CityNews 220224

God save the Queen; she needs the help!

ROBERT MACKLIN

How brave uncle Rocco became a big stupido

To ‘aitch’ or ‘haitch’ and what it says about you

ANTONIO DI DIO

CLIVE WILLIAMS

B EF U R YAR 24, 2022

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NEWS / ACT Rescue and Foster

Unwanted dogs face a ruff patch out of lockdown

By Nick

OVERALL WHILE the numbers of people wanting a pet skyrocketed during covid, months out of lockdowns many dogs are now being surrendered by their owners.

It’s a problem being felt by ACT Rescue and Foster (ARF), a volunteer organisation that acts as a “halfway home” to help dogs from the pound find a permanent place to live.

ARF rescue sub-committee chair Fiona Brown says they believe the increased numbers of dogs they’re receiving are a result of “what’s left over from covid”.

“A lot more people wanted to have a dog during the pandemic likely because they were spending more time at home,” says Fiona.

“It sort of created a strange situation where there were more people wanting a dog, so many that they couldn’t get one.

“Now 12 to 18 months later, away from lockdowns and home, they want to move on, and we’re seeing a lot more surrenders than usual.”

The organisation, which turns 20 this year, has found homes for more than 3500 dogs since it began in 2002.

INDEX

Scamp before and after being taken in by ARF… “It only took a little care and nurturing though and he turned out to be the sweetest little guy,” says Fiona Brown.

ARF volunteer foster carers save dogs from the pound by adopting them in their own homes and looking after them while the dog is transitioning to permanent, loving owners.

The dogs are desexed, vaccinated, wormed and microchipped before going to their new homes, and would-be owners are able to get more information from foster carers about the dog before committing to the adoption.

“Adoption is never really an issue for us because we’ve checked the dogs out, looked after them and we’ve got a good idea of their personality,” says Fiona.

“We look after dental problems, skin problems, behavioural problems and can tell owners who are thinking of adopting more about the dog and give them a better idea of what they’re getting.

“It means everything to see these dogs find a happy home.”

ARF currently has 34 dogs in care, a number Fiona says is far higher than usual.

“There’s a lot of financial hardship out there now which could also be playing a part in why we’re seeing more dogs in Canberra surrendered,”

she says.

“A lot of people have had to move homes because of that hardship and can’t have a pet in their new home.

“Even in instances where a landlord can’t forbid you from having a pet there’s a good chance they’ll give preference to the person who doesn’t have a pet anyway.”

Fiona says that for many dogs neglect itself can be a traumatic experience.

“There was one little guy named Scamp who ended up coming to us and was very snappy at first,” she says.

“It only took a little care and nurturing though and he turned out to be the sweetest little guy and he was only nipping because he was scared of being neglected again.

“When dogs aren’t given reassurance or boundaries they can get very fearful. The dog might not even have been abused, just neglect is enough for it to get defensive.”

While there may be more surrenders than usual, Fiona says that Canberra is ultimately a great city for rescue dogs.

“Canberrans love rescue dogs and we’ve received some great donations, the community is very generous,” she says.

She says the biggest thing the organisation needs is more foster carers who are able to volunteer their home to look after dogs and save them from euthanasia.

“To see them rehomed, a dog that’s been shut down, depressed, wondering what’s going on, maybe some mental issues, it means everything,” says Fiona.

“It’s hard to say goodbye sometimes as a foster carer, but the great joy is giving the dog to someone else knowing it’s going to a good home.

“There’s always another dog coming through the door that needs help.”

More info at fosterdogs.org

Since 1993: Volume 28, Number: 8

Arts & Entertainment 19-21 Canberra Matters 8 Cinema 21 Crossword & Sudoku 23 Garden 22 Horoscopes 23 Letters 18 News 3-13 Politics 7 Streaming 21

Cover: “Van Gogh Alive” opens from March 5.

Story Page 19.

Well written, well read

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Managing Director: James Anderson, 0404 077605, james@citynews.com.au Director: Kate Meikle, kate@citynews.com.au Senior advertising account executives: David Cusack, 0435 380656 Tracey Avery, 0477 939999 Advertising account executives: Damien Klemke, 0439 139001 Tim Spare, 0423 381691 Editor: Ian Meikle, editor@citynews.com.au Journalists: Belinda Strahorn, belinda@citynews.com.au; Nick Overall, nick@citynews.com.au; Lily Pass, lily@citynews.com.au Arts editor: Helen Musa, helen@citynews.com.au Production manager: Janet Ewen Graphic Designer: Issy Doszpot Proof reader: Glenda Anderson

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SEVEN DAYS

Go shop to get over the horror of the hillbillies IS anyone seriously less than happy to see the back of the fortnight of groundhog daily demonstrations, variously described as the Convoy of Crackpots and, my favourite, Dumbernats?

Greens minister Emma Davidson worries we aren’t. Understandably, as Mental Health and Community Recovery Minister she’s entitled to a bit more nail biting than most.

There were moments, admittedly not all of the hillbillies’ antics were amusing, but I hadn’t realised how anxious she was until I read a warm/fuzzy/carey/sharey press release headed “Practical ways to strengthen community resilience”.

There she is encouraging all Canberrans to stay kind, connected and caring to “strengthen community cohesion following a disruptive week for the ACT”. It’s not like it was Poland in 1939, Emma.

But no, apparently there are “many things we can do on an individual level to support Canberra’s community resilience, connectedness and kindness”.

“Over the past week, there were several instances of anti-social and harmful behaviour which left many Canberrans feeling stressed, anxious, and frustrated.” How many? My “Pocket Oxford” defines several as “more than two but not many”.

Haven’t we already demonstrated

resilience over the past two years facing bushfires, hailstorms, covid and electing another Labor/Greens government?

Anyway, what follows is the usual cant of reaching out, staying connected and a list of ways to assuage any lingering horrors of the ragtag people: Braced; ready?

Shop local, join a club, volunteer or help a community pantry. I’m feeling way more resilient already.

THE spin cycle never stops for City Services Minister Chris Steel, who stepped out recently promising that the ACT government had some seemingly miraculous legislation that would “help Canberra’s cats live longer and healthier lives, while better protecting native wildlife”.

These are creatures already credited with nine lives, why give them more? How about sorting out the health system for one-life humans first with some miraculous legislation?

But, no. The City Services Minister purred: “This new Bill will promote responsible cat ownership, cat health and protect the environment.”

Of course it was all stupid spin to introduce registration for cats and compelling all owners to comply (for free) by July 1.

If you get a cat after that date there’s “a small, one-off fee”. He didn’t say how much, but what’s $55 to a guy on $291,592 a year?

And because you’re registered, you’ll be liable for any fines your wandering feline clocks up eating the wildlife.

BACK TO SCHOOL Parents, now the kids are back to school do not forget that 80% of learning is visual.

Prepare them for their school year by ensuring they have their Comprehensive Eye Exams.

“CITYNEWS” has a star-studded, distinguished writing cohort. We have an acclaimed author of 30-plus books in Robert Macklin and gongs galore: whimsy columnist Clive Williams has a Medal for Gallantry, columnist Jon Stanhope an AO, political columnist Dr Michael Moore AM, arts editor Helen Musa OAM, craft reviewer Meredith Hinchliffe AM, dance reviewer Bill Stevens OAM, music reviewer Ian McLean AM, who also has a Conspicuous Service Medal, and I’m an AM, too.

But for all the achievements of our writers (one a former chief minister, another a former health minister) we’ve never had an active columnist elected to parliament.

So congratulations to “Our Nic” – Nichole Overall, who has secured the retiring John Barilaro’s seat of Monaro in the NSW parliament. Mrs O, a skilled journalist, has written a popular local history column (“Yesterdays”) for “CityNews” for years and I know readers will miss her quirky penchant for unsolved murders and crimes most foul, but it will doubtless hold her in good stead for the horrors of Macquarie Street.

Facebook) said: “The nationals’ Nichole Overall has held the Monaro seat vacated

by John Monaro”. Monaro, Barilaro, how quickly they forget a feather duster. But this isn’t the first time since they closed “The Queanbeyan Age” and decamped that they’ve got a prominent local name wrong (this from a man who managed to spell Michael Moore’s surname “Mooore” on a front-page pointer). In recent reportage they’ve captioned Mayor Kenrick Winchester as “Kevin”.

HERE’S a terrific personalised number plate from a Mercedes I was behind on Adelaide Avenue the other day: YAGOOD. Anyone seen any other good ones? (editor@citynews.com.au).

Ian Meikle is the editor of “CityNews” and can be heard on the “CityNews Sunday Roast” news and interview program, 2CC, 9am-noon. There are more of his columns on citynews.com.au

WHICH, in a roundabout way, gets me to “The Canberra Times”. In a story reporting Nichole’s ascension to the leather backbenches, the heading on its website (for almost 12 hours, despite nudges on

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NEWS

Octogenarian author’s a stranger to a full stop

By Belinda

STRAHORN MELBA’S Malcolm Gerloch wrote his first book at 78.

At the age of 82 and 12 books later he’s completely “hooked”.

Gerloch, mostly a children’s book author, is living proof that you are never too old to try something new.

“Too bloody right you’re not,” Mr Gerloch said.

“And I want to keep writing as long as I can.”

His latest book “Blue” tells the adventures of Flea the cat, and her marmalade-coloured brother Ridden.

Accused of stealing jewellery, Flea’s family must prove she’s innocent.

Meanwhile, Ridden has gone missing and the family is worried. On the hunt for Ridden, they stumble across a bowerbird nest, could this be the culprit?

“It’s all fiction, and a bit of fun,” said Mr Gerloch, who has loosely modelled the story on a couple of cats he once owned.

“Most children’s books are a few hundreds words long with lots of pictures, but my books are about 6000 words and the sort of thing that parents and grandparents would read to the kids,” said Gerloch who himself

6 CityNews February 24-March 2, 2022

Author Malcolm Gerloch and his wife Gwyneth… “I’ve slipped in a few adult jokes because if you don’t hook the adults you don’t hook the kids.” is a grandfather.

