Australian Times weekly newspaper | 31 January 2012

31 January - 6 February 2012– Issue: 397

Paul Kelly returns

Australia’s Hottest 100

The maestro is back in London

We’ve got the list in full

ENTERTAINMENT P9

ENTERTAINMENT P8

Sample Slovenia

Close, charming and cheap TRAVEL P10

AUSTRALIA DAY FIASCO BOOSTS LABOR FAVOUR n

Tony Abbott considers no-confidence motion after Aboriginal protesters create Australia Day chaos

LABOR has received a lift in the polls as Prime Minister Julia Gillard seeks to shift attention from her office’s role in the Australia Day fiasco to jobs and the economy.

Ms Gillard will use a keynote speech in Melbourne on Wednesday to outline the challenges and opportunities for the economy, a day after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott lays out his vision in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra.

The opposition is pressing the case for an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation into whether prime ministerial officials incited indigenous activists who marched on a Canberra restaurant where Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott were attending an awards ceremony on Australia Day. One of the prime minister’s media advisers, Tony Hodges, resigned after admitting he told UnionsACT secretary Kim Sattler Mr Abbott was at the ceremony, triggering the protest and subsequent security breach.

The coalition may also use the incident - which the AFP says involved no criminal act, but on Monday referred to a special unit for further consideration - to move a noconfidence motion in parliament when it resumes for the year next week.

However, Mr Abbott is unlikely to be able to muster the 76 votes he needs to suspend parliamentary rules ...continued on p3

Gay marriage looks like a no-go for oz

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE

How London celebrated Australia Day | P6

FEDERAL Independent MP Tony Windsor says he won’t be supporting legislation to allow same-sex marriage when it comes before parliament this year.

Labor Left co-convenor Stephen Jones plans to introduce amendments to change the Marriage Act to allow same-sex marriage, following the ALP’s decision in November to change its platform on the issue.

Mr Windsor, whose seat of New England takes in a large part of conservative rural NSW, told AAP on Monday he had yet to see the detail of Mr Jones’ bill but did not think it would succeed.

“It’s got a very limited chance of getting through,” Mr Windsor said.

“If (the wording) is as simple as `Will I support gay marriage?’ I would say ‘no’.”

Labor MPs will be allowed a conscience vote on the issue but coalition MPs are expected to vote as a block.

Meanwhile, the Greens still plan to refer their own bill supporting same-sex marriage to a Senate inquiry. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Floods and fires ravage different parts of Australia THE NSW government has declared five natural disaster zones in the state’s north after days of severe flooding.

Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher declared the zones for the Bellingen, Byron, Kyogle, Lismore and Richmond Valley local government areas on Monday evening.

The announcement unlocks government funding to help pay for

repairs.

“This weather system has caused a lot of damage to critical infrastructure, property and road networks,” Mr Gallacher said in a statement.

The government would monitor other flood-affected areas and declare further natural disaster zones if necessary, he said.

Around 1500 people remain isolated by

the floods, which began on 24 January.

“About 1250 are on the mid-north coast and north coast of NSW,” State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman Phil Campbell told AAP. He said most should have access restored by Tuesday.

The 250 residents of Goodooga, north of Bourke, are expected to be isolated for two more days.

The state opposition criticised the government for not declaring natural disaster zones sooner.

“A timely declaration of a natural disaster is vital in allowing local councils to assess damage, clean up debris and fix roads and other infrastructure,” opposition primary industries spokesman Steve Whan said.

Although there have been no flood

rescues in the past 24 hours, helicopters, flood boat crews and volunteers remain on high alert in flood affected regions.

“There’s a long list of new river systems affected by potential flooding in the coming days,” Mr Campbell said.

“The biggest concern for us coming in late tomorrow and Thursday will be ...continued on p3

2 | News

31 January - 6 February 2012

Has England forgotten its lines? right said ed > TIM MARTIN

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I DON’T know about you but last Tuesday morning was an eye-opening experience into the London commute.

Sure, I have been doing it for over two years now but never have I seen the kind of pandemonium that gripped the capital like last week. And it was all down to a little bit of rain…

Firstly the Jubilee Line – that most ‘reliable’ of London Underground lines – was on a go-slow. This pretty much doubled commuter’s journeys to work.

Next Waterloo had descended into chaos. It was as if the peeps at the grand old station had seen the four riders of

was yet another reason to make the London commute an unhappy and unfriendly experience) is that the root cause of the problem was rain… From a country born out of muddy puddles, grey skies and constant drizzle. Yes we have had a comparatively dry winter but England is used to industrial-sized rain on staggering scales! So why then does a little sprinkle cripple London’s fabulous public transport system?

Let’s just hope the de-icers are out this week for when the ‘snow’ hits!

Otherwise it may be yet another long and COLD trip to work.

Tim Martin is Editor of Australian Times AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Fix this farcical challenge system before it ruins tennis for good n

This year’s Australian Open has exposed some serious flaws in Hawk-Eye which must be remedied immediately. the hard word > NATHAN MOTTON

THE level of intensity was incredible.

The stroke play was mesmerising.

Two remarkably fit, agile players desperate to pound the other into submission. It took four grueling sets and more than four hours for Rafael Nadal to overcome seventh seed Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, a memorable display of men’s tennis.

Sadly though, the game and a number of others will be remembered by this scribe for nothing more than the absurd current challenge system.

Too many overrules, too many poor decisions and too many ridiculous challenges left those at home frustrated by the stop-start match let alone those sitting in the stands.

A key point in the match came in the first set tiebreak when Nadal sought belatedly to challenge a long ball once he realised that it hadn’t been called.

He was refused by chair umpire Carlos Bernardes claiming it was too late. In the fourth set Bernardes reneged on his earlier form by allowing Berdych (belatedly) to challenge a line call once he’d forced his return long.

Berdych too, on numerous occasions,

Your Say On: Surviving Invasion Day

Well said Kate. To truly celebrate who we are, we must break free of our colonial roots, just like every other soveriegn nation has done.

For god’s sake Australia, turn the books and change the date! Make it mean something that we believe in!

Mike Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices I love Australia. I’m proud to be Australian. I am not a ‘beerswilling, Union Jack flag wearing, barbeque person who punctuates sentences with “Oi” and make a

Every day on …

the Apocalypse and decided, “that’s it, the end of the world is nigh, we’re outta ‘ere…” and pretty much shut up shop.

Never have I witnessed such scenes of hopelessness and futility. Queues and queues of London commuters stretched outside the station into the driving rain.

Buses actually sped up to tip puddles of water onto the poor sods and men in red and white jackets shouted into mega-phones that “the Tube is down, go elsewhere!”.

Still these London ‘communites’ (my new word for commuters!) persisted.

Without brollies and ponchos, they marched on, ashen face and soaked.

That would have been a really fun day at work for them.

But what I don’t get (other than here

?

What’s your view

challenged balls that were inches in on crucial points just so he could get a minutes reprieve.

Nadal was rightly furious after the match, saying: “I think that with Hawk-Eye, the umpires have much less pressure than before... they are there to do something, not just to call 15-all.”

Of course hundreds of challenges are made during grand slams, while thousands of line calls are correctly made by capable and exceptional line staff. The problem is a handful of decisions, and the way in which they’re made (or not made) are threatening to take over this great game, while the current ambiguity surrounding challenges is compounding the problem.

There needs to be greater clarity over the rules. Perhaps a time limit should be enforced on players making a challenge. The ability to play out a point, lose it and then waste 30-40 seconds staring at a mark on the court deciding whether to challenge should be disallowed. The temptation for players to look to their boxes (which sit on the baseline), then be guided as to whether or not to challenge must be removed. This ridiculous situation by where players challenge balls well and

truly in, just to break the flow of play must be punished. Just as at the US Open, lines people should be removed immediately at all grand slams for bad calls to quash any cries of ‘poor me’ from the player at their end.

The Hard Word finds all of this remarkably straight forward and surely fairer for all.

David Nalbandian was arguably robbed of his epic five setter against American John Isner after chair umpire Kader Nouni overruled a correct out call by a centre lineswoman. Nalbandian claimed he hadn’t heard the call, then challenged the decision which Nouni denied saying it was too late.

Rubbish. Nalbandian was a victim of an umpire out of his depth. Nouni needed to take control of the situation, allow the challenge and move on to a second serve. Chair umpires as Rafa rightly pointed out are not victims of this revolutionary technology. It is there to assist them, yet it is they who have the final say. Perhaps the umpires like the players, are confused.

Whatever the case, the ITF needs to act fast. The game is rapidly being overrun by this current farcical situation.

point of listening to JJJ Hot 100′. I am an open, warm, compassionate person with a healthy sense of humour, a tremendous honour for the land, our delicate wildlife, our lucky country and for my fellow man – from all walks of life. No judgements. And when someone’s in need, I’ll put my hand out to help.

That to me, is being Australian. We should come together and celebrate as one on “Australia Day” – a day to celebrate being an Australian.

