Australian Times weekly newspaper | 24 July 2012 by Jaxy

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24 - 30 July 2012 – Issue: 422

HOT NEW SOUND

GOOD COFFEE IN LONDON?

The expat Aussie shaking up the airwaves

On the bean trail for a caffeine hit in the capital

FRENCH JEWELS

Avant-garde in the Gard in France

VOICES P4

ENTERTAINMENT P7

TRAVEL P9

AUSSIES URGED TO STICK IT TO THE POMS

n Ahead of the London 2012 Olympics - which begin on Friday and have been

billed as the ‘greatest show on Earth’ - Aussie athletes and officials have stoked the rivalry between Australia and Great Britain, with speculation that the home nation might not be able to deal with the increased pressure and expectations. Unconstrained by the diplomatic niceties expected of team bosses, Aussie Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham made a blunt assessment of Australia’s Olympic rivalry with hosts Great Britain: “I think we always want to stick it to the Poms.” Mitcham’s characteristically forthright Aussie taunt adds spice to the Games-within-the-Games battle between the motherland and its former colonials which starts in earnest in London this weekend. The Beijing 10m platform gold medallist has also talked up the hometown pressure being felt by his British rival Tom Daley. Australian Olympic team boss Nick Green was more reserved when talking about the host nation, but also warmed to the theme of stress on British athletes. “The expectations on the home athletes sometimes builds up a great deal of pressure,” Green said on Monday. “If they can handle the pressure of the locals and the expectations of performing in the host country, then they should do well. “If they don’t it might be a different story.” Australia makes no bones about its aim of reclaiming a top five spot on the medals table at Britain’s expense after dropping to sixth in Beijing. Britain finished fourth in 2008 with

Unleashing Australia’s Green & Gold Army on London | P8 & 13 Image courtesy of olympics.com.au

19 gold medals to Australia’s 14, although its overall tally of 47 medals was just one more than Australia’s. “Host countries always win more gold medals than the time before,” said Green. “In Beijing Great Britain had its best Games for a long long time. Considering they won one gold medal in 1996, they have come a long way.

“Our rivalry is historic. It will continue at the Olympic Games and it will continue post Olympic Games.” Australia’s team experienced mixed fortunes this week, in the lead-up to the London Games. Men’s hockey favourites the Kookaburras outclassed the rising young Belgians 3-0 but the men’s basketballers endured their third straight loss, going down 87-71 to

lesser-ranked Brazil. Pole vaulter Steve Hooker and triathletes Erin Densham and Emma Moffat lifted team spirits with stirring performances but there was heartbreak for horseman Shane Rose and a sharp reality check for the Hockeyroos. Read more on p13 AustralianTimes.co.uk/news

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Murdoch resigns from Aussie boards Australian businesses are among the more than one dozen News Corporation boards from which chief executive Rupert Murdoch has resigned. The move has raised speculation about whether Mr Murdoch is preparing to distance himself - or even sell - his newspaper group. The company told staff in Britain and revealed in UK regulatory filings over the weekend that its boss had last week resigned as a director of News Corp subsidiary boards in Britain, the US, Australia and India. News Corp did not say Mr Murdoch had resigned as a director of its leading Australian titles, such as The Australian, The Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph. It does mean that the 81-year-old media baron is no longer a director of the companies behind iconic British newspapers The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times, a News International spokeswoman said. The resignations follow a turbulent period for the ...continued on p3

2 | News

24 - 30 July 2012

Time for the green and gold to shine once more n

Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Tim Martin Production/Design: Jackie Lampard Australia Editor: Ashlea Maher Contributors: Bianca Soldani, Shannon Crane, Kate Ausburn, Sara Newman, Phill Browne, Paul Judge, Sandra Tahmasby, Amy Fallon, Rose Callaghan, Lesley Slade, Simon Kleinig, Kris Griffiths, Chris Ark, Nathan Motton, JP Breytenbach,

