Ruby - Issue 2

FASHION

FINANCE

INTERIORS

ARTS

FOOD

BEAUTY

FITNESS

EDITOR

W

elcome back to you, our Ruby magazine readers. Here at the office, we have been overwhelmed at the response to our first edition that proved so popular we have only a precious handful of copies left – having scrounged them from our desks at home and the back seat of our cars when we realised we had no copies at work!.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to send us feedback on the Ruby Spring 2010 edition, thank you for your encouragement and kind words. The first week the edition was out was a very nervous time, and the extraordinarily positive response to Ruby has made us more determined than ever to bring you magazine that continues to be smart, interesting and fun to read.

Over the past few months, we have found that everywhere you look in our region, there are women doing extraordinary work, and while we will perhaps never have a chance to tell the stories of all them, just being able to tell a few is a privilege.

In this issue...

In the course of gathering together the content of this issue, we found a strong African theme developing.

Our intrepid publisher had returned from her African adventures and was keen to share the stories of her travels. Amongst an enticing stack of summer reads, a wonderful book arrived on my desk: an extraordinary account of an Australian conservationist’s time in Africa and her work on research into human-elephant conflict in Namibia. Amongst the latest interior design trends came occasional pieces and decorative items imported from southern Africa. And lastly, the sad and beautiful story of an artist whose experiences of the tragedies of Africa have defined her life and her art.

We also welcome two new voices to Ruby. Judy Baulch, a talented writer and working mum and Charmaine Morse, a local psychologist whose insight is matched only by her wicked sense of humour.

Inside you will find a our regular columns, three profiles of truly inspiring women and, finally, we turn a spotlight on skin cancer. Embrace the pale ladies, or at least, embrace the bottle of fake tan!

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It is almost the end of the year and the festive season is just around the corner. Christmas is a time for celebration, for joy and for fun.

It’s the silly season and for those looking forward to an end of year break from work, it’s a chance to really let your hair down. But amongst all the fun (and I hope there is plenty of it), it would make it an even more special time if we set aside just a small part of this giving time of year to a worthy cause. I know there are more charities clamouring for your attention and your hard-earned dollars at this time of year than at any other, but I hope you will forgive this gentle nudge of the barrow.

In our last edition, we brought you the story of Bravehearts, the not for profit organisation established in Australia by a formerly local woman to fight the appalling rate of child sexual assault across our nation. People from across Geelong have rallied to the cause and are raising money to ensure every child in our region has access to the Bravehearts education campaign that can and does help prevent these assaults from occurring. Every little bit helps, and even a small donation could make an immeasurable difference to the lives of our local kids. Visit www.bravehearts.org.au for details.

And finally, to all the wonderful women out there in Geelong (and all the fellas too) we wish you a very happy, very safe Christmas and New Year.

Davina Montgomery EDITOR

DAVINA MONTGOMERY

CONTENTS

Ruby Tuesday Passion for Fashion Summer Fitness Food With Richard Kelly Does my ... look big in this What's Hot Spotlight on Skin Cancer In the Drivers Seat Into Africa: a journey Garden Books

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RUBY | 3

RUBY PEOPLE

Richard Kelly

RUBY, an Adcell Print Group publication, is mailed to more than 5000 businesses in the G21 region.

If you would like to be added to the Ruby mailing list please contact us.

PUBLISHER - Maureen Tayler ISSN: 1838-1456 MANAGER - Caroline Tayler EDITOR - Davina Montgomery davina@adcellgroup.com.au FOR ADVERTISING Vinnie Kerr M 0409 427 473 - vinnie@adcellgroup.com.au Rachael Taylor M 0411 429 186 - rachael@adcellgroup.com.au T (03) 5221 4408 F (03) 5221 3322 203 Malop Street, PO Box 491, Geelong, VIC 3220

“With this article I endeavour to bring some catering tips to each season that may assist your next sojourn to the kitchen, for what ever the catering occasion may be.

“To me the rules are straight forward: don’t over complicate what you’re cooking, using the freshest ingredients is paramount and make the flavour memorable and fantastic.”

Richard Kelly is the managing director and executive chef of THE R K GROUP corporate & event catering in Geelong.

Charmaine Morse “Women are fascinating in their diversity. We have such varied and complex relationships with our families, with our friends and colleagues, and of course, with ourselves. I hope to be able to bring a little insight into some of these relationships to Ruby readers.”

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Charmaine Morse is a counselling psychologist with over ten years experience in the field.

She is currently in private practice in Geelong, specialising in depression and anxiety, and grief and loss counselling.

RUBY TUESDAY

THE CHANGING NATURE of Happiness I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. I can understand why other people make them, but I just know I would never keep them, so I don’t bother. But I find myself increasingly interested in why people make these promises to themselves - the promise of a better life, in whatever way, next year, than they had this year.

When I was a little girl, around 7 or so years old, in that age when anything pink and sparkly could bring shivers of joy, I had a big collection of Barbie Dolls. The most treasured of these was a wedding dress Barbie. Now, this was the early 80s, so Barbie was decked out in an iridescent white gown with, in retrospect, an obscene amount of lace and stupendously puffed sleeves.

It was hideous, but my best friend and I adored it. It was, we would say excitedly to each other, exactly what our wedding dresses would look like. Because, of course, we would be getting married in a big white dress, have two kids, a dog, and vaguely Ken-looking husband - although at age 7, we were still reasonably vague on the purpose of the husband.

Like my fashion sense (fervent thanks to any deity that cares to take the credit for it), my friends and my ideas about what would make me happy changed beyond recognition over the intervening years. With four girlfriends, who had survived the horrors of high school and hormonal teen years with our friendship in tact, we found ourselves as twenty-somethings, out in the world, but still seeking the answer to the question of what would make us happy (apart from marguerites and dancing like banshees at a club all night, which were sublime, if transient, moments of nirvana in themselves). Now, in our mid-30s, the song remains the same, but the tune has once again changed. Of the four of us, two are married with kids, one in a long-term relationship but without any desire for marriage or kids, and one a long-time single and world traveler.

schedules - I can’t help noticing how our once inseparable quartet has become four solos; dancing to our songs and no longer singing together.

Two of us can happily gush away about mum stuff, about juggling time between family and work, about running out the door with a bit of left over Weetbix in your hair or finding a collection of toys, a couple of nappies and an unrecognisable biscuit in your handbag, but no purse. But of course, this makes the eyes of our non-mum friends roll up before glazing over out of sheer boredom. Which is completely understandable, when you have no stake in the subject, a long conversation about poo and bad behaviour is crushingly boring.

The two happily kidless girls will often go into long conversations about dogs, to much the same effect as the kid talk, only in reverse.

We can all talk about work, but our jobs are not similar enough to really know what any of the others do. Even though our shared experiences are few and far between these days, we are each, in our own way, happy, and happy that our friends are happy. I don’t want my friends’ lives, and I know they don’t want mine.

So, if I was to make a resolution this New Year’s Eve (which I won’t!) it would be to hold on to the moments of everyday happiness. Why dream about an uncomfortably enormous white dress when you can sit comfortably in your jeans sharing a cuppa with people you love!

By Tuesday Jones

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RUBY | 5

PROFILE

TAKE A WALK on the Hyde Side

Photos by Terry Broun Jr

It’s hard not to be struck by the character that exudes from Mr Hyde when you step through its doors. It feels a little like you have stepped back in time. High arched windows and cathedral ceilings are features of the light, open space that evokes the spirit of the Roaring 1920s. With a marble bar with a dazzling emerald-lit backdrop, high-backed chesterfield booths and white ostrich-skin banquettes, the result is designed to offer a unique dining experience. This character-rich style is continued on the venue’s two function rooms.

Aptly named, Mr Hyde transforms into whatever you want it to be; a cocktail bar, a coffee house, a classy noshery. Whether you’re keen to savour fine wine, bubbly, cocktail, coffee, or partake of one of its specialities, the mezzes (similar to tapas) designed to graze and share with others, Mr Hyde offers the best of it all, says owner Mark Stawicki.

“Quite often we’ve had people just coming in for a coffee and they end up having lunch and then they’re into the wine. And then by the end of the night, they’re into the cocktails.”

Mark had long dreamed of owning and operating such a venue, the first of its kind in Geelong. And though it has only been open less than three years, Mr Hyde is winning awards for its diverse menu and setting.

“It starts with the name,” says Mark. “It’s supposed to be about having a bit of fun; bringing the naughty side out in everyone. Well, there’s a fun side to everyone… it’s just a matter of finding that magic potion that brings the fun side out in people.”

Mark says Mr Hyde is starting to come into its own and recalls a childlike enthusiasm when he opened the venue’s doors for the first time.

“When we opened it, I was like a little kid; I just wanted to surprise everyone. We just kept it all as quiet as possible. Initially we wanted a venue that was a bit like a speakeasy, where

6 | RUBY

everyone’s heard of it and sort of knows where it is; I wanted it sort of a bit more understated.

“We’re starting to find our identity,” Mark says. “It’s like watching a child grow and seeing its personality come out, and it’s great just having regulars and a bit of a community to hang around.”

Operating six days-a-week and open until late, Mr Hyde offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus Mark says the venue prides itself on primarily offering direct trade or organic local produce, while also working closely with many of the region’s winemakers.

Mark’s own background is equally diverse, having worked in hospitality since the age of 16, but at the same time this qualified mechanic studied engineering and was a Test Driver for Ford. This means he has many a tale to tell across the bar…

In the pre-prohibition days, and then later when cocktail bars became the height of sophistication, bartending was a highlyregarded craft. Mark has returned the focus on the artistry of bartending at Mr Hyde. Over the past couple of years, at least half of the Top 20 bartenders in the country having worked their magic behind the marble bar, and the cocktail list is as long as your arm.

Mr Hyde is nestled in a 150-year-old building — the old London Chartered Bank — and the second building in Geelong to be Victorian Heritage listed.

Mark reveals the exercise to rebuild was a renovator’s nightmare, taking nine months and costing between $500,000 and $1million.

However, the results speak for themselves.

“And things are just going to get better,” promises Mark, who is coy about revealing the next instalment for Mr Hyde.

“Watch this space,” he beams. “I’m hoping that by the end of next year, the place will look quite different,” he says, promising that Mr Hyde will be even bigger and better.

Terry Broun Jr

NEWS

GET INVOLVED in Relay For Life We have all been affected by cancer one way or another – either by having had cancer ourselves, by having family, friends or neighbors who have lived with or died from cancer.

The Geelong Relay For Life has raised over $2.8 million in the 11 years the event has been held in Geelong. The 2011 event will take place over the weekend of March 19th and 20th 2011.

In Geelong, the Cancer Council runs the Relay For Life every year as a a great fun way to raise money to assist in cancer research, treatment of cancer or support those with cancer or carers of those with cancer.

Would you like to join the Geelong Committee or volunteer over the weekend or at sometime to assist Geelong’s Cancer Council Relay For Life?

Getting involved is as simple as getting a group of friends, family or work colleagues together to form a team, usually of around 20 people, and fundraising through the year before participating in a 24 hour Relay to celebrate your and many other teams’ success.

For more information you can jump in the website: www.relayforlife.org.au.

Many teams have a team costume or theme. The team selects a name – it can be who you may be relaying for (such as Annie’s Angles), a company name (The ABC Relay For Life Team) or any name you decide (Wally’s Walkers).

The Relay takes place at Deakin University Geelong campus at Waurn Ponds, with teams camping out over night while being entertained by local performers. Tents can be decorated in the team themes and colors. At least one person from your team (and it can be more) is on the track at any one time – some people run, some walk.

Fundraising can include morning teas at work, BBQs at Bunnings or Mitre 10, raffles, bus trips, movie outings, a salsa night – almost anything, there are many ways of having fun and fundraising. It can be a great team building exercise for businesses as well.

The Opening Lap is dedicated to survivors and carers – the VIPs of the event. At nightfall the Candlelight Ceremony takes place with, candle tributes lit in memory of loved ones lost and to honour the courage of those fighting cancer.

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RUBY | 7

FASHION

TRASH TO TREASURE Recycled Fashion Heidi Wane has always loved op shops, and enjoys nothing better than to poke around in them, delving into rummage boxes where a treasure or three awaits to be discovered and given a new pride of place in someone’s life.

“It’s like buried treasure and you never, ever know what you’re going to get,” she says.

When I was given this assignment, I was eager to chat to a fellow op shop enthusiast about the anticipation of visiting these treasure troves, and the delight that comes with fossicking, figuratively and literally.

“I doubt that I’ve purchased a new item of clothing in probably the last five or six years,” Heidi says. “I prefer vintage clothing to new clothing. That’s just a personal thing, so I’ve always been in and out of op shops; I’ve always felt comfortable there.”

Heidi’s love of op shop outings sparked a winning idea; she decided to compile the Pocket Guide To Op Shops Around Geelong, which covers Geelong and surrounding areas, along with several Western District outlets. By tracking down an extensive list of around 80 shops across the region and comprehensively describing each of them in her book, Heidi has taken the guesswork out of op shopping. She has included details of opening hours, the sorts of items likely to be found, even whether there are EFTPOS facilities.

