra’s success stories.

Adjacent to Kingston is Manuka, which was originally named after Manuka Circle, the street that forms the northern boundary of the precinct.

Manuka Circle was on Walter Burley Griffin’s initial plan for Canberra and the NZ tea tree Leptospermum scoparium inspired its name.

When Griffin drew up his plans in 1912, there was still some optimism that NZ might join the Federation of Australia.

On December 12, 1925, the first business lease was let, making it one of Canberra’s oldest shopping precincts, which today is alive with vibrant restaurants, cafes and bars and a raft of professional services.

Gail’s team know their numbers

CHARTERED accountant Gail Freeman started the practice Gail Freeman & Co 30 years ago in Kingston and since then has been joined by seven highly trained experts.

As an accountant, registered tax agent and financial planner, Gail and her staff look after all aspects of financial affairs from tax, financial planning and investment advice to retirement planning, superannuation, self-managed superannuation funds and all aspects of business improvement.

Most of Gail’s staff have been at Gail Freeman & Co for more than a decade or two and are constantly keeping up to date with the changing needs of clients, as well as technology and legislation.

Gail says her approach is always to personalise, individualise and tailor services to help people “get

•

it right”.

“If it’s a business, we specialise in helping with its profitability and systems,”

Gail says.

“If it’s their tax we make sure it’s in accordance with all the new rules and law changes as well as maximising refunds and minimising tax payables.”

Gail says Gail Freeman & Co also does a lot of work with self managed super funds and retirees.

Gail Freeman & Co, 9/71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston. Call 6295 2844, email info@gailfreeman.com.au or visit gailfreeman.com.au

Framers with a passion for art

WITH several years in the framing industry and a passion for art, coowners Stephanie Dente and Elizabeth Lean opened 45 90 Framing & Gallery nine months ago in Kingston.

Stephanie says its name “means we cut our frame lengths at 45 degrees and join them to make a 90-degree corner”.

The business provides services such as custom picture framing, which uses Elizabeth and Stephanie’s experience, creativity and knowledge to turn photos, prints, paintings and more into stunning showpieces.

At 45 90 customers will also find a range of lowbrow, pop surrealism and street-art prints by artists from around the globe including Canberra.

And until August 10, 45 90 will be hosting its first art exhibition titled “Lost Translations”. “It’s a solo art show by local digital painter Paul Summerfield and will display a selection of his limited-edition prints all custom framed by 45 90,” Stephanie says.

45 90 Framing & Gallery, 28 Giles Street, Kingston. Call 5105 1383, email info@4590.com.au or visit 4590.com.au

Simplify your business and personal finances

Kingston & Manuka

Maria

women feel beautiful and comfortable

AFTER struggling to find quality clothing for most of her life, Maria Wolters opened Honeysuckle and Lace, a women’s fashion store, four years ago in Kingston.

And soon, in late August, it will be moving to a bigger location on 39 Jardine Street.

The bigger space means that Maria has more room to share her passion for women’s fashion, which she discovered while working part time in the industry after having her second child.

“I fell in love with women’s fashion because I love helping women feel beautiful, confident and comfortable,” Maria says.

Honeysuckle and Lace stocks clothing made from natural fibres such as linen, cotton and wool, which range from a size eight to 20.

Maria says that the clothes have a Scandinavian influence, with clothes from Norway but also Australian and French designs, too.

“We buy what we love and we think about our customers when we buy, too,” she says.

“Customers are our priority and we’re really grateful to have such good customers.”

Honeysuckle and Lace, 27 Eyre Street, Kingston. Call 6134 6421 or search @HoneysuckleLace on Facebook.

Helen believes silence should be a choice

AUDIOMETRIST

Helen King, the director of Helen King Hearing Solutions, believes that silence is only golden when it’s a choice.

“I became an audiometrist to help people once again enjoy life’s special moments –helping them to hear conversations clearly, enjoy kids laughing, listen to birds singing or the waves of the ocean hitting the shore,” she says.

Helen King Hearing Solutions offers its clients services and products such as the latest assistive hearing devices, repairing hearing aids and conducts free hearing-aid trials.

Helen emphasises that her clients aren’t only seniors; hearing issues have become a problem for young people, too.

“We live in a world that is getting noisier by the minute,” Helen says.

“There’s clatter all around us, constant traffic, busy offices, cranked-up music. It’s all having an effect on hearing, including with younger and younger people.

“Baby boomers, for example, need to be aware of the importance of addressing their hearing concerns earlier rather than later, unlike their parents and grandparents who typically allowed hearing loss to affect their lives for too long.”

Helen says people might not like that they need a hearing aid but they’ll live a better life with one.

Helen King Hearing Solutions, Unit 1/30 Bougainville Street, Griffith. Call 6162 4545, email helen@hkhearingsolutions.com.au or visit hkhearingsolutions.com.au

Active travel advice from the experts

ACTIVE Travel in Manuka is celebrating its 30 years in the business, which started as a two-person operation in July, 1987.

Over the years it has moved twice but for the past 14 Active Travel has made Bougainville Street its home in a heritage building opposite “The Lawns”.

Owner Trish Smith says Active Travel’s now seven staff together share more than 200 years’ experience.

“The strength of Capital Travel is its friendly and welcoming staff who bring a wealth of experience and first-hand knowledge to the business,” she says.

“They are well travelled and have visited some of the most remote and unusual destinations such as Sri Lanka, India, Russia, Africa, China and Tibet.”

And, they have experienced many events that have made an impact on the travel industry such as the collapse of Ansett Airlines, the Tsunami in Asia, September 11, the GFC and the recession.

“The success of the business is the loyalty of the clients and the dedication of the staff and importance they play in helping clients plan their dream holidays,” Trish says.