Cameron Jenkins, Will Denton, Lee Crossley, Shane Jones, Liam Flanagan, Emily Banyard, Mel Edwards, Will Fitzgibbon, Phoebe Lee, Bronwyn Spencer, Rebekka Hodges, Alex Ivett, Justin Ng, Sam Tilburn Advertising Manager: Dominic Young Directors: P Atherton, J Durrant N Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird Additional content:

Who are we? Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community. If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk Address: Unit 7C, Commodore House Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: info@australiantimes.co.uk

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Must Australia’s summer of sporting misery continue? Must we continue to be the laughing stock of those cheeky Brits? Bring on London 2012 and come on the Aussies! the hard word > NATHAN MOTTON

For a country whose sporting prowess has long been the envy of other nations, well Britain anyway, it’s been a difficult period in Australian sport. This scribe doesn’t pretend to know the answers to any of this but Australia has simply dropped off the radar when it comes to others sitting up and taking notice of us. Cricket is the most damning example. From the ‘Golden Age’ of Australian Test cricket at the beginning of the 20th century to the breathtaking Bradman era of the 1930’s, to the Chappell, Lillee and Rod Marsh team of the 1980’s to arguably our most successful sporting period early in the 21st century. Decades of cricket euphoria has been replaced by mediocrity. Forget rankings, our one-day international side is nowhere near as good as it once was, and the Test team is just as mediocre. Our recent tour of England revealed how far away our young, inexperienced team is from returning to the glory days in all forms of the

Your Say On: Why are the Poms so unhappy?

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I have to say: Best article I’ve read in a long time. Since arriving here from Oz 5 months ago, I can’t help but noticing the HUGE difference between Sydney and London. 1. People – They don’t smile at passers by or talk to them randomly. 2. Bars – Considerably much cheaper than home…but I would have thought that to be the easiest place to meet randoms as they’re all p@ssed. No. They keep to themselves! 3. Public transport – Though it is possibly the best public transport system in the world, people are even more awkward. Except for one girl I met (who was Aussie) the rest of my time has been spent staring at the ceiling so as not to ‘break the rules’. If the British public wanted solitude and ‘quiet time’ why don’t they move to the country? Oh, that’s right, anonymity doesn’t happen in a village that knows everyone. If I can’t see a change in the next few months I’m actually considering moving back home. I thought from all my friends reports they had the best time… alas… I’m not staying in a hostel with other Aussies! On another note, weirdly (well not so weird) all the UK folk who I know that had to move back really can’t stand it. They all say it’s just getting over crowded, bad weather etc…. personally that doesn’t bother me because really you could be

? What’s your view

game. Greg Norman may rightly be considered one of the greatest chokers of all time, but the two-time Major winner was always thereabouts, while the last Australian to win a Major, Geoff Ogilvy, won the US Open way back in 2006. Adam Scott and Jason Day sit inside the top 20, and Scott is well overdue to prove his worth as a Major winner. However, there’s little hope outside this pair. This year’s Wimbledon Championship exposed (if we didn’t know already) serious failings in the state of Australian tennis. The first time since 1938 that we didn’t have a representative in the second round of the men’s singles, 2012 was unquestionably an embarrassment. Bernard Tomic and of course Sam Stosur provide hope but who else? Our country has a rich history of providing tennis greats, but no longer it seems. The Wallabies enjoyed a phenomenal period in the first decade of the 21st century, but while we sit second in the IRB World Rankings, the Springboks, the English, French and Welsh have all tightened the gap with the Aussies and New Zealand. But the London Games provides us with an opportunity to (briefly) forget

about all that and once again show the world our ability to kick ass. Despite a recent defeat at the Diamond League meet in London, Sally Pearson will start the overwhelming favourite in the sprint hurdles. The Kookaburras, led by five-times world player of the year Jamie Dwyer, will be extremely tough to beat. Expect Anna Meares to shine in her pet event, the women’s keirin, while a stinging defeat to Great Britain at the World Championships in the men’s team pursuit will spur them on. And in the pool the women’s 4x200m freestyle, with the addition of Melanie Schlanger, will look to reclaim their gold medal in Beijing, while the men’s 4x100m medley relay, James Magnussen and the men’s 4x100m freestyle are all serious gold medal contenders. Rowing, road cycling, sailing, women’s and men’s BMX as well as showjumping also provide the Aussies with huge medal chances. Team GB has set its sights on beating us in the overall medal chase. For them, nothing else matters. So come on Australia. Let’s stick it up ‘em.