“Part of the enjoyment of putting the book together was that when I found an op shop, I would try to go and have a look as well. Sometimes I was given a phone number, but I would have to ascertain that the shop was still there, and that’s a perfect excuse for shopping, isn’t it? I mean that’s a real perk of the job,” she says.

For Heidi, the joy she gets from rummaging through op shops has provided a lifeline of sorts.

Until February this year Heidi was running a catboarding business from Wallington. A repetitive strain injury caused by endless cleaning led to her closing the business down.

Over the last eighteen months of its operation, Heidi began to experience pain in her hands due to the constant cleaning. Clearly a repetitive strain injury, the doctors warned she would have to be treated under the knife unless Heidi relinquished her work activities. Heidi decided not to risk exacerbating the problem and shutdown shop.

8 | RUBY

FASHION

“It sort of shot me out of orbit for a short time,” remembers Heidi.

“It’s like people that retire from their normal jobs; it’s like a grieving process that you go through.”

The joy she got out of spending a few hours going to op shops became a therapy of sorts, but along with that came the annoyance of missing out on her favourite outlets due to varying opening hours and days.

“I found that to be quite frustrating and I would say to myself I wish there’s was an op shop book that would tell me where all these were. And then one day the penny dropped and I thought ‘Hello, how hard can it be to put one out?’ But of course, as well as being a lot of fun, it also turned out to be quite a lot of work too,” admitted Heidi.

And with newfound focus and resolve Heidi tackled the project with relish.

“Suddenly I found myself with a purpose again and I really got stuck into it; I found that I had a new found purpose… It was good.

I was able to just be back to my old self.

“Even though I’ve never written a book before, and really had nothing to go on as far as how you should go about it, it just goes to show that if you put your mind to it, you can actually achieve pretty much anything, I think,” Heidi said.

Apart from being an inexpensive way to furnish one’s wardrobe and home, Heidi says another refreshing aspect of op shops is that they provide a focus for the elderly and give the older generation a place and a purpose.

“A lot of the ladies in the op shops are in their 70s and 80s. And here you have these ladies who are in their later years and are still out there going to op shops and doing however many hour shifts that they do and here they are still working for the community; they’ll be sitting there and some of them will be knitting and so on

— they just amaze me, and they’re as sprightly and as sharp as a tack.”

When asked what she would say to those who turn up their noses at op shopping, Heidi replies, “I’d say you’re missing out on a really exciting experience. What would you say? I’m having the fun; you’re not!”

Vintage clothing is incredibly on trend, and great style and quality never go out of fashion. Op shops provide a chance to pick up oneoff pieces at a fraction of the cost of a lesser quality, new item.

“And probably when they first came out, you wouldn’t have been able to have afforded to buy them. Whereas now that they’ve come onto the secondhand market, it gives a whole lot of different people an opportunity to wear nice clothing, but it’s more affordable,” Heidi said.

“That is the ultimate in recycling; you’re stopping those things from going into landfill and from being wasted essentially. By purchasing that item you can afford, your money is going to some really worthy cause in our community as well. And I think that’s a really good way to shop.”

Heidi is keen to expand on the project down the track, but in the meantime, she described her latest unearthed gem with the perfect event in mind to show it off.

“I found this fabulous 1950s dress; it’s still in perfect condition and it still had its cotton gloves pinned to it. It was in the dress-up box.

It’s the most pristine 1950s dress and it fits me beautifully. I put it on with my pearls and put the gloves on and it’s like being a 1950s lady,” she said. “And I just smile from ear to ear; it’s made from beautiful fabric, waisted with a pleated skirt and is everything that is typical of a 1950s dress. Someone had finished with it and I’ve now given it new life. And I’ll definitely be wearing it, because the most appropriate place to wear it is at an op shop book launch!”

Story and photo by Terry Broun Jr

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RUBY | 9

INTERIORS

DON’T FORGET the walls Decorating a room? Don’t forget the walls... inject some personality into your space.

There is something for every style when it comes to walls, and a whole new look need not be expensive. It can be as inexpensive as a new coat of paint or as extravagant as an original work of art.

Framed objects, be they silver tribal headdresses or colourful, beaded necklaces, certainly add interest to any room, and are available in a host of sizes, from small individually-framed pieces to oversized wall fillers. These are excellent when you want to keep the room neutral, rather than adding a very colourful painting.

Hanging a large mirror instantly brightens the area and creates the illusion of extra space.

Wallpaper is huge again, with many more designs available now compared to the retro 70’s style wallpaper some of us may remember!

Hanging wallpaper is even easier with the advent of Smart Paper – ingenious in its simplicity, with Smart Paper you paste the wall, not the paper, making the process quicker, easier and more effective.

Wallpaper tables are unnecessary and when you are ready to remove the wallpaper it peels off without the use of steamers and scrapers,

10 | RUBY

leaving no damage to your walls. However, when it comes to papering your walls, I always recommend using a professional. Watching Claus on his various trips to my home and my shop to hang paper, I can see all sorts of issues I may have encountered. Think outside the square.

It’s not necessary to wallpaper a whole room, or even a whole wall.

A panel behind a hall table or a buffet, or even a chair, can create a dramatic look. What’s more, wallpaper is not confined to the lounge room or bedroom; there are fabulous wallpapers for kitchens and bathrooms, and nurseries and kids rooms are exceptionally suited to wallpaper.

To update a hair salon or day spa, digital wall art murals add that elusive wow factor. Many are also suited to ladies fashion stores or coffee shops.

For inspiration, hop on the internet and browse www.eijffinger.com and the camengo and caselio wall covering ranges at www.zepelfabrics.com.au.

And if wallpaper all seems a bit hard, why not start with some fun and funky stickers for your walls. Just peel and stick!

Try www.fermliving.com.au, they have an extensive wall sticker range.

Myself, I’ve got all off the above, now I’m looking for just the right oversized vintage poster for my dining area!

by Susanne Anthony Susanne is the lady behind the fabulous furniture and home living accessories at Livingetc.

PROFILE

INSTINCT FOR STYLE and comfort There are certain times in a woman’s life when it’s essential to look good without sacrificing comfort.

Fortunately for women in Geelong, Maternal Instinct can help with such situations.

Renowned since 1997 for fashionable maternity clothes, including work and evening wear, and a range of gorgeous children’s wear and baby accessories from premmie to size five, Maternal Instinct also offers garments to support women during pregnancy and after giving birth.

“We stock a range of support garments for women that provide significant benefits both pre and post pregnancy,” says Jenny Wright, who took ownership of Maternal Instinct in 1999.

“During pregnancy, the garment helps alleviate lower back, abdominal, pelvic and leg pain.

After delivery, it gives your back the support it needs while your abdominal muscles are recovering and helps to support post- birth healing, particularly for caesarean births. They can also help you regain your pre-baby body shape faster.”

The garments come in three specific styles designed to suit the different needs of pregnancy, the initial few months post birth and long-term wear. They are made from breathable fabric and provide firm, comfortable support without being restrictive.

Jenny says the garments, which have been available in Maternal Instinct for 12 months, have been extremely well received as women are becoming more aware of their benefits.

“These days we receive many referrals from health professionals, as they recognise how the

B R E T T S

garments can help women feel and look better. We measure the women to determine the right size – all our staff members are trained in fitting all our garments correctly - so the wearer gets the maximum benefit.”

The decision to begin stocking the garments alongside Maternal Instinct’s maternity range was simple.

“For many women, these garments are the answer to their prayers when it comes to relieving back pain and pelvic instability,” Jenny says.

“We stock them as part of our overall philosophy of keeping women comfortable, because we cater not for only pregnant women, but for anyone who just wants to feel comfortable. Our labels include not only long established maternity brands, but also fashion labels that have a stretch component, like Vigorella and Juicy Bear. We’ve always tried to bring different labels to Geelong and, whenever possible, support local or New Zealand brands. Quality garments in organic fabrics and different things have kept our customers coming back long after their pregnancy.”

This year Jenny has taken on two partners Suzie Fisher and Jane Cuthbertson-Kerr, who between them have many years of retail and fashion experience. “It’s been great having them on board,” Jenny says. “They bring new dynamics to the business and a fresh approach.”

by Judy Baulch For more information, contact Maternal Instinct on 03 5229 2293

A R T W O R K S

C R E AT I N G T H E A RT O F F I N E J E W E L L E RY

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FITNESS

WORK OUT Your Legs Every woman wants the leanest, shapeliest legs possible, but many worry about doing the necessary leg work in case they end up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the reality of exercising legs means that nothing could be further from the truth.

For a start, women donít have enough muscle-building hormone in their bodies to get Terminator legs. But women with strong legs and neat bottoms do find it easier to get ñ and stay ñ slim, because of the boost it gives their metabolism. Quads, hamstrings and glutes are among the biggest muscles in our bodies. Make them strong and theyíll burn off loads of kilojoules. If you want to change your shape, thereís nothing more powerful than leg work. Hereís four great ways to work out your legs: 1. Cardio fitness session The cross-trainer, stepper and exercise bike are all great for toning legs and burning fat. If the cardio equipment is busy, find a stepper and do step-ups.

2. Weight training Leg press machines work the hamstrings, bottoms and thighs.

To add impact, work one leg at a time. Always watch your technique.

Keep the knees pointed in the same direction as feet, with heels down touching the plate.

3. Squats Squats work your thighs, hips, bottom, calves and lower back.

Go slow for best results. Push weight evenly through your feet.

4. Lunges Lunges work quads, hamstrings, hips, bottom and calves.

Start off with static lunges ñ straight up and down ñ and progress to stepping forward and backward.

Fit Legs for Life New research reveals that middle-aged people who do 30 minutes of vigorous activity three times a week are half as likely to suffer physical decline and impaired mobility as they age compared to those who do nothing.

We have clear evidence now that fitness is the most important predictor of longevity and, more importantly, quality of life, says sports scientist Aaron Coutts, a member of Fernwood’s Scientific Advisory Board.

For every hour you exercise, you can expect to live an additional two hours!

Based on our reputation as the sluggish country, that sort of advice has not exactly provided a stimulus for Australians. A recent survey published in The Age newspaper showed that one in five of us donít even manage one 10-minute walk a week.

Interestingly, it is fitness rather than fatness that will dictate the type of health future we face. Consider some of the facts advanced by Coutts: Women who are fit are 20% less likely than their sedentary counterparts to catch colds or flu. They are also 34% less likely to suffer fractures and falls and, for those who walk 1.5km a day, they manage to reduce their risk of mental decline by 13%.

Being fit is much more important than being a certain size, says Coutts. Being overweight and unfit elevates your risk of death remarkably. But being fat and fit doesnít necessarily make an impact on your longevity.

The benefits to be gained from exercise were put to the test in a collaborative study between the US and the UK, where the data obtained from more than 10,000 people aged between 50 and 69 was studied. Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, showed that those who maintained a reasonable

12 | RUBY

level of physical activity were more likely to be able to walk distances, climb stairs, maintain their sense of balance and sustain their hand grip as they got older. Those who were less physically active were significantly more likely to suffer from decreased physical ability in later life.

Being overweight or obese has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and some cancers. However, if you are fat but fit, your life expectancy seems to be higher than if you are fat and unfit.

ON SHOW

GET INTO THE razzle dazzle of Charity 'If My Friends Could See Me Now', 'Hey Big Spender' - musical classics that will make a screamingly fun girls night out, as Geelong's own Footlight Productions brings Sweet Charity to GPAC in February.

Footlight Productions has previously presented Cats, The Boy From Oz, and West Side Story to town, and the 8-day season of Sweet Charity promises to be nothing short of a showstopper.

Sweet Charity follows the life and loves of Charity Hope Valentine, a dance hall hostess who consistently longs for the day when Mr Right will come along and sweep her off her feet. In the meantime she lives each day as a gullible, yet eternal, optimist and we follow her through a series of misadventures at the seedy Fan-Dango Ballroom, the lavish Pompeii Club and at the Rhythm Of Life Church. Through it all Charity remains hopeful that good things will come to her in her life.

A tender, poignant, yet consistently funny musical, noted for it's rich costumes and dazzling dance routines, the story of Charity Hope Valentine premiered on Broadway in 1966 and was nominated for twelve Tony Awards. This moving fable about love lost and found has left a permanent mark in the history of musical theatre and remains a favorite of audiences worldwide.

Sweet Charity will be Produced by Peter Wills with Direction by Bryce Ives, Musical Direction by John Shawcross, Vocal Direction

by Tania Spence and Choreography by Jordan Punsalang.

Sweet Charity opens in 2011 in the Playhouse Theatre at GPAC. Performance Dates – February 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th @ 8pm Matinee Performance – February 13th @ 2pm.

For tickets visit www.gpac.org.au.