Because of its experience, Capital Travel has won many awards, including a “Top Ten Award” for both Qantas and Singapore Airlines.

Capital Travel, 24 Bougainville Street, Manuka. Call 6295 2733 or visit capitaltravel.com.au

Multi-disciplinary approach improves patient outcomes

EIGHTEEN months ago Kingston Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre partnered with The Walking Clinic and since then, they’ve been working out of the same location.

Podiatrist and director at The Walking Clinic, Ricky Lee says the team at The Walking Clinic is excited to be able to provide its services to the southside alongside the Kingston Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre.

“The Walking Clinic Kingston provides the high quality of service that it does at our other clinics. However, at Kingston it has a multi-disciplinary approach to care, combining podiatry and physiotherapy in the one place to help improve patient outcomes,” he says.

“A lot of people neglect their feet, however, until they have pain or have a concern they realise how important their feet are for mobility and quality of life.

“Our team is here to prevent foot pain and improve quality of life.”

The Walking Clinic’s new partner, Kingston Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre, has been in Kingston

for about 18 years.

Its principal physiotherapist Craig Wisdom was inspired to become a physiotherapist when he obtained an injury as a PE teacher and became interested in how physiotherapists fix injured bodies.

Craig says Kingston Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre has generous and long one-to-one consultation times.

“We communicate with our referrers and are constantly involved in communicating with all the stakeholders of the client,” he says.

The specialists at Kingston Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre can cover areas such as lymphoedema care, hydrotherapy, plastering and splinting, and hand therapy.

Kingston Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre and The Walking Clinic Kingston, 1/4 Kennedy Street. Contact 6260 8244.

Kingston / Andrew Arcade

Mel

Jo share a passion for hair

OWNERS of JM’s Hair Creations, Mel Cabana and her daughter Jo are qualified hairdressers who devote their time and efforts into making their clients feel as though they’ve joined the family.

Jo was 13 when she started helping her mum in a salon and discovered that she, too, had a natural passion for hair.

Since then she has been helping her mum provide services for men and women such as hair colouring and foils, permanent hair straightening, deep-in keratin treatment, as well as hair treatments and head massages.

“We do a variety of creative work from hairstyling to precision haircuts, colour, highlighting, keratin smoothing treatments and Japanese hair straightening”, Mel says.

“And, compared to other salons in Kingston, we’re the most affordable, with a good service.”

Mel says most of the clients say: “I really like coming here because it’s warm, I don’t feel intimidated and it’s like talking to a friend.”

JM’s Hair Creations, Andrew Arcade, 42 Giles Street, Kingston. Call 6295 0027 or search @jmhaircreations on Facebook. All about staying beautiful

KNOWN for its personalised approach, Created Beautiful offers a range of beauty treatments aimed at leaving customers refreshed.

Created Beautiful, opened in 2001, provides clients with services such as waxing, massage, facials and nail services. The team of internationally qualified therapists at Created Beautiful believe that all things are created beautiful but it’s up to them to sustain and maintain that inner and outward beauty.

Created Beautiful, Shop 10, Andrew Arcade, 42 Giles Street, Kingston. Call 6295 7331, 0422 480098 or visit createdbeautiful.com.au

LUXEWIKS candles is the manifestation of a life long love affair with scent, design and travel. Each candle is handcrafted using the purist all natural 100% soy wax with cotton wicks, together with fine essential oils and aroma fragrance oils composed by an internationally renowned perfumer. Private blends and wholesale options are available upon request.

LUXEWIKS candles are defined by the quality of their ingredients, the meticulous attention to detail applied in production and, most importantly, the ambiance they create when lit.

LUXEWIKS candles place the highest value on quality, design and craftsmanship and their mission is to provide a means to enhance our day to day lives with a sense of comfort, luxury and olfactory escapism, no matter the location or occasion.

Infused with the subtle scent and soft glow of a LUXEWIKS candle   any space can be transformed into an idyllic sanctuary because, OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING IS BETTER BY CANDLELIGHT.

Kingston & Manuka

The dentists people trust

AS the longest-standing practice in Kingston, the team at Maven Dental Kingston offers quality general, preventative and cosmetic dentistry.

Located on Kennedy Street, Dr Alex Parragi, Dr Anne Henchman and Dr Rami Hussain are dedicated to providing the best possible dental care for all age groups.

“We understand that patients’ needs vary, so the service is suited to the individual,” Alex says.

“We are a well-known practice with a high level of combined experience and have been practicing in Canberra for 30 years or more.

“We’ve been here for many years and people know who we are. We provide a professional experience

Dr Alex Parragi

BDS (Syd) & Dr Anne Henchman

BDS Hons (Syd) & Dr Rami Hussain

BDS (Adelaide) Unit 6, Kingston Manor, 10 Kennedy St, Kingston

and high quality of care. We have built up loyalty and respect, people know and trust us.”

Focusing on all aspects of dentistry, the practice provides general services such as evaluation, prevention, diagnosis and cosmetic services such as whitening, crowns, bridges and restorative work.

“You need to look after your mouth and keep it healthy as you get older,” Alex says.

“We always do the right thing by our patients. We sit down with the patients, discuss the options and decide on the best treatment for them.”

Maven

Bank’s community support goes back to 1878

THE Westpac Manuka team, led by bank manager Donna Chalmers, is committed to supporting customers living and working in the ACT.

Donna says: “Westpac has proudly been supporting the community of the Canberra district since 1878 with our first branch, which preceded the creation of the ACT in 1911.

“Westpac is just as committed to helping Australians today, and into the future, as we were 200 years ago.

“We will also continue to support the region and create better futures for those who are disadvantaged or in crisis with the Westpac Foundation Community

Grants, Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service and the Salvos’ Red Shield and Christmas Appeals.