anywhere in the world. What bothers me is that we are all in this together… this city… the pit. Make the most of it! Don’t be recluse, be friendly, BE NORMAL!! Dean

live here you realise how different we actually are! Michele

I’ve been here 6 years and have come to the conclustion that the English are not as friendly...as they say here. The sooner you accept this the easier it will be for you. But, hey, it’s their turf. What would be standoffish or arrogant in Australia is just “reserve” here. Totally different mindset and history which has informed this behaviour. The English tend to associate friendliness with a low IQ, shiftyness or being of a low class (and we know how obsessed they are with that). The Americans are friendly but it’s mostly insincere (esp. in shops and restaurants) - they are looking for a payoff. I’m often a little envious of the people on those tv shows who are looking to move to Oz. I know how much easier it will be for them mostly because people are so accepting in Oz. It’s still the thing I miss most about Oz – the trusting, sincerity and openness of most Aussies. Oh, and prawns. Jo When I first came to London I was attracted by British reserve after Aussie “in your face”…however now whenever I go back home I’m happy to find people so open! English people can be superficially nice and polite, but they seem to have this barrier which prevents deeper friendships…Combine that with rampant class obsession, suppressed racism,and a general remnant of Empire superiority complex,and the longer you

AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Yeah! How’s the racism?! It really annoys me that other nationalities have this idea that Aussies are racist. While not perfect, since my travels, I honestly believe Australia is one the least (if not THE least) racist countries. Jo In general the English public is actually quite friendly – maybe try heading outside of London. People keep to themselves due to fear. Fear of people conning you, of people following their own agenda. I moved to England nearly 10 years ago from Germany – the English are way more friendly than the Germans, I can asure you! Once you get away from the big smoke, say down to Hampshire, Cornwall or up to Yorkshire people love to have a natter. Lara

On: Australian Olympian Stephanie Rice posts sexy swimwear pics

She’s 24, not 12! If she wants to wear a bikini (that’s honestly no worse than anything else you see at the beach), what’s the big deal? She’s one of the few people who have the figure for it anyway. Zainab

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

News | 3

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Bob Carr denies Romney diplomatic gaffe

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has dismissed reports he made a diplomatic gaffe during a meeting with US presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday that Senator Carr suggested to Mr Romney that the US could improve the perception of foreign leaders that America was “in decline” with one budget that helped to balance the books. He met the former Massachusetts governor at a San Francisco hotel on Sunday, local time. But Senator Carr said reports suggesting his comment was a criticism of the US economy were wrong. He said his exact comment to Mr Romney was: “America is just one budget deal away from ending all talk of America being in decline,” Senator Carr said in a statement on Monday. Senator Carr said his comment was in praise of US economic strengths. Opposition foreign affairs

1 2 3

spokesperson Julie Bishop said Senator Carr’s comments were being reported as implicit criticism of President Barack Obama’s performance. “That will be seen as unwelcome intervention into the US presidential election,” she said. Senator Carr is the first senior Australian official to hold a meeting with Mr Romney since he became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Senator Carr said he briefed Mr Romney on Australia’s combat and aid roles in Afghanistan. The pair also exchanged views on their nations’ alliance, with Mr Romney indicating that Australia has no firmer friend than the US. They also discussed South-East Asian issues and the upcoming Olympic Games. Mr Romney hopes to win the US presidency from Mr Obama in the November general election. - AAP