“I’ve slipped in a few adult jokes because if you don’t hook the adults you don’t hook the kids.”

Mr Gerloch, a retired quantum chemist, was 78 when his debut book “Bird” was published.

His second book was “Flea”, and his third, “Bahs”. Other children’s books about animals followed including, “Zada”, “Spike”, “Rosie ‘n’ Co” and “Chook”, which he wrote with his wife Gwyneth.

“Three more are yet to come out,” said Mr Gerloch, who’s also written

books for adults.

“One is a collection of stories called, ‘Old Harald and Other Stories’, another is ‘A Strange Tale or Three’ and ‘Second Best Luck’ is an autobiography of the things that have happened to us since we’ve been in Australia, and the fact that I’ve had two cancers.”

Mr Gerloch, who also enjoys gardening and cooking, said his autobiography endeavours to assure people that: “When bad things happen, you can survive”.

UK-born Mr Gerloch moved to

Canberra 22 years ago, after retiring from a career as an academic and research scientist in the field of quantum chemistry at the University of Cambridge.

He always wanted to write but said: “By the time I got to 65 I thought I’m too old and I can’t start a new career, so I forgot about it.”

Ten years later, after writing a paper on something that had been “nagging” him scientifically, he decided he wanted to write more.

“I could live without the science part, but the writing part was what I enjoyed,” Gerloch said.

“So, I did what every man and his dog has done and wrote a family history. “Then I thought maybe I could write a book, and that’s when I wrote Bird.”

“Bird” is about a currawong who strikes up an unusual friendship with a cat.

“That novel was partially true but, of course, the conversations between the cat and the bird were pure imagination,” Gerloch said.

“Then I imagined that that cat had offspring, which were called Flea and Ridden, and the currawong and his

missus gave birth to kids called Coo and Ee,” Mr Gerloch chuckled.

“The stories developed from there.”

Having dedicated much of his life to science, he said he has his wife Gwyneth to thank for introducing him to the world of non-scientific literature.

“Upon retirement I thought I should start reading and she pushed me towards 19th century English literature,” Mr Gerloch said.

“I fell in love with it.”

Canberra is something else that – over time – he has grown to love.

“I never thought much of it at first,” Mr Gerloch said.

“But when I came out in 1997 to do some research at the Australian National University during a Canberra winter, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was just beautiful. It’s been a great place to retire.”

Having caught the writing bug later in life, Mr Gerloch said he’s in a “hurry” to write more.

“I want to keep up the books,” he said.

“I see my doctors regularly and my favourite line to tell them is that I intend to be around for the next 20 years and it’s their job to see that I am.”

“Blue” is published by Pegasus and is available to buy from most good bookstore websites.

POLITICS

Fear rules as Liberals pile pressure on Labor FEAR of the Chinese, fear of mandates, fear of overregulation, fear of economic woes, fear of religious discrimination and fear of refugees are just a taste of the range of fears that will underpin the upcoming election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is already demonstrating his mastery of the tactic of fear mongering with the aim of making the electorate nervous about any change of government.

The fear of China as a growing international power plays into the hands of the Morrison government and allows them to portray Labor as weak on international security. As Danielle Chubb and Ian McAllister have pointed out in The Conversation, by depicting Labor as “weak” on China, Defence Minister Peter Dutton is hoping fears of China’s global ambitions will provide an electoral advantage to the Coalition.

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles was described by the Prime Minister as “the Manchurian candidate” and Peter Dutton claimed China had picked Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese as their candidate.

Many of our readers will be aware of the same tactic from years ago as “reds under the bed” was used to

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is already demonstrating his mastery of the tactic of fear mongering with the aim of making the electorate nervous about any change of government.

Caricature: Paul Dorin invoke fear of Chinese Communism.

Fear mongering goes beyond national security. Morrison appealed to the “Convoy to Canberra” protesters saying the protesters were “speaking up for the things they feel strongly about” and “Australia is a free country and they have a right to protest,” he said. “I would ask them to do that in a peaceful and respectful way.”

The intention was to put a wedge between his own government and the governments of the states and territories, which he blamed for the mandates.

Morrison wants voters’ real fear to be the possibility of a Labor government. In contrast, Albanese did not mince his words when he told the protesters to “go home”.

Fear of religious persecution has

been pursued by the Prime Minister since the last election. His failure to even convince his own backbenchers of the merits of his Bill carries no weight. His media stunt at the pulpit of a Lebanese Maronite Catholic church extolled the virtues of the failed legislation and encouraged fear of religious persecution. Poor policy, but effective electioneering!

Mixing church and state does not seem an issue for Morrison, who has seen an opportunity to shore up support from conservative Christians with untenable legislation. No doubt he will continue to pursue it publicly even though he knows there is little likelihood of getting it through either house of the federal parliament.

Appealing to the electorate on fear of economic mismanagement by Labor has been a cornerstone of Liberal

policies for a series of elections. Again and again they reiterated the fear of an economic deficit. Well, until it became necessary in the light of the international pandemic! Suddenly, a deficit was not such a bad thing. Good economic management included lowinterest borrowings and a deficit that could be covered by economic growth without increased taxation.

It will not be long before the Morrison government attacks Labor on taxation. Fear of having to pay more taxes, even when there is considerable community benefit, has been bread and butter for the conservatives for decades. It has been a successful tactic and is unlikely to be left on the back shelf.

Fear of restricting freedoms through over-regulation is being offered to Morrison on a golden platter. Australia’s early successes in preventing deaths and maintaining hospital places while other countries were devastated by COVID-19 will fall into distant memories. #scottyfrommarketing has the skills to ensure that the strongest memories will be of mandates, lockdowns and other restrictions.

The implications will be that Labor

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will continue down this path while the Liberals will be the government of liberation from personal restrictions and business regulation.

“Stop the boats” remains a tool that the Liberals are not prepared to let go. Fear of refugees and racism is the underlying discourse. The appalling treatment of the Tamil asylumseeking Murugappan family from Biloela is illustrative of the lengths the government will go to in order to maintain a fear of boat people and other refugees.

The big question remains. How will Labor respond? Will they consider it necessary to fight fire with fire or will they appeal to the electorate in other ways?

Michael Moore is a former member of the ACT Legislative Assembly and an independent minister for health. He has been a political columnist with “CityNews” since 2006.

There are more of his incisive columns on citynews.com.au

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CANBERRA MATTERS / London Circuit

Government tram spin to fool compliant NCA THE ACT government’s proposal to “Raise London Circuit” for the tram was submitted for approval to the National Capital Authority (NCA) in October.

The documentation was 1363 pages of technical stuff along with an abundance of amazing spin. This proposal sidesteps the real intentions for this lakeside precinct. This will be a monstrous suburban foreshore development.

The Inner South Canberra Community Council’s December submission highlighted some serious issues about this proposal (on their website at www.isccc.org.au).

These included that the auditor-general had questioned the claims of financial benefits with the linking of this first stage of the tram to the West Basin development.

There are benefits claimed from raising London Circuit from being an underpass beneath Commonwealth Avenue to being an intersection with traffic lights crossing Commonwealth Avenue (will

Revealed: How the ACT government will replace the well-designed lake environment with fields of tower blocks.

Graphic: from the government’s October submission to the NCA. do wonders to traffic flows).

Even more spurious is a claim that this rerouting of roads would future-proof

the transport networks and enhance opportunities for walking and cycling (the opposite is more likely).

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Overlooked completely are the previous NCA proposals for Commonwealth Avenue and the bridge.

Mysteriously, this complete messing with what is a reasonably efficient road system is somehow going to improve the urban amenity of the area – with nothing provided to prove that.

There are statements about improving the linking of Civic to the lake and creating easier interconnectivity for people moving around the precinct. The proposal delivers the opposite.

Any improved links to Civic, if that is of any relevance, will not happen.

This document is an example of how this government works. It often states, without evidence, that aspects of the development are wonderful, then expects everyone to believe what was said no matter how ridiculous. There’s a lot of dubious stuff in this document.

A huge insult is that Marion Mahony Griffin’s and Walter Burley Griffin visions and love of the landscapes have been linked as a positive to what will follow. That will be the massive over-

development of the available lands west of Commonwealth Avenue – as shown in the image taken from the submission. And what’s all that stuff on the southern side of the lake?

When the auditor-general stated the financial benefits did not add up, the government was not worried. It knows that the NCA is easily manipulated and fooled by spin and that once the tram to Commonwealth Avenue is in place, they will then use this to justify the massive developments, not just on the West Basin foreshore, but of all the nearby lands.

This will not be the hundreds as recently stated by Andrew Barr, but thousands of apartments on the lands surrounding West Basin and those beside Commonwealth Avenue. It doesn’t really matter if the tram stops here and the tram to Woden does not happen, as there is huge money to be made from cramming developments into this new foreshore suburb.

This proposal continues the government’s now normal practice. It manipulates facts,

There will be massive overdevelopment of the available lands west of Commonwealth Avenue – as shown in the image taken from the submission. And what’s all that stuff on the southern side of the lake?

provides very little evidence, uses meaningless urban speak, and boasts about any greenwash and sideline heritage matters. It knows that the NCA has become a compromised and compliant body when it comes to such irrational developments.

There’s also a thesis to be written about the ACT government’s use of userfriendly consultants.

In years to come, the tram on the raised London Circuit, together with the new West Basin foreshore and the first token parkland facilities and artworks, will be used to justify this apartment suburb. They will be packed into spaces starting from Henry Roland Park, occupying the land 700 metres north alongside Commonwealth Avenue to Vernon Circle and including land 700 metres to the west behind West Basin.

It will be a massive change to the aesthetics of the city’s much-loved foreshores. As for those precious, historic views of the far mountains from Commonwealth Avenue – gone! The well-designed lake environment – gone, replaced with fields of tower blocks.