“As Westpac enters its third century of proudly supporting Australia, we will continue to look for ways to innovate and respond to our customers’ preferences.

“Westpac Manuka, like all of our Westpac branches in the ACT, gives customers access to specialists both in-branch and via video conference, whether they are upgrading to a new home, setting up a small business, or planning for retirement.”

Westpac Manuka, 14 Franklin Street, Manuka. Call 6124 4733.

A quiet, convenient home away from home

RIGHT in between Manuka and Kingston, Manuka Park Serviced Apartments is only a three-minute walk from each.

With underground, secure parking, guests can leave their car and walk into either Kingston or Manuka for the duration of their time, says hotel manager Joel Smith.

“We’re also directly across from Manuka Oval, about 50 metres, if guests want to watch a game,” he says.

Manuka Park Serviced Apartments calls itself a home away from home, with all its apartments fully self-contained.

The apartments each feature a well-equipped kitchen, a laundry with washing machine and dryer, LCD TV with Foxtel channels, as well as a swimming pool, undercover parking and each apartment contains a private balcony or courtyard.

“It has everything people need to stay from one night to a month,” Joel says.

A few of our guests travel to Canberra for corporate events and they stay here for months out of the year.

We try to make it like home for them so they feel comfortable during their stay.

“And it’s a quiet complex, which is different to other hotels on main drives.”

Manuka Park Serviced Apartments, 1 Oxley Street, Manuka. Call 6239 0000 or visit manukapark.com.au

advertising feature

Taking care of eyesight in a digital world

HUSBAND-and-wife team Ash and Ashita Vadher from their independent practice Eyecentric have seen a growing issue, which involves the use of digital screens and its effects on eyes.

“We see so many more adults with eye strain because they use computers at work and then have devices they use at home,” says dispensing optician Ashita.

“Their eyes don’t get much of a break and this results in symptoms like headaches, dry eyes, watery eyes and red eyes.

“These same symptoms could be signs of other eye conditions too, so it’s important to have an annual thorough eye exam to find out what’s causing the symptoms so we can ease these symptoms with specific, tailor-made lenses and rule or investigate out any other causes.”

Eyecentric offers services such as comprehensive eye examinations, monitoring and detecting eye conditions, contact lens fitting, complimentary frame styling consultations and children’s eye care.

“Our biggest concern is children and their use of devices,” Ashita says.

“I have yet to meet a parent that is not worried about the amount of time their child spends on them and the effect.”

Having worked predominantly in large corporate opticians, Ashita says being an independent practice allows them autonomy to choose quality products and provide patients with tailored eye care.

Eyecentric, shop 8, 17-19 Flinders Way, Manuka. Call 6156 5959, visit eyecentric.com.au or check out their facebook page.

Meet Ash, Our Optometrist

“I became an Optometrist over 20 years ago because I wanted to help people achieve their best vision. I was prescribed my first pair of glasses at the age of four so I have had a lifetime of experiencing the challenges that poor vision can bring. In my spare time, I love cycling around Lake Burley Griffin with my family and enjoying everything else that our beautiful city has to offer.”

At Eyecentric, you’ll find a complete range of eye care services including:

• Comprehensive eye examinations

• Monitoring and detecting eye conditions

• Children’s eye care and examinations

• Contact lens fitting

• Latest unique, quality frames

• Full suite of spectacle lenses including multifocal lenses

• Sports eyewear (including cyclist glasses, ski goggles)

Eyecentric • Shop 8 M Centre • 17-19 Flinders Way, Manuka ACT 2603

Across the road from Gelatissimo • Call 02 6156 5959 vision@eyecentric.com.au • www.eyecentric.com.au

FIRST AND FOREMOST PODIATRIC CLINIC

KINGSTON’S PREMIUM PODIATRISTS WORKING FOR YOU YOUR RECOVERY, YOUR POTENTIAL OUR CARE & EXPERIENCE

• All General Foot Care and Health

• Laser Treatment for Fungal Toenails

• Shock-wave Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis & Achilles Tendonitis

• Custom Orthotic Therapy

• Orthotic and Footwear Prescription

• Sports Injuries

• Diabetes assessment

• Children’s foot treatments

• Tailored treatment plans

• Hi Caps claims

• Back and Neck Dysfunction

• Remedial and Sports Massage

• Post Surgery Orthopaedic

• Womens Health Physiotherapy

• Lymphoedema Care including custom fitted garments

• Dry Needling

• Digital Gait Assessment OUR SERVICES:

• Splint and Cast application / removal

• Supervised Gym Rehabilitation

• Bike Fitting Biomechanical assessments

• Aquatic Physiotherapy

• Hand and Wrist injuries

arts & entertainment Freddie’s still kinda magical

By Helen Musa

GOLD Coast entrepreneur

Johnny van Grinsven will be back in town at the end of July with a show based on the late Freddie Mercury and the band Queen’s 1986 World Tour concert.

When “CityNews” last talked to him just over a year ago he was about to descend on Canberra with a spectacular production based on Michael Jackson’s 1986 “HIStory” tour.

As with the Jackson show, there will be “insane lighting”, fabulous costumes and both lookalike and soundalike musicians – Australians Richie Baker as Brian May on guitar and Kyle Thompson as Roger Taylor on drums, joined by South Africa’s Steven Dennett as John Deacon on bass.

UK muso Giles Taylor plays Freddie Mercury and, in an effort to conjure up a night with Queen, even the lighting cues have been designed to replicate those seen in real Queen concerts.

We caught up with van Grinsven by phone to Cape Town, where he was touring “Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic”, and found that he was branching out from focusing solely on artists who have “passed” and that he’d just finished auditioning for a spectacular Tina Turner show, to be launched in December in South Africa.