The argument should not be about Invasion Day, it is about reinventing the nature of the day for us to celebrate as one people. Together as one. Instead of bringing up past bitterness, isn’t it better to move forward with love?

Caroline Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

On: Reader poll: What’s the greatest song for homesick Australians?

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

There’s a sense of isolation conveyed both in the performance and the lyrics. And lines like “took the tube over to Camden …” place you in London even when you’re listening to the song in Australia.

Peter Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices Paul – Not sure about Khe Sahn lyrics “the last train out of Sydney” when the next line is “in 7 flying hours I’ll be landing in Hong Kong”….

How about Hootchie Gucci Fiorucci Mama by Aussie Crawl as a late entry for us old timers.

Chris Via AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk

News | 3

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Labor lift as Abbott seeks censure motion Continued from p1... and debate the censure.

Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie, who withdrew his support after the government backed away from a deal on poker machine reforms, said he might support the suspension motion but would only back a no-confidence motion in the event of “serious misconduct”.

Greens MP Adam Bandt said Mr Abbott needed to “pack up and move on” from the Australia Day issue.

Queensland independent MP Bob Katter says he will wait until he sees the coalition motion, but won’t back it if it’s just another example of “party games”.

NSW independent Tony Windsor said the matter should be left in the hands of police and not politicians, and in any case it was not “the greatest hanging offence of the day”.

Opposition legal affairs spokesman George Brandis said even if federal or ACT crimes were not committed, it was a grave breach of security by at least one member of the prime minister’s staff that “imperilled the wellbeing of the two most senior political leaders of the nation” and warranted further investigation.

Senator Brandis said the prime

minister needed to give a full explanation.

Despite the furore over the Australia Day incident, Labor made some gains following its decision to go its own way on poker machine reform - which has many backbenchers breathing a sigh of relief in the wake of an effective campaign led by the clubs industry.

A Galaxy poll showed a five-point boost - 29 to 34 per cent - in Labor’s primary vote.

The coalition’s primary vote fell back from 51 per cent to 48 per cent.

But on a two-party preferred basis, the coalition maintains a landslidewinning lead 54 per cent to 46 per cent.

However, former Labor leader Kevin Rudd remains nearly twice as popular as Ms Gillard, the poll found.

Ms Gillard is expected to use an address to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday to speak about her outlook for 2012.

Government Senate leader Chris Evans said Labor was “absolutely committed” to supporting Ms Gillard, and the polls showed voters were backing the government’s agenda.

- AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Sea cucumbers to save Great Barrier Reef TROPICAL sea cucumbers and their faeces could save coral reefs from the harmful impacts of climate change, scientists have found.

Scientists at One Tree Island, the University of Sydney’s research station on the Great Barrier Reef, say sea cucumbers reduce the impact of ocean acidification on coral growth.

“When they ingest sand, the natural digestive processes in the sea cucumber’s gut increases the pH levels of the water on the reef where they defecate,” said Tree Island director professor Maria Byrne.

This works to counter the negative effects of ocean acidification.

One of the by-products when sea cucumbers digest sand is also calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is a key component of coral.

“To survive, coral reefs must accumulate CaCO3 at a rate greater than or equal to the CaCO3 that is eroded from the reef,” said Prof Byrne.

“The research at One Tree Island showed that in a healthy reef, dissolution of calcium carbonate sediment by sea cucumbers and other bioeroders appears to be an important component of the natural calcium carbonate turnover.”

The ammonia waste produced when sea cucumbers digest sand also serves to fertilise the surrounding area, providing nutrients for coral growth.

Sea cucumbers are among the largest invertebrates found on tropical reefs.

Some 30 species are commercially harvested by the fishery industry along the Great Barrier Reef and throughout the tropics.

“We urgently need to understand the impact of removing sea cucumbers and other invertebrates on reef health and resilience at a time when reefs face an uncertain future,” Prof Byrne said. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

Disaster zones declared in NSW as WA keeps watch Continued from p1... the Macleay River, where there is the potential for moderate to major flooding.

“There’s also the potential for major flooding around the Orara River behind Coffs Harbour, affecting several rural properties.

“Things could ramp again from late tomorrow.”

The Pacific Highway has now reopened at Grafton after heavy rain and localised flooding closed it late last week.

Meanwhile firefighters are maintaining containment lines as a bushfire rages north of Perth but fear that if it breaks through homes will be lost.

The fire continues to blaze north of Cook Road and south of Hay Flat Road near Mooliabeenee, in the Shire of Chittering .

About 100 firefighters, assisted by two fixed wing aircraft dropping retardant on the flames and the construction of a mineral earth break, have saved around 30 homes.

The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) says the flames are burning towards the Wannamal townsite.

“You are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. There is a threat to lives and homes,” it said. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

4 | Voices

31 January - 6 February 2012

The Aussie author getting more kids in the kitchen n

Children’s cookbook author Sabrina Parrini sat down recently with NATHAN MOTTON to talk about her new book and why keeping children away from fast food starts at home.

SABRINA Parrini describes it as “luck” but her determination to inspire young people into the kitchen is no coincidence.

Parrini’s love affair with children’s cooking began as an early childhood teacher when she was blown away at the level of enthusiasm shown by children at such a young age.

“Cooking was the most popular activity at kinder with girls and boys.

Whenever we announced it was cooking time, (they) would all rush to the bench. Whereas there was a gender divide with other activities. It got me thinking it would be great to encourage more children to cook,” she told Australian Times recently.

Sitting down over a coffee in Covent Garden, the delightful Melbournian

says it was then in 2004 that she found the courage to boldly create Australia’s first children’s cooking lifestyle brand, Little Kitchen.

“At the time there didn’t seem to be anyone focusing on kids and cooking exclusively and trying to change people’s perception, and let people know that kids are capable of cooking.

It is a really good activity to teach them when they’re young. It’s a lifeskill.

It was from those humble beginnings that Parrini created a mini-revolution.

The school opened in North Fitzroy in 2004 and in just two years taught more than 5,000 children the basics of cookery.

“Kids like getting messy, they like feeling things, touching things. Cooking is traditionally the realm of adults, they (children) like mimicking what adults are doing,” she said.

As “luck” would have it, Parrini was then approached by a publisher about writing a book, and has since released Little Kitchen and Little Kitchen around the world. The latter, her newest release, features 36 recipes from a host of global cuisines. It is written

for eight to 12 year olds but she says the response from Australian children and parents has been overwhelming.

“I didn’t expect children to be so into Japanese and Mexican... even Indian and Chinese. I think it’s because Melbourne is so multicultural... but also because there are a lot more cooking shows out there, children are (now) seeing cooking shows from all over the world,” she said.

Parrini says she has noticed a change in culture since she set out to train the nation’s children. She points to author Stephanie Alexander’s work with the Kitchen Garden Foundation, as one example of a notable shift over the past decade in teaching young people about the benefits of fresh, homemade food.

“If you teach children to cook early on in life, they’re not going to opt for takeaway every single night, they’re going to be able to cook for themselves. And also cook for their friends and family... It’s a way to show that you love and care for them, it’s nice to pass that onto your kids.”

Little Kitchen around the world is available now via Hardie Grant AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Gillard calls Aussie Woman of the Year Award ‘pivotal’ n

Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks out over Australian UK award AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Julia Gillard has lent her support to 2012’s Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK Award. The annual award, now in its fifth year is supported by Australian Times, Australian Business and Qantas and nominations are open for this year’s nominees.

“The Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK is a pivotal award that recognises and celebrates the achievements of Australian woman who have left home in pursuit of their dreams in the UK,” Gillard said.

“These successful Australian women are leaders and an inspiration. It’s fantastic...[to] bring together these Australian women to collectively celebrate their many achievements.”

The Award promotes, recognises and celebrates the achievements of Australian women in the UK and coincides with International Women’s Day. Open to all Australian women whether success has been achieved through business or personal endeavours, the prize for the worthy recipient includes two return International Business tickets to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth flying with Qantas, a perpetual trophy to be housed in Australia House, and an ambassador role representing Qantas and Australian

Business.

The 2011 title holder Skye Gyngell, a London Michelin Star Head Chef and acclaimed cookery writer, was honoured to receive the award last year.

“When I left Australia 30 years ago, my intention was to make my way in the world and become someone my family could be proud of. To know that Australia is proud of me too and to be named Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK, is truly an honour and beyond my wildest dreams” said Gyngell.

Past recipients also include Dr Margaret Mayston for her work with the UCL Institute of Child Health (2010), Gill Hicks, London bomb survivor and founder of MAD for Peace (2009) and Glenda Stone, businesswoman and Founder of Aurora (2008).

The 2012 winner and shortlist will be announced at a special reception on 8 March at the Langham London hotel and is expected to attract over 200 professional Australian expatriates and industry leaders.