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With a fabulous 90-minute Balance Ritual spa package to give away, Eulung Day Spa is invited one lucky Ruby reader to come on a journey of relaxation and renewal to discover a more vibrant you.

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CHRISTMAS PARTIES, here we go again!

It’s the time for Christmas parties, festive social gatherings and celebrations, and now, I’m excited.

We’ve all been to a lot of events, some where the food is so boring the deepfried mini spring rolls look exotic, but there is no need for boring food. I know I keep saying it, but to me the rules are straight forward - don’t over complicate what you’re cooking; using the freshest ingredients is paramount; and make the flavour memorable and fantastic. It’s all about quality not quantity! And the same rules apply to your beverages, a great cocktail or glass of sparkling to start, and quality wine so your guests aren’t afraid to drink it.

The new season brings Christmas, warmth, freshness, BBQ’s and an inviting feeling to me. It’s a busy time for everyone, but with great food and good planning, you will be assured of another great event.

Food with Richard Kelly

When it comes to planning a festive menu, seafood, poultry, citrus, berries, raspberries, lemon thyme and passionfruit quickly come to mind.

My favourite Christmas day starters are BBQ king prawns marinated in chilli, garlic and lemon zest. I use the largest size prawns available, and they grill so well!

On our menu, we have a large number of favourite starters, and a combination of bite-size morsels is a winner at any party. Some of our favourites are baby tarts filled with asparagus & brie, rabbit & pork rillettes on toasted sourdough with green olives, tiny chicken skewers with a soy & star anise glaze, Peking duck salad served on Chinese spoons, and freshly shucked Coffin Bay oysters with a lime & vodka dressing.

Think about following with something sweet to go with coffee, passionfruit curd tarts with icing sugar, Belgian chocolate dipped strawberries, chewy panaforte with beautiful glace fruits, blood orange jellies or little meringues with raspberries. The end result will be amazing and another successful event.

I hope that whether you are cooking, hosting or attending a party, it soon brings you enjoyment, fun, passion & pleasure.

Good Food, Good Wine & Good Friends.

Richard

Richard Kelly is the managing director and executive chef of THE R K GROUP corporate & event catering in Geelong.

16 | RUBY

Rabbit & Port Rillettes 300g Boneless Rabbit Meat 300g Pork belly, bones removed 70g Bacon, chopped, Pinch of Nutmeg & All spice 10 sprigs of fresh Thyme 4 Bay Leaves 70ml Brandy 6 Garlic cloves chopped in half 100ml Water Pepper, Sea salt Place all ingredients in a roasting tray in the oven and cover with foil. Cook at 160C for 4-5 hours. Do not allow it to boil. Drain contents, reserve liquid. Shred meat between 2 forks, pulse some, mix in some liquid. Check taste and season if necessary. Cover with surplus liquid. Store in the fridge. Keeps 2 weeks. Best after 2-days min. to allow flavours to develop.

BBQ King Prawns marinated with chilli, garlic & lemon 20 Large raw King prawns, peeled, deveined, buttterflied with tails left on 2 fresh red chillies, or more to suit 250 ml of good olive oil 1 lemon zested & juiced 5 cloves of crushed garlic 2 tblsp of chopped Italian parsley Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 2 sprigs of lemon thyme 2 tbsp of chopped mint Mix chilli, lemon zest, juice, parsley & crushed garlic with the olive oil. Brush prawns liberally and refrigerate over night.

Heat BBQ or grill plate till starting to smoke, grill prawns laying flat on the grill, brush with marinade & turn when they start to change colour. When the prawns are almost cooked through, place on a platter, season with pepper & sea salt. Serve with generous wedges of lime & lemon. Delicious!

RUBY | 17

WINE

THE LADY KNOWS her wine As the co-owner of the celebrated Lethbridge Wines, the region’s only qualified female winemaker, Maree Collis knows a little something about whether there’s truth in wine. And gathering from the resounding praise of Lethbridge Wines by wine buffs from near and far, that’s not all she knows about wine.

Maree’s appreciation of wine first began during her university days as a PhD student and a research fellow, although she admits, “I probably drank more beer than wine. And if I did drink wine, it was more often than not a wine produced by one of the big Australian producers, perfectly sound and fruit driven in style.”

Her passion for wine developed alongside that of her then partner and now husband, Ray Nadeson. Becoming more and more adventurous, more curious and more interested, the couple thought they could probably have a go at winemaking. Although, Maree admits, “We didn’t really know what we were in for.”

The pair looked into acquiring a suitable piece of land in 1996, and after a two-year search, Lethbridge fit the bill both in climate and grape-growing potential.

The next three years were spent establishing the Lethbridge Wines’ vineyard and educating themselves in viticulture and winemaking, whilst both dedicated to full-time scientific careers.

“While our friends were holidaying in Tuscany, we stayed in a caravan at Wagga Wagga doing compulsory residential school components for a Bachelor of Applied Science (wine science) at Charles Sturt University,” recalls Maree.

On the verandah of the old house on the property in 1999, Maree and Ray produced their first vintage; a barrel of Pinot Noir and a barrel of Merlot. One month later the arrival of another kind presented itself: their first child Indra.

The following year yielded a larger vintage, which required a bigger building for its production. And since both Maree and Ray share an interest in sustainable building, Ray looked into straw bale construction and its remarkable insulation properties.

At the time, across Australia, there were several straw bale-fashioned houses, yet no examples of straw bale sheds or buildings in existence.

“This was at a time when no one had even heard of carbon footprint,” recalls Maree.

With the help of Huff ‘n’ Puff Strawbale Constructions, they set about building the first low-bearing straw bale winery in Australia, in which Maree and Ray produced their first Shiraz at the end of 2000.

Due to the straw bale’s compactness, the equivalent insulation density of R-20, temperature remains constant, perfect for wine maturation, thereby eliminating the need for air conditioning. Maree said the insulation of the straw bale construction means that even when the temperature outside soars up to 40 degrees, it stays around an even 22 degrees inside. Maree and Ray also had their home built from straw bales.

It is an idyllic picture, moving into the country, building a straw house and developing an award-winning winery, but Maree said taking that first step - walking away from their professional careers after ten years spent qualifying, to commit all their efforts to the winery – was a difficult one.

“We really didn’t think we were going to stop being scientists until it just got bigger and bigger,” admits Maree. “And it wasn’t an easy decision to make.”

18 | RUBY

WINE

However, with the tough decision made, their winemaking efforts have garnered them awards, glowing reviews and high scores at wine shows around the nation for over the past four years. Locally, Lethbridge Wines has produced the Best Wine of Show at the Geelong Wine Show consecutively over the last four years.

All in all, Lethbridge Wines produces 17 wines, and also produces wines for other growers in the region, including an award-winning wine for Oakdene and wine for Leura Park.

This year the winemaking duo were included in Max Allen’s book The Future Makers, in which Allen writes about who he thinks are the future makers of the wine industry moving into the 21st Century.

Maree considers such recognition by industry peers as extraordinary.

“I think what people often say about our wines is that across the range we make really interesting wines and good wines. And I think it’s because we have this sort of natural winemaking approach to the wine, that there’s a style thing that goes through all of them that some people seem to like. They’re made in a more European style; less fruit-driven, more textural,” said Maree.

Lethbridge Wines also has a five-star rating in the Australian wine bible, James Halliday’s Wine Companion, and in 2009, a huge highlight was being nominated as one of only eight finalists for the Australian Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year award.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Maree completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons) at the University of Melbourne. Specialising in the area of synthetic organic chemistry, she undertook a PhD and then a post-doctoral research position at the University of Pittsburgh.

Returning to Australia after 12 months in the United States, Maree took up a research fellowship at Monash University. From there, she worked as a research scientist for an Australian biotech company.

As research scientists, both Maree and Ray have an analytical approach to winemaking and are mindful of retaining site uniquity and wine quality by the methods used for production and growing grapes without chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.

“This means that no yeast is added; the grapes undergo a spontaneous fermentation. The yeasts that conduct this fermentation are the yeasts that exist naturally out in the vineyard,” Maree explains. “And while the method has been a challenge and yields are low, the flavour is concentrated and we believe the wine is better for it.

“That just totally blew our mind,” said a still incredulous Maree.

“And we thought, oh my God! We’ve been working away here for only ten years, and only eight as a full-time thing. And to have done that in eight years, we couldn’t believe it.”

Nevertheless, along with the 16-hour days at harvest time, one of the biggest challenges Maree says she has faced is, like many professional women, balancing a career and motherhood.

“Since we have embraced organic and biodynamic viticulture and our traditional approach to winemaking, we have seen our wine become more complex, more textural and structural. Of course it could be just experience and older vines,” says Maree, offhand.

With four children aged 11, 8, 6 and 4, life is extremely busy, but for the hard-working, goal-driven Maree, who also takes point on marketing and finance for Lethbridge Wines, little seems to be beyond her capable grasp.

“Being a mother has been the most special thing that has happened in my life. We are lucky that having our own business and living on site at the vineyard and winery means that we can nearly always be there for the kids. But it also means that you can be up until late finishing off those jobs that get left when it is time to pick up kids or take them to the endless after school activities.”

As for the old adage, Maree offers the wisdom of her experience: “The way that wine fits into life is that it can turn just a meal into a special occasion; people relax and really enjoy themselves and feel a part of life, and I think that’s what wine can be.

“But as far as truth in wine goes, there’s something about making wine that takes you back to basics. It’s one of the things that we really love about making wine, that you’re so in touch with nature, because the seasons are so apparent when you’re out in the vineyard.”

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PSYCHOLOGY

DOES MY labia minora look big in this?

Let me say from the outset that I was rather flattered to be approached by the editor of Ruby to impart my wisdom on various psychological issues facing today’s women. As I contemplated topics of interest for you, the reader, the following came instantly to mind - body image.

To state the obvious, a large majority of women have problematic relationships with their bodies. Even the most sophisticated and cool-headed of women can experience anxiety and distress around perceived bodily imperfections. But do we now have another new anxiety to add to the list, with the designer vagina entering public discourse?

Body image has been taken to a whole new realm, one that until late was kept under wraps. I understand that vaginas and their aesthetic appeal are having their fair share of exposure. Now, who among us seriously mulls over such a topic? Well, I’ll concede that yes, those in the gynaecological trade would have a vested interest in the vaginas that pass through their hands. However, we don’t see full colour coffee table books exuding the virtues of the humble vagina.

As women, generally we’re all in possession of a vagina and its accompanying bits and pieces. Perhaps it’s not as easy to see as the nose on your face, but nonetheless, it appears that a growing number of women are beginning to take an interest in its visual appeal.

You may be relieved to note that I have resisted the urge to include a diagram of all the bits listed below to test your knowledge – you can Google it. So when you have successfully identified the vulva, the labium majorum (outer lips), the labia minorum (inner lips), pubic mons and the clitoris – I’m sure you’ll get that one – you will begin to have a picture of what all the fuss is about. With that said however, women do not need to name their private parts to feel discontent with them.

Now, having worked out which bit is the labia minora, you will come to see that this has the potential to be the worrying bit. Apparently it needs attention if it is seen as “hypertropic”. Your labia minora are defined as hypertropic if they protrude to a certain degree. A labiaplasty will easily fix those unsightly loose hanging-down lips that may have a tendency to flap around if unrestrained. But when does diversity become pathologised?

From what I read, visible labia minora are statistically normal, and probably more common than invisible ones. So what are we worried about and how many of our friends, colleagues and family actually get the opportunity to pass judgement anyway?

Back to the subject of noses, are you aware that as with the infinite variations of the proboscis, so too are there infinite variation among our most private parts. Who would have thought that, and how do you get a good look at it anyway? Interestingly, some psychologists feel compelled to research this not so public pubic area. I am wondering if you are asking – but why? Well, let me begin to enlighten you.

It is interesting to contemplate how we come to recognise vulval desirability. It may be advertising, media coverage, or men’s magazines idealising the perfect body image that contribute to creating a demand for FGCS. Magazine photographs such as those depicted in Playboy generally appear to be devoid of pubic hair these days. Industry sources explain that pornographic images of women’s genitals rated M15+ are subject to Australian Classification Guidelines and the labia minora are digitally removed or minimised. This results in a nice tidy, airbrushed and inoffensive tucked-in look, as opposed to “fanny flaps”.

Research from the last decade has it that many women have developed genital distress about perceived imperfections around this part of the anatomy. They can be concerned by the shape, size or proportion of their vulvas. Many have considered or undertaken Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery (FGCS) to reduce their genital anxieties, and therefore its impact on their sexual self-esteem. Whilst there is no national collection of FGCS statistics in Australia, it has been estimated more than 1,400 Australian women per annum have vulvovaginal esthetic surgery (VES).

Another contributing factor could be easy access to the Internet and pornography, where generally an aesthetically pleasing vulva in all its glory is presented to the audience. Alas, let’s not forget the Brazilian wax where all is revealed, the all, which was once nicely hidden in a bush, is now out there and open for inspection. Where there was once uncertainty, we as women now have an infinite number of images to compare ourselves with and ask that age old question of how do I compare? No wonder genital distress and anxiety is increasing.