This ACT Labor/Greens coalition government is very accomplished at being sneaky. These are the same politicians and bureaucracy that claim to be implementing planning reform.

Given the duplicitous nature of this tram to Commonwealth bridge proposal, residents should expect even less transparency and honesty with anything to do with planning and development.

Boris Johnson would be proud of this neo-liberal laissez-faire, Labor-Greens, developer-driven cohort of self-seeking politicians.

Paul Costigan is an independent commentator and consultant on the visual arts, photography, urban design, environmental issues and everyday matters.

Read more of his columns on citynews.com.au

BRIEFLY How liveable is life in the ACT? THE Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy is hosting a Liveability in ACT Forum, via Zoom on Thursday, March 3, 12.30pm-2pm, to learn and discuss the local results from the 2021 Australian Liveability Census, a social research project across 40 local government areas in Australia.

There were around 1000 responses from community members in the ACT. A panel, including Malcolm Snow, CEO of the City Renewal Authority, and John Dietz, CEO of the Suburban Land Agency will discuss the findings.

Register via eventbrite.com.au

Seniors’ village open day TUGGERANONG’S Greenway Views village, at Soward Way, will hold its first open day, 9am-5pm, on Tuesday, March 1, to welcome fellow seniors, community groups and families to experience life in the largest seniors’ living development in Australia and currently home to more than 150 residents.

RSVP by February 26 via 1300 535000.

Health system training THE Health Care Consumers’ Association is offering a free training session on consumer participation in which participants will learn more about navigating the health system, staying safe in the health system and personal and family health advocacy.

It’s at the HCCA’s Hackett offices, 10am3pm, March 8 and 15. Register at hcca-act. eventbrite.com or call 6230 7800.

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KINDNESS / The International Conspiracy of the Ladies

How brave Uncle Rocco became a big stupido IT was a hot and busy summer evening. Kids seemed to be buzzing in the street in a preChristmas swarm, bikes and legs everywhere; cricket on TV. Even mass would be interesting, all the good festive stuff and no brimstone.

Then a strange knock at the door followed by Mrs D framed in the evening sun towering over us. Mum answered the door and told me to run off and help papa while she and Mrs D talked.

Mrs D’s perennial huge smile was missing. Usually her laugh was a watermelon of teeth that made you feel safe and happy. Her family stretched across what seemed to me the only family in the whole world that had more cousins than ours.

Our cousins were all in Italy and we were just the three of us now back in Australia, but Mrs D had a million Reggies and Alberts and Nevilles and Charlenes spread across the district, all, it seemed to me, running the place.

They’d been around longer than mum and dad. Sixty thousand years longer, give or take.

I asked dad for the story. “Well,” he said fearfully, “it’s the ladies”.

What, said I, is “the ladies”?

“Well, remember how your Uncle Rocco went off in 1936 to fight in the Spanish Civil War and your Aunty Rosa called him a big stupido?”

A column of Italian troops during the Spanish Civil War... which turned Uncle Rocco from soldier to big stupido.

Thirty years before I was born, papa but, yes, I follow you. It’s because he chose the wrong side?

“No,” said dad, gently. “It’s because he went at all, against your aunty’s wishes.”

But papa! I’m confused – didn’t nonno go to Abyssinia in 1936 to fight for the glory of Italy?

“Well, not exactly. He went to fight because the crops failed and there were 13 bambini and four more when his sister died and he needed the money.”

What’s the difference?

“The difference is that nonna and all the ladies gave him permission to go. They did not want your Uncle Rocco to go to Spain. That’s why he was a big stupido.

“The ladies knew something important. They knew that we were

too poor to afford moral causes.

Okay, but what about the ladies?

Why is Mrs D at the front door talking to mamma?

“Well, son, I think that maybe Mrs D maybe needs your mama’s help for the Christmas, for all the bambini.

Or maybe she’s come to give mamma help for our Christmas, I don’t understand these things. I’m not sure; she never tells me anything.”

Why’s that papa? He was a little sheepish: “I think maybe I’m a big stupido as well. When your mamma and the ladies make the decisions about these things it’s better for us not to know anything because…”

Because why, papa?

“Because we always say everything wrong. The ladies, they know what to say.”

Because of a spelling error, 12-year-old Jaxxon has just been elected president of the whole country.

He has big plans.

An illustrated comedy for readers age 9+

Available from Dymocks, QBD, Paperchain, Robinson’s, Harry Hartog, The Book Cow, and online!

10 CityNews February 24-March 2, 2022

What do I know? Not much. But I know that every kid in the street seemed to have something nice to wake up to that Christmas, even if I failed yet again to secure a Dragons jumper.

I know that everybody was happy.

I know that for years Mrs D and mum would smile respectfully at each other at the shops without necessarily being bosom buddies and I know that even in the wonderful Aussie family I married into that between my three brothers-in-law and I, we have the combined emotional intelligence of a bag of kitty litter.

I know that my gigantic, loud, poor family back home suffered centuries of oppression and humiliation and responded with humour and grim will, aided by their beliefs and their spirit of place, connection to the land, and their families. And those families were, without exception, run by women. They were blessed with a deep understanding of what bound and strengthened families, using the most powerful weapons this world had ever known – shame, praise, guilt, belonging, love, a well-placed kick, a carefully guided kiss, an eyebrow that could kill a child at 50 paces and an inherited wisdom that kept their families safe in famine

and war. Through bad times and worse.

Rather similar to Mrs D’s people.

I once asked mum: “How come you always rescue dad from his dumb ideas and then convince him your solution was his idea?”

“Because I love him”, she’d say. “He can’t help being a big stupido.”

Watching our little town over years, it became apparent that a loosely associated cabal of mighty women ruled it, without anybody much ever noticing. I love that, but I love it even more that in our brave, newer world they don’t have to hide the fact.

Mrs D is no longer with us, but I’d be unsurprised if her spirit watches over us all, cajoling, haranguing, laughing.

Thanks for being so nice to us all when we were kids. We need you back, but the women you left behind seem to be pretty awesome, too.

Antonio Di Dio is a busy GP in Canberra who longs to live three doors down from Kogarah Oval, specifically 1956-66 inclusive, although turning up to the Raiders every year has its moments.

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WHIMSY / H bombing

To ‘aitch’ or ‘haitch’ and what it tells about you PEOPLE who say “aitch” for the letter H invariably look down on people who say “haitch”. By contrast, haitchers don’t seem too fussed about what aitchers say or think.

Susan Butler (editor of the Macquarie dictionary) writes in her book “The Aitch Factor”: “Parents know that if their children pick their noses, neglect their teeth, say haitch instead of aitch, they will never make it in the world. It’s as simple as that.”

Most larger dictionaries have “aitch” listed but not “haitch” and while delving further into this important issue, I discovered that controversy over the letter H extends well beyond just “aitch” and “haitch”.

According to Michael Rosen, author of “Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells A Story”, people were being picky about the use of H as far back as ancient Rome.

In ancient Rome, pronouncing every “H” was the civilised thing to do. Even so, Catullus wrote

Aversion to the way others speak or pronounce words seldom has any linguistic rationale; it is usually an excuse to typecast others as socially inferior.

Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins in the 1964 film “My Fair Lady”... Professor Higgins tries to educate H-less Eliza to sound her Hs. a catty little poem about Arrius (H’arrius he called him), who overused his Hs to sound intellectual.

By the 20th century, in Britain and Australia, dropping the H for most of the words beginning with H was just not done in “polite society”. In Britain, your speaking accent and knowing how to use H still indicate your breeding and place in the social pecking order.

In “My Fair Lady”, a musical based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play “Pygmalion”, Eliza Doolittle, a

Cockney flower girl, takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetician. He needs to pass her off as a lady to win a bet. Professor Higgins tries to educate H-less Eliza to sound her Hs by getting her to learn “In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.”

In Enid Blyton’s “Malory Towers” series – set in an upper-class English boarding school in the 1950s – there’s a section where one girl mocks another’s father for his uncouth behaviour – as characterised by his “H-dropping”.

“Jo once boasted that there wasn’t anything her father couldn’t buy.

June had enquired whether he had

enough money to buy himself a few hundred Hs. “Jo had never forgiven June for that.

For the first time she had realised that her father’s loud-voiced remarks were made all the worse by the way he continually dropped his Hs, and his curious lapses in grammar.”

In spoken English today, the accepted thing is to pronounce the H for most words beginning with H – as in historian, hotel, hammock, herbs, hiccough, highway etcetera. But English being the perverse language that it is, there are of course exceptions to the rule – such as hour and honourable, and of course aitch as in H-bomb.

In Britain, H apparently owes its “haitch” pronunciation to the Catholic Normans, who brought the old French word “hache” with them when they invaded in 1066.

With aitch and haitch, it still seems to be linked to the speaker’s religion.

According to Rosen, “haitch” is the Catholic way and “aitch” is the Protestant way. He notes that in Ireland

“getting it wrong could be a dangerous business”. More generally, whether you say aitch or haitch will also depend on the religious persuasion of the person who taught you the alphabet.

But why do supposedly egalitarian Australian “aitchers” look down their noses at “haitchers”? One theory is that it’s deep-rooted class snobbishness based on the “haitch” pronunciation being associated with poor Irish Catholic working-class immigrants.

Rosen observes that when it comes to “aitch” or “haitch”, there’s really no “correct” form. It seems that “haitch” goes back to the Normans and “aitch” is a more common modern version. Aversion to the way others speak or pronounce words seldom has any linguistic rationale; it is usually an excuse to typecast others as socially inferior.

Meanwhile, Roman soldier Octavius (also known to his uneducated friends as Hoctavius) i‌‌s b‌‌ragging about his girlfriends t‌‌o h‌‌is friend, “‌‌You’ll n‌‌ever g‌‌uess h‌‌ow m ‌‌any girls I‌‌‘ve been out with! What about you?”

“MMM,” says his friend, pondering how to respond.

“No, n‌‌owhere near t‌‌hat many” replies a deflated Octavius.

(MMM in Roman numerals is 3000).