Guests will hear from Australian keynote speaker Jo Elvin, Editor of Glamour Magazine UK. Nominations close on 1 March and you can nominate via AustralianTimes. co.uk/news/nominate.htm

Sabrina has shared one of Posh English men and cultural her favorite holiday recipes: deviations in masculinity

chai tea cupcakes Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk • ½ cup loose-leaf chai tea • 200 g butter, softened • 1¼ cups brown sugar • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract • 2 eggs • 2 cups plain flour • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon ground ginger • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom • 1 teaspoon ground cloves • ½ teaspoon freshly grated • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1 teaspoon baking powder • Chocolate buttercream

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cupcake tins with 15 patty cases.

• Place the milk and chai tea in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir well.

• Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and strain into a small bowl.

• Discard the tea.

• Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on high for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy • Add the eggs and beat well.

• Add the flour, spices, baking powder and strained milk. Beat on medium speed until creamy and well combined.

• Spoon the batter into the patty cases filling them nearly to the top.

• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15–20 minutes.

• Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave to cool completely, then ice them with chocolate buttercream frosting.or sprinkle with icing sugar .

By Stacia Saunders I WAS on the upstairs bar at a Kensington pub. A girl had hired out the room for her 29th birthday. The crowd was very polite but no one was drinking too much or being too silly.

A tall, blonde, well mannered customer approached the bar and ordered two double Jack Daniels and cokes.

“Certainly,” I replied, and made them immediately. I pushed them toward him and asked for eleven pounds twenty.

“Do you have a straw for these?” he asked, elongating his vowels in that English public school manner.

I did a double take. When I was a bar tender in Melbourne in my uni days, we would get a disdainful “phuh” if we gave a man a straw with an orange juice, let alone a JD and coke. Some of the gay dudes would like straws but not all. This particular guy was very well spoken, not too masculine by Australian standards, and I believed he was heterosexual as he’d been talking about his girlfriend Susie.

I gave over the straws and his change and decided to take out my notebook and pen and eavesdrop on the crowd.

“So how is Susie?” enquired another blond public school accented fellow.

“Oh, really well,” answered Mr. Straw, sipping his JD and Coke. “I took her to the ballet last Thursday, and it was really moving.”

“The ballet? Which one?” asked the Friend.

“The Nutcracker, and if you understand the story behind it, its magnificent, I was moved to tears,” said Mr. Straw.

[I kept my head down and sliced some lemons to disguise that I was very, very surprised to learn about how different Englishmen are to Aussie men. I mean, many Aussie men were Englishmen just a couple of centuries ago yet I had never heard even the most arty Aussie man talk about crying at the ballet, let alone proudly and in public.]

“I’ve always had a fear of dancing,” the friend interjected. “I don’t like dancing in public.”

“Really?” asked Mr. Straw. “What about nightclubs and all that.”

“No, I don’t like them either, and I don’t take chemicals or anything. I have this occurring nightmare about my wedding day and having to do the waltz in front of everyone.”

The friend shrank back to show how anxious he felt.

“Well, of course I could hire a choreographer and all but I don’t think I could remember all the steps correctly...”

“But are you seeing anyone at the moment? A fiancé on the horizon?”

Mr. Straw carefully enquired.

“No, no, I’m single at the moment.”

Luckily, the posh English are very gifted with diplomacy and Mr. Straw expressed himself in a more polite, gentle and respectful manner than any brash Australian could.

“Well, maybe you can just meet a lady for the moment. Say, Susie has a friend who doesn’t like dancing either. She prefers art.”

Are Pommy blokes really that different from their Aussie counterparts?

Comment at AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Voices | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

# 97 - Columbia Road flower markets

n

Let’s talk soup!

Need some colour to spruce up the house n Our Aussie main man from Claridge’s Restaurant, CHRIS ARK, or impress a partner? Our London adventurer gets in the winter mood with some tasty (and warming) soups finds an opportunity on her London Top 100 another day and so can we. experience, a soup that is not too thick I was given this recipe from my boss just right to open up list to stop and smell the flowers! chris’s orthetoopalatethinandbutliven in Italy many years ago and each year up the taste buds. kitchen The good ol’ soup is also a great way I always make a batch for the freezer > CHRIS ARK

I AM not going to harp on about the weather saying how cold it can get over here. To be honest the cold season presents us with the opportunity to enjoy a tasty soup or two without sweating it out over dinner table. Rather, I am enjoying the warm rich tasty root vegetables with chunks of crusty bread t satisfy the soul and winter blues.

Soups have been served for centuries as a meal on it’s own or as a starter to many great feast. In the kitchen we offer a small soup to kick of the dining

to get plenty of vitamins and essential dietary requirements each week. The benefit a soup has is the nutrients of the vegetable are not lost down the sink as we blend or leave the ingredients to cook and serve together.

Energy bursting dried beans, peas and pulses are all thrown into this week’s recipe. Packed full of energy and goodness, gladiators (those long forgotten he-men) were avid fans of the farro soup to give them that fighting energy and nutrients to live

during the cold winter months. A soup can be made without fuss and won’t break the bank. As I have said in previous issues, the fruit and veg stands in London offering seasonal vegetables at discount prices is the ideal place to start.

Grab carrots, turnips, onions, carrots, greens - almost anything can be made into soup. Give them a good wash and what is even better, most vegetables can be cooked with the skins on where most of the flavour is stored.

The Recipe...

Oxtail and farro soup from Mario in

Italia’s Porto Recanati What you need

bron in

the don BRONWYN SPENCER

KNOWN for the freshest of fresh flowers, the Columbia Road markets are about a 15 minute walk from Old Street station located just inside the Tower Hamlets. We found them quite easy to find, as a stream of people carrying large bunches of flowers were walking in the opposite direction. As we got closer we heard the cockney accents (whether real or fake) calling out flower names and prices to shoppers and we knew we were in the right place.

We threw ourselves amongst the throng of other market goers and jostled our way around looking at all the beautiful bouquets and potted prettiness. There were many different varieties from tulips to bamboo to cacti but from what you can see and smell, they were all gorgeous and fresh. They are also really cheap!

With many stalls selling 3 bunches for a tenner or some other similar deal it was hard not to buy a whole stall especially when a cheeky stall owner tells me that “lovely ladies would love some lilies”. However due to a pint glass being the closest thing I have to a vase I had to settle for only one small bunch of tulips.

On either side of Columbia Road there are little shops that provide a brief refuge to the noise and hustle of the markets and also a great place to find some other individual gifts and home decor. One of my favourite places we stumbled across was RyanTown whose paper artwork and gifts I had seen through other shops

in London. There was a shop selling antique china and another with garden tools but my favourite was the lolly shop. It was quite hard to resist buying everything in here too as they had gorgeous old vintage sweet tins filled with acid drops and other lollies.

Towards the end of the road we found a bunch of musicians playing to the queue waiting in line for a take away coffee and pastry. We followed the crowd around the corner and found a smaller little market with food and clothing stalls as well as several interior design and furnishing stores.

One find that I was absolutely thrilled with was the Lily Vanilli Bakery.

Famous for her cupcakes (she has supplied Sir Elton John) this bakery is only open on Sundays and is well worth the wait in the queue that nearly wound its way back out the door. The bakery also sells lots of savoury treats as well as cupcakes and cakes so I treated myself to a savoury roll and a perfectly made latte which was the perfect perk up on a cold day.

After visiting the bakery we wandered back through the markets having one last look at all the flowers before heading back down to Old Street. The markets themselves are fun but wouldn’t hold your attention for too long. However Shoreditch High Street and Liverpool Street are not too far away providing plenty of places to grab a bite to eat or drink.

For me it was time to head home so I could pop my flowers in my pint glass to brighten up my room.

The Columbia Road flower markets are open on Sundays only, from 8am til 3pm.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

• 350g of oxtail from your butcher • 1 medium onion diced into small cubes • 2 carrots diced as above • 2 sticks of celery diced • 2 ltrs of good quality light brown chicken stock • 5 sprigs of thyme • 3 cloves of garlic • 2 cups of farro • 1 tomato diced as before

What to do

Chris’s Quick Tip

AustralianTimes. co.uk/voices

However for this soup below, farro or pearl barley can be purchased in most supermarkets these days. If you cannot find any, chickpeas will also work just fine.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

• Take a large soup pot and sauté off the oxtail over medium heat.

Have the bones browned all over.

Throw in the vegetable and herbs.

Sauté for five minutes until the ingredients become aromatic.

• Add the chicken stock and turn the heat down to low and allow the soup to cook for one hour. Remove any fat or scum on the surface of the soup. After one hour add the farro to the soup and cook for another 45min-one hour or until the meat is falling of the bone.

• Season the soup and serve with a thick crusty wedge of bread

Just a quick note – when you get a tasty barbeque chook to feed the housemates at home, save the bones and carcass! I love to reserve the roast chicken carcass for the next evening’s meal. Place the chicken in a large pot, fill with water and root vegetables, garlic, thyme and boil for an hour or so, strain, season and then sit back to a tasty chicken and vegetable soup.