Finding stars for tribute shows is the key. Last year van Grinsven told us that, when looking for a Whitney Houston singalike, he had auditioned thousands of female singers, but it was worth it – that show, he says, keeps growing and 2018 will see a national tour of the UK with the London Symphony Orchestra, with performances at the Royal Albert Hall.

It wasn’t nearly so hard finding Taylor, “a great Freddie impersonator”, to play the charismatic Queen lead singer.

“The challenge with this role is to find someone who can play piano as good [sic] as they can perform and sing,” he says.

“I also had great support finalising the role with Giles with the help of Peter Freestone, Freddie’s personal assistant and best friend for 12 years of his life… this was a great help to get the final, extra pieces of the puzzle.”

As for the question of impersonation, van Grinsven says that some tribute performers could be “pains in the arse because they think they’re real”, but he has no such problems with Taylor.

“By the time Giles hits the stage with make-up and costume etcetera, people soon believe they’re at a Queen concert and leave with a piece of the magic that Freddie left his audience with.”

That’s important to him, because he perceives the demographic for the Queen show to be “female, skewed 40+ and any person who loves the classic rock and glam rock era”.

The show recreates Queen’s 1986 World Tour concert and features the band’s greatest hits including “We Will Rock You”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are the Champions” and “Fat-Bottomed Girls” along with a few obscure Queen tracks for die-hard fans.

Van Grinsven is expected back in Canberra again next year when the David Bowie tribute show he was planning is expected to tour Australia’s capital cities by 2018.

“Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic”, Royal Theatre, Sunday July 30. Bookings to premier. ticketek.com.au

Bangarra hits operatic heights

By arts editor Helen Musa

COMPOSER Steve Francis knows he has big shoes to fill.

A long-time collaborator with the late composer and Bangarra Dance Theatre legend, David Page, Francis is in charge of the music for the grand operatic work “Bennelong”, the story of the Eora man who was catapulted into European society by Governor Arthur Phillip, that’s coming to Canberra shortly.

“It sounds different from other Bangarra works and it’s different for me as well,” Francis says, describing the operatic-scale score for “Bennelong” as “incredibly eclectic, with 17 pieces altogether”, part of it sung by the Sydney Philharmonia Choir and one piece made from an old sea shanty which, with the help of dramaturg Alana Valentine, he turned into a jig.

“Bennelong” is a mixture of musical techniques and spoken language, including poetry by Valentine, and traditional song by cultural adviser Matthew Doyle, a gifted songman himself, whose voice is heard in the show’s final piece titled “1813”, the year of Bennelong’s death.

“That was really co-written by Matthew and

me,” says Francis, describing the process of writing a song for Bennelong, who is depicted as a father, brother and intermediary.

For the birth of Bennelong, Francis found a song for Doyle to sing that Bennelong actually sang in London, which was notated by a contemporary harpist.

Elsewhere, Francis employs the techniques of Western music.

Francis first met the brothers David and Stephen Page in 1996 when they were working on a piece for the Australian Ballet called “Alchemy”. Up to that point, he says, David had been doing all the soundtrack work in his own studio, but he pulled in Francis, a noted sound engineer and producer, to mix the music and a friendship developed.

In 1997 Francis was involved in their show “Fish”, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival, and later worked with Stephen and Frances Rings on the score for “Walkabout”, for which he won a 2003 Helpmann Award.

He went on to compose the music for David’s one-man show, “Page 8”, in 2004 and, in the same year, scored an even more famous one-man show, “Gulpilil”.

“I’ve been with Bangarra ever since, normally working on collaborating with David

then last year and this year, working on my own,” he tells “CityNews”, a reference to the fact that David died in 2016.

“It was a life-changing thing to meet David and Stephen,” Francis says. “Although I used to write songs, I wasn’t in the arts so to speak, but now basically what I do is theatre, film and TV work, but I drop everything when I’m contacted by Bangarra.”

Francis credits David Page with having created a unique music theatre genre.

“It was the mix he made of language, traditional vocals with contemporary sounds like synthesisers or drum beats or orchestra –anyone who has worked with Bangarra knows it and we honour that style; it has become a signature sound,” he says.

While he believes it is “great to have a template to work to”, he concedes that it’s quite a bit to live up to, saying: “David and the extraordinary work that he created, whether conscious or subconscious, is always there when you’re creating a score for Bangarra, but we do our best”.

“Bennelong”, Canberra Theatre, August 3-5, bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

cinema Dunkirk evacuation gets the hero treatment

“Dunkirk” (M)

I SPENT nearly half an hour searching without success for information about who was writer/director Christopher Nolan’s historical adviser about the events embodied in this massive (106 minutes) film about one of the pivotal events of World War II.

My source for the following paragraph comes from “A World At Arms”, by Gerhard Weinberg (Cambridge University Press, 1994).

The battle of Dunkirk ran from May 26 until June 4, 1940, when the last of 330,000 British, French, Belgian and Dutch troops were lifted by a fleet of naval and private and commercial vessels from the shallow beach at the northern France town of Dunkerque.

It wasn’t so much a battle as a rearguard evacuation of a beaten Allied army, while the Wehrmacht halted for repair and refurbishment. In the air, the Luftwaffe believed it was succeeding but the RAF disagreed. One of Hitler’s many strategic gaffes was that few of the British would escape. On the other hand, Britain feared that if the evacuation didn’t succeed, she wouldn’t be able to defend herself against a German invasion.

Seventy-seven years later, Nolan’s film reminding the world of those pivotal days cannot possibly cover the full gamut of their detailed events. His screenplay therefore tells the story in four streams, built by judicious editing into a different kind of complexity from the events it deals with.