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newspapers. Mr Murdoch’s latest moves were revealed in an email to News International newspaper staff and cited by British media. It played down the development as “no more than a corporate house-cleaning exercise ... part of the preparation of the business for the upcoming restructure into two companies”. The memo said Mr Murdoch remained fully committed as chairman of what would “become the largest newspaper and digital group in the world”. Media analyst Claire Enders told Britain’s The Telegraph that Mr Murdoch and his son James’s earlier resignations came because they were no longer welcome in the UK and their departure would be “complete and permanent”. Mr Murdoch has not commented yet, even on his favoured social media, Twitter. - AAP

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Murdochs, in which the family’s role in British media has been damaged by the phone-hacking scandal, amid arrests and the closure of the flagship News of The World tabloid. “Last week Mr Murdoch stepped down from a number of boards, many of them small subsidiary boards, both in the UK and US,” a spokeswoman for News Corp’s British publishing arm, News International, said on Saturday. The company boards include News Corp Investments, News International Group and Times Newspaper Holdings. News Corp plans to split its entertainment division from its struggling, revenue-draining publishing business. Mr Murdoch has said he would be chairman of both companies, with analysts divided on whether he will sell down his stake in newspapers under shareholder pressure. The board resignations will raise anxiety among staff at the company’s Australian arm, News Ltd, which is the nation’s biggest newspaper publisher. Chief executive Kim Williams last month announced plans to restructure and shed staff, amid plunging circulation and dire forecasts for the future of

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4 | Voices

24 - 30 July 2012

The fish, the whole fish and nothing but the fish chris’s

kitchen > CHRIS ARK

This week saw me taking a SOS phone call from my good mate Phil Hemmings to rescue a special night with his lady. Deciding to present his lovely lady with a nice evening in with fine food and wine, he was left out in the cold when he purchased all the goods for a whole roasted sea bass and no idea where to start. So, I will share with you my tips that helped the big man get over the line Roasting/baking whole fish stuffed with herbs, olive oil and wine is a great way to enjoy the sweet delicate spoils of the sea. When choosing fish we stick to the golden rules of selecting seafood: clear eyes; sweet smell of the sea; reputable supplier; and sustainability

certificate. Ask the fishmonger to clean and scale the fish before taking it home. So lets get cracking on my simple whole roasted sea bass with fresh thyme, lemon, and black olives. Happy cooking and enjoy!

What you need:

• 1 x baby sea bass • 5 x sprigs of fresh thyme • 1 x plum tomato chopped small • Sea salt • Black pepper • Good quality olive oil • 1 small lemon sliced • Handful of black olives • ½ cup of dry white wine

What to do:

• Turn your oven onto 180-190 degrees. • Using a sharp knife, score the fish as described to allow the flavour to get through. • Open the cavity of the fish and rub

with olive, salt, pepper and add the fresh lemons and some thyme. • Lay out two large sheets of aluminium foil in a cross pattern and make an open ended envelop. Drizzle olive oil over into the envelope, place the fish in and leave the end open at this stage. • Add the tomato, olives and the white wine and seal the envelope and place on an oven-baking tray. • Place in the oven and roast for 15 mins. After 15 mins remove the envelop from the oven and allow to cool for two minutes. Carefully open the seal end and using a folk test to see if the flesh comes off the bone of the fish with ease. If not reseal the envelop and cook for a further 5 mines and test again. • Remove the fish from the envelope, keeping the roasting juices, and place on a large platter for serving. Spoon the roasting juices and olive mix over and around the fish and serve with plenty of stemmed veggies or a large rocket salad.

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Let the Games begin tube talk > Sandra Tahmasby

To get into the Olympic spirit, this week I have been thinking of ways that I too can be an Olympic athlete competing for my country. Because I spend most of my time on the Tube, finding the time to prepare myself for the Games can be difficult. That’s why I have come up with my very own Olympic sporting categories that I would like to share with you to bring out your competitive side! I’m a firm believer that you can do anything you put your heart into, and winning gold for my special ‘Tube Olympic Sports’ is something that my fellow commuters should get the chance to do and represent their respective countries in the following events.. Tube Gymnastics: Using the overhead rails as an apparatus, you can be an all-rounder or show your skills in Artistic Gymnastics and try your best arabesque or cartwheel. This is best to be performed during off peak times! Bonus points for wearing a leotard on the tube! Tube Judo: If anyone gets too close you or keeps hitting you with their handbag, bust out a Ko Uchi Gari inside reap and be judged on your technique. Bonus points for making ninja style sounds! Tube Gap Jump: Minding the gap and gaining the most distance onto the Tube. Remembering that the four phases to this event are: the run up, the take-off, the flight through the air and the landing. You will of