6 | Entertainment

y a D a i l a r t s Au 31 January - 6 February 2012

nd a y a d e h t rom f s o t o h p os e t r o o h m p / s k d u a . o o l c . es See m i T n a i l a r t s night at Au

Wine Australia’s Annual Tasting Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea

Australia Day @ Walkabout Temple

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Entertainment | 7 Australia Day @ The Big Chill House King’s Cross, London

s Australia Day @ Belushi’ on nd Lo , sh Bu Shepherd’s

8 | Entertainment

31 January - 6 February 2012

The Hottest 100 of 2011 n

The annual Triple J Hottest 100. It is to Australia Day what diggers are to Anzac Day (or Santa to Christmas, beer to Oktoberfest, Aussies to London...). The world’s biggest musical democracy yet again came good with the best songs of 2011 and even if number one was somewhat predictable (but still ever so good – we love you Gotye!), the nation’s annual countdown didn’t fail to satisfy. I guess there’s only one question you can ask when looking at the list. What’s your favourite song of 2011? #100: Mr Little Jeans - The Suburbs #99: The Beards - You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man {triple j recording} #98: Jay-Z & Kanye West - Niggas in Paris #97: Foo Fighters - Arlandria #96: The Strokes - Machu Picchu #95: Grouplove - Naked Kids #94: The Wombats - Our Perfect Disease #93: Kimbra - Two Way Street #92: James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream #91: City And Colour - Fragile Bird #90: Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise #89: Beirut - Santa Fe #88: Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle #87: Gotye - In Your Light #86: Seeker Lover Keeper - Light All My Lights #85: Cosmo Jarvis - Gay Pirates #84: 360 - Throw It Away {Ft. Josh Pyke} #83: The Kills - Future Starts Slow #82: Little Dragon - Ritual Union #81: Busby Marou - Biding My Time #80: Pnau - The Truth #79: SBTRKT - Wildfire {Ft. Little Dragon} #78: Husky - History’s Door #77: Metronomy - The Look #76: Redcoats - Dreamshaker #75: Skream & Example - Shot

Yourself In The Foot Again #74: Drapht - Bali Party {Ft. Nfa} #73: Skrillex - First Of The Year (Equinox) #72: Flight Facilities - Foreign Language #71: Luke Million - Arnold #70: Jebediah - She’s Like A Comet #69: Bon Iver - Calgary #68: Arctic Monkeys - Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair #67: New Navy - Zimbabwe #66: Bon Iver - Perth #65: Kasabian - Re-Wired #64: Owl Eyes - Raiders #63: Foo Fighters - Rope #62: Stonefield - Black Water Rising #61: Radiohead - Lotus Flower #60: Joe Goddard - Gabriel #59: Washington - Holy Moses #58: Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers #57: The Rubens - Lay It Down #56: Sparkadia - China #55: Architecture In Helsinki - Escapee #54: The Grates - Turn Me On #53: Bon Iver - Holocene #52: Kimbra - Good Intent #51: The Drums - Money #50: Boy & Bear - Part Time Believer #49: Boy & Bear - Milk & Sticks #48: Art Vs Science - A.I.M. Fire! #47: Sparkadia - Mary #46: Active Child - Hanging On #45: The Kooks - Junk Of The Heart

(Happy) #44: Hermitude - Speak Of The Devil #43: Grouplove - Itchin’ On A Photograph #42: Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me #41: The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness #40: Foster The People - Houdini #39: Benny Benassi - Cinema {Skrillex Remix} #38: Ball Park Music - All I Want Is You #37: 360 - Killer #36: Florence + The Machine - No Light, No Light #35: Illy - Cigarettes #34: Gotye - I Feel Better #33: Jay-Z & Kanye West - Otis {Ft. Otis Redding} #32: Noah And The Whale L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N #31: Ball Park Music - It’s Nice To Be Alive #30: Calvin Harris - Bounce {Ft. Kelis} #29: Drapht - Sing It (The Life Of Riley) #28: Owl Eyes - Pumped Up Kicks {Like A Version} #27: Example - Changed The Way You Kiss Me #26: The Wombats - Techno Fan #25: Kimbra - Cameo Lover

#24: The Wombats - 1996 #23: Emma Louise - Jungle #22: Snakadaktal - Air #21: Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites #20: Bluejuice - Act Yr Age #19: Nero - Promises #18: The Wombats - Jump Into The Fog #17: Seeker Lover Keeper - Even Though I’m A Woman #16: Grouplove - Tongue Tied #15: Foster The People - Helena Beat #14: Foster The People - Call It What You Want #13: Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out #12: Architecture In Helsinki Contact High #11: Calvin Harris - Feel So Close #10: Hilltop Hoods - I Love It {Ft. Sia} #9: The Jezabels - Endless Summer #8: 360 - Boys Like You {Ft. Gossling} #7: San Cisco - Awkward #6: Lana Del Rey - Video Games #5: M83 - Midnight City #4: Boy & Bear - Feeding Line #3: Matt Corby - Brother #2: The Black Keys - Lonely Boy #1: Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know {Ft. Kimbra} AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Winners, Wiggles and festivals music from the

motherland > PAUL JUDGE

And the winner is…

Australian Music

We hope by now you’ve recovered from Australia Day and were able to celebrate it in proper style in UK. With a bit of sun through the day in London we probably had better weather than most of the east coast of Australia.

Music from the Motherland was up bright and early to listen to Triple J’s Hottest 100 and dream of BBQ’s and a public holiday. Australian music shone through with six of the top 10 filled by Australian artists. As far as unpredictability went there weren’t any major surprises with Gotye having seemingly booked the number one spot as soon as voting began.

Other notable Aussie acts in the top 10 included Boy and Bear, The Jezabels and 360, who were all looking good for a strong finish and they didn’t disappoint.

Some people might complain it was too predictable but not us! With the high quality of music out there for 2011, certain songs were always going to rank high and they got the recognition they deserved.

It certainly was the year of the Australian youngsters. Stonefield and

New Navy were two bands which did well, while special mention goes to West Australian band San Cisco who’s song ‘Awkward’ came in at number seven. Not bad when a few of them only finished high school last year. By golly we feel old.

A lot of the songs on the list were discovered on Triple J’s Unearthed station, the platform for unsigned acts to have their music heard. Goes to show how much good music is tucked away across Australia just waiting to be discovered. Bring on the next batch!

Skivvy politics

Everyone’s favourite children’s group The Wiggles have welcomed back into the fold the yellow skivvy original member Greg Page. Page who was one of the founding members of the group left the band in 2006 due to continued health problems which left him unable to perform and tour.

Filling the gap for Greg was Sam Moran who played with The Wiggles up until last week. While the band and management have publicly thanked Sam and praised him for his efforts and gracious offer to stand aside there were rumblings about his treatment and the timing, with the announcement made on his daughter’s birthday.

Amid all rumours, we’re sure the all smiling, all singing group would never have any skeletons in their closet…. Or do they?

What we’re following #TripleJ

@thewombats Thanks so much to all Aussies for your support & votes onTriple J’s hottest 100’!It really means alot to us marsupials.Happy Australia Day! @dfg77 Before those of us no-longer in the triple j demographic slam anything in the hottest 100, let’s not forget “Pretty fly, for a white guy” @bdo_official Congratulations to Gotye and BDO2012er Kimbra “Somebody That I Used To Know” for coming in at NUMBER 1 in the triple jHottest 100! #bdo2012 @cameron_adams Triple J’s #hottest100 proves Australians love Australian music.

If only commercial radio realised this#nomorelmfaoandpitbullthanks @GG_Australia On the way to Ones next engagement listening to the Triple J#hottest100 in the car. Australia you have voted well. Your GG loves you @1PhoebeJTonkin Things I would be doing for #Australiaday at home: listening to triple j top 100 and eating mamas pavlova. Did gotye get number 1?

Check out what we’re following today on AustralianTimes.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

What’s On Phil Jamieson & Pat Davern (Grinspoon) 31 Jan @ Walkabout Temple Grinspoon 2 Feb @ Walkabout, SheBu Australian Times presents Paul Kelly 3 Feb @ Union Chapel Cloud Control 17 Feb @ Electric Ballroom The Jezabels 22 Feb @ Koko

BIG DAY OUT: Revelers enjoy all the action at the Sydney Big Day Out festival on Australia Day. AAP Image/Paul Miller

Big Day Out hitting the road

With all the controversy surrounding this year’s Big Day Out, you’d be forgiven for forgetting the actual point is to stage one hell of a festival.

We talk of course of the falling out of festival founders Vivian Lees and Ken West with Lees walking away from the festival after 20 years of business partnership.

Add to this the changes in festival sites in some cities, slow ticket sales, the cancelling of the Auckland stage after this year - it has been a tough year for the people at Big Day Out HQ. But the carnival rolls on and the show hit the Gold Coast then followed up with Sydney on the Australia Day. From our reports, while numbers

were down on previous years, there was still the entertainment and glitz that goes with the travelling festival.

Headliner Kanye West was 45 minutes late to his set up in Queensland much to the dismay of fans. In the buildup to his set Chris Cornell (lead singer of Soundgarden) was very annoyed on the neighbouring stage with sound checks interrupting his bands show. He vented the next day at the organisers of course on Twitter.

It’s not all doom and gloom though!