Kenneth Branagh plays Boulton, a Royal Naval officer with three rings on his epaulettes and scrambled egg on his cap, trying to manage a task of immense difficulty.

James D’Arcy plays Col. Winnant, apparently the senior Army officer on the day.

Mark Rylance plays Mr Dawson, in many ways the film’s principal character as he and his son prepare their pleasure boat for the Channel crossing and become the focus of several small encounters on the voyage.

arts in the city

As far as I have been able to establish, those three people existed. Without telling his parents, teenager George (Barry Keoghan), who jumps aboard Dawson’s boat as it leaves to give whatever help, may also have been real. Purists may feel Nolan may have over-egged his film’s pudding. Re-creating its theme involves several hundred actors and technicians, plus military aircraft and ships. No military diary-keepers were on hand to record it as it happened. The bloopers are there, but the ending is authentic enough. Filming must have cost a bomb. The IMDb doesn’t tell how much.

At all cinemas

Another silly comedy takes off

the city

JOINING “The 39 Steps” as one of the silliest comedies on the circuit, the stage adaptation of Jules Verne’s novel “Around the World in 80 Days” is coming to town. The famous tale of Phileas Fogg’s balloon ride is billed as suitable for adults, families and children over seven years. At The Q, Queanbeyan, August 2-5. Bookings to 6285 6290 or theq.net.au

RESULTS are in from the Australia Council’s third National Arts Participation Survey showing, unsurprisingly, that ACT residents are avid theatre goers with 63 per cent attending theatre in 2016, compared to 41 per cent of other Australians, or that they are more likely than other Australians to feel that they have plenty of opportunities to get involved in the arts – 65 per cent compared to 50 per cent.

CONGRATULATIONS to Canberra artist Jennifer Baird, who was highly commended in the Waverley Art Prize 2017 for her hand-coloured lino print “George Baldessin meets Andy Warhol”. More of her work can be found at Trove Canberra, a co-operative of more than 30 local artists and designers in Garema Centre, Civic.

COUNTRY luminaries Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole will be back in town with a tour based on their album “The Great Country Songbook, Volume II”. It’ll be nostalgia time, with classic duets and show stoppers such as “Jackson” and their personal favourite, “You’re the Reason Our Kids are Ugly”. At Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, Friday, August 4. Bookings to ticketek.com.au or 6283 7200.

SINGER Lisa McClelland with John Black (piano and vocals) and Ben Schumann on drums will be jazzing up Kangara residents as part of its concert series, at Cooinda Hall, Kangara Waters, 2 Joy Cummings Place, Belconnen,

Singers Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey… together again on August 4.

2.15pm for 3pm, Sunday, July 30. Tickets at the door.

NARRABUNDAH College Players, directed by Sophie Benassi, are staging perhaps the world’s most famous verbatim theatre piece, “The Laramie Project”. Based on a real-life story from 1998, when a 21-year-old gay was beaten and left for dead, the play is based on more than 400 interviews. At the Hawk Theatre, Narrabundah College, August 1-5. Bookings to sophie.benassi@ ed.act.edu.au

KATE Blackhurst, who directed Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” for Rep in 2014, is now directing Lally Katz’s “Neighbourhood Watch”. It’s an all-star cast, but we don’t know who’s playing the terrifying alsatian dog in the show. At Theatre 3, August 4-19. Bookings to canberrarep.org.au or 6257 1950.

INSPIRED by great Shakespearean stories about love, lies, family and betrayal, Australian dance company Dance Editorial Productions is staging “Love is Love”, a hip hop and contemporary dance show. The dancers are aged between 14 and 17 and the cast includes Canberrans Bella Choundary, Noah Gorrell, Chloe Andriolo, Indigo Butler Moss and Kayla Watson. At Gungahlin Theatre, August 5. Bookings to trybooking.com

“Paris Can Wait” (PG)

IT’S reasonable to conclude that, at age 80, Eleanor Coppola has had appropriate life experience for writing and directing her first feature film. Her husband is multiple Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola; the filmography of their daughter Sofia speaks for itself. It’s a sweet little film, essentially a two-hander. One of them is Anne (Diane Lane), wife of filmmaker Michael

(Alec Baldwin in essentially an absentee cameo role) who, during a European holiday after their daughter leaves the nest for university, is suddenly called away from Cannes to deal with a production issue (nudge, nudge, wink, wink? Very likely.) They plan to rejoin in Paris. But Anne doesn’t want to travel by air for health reasons.

The other is Jacques (Arnaud Viard), a buddy and business associate of Michael. Jacques plans to drive to Paris in his well-worn Peugeot coupe. He’ll be delighted to give Anne a lift.

Anybody who’s ever seen a movie should have no difficulty working out from this much information what Eleanor Coppola has in mind. Anne and Jacques are going to drive leisurely to Paris, eating great French meals both haut and alfresco, visiting historic and cultural sites, enjoying the scenery, diverging from the main auto-routes to meet his friends (mostly beautiful women) as they go. For Jacques, time is absolutely not of the essence.

The screenplay is delicate and deft even if it sometimes makes assumptions and diversions that stretch our willingness to believe. Diane Lane is dishy. Her portrayal of Anne is playful and charming. Arnaud Viard is an amiable bon vivant who knows exactly what he wants and is prepared to wait for it to fall into his lap.

The French countryside is a delight to the eye. Who could ask for more agreeable romantic escapism?

At Palace Electric, Capitol 6, Dendy and Limelight

Together At Last theatre Glimpse of ‘queer history’

Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole have individually and unquestionably remained at the forefront of Australian country music for almost two decades, each boasting an impressive list of awards, top selling albums and a loyal legion of fans. The combination of the two dynamic performers has already proven to be a hit with live audiences, having toured the country on many occasions since their first encounter almost 20 years ago, they now return again with a new and unique project for their fans.