I have it on good authority from a local psychologist/clinical sexologist, Frances D’arcy-Tehan, who is researching this very topic, that women can have difficulty naming and identifying the various components found down below. The invisibility of the female genitalia probably stems back to our childhoods, where we were taught little boys had a penis and little girls had a vagina. Girls were often not taught they had a clitoris or labia – no such anatomical terms for us. The term vagina has been used collectively to refer to all the visible parts of the female genitalia when, in fact, anatomically speaking, the vagina is the inside structure, passage or tube. But you knew that.

On a serious note, a recent study measured the genitals of 50 premenopausal women aged between 18 and 50. They found that the labia minora ranged from 20-100mm longways and from 7-50mm in width. In addition, the colour of the labia minora ranged from deep pink, brownish pink to reddish pink and asymmetry is not uncommon. Remember too, that your genitals will change throughout your lifetime.

So when you’re balancing with one foot on the vanity unit and focusing in with the mirrored compact tonight, you’ll see there is nothing to worry about – you are really quite normal.

Charmaine Morse, Psychologist

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MONEY

PREPARING FOR Life's Little Hiccups You would not expect a storm flurry to pick up your trampoline, and strike it down in regular intervals on the iron roof of your new home, and finishing up on your neighbour’s car!

Visualise your delightful 2 year-old daughter stuffing bread into the VCR in the hopes of creating toast. Insurance could cover her curiosity.* If I had a dollar for every time I heard, ‘that won’t happen to me’, I’d be rich! Sometimes s*** happens.

A hopeful fisherman went out on the bay, only to succumb to the rolling, wavy action of the sea and deposited his lunch, along with his false teeth, overboard. He was able to claim replacing his false teeth.* How about having brand new, very expensive, superhuman hearing aids and taking a shower? The right cover guarantees these would be replaced.* I know of one individual that drove his car into the carport whilst his push bike was secured to the roof rack, only to panic as it fell off and reverse over it. He is especially glad his insurance covered him.* A classic scenario - picture this: a lovely little dog sitting on his owner’s lap as he reverses out of the garage. The cute pooch accidently stepped on the roll-a-door remote; you can fill the rest in...

I must admit it was incredibly hard to keep a straight face as he told me!

When clients convey that their mobile phone is water damaged, there is a myriad of ways it has occurred: it fell into the toilet bowl, was left in the pocket and washed, it went out surfing and even fell into the fish pond.* Would your insurance cover this?

Imagine walking back to the car park, to find your car’s wheels stolen or de-icing a frozen windscreen with hot water only to break it.

s

M O T O R

V E H I C L E

F I N A N C E

s

Considering redecorating? Agonising over the right colour? Climbing the ladder to commence painting, this particular gentleman never imagined the whole room makeover that was about to take place as he fell, painting walls, couches, carpets and windows, for the most part, an exquisite shade of Cornflower Blue.* Taps can be left running, washing machines do over flow, brick houses do burn, kangaroos, cows and dogs do jump into your path, and yes, you can reverse your car into your second vehicle. Windows break, frozen chips do catch fire, people do slip over, pipes burst, laptops don’t like coffee, Wii remotes have a cord for good reason, stuff happens!

These are all situations I personally know, so I left out the names to protect ‘The Innocent’ (except the toast in the VCR that was my own ‘delightful’ daughter). I thank our clients for making my day a little more interesting and highlighting why you need a good insurance policy.

Perhaps my millions won’t be made from running our insurance business, but writing a best seller on insurance tales, that may just get me there! * Accidental damage cover Melissa Vella is an agent of Allsure Insurance Agencies Intl Pty Ltd. DISCLAIMER: This article is for guidance only, and professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein. Neither the writer, publishers nor the distributors can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this article.

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E Q U I P M E N T

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O N L I N E

A P P L I C AT I O N S

MONEY

SURVIVING The Holidays to gain insight into other markets or even your own.

With supermarket shelves slowly filling with Christmas products, it will only be a matter of time before the carols start playing and the shoppers start racing.

7 Steps To A Successful Year End

For anyone who runs a business, the holiday season is always a stressful one, presenting unique challenges and positive opportunities.

Here are a few tips to successfully surpass the holiday season.

Watch your cash flow: both businesses and individuals will report that the holidays create new dynamics for cash flow. If this is a time in which your business experiences high-income, then it is best to put that money into a reserve account. On the other hand, some businesses (and individuals) may need to reduce expenses as much as possible due to low income. Having money waiting in a reserve account for when times get tough is always a prudent measure.

Holiday gifts: a must-not-ignore holiday constituent that can sometimes prompt shoppers to ignore their budget. Whilst keeping cost in mind, business gifts to major customers, referral sources, strategic planners and employees show an appreciation of their input to a company’s success.

Holiday specials: businesses can create gift packages that bundle a number of products or services together. These increase total sales amounts and provide customers with excellent value Gift certificates and gift cards: are a must have option for businesses that are aware of consumer demands. Consumers love the efficiency and simplicity of gift certificates no matter what your line of business may be.

Functions: during the holiday season functions are a way of networking and marketing. In hosting a function you have the opportunity to build potential client relationships and essentially extend your brand identity. Attending functions is a great opportunity

Holiday time is essentially a time to stop, evaluate and enjoy the opportunities it brings for you and your family. s 2EVIEW CASHFLOW +EEP A CHECK ON YOUR INCOME AND SPENDING Christmas bonuses and low or high productivity can all have an impact on cashflow s %NHANCE CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS 5SE THE HOLIDAY PERIOD TO ORGANISE your client base. It costs 5 times more to gain a new client than it does to retain an old one. s +EEP STAFF MOTIVATED 'IVE YOUR STAFF CLEAR TARGETS THEY MUST work towards before the holidays start. Bonuses, like Christmas parties, are another measure to boost staff morale and productivity. s 3TAFF LEAVE &IND AN OPEN AND FAIR WAY OF DESIGNATING HOLIDAYS TO your staff members. s $ATA PROTECTION 7ITH MOST PEOPLE ON HOLIDAYS THEFT IS A MAJOR issue around the Christmas period. Ensure that you have installed all the appropriate measures to avoid being burgled. s "USINESS EVALUATION !S BUSINESSES COMPETE FOR HOLIDAY shoppers, now is a good time to assess your position in the market and start preparing for next year. Draw upon your strengths and remedy your weaknesses. s +EEP MARKETING $ESPITE THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOUR CUSTOMERS BEING on holidays, your marketing strategies should remain on track.

Now is also a good time to strategise for when the busy period once again commences.

RenĂŠe Jovic is an Owner & Managing Accountant of Jovic Bantacs Accountants Pty Ltd DISCLAIMER: This article is for guidance only, and professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein.

Neither the writer, publishers nor the distributors can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this article.

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RUBY | 23

Nova single or king single bed SB: $349; KSS $399; BST $239

Children's rooms don't need to be rooms you hastily shut the door on whenever unexpected visitors stop by.

With stylish and fun beds and bedding, with clever storage solutions, you can proudly keep those doors open.

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Let It Glow Add some sparkle to your home this summer season.

The right lighting can take your interior from drab to fab at the click of a button. Table lamps provide a sense of warmth of intimacy and come in a huge range of designer styles - from cheeky and cheerful to ultra chic.

Available from Beacon Lighting 24 | RUBY

Get your wild on and embrace the latest trend in interior design tribal chic.

Bring the rhythm of Africa into your home with animal prints. Luxuriate in the sensual feel of leather and hide furniture.

Ashanti Fertility Dolls $129 each

Embrace the spirit of adventure and go for quirky, individual pieces and celebrate your connection with the natural world.

Available from Living etc.

Bull Stool $350 & Hide Cube $399

Nguni cow hide & leather arm chair from South Africa $2700

RUBY BY | 25

This Christmas, forget the roullette of the Christmas tree and buy yourself that special something instead.

Indulge in some gorgeous jewellery to accessorise your summer wardrobe.

Get that new outďŹ t, even if you don’t need it.

Or brighten up your home with the latest designer homewares.

Ladies clothing by Philosophy (size 10 to 18) Prices range from $49.00 to $199.00 26 | RUBY

Add colour and style to your life this Christmas, that way you know your smile on Christmas morning will be a real one!

Clothing, jewellery and homewares available from Tonia T Boutique and Gifts.

Jewellery by Zsiska. Prices range from $29.95 to $149.95

The eeni miini moh enfant collection offers innovative and functional apparel for babies and toddlers aged from 0-24 months.

There is nothing more delicious than a little bundle of joy dressed in an oh so cute outďŹ t. But as every mother knows, babies and toddlers need clothing they can comfortably move around in.

Just as important as adorable baby apparel for trendy mums is the all important nappy bag. Check out this season's range of uber-chic bags from StorkSak. Elizabeth Bag in tan by StorkSak

Available at Maternal Instinct.

RUBY | 27

1 – Pebble Beach by Maryan Mehlhorn - Elegant square neck 1pce with softcup bust support and flattering leg-line.

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Do you pass racks of teeny tiny bikinis in despair that you will never find swimwear that not only fits you, but look fabulous? The beautiful new range of Maryan Mehlhorn just might have the answer. Supportive, stylish and sized for real women, this is swimwear as it should be.

Maryan Mehlhorn Swimwear from Germany incorporates exclusive fabrics from Europe with their historical expertise in lingerie to bring you the best fitting swimwear on the market.

“Everybody fits a Maryan Mehlhorn Swimsuit.”

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28 | RUBY

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Individual, handmade jewellery is a gift that will bring joy forever, so if you are looking for a piece that is as individual as you are, have something designed and made by a specialist jeweller.

Stackable rings and white gold diamond ring by Brett’s Artworks.

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RUBY | 29

NEWS

JENNY SCOOPS 3-Yearly Prize Geelong is a city with many amazing people, so it’s great when one of them is recognised nationally for their achievements. Jenny Gretgrix, a Geelong business woman, has just been awarded the Australian Business and Professional Women (BPW) Young BPW Award.

BPW is an international organisation that promotes the status of women in both developed and developing countries. In Australia, BPW offers a national voice on issues that promote social equity and economic security for women, and encourages women to take on more senior community and corporate positions, such as on boards, in politics and in other decision making roles. The Young BPW Award is designed to promote and recognise the personal, professional and community achievements of an outstanding younger woman.

Diane Dahm, the President of BPW Geelong, says that Jenny is an outstanding leader who understands the needs of younger people.

“By identifying and organising interesting and relevant speakers, Jenny has worked hard to increase the number of attendees at BPW Geelong events. She has also been instrumental in establishing a range of programs to support the development of women in Geelong, including formal mentoring for BPW Geelong members and informal networking events for women in Geelong.”

To win the award, Jenny not only demonstrated her contribution and commitment to the Geelong community, but also success in her chosen career. She has a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Business from Swinburne University and is currently the Director of Your Strategic Project Office, a specialist project and change management consultancy. Over the past seven years, Jenny has managed projects for a number of major corporations, including BHP Billiton, Australia Post, the Department of Justice, the Department of Planning and Community Development, and the Melbourne Cricket Club.

The Australian Young BPW Award is awarded every three years at the BPW Australia conference. In presenting the award to Jenny at this year’s conference, BPW Australia President, Marilyn Forsythe, said that Jenny has shown outstanding achievements in both her career and community involvement.

“The support and encouragement she gives to younger women inspires others to develop the confidence and skills to achieve their potential.”

To learn more about the work of BPW Australia, please go to www.bpw.com.au or contact BPW Geelong on 5278 1842 or bpwgeelong@gmail.com.

Photo by Terry Broun Jr

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SPOTLIGHT

EMBRACE the Pale Perhaps part of the reason there is such a strong ‘the damage is already done’ sentiment amongst Australians is that we have spent years baking in the sun. Today we know that a few bad sunburns a year puts us in the high-risk category for skin cancer. But most of us grew up running around all day outside in summer and sunburn was just another part of everyday life.

It’s a message we hear a lot these days: that we need to learn to love ourselves the way we are. But when it comes to our skin it is a message that could save our life.

Each year in Australia, 10,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed. Melanoma and non -melanoma skin cancer kills an average of 343 people in Victoria alone – this is more than the state’s road toll.

There is one leading cause of skin cancer, and this is overexposure to ultra violet rays. Ninety-nine per cent of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV rays, and damage cause by UV accounts for ninety-five per cent of melanoma. For most of us, this means sunburn, while for others, it means the use of solarium tanning beds.

Either way, we now know that there is nothing healthy about a tan.

Glowing bronze skin is intrinsically linked with our perceptions of beauty and health in Australia, and despite the very obvious effects of long-term tanning (you only have to walk along any beach in summer and you will see people whose skin would look more at home as a handbag than on their bodies), many of us just feel that we look better and are more confident when we have a bit of colour.