Clive Williams is a Canberra columnist and there are more of his marvellous columns at citynews.com.au

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THE GADFLY

God save the Queen; she really needs the help IT was just a coincidence, I’m sure, but the evening we arrived at the Tuross beach house, it seemed that wild Australia turned out to welcome us.

We were on the backyard deck with the rolling breakers of nearby Coila Beach providing the soundtrack to that gorgeous south coast gloaming when half a dozen kangaroos arrived and settled themselves for a feed.

Then four magpies landed on the deck; two feisty little rainbow lorikeets flew into the bird feeder; a kookaburra cackled on next door’s power line; and a rabbit poked his nose out of the ferns at the bottom of the garden.

It was a magic moment, one of those rare privileges of being an Australian in the years before the calamities of climate change. And it came to mind when an email arrived from a lifelong friend who now lives in London.

It read (in part): “Charles is up to his neck in a cash-for-honours scandal involving a Saudi donor to the Prince’s Trust via his former valet, Michael Fawcett. The interesting point is that the Saudi was dropped by Prince Harry for being dodgy, but Charles took £1.5 million from him.”

The “Charles” is, of course, the heir

The Queen… bedevilled by covid. to the British throne and the husband of Camilla, whom the well-loved Queen just endorsed as “Queen Consort” at his coronation. So that’s set in monarchical stone, as it were.

Since the Queen is 95 and bedevilled by covid and the sexual foibles of her favourite son Andrew, we can be fairly sure that her demise could well occur before that hoped for centennial telegram to herself.

And since we all agree that her departure is the signal for a decision about Australia choosing its own head of state, it’s worth a moment to think through the consequences.

Charles has waited so long for his turn to wear the crown that nothing will stand between him and that

Prince Charles… no stopping him. ancient pomp and circumstance at Westminster Abbey. Indeed, it was he who raised the issue of Camilla’s title and Her Majesty gave the public nod.

But if, as now seems likely, he’s tarred with the brush of corruption, his royal elevation would be a PR disaster. Add to that the natural resentment – not to say hatred – that the sons of Princess Diana bear for the woman who caused their mother such pain and anguish, and you have all the ingredients for a right royal calamity.

At first blush, this should make it a whole lot easier for us to bid a fond farewell to the monarchy. But alas, idiocy is not confined to the Brits.

Our own Australian Republic

Since the Queen is 95 and bedevilled by covid and the sexual foibles of her favourite son Andrew, we can be fairly sure that her demise could well occur before that hoped for centennial telegram to herself.

Movement (ARM) recently released its preferred model for choosing our own presidential head of state: “Federal, State and Territory parliaments should nominate a shortlist of candidates which would then be put to a national vote to decide the winner.” The Feds could have up to three nominees and the states and territories one each.

The monarchists must be thrilled.

If adopted, it would divide the country by state and territory, cause intense embarrassment to the losers and

produce a separate political power centre from the national parliament.

It would turn the entire operation into a political circus. In fact, it’s so ridiculous the current leadership of the ARM, whoever they might be, should do the decent thing and resign en masse.

The simplest and best model is for as little change as possible – a small committee of the PM, the Opposition Leader and one or two others should select from a confidential list, endorsed perhaps by a vote of the Parliament, for a five-year term with the exact powers of the current Governor-General.

Simple, effective and non-controversial. Even our wild Australia on the Tuross backyard would be pleased… well, maybe not the rabbit. robert@robertmacklin.com

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Historic suburb that became a commercial hub TAKE Fysh, the surname of former Tasmanian premier Philip Fysh, and “wick”, an Old English suffix for “dwelling place”, and one gets the name of one of Canberra’s most recognised suburbs.

First built in the early 1900s, Fyshwick has today become home to a diverse selection of businesses, from second hand office furniture suppliers to manufacturers of flags of the world.

This week “CityNews” takes a tour of the suburb’s bustling business scene and speaks with some of its proudest retailers.

Fyshwick’s finest in second-hand furniture

Carpets to keep the home warm

Colourful bedding sets for home nurseries

EX-Government Furniture co-owner James Fullerton says there’s a huge amount of quality, yet affordable furniture coming through the warehouse this week.

“There’s second-hand electronic sit-stand desks, heaps of metal storage and chairs of all different grades,” says James.

“We’ve got some Sit-stand desks. designer chairs, but also your bread-and-butter, basic office chairs, really a bunch of furniture for all kinds of budgets.

“You gotta be particularly quick with the sit-stand desks, they go fast as they’re what everyone wants at the moment.”

The business, which has been operating for more than 30 years, has become one of Fyshwick’s most recognised businesses.

“People these days really make a day of coming to Fyshwick,” says James.

“There’s some great bakeries, cafes, and retailers around and a lot of our customers are here, there and everywhere.

“If we don’t have what people are looking for and we think we know someone who does, we can send people in the right direction.”

HOODS Carpet Court has an extensive range of wool carpets that are great for warmth underfoot and extra comfort during the colder months, says sales manager Alison Bray.

“Wool carpets are a great humidity regulator and are naturally good for the indoor environment,” she says.

“Wool fibre can absorb up to 30 per cent of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. It then releases the moisture back into the air.”

Having been a family-owned and operated business for more than four decades, Alison says they offer a wide range of carpets (not only wool carpets) and resilient flooring from Australia’s leading manufacturers and suppliers.

With stores in Fyshwick and Phillip, she says that Hoods Carpet Court is the perfect destination for updating or replacing carpet.

“Carpet layers believe carpet should be replaced about every 10 years,” she says.

“It’s a great idea to replace or update carpets to reduce the amount of dust and dirt not always visible.”

LITTLE Treasures handmade products in Fyshwick is home to all babies’ play and bedding needs.

The company says all its items are custom handmade, giving customers the option to pick from a wide variety of patterns and colours to match.

Baby nests come in three different sizes, small for babies aged 0-3 months, with the inside mattress at 60cm x 30cm, medium for babies aged 0-6 months and a mattress size of 70cm x 30cm and the largest for babies 0-24 months, measuring 80cm x 40cm.

Little Treasures says it also makes burp cloths, playmats, crochet and wrap blankets, and tummy time pillows. For a complete set, the company offers nursery and cot sets with matching sheets, blankets, pillows and playmats.

Its baby nests come with removable covers for easy washing, and are made with a hardboard base and a 2.5-centimetre foam mattress with a padded tube around the outside to keep a baby snug inside.

Ex-Government Furniture, 6 Yallourn Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 6490, visit exgovfurniture.com or facebook.com/exgovfurniture

HOODS CARPET COURT (FYSHWICK) 76 Barrier St, Fyshwick ACT 2609 P 6280 5703 HOODS CARPET COURT (PHILLIP) Hindmarsh Dr, Phillip ACT 2606 P 6285 1888

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14 CityNews February 24-March 2, 2022

Hoods Carpet Court, 76 Barrier Street, Fyshwick (call 6280 5703) and Hindmarsh Drive, Phillip (call 6285 1888). Visit carpetcourt.com.au

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advertising feature Flag makers in the heart of Fyshwick HAVING first opened more than 30 years ago, the Australian Flag Company has gone on to supply its finely crafted flags throughout the entire country, says managing director Hans van de Zandt.

“We supply and manufacture a complete range of national flags for all countries,” says Hans.

“We also provide specific company flags, corporate flags, flags for school houses, DFAT, Army, specific ideas and specialised designs.”

Hans says he was inspired to sell flags in 1988 as Australia celebrated its bicentenary.

Today, the company has gone on to sell accessories, banners, badges, souvenirs and, as Hans puts it, almost anything to do with flags.

“A flag has long been viewed as a symbol of respect by those who view it, and of pride by those who fly it,” he says.

“We take an enormous amount of pride in both making and selling something that means so much to so many people.”

business with his son Shane, and says they know the needs of local businesses and supply many Fyshwick businesses with their work uniforms.

They can also assist companies through their corporate uniform services, which provide customised embroidery services for promotional clothing and business uniforms.

Seears Workwear also has stores in NSW and Queensland, and Pat says they deliver all over the country.

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street.

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Gallery welcomes new watercolour exhibition OWNER of The Artists Shed, Margaret Hadfield, says she’s excited to announce a new, permanent exhibition from watercolour artist Chan Dissanayake.

An artist from Canberra, Dissanayake has won multiple awards for his work, which includes depictions of rural landscapes to urban cityscapes to coastal seascapes.

Margaret says the Artists Shed is also featuring live music most Fridays, with performances from local bands such as the Ten Quid Poms and a wine bar for people to enjoy a drink while attending a show.

“I think we’ve seen a renewed appreciation for the arts during these difficult times,” says Margaret.

“People have missed music and art and the joy they bring so it’s great to be able to get out there and support them again.”

And for those wanting to get more in touch with their creative side, The Artists Shed is always offering lessons for a diverse range of artistic mediums, ranging from those who are absolute beginners, through to experienced artists looking to sharpen their skills.

Father-son team stock the ‘best quality’ workwear WITH more than 30 years of providing quality work clothes to the Canberra region, locallyrun Seears Workwear knows what working people are after, says owner Pat Seears.

Stocking work apparel such as high-vis workwear, jackets, jeans, shoes and hats, Pat says: “Everything is the best quality from the best manufacturers”.

Located on Barrier Street, he says their stock includes safety work boots, leather shoes and steel-toed canvas shoes, from brands including Puma, Rockport and Dunlop.

It also has workwear for chefs, paramedics and firefighters, says Pat, who runs the

One of Chan Dissanyake’s paintings.

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LETTERS

Beware the decisions of shadowy bureaucrats THEY mostly have all departed; the anti-vaxxers, Red Ensigns, Proud Boys etcetera. And good riddance.

Cat laws are just revenue raising THE requirement for cats to be registered in the ACT as of July 1 (CN February 10) highlighted that cats (particularly feral) harm native species and it is very important to address this.