We hear between the international bands of Kasabian and Foster The People and Aussie acts The Jezabels and Boy & Bear, crowds have been enjoying ripping sets and getting their money’s worth of music. For that we are jealous.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Bleeding Knees Club 23 Feb @ Old Blue Last Qantas Australian Woman of the Year in the UK Award 2012 8 Mar @ The Langham London Australian Pink Floyd 24 Mar @ Hammersmith Apollo Parkway Drive 7 April @ Indig02 Bogan Bingo Every Thursday @ The Underdog, Clapham Common

For full details...

...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Entertainment | 9

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Paul Kelly - the man, the music, the legacy

n

One of Australia’s most celebrated musicians will take to the stage in London this week

LONDON can’t get enough of Paul Kelly. Nor should it want to. When the opportunity presents itself to witness one of Australia’s greatest ever musical artists perform to an army of expats, you would be mad to miss it. Paul Kelly’s Friday night gig at Islington’s Union Chapel has been sold out for weeks. But then again, that was always going to happen. Ever since he took the English capital by storm last year with his A to Z tour, 100 different songs across four intimate nights (search AustralianTimes.co.uk for the reviews - very well worth it), the city has been abuzz with a man named Paul.

However, this phenomena is nothing

new. The magical Mr Paul Kelly has been serenading Australian audiences since the ‘70s. He told us he’d done “all the dumb things” in the 80s. He has added weird and wonderful phrases to his name in the form of his past bands (The Dots, The Coloured Girls, The Stormwater Boys and The Messengers).

He has taken us “from St Kilda to King’s Cross” (the song still used by many Victorians to try and decide the age-old Sydney v Melbourne debate).

He has left us wistful about the greatest sportsman of all time, Don Bradman.

He has had us laugh at another cricketer in Shane Warne. And he has conjured up many a tear with his wonderful

Triple J winners reap ARIA chart success

TRIPLE J’S annual list of the Hottest 100 songs (see the full list on page 8) has sparked a welcome sales boost for some of the country’s biggest acts.

Australian Idol runner-up Matt Corby (pictured), whose haunting track ‘Brother’ was voted third in the famous listener poll, enjoyed a meteoric rise up the ARIA singles chart with his newest release ‘Into The Flame’.

The gold-selling song soared into eighth position from 42 in just a week.

Adelaide hip-hoppers Hilltop Hoods achieved similar success thanks to ‘Love It’, a collaboration with pop star Sia, which jumped eight spots on the chart to 11.

The track was ranked 10th in the Australian-dominated Hottest 100.

Sydney band Boy & Bear also faired

well, returning to the albums chart in ninth position with their platinum record Moonfire. The ARIA Awardwinning group scored a total of three songs in the Triple J vote.

Meanwhile Belgian DJ Laurent Wery’s hit dance track ‘Hey Hey Hey’, featuring Swiftkid, has shot up eight spots to number two on the singles chart, just behind ‘Wild Ones’ by Flo Rida featuring Sia in pole position.

Adele has unsurprisingly held onto the number one spot on the albums front with 21.

The British songstress has yet again fended off Foster The People’s latest record Torches and Resolution by heavy metal band Lamb of God, which debuted at number three. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Christmas-cum-prisoner song ‘How To Make Gravy’.

And that’s not even mentioning classics like ‘To Her Door’, ‘Before Too Long’, ‘Deeper Water’ and ‘Every F*cking City’. The man is a true Australian legend.

If you missed out on tickets to his London show, don’t despair. He’s in Glasgow on Wednesday, Manchester Thursday and Cardiff on Sunday. It’s almost worth the trip out to any of these places just to catch him. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed. But then, you know that already, don’t you!

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

FUN FACTS ABOUT PAUL - He was apparently born in a taxi after his mother gave birth to him on the way to the hospital - He penned the tune ‘Peace’ which is the backing music in Al Pacino’s iconic psyche-up speech in the movie Any Given Sunday - He is a cricket fanatic - He is the uncle to Aussie musician Dan Kelly - He helped Yothu Yindi write the seminal Aussie classic ‘Treaty’

10 | Travel

31 January - 6 February 2012

close, charming and cheap n

KATE MATTHEWS explored Slovenia and found it had a little something for everyone IF you need a weekend break away from the hustle and bustle of London living, head to Slovenia, one of the smallest and the newest countries in Europe. With a little something to tantalise everyone’s taste buds, it has mountains, coast, caves, lakes and the beautiful Ljubljana. What more could you ask for?

Slovenia is a great place to relax and unwind especially in the great outdoors. Its natural charm hasn’t been spoilt, there aren’t swarms of tourists and, best of all, it is a fraction of the cost of its neighbours.

It has a population of two million people, is roughly a third of the size of Tasmania and is located in the heart of Europe. Its neighbours include Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy.

As one of the wealthiest of the former Yugoslavian states, Slovenia declared its independence in 1991 and joined the European Union in 2007. Slovenia has come quite a long way from its days of being just an outpost: first of the Holy Roman Empire, then of the Habsburg’s and, of course, not forgetting Napoleon’s Illyrian Provinces.

From Ljubljana, the capital city, through to the Julian Alps, Lake Bled, the Skocjan Caves and the Adriatic Coast, here is my guide to the best way to enjoy Slovenia.

Ljubljana

JULIAN ALPS

SKOJAN CAVES

Ljubljana (pronounced loo-be-arena) is a great place to start exploring Slovenia. With a population of 280,000 it has the conveniences of a modern city but maintains the friendliness of a small town and can be easily explored in a day.

The Old Town starts in Preseren Square and is set along the banks of the Ljubljana River. It is lined with cobbled streets, baroque-style buildings, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and bars. You will soon notice how much Slovenian’s love to sit outside rain, hail or shine. To get a better taste of the city, throw your map away and let destiny take its course.

On your leisurely stroll, you can find the flower market next to the cathedral which has some of the most beautiful baroque art that you will ever see. On Sunday mornings,

the banks lend themselves to the city’s flea market, a treasure haven for antique collectors. There are also the famous three bridges, a fantastic spot for a picture to send home to mum and dad.

Make sure that you check out the Ljubljana Castle. It’s not the most impressive castle in Europe but you can get a great view of the city from the tower.

Julian Alps

Set in the northwestern corner near Italy, the Julian Alps are home to Slovenia’s highest peak, Mt Triglav (2864m). Legend has it that the mountain is home to a three-headed god who ruled the sky, earth and underworld. There are four tourist towns in the area, Bled, Kranjska Gora, a popular ski resort, Bohinj and Bovec. Most of the area is within the Tiglav National Park, one of the largest natural parks in Europe. You will also find deep river gorges (excellent for a Slovenian kayak adventure), highlands and traditional alpine dairymen tending to their sheep.

Lake Bled

At the foothills of the Julian Alps lies Lake Bled, Slovenia’s most popular resort. If it was good enough for the Yugoslavian Royal family’s summer residence, it is probably good enough for you. With its medieval castle, it’s a fairytale setting complete with a 17th century church and bell of wishes in the middle of the lake on a tiny island.

Hire a boat and ring the bell to make your wish come true. In the summer, swim, sail and relax under the Slovenian sun surrounded by mountains. Bled is 51 kilometres northwest of Ljubljana and easily accessible by buses and trains.

Adriatic Coast

Slovenia has 46.6 kilometres of coastline with diverse beauty and medieval towns. Piran, at the small end of the peninsula is one of the best preserved and picturesque of the towns in Slovenia. You can also visit the Secovlje Saltworks which still produce salt using traditional methods. If you have time, stop at Koper, Slovenia’s major port town which is also said to be ‘Italianised’ and Izola, a former fishing island.

If you are looking for a more mainstream town and like a bit of a gamble, head to Portorz, a tourists paradise complete with casino and all.

Travel | 11

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Fun Facts: Capital: Ljubljana

Population: 2 million

Area: 20,256 km2

Language: Slovenian LAKE BLED

Skocjan Caves

There are more than 1000 caves in Slovenia. The Skocjan Caves in the Karst region are said to be the most beautiful underground part of the world and are listed under UNESCO as a world heritage site. You can get your fix of limestone stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, dripstones and deposits. If caves aren’t your thing, you might like to see the 250 varieties of plants and check of the five types of bats the caves house or the human fish that live in the caves. The Skocjan Caves are 110 km southwest of Ljubljana within the village of Matavun.

Accommodation

The Hostel Celica is an artistically renovated former prison with 92 beds. Even if you don’t stay, it is

Currency: Euro

well worth a look especially the two-bedded former cells. It has a restaurant, bar, cyber cafe, art gallery and friendly staff.

If you would prefer to soak up the serenity in a village atmosphere, the Pension Restavracija Lieber is about a 10-minute drive from the centre of town.

Religion:

Roman Catholic (82%)

Flying Time: 2 hours

When to visit

The best time to visit Slovenia in summer is in May and June. If you are lucky, you may still catch some winter snow (winter months a great too – for some uncrowded relaxing or even some alpine fun). In July and August, hotel rates increase.