The Great Country Songbook Vol. II tour will see Adam and Beccy performing songs from their long awaited and first full album together. The pair have handpicked the most classic country music duets of all time for volume two of this album project. Together they have brought back some of the most famous country combinations of all time; classic duets recorded by Johnny

Cash and June Carter, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn and Kenny Rogers and his many duet partners... including Dolly Parton.

Don’t miss two of Australia’s most engaging entertainers onstage for two unforgettable hours as they bring you their versions of the greats.

You can catch Adam and Beccy at the Southern Cross Club Friday, August 4th. Tickets are selling fast so call 02 6283 7200 to book now.

By Helen Musa

A NEW play exploring the changes that have occurred over the last four decades through the eyes of three gay characters is about to take the stage at the Canberra Theatre Centre’s Courtyard Studio.

The work of Canberra playwright and theatre identity Trevar Alan Chilver, “78 Reasons to Stay the Night” is aimed at sparking refreshed conversations about same-sex relationships across the generations as it looks forward to 2018, the 40th anniversary of the first Sydney Mardi Gras. Chilver directed, with assistant director, Glenn Braithwaite.

Chilver is best known to Canberra audiences as the founding director of the community theatre organisation Canberra Dramatics. In recent years he has divided his time between Canberra and London, where his play “The Ballad of Hobart Jones” received a rehearsed reading in 2015. More recently he took over the direction of Canberra’s Short+Sweet Theatre festival.

Chilver’s script follows a period of research during which he walked the route of the 1978 Mardi Gras with

two of the “78ers”, Mark Gillespie and Steve Warren, who described their experiences of that night.

His challenging but often comic play is set in the present, and focuses on a fictional 78er, whose experiences of gay life over the years stand in stark contrast to those of younger-generation gay men.

“78 Reasons to Stay the Night” introduces us to Malcolm, who could once attract a boy with the wink of an eye. But age is taking its toll and nowadays having his usual rent boy replaced at the last minute can put a spanner in the works. Things look like taking take a turn for the worse until it turns out that Malcolm’s stories can break the ice.

Chilver says it has been particularly

fascinating to explore what happens when two very different people with drastically different experiences of the same aspect of their lives find themselves connecting.

“We don’t hear enough about queer history and when we do we hear more about the activists who made change happen,” he says.

“78 Reasons to Stay the Night,” Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre, August 2-9. Bookings to canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

The August 3 performance will be followed by a community forum exploring the changes for the LGBTIQ+ community over the four decades since the first Mardi Gras.

dining / the doughnut department, civic

It’s doughnuts with pretty

Doughnuts, made daily with locally sourced and artisan ingredients, are created with high-quality toppings and fillings that are a ‘cheeky nod to fine-dining flavours’.

I THOUGHT I had a hole in my head when I looked at the menu. Cured tuna and doughnuts? Granola and doughnuts?

Surprise, surprise, the combos work. Chef Nathan Frost, of The Doughnut Department, newly opened in the city’s No Name Lane, is on to something.

The doughnuts, made daily with locally sourced and artisan ingredients, are created with high-quality toppings and fillings that are a “cheeky nod to fine-dining flavours” says Nathan. These are yeast raised, hand-cut doughnuts.

More than 160 sweet and savoury are being gobbled down each day, even though the café only opened recently. Breakfast and light meals are proving popular like the tuna and doughnut dish.

It arrived on a dark wooden board, with big chunks of tuna stacked in a small glass jar. Pickled veggies add colour and crunch. Thin slices of crunchy doughnut are perched

wine

to the side, slightly sweet but not overly so, and the dish comes with some sourdough bread. It’s a refreshing dish ($16), not too heavy and one that delights tastebuds any time of day.

The flavours packed a punch, especially as I dug deep into that little jar. My only suggestion is to slice the tuna into smaller chunks, to make it easier to eat.

Although I didn’t indulge, the housemade granola and doughnut crunch ($9) is popular. Not all dishes feature doughnut elements but more will.

I know you’re hanging in there to know more about the doughnuts. Flavours change daily and I was delighted to see fritters in the glass display case. Fritters bring back memories for me, with my grandmother and mother both loving them. I’m not sure they ever tried an apple, white chocolate and lime leaf version ($6) but know they would have been delighted.

Another intriguing style is the chocolate, cacao nibs and black sea salt ($6). It isn’t sickly sweet, which I love. The dulce de leche with roasted almonds is more of a sugar fix ($6). If you’re keen on just a wee treat,

The taste of spontaneity

THERE is nothing like spontaneity. It beats planning.

Thank you, Kate Winslet, for saying that a bunch of freshly picked daffodils beats out diamond earrings in the romance stakes. All blokes with a penchant for saving money but still being on the money embrace your sentiment.

Anyway, in a highly non-romantic, spontaneous moment of deciding where to go for pizza after doing the five-kilometre, inner-lake walk after work, a mate and I ended up at Trecento in Manuka on the same day that Wendy Johnson published a review of the place (CN, July 20). Go figure. Spontaneity and coincidence were a spooky amalgam.

And what a start: the wine list was a blur, literally. I had failed to bring my reading glasses! Awful enough as it was to get my mate to read the list of pizzas to me (which he kindly did), worse was the thought of confronting the entire wine list in the way of him being my amanuensis. So when, through my myopic haze, I saw sitting on the bar a bottle of Long Rail Gully pinot noir, I breathed out with relief. Spontaneity be set aside. I know this winery is good as I had tried their unctuous, berry flavoured 2015 cabernet sauvignon and had been impressed with this Canberra-based winery’s standards. The 2016 pinot noir ($12 a glass) proved to be a delight and a pretty good match with pizza. This wine demonstrated remarkable fragrance on the nose with a cherry/strawberry bouquet. For such a young wine, it has good structure and a lovely clean finish.