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course be judged on your strength and grace. Bonus points if you ‘stick’ the landing! Tube Weight Lifting: Try your best competition lifts. Get creative and use your bags, suitcases or even the person standing next to you. You get bonus points if you are lugging an instrument in a large case or a bicycle. Bonus points if you can make the entire journey between two stations holding your chosen item in the air! Tube Platform Sprint: Makes running to catch your Tube a little bit more fun! Luckily this track and field event caters for all with both long and short distance heats. Bonus points if you can incorporate some hurdles into your sprint! Tube Armpit Dodge: Dodging the armpits of your fellow commuters as you squirm your way through the carriage. Think of it as a gauntlet but a smellier one. Bonus points for spraying people with deodorant along the way! Like any of the ‘real’ Olympic events there are rules, and you will most definitely be disqualified for a false start if you do not remember to swipe your Oyster card at the gates. So get into the Olympic spirit and make your country proud! NB: These are not official Olympic events and should not be performed without a sense of humour. AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

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Mention moving to London to many in Australia and they will immediately voice their sole concern – ‘but how will you get a decent cup of coffee?’. Why this is their first concern, I’m not sure. Maybe I give off an air of a true addict, like I’ll be standing shortly after my arrival in the middle of Oxford Street screaming for caffeine, shirt pushed up to the elbow, yelling ‘just hook it to my vein…’ Acknowledging a decent addiction, I did in turn hold similar concerns, only heightened on arrival by 24 hours curled in ball in a space smaller than a cinema seat pre the Gold Class revolution in a flying metal tube (what happened to steamboats, anyone?). The prospect of staying awake for the equivalent of an Australian all night bender, except without the assistance of alcohol or loud music, was too much. After dumping my bags at my reluctant host’s place (the benefit of blood relatives – they can’t say no) I went to the nearest high street determined to prove the naysayers wrong. The first shop I came across (after walking past the Costa and Starbucks on diagonally opposite corners) was a cute Italian trattoria, baked goods in the front window, a beautiful old coffee machine, and

happy (!) people wandering out clutching proper takeaway coffee cups, ready to take on the day in caffeinated good humor. Success! Stick that in your coffee cup and drink it you Antipodean misanthropes. I will imbibe decent brew. I will live a London life that involves good coffee, dancing down the street with my organic recycled take away cup in hand on a wave of black gold inspired euphoria. Or I will….. gag on burnt coffee grounds. The icing on the cake? The cute, independent, locally owned and run by old Italian nonnas wearing floral skirts and kneading their own bread out the back, was in fact, as my host gleefully informed me, part of a chainstore. Lesson 1 learned. The search for a decent cup may take a while. I will keep you posted. Or feel free to point me in the right direction… AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

Voices | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Getting arty with London’s National Portrait Gallery bron in

the don BRONWYN SPENCER

Making the most of yet another rainy day in London my housemate and I decided to check out the National Portrait Gallery as the annual BP Portrait Award exhibition was running. Located just behind the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Portrait Gallery’s name sums up exactly what is inside. All different types of portraits are on display from photographs, to paintings, to some of the more

From a very relaxed and brotherly shot of Princes William and Harry to Becks catching some z’s, our London adventurer headed down to the National Portrait Gallery to imbibe some culture and tick #8 of her London Top 100 list. abstract pieces you will be able to spot and some seriously stunning portraits from throughout the ages. As we were there primarily for the Portrait Awards we headed straight into the exhibition to check out the contestants and the winners. The Portrait Awards have been running for thirty-three years and include a range of portraits in all types of styles. As we wandered through the gallery it was hard to believe that many of these portraits were not photos because the painting was so intricate and smooth. Some of them I really adored, such as those showing the subjects personality or those that told a story but others were just not to my taste. But let’s face it - I’m no expert when it comes to art! We wandered back out into the contemporary section on the first floor and I was surprised to come face to face with a TV screen displaying a sleeping David Beckham. Yep, that’s right, Becks lay there sleeping and moving slowly and although I’m not a massive fan of the bloke I was mesmerised. Mostly because I spent the whole time thinking is he