But to menace pet-owner cats with the threat of “new strict liability offences for pet owners” has to be the most fanciful thinking of a government that believes by introducing this law it will even be remotely effective, let alone being enforced, and all the while backing it up with threats.

I can just imagine a special cat taskforce cruising the suburbs trying to catch cats in containment zones (or roaming) and tracking down the owners to issue their harsh penalties – get the picture?

Information about dog-walking areas on the Domestic Animals Map (on-leash, conditional, prohibited), requirements to be leashed on foot/cycle paths regardless, distancing requirements and so forth is all available, but it’s all totally unenforced. It will be the same with cats.

Microchip your animal and submit your details on a national database (I use Central Animal Records for as little as $10 a pet) and your pet can be identified and returned if lost.

Duplication by forced “registration” of cats (like dogs) in a state or territory system is just revenue raising for local government (an indirect tax – how can they even justify $55?) and has nothing to do with protection of native wildlife.

Bjorn Moore, Gowrie

Like most Canberrans, I have no time for them or their mixed-up ideologies.

Yet don’t we all share some of their concerns – muddled and misguided as they are?

Aren’t we all fed up with not being told the truth by the authorities – no, not just the federal and state governments – but by their often incompetent, hidebound, administration-driven senior bureaucrats, who make stupid decisions lacking simple common sense?

Or worse perhaps, do not challenge decisions taken by their parliamentary bosses which are based purely upon political considerations?

No, I’m not talking about hard-working nurses and other health professionals in the front line, but those shadowy senior people in comfortable offices all over the country who simply don’t grasp the results of the complicated and inept decisions they impose upon ordinary Australians.

Every day it seems we learn of some new often thoughtless bureaucratic mistake and then? Silence. Nobody sacked, nobody named, nobody even held responsible. Life just goes on, the casualties quietly and publicly abandoned.

And the media? They continually trot out government statistics, report bad spots in nursing homes, quote ministers giving reassuring speeches.

But never publish explanations, nor perhaps seek them.

What is keeping the covid figures falling? Could yesterday’s deaths be attributed to other health problems?

Are the identified nursing homes with high death rates poorly staffed or badly managed?

And the reassuring ministerial speeches. What do they really mean to battling small businesses, losing money and staff and reducing wages, while the politicians and their bumbling bureaucrats still are on full pay?

The ordinary law-abiding citizen might not be as demonstrable as the mob who invaded us recently, but don’t imagine we aren’t concerned and, yes, disgusted.

Shame on QPRC councillors The previous Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council failed to negotiate a financial settlement with the Department of Education (DoE) over the site selected for the new Bungendore high school following three arduous years of community consultation.

But worse, the new council declines to negotiate at all. Rather, the council wants to “re-investigate” sites.

It implicitly rejects DoE’s site-selection process. However, it does not have the authority, funds or competence to select a site for a government school.

QPRC’s January 27 decision to withdraw “in-principle” support was not foreshadowed. Several councillors were given just five minutes to read the motion.

Greg Cornwell, Yarralumla

Some community members still object to the selected site. Everyone else accepted DoE’s decision-making process. Their good faith commitment is being usurped by six councillors that disagree with the process outcome.

In what was an encouraging sign of bi-partisan political commitment, both the Coalition and Labor made a promise before the 2019 state election to build a high school in time for the 2023 school year.

In this regard, it is concerning that the NSW Shadow Minister for Education, Prue Car, now disputes DoE’s process for Bungendore high school. Every NSW region should be worried if the alternative Education Minister places no trust in DoE’s competence to select a site for a new school.

It is shameful that six councillors are prepared to make the district’s children needlessly suffer in 2023.

Greg Cameron, Wamboin, NSW

We’ve become the Nanny State!

I’M 55 and until last year had never received a speeding fine in more than 35 years of driving. As of January, I now have two speeding fines, both issued while driving along Northbourne Avenue for speeding – at 46km/h and the other at 48km/h on a main, three-lane arterial road. Seriously, has this become the Nanny State!

Roger Nee, via email

Really, there’s just too much poo HAS Chief Minister Andrew Barr forgotten that Canberra was designed and built with a sewer system (and other utility infrastructure) for a city of 100,000 people?

Under his leadership, Canberra is growing “exponentially”. For example, the Belconnen Town Centre’s ugly twin towers (built on a fault zone) must have at least 30 times more toilets than a single-storey building on its narrow footprint would need.

I note in “CityNews” (“Residents kick up a stink about park sewage units”, February 10) that the Umbagong (District Park) Protection Group has valid concerns about the state of the existing sewer network. Icon Water’s proposed upgrade is a cheap Band-Aid solution to a major Canberra-wide sewerage problem. Most of Canberra’s original sewer pipes are iron, of varying diameters, which are now rusting and corroding – causing pressure surges, backflows and leakages.

Of course, the real concern is the chemical production of hydrogen sulphide, a toxic, foul-smelling gas. Other nasty sewer gases include methane, carbon monoxide and dioxide, ammonia, carbon and sulphur monoxide and dioxide and nitrous oxide, chlorine gases and many more.

I have worked in the toxic gases detection industry and am concerned whether a “stink vent” (aka odour control unit) carbon filter can safely purify all the harmful gases (claimed to be 99.9 per cent pure) before it is blown into nature, close to houses and play areas.

We all contribute to our sewerage network, but how many more toilets can our Greens/Labor Coalition squeeze into its antiquated and inadequate sewer system?

A month ago an ageing “stink vent” in Pakistan blew up and caught fire, injuring residents.

Russ Temple, Macquarie

More constructive comment, please IT’S disappointing to see Jack Kershaw (CN February 10) trashing Greg Cornwell’s opinion piece (CN January 27). If only those who are bent on complaining about the efforts of others could be more polite and offer constructive comment.

For example, John L Smith (CN February 10) who fleshed the subject out very well. I very much hope to see more thoughtful opinions on the subject of changes in society.

Frank Scargill, born 1939 (Jack, please note) Macarthur

When an ‘up-to-date’ vaccination isn’t I HAVE checked with ATAGI that its latest recommendation is that all individuals 16 and over should receive a booster from three months after their second dose to attain and maintain the “up-to-date” vaccination status.

However, the urge to boost the economy,

cruising and industry generally, while good in principle, is seemingly a priority over the health of the nation, and will see thousands of new arrivals soon to be allowed in if they have had two vaccinations but not necessarily the booster.

Multiple premiers have said publicly that it would be difficult to enforce more than two vaccinations on international travellers because many countries don’t have booster programs. Jolly bad luck.

Have all our governments and parliamentarians forgotten so soon that the NSW inquiry into the vessel “Ruby Princess” issued a scathing report that about 2700 passengers, hundreds of them infected with covid, left the cruise ship before results of tests on some passengers were known. The claim is we have learnt since then.

Why then in a scenario where soon possibly hundreds of the tens of thousands of visitors not cleared as being “up-to-date” will be allowed legal “up-to-date” entry when the opening paragraph herein has ATAGI insisting that Australians have the booster to comply with being “up-to-date “ – whether determined by Commonwealth or State representatives?

To run even the slightest risk of another “Ruby Princess” places Australians on the gangway of that vessel’s debacle, and I suggest predicts the likely outcome of coming elections, let alone our health system.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Responses to global heating argument TWO correspondents have responded to my letter on global heating (CN January 20). I can easily and quickly deal with their criticisms.

Peter Leane (citynews.com.au, February 9) asserts that Earth will heat up by one degree in a year. In fact, all evidence, including from NASA, the World Meteorological Organisation and the IPCC, shows that Earth has warmed by one degree since the beginning of the 20th century.

Myriam Amar (CN February 10) criticised my letter because I did “not really provide a solution to climatic change”. That was never my intention: I wrote a follow-up letter, but the editor decided not to publish it.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Write to us: editor@citynews.com.au

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ED IS N

Marco can certainly make wine

RICHARD CALVER

Dance summit celebrates ‘all moving bodies’

By Helen Musa

AFTER several covidthwarted attempts, dance artist and former “CityNews Artist of the Year”, Liz Lea, is at last embarking on her third “BOLD” dance summit.

In a five-day “eclectic mix” of what she calls “very different traditions, all creating legacy and heritage,” the 2022 edition of the event will go indoors, outdoors, live, online and range from talks about dance to sheer pleasure to create “a bold celebration of all moving bodies”.

Like Alison Plevey‘s dance production “LESS” at Dairy Road, it’s part of “Enlighten 2022” and also links into the National Library’s coming exhibition, “On Stage: Spotlight on Our Performing Arts”.

“BOLD” will swing into action at the National Film and Sound Archive on March 2 with an opening by patron Elizabeth Cameron Dalman and ACT Arts Minister Tara Cheyne.

That will be followed by a screening of a series of short films from Sue Healey and Eileen Kramer, Gail Hewton and Ripe Dance, Jen Brown and Eric Avery, Mira Balchandran Gokul and Elinor Randle, then the Australian premiere of “Dance with a Bullet”, the story of a 27-year-old Iraqi male dancer Anmar Taha, who survived being shot in Baghdad by Muslim extremists and built a new life for himself in Sweden.

Lea has reached across the territory to five locations, the Canberra Theatre Centre, the NFSA, Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, the NLA and the National Portrait Gallery.

On March 3 and 4, the BOLD22 Conference will take place at the National Library both in situ and

online, while 15 workshops will run throughout the event.

Keynote speakers will be 107-yearold dance artist Eileen Kramer, still going strong, who will converse with dance filmmaker Sue Healey.

Larrakia man and visionary director of NT Dance Company, Gary Lang, will appear virtually to describe how he uses multicultural dancers to tell his people’s stories on the local, national and international stage, while scholar Michelle Potter will discuss live the late Kristian Fredrikson’s designs for “The Revenger’s Tragedy.”

The conference closes with the BOLD Lecture, “Point of the Spear”, given in the memory of Scotlandbased Australian dance artist Janis Claxton by disabled choreographer, director and dancer Marc Brew, who will appear virtually to share his personal experience of the importance of being an advocate for accessibility and inclusion.