“Youngness! Do you mean youth?” I spurted spontaneously.

“Oh, crap. I can’t believe I said that,” said Petar. “Yes, look, don’t quote me on that because my language got tangled up but you know this wine is good despite it being a 2016, that’s what I meant. It has a fruity, strawberry flavour that is delightful and it’s drinking great right now.”

“I agree – even though it is good drinking now, I reckon it has at least 10 years of development,” said I. Petar agreed and defraying his embarrassment, offered me a taste of the Truffle Hound nebbiolo 2016, a Clare Valley wine.

This spontaneous act of kindness, or misdirection following his grammatical outrage, backfired. The wine tastes more like a merlot than an Italian nebbiolo. It tasted tart and short on the palette compared with the Long Rail Gully pinot noir. And if it is more a food wine than a quaffer, it was too late. The pizza had been devoured and a second Long Rail Gully consumed.

But despite this strange vinous detour, there were no regrets in this crowded, happy place. The staff are full of “youngness” and enthusiasm. The service was impeccable. Plus the wait staff are open to feedback. When I asked for a taste of the Long Rail Gully before first ordering a glass, the delightful waitress said: “Too easy”. When I mentioned that this seemed an expression she should abandon given its vulgarity, no offence was taken.

“What do I replace it with?” she said.

“Superb,” I blurted.

Later, when discussing this wine with Petar Vujica, the manager at Trecento, he said: “The youngness of this wine doesn’t come through because it is so mouth filling and full of fruit.”

And that word really reflects the wine we consumed and the smiling acknowledge ment of the staff and the customers just having an unselfconscious, good time.

try some doughnut holes (6-pack for $4). The ethical coffee is from specialty

roasters Six8 Coffee (Yass) and the organic, fairtrade, Australian-made tea is from Love Tea (Victoria), served by barrista Kyra Hansen. Milk is from award-winning Little Big Dairy Co (Dubbo). Adding charm are coffee cups made by Hillgrove Pottery (Murrumbateman) just for the café. The Doughnut Department is all about the “special touches”. In case you get confused when there, The Doughnut Department is a unique café and a mixed-use creative space where those with imaginative minds can hang out and connect. At the back is a massive glass wall which houses three businesses – Fashfest, HAUS Models and The HAUS of Artists.

The Doughnut Department, No Name Lane, 40 Marcus Clarke Street, Civic (shop front on Alinga Street), open 7.30am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

gardening Flowers, leaves and colours

THE wonderful winter/ early spring flowering pieris is an interesting plant for its variety of flowers and leaf colour that comes in many varieties ranging from half a metre tall to three metres plus.

The special attraction of this plant is the new, bright-red leaves that appear in late winter to early spring. At the same time clusters of white or pink flowers appear resembling strings of pearls, hence its common name, pearl bush.

The Pieris “Christmas Cheer” with pink flowers is a compact shrub suitable for larger containers. In the garden it will grow to two metres, although in a container – with the roots restricted – it will be smaller.

The P. “Forrestii”, named after the famous 19th century plant hunter George Forrest, is also a popular choice that grows to two metres. P. “Sarabande” is distinct with the flowers standing erect rather than more typically hanging down. They are acid-loving plants, as are 80 per cent of the world’s plants. Other acid lovers for winter/early spring flowering include daphne, rhododendrons, erica, azalea, kalmias and almost all native plants.

Most of these plants originate in

the northern part of Asia so frosts and cold (even snow) doesn’t worry them, but our summers do.

As with all plants, ground preparation is absolutely vital and digging a hole in clay just won’t work!

Pick a position for the plant with filtered shade, preferably with summer sun off the plants by midmorning. Protection from summer’s hot westerly winds is also important. Good drainage is the starting point as these plants will not

tolerate wet feet. If it is not possible to provide this the alternative is to plant on a mound or in a container.

A light crumbly soil with plenty of organic matter worked into the soil is desirable. Regular pruning is not necessary unless a certain shape is desired or the plant becomes very scraggly. Although a light pruning immediately after flowering will be beneficial.

Feed with Maxicrop’s Seaweed Plant Nutrient, especially at planting

time, to encourage strong root growth.

Leaves turning yellow between the veins usually indicates a magnesium deficiency. This can be corrected with an application of epsom salts with a heaped tablespoon full to a nine-litre watering can of water.

As with all container-grown plants, only use a saucer if absolutely necessary, and even then fill the saucer with pebbles, sitting the container on top of the pebbles. Otherwise, raise the container off the ground with pot feet.

Jottings...

• Grow carpet thyme around the plant on top of containers as a living mulch, keeping the roots moist in summer.

• Dead head flowers on all acidloving plants to ensure a good showing of

•

Joanne Madeline Moore

Your week in the stars – July 31-August 6, 2017

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

Restless Rams aren’t usually particularly house-proud. But pleasure-planet Venus is visiting your home zone from Monday until August 26. So it’s a terrific time to spruce up your domestic abode, enjoy Casa Aries, and entertain in style. Good food, fresh flowers and relaxing music are a must! Friday’s Jupiter/Pluto square boosts your desire for power and success in the outside world. But don’t overdo it and end up alienating authority figures and/or loved ones in the process.