It was curious for me then, when holidaying in Thailand earlier this year, to find that just about every skin product on the supermarket and department store shelves contained a bleaching agent. For the dark-skinned Thais, pale skin is the ultimate sign of beauty, and their magazines and advertisements feature girls with skin of alabaster whiteness. And yes, before you ask, while my two little boys were scrupulously slathered in sunscreen and covered up in UV-protective swimwear and hats, I did enough blissful hours basking in the sun to come home with, albeit a light, tan.

It is these prevailing perceptions of the desirability of tanned skin that has the Cancer Council’s SunSmart team working overtime to get sun protection messages out there. As for trying to change those perceptions, they know better than anyone that it is an uphill battle, but it is a battle that could save thousands of lives.

I spoke to Sue Heward, Manager of SunSmart Victoria, about the fight to reduce skin cancer rates and deaths here in Victoria.

“Whilst we have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, it is also one of the most preventable cancers. I think when it comes to cancer, sometimes people feel like it is a bit of a hopeless case and wonder if prevention really works. Well, skin cancer is a classic example of prevention really having an effect,” Sue said.

“Times certainly have changed, and in terms of understanding the risks, things have gotten a lot better. This year is the 30-year celebration of SunSmart in Victoria, and the SunSmart program started in Victoria and is now right across Australia. If you think back to 30 years ago, it was certainly about using Reef Oil and aluminium foil to make the reflection even more intense. You don’t really see that stuff now, but we’ve still got a way to go.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that it’s not just about our own behaviour, it’s actually because we live in a high-risk environment in Australia. Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and that is really because of where we sit geographically on the earth. We don’t want people to beat themselves up as if it’s all about their own behaviour. It really is about acknowledging how harsh the environment is in Australia in relation to UV. And it’s only going to get worse, not better, which is why prevention is so important.”

While we still lead the world in rates of skin cancer, there has been an incredible change in Australians’ awareness of the risks of overexposure to the sun since the beginning of the SunSmart campaign in 1980.

“If you’ve grown up in Australia over that time, there really is a very high awareness of skin cancer. But the main thing about the prevention campaigns that we run is really about reminding people.

Reminding people about it so that they don’t forget and reminding them about what they need to do.

“We know that a lot of people get burnt because they forgot to use sun protection, or if they did use sun protection, they relied solely on sunscreen. We know most people don’t put enough sunscreen on and they don’t reapply it often enough, and we know that sunscreen alone won’t be enough. That’s why our key messages are around five steps, not just sunscreen; so around protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, shade and sunscreen.”

We all know you can still get sunburnt after applying sunscreen, but many of us don’t know why. The Cancer Council advises that for sunscreen to be most effective, you need to use around a teaspoon on each limb, reapplied regularly, but that you shouldn’t rely on sunscreen alone to protect you from damaging UV rays.

While the prevention messages are out there, much harder to protect against is the perception of ‘the healthy tan’.

“We have stats that show that for many people, having a tan makes them feel healthier, but when we actually ask them whether they are actually healthier, their answer is no. But there is certainly still that perception of the Bronzed Aussie out there, although I think we have got better with that. Probably our largest issues still lie in young people. continued over page...

RUBY | 31

SPOTLIGHT

EMBRACE the Pale “We’ve seen a lot of changes in the desire for a tan amongst young people from 30 years ago. In 1988, it was something like 75 per cent of young people wanted a very dark tan, and that has now dropped to around half of that, at 36 per cent,” Sue said.

Of very real concern to the Cancer Council however are the results of a study in the area that showed more than half (57 per cent) of 13 to 17 year olds expressed a desire for a tan, and 42 per cent said having a tan makes them feel more attractive. This is why, in Victoria, nearly 20 per cent of all cancers in 15 to 24 year olds are melanomas, and those figures don’t include the non-melanoma skin cancers.

“Our key messages are about wanting people to be happy and healthy in their own skin tone so that they don’t have that desire to have a tan, but we have to be realistic. There are still parts of the population that want a tan, and in those cases we would certainly say that if you need a tan, then always go with the fake tanning option and never go with the solarium option. And if you are going to use fake tan, remember that fake tan doesn’t have sun protection in it, so you still need to go through those five prevention steps to protect yourself from skin cancer.”

It is an important point. Having a well-applied fake tan tends to make us want to show it off and out comes the tiny little sundress and bikini. This is where sun exposure can lead to burn, and apart from the skin damage and cancer risk, you also get the redness, freckling and peeling that completely ruins your glowing fake tan!

“Regardless of whether or not you use a fake tan, if your skin is exposed for too long in the sun, it will be damaged. If you you’re someone who burns, you’re still going to burn. If you’re someone who tans, you’re still going to tan with fake tan on. It doesn’t matter if it’s sunburn or tanning, they are both signs that your skin cells are in trauma. That’s often a surprise to people when they learn that.

Sue said that having a naturally darker skin tone herself, she finds a lot of people tell her that because she’s tanned, she isn’t in danger from skin cancer.

“I tell them that this is just my natural skin colour, that I do tan and that tanning is sign that your skin cells are in trauma. The same damage is happening when you’re tanning as if you’re sunburnt. It’s still causing structural changes in your skin, and if you’re going to pare down your protection because you’ve got a bit of fake tan on, then that’s really defeating the purpose.”

For people who are more concerned with how they feel when they have a tan than about the risks of skin cancer – and these days that applies equally to men and women – have a think about this: around 80 per cent of facial aging, the wrinkles and fine lines, are due to overexposure to the sun.

years of sun damage – a face like an old leather handbag my Mum used to say, we would see an older lady in the beach with deep brown skin and even deeper wrinkles, lines and sun spots – consider that they have most likely had quite a lot of if not melanoma, then nonmelanoma skin cancers removed.

“Two in three Australians will get some form of skin cancer before they turn 70. So if it hasn’t affected you, it’s pretty likely that it will affect someone in your family or in your friendship group. It is a disease that touches just about everyone in Australia.”

But when it comes to reducing the risk of skin cancer, it is absolutely better late than never.

“While it is true to say that sun damage from when you were a child or an adolescent sets the road map to whether you might get skin cancer later in life, if you look at the relative risks of someone getting skin cancer when they are thirty, forty, fifty or even seventy or eighty years old, prevention is still really important.

“There is a bit of a thing out there about having already done the damage and there’s nothing you can do about that now, but that is not at all true, and our research backs that up. If you start prevention now, that is certainly going to lower your risk of developing skin cancer. There’s no such thing as too late, it’s never too late,” Sue said.

The SunSmart program works promoting healthy behaviour around UV and skin cancer, sun damage and Vitamin D. In Victoria, when the UV is 3 and above – which occurs generally between September and April each year – that’s the danger time, and at this time of year, the UV levels are often at their peak, reaching extreme levels of 11+ for much of the day. As I’m writing this, I jump on the Cancer Council website to check the UV levels for tomorrow and see that between 9.10am and 5.20pm they will be a very high UV 10.

“As soon as it hits 3 and above, people need sun protection, and as I said before, don’t just rely on sunscreen, remember about clothing and sunscreen, think about hats and sunglasses and stay in the shade if you can, as shade can stop up to 75 per cent of direct exposure.

“When the UV is below 3, that’s when it’s safe to get some exposure and that will help with Vitamin D levels. Generally, in Victoria, that is from about May to August. Those people that are really on to it tend to think that you need sun protection all year round, but in Victoria, that’s not true.”

This is great news for people who love to soak up a bit of the heat in summer. It means that particular across January and February, when it tends to get hotter in the late afternoon, it’s a great time to head to the beach or the park, jump on the bike or just go for a walk a bit after five, when the UV level has dropped right down and there are still plenty of daylight hours to enjoy.

“We find that really rings true, particularly with young women.

For adolescents and young men and women, the idea of getting skin cancer is not really in the scope of their vision. But when your talk about how it’s going to make you look older, suddenly they are a bit more interested,” Sue said. “That idea of having a face full of wrinkles and really thick, tough skin really hits home.”

“It surprises people that they don’t need sun protection after around 5 o’clock. They think that you can use temperature to predict what the UV level is, but it’s quite different. The sun puts out three different types of radiation: UV radiation, which you can see or feel; then there’s heat, which is the temperature; and there’s visible light.

But if people try to use temperature to predict whether they need sun protection, they’re going to get it wrong.

She said that every time you see someone with the obvious signs of

“The peak times for UV are typically between 10am and 3pm, but

32 | RUBY

SPOTLIGHT

EMBRACE the Pale across the summer months, that is more likely to stretch from 9am to 5pm, so you really do need sun protection all day long.

“So if you’re taking your kids outside, you do need to think about protective clothing and hats. We do say that for kids 12 months and above, they do need sunscreen. For babies below 12 months, we recommend keeping them out of direct sunlight. If that’s not possible, which it’s not always possible, then go for a baby-friendly sunscreen, and there’s quite a broad range out there, but always pick something with 30+ broad sunscreen protection that is waterproof, and of course, use hats and if you can sunglasses. Your eyes, like your skin, are really susceptible to sun damage.

“Things like sunglasses and hats are not always easy to get kids to wear, but if your kids see you wearing a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses, then they are much more likely to get used to doing that themselves and they will model your behaviour,” Sue said.

One of the strongest messages I found in this conversation with Sue was to be aware, be informed, and to think about it before you get out in the sun. A now avid convert of the UV Alert, I’ve found this tool to make planning our and our kids’ day much easier. It is also a great tool for highlighting the need for proper sun protection for the fellas in our lives, as 67 per cent of Australians who die from skin cancer are men.

Men and women who work outdoors are at a much higher risk of skin cancer, simply because the cumulative exposure to UV is much higher than people who work predominantly indoors. For these people, daily skin protection should extend all year round and not just through the higher risk September to April period.

get burnt because they have forgotten to apply sunscreen or grab a hat before heading outside, rather than any real desire for a tan. So a little bit of nagging on our part might just make a dint in that.

The UV Alert is up each night for the following day, and it tells you not only the UV level, but also the time of day we need sun protection in our little neck of the woods. And you can even get it as an iPhone App! While prevention is far and away the most effective way of reducing skin cancer, early detection is vital in skin cancer treatment. It is also important to regularly check your skin for changes, and even better is to have someone checking it for you. Changes to look out for are not only moles, but also for sores that are not healing or continually itchy areas, and if you have any of these symptoms, you need to have a GP check them for you.

“You need to be checking behind your ears, between your toes and on your scalp, so it is much easier if you have someone else around to help out with that,” Sue said.

“We do know that if you catch skin cancer early, the rate of being cured is quite high in Australia. Whilst we have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, we are very good at treating skin cancer, and that’s why that early detection message is so important, particularly as people get older.

“If you are in the high risk group – an outdoor worker, someone who has had skin cancer before, someone who has a history of severe sunburns – you should be checking your skin every three month. For the general population, it’s more about getting familiar with your skin, and if you do see a change, to go and get your GP to take a look.”

Sue said research into the behaviour of men that leads to sun damage and ultimately skin cancer, shows that men are much more likely to

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RUBY | 33

IN THE Driving Seat 34 | RUBY

Listening to her warm and friendly voice and frequent laugh, it’s easy to imagine Ingrid Williams, CEO of TLC Aged Care, in her previous incarnation as an acute care nurse. It’s easy to picture the immaculately dressed business woman she is now fulfilling her various roles of CEO, board member of several organisations and Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Victorian State Finalist. It’s less easy to think of her as a rally car driver, but the passion in her voice when she speaks of her favourite hobby helps.

“Motorsport and cars in general have always been an interest of mine,” she says. “I’ve often wondered if I get that from my father, who was a fighter pilot in the air force – just a different kind of fast, I think. It’s fuelled now by having a husband who is mad keen, too, and a far more experienced racing car driver than me, but it means I can maintain the passion. I have just recently bought a Honda Integra Type R, which we’ll do rallies in, either together or separately. It’s the driving I love most, so that’s what we fight over – who’s going to drive!”

Rally driving is not the only thing that surprises people who meet the softly-spoken CEO. As she says, she doesn’t look much like a “revhead” and she seems to have an amazing ability to fit more into one life than many people could fit into two. As well as her day job, Ingrid is also on the boards of Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV), Crime Stoppers Victoria and Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation, which works to increase awareness of organ donation.

Her positions on the latter two are, she says, examples of why good networking and making the most of opportunities are so important.

Her role with Crime Stoppers began eight years ago when she was approached by Christine Nixon’s then chief of staff at a time when she was seeking a way to assist the broader community. The position with Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation was the result of questioning a colleague wearing the Foundation’s badge.

“Zaidee was a little girl who died of a brain aneurism at the age of seven,” Ingrid explains. “In that year she became the only child under 16 to donate her organs and her father began the foundation as a way to increase awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. I used to be the national president of the Transplant Nurses Association and I’m passionate about organ donation. So it’s a perfect fit for me.”

As well as working to ensure residents of TLC facilities are given the best of care, Ingrid is also concerned to make sure older people in the wider community are cared for and that strategies are put in place for the long-term wellbeing of older Australians. It’s this that led to her position on the board of ACCV, the peak industry body for aged care in Victoria.