The serious dance performances begin with “Goddess”, by Tammi Gissell, Agal Dance Company, Yolanda Lowatta, Charlie Wan, Somebody’s Aunt, Anca Frankenhaeuser, Debora di Centa, Dalman, Canberra’s first inclusive dance company, the Chameleon Collective at the National Portrait Gallery on March 4.

Lea is never above having fun with dance so has choreographed a Saturday night show called “A BOLD Mix”, at the QL2 Dance Studios, with “a magnificent mix” of male dancers, including Ryuichi Fujimura, Lucky Lartey, Patrick Harding Irmer, Chris Wade, Harry Morrisey, Danny Riley and Chidambaram R. Suresh, together with some footage from Singapore’s Maya Dance Theatre.

The BOLD Festival, March 2-6, details at theboldfestival.com

Multi-sport = Maximum fun

Visitors walk through sunflowers as van Gogh’s painted sky is projected above.

Photo: Morgan Sette

Flaming flowers that brightly blaze COVER STORY

By Helen Musa

AS Canberra prepares to illuminate itself for the Enlighten Festival, one of the most conspicuous constructions underway is a gigantic marquee going up in the middle of the parliamentary triangle.

It’s for “Van Gogh Alive”, which is being staged in partnership with the National Capital Authority.

It’s an immersive show involving huge projections of painter Vincent van Gogh’s most famous images – more than 3000 of them – set to a classical music score.

Imagine being surrounded by the artist’s absinthe-fuelled dreams of yellow sunflowers, for instance.

I caught up with Gary Moynihan, the creative director for Grande Experiences, based in Melbourne and the creator and producer of “Van Gogh Alive”, whose grand experiences have been displayed in more than 160 cities across six continents and now in Canberra.

Grande Experiences also owns and operates Museo Leonardo da Vinci, a permanent museum in central Rome, and has satellite offices in the UK, Italy and the US, so it covers far more than van Gogh.

“The whole concept of presenting art as an immersive experience was a bit of an evolution,” Moynihan says.

“Originally, we staged artefact-based exhibitions and our museum in Rome still exhibits artefacts, but we found as we observed children engaging with such exhibitions that they were getting bored and distracted, so we came up with the idea of a project involving music and art – something more engaging than just images.”

Moynihan’s lilt betrays his origins in Cork, Ireland, but he’s now well and truly based in Melbourne, from which he says they produce everything – and send it out globally.

The van Gogh show ran last year in Sydney’s Royal Hall of Industries and did well in a year beset with covid. They’ve been in Adelaide, they hope to go to Brisbane and, if WA Premier Mark McGowan permits, they’ll even send their large convoy of trucks across the Nullarbor.

“It’s the SENSORY4™ multi-channel motion graphics that really enable us to blend cuttingedge technology with classical, fine-art content.

It’s a blend of two worlds, with everything in

sync,” he says.

But the true joy of “Van Gogh Alive,” he says, is the visitor experience when the technology becomes invisible so that they focus on the content alone.

As for the music, which falls under his aegis, the audio tracks represent van Gogh’s up-anddown life journey, the joys and the depression.

“We made a decision to go down the classical music path, playing emotive music synced to the artwork,” he says, “with darker music to suit the artist’s life in the Netherlands and brighter music when he moved to Arles in the south of France.

The show begins on an upbeat note though, with Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to set off the tempo, some Handel and Schubert, moving chronologically to the section where van Gogh’s life is about to end through a change to the more dramatic music of French composer, Benjamin Godard.

“We get a lot of good feedback… you walk into an immersive gallery and the images on the big screens are constantly changing. There’s narrative and there’s music and it takes about 40 minutes all in all,” Moynihan concludes.

“Van Gogh Alive”, Parkes Place Lawns, Parliamentary Triangle, seven days a week from March 5. Book at vangoghalive.com.au

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DINING / On Lake Café, Barton

ARTS IN THE CITY

Long wait for cafe… and the food!

IT was a l-o-o-o-ng time coming, with covid part of the delay, but eventually On Lake Café opened its doors for business in a prime position right on the edge of the lake at Bowen Park in Barton.

A massive lawn area is out the front surrounded by mature trees. It’s relaxed, family friendly, pooch friendly and a fave spot for walkers, cyclists, those whipping about on scooters... who want a good coffee, breakfast, lunch or a sweet or smoothie.

Authentic Greek food is the name of the game (with some Aussie café must-haves such as pies and sausage rolls), and our lunch dishes were as pretty as the scenery.

All-day breakfast, with some super healthy menu items, is also on offer. Prices are reasonable and those with a sweet tooth have plenty to choose from, including almond biscuits, loukoumades (golden-fried puffs of sweet dough with syrup).

The Green Bowl sounded amazing ($22).

After a bit of an internal struggle, I settled on the Mediterranean Bowl, chock full of ingredients with contrasting colours and

The Mediterranean Bowl… full of ingredients with contrasting colours and textures.

Photo: Wendy Johnson textures. Half a ripe, creamy, smooth avo was a major feature and the bowl boasted a lovely chickpea hummus, quinoa, broccolini (not overcooked), bright pickled cabbage, falafel, poached eggs and mixed leaf salad. The eggs were cooked perfectly (I don’t like mine super runny or too firm… fussy, I know). It was delicious, a generous serve and a perfect dish for a summer’s day. Gluten and dairy free options are available.

My friend was intrigued by the honey-

glazed Ham Hock Benedict ($21) and it was amazing. The 24-hour, slow-roasted and glazed hock was tender and packed with flavour. The two poached eggs were smothered with a heavenly aged balsamic hollandaise and the pork floss perched on top was delightful. The eggs were served on thick slices of sourdough toast. A

gluten-free option is available.

While the flavours were there, the eggs on both dishes were far from hot, which was disappointing, but service had already become a big issue and we weren’t prepared to waste more time sending the dishes back (we were starving). It was late afternoon and a windy day so there weren’t that many customers about, but it still took about 40 minutes to be served, which was frustrating (we overheard the folks at the next table saying they had also been waiting so long they thought their order was lost).

I would also say that the café, while blessed with direct views of Lake Burley Griffin, could smarten up its presence a bit. We sat at a fold-out table that still had its purchase/branding stickers on it (peeling off). Petty point? Perhaps, but it wouldn’t take much to tidy matters just a tad.

On Lake Café is byo.

WINE / Cirillo Estate

Masterful Marco can certainly make wine

By Richard

CALVER ON my bucket list was seeing an Ashes match live; my son and I travelled to Adelaide for the second test.

We decided on day three to take a break from the “action” and went to the Barossa to taste wine.

Our guide, Michael Errey of Glass Half Full tours, picked us up from our hotel and it was a short drive to the Barossa: it is located 60 kilometres north-east of the Adelaide city centre.

The valley is formed by the North Para River and overlooked by the Mount Lofty Ranges that form the Adelaide Hills. Much

of the Barossa terroir is defined by the red clay that whips up as fine dust in a strong wind (that hit us in the late afternoon) but as Michael pointed out there are also sand and gravel patches, deposited by the river.

Our first stop was to Cirillo Estate. The amazing part of this visit is that the Cirillo family are custodians of the world’s oldest grape vines. The soil is sandy loam and the non-trellised vines look resplendent: healthy, dense-leaved bushes. In a few years following 1848 when these Barossa vines were planted, Europe’s vines were decimated by a humble aphid that destroyed the work of centuries: grape phylloxera.

Marco Cirillo is my kind of winemaker.

He is second-generation Italian/Australian.

His father purchased the land in the ‘60s after wanting a change from managing pubs in Adelaide.

“Dad wanted to produce his own table wine and after hurting his back he looked

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at a few sites here in the Barossa. This was the third one he looked at, six months out of work. This was all he could afford,” he says with a sweeping gesture taking in the sheds, the goats and the stretch of vines.

“But, you know, he ended up with the oldest semillon and grenache on the planet when he finally settled out here in 1969-1970.”

“Did you naturally follow in your father’s footsteps?” I asked.

“Hah, no. I was an apprentice spray painter and panel beater. I didn’t want to be in the vineyard, the work was too bloody hard,” he said.

“But I gave them a hand at Chateau Tanunda and the owner, John Geber, took me under his wing, you know, and sent me to Charles Sturt in Wagga. I didn’t enjoy that life, so I left and started to make my own wine. I also worked in the Southern Rhone Valley and in Italy, saw in eight

vintages over 15 years.”

“Do you have your own style of wine making?”

“Yeah, well, nothing much has changed in two thousand years. You get the grapes from the vineyard to the press, usually at five in the morning, no cultured yeast, filtered and fined with Bentonite,” he says.

“None of my friends are vegan, but my wine’s vegan friendly. You know it’s a pretty simple process. Some of these hipster types think that they’re Jesus just because they make wine. Jesus!”

Marco certainly can make wine. We went through his list. The stand out was the 2015 1850 Ancestor Vine Grenache that sells at the cellar door (well, the shed) for $70 a bottle. This is a well-structured complex wine, soft yet with bright tones and a mellow finish. Take that Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Marco hit you for six in taste and value for money.

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By Helen

MUSA THE 33rd Alliance Française Film Festival will feature more than 42 films and a focus on “l’amour,” with titles such as “A Tale of Love and Desire” and “Love Songs for Tough Guys”. As well, veteran actor Gerard Depardieu appears as Georges Simenon’s legendary detective Maigret in a film of the same name. At Palace Electric, March 20-April 6, details and bookings at affrenchfilmfestival.org NEWS from Bom Funk Dance Studio, in Jerrabomberra, is that its performance teams, Rubies and Tap Kix Cadettes, won the Contemporary, Broadway Jazz, Jazz and Open categories for 12 years and under group sections at the “Follow Your Dreams” national dance championships in Adelaide.