September is a good time to visit for long days and warm weather and is great for hiking. For local festivities, visit on 25 June for Slovenia Day and 15 August for the Feast of the Assumption.

LJUBLJANA

12 | Travel

31 January - 6 February 2012

Stay at someone else’s place n

So you’re in need of an adventure but you’re low on the pennies. No matter.

JANIS LOVE looks at alternative options for the budget conscious traveller.

IMAGINE spending a month staying on a yacht moored on the Thames.

Waking up every morning in a peaceful sanctuary oblivious to the hustle and bustle of life in London. Or, living like a local for three months amongst the green rolling hills of the English countryside, with walking trails on your doorstep and a quaint 15th century pub just 2 minutes down the road.

Now imagine if you could have all of this without forking over a huge wad of cash for the privilege.

If you’d like to keep on dreaming a little longer, imagine staying in a stylish Roman apartment with three of your mates for just £16 each per night, or an enchanting castle in the north of England for under £85 per night. Want more for less? Imagine living in Italy, Spain or France for weeks or months without having to spend a cent on accommodation.

For a traveller on a tight budget, the amount you spend on accommodation is a very important factor in how long you can afford to travel. Decent hotels are just too expensive and whilst there are some good hostels out there, staying in a ten bed dorm room is just not my idea of a good night’s sleep. So here are two good ways that I have found to experience new places and get a good night’s sleep without it costing a packet:

1. Pay to stay at someone’s place

Whether it’s in their tree house, apartment, or for those who are lucky enough to own one - their castle, there are lots of people that are willing to let you stay at their place and the easiest way to find them is online.

There are many couch surfing and room renting websites out there (like CouchSurfing.org) but the best that I have found so far is Airbnb.com.

This is where I found the yacht on the Thames. A month in a spectacular location right in the thick of things was a great start to my stay in London and it only cost me £14 per night.

It’s safe and easy to book through these sorts of websites and as the popularity of this form of accommodation grows, unique places to stay (we’re talking castles, caves, campers and even aeroplanes and lighthouses) are becoming available all over the world, so head to the net next time you’re looking for a place to sleep.

2. Stay at someone’s place for free

House sitting is another great way to discover new places, get free accommodation and often make new friends, and now thanks to websites deigned to bring homeowners and house sitters together, it’s easier than ever to arrange a house sit just about anywhere in the world, making travel so much more affordable.

There are quite a few websites popping up to support this travel trend and when I checked them out, I chose two to join, MindMyHouse.com and TrustedHousesitters.com. Both require members to pay a fee, but don’t let this put you off. When you look at the savings you can make on accommodation it’s well worth paying to join. Both offer a great service and make it easy to join and set up a profile however, the one I had most success with was TrustedHousesitters.com.

I arranged my recent house sit in the UK countryside (I lived in the lovely dales of Somerset) through them and in return for caring for the homeowner’s dog Patch, they gave me use of their home, their car and Wi-Fi for the three months they were away.

I had a great experience house sitting, made new friends and explored places I never even knew existed.

Australia on the Western Front, 1916-1918 House sitting jobs can range in length from weekends to months and sometimes even years. CEO of TrustedHousesitters.com, Andy Peck, says, “for the average Australian who is using London as the launch pad for the odd weekend city break in Europe, it’s perfect.”

Previous listings on their website have included “an incredible chateau in France, a beach house in Hawaii, a houseboat in Amsterdam, a place in Samui for two – three months, a place on the waterfront in Sydney for three months, multi-million pound townhouses in London, a place in Malaysia’s Langkawi and an olive grove in Turkey.”

With people looking for house sitters all over the world the list of new places to explore is endless.

When I averaged out my accommodation costs for the four months I’ve been in the UK I was astounded to find that it came to a mere £3.67 per day. Now that’s what I call budget accommodation.

If you’d like to get great accommodation in some spectacular places without breaking the bank, don’t book a hotel or hostel, think outside the box and stay at someone else’s place.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

£80 per person including lunch on the Somme

Guided day coach tours of Australia's Western Front Battlefields: Fromelles, Pozières and Villers-Bretonneux.

Departing Central London, travelling in executive comfort, join Battlefront Exploration for a guided tour of Australia's Battlefields on the Western Front. We visit: Fromelles: ‘the site of Australia's bloodiest twenty-four hours’ Pozières: ‘more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth’ (Australia's Official Historian) Villers-Bretonneux: ‘the final defeat of the 1918 German Spring Offensive’

Further details, tour dates and payment information can be found on our website www.battlefrontexploration.co.uk.

Jobs & Money | 13

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Greek debt deal will ease pessimism: Swan TREASURER Wayne Swan hopes the prospect of a deal between Greece and its bond holders will help ease the excessive pessimism that is hurting the Australian and global economies.

Reports over the weekend suggest Greece and its private investors are close to a deal that will significantly reduce the country’s debt and pave the way for a much-needed bailout of 130 billion euros ($A161 billion).

“If that deal is finally done that certainly is a significant advance because, you see, one of the challenges we have in the global economy and one of the challenges we have here locally is there is too much focus on the downside risk,” Mr Swan told ABC radio on Monday.

He said the European bond holder issue had been dragging on for some time and had led to downward revisions in global growth from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

“But it’s also led to excessive pessimism ... we shouldn’t let the downside risk that we see in Europe blind us to the fundamental strengths in our economy.”

Mr Swan said the federal opposition and the media had been overly negative about the downgrades by these international institutions, as had been the reporting of recent domestic labour force data which left the jobless rate at a still low 5.2 per cent.

“You would have sworn ... that somehow we had an unemployment level which was back at the early 1990s of 10 per cent or 11 per cent, similar to

what they’ve got in Europe and the US.” He said while the mid-year budget review released in November showed future jobs growth wouldn’t be as strong as predicted, the outlook for the labour market was still far stronger than in just about any other developed country.

Opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said Mr Swan’s changed employment outlook was another broken government promise, on top of the carbon tax and poker machine reform.

Concern about the economic outlook has raised speculation the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will cut the cash rate again next week, but retail banks are warning they may not pass on the rate reduction in full.

Mr Swan remains unimpressed by this stance and will continue making “frank and fearless comment” about the important issues associated with interest rates, despite leading banking figures saying political interference is a threat to the banking system.

Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt said the banks should stop crying poor over funding costs as they were some of the most profitable in the world.

“They should be passing on any RBA cut announced next week,” he said in statement.

Still, Mr Swan won’t be following the path of France, which is introducing a 0.1 per cent financial transaction tax from August..- AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/jobs-money

Dollar Review

Aussie continues to strengthen

THE Aussie has been trading slightly higher than expected over the last week coming to rest at 0.67 to the British pound and 1.6 to the US dollar.

The recovery of the US economy is teetering on tender hooks as the Fed has warned that US interest rates are predicted to remain near zero for the foreseeable future. Investors have begun to eye relatively high-yielding Australian dollar assets.

Russia is expected to start diversifying their international reserves in the next few weeks and plan to invest in Aussie dollars. Alexei Ulyukayev, the Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia, was cited as saying that the Australian dollar program was about to start. Russia currently holds the fourth biggest reserves in the world.

Economists have warned that the global outlook remains tentative this along with the warning from the IMF “of a need to avoid a return to 1930s era conditions” infers that the Reserve bank of Australia may be more inclined to

easing monitory policy. Michel Turner a strategist at RBC Capital Markets was cited as saying that it is doubtful that the Reserve bank will continue with the current interest rate levels given the sub-trend global growth, replete with material down side macro-financial risks and a sluggish domestic labour market.

Market sentiment seems to agree that over the last few weeks the global economy has been seen to stabilize.

AMP Capital Investors Chief Economist Shane Oliver was cited as saying that “the European Central Bank action appears to have reduced the risk of a banking crisis in Europe, U.S. economic data has continued to surprise on the upside and Chinese economic data remains consistent with a soft landing”

GBP/AUD: 1.4755 EUR/AUD: 1.2397 AUD/USD: 1.0663 AUD/JPY: 81.764 Exchange Rates at 09:55, 30 January 2012

Composed by Monique Champan :: Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, www.1stcontactforex.com, or call us for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.

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26/05/2011 09:33

Ancestral Business

Q: A:

I am on an ancestral visa and would really like to start a business in the UK. Is this within the limitations of my visa? If not, is there a way around it?

The ancestral visa allows you to undertake full time, unrestricted employment in the UK. As an ancestral holder you are also allowed to start a business in the UK or become self employed. You will thus not have any problems starting your own business.

Keep in mind that if you intend to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years on an ancestral visa one of the criteria is that you should be able to show that you have been economically active throughout that five year period.

Please feel free to contact our offices, should you require any further information or assistance.

Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants JP Breytenbach

Director of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants www.bic-immigration.com info@bic-immigration.com

14 | Sport

31 January - 6 February 2012

Meares on a much clearer path to London THIS time four years ago, six months out from the Beijing Olympics, Anna Meares had just fractured her neck, dislocated a shoulder and was millimetres away from needing support to breathe for the rest of her life.