“It is a significant commitment, but I see it as part of doing my job properly, in that I can influence the whole industry at a higher level rather than just one organisation. All the board members work in the industry, so we are able to work together for positive outcomes. It’s an important and critical part of what I do on a daily basis, so I just fit it in.”

And then there are her studies.

“I seem to always study,” she laughs. “When I finish something, I always think that’s it, I’m done now, but then I find something else!”

Among her qualifications, Ingrid holds a Masters in Health Administration and has participated in the Williamson Community Leadership Program. Currently, she’s completing an Australian Institute of Company Director’s course.

“I’ve done it a bit back to front,” she admits. “I had these directorships and then I thought I had better formalise it and find out what to do. It’s been an amazing and valuable learning experience and now I can really add value to the boards I’m on.”

So how does she fit everything into a 24-hour day?

“I read board papers at night and study on weekends. I don’t have children, so I guess that gives me more time, but it also strengthens my desire to contribute to the community in other ways. My husband is extremely supportive and 100 per cent committed to what I do. He sometimes complains if I don’t get home until seven or eight at night, but he knows what I do is important to me and that I’m happy and fulfilled.”

However, work/life balance is very important to Ingrid.

“I make a real effort with that,” she says. “I try to model behaviour to others who may be influenced by what I do and say. Yes, there are long days and that comes with the responsibility of the job, but I also know when to stop, go home and recharge the batteries so the next day I can be of use to everyone. Work/life balance is an investment I don’t want to burn out too early. Regular holidays are important too.

I never have too much leave owing.”

Much of Ingrid’s drive and desire to care for others comes from being involved in a bad car accident when she was eleven. Left with serious injuries to her feet and the possibility of never walking again, Ingrid spent five weeks in hospital undergoing surgery, skin grafts and rehab.

“I guess the experience of being a patient cemented my desire to care for people, but I’m also probably following in family footsteps – there are a few nurses and doctors in my family history. But the main thing is that it has made me value more deeply the fact that I am fit and healthy and can walk. So each day when I wake up, I am happy to be able to contribute positively to the world in what I do and hopefully make a difference to someone’s life.”

And that’s what gives her such a passion for aged care.

“It’s about acknowledging the contribution older Australians have made to our community. They have lived and worked to build the country we have now. By caring for them, I can give back and say thank you. There is a great satisfaction and pleasure in doing that well.”

She pauses for a moment.

“And there is also a vulnerability about our older population. It’s important that they are heard, supported and cared for. Everyone has had a grandparent; everyone should be able to relate to that. We shouldn’t lose sight of what older people have to offer and what they have already offered.”

The aged care industry is a challenging one to work in, being highly regulated and subject to complex funding arrangements. Funding in particular is an issue Ingrid thinks will be important for the industry’s future as demand for aged care services grows.

“Capital funding is the main thing,” she says. “We need money to build the facilities to meet the demand. The government’s current policy is to fund people to stay in their homes rather than low care residential places. The issue with that is that low care places provide the accommodation bonds that are usually used as capital funding and the funding for extra services places is capped. continued over page...

RUBY | 35

BUSINESS WOMAN

When Jenny Leaper, the family member who held the position of Managing Director, decided to take a step back, becoming TLC’s first CEO seemed like the natural next move in Ingrid’s career.

As the first non-family member to take on managing the company, Ingrid had to create the role for herself.

“It was all about keeping the family feel and tradition and dovetailing that with a more corporate feel, so the business could move forward without relinquishing any of the family values that are so much a part of the organisation,” she says.

“What people love about TLC is that all our homes have a welcoming, homely feel regardless of their size. Even our biggest home, which is 190 beds, has been described as homely, and it is.

We take pride in being able to offer people somewhere where they can really ‘live’ and call home.

“Because we offer the full range of services – low, high and dementia care, if a couple has mixed care needs we can still provide them with accommodation together. And because we offer full ageing in place, if a person comes into one of our homes as a low care resident, they stay in the same room, even if their care needs increase. This means they can make the room their home, they can have their own paintings and furniture and they can also build lasting relationships with residents in adjacent rooms. It’s something our residents value greatly.”

So the question is how do we fund high care places? Do we need to move to a user pays system or lift the cap on the number of extra services places that can be offered?”

She adds that regulation and the burden of complying with it is also something the industry is struggling with.

“I worked in the acute sector for many years and it wasn’t nearly as highly regulated as the aged care industry,” she points out. “It can become quite burdensome in relation to the cost of ensuring that everything is in place to meet the requirements. I can understand why the need for such regulation was there in the past, but I think that the industry is now sophisticated and mature enough to have more autonomy and empowerment.”

It was the thought of being able to implement strategies to care for older people long-term that made her put her hand up for the role of TLC CEO in 2007.

Established as a family business in 1991 with the purchase of two small nursing homes in Wallington and the development of the company’s flagship home, The Homestead just off the Bellarine Highway, TLC Aged Care is now a large provider of residential aged care services in Victoria, with 1050 high and low care beds across nine homes, including three in the Geelong area – The Homestead, Homestead Lakes and The Belmont.

Ingrid became one of the 1,200 staff in 2004 as manager of TLC Marina in Altona North, before progressing to regional manager.

Ingrid says the many activities, such as exercise programs, art shows, markets and coffee clubs, offered by the homes are also greatly valued and try as much as possible to replicate the lifestyles of the residents before they moved to a TLC home.

“Having activities like a car to tinker on or a shed to potter in is important to many men in our homes. But we also regularly evaluate the activities we provide to make sure they are meeting the needs of residents. We need to get the balance right – people also need time to rest and recuperate and some people prefer to say in their room and read a book and that’s okay too. But sometimes the activities play a big role in getting people out of their room and into the life of the community”.

Many of those stories can be found on the TLC Facebook page, an initiative of the TLC marketing team that helps bring the wider TLC community together.

“It’s a combination of wanting to be connected to the broader community – family members overseas can look at it and keep up with what’s going on - and a way of connecting to Gen Y, who are a large part of the workforce,” Ingrid explains. “The residents themselves don’t use it a lot, but the family members do.”

She laughs. “I guess when our generation is in nursing homes, it will just be part and parcel of the way things are done – we’ll all be on Facebook and checking our emails.”

by Judy Baulch

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Your Place or Ours

36 | RUBY

A phone call to dear friends of 40 years plus resulted in the fulfilment of a dream that began 50 years ago.

“Where are you going for your next overseas holiday?” I ask David.

“Africa,” he replies.

“Ooh, lucky you. That has been my dream for so long.”

“Come with us,” was his reply.

I immediately think he is just being kind, but no, he is serious and so begins our journey. With David and Lilian’s Travel Agent daughter (and my surrogate daughter), Nikki, organising us all, we are off and running. Nikki is to also accompany us, so our party is to be 4 in number.

Our journey begins in Kenya, continues south to South Africa, north to Zambia, south again to Botswana, then back to South Africa and Johannesburg, culminating with a memorable four days in Cape Town - a total of three and a half weeks in all.

Like Australia, the African landscape changes continually.

The colours vary from yellows to reds to browns, and on the open plains at dusk there is the most beautiful golden hue with the most amazing sunsets that have to be seen, no photograph does them justice.

I was in awe of that famous waterfall, Victoria Falls, indignant and horrified at the injustice of Apartheid and how humans can behave in that way towards others, spell bound by the beautiful coastline and countryside of Cape Town, but it was Kenya and its people that stole my heart.

THIS IS KENYA’S STORY. AUGUST 23RD - 6.15PM I arrive into Nairobi from Zurich, to an airport that was refreshingly interesting. To those of you who have been to Asia, it resembles the tiny little shops within one large department store that are so common there. Out to arrivals to retrieve my luggage, then off to find my meet and greet representative. It’s all very simple and everything goes smoothly “Would you mind sharing my car with another lady who is travelling to the same hotel,” asks the representative.

I didn’t mind at all. I love meeting new people, and on this occasion, was very glad that I had acquiesced. After loading our car we set off and encountered a situation I had never experienced before.

The roads were jam-packed, absolutely no order, it was dusty, dark and, for a first time visitor, very scary. People were everywhere, banging on the car, walking in front of the car, offering their wares for sale. All the windows and doors were locked, there was no aircon in the car and I felt trapped.

My travelling companion, a long time visitor to Africa, obviously notices my look of horror and is quick to reassure me that we are quite safe - this is Africa (TIA), a phrase I am to hear many times in the next three and a half weeks, and safe we were.

After 30 minutes we arrive at The Norfolk Hotel, a survivor from Colonial times. The hotel, which was built in 1904, is amazing.

Close your eyes and you can imagine yourself drinking G&Ts on the continued over page...

RUBY | 37

verandah, everyone dressed for dinner, with a band playing in the background ready for the dancing to come.

Back to reality, Nikki has arrived before me (my friends are to join us in South Africa). So after a quick freshen up, we proceed to the restaurant for dinner and a catch up.

I have already been travelling for four weeks and have lots to tell her.

You cannot help but notice the security, the street the hotel is situated in is closed to traffic, people who are not guests or employed at the Hotel are banned. Guards toting the very latest in machine guns patrol the area. They look so young. It makes me feel sad that this needs to be, although the alternative does not bear thinking about.

AUGUST 24TH Up early to catch our flight to The Maasai Mara, or as the locals say, The Mara, a large game reserve in South Western Kenya named after The Maasai people, the traditional inhabitants of the area.

We are to depart from Wilson airport, which is about the same size as Grovedale Airport, but comes with its own Duty Free store and a quite incongruous a young guy selling Hello magazine. Our aircraft is a 12-seater. Everything is very organised, maybe not as high tech as some, but dare I say more efficient.

We land at the Mara Plains airstrip very smoothly, my first taste of landing in a field, and are greeted by Ping (our Maasai Guide for the duration). We ask how long to camp and his reply is, “Depends on what we see”.

A half hour trip turns into two and a half hours. We encounter elephants, cheater (in the first 20 minutes) wildebeest, zebra, vultures feasting on the remains of a kill, and fifty or more hippos in a dung pond. Oh, the smell! We also stop to see a leopard and her cub, all before lunch.

We arrive at Camp and are met by our wonderful hosts, Richard and Lorna, ready with a very welcome drink and a meal. Richard is of English heritage, but grew up and stayed to be educated in Kenya and South Africa (unusual in colonial times). He is well respected by the Maasai; so much so that he has been made an honorary member of the tribe. Lorna a delightful Scottish lass, well respected for her amazing photography, and who has now added wonderful host to her CV. The camp is a small, intimate, 7-room camp under canvas, set up on raised decks with views across the savannahs. The accommodation is outstanding. Each room has its own veranda and en-suite facilities, and an all-in tariff that includes your accommodation, meals, drinks

38 | RUBY

and activities. The staff are Maasai men who cater to your every need with warmth, graciousness and an anticipation that is uncanny.

The food is 5 star quality, eaten communally, where the day’s sightings are discussed, everyone trying to outdo the other with their tales. All guests are escorted to their rooms after dark and asked to be aware of their surroundings at other times.

It was absolute bliss after a very long day, returning to our room after dinner to find a hot water bottle in our bed and then drifting off to the sounds of hippos in the surrounding river, with the roar of lions breaking the silence of the night.

AUGUST 25TH Nikki’s Birthday and what a way to spend it! We are up at 5.30am and it is still dark. Today is the big day; we have come to see the migration.

The Mara River is a 2-hour drive, so we need to leave early.

We are to be joined by Americans, Lisa and Jay, our guide Ping and our host Lorna. Along the way we encounter buffalo and elephants.

Up close and very personal, they can be quite confronting when less that 2 metres away. We also see giraffe, monkey, hyena, a leopard with a kill, and lions, also with a kill. We are told that the male lions

feast first while the females sit and watch. Then, once the males finish, it is their turn. There is no fighting, absolute order.

I am amazed at how many creatures and birds are fed with one kill, and all have and know their place in the ritual. But I digress, onwards to the migration…

I might add here that this is not Werribee Zoo, where you are in a closed in bus. The vehicles are open 4 wheel drives seating a maximum of 6 people. You are only two metres away from the animals you are viewing, who for the most part ignore you. In saying this, guides are very experienced and at all times are aware of the animal’s disposition and at no time will put you in any danger. In Kenya, the guides at our camps did not have guns, and frankly, they would have been useless anyway if an animal was keen to eat.

Known as the “Greatest Show on Earth”, the yearly numbers for the migration can top 2 million - wildebeest, zebra and gazelle travelling together for safety. They wander between Tanzania and Kenya.

Their babies being born between January and March each year, with the promise of rain drawing them northwards to the abundant food supplies of the Maasai Mara. As they travel, many of the weak and the young are taken by predators. Again, this is nature’s way of keeping order.

The animals enter the plains of the Mara around July, then proceed to cross the Mara and Talek rivers. This is what we are about to witness.