AUSTRALIAN Dance Party’s postponed show “LESS” is going ahead as part of the 2022 Enlighten Festival. Directed by Alison Plevey. It’s at the LESS Pavilion, Dairy Road, Fyshwick, March4, 5, 10, 11 and 12. Book at events.humanitix.com/ less# THE brilliant Winther Quartet, brainchild of Canberra-raised violin virtuoso Kristian Winther, will perform music from Mozart to Tchaikovsky as well as music from the Fanny Mendelssohn Quartet, and the world premiere of “Change”

by Australian composer Andrew Howes. At The B (Queanbeyan Bicentennial Hall), 8pm, Friday, March 4. Book at theq.org.au or 6285 6290.

“HARD Quiz” master, Tom Gleeson, is taking to the stage, where he’ll be pulling audience members on stage for “a live roasting” in his new show. Canberra Theatre, March 5-6. Book at canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.

THE Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s “Rediscovering Music” program supports people with hearing loss to re-engage with music, particularly using hearing aids and Cochlear implants. Curated and presented by CSO bassoonist and audiologist, Kristen Sutcliffe, each session explores the range and timbre of a particular instrument. Hellenic Club, Canberra, March 1, May 24 and September 27. Book at cso.org.au/events CANBERRA Short+Sweet directors Lynn Petersen and Amy Crawford have moved on.

Would-be co-ordinators should contact the short-play festival founder, Mark Cleary, at mark@shortandsweet.org

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Imagine, no bringing problems home from work!

WHAT if it were possible to truly separate your personal life from your work life?

I’m not talking about finding that ultimate, harmonious balance between work and play that so many are in search of every day. I mean, quite literally, fragmenting oneself into two different identities: one for work, and one for everywhere else.

Apple TV Plus’ new corporate-horror comedy thriller series “Severance” asks the question.

In it, Adam Scott of “Parks and Recreation” fame plays Mark Scout, a corporate boffin who undertakes a surgical procedure that splits his brain in two.

While at the office his work identity – referred to in this fictional universe as an “innie” – activates until the clock strikes five at which time his brain switches to his “outie” identity.

Mark’s “outie” self has no memory of what he does while at work, and his “innie” self has no memory of what he does at home, allowing him to quite literally separate his work and home life into a “perfect” balance.

As happens to be the case with sci-fi dystopias, it turns out the idea isn’t as rosy as it seems.

Lumon Industries, the company that Scout and an ensemble of other weary characters

that’ll have its audience biting their nails.

AT a more breezy pace, “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” has made a welcome return to Amazon Prime Video after an extended break due to covid.

It’s about Midge Maisel, a ‘50s housewife who discovers she has a talent for stand-up comedy.

Her aspirations take her through nightclubs, bars, cafes and everywhere in between as she aims to earn a seat on the “Tonight Show”.

While it may seem like the premise would have a limited shelf life, now in its fourth season it continues to move along with a wit as quick as its protagonist, making it an easy watch.

Adam Scott as corporate boffin Mark Scout in “Severance”. work for is wrapped in a mystery – nobody knows what the company does, nor indeed what they themselves are employed to do for it.

It all smacks of something one would see in Netflix’s sci-fi hit “Black Mirror”, but “Severance” represents one of the most unique debuts to a TV show in recent years.

The series is divided up into nine episodes that are being released weekly on Apple’s streaming platform and it may come as a surprise to some that much of the series is directed by Ben Stiller.

The famed comedy actor injects some well-timed laughs into the show, but for the most part, this is a dark and surreal drama

CINEMA / reviews

A sad tale, in two genres

By Dougal

MACDONALD

usic, M e r o M un...

More F

“Quo Vadis, Aida?” (M)

WRITER/director/friend Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s movie tells about a real man who has endured and grown strong after a vicissitude-crammed life that most first-world people would have found difficult, impossible even, to survive.

His name, more correctly the pseudonym he has adopted for safety, is Amin Nawabi. Afghan by birth, he now lives in Denmark, which took him after the experiences depicted in the film.

Standing well beyond the genre limit into which most animated features fall, “Flee” has garnered a swarm of awards (41 to date) and nominations (38 ditto). Heading the list are nominations in two categories at the Oscars five weeks hence. Two categories? Documentary feature and animated feature. If that seems like a contradiction in terms, well, you’d better believe it.

It has a plot, which is unusual for a feature-length documentary. Amin, who now lives as openly gay, had barely any gay experience before he went to high school in Denmark, where being gay is less offensive.

The other thing is the particularly gruesome circumstances of his escape from Russia via human traffickers.

His sisters and other refugees nearly die in a shipping container bound for Sweden.

He and other desperate migrants march through a forest at night before being stuffed inside a small boat with no radio that gets stranded in the middle of the Baltic Sea during a torrential downpour. They think a passing cruise ship is saving them but instead they’re taken to Estonia, held in appalling conditions, then deported back to Russia.

The different visual styles in “Flee” combine animation with reality footage to enhance the content. It’s an effective device that speaks for itself. Sometimes it shrieks it. Either way, the effect is profound.

I WENT back seven decades to remind myself about the great 1951 media kerfuffle that accompanied Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr in “Quo Vadis?” (Where are you going?) Mervyn LeRoy’s multi-Oscar winning sword-and-sandal flick in which a Roman general questions despotic emperor Nero’s tyrannical leadership and becomes infatuated with a beautiful Christian hostage.

A potboiler if ever there was one.

On July 11, 1995, in what history now calls the Srebrenica massacre, Dutch UN peacekeepers opened the way for Serbian Chetnik killers to murder 8321 Bosniak Muslim boys and men whose only crime was their religious affiliation.

The film introduced Jasna Djuricic playing Aida, a high-school languages teacher and interpreter with the UN contingent confronting Ratko Mladic’s Serb force.

Aida is trying to find logic in a situation that has little of it for her to work with. Much of it focuses on her face, behind which maternal courage suppresses an incandescent fury.

The climax, however well anticipated, doesn’t deliver any kind of solace. In just a few seconds, what we have known all along becomes a horror – loopholes in a wall at the back of what might have been a cinema or a school hall, populated by faceless weapons suddenly roaring hatred and betrayal.

Later it dwells symbolically on different faces, former neighbours, recently antagonists, gathered in a school watching their children play together after the conflict. Those images may look like reconciliation; but the concept is relative, if not irrelevant.

Watching ”Quo Vadis, Aida” is not a comfortable experience. But that’s no reason not to see it.

At Palace Electric and Dendy

At Palace Electric

“Flee” (M)

MEANWHILE, on Binge, the glossy and graphic second season of “Euphoria” is stirring up controversy.

It’s widely known that production company HBO has a penchant for putting nudity, drugs, violence and crime to the screen in unflinching detail, but in “Euphoria” they push it one step further.

It tells the story of Rue, a teenage drug addict trying to find her place in the world,

played with emotional vigour by Zendaya.

It’s about as high-brow as a teen drama can be pushed. Stunning cinematography captures the twisted lives of these highschoolers as they revel in alcohol, sex, drugs and smartphones.

Does it justify its shock value?

Decadence, and the tragedy of trying to find some sort of happiness in the depths of it, is after all what the show is about. In that sense, there’s room to argue that its overly graphic detail should leave some kind of ugly taste in the mouth.

While season one was able to balance that shock value out with an emotionally compelling story, season two has unfortunately gone off the deep end with it all.

The relentless graphic content is quickly exhausting and it’s a shame to see it strangle the show’s more heartfelt and, at times, genuinely touching moments made possible by some stunning acting.

“Euphoria” is drunk on its own gratuitousness.

Hopefully it can sober up a bit.

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CityNews February 24-March 2, 2022 21

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Shot hole… a fungal disease that may look like caterpillar damage on the leaves of fruit trees, but that’s not the case.

Time to check out blueberries

By Jackie

WARBURTON NOW’S a good time to have a look at the different varieties of blueberry bushes.

There are three main types of blueberry bushes: • Southern highbush • Rabbit eye • Northern highbush The southern highbush and rabbit eye are more suited to warmer climates. The northern highbush is more suited to the Canberra climate and is the most common blueberry grown.

Anyone looking at an edible hedge, then Vaccinium corymbosum (northern highbush) would be worth a try in our climate. It is a deciduous shrub and can grow up to 1.8 metres tall.

I like the northern highbush for the autumnal glow when the leaves are changing and dropping.

It’s also a good backdrop plant in

the veggie garden.

If space is limited in the garden or you’d rather grow a blueberry bush in a pot, then Vaccinium angustifolium is the one to go for as its maximum height is 60 centimetres tall and is a low-spreading, deciduous shrub.

The chill hours will determine the success of flower and fruit development. Plants need chill hours to act as a sort of natural clock to tell them when winter is over. That way, they can wait to start producing flowers until bees and other pollinators are active. They can also avoid loss of flowers and fruit due to late spring frosts and freezes.

V. corymbosum requires between 750-1000 chill hours to do just that. It is tolerant of frosts and is a long living plant under the right conditions, relatively pest free and will need netting to keep the birds out.

One bush will flower and fruit well, but will benefit if there is another of the same variety nearby.

Blueberry bushes like an acid soil so a pH of around 4-5 would be ideal, plus good drainage and mulch.

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Tiger lilies… tall cottage plants that have a spectacular orange flower and can grow up to 1.5 metres tall.

Photos: Jackie Warburton

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SHOT hole is a fungal disease that looks like caterpillar damage on the leaves of fruit trees, but that is not the case.

This fungal disease mainly attacks fruit trees such as cherries, peaches and generally all stone fruit. It decreases the tree’s productivity and can cause premature leaf fall and thrives in wet winter conditions.

The affected leaves have reddish spots to begin with and then a yellow halo around the hole. Removing leaves just before leaf fall will help with this fungal disease spreading its spores in the soil. In the winter fungicide, such as copper oxychloride, will need to be applied to all the bark and crevices in the tree, and repeat applications might be required if we have a wet winter this season.

HOPEFULLY, there is a glut of basil, tomatoes and zucchinis at the end of summer because it’s fun finding many ways to cook, eat, store and freeze produce that you might have too much of.