A remarkable recovery from the race crash that nearly cost the Queensland cyclist her life culminated in a bravehearted silver medal in the women’s sprint in Beijing.

To say she’s in a much better position with six months to go to the London Games is an “understatement”, Meares admits.

She’s just won three gold medals at the national track titles in Adelaide and is fit and healthy. She needs to be, she says, as the competition at the London Olympics will be a massive step up from Beijing.

“I’m so pleased I’ve been able to have thus far an uninterrupted preparation, because I’m going to need it,” the eight-time world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medallist said on Monday.

“I really believe that this time around, there’s no coming back from any kind of interference or hurdle that might present itself. Because the level of performance now has exceeded everything before.”

Following her sprint, team sprint and keirin gold medals at the nationals to match the world titles she won last year, her Olympic campaign takes progressive steps between now and July.

Starting with a World Cup leg in London from 17 February, followed by the world championships in Melbourne a month later, Meares is building toward possible triple gold at the Olympics.

“The London World Cup will be like a mini world championships given that everyone will want to get a piece of what the Olympic track will feel like, and I guess you can’t get better preparation for a worlds than that.

“And you can’t get better preparation

for an Olympics than a world titles.”

She’s certainly aiming to go one better in the Olympic sprint in London and is also chasing gold in the keirin, but it’s her combination with Kaarle McCulloch in the team sprint that carries the most expectation.

They have won the past three world championships and can make it a fourth in Melbourne in March but the ultimate goal is the Olympics and the competition is closing in.

The Chinese recently fell just short of Meares’ and McCulloch’s world record and the London World Cup meeting will also give the Australians

a good insight into how close Germany and Britain are getting.

“I think this is going to be the first time all the big contenders for the team sprint will be out there battling each other so we’re really looking forward to that,” Meares said.

“We’re not getting complacent with the fact we have had great success in the event.

“They want to get on the top step and we want to stay there. We have to work out how we go about staying there.” - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Toovey’s premiers to face Carney’s Sharks Continued from p16...

up-and-comers who will take on a Sharks squad featuring former Dally M medal winner Todd Carney for the first time.

It will be Toovey’s first on-field opportunity to stamp his authority on the side following Des Hasler’s shock defection to coach Canterbury in the week after winning his second premiership at the Sea Eagles last season.

Missing from Friday’s trial, Manly’s only hitout before they take on English champions Leeds in the World Club Challenge, will be injured quartet Jason King, David Williams, Tony Williams and Joe Galuvao as well as All Star representatives Anthony Watmough and George Rose.

But among those who will blow out the cobwebs of a slightly shortened off-season will be Australian international Daly Cherry-Evans, New Zealand tyro Kieran Foran, brilliant fullback Brett Stewart and off-season recruit Ben Farrar.

Farrar has been hired, in part, to fill the void left by versatile back William Hopoate and veteran

winger Michael Robertson, while hardworking backrower Shane Rodney has also moved on.

One desired outcome from the Sharks trial would be to find instant replacements for Manly’s departed players, with Toovey admitting it would be difficult in the short-term to overcome their loss.

“It’s hard to replace the experience of guys like Robertson and Rodney, but it’s also hard to replace William Hopoate who always found a way to the tryline,” Toovey told AAP on Monday.

“We won probably two matches specifically on the back of him finding the tryline when others would not have got there.”

Manly’s regulars will likely only get a 20-minute spell as they continue their preparation for England.

“The majority of the grand final squad won’t be playing very much football, but they’ll probably get 20 minutes,” Toovey said.

“It’s very much a hit-out for us and about trying to get our timing right on a few things.”

Co-captain King (pectoral muscle injury) is still seeking medical advice on his possible return date

and appears unlikely to play.

The same goes for David Williams, who injured his neck against Melbourne last year but has made a full recovery, Tony Williams (quad) and Galuvao (Achilles).

All are still under consideration for the WCC match, but Toovey insists he won’t take anyone overseas who will be underdone.

“It’s very difficult because obviously you’ve got to take a small squad over,” Toovey said.

“We’d like to think that squad will be fit to play because it’s hard to travel that far and go over there and not have any backups.” - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Football – what’s not to love about it?

n

BRENTON SHAUGHNESSY loves his AFL. But he’s also become quite enamoured in the ‘world game’.

GROWING up I was very much an Aussie rules boy. It was only natural for me, being a boy from country Victoria. I lived and breathed AFL (Australian Football League) and never even gave another sport a chance. That was of course, until I moved to the UK two years ago.

I am now, proudly, a lover soccer (or if you will, of the game that they call football). Over the past 24 months, my thoughts of Riewoldt, Pendlebury, Goodes and Judd have been replaced by foreign names such as Rooney, Messi, Van Persie and Silva. I have well and truly been hooked into this world wide phenomenon and cannot see myself ever getting out of it.

I was brought up to think that football (soccer) was a skill-less, weak and boring game. But my respect for the skills has grown. I have also realised that the precision, fitness and concentration needed is immense.

Never would a leading football club be able to poach a player from a rival sporting code, train them up for a few months, then throw them straight into the first team (cough...Israel Folau, cough...Carmichael Hunt), it simply could not be done.

The lack of scoring is replaced by this amazing tension that lasts throughout a match. A missed chance can be just as exciting as a goal, but when the tension is broken and somebody actually does score, the outburst of celebration from all involved is exhilarating.

There is one element above all that has drawn me in, and that is the universal appeal of the game. Football is played by 250 million people in over 200 different countries. The passion that it evokes from players and fans alike is fascinating.

I recently spent quite a bit of time in Morocco, Northern Africa.

It was one of the poorest countries I have had the opportunity to visit, the visible poverty is astonishing. With over four million people living below the poverty line, large unemployment rates and a deteriorating infrastructure, Moroccans generally do not have a lot to look forward to in their lives. There is one thing though, which allows many of these people an escape from their bleak reality.

Everywhere you turn; there are children in replica Messi and Ronaldo shirts. Football fields are set up wherever possible, whether it is in a concrete courtyard in Fes, a park in Casablanca or a sandy rock strewn patch on the outskirts of Merzouga, near the Sahara. Children are forever playing, with whatever they can find, be it a can, scrunched up piece of newspaper or a pumped up ball.

Game day is an event, the cafes are full of eager spectators sipping on mint tea and screaming at every turn of the game (and any unfortunate who happened to inadvertently stand in front of the screen). I can imagine that there would be similar scenes right throughout Africa, Asia, India and the Middle East.

Rich, poor, educated, uneducated, black, white, young, old, male or female, this game appeals to so many. Learning football is akin to learning another language. You will find people in all countries and all walks of life who are willing to drop everything and have a conversation with you about football.

Someone once said to the famous Liverpool manager Bill Shankly: “Football isn’t a matter of life and death to you?” to which he replied: “Listen, it’s more important than that”. He is not alone in the world with this summation.

Australian rules, is still and always will be my first love. But I am so glad that I opened up and allowed the other football into my life. If you have not done so already, I would suggest that you do the same. Apart from giving you a good excuse to get down to the pub on a Sunday afternoon in London, it will enrich your experiences abroad and offer you an inside view of the many different cultures that you will encounter along the journey.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Sport | 15

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Ashes fuels Aussie skipper Continued from p16...

Australia to third spot on the ICC rankings, trailing only England and South Africa.

India have slipped from second to third after being humiliated Down Under.

Clarke says he’s in career-best form after hitting 626 runs at at 125.20 against India including a triple hundred and a double ton to win the player-of-the-series award.

“The disappointment of last summer has inspired a few of us.

There’s been a bit of fire in the belly,” Clarke said of Australia’s 2010/11 Ashes defeat.

Clarke averaged only 21.44 last summer against England.

“It’s a very special feeling to sit here beating India four-nil knowing

that last summer I couldn’t buy a run,” Clarke said.

Clarke’s Australian one-day side will host Sri Lanka and world champions India for a triangular series starting with the AustraliaIndia clash at the MCG on 5 February.

However Clarke can look forward to a break of a few days as new Twenty20 skipper George Bailey leads the home side in two Twenty20 Internationals against India at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Wednesday and at the MCG on Friday.

Clarke has retired from T20 Internationals.

Bailey’s side, including crowd favourite and big-hitting opener David Warner, will assemble at their team hotel in Sydney on Sunday.

They’ll train at the SCG on Monday and at ANZ Stadium on Tuesday. - AAP

Australia T20 squad: George Bailey (capt), Travis Birt, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Thorpe clocks quickest comeback time Continued from p16...

Italy in December and the 51.05 he clocked in Melbourne.

But he faded in the second half of the 200m final, finishing fourth in 1min 51.51sec, significantly slower than his Melbourne time of 1:50.79.

Australian head coach Leigh Nugent, who wants Thorpe to focus on the 200m rather than the shorter event at the Olympic selection trials in March, was encouraged by his increase in speed during a heavy training load.

He covered the first 50m of the 200m in 25.3 seconds and clocked 53.4 at halfway, but swam around 29 seconds for each of the final two laps.