REALLY asleep or is he faking? Otherwise that room holds some great portraits of athletes and performers and is well worth a visit. My favourite painting in this section was that of the two princes (Wills and Harry) looking pretty happy and relaxed which doesn’t often occur in royal portraits. Speaking of Royal Portraits if you want to see some this is the place to go! There is an excellent exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II (well it is the Jubilee Year!) called Queen Art and Image – which goes into great detail to feature portraits of the Queen throughout her 60 year reign. There are also many portraits of the royal family found in the 1900’s section. The best thing about the Gallery is that the floors are broken down by time period. So if you’re interested in a specific part of history you can view portraits from eras. After a few rooms in the Tudor’s section I had a fair idea of what that era was like and debunked downstairs again to check out a more modern section. The National Portrait Gallery is a beautiful old building and a perfect way to avoid the drizzle and cold.

For an art lover it would be amazing but for an amateur like me it was just a nice day out and the chance to tick #8 of my London Top 100 list. AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

The perils of packing n

Packing bags, whether it be moving across the world or just nipping over to Europe for a cheeky weekend, is always a complicated process. How much do you need, how much do you take, how much are you allowed? PHOEBE LEE looks at one of life’s hardest dilemmas and tries to solve the mystery, once and for all!

There was a time when packing for a holiday involved removing every item of clothing I own from the cupboard and attempting to stuff it into an undersized suitcase. On top of this I would squish, push and force countless pairs of shoes, accessories, beauty products and, of course, my beloved hair straighteners into what little space remained. I would then be required to lug the beast containing all my worldly possessions into cars, onto buses, on and off trains, through airports, streets, hotels, motels, hostels and worst of all, up and down countless flights of stairs. After busting my hump through six torturous weeks in Europe and requiring several painful visits to the chiropractor upon my return, I decided to take a stand against over-packing. I had finally had enough of living like a rogue gypsy turtle and decided it was time to downsize. My partner Matt has a distinct advantage over me when it comes to light packing because his ‘list’ reads something like this: shorts, shirts, undies, toothbrush and soap (maybe). Despite this he flat out refuses to

share even an inch of his precious packing space with me. I don’t really blame him though, because I am like the plague. Once he gives me enough room for my tan pumps we both know I’ll be asking for more until finally I will have overrun his bag with a wide array of thong underwear, singlet tops and maxi dresses. In packing for a one week trip to Bali I decided to make the bold move of not taking a suitcase or checked luggage of any kind. Instead I opted for a backpack big enough to take as carry-on luggage. Don’t worry, even the stewardess at the check-in counter was shocked: “Checked luggage today Miss?” “Oh, erm no. Just the backpack...” “….. Oh…. oh…carry-on only, yes of course…how silly of me… a whole week and you…. Just the backpack, not a problem Miss”. Despite a few initial set-backs I’ve perfected the art and no longer struggle under the weight of cardigans, vests and assorted leggings. My feeble wrists rejoice at the freedom of not having to wrestle 35kg worth of shoes from the airport conveyor belt and most importantly, I no longer bear the shame of the bright neon ‘heavy load, bend at the knees’ tag usually affixed to my bulging suitcase. Packing light isn’t easy but you get the hang of it. You’ll find with less luggage you’re able to move between locations a lot faster, freeing up your time to see more of your holiday destination and your lower back will thank you.

Here are my top tips to help you pack light:

1. Be honest - This is the most important one. If you haven’t worn that beige, knitted jumper that makes you look chubby in the six months since you bought it you sure aren’t going to wear it when you know you’ll be photographed. So don