We arrive at the river around 9am and there are other groups from neighbouring camps already in place. Our guide, Ping, quickly finds us an amazing vantage point to witness this spectacular event.

We are all keyed up with expectation and excitement and are not to be disappointed. In the distance, clouds of dust herald the arrival of the animals in their thousands. Ping tells us he has never seen a group as large. How lucky we are.

There is formation and order again as the Zebra try to stay in the middle for protection, with wildebeest and impala to the sides and rear. The noise is indescribable, the sounds of hooves, the braying, and snorting. You can feel the fear as the animals run here and there.

They stumble in their panic. No one wants to be the first to cross and there is much toing and froing until, finally, one takes the plunge.

Now the fight is on to beat the crocs and make it to the other side.

Never have I seen such large crocs and how quick they are.

Within seconds, they have an animal. They drag it under the water and there is much thrashing, until finally the fight is over and the croc has its kill. The herd will change the crossing place several times, as they are spooked by something or a scout finds a more suitable spot. As a spectator, you become so involved, willing the animals on, experiencing the rush of relief when a baby makes it to the other side, and the joy when a mother greets her offspring. It was a truly emotional, inspiring experience and one I will never forget.

We are now in for a treat - breakfast on the plains. We are starving after our early start, being in the great outdoors, and the emotional energy expended with the crossing.

Ping and Lorna lay out a virtual feast, which we all hungrily devour.

Then wonder of wonders, Nikki’s mobile rings. We are in the middle of nowhere, hours from the nearest town, village or camp.

There are no landlines, but evidently there is a mobile tower. I t is her dad wishing her a happy birthday. You would have to know David to know that if this was going to be anyone, it would be him, but that is another story.

We amble back to camp, almost becoming blasé about our animal sightings, to have the shower we missed this morning and a rest before we set out on a night Safari.

It becomes dark around 6.30pm. Like all tropical places, the dark descends very quickly. It is light one minute then dark the next.

We leave on dusk and spend the next hour and a half in wonderment at the bush at night. We see jackals, mongoose, mice and warthogs

RUBY | 39

(the ugly ducklings of Africa). Ping uses a red globe so as not to startle the animals.

which species was thought to be extinct due to poachers, and now has a secure breeding ground deep in the Chyulu Hills’ mist forests.

We arrive back at camp to discover we are eating outside. What bliss!

The night is clear and a little crisp, but oh so peaceful.

More discussions on the day are happily entered into, and then a singing procession of Maasai arrives for Nikki’s birthday. I don’t think I have ever heard Happy Birthday sung so beautifully.

In conjunction with the local Maasai, the retaliatory killing of lions has been stopped. The Preservation Trust has created a conservancy where lease payments are paid directly to the Maasai out of the lodge revenue. The lodge has an all-inclusive tariff regarding all activities; all meals, all local drinks and laundry are included in the fare.

AUGUST 26TH

We meet our new hosts, Cyrus and Abbey. They are new to Ol Donyo Wuas, having recently arrived from Tanzania, but from their local knowledge it is obvious they have made it their mission to learn quickly. We decide to spend the rest of the day familiarising ourselves with the lodge and to make our way down to the hide.

The hide is a mass of heavy logs, piled about one and a half metres high and a metre thick, where guests are able to view wildlife at the water hole from a safe distance. It is fascinating to watch the wildlife from such close quarters, watching the interactions and again observing the hierarchy among the different groups.

All good things most come to an end and today we are leaving The Mara Plains camp and heading to its sister property, Ol Donyo Wuas.

But before we go, Ping has heard that there is a pride of lions in the area that he wants us to see, so we will leave for the airport early to see if we can catch a glimpse. After farewelling Lorna, Richard and the wonderful staff (I have a feeling they have set a very high benchmark), we set off once more.

We miss the pride of lions and time is getting short, so rather than spoil it for our American companions, Jay and Lisa, Ping organises Jeremiah (it’s the missionary influence) to come and meet us to continue our journey to the airport. As we are waiting for Jeremiah, we ask Ping what famous people he has acted as guide for. Oh, there was Jimmy Carter, a few I had not heard of, then someone Gate or Gates – yes, you guessed it, Bill Gates. Ping had no idea who or what this man was and the impact he has on the outside world - just another example of how unassuming and humble the Maasai are.

We are back at the airport and three flights later, one in a 2-seater (I can’t believe Nikki slept!) we are at our new destination, Ol Donyo Wuas.

We are met at the airport by our new guide, Moses. This is very different from The Mara Plains. It is rumoured that Mick Jagger has been a guest and I can see why.

Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge is situated on the slopes of the Chyulu Hills National Park, between Amboseli and Tsavo West Nation Parks in South East Kenya, and has full views of Mount Kilimanjaro. The 20 bed lodge was rebuilt and redesigned in 2008, with every lodge having views across the Suvannah and onward to Kilimanjaro.

Richard Bonham, founder of the lodge, landed his small plane one day in the 1980s and met the local Maasai. This was one of many meetings that would lead to the formation of a community conservation tourism project. The concept was for Richard to bring in guests for safari and the local community would benefit. In the early days, wildlife was scarce and the project was slow to grow.

But through decades of perseverance, the project now boasts elephant, giraffe, cheetah, lion and even the black rhino,

40 | RUBY

Another wonderful communal meal with people from all parts of the globe finishes another fascinating day.

AUGUST 27TH Not such an early start today. We begin at 6.30am with tea served in our rooms then breakfast at 7.30am. Off at 8am for what is to be a varied and very interesting day.

The terrain here is different from the Mara, not as open, with more scrub. Moses, our guide, is on the hunt for cheetah - in particular, a mother and her two cubs. We move off the main track, into the scrub.

Then we see them and the chase begins, through the trees, not around them, and over them. It is exhilarating. You have to pinch yourself sometimes that here you are in the middle of Africa chasing wild animals. Everything you have believed goes out the window.

You are the hunter, not the hunted, and not a gun in sight. We have a good view of the trio then decide to leave them in peace.

Our next stop is a local village. We are met by the children, all smiling, all genuinely happy and who sing for us. I am particularly moved by a girl of about 12 who has the most pure voice. Anywhere else and she would be a star, but here she is probably the girl from the village who sings well. We take pics, which they all love.

There are no mirrors, so for them it is a wonder to see themselves.

We move on to the women of the village, who also greet us with song.

We do not speak each other’s language, but there is an understanding between us as women. We are visitors and they want us to see their homes, meet their children, and see their work. The welcome is warm. Their dress is traditional, beautiful bright primary colours with

We arrive back at camp and I am going to have a rest and indulge myself with a manicure, a real treat, while Nikki is off horse riding.

Yes, out there on horseback with all the wildlife. It is amazing.

But she is in the capable hands of Venetia, an English girl who looks far too young to be in charge… I must be getting old. Venetia spent her school holidays working at the lodge, and now that she has completed her education, is employed here full-time. She is a bubbly confident girl and is to be our host at dinner this evening, whilst Cyrus and Abbey take a well-earned night off.

AUGUST 28TH This is our last day in Kenya.

I need to hit the computer room and check out what is going on back home. It is easy when you are so far away to forget that you have responsibilities on the other side of the world, but hey, what’s a couple of hours when I have been so lucky to have this opportunity. lots of beading the most amazing earrings and bracelets. Most of the work falls to the women of the village - tending the animals, cooking, cleaning.

The lighting of fires is a man’s job. One fire is started each day and a taper used to light all others. I have an interest in education for women and girls, so Moses suggests we visit the local girls school.

This was truly an inspirational experience.

The Imbirikani Girls High School was begun in 2004 after a study to investigate the educational needs of Maasai children in the area.

The study showed that a high school for girls was badly needed.

Ninety eight per cent of the girls in this area do not have any educational opportunity after primary school, and most enter into early marriage (ages 14 to 15), and are then subjected to a life of child bearing and hard physical labour. Female genital mutilation is still the norm in these areas and education is one of the weapons that can be used to eradicate this dreadful practice. The girls all live at the school and are visited once a term by their parents. They return home after three months study for a one-month break 3 times a year The school now caters for 250 girls and has a staff of 30 teachers.

The original school class consisted of 40 students. Out of those 40 students, 37 have graduated and 21 girls are now enrolled in university in Nairobi.

Nikki is going for an escorted walk, over 7000 wild animals find their habitat in and around the area, so there is plenty to see and discover.

After another delightful lunch, we both ring home and catch up with loved ones, before heading off to enjoy sundowners and sunset at the Kopjes, an amazing rock formation. These rock formations stand out like islands in a sea of grass. They consist of 2 to 3 billion year old granite rock, which because of erosion and weathering, have been broken up into a jumbled pile of rocks. Kopjes are remarkable in that they have their own little ecosystem, with a range of vegetation and wildlife that includes hyrax, mongoose, porcupines, lizards and birds.

Each Kopjes is indeed like an island, with its own community of birds and plants and animals, as well as being a refuge for a mother cheetah or lion with cubs.

We are accompanied by a guide, Seil, our host Cyrus and two American guests. We are able to drive half way up, but need to walk to the top. Then, oh what a view you have; a 360-degree vista that is spectacular. The colours vary from yellows to browns to oranges that as the sun goes down settle into gold. What a setting for drinks and nibblies!

We make our way back to the vehicle. Both Nikki and I are quiet and reflective of our time in Kenya - the experience far exceeding our expectations.

The staff are all young and very enthusiastic. Most have been there since the school’s inception. It cannot be easy for them. The school is in the middle of nowhere. Most have come from far away, leaving behind family and friends. The pay is pretty ordinary, but they do it because they want to see change for women and girls.

The Big Five: rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo, that so recently were only a dream, were for us a reality. The Paris Couture of animals, giraffes, were sighted in their hundreds. The emotion of the crossing, willing the zebra, wildebeest and gazelle to survive those treacherous waters, and amazed at the order and cruelty that is nature. The resilience and tolerance of wild animals who did not fear us, who let us observe and share their life and space for a short time.

Memories of our time in Kenya that stand out sharp and clear.

There was the mother lion with her cubs; the Maasai, proud and dignified, delighted to have us as guests; our wonderful hosts and the interesting people we have encountered along the way; and last, but by no means least, Africa, the country itself. I can see why people fall in love with it, become spellbound. It is truly beautiful.

I grieve for its past, but have great hope for its future.

The school is funded by donations. Five hundred dollars per year covers their board and tuition, small change when you average it over a year.

For information on travel to Africa contact Nikki Diamond at FBI Travel NikkiD@fbitravel.com.au. To become a sponsor of a girl at Imbirikani visit the Imbirikani website www.imbirikani.org

Most of the girls are from poor families and the school is the only modern facility they have ever lived in. Every girl is required to take on some type of community service in the village, as well as tending the school farm and helping to clean the school.

On the day we visited it was meant to be school holidays, but the older girls were there, participating in summer school and preparing for the upcoming university entrance exams. They were typical girls, giggly, pushing, teasing and very happy - not dissimilar to our own.

We leave the school thinking how lucky we are to live in a country where women have the same rights and opportunities as men, and a stronger than ever desire to help women of other countries achieve those rights.

by Maureen Tayler

RUBY | 41

BUSINESS

I WOULD LIKE to have known Vida...

I would have liked to have known Vida Sobotka when she was growing up.

As an adolescent from Australia she was unprepared for her life in Africa. Her parents took her to a refugee camp, where they were part of a water drilling team. It was all based on good intentions but desert and famine and the unavoidable deaths made a huge impact on her.

It was dangerous being one of Vida’s friends; or at least the political climate was tumultuous. We think our environment challenging when our preferred political party fails at the polls – in South Africa, at the time, the situation was a million of times worse.

Her boyfriend was murdered. She travelled to Botswana, and then when things got difficult, she went back to South Africa. The likelihood of survival in famine was not much less than existence in apartheid Soweto. Years later, in Australia, she casually mentioned that she probably saw a thousand people die by the time she was 15.

42 | RUBY

From the depths of Africa she was sent to Oxford University to study art. It was a culture shock. Actually, that was being in England, as the University was okay. You can imagine her struggle to fit in when the girls would complain about going to a party and some bitch had exactly the same dress on. Vida would look horrified. Her friend would think that Vida empathised - but Vida was actually thinking at least she had a fucking dress. For all the lack of worldly knowledge and social trivia, she enjoyed England because she could bury herself in art. If ever the vision of famines would arise she would dive into more canvas and sculptural salve.

The next chapter of her life was in rural Australia, and while we may complain about droughts, and the tough life we experience, it is never as dire as the African version.

I met Vida in Bendigo were she was commencing a business as a sculptor. I would have liked to have known her then.

BUSINESS

She was a blonde with striking blue eyes that flashed with worldly wisdom, but always clouded with hidden thoughts unknown. Behind the suburban exterior, something was bubbling. Her art was haunting, even troubled. Some of her images would transmogrify from a bean to a baby to a tiny skeleton.

Not exactly pretty art or commercially valid; but there was something that drew the eyes and made tears flow. I spoke to the patrons and some were offended, but very few. Most were puzzled, however some would see the cycle of life and a haunted voice telling them to buy the piece.