“His 100 was faster than last time and if he’s tired, that’s probably an encouraging sign,” Nugent said.

“The way he split the 200 indicated

he was quite tired, he usually finishes his races fairly strongly, but that’s just an indication of fatigue.

“He won’t be backing off in his training, he’ll have to keep going even harder now. He won’t have any rest until he gets close to the trials.

“Every time he’s raced, he’s been in that state. He hasn’t been able to rest at all to race. He’s got to put up with the performances as they come.

“For him, the racing is about the racing, it’s not about the result. He needs a result in seven weeks, not last weekend.

“Young guys can swim faster when they’re in heavy work than an older male. Older males like Ian benefit more from rest.”

The 29-year-old’s best chance of making the London Games which start on July 27 remains the 200m freestyle relay.

But he’s still a long way from his old

200m world record time of 1:44.06 set in 2001 - a mark which stood for nearly six years.

He will train in Tenerife and Germany over the next couple of weeks, before another meeting in Zurich three weeks before the Olympic trials start in Adelaide on 15 March. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Cold snap hits London while Tag Rugby heats up!

By Phillip Browne

WITH a record 45 teams registered in the Late Winter Try Tag Rugby competitions across London, the expected cold snap in the capital won’t deter any eager players as they brave the colder temperatures this week with a high of 4 degrees.

Scrum & Coke and Yahoo! are heating up the pitches at Borough with some sensational displays of Tag Rugby to remain undefeated in the mixed division. The Hardy Boyz who are current title holders are in the lead in the men’s division at the same venue.

M.I.N.E are ahead at Rotherhithe in the A grade with The Spy Who Tagged Me in amazing form to be front runners in the social grade. Rub & Tag are on fire at Wood Green, still undefeated and only conceding five points to boast the best defensive record in the league!

Moves Like Tagger remain on top at Barnes with Double Scrum & Coke currently leading a very close 13 team competition at Bermondsey.

If you wish to play it’s still not too late to get amongst the action as there is room to join teams at Barnes, Rotherhithe (females only) & Wood Green.

In other news, the Tag Rugby World Cup open trials for Great Britain & Ireland have been announced. If there are any Aussies out there on British

TAG HEATS UP THE CAPITAL: High-flying Team Yahoo! Hope electric Tag Rugby games will help warm icy London this week or Irish passports who would like to chance their hand for a World Cup spot, you are welcome to trial! All details found at Trytagrugby.com Meanwhile, the registrations for the Spring Tag Rugby competitions (4 March) are now open. If you would like to get involved in one of the fastest growing sports in London,

new team and individual registrations are welcome.

To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition, go to www.trytagrugby. com or email info@trytagrugby.com for more details.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Gower and co leading the Aussie Bronco pack Continued from p16... who you follow back home. There’s plenty of Aussie boys in this side and hopefully people will just jump on board and come down and have a few beers, enjoy the game and watch us bash the crap out of each other!”

Bryant started his rugby league career in 2002 with the Canberra Raiders, won the NRL Premiership with the Manly Sea Eagles in 2008, before moving to the now defunct Welsh rugby league side the Crusaders in 2009. A new signing for the Broncos in 2012 and new to London, Mark is thoroughly enjoying the Australian expat life.

“Probably like everyone, the first thing that hits you in the face is the weather when you get off the plane.

But to tell you the truth, since we’ve been down here in London, the weather has been not too bad and even bearable whereas apparently back home the weather has been sh*thouse! But you take it in your stride, it’s part of the culture and part of being over here and you may as well pack your bags and head off home if you don’t like it.

Because if you actually embrace it and think this is all part of it then you can have a good time, which a lot of us do.”

The burly big prop is full of humour and energy when we chat to him on Australia Day and he’s chomping at the bit to be part of a successful Broncos season.

“Obviously it’s an exciting time for London rugby league and the club’s changed back to its roots with the London Broncos. We’ve got a new squad and a fresh burst of energy around the place which is great, so everyone is really looking forward to it. We probably won’t start with a bang but we’ve got the squad to stick in there and challenge all season and hopefully by play-off time we’ll be in the mix.”

As any good Aussie in the UK, it’s no surprise as to what Mark’s enjoying most about London life!

“The pints! They’re bigger than schooners,” he laughs while checking if the coach is listening.

“But seriously, you’re on the doorstep to Europe. You know, we are stuck down there in the southern hemisphere and obviously there’s a few jokes with the English boys about how good it was they sent us convicts down there but no, it’s really good being over here.

There’s a lot of countries to visit and it’s an opportunity for family and stuff to come over and visit this side of the world.”

Let’s just hope the Aussie Broncos of London will be visiting the winning circle a fair bit as well this year.

London Broncos play St Helens at Twickenham Stoop at 3pm this Saturday, 4 February.

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Tag heats up the capital Electric Tag Rugby games will help warm icy London this week P15

INTRODUCING THE AUSSIE BRONCOS OF LONDON n

This week rugby league kicks off in the English capital and London’s only Super League team is chock full of Australians raring to go

AUSTRALIA captain Michael Clarke says his poor performances last summer against England have helped inspire him to his stunning run-scoring efforts against India.

The home side claimed a 298-run win on day five of the fourth Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday to complete a four-nil series sweep.

Another Test-series victory in the West Indies in April will lift

By Tim Martin IT’S only fitting that for one of the biggest gatherings of Aussies outside Australia, the local rugby league team reflects our presence. I am talking about, of course, the number of Australian players currently in London’s only Super League team – the London Broncos.

Rebranded and renamed in 2012 (formerly London Harlequins Rugby League Football Club) – the London Broncos have returned to their roots and the name they carried in the 1990s and early 2000s. The new direction isn’t the only thing bright and shiny down at Twickenham though. When they take the field against St Helens in the first match of their 2012 Super League campaign this Saturday, no less than 10 Australian names will appear on the first team’s squad list. That’s almost half the entire Broncos squad!

With established rugby league players from Australia like Craig Gower, Chad Randall, Michael Robertson, Michael Witt, Shane Rodney, Luke Dorn, Mark Bryant, Chris Bailey, Antonio Kaufusi and David Howell in the Broncos squad, it’s no surprise that big things are expected from the team in 2012. And these Aussie boys are at the heart of it.

Gower is one name that immediately leaps off the team sheet and it’s no wonder that he is in current contention for the captaincy role. Gower is something of a rugby league legend back home. An Australian international, he guided Sydney’s Penrith Panthers to the NRL Premiership in 2003 and was a regular for the New South Wales Origin side for many years. And that was all before he moved to France in 2008 and tried his hand at rugby union, the result of which culminated in Gower being selected to play for the Italian national rugby side for several seasons. Quite an impressive CV. But now Gower is back in the rugby league

Clarke inspired by Ashes failure

...continued on p15

Toovey-led Sea Eagles to be unveiled

MANLY fans will get their first look at a Geoff Toovey-coached Sea Eagles team in this Friday’s NRL trial at Cronulla.

Toovey will name a strong lineup on Tuesday, including the bulk of last year’s premiershipwinning squad, mixed in with a group of fringe first-graders and ...continued on p14 GIDDY UP AUSSIES: The Australian contingent of the London Broncos Rugby League team (from left to right) Mark Bryant, David Howell, Antonio Kaufusi, Shane Rodney, Jarrad Hickey (now released from contract), Craig Gower, Michael Robertson, Chris Bailey, Chad Randall, Michael Witt and Luke Dorn. fold and after a couple of trial games last week, excited for the season ahead.

“I haven’t played for four years and before that I hadn’t played because of injuries for about 18 months so it was just good to get out and get through the games last week and now it’s just about working on things I need to work on as the season progresses and try and play as high quality as I can,” Craig told Australian Times on Australia Day last week.

“I had a great [rugby union] experience, I had a really good time down in France, played with the Italian

side which was a great achievement and I thoroughly enjoyed that and it’s just one of those things that I’ll look back with fond memories.

“But now it’s a new start with a new side, and there’s big expectations to play well. We’ve got a big start against St Helens so obviously it’s a big challenge for us first up.”

Joining Gower in the team against St Helens this week is former Parramatta, Manly and New Zealand Warriors player Michael Witt. He just wants his fellow Australian countrymen living in London to come and support the

new look Broncos team.

“Obviously there’s a lot of Aussies in the team and we’re the only rugby league team around. We’re working really hard and we want to turn things around and have a good season so come and support us!” said Witt.

Teammate Mark Bryant totally agrees and is hoping for a huge Australian following in 2012.

“Every Aussie has their team that they follow back home so why not adopt the Broncos, regardless of ...continued on p15

Is the Thorpedo nearing his best?

IAN Thorpe’s tired, but he’s getting faster.

Thorpe clocked the quickest 100m freestyle time of his comeback in a low-key meeting in Luxembourg on the weekend, but his 200m was slower than his time at the Victorian state swimming titles in Melbourne earlier this month.

The five-time Olympic champion finished sixth in the 100m at the Euro Meet in 50.76 seconds, improving on the 50.84 he swam in ...continued on p15