The best thing of all is to share it with your friends and neighbours or produce swap meets that are

around. My go-to zucchini recipe this year is zucchini relish. Email me if you’d like a copy of the recipe.

Now’s the last opportunity for seeds of parsnips and radish to go into the ground before the soil cools.

TIGER lilies (Lilium tigrinum) are tall cottage plants that have a spectacular orange flower and can grow up to 1.5 metres tall.

They are stiff and upright, and in the right conditions don’t need to be staked. The flower grows atop a single stem and black bulbils will appear on the axils of the leaves.

They can be taken off to grow into new plants by placing them in a shallow tray of propagation mix or worm castings and keeping moist until there is growth.

Once growing, reduce the watering and nurture through winter for planting out in spring and they might take a few years to flower.

Tiger lilies are prone to mosaic virus and should be planted away from other lilies such as Asiatic and Oriental lilies. jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au

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22 CityNews February 24-March 2, 2022

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Your week in the stars

By Joanne Madeline Moore

ADVERTISEMENT

General knowledge crossword No. 818

February 28-March 6, 2022 ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 20)

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

On Thursday, your ruler Mars pairs up with powerful Pluto. So expect an intense time at work (and possibly a disagreement) with a boss, colleague, client or customer. On Saturday, the buoyant Sun/Jupiter conjunction encourages you to dream a big dream and find a way to make it happen. Then Mars connects with Venus on Sunday when you’ll feel more peaceful, romantic and/or creative.

Whatever happens, try to relax and feel the love, Rams!

SELLING ONLINE CAN TAKE SOME PLANNING

TAURUS (Apr 21 – May 21)

Nick and Jing called me for help about an online business they are setting up.

The Sun, Uranus and Mars rev up your motivation and boost your Bullish bravado, but you could also feel rushed or unsettled this week. Cool down and calm down!

Aim to do plenty of physical activity, so you can channel your restless energy in pleasant and productive ways. But being overly proprietorial about a person or possession will only lead to a fraction too much friction on Friday. So strive to be less obsessive about what you own and whom you love.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21)

Geminis are clever communicators but are you confident enough for big time success? With seven planets activating your career and aspirations zones, a golden opportunity is waiting in the wings, but you must grab it when it appears or it will pass you by. So stop over-thinking and start doing! Saturn also challenges you to be physically organised and mentally disciplined, as you make plans to improve your tertiary qualifications or update your professional skills.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23)

This week, bossy Mars links up with intense Pluto in your relationship zone. So avoid using emotional manipulation to coerce people into doing what you think they should be doing. Step back and let others make their own choices (and their own mistakes). Attached Crabs – Thursday and Friday favour making a profound emotional connection. Singles – give superficial suitors the flick. Look for a longterm lover who has passion, depth and staying power.

LEO (July 24 – Aug 23)

Have you been feeling like a tired and listless Leo? This week – with Jupiter and Uranus both activating your ruler, the Sun – you’ll feel your mojo, motivation and Lion’s roar returning! So find a challenging project to direct your energy into.

Venus and Mars also encourage you to be much more proactive and diplomatic with others. A sunny smile and an encouraging comment will get you a lot further than feisty fireworks and theatrical foot-stamping!

VIRGO (Aug 24 – Sept 23)

This week the planets could generate a lucky opportunity involving a partnership, joint venture, sporting activity or creative project. So get your ideas out there (in person and online) as you inform and entertain others with your marvellous mercurial mind. A major relationship (whether romantic or platonic) could also go through a metamorphosis, as you both air your grievances in a respectful way and work through a problem that’s been holding you back.

Solution next edition

Across

Down

3 What do we call the male offspring of one’s offspring? (8) 7 Which underground room is used for storing wine, etc? (6) 8 Which strong, bitter, green-coloured, aromatic liqueur is made from wormwood? (8) 9 In a backward direction, is to be what? (6) 10 Name a town in north-eastern NSW, on the Macintyre River. (8) 11 Which dinner dish is served before the main course? (6) 14 What are sumptuous meals for many guests? (6) 17 Which term describes the pelt of an elk-like creature? (8) 18 Name a light, finger-shaped cream cake, coated with chocolate. (6) 19 Who are the Australian champion female soccer players? (8) 20 Name the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words in a particular language. (6) 21 To glorify, is to do what? (8)

1 Which strong fabric is made from jute, and is used for sacks, etc? (7) 2 Which beam forms part of a railway track?

(7) 3 The “Wave Rock” is made from which mineral? (7) 4 What is an artlessly simple action or remark, etc? (7) 5 What are seats for two or more persons? (7) 6 Which implements are used for knitting?

(7) 11 That which is native to a country, or locality, is said to be what? (7) 12 Name the capital of New Jersey, USA. (7) 13 Name the fifth-brightest star in a constellation. (7) 14 Which term describes subtlety of discrimination? (7) 15 Name a univalve, marine mollusc. (7) 16 Which Russian vehicles are drawn by a team of three horses abreast? (7)

LIBRA (Sept 24 – Oct 23)

It’s a wonderful week to entertain at home with a special meal, as the planets stimulate your family and friendship zones. Convivial conversation is a bonus.

Being of service to others (with kindness, compassion and style) also brings much joy and satisfaction. Plus, take the time to savour and enjoy the simple things in your everyday life… like a kiss from a child or a walk in the park. But avoid making a rash comment (in person or online) that you later regret.

FREE SUDOKU EVERY DAY AT citynews.com.au

Sudoku hard No. 309

SCORPIO (Oct 24 – Nov 22)

Expect some drama at Casa Scorpio this week as the Venus/Mars/Pluto conjunctions increase your magnetism – and your tendency to brooding, obsessive behaviour. You’ve got the power to inspire others and transform your own life.

So do your best to find appropriate ways to let off steam and choose positive and challenging projects to channel your intense energy into. Otherwise you’ll just drive family, friends and colleagues crazy with your tempestuous ways!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21)

Are you ready for a wild ride? This week you’re prone to fiery pronouncements and extravagant exuberance as you over-promise, overspend or overextend.

Enthusiasm is high but don’t jump to hasty conclusions and pass on incorrect information. Get the facts straight, otherwise embarrassing mix-ups are likely (especially involving finances). So do your best to divert excess energy into a challenging project that is ambitious and adventurous but also realistic.

If you need help with moving online or any other aspect of your business, contact the friendly team at Gail Freeman & Co Pty Ltd on 6295 2844.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

The more intently you micro-manage relationships this week, the more family, friends or colleagues will distance themselves from you. And if you are too bossy with an Aries, Taurus or Scorpio, then an explosive power struggle is likely. You’re brimming over with information and ideas and are keen to teach or instruct others.

But don’t assume you have all the answers. Smart-aleck hubris will just put others off. So strive to be much more inclusive and consultative.

Disclaimer This column contains general advice, please do not rely on it. If you require specific advice on this topic please contact Gail Freeman or your professional adviser.

Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19)

Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2022

Solutions – February 17 edition Sudoku medium No. 309

PISCES (Feb 20 – Mar 20)

The stars bless creative projects, boost intuition, and help you get lost in a fabulous fantasy novel or a favourite romantic movie. With the Sun, Moon, Jupiter and Neptune visiting your sign, you’re certainly keen to please others. But avoid the temptation to be an indecisive doormat and say ‘yes’ to everyone and everything.

You may find you’ve bitten off more than you can comfortably chew! Confidence is high on the weekend so make the most of it.

02 6295 2844 Solution next edition

Crossword No. 817

With Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn all visiting your sign, your progressive ideas and unpredictable antics could upset some people. But that’s life when you’re a free-wheeling Aquarius! So your motto is from this week’s birthday great, ‘Cat in the Hat’ writer Dr Seuss: “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” For extra creative inspiration, look to avant-garde Aquarian role-models like Mozart, Bob Marley, Yoko Ono, Oprah Winfrey and Harry Styles.

“We've been operating out of a retail site, but with all the covid shutdowns we started to sell some products online and now we see that as a way to expand our business," said Jing.

"We just aren’t quite sure what we are doing at the moment.”

I told them they needed a clear understanding of what they were offering to the market and that their product lines might have to be slightly different to those normally sold in their astore.

"At this stage it would be a great idea to review your business, your team and your products so you can make sure that you are really ready for this," I said.

"I would suggest that the review examines such things as the business’ strengths and weaknesses and you can then come up with the relevant strategies to move you forward.

"It is also important to identify how your team works with online solutions; the quality of your website; your social media presence and how you'll maintain that and keep it fresh; how your current customers will interact with social media; whether your hardware is able to cope with the increased traffic and the IT skills of your current team.

“Next thing I'd suggest is that you develop the price point for your products. You might need to do a survey and review your competitors to do this successfully. Sometimes others are selling products online for a cheaper price than you can buy them for, so it is not worth having these items in your on-line store.”

A little daunted, Nick said there was a lot to do, and that's just the planning stage.

I replied that if they didn't get the planning right, they ran the risk of failing.

"It's worth taking the time to get it right in the first place," I said.

"Also as things change so quickly in the IT space you need to make sure that you have plans afoot to change as the landscape around you changes.

"You will need to put action plans in place for marketing and how your online channels will integrate seamlessly. Think about how you will distribute the products; will you distribute locally yourselves or will you use couriers or the postal service? It is interesting to think how you will build trust in your products online. Next I would think about how you will grow your business and how you will manage that growth.

“This all leads into the long-term plan. Can you see the future with this online business? What are your long-term strategies? What changes in technology will impact your business and how will they impact?

"This all requires some crystal ball gazing and, of course; if you are wrong, the plans will need to change quickly. Once you have gone through all these steps, I recommend you encapsulate all these ideas into a one-page business plan. I look forward to helping you along the way so that we can watch the business grow from strength to strength.”

Unit 9, 71 Leichhardt Street, Kingston ABN 57 008 653 683

(Chartered accountant, SMSF specialist advisor and Authorised Representative of Lifespan Financial Planning Pty Ltd AFS Lic No. 229892)

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