Vida had a hard time getting galleries to show her works. They implored her to do nice little sculptures that people would buy, but Vida would withdraw to some distant savanna. Outsiders, and let's face it, we were all outsiders to Vida, could see ghostly images reflected in her eyes. She would shake her head and say that this gallery was perhaps not the right gallery for her.

What is the truth of her art? To be commercial, at least according to these gallery owners, she had to do the "cute things", yet her art burned harsh and strong. Her truth was the human compassion as a palimpsest of suffering and anguish was the real thing. Galleries seem to have three target markets: the newly wed, the over fed and the nearly dead. Where were the intelligent people? Where were the people who could face elements of a real world - a world that is more than the plastic gloss of shallow suburbia?

I would like to know Vida now. She is approaching middle age, and has remained hidden amongst Australians for 30 years. I advise her that to sell her art she needs to tell her story. She turns on me, eyes welling with tears and says, “You can’t deal with my story”. Me, with false bravado, says of course I can… A sculpture sits in between us.

A nubile woman bent over with little babies climbing out of its nether regions, climbing into the light. Climbing up higher only to turn to skeletons and eventually dust. With a deep pause she tells me of Africa. She tells, me of her twin dying. She tells me of a murdered boyfriend and her escape to the neighboring country. She tells me of her fear, and a Russian heritage that is denied.

It is sad but maybe I will never know Vida.

Clint Jennings is a founding partner of the Australian Business Development Centre, www.abdc.com.au

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RUBY | 43

GARDEN

LOCAL NURSERY gets two green thumbs-up A lifetime of quality service and dedication never goes unrecognised, which is true of Van Loon’s nursery. Earlier this year, Van Loon’s was recognised as the 2010 Best Large Garden Centre at the Nursery and Garden Industry Awards in Darwin, which incidentally is a step up from their win last year as Australia’s Best Medium Garden Centre.

The award recognises traders and individuals that display exemplary trade operation within its related industry. In Australia, horticultural commerce is worth $32 billion per year. It is a big industry, and for Van Loon’s, the award is a big win.

Accolades aside, however, the running of any business is not without its difficulties, as co-owners, Heidi Martin and Matthew Hart, learnt early on.

“When Stage 4 water restrictions were introduced in 2006, it was a very challenging time for the nursery industry. None of us knew what to expect,” admits Heidi.

“That was the first year that Matthew and I were sole owners of the business, so it was a little daunting. We approached the situation very positively and still managed to record a profit, albeit a small one, at the end of the financial year. It’s something we are very proud of.

“Each year since has been better and better, both in an economic way for us and, of course, climatically. Our customers soon learnt that it was possible to garden with low water plants, and this year with above average rains, the business is booming,” Heidi is happy to report.

Recognised as business leaders, Heidi says now more than ever the Van Loon’s team feels a heightened sense of duty towards its loyal customers, including the five-and-a-half thousand members of their V.I.P. Garden Club.

“That is very much a part of our service. Because we’re Australia’s Best Large Garden Centre and we’ve been here for forty-odd years, we really feel a responsibility to be professional and to offer that really top service to our customers,” says Heidi reflecting on the nursery’s broad appeal.

“It’s really a destination nursery. There’s lots of things to experience and to be inspired by. And we set it out in an inspirational way so that people gain ideas and feel that they can do the same in their own gardens. We’re lucky that we have so much space to showcase lots of different products,” she says.

A wide range of stock, with an extensive array of plants in stunning full bloom, seedlings, water features, glazed/terracotta pots, plus their ever popular café Peppers and expansive gift shop, makes Van Loon’s a main attraction for visitors, with or without a green thumb. And just like any progressive business, Van Loon’s embraces constant change, with the more recent purchase of several unusual pieces from Asia to add to its stock range.

Operating on 5 acres of land in Wallington, Van Loon’s opened in 1965, started by the Van Loon family, who settled in Geelong from Holland.

The business remained a family-owned and operated business up until 2005, at which point Matthew Hart and Heidi, both long-serving employees of Van Loon’s, went into partnership with Tony Van Loon.

Tony retired two years later, and since 2007, Heidi and Matthew have undertaken sole ownership of the nursery, managing daily operations along with their respective partners.

Starting off as a retail nursery in the early days, Peter Van Loon, the founder, and his sons, grew plants and cuttings in jam jars and milk cartoons and sold them out front of their home. As the nursery evolved, it became a wholesale nursery, then blended back into retail before a final decision in the early 1980s to operate solely as a retail nursery, which it has done for the past 20 years.

Two of Van Loon’s big drawcards, the gift shop and café, both started off relatively small around a decade ago and now are thriving businesses respectively. However, during the past five years, both have blossomed under the direction of Heidi and Matthew’s partner Loretta, who manages the gift shop. Meanwhile, Heidi’s husband oversees the technological and financial side of the Van Loon’s operation.

The nursery operates seven-days-week with 13 staff members, all skilled horticulturalists, who are suitably qualified to deal with just about any garden crisis, Heidi explains. In fact, she assures us that, “Between all of us somebody can usually come up with an answer to a problem.”

Van Loon’s aims to be a one-stop shop, “And that’s the way we like people to perceive us as well,” Matthew said.

Photo and story by Terry Broun Jnr

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44 | RUBY

GARDEN

Tips For Early Summer Gardening: If it’s been six to eight weeks since the garden was fertilised, a general feeder can be applied again now, which will be especially beneficial with all the rain we’ve received.

Roses are particularly prone to black spot in mild humid weather, so best to keep up a triforine spray every ten days until after Christmas.

Scale insects seem to be a common problem this season. Tell-tale signs that a problem exists are ants and a black sooty mould on plants. To solve the problem you need to spray with white oil, ensuring complete coverage/ saturation of the scale insect. However, spray on a cool day.

The time to plant summer vegetables is now, so get to planting! Successive plantings of basil, lettuce, spinach, radish and spring onions at monthly intervals are good. For best results try planting vegies such as tomatoes, corn, zucchini, cucumber, capsicum and pumpkin before the middle of December. Potatoes and garlic that were planted in winter should be just about ready for harvesting. Traditionally, garlic is planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest day of the year.

Lawns are growing well at the moment, due to the extra rain we’ve been enjoying. Keeping them in tip-top condition requires no more than a spray with weed and feed to keep them at an optimum.

While many native plants have finished flowering now, most will benefit from a light tip prune to keep them bushy and help promote heavy blooming next season.

Brighten up your garden and plan for Christmas shades by planting some colour in pots by the front door and particularly around outdoor entertaining areas. Petunias are hard to beat for value, in particular consider planting salvias, verbena and begonias for long lasting displays as well.

Important to remember: now is the time to lay down mulch before the summer heat hits. Mulching will help plant roots retain moisture and keep them cool. Bark-based mulches are great under shrubs and for established garden beds, while straw-based mulches are best for vegie gardens And now that all your garden needs are taken care of, it’s time to step back and admire your handiwork or enjoy the fruits (or vegies) of your labour, so-to-speak. A garden is designed to be a place of relaxation as well as work, so take pleasure in your garden while enjoying a cup of tea or glass of wine.

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RUBY | 45

BOOKS

Tammie Matson At age 29, Australian conservationist, Tammie Matson, had spent half her life working in Africa. As a teenager she had fallen in love with the continent’s big skies and extraordinary wildlife, and it was amongst the bushlands of Namibia and the Bushman people that she felt much more at home than in her native home in Australia.

For all its vastness, Africa had little room to provide for other dreams of a partner, a home and children. As she feels it so often has, Africa provided the answer to her conundrum – her Visa had run out and

she had to return home. Back in Australia, she is struggling with a sense of dislocation when a lifeline drops unexpectedly from out of the blue. She lands a job at the Worldwide Fund for Nature in Sydney. From the wilds of Africa and the laidback calm of her family’s farm, she finds herself living on the beach in Sydney. It is here that she meets Andy, a charismatic Englishman, who shares her passion for conservation.

Matson takes us with her on her journey to balance her two great loves. Her engaging style, and her touching, witty and passionate observations, makes this an uplifting, joyous, and thought provoking read. She has managed to bring a little of the magic of African into her story, making Elephant Dance one of the best reads of the summer.

THE DISTANT HOURS

CROSS FIRE

Kate Morton

James Patterson

Morton is a powerhouse of the Australian publishing industry, and in this, my first foray into her work, I quickly realised why.

I found myself relishing Morton’s softly descriptive prose and her likeable, vividly drawn characters.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without summer blockbusters, and they don’t come any bigger than James Patterson. On cue, he has delivered Cross Fire, as he sets Detective Alex Cross in the line of fire of his deadliest adversary, The Mastermind.

The Distant Hours begins with the arrival of a long lost letter and the reaction of Edith Burchill’s normally constrained mother to it. Intrigued, Edie begins to suspect that there is an old secret hinted at within her mother’s emotional response to the letter dated 50 years ago. Evacuated from London as a thirteen-year-old girl, Edie’s mother taken to live at Milderhurst Castle with the Blythe family. Grand and glorious, a new world opens up for Edie’s mother at Milderhurst Castle, but it is a world with many secrets, and, ultimately, dangers. Half a century on, Edie journeys to Milderhurst, and like her mother, becomes entwined in the secrets of the castle.

Detective Alex Cross is happy and content, and planning his wedding to the woman he loves. But this blissful existence begins to unravel when Cross is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington DC’s most hated public figures.

Media coverage of the case explodes and the murders continue. It becomes clear that they are the work of a professional who has detailed knowledge of his victims’ movements – information that only a Washington insider could possess. With a sniper, a jurisdictional battle with the FBI, and the wedding already to contend with, Alex receives a phone call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in DC and will not relent until he eliminated Cross, and his family, for good.

This is a captivating, enthralling read with softly descriptive prose and likeable, vividly drawn characters that hark back to a romantic literary past. If you are looking for a good book to curl up with this summer, you could do a lot worse The Distant Hours.

Just like Santa, Patterson has once again delivered, and right on time. Cross Fire is the ink and paper equivalent of a bulging sack of unrelenting excitement - adrenaline pumping action, thrills, chilling detail and shocking twists.

46 | RUBY

BOOKS

Tom Harper Long and lazy summer days are perfect for diving into the latest crime fiction releases, and undoubtedly one of the summer’s most popular will be the new Tom Harper book, The Lazarus Vault.

As a graduate student about to embark on a PhD in Medieval History at Oxford University, Ellie Stanton receives an unexpected job offer from a firm she has never even heard of. The Monsalvat Bank is small, secretive and fabulously wealthy, steeped in old world money and privilege. At her interview, Ellie meets the Director of the

bank, the charismatic Vivian Blanchard. Seduced by the flattery and the idea of having more money than she knew what to do with, Ellie quickly finds herself immersed in a new world. But it isn’t long before Ellie realises that her life now belongs to her employers, that they are watching her every move. She must unearth the hidden treasure in the vault and unlock the secret it holds.

This a ripping tale that scoots along at a satisfyingly fast pace, with enough twists and turns to keep you involved right to the very end.

I CAME TO SAY GOODBYE

LUKA AND THE FIRE OF LIFE

Caroline Overington

Salman Rushdie

This is a book that takes a little quiet time to get through – the quality of the writing deserves that time, and the heartrending subject requires it.

I Came To Say Goodbye takes us into the lives of an Australian family, an ordinary family that is left shattered by the tragedy. A young woman walks into a hospital and removes a sleeping baby girl from her bed. Placing the baby in a shopping bag, she walks out of the hospital to her car, picks up the still sleeping child and cuddles her briefly before strapping her into the back seat of a car and driving away. What happens next shocks the nation, the CCTV footage of the events at the hospital played over and over on the news. For the family, it is unbearable. The story unfolds as a letter from a heartbroken father, Med Astley, written to a judge, about his family and the history that led to the abduction of the baby girl and the terrible grief and guilt that followed that desperate act.

This is an extraordinary, original work of fiction that will stay with you long after the cover is closed.

From one of the greatest storytellers of our time comes a finely wrought fable that sings with magic, adventure and imagination.

On a beautiful starry night in the city of Kahani in the land of Alifbay a terrible thing happened; twelve-year-old Luka’s storyteller father, Rashid, fell suddenly and inexplicably into a sleep so deep that nothing and no one could rouse him. To save him from slipping away entirely, Luka must embark on a journey through the Magic World, encountering a slew of phantasmagorical obstacles along the way, to steal the Fire of Life, a seemingly impossible and exceedingly dangerous task.

Rushdie’s mastery of prose, his rich, lyrical voice and play on words is something to savour and to revel in. The story of Luka and his amazing adventures takes us into the heart of the classic quest tradition. But more than that, he takes us back into the wonderment and clarity of childhood as Luka follows the path that must be taken, faces and overcomes many challenges along the way, to understand where he needs to be and ultimately to travel in the heart of self belief and return with the Fire of Life.

by Davina Montgomery

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