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 20)

Are you behaving like a Bull on steroids? This week, aim to be smart and sexy (rather than self-indulgent and extravagant). Venus gives social media a welcome boost, as you communicate with family and friends and make influential connections online. But are you stubbornly sticking to old ways of thinking, as if you’re on auto-pilot? Friday’s Jupiter/Pluto square pushes you to put aside preconceived ideas and examine your beliefs in a mature and philosophical new light.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

Venus shifts into your cash zone on Monday (where it stays until August 26) which is usually lucky financially. Don’t be extravagant though! You’ll find the more you respect and conserve money, the more cash will come your way. When it comes to a close relationship, are you trying to fix up a messy situation? Expect some resistance from others – especially a child, partner or friend. A quick-fix just won’t work. You need to take the time to really think things through.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

Your Crab magnetism and powers of persuasion are on fire, as Venus vamps through your sign (from Monday until August 26). So it’s a wonderful week to pitch an idea or ask for a favour, as Venus helps you intuitively know the right thing to say to the right person. Things are temporarily fiery on Friday though, when the Jupiter/Pluto square cranks up your crabby side. If you can keep things in perspective, then you should get through the day without too many dramas!

LEO (July 23 – Aug 22)

The Sun and Mars are moving through Leo, so your dynamic nature is on display for all to see. And then Friday’s Jupiter/Pluto square turbo-charges your tendency to overdo things. So there’s a tendency to promise the Moon and then under-deliver. Or blow your budget with a spontaneous spending spree. Clever Cats will reign in extravagance with a healthy dollop of discipline. As birthday great Martha Stewart observes: “Life is too complicated not to be disciplined and orderly.”

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sept 22)

Strive to get the balance right between maintaining the status quo and spontaneously changing things. The trick is to keep what’s working and change what isn’t. Jupiter and Pluto also place money matters and/or friendship issues under the microscope. But don’t waste too much time weighing up the pros and cons of a situation. The planetary patterns encourage you to stop pondering and postulating. Instead, start turning your thoughts and ideas into productive projects.

LIBRA (Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Harmonious Venus (your patron planet) moves through your career zone from Monday until August 26. Which will help you approach professional tasks with more creativity. And it should also lead to improved relationships with work colleagues. But has your perfectionist streak got out of control? The more you try to make everything ‘perfect’ this week, the more you will attract opposition from others. So do your best to focus on the evolving journey, rather than the final destination.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 21)

Proceed carefully with all forms of communication this week, especially social media. Otherwise you could provoke a negative response from a cranky ex, a hidden enemy or a known frenemy! The Jupiter/Pluto square can also make you much more stubborn and self-critical. By all means examine your inner motivations but don’t spend too much time stuck in a mindset from the past. As birthday great Martha Stewart observes: “Without an open mind, you can never be a great success.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

Courtesy of the Jupiter/Pluto square, you could blow your budget with a spontaneous spending spree. Or commit yourself to an ambitious project that you really don’t have the time (or enthusiasm) for. Short-term big talk is no good if it doesn’t translate into long-term action. Patience and persistence are the keys. So your motto for the week is from birthday great Barack Obama: “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

The Jupiter/Pluto square boosts your desire for attention and success. Which certainly suits your drive and ambition. But it also fans your control-freak tendencies, which could end up alienating authority figures (like your boss) or loved ones (like your partner). Hopefully you won’t put too many noses out of joint, as Venus encourages you to be more diplomatic and consultative when communicating with others. Sometimes you need to lose a minor battle in order to win the war!

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

From Monday until August 26, lucky Venus blesses health and wellbeing, your daily routine, relations with work colleagues or your relationship with your favourite fourlegged friend. But Friday’s feisty Jupiter/Pluto square could complicate travel plans; exacerbate a current legal matter; or stir up a tricky situation that started in November or March. So avoid being too impulsive! Instead, do your best to proceed with plenty of tact, diplomacy and (uncustomary) caution.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

Pleasure-planet Venus shifts into your entertainment zone until August 26. So it’s time to enjoy the good things in life – like good food, fine wine, parties, socialising, shopping, self-pampering and luxurious beauty treatments. Plus Jupiter and Pluto send a powerful message your way. When it comes to your peer group and social circle, aim to be much more discriminating. And definitely don’t waste precious time on fickle friends who drain your confidence and sabotage your dreams.

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore

2017

General knowledge crossword No. 603

Across

1 Name a renowned German composer (1833-97), Johannes ... (6)

8 Which liquid substance lowers the viscosity of paints? (8)

9 To be thinly distributed, is to be what? (6)

10 Name the former Australian Labor politician, and WA Premier, Carmen ... (8)

11 Name a powder that is usually perfumed. (6)

12 What, in cricket, is a set of six bowls? (4)

13 Which WA city is on the Swan River? (5)

16 When one walks, one does what? (5)

19 What do we call a native of Yemen? (4)

21 Which person lends money at an exorbitant rate of interest? (6)

22 Which small finger caps are used in sewing? (8)

23 Name a different term for paradise. (6)

24 Which word describes the dying of tissue, as from interruption of circulation? (8)

25 To linger idly, is to do what? (6)

Sudoku hard No. 201

Down

2 To put something back, is to do what? (7)

3 What is the French bean also known as? (7)

4 Name the patron saint of sailors. (2,4)

5 What do we call those who suffer from sleep apnoea? (7)

6 To be lion-like, is to be what? (7)

7 What are appearances to the eye or mind? (7)

13 What do we call one who is under the friendly patronage of another? (7)

14 Which other term describes districts? (7)

15 Name the largest seaport in continental Europe. (7)

17 What is a huge sea wave caused by an underwater earthquake? (7)

18 To go before, is to do what? (7)

20 What is a unit of dry measure, such as 60 lb of wheat? (6)

Gough Whitlam shaped the Australian nation, before that, the Australian nation shaped him. This exhibition tells the story of the man behind the legacy – the bright Canberra schoolboy obsessed with Greek mythology, the RAAF navigator braving hazardous skies at the height of the Pacific war, and a young father starting a family on the urban fringe.

On show at the National Archives of Australia Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes, Canberra ACT

Closes 3 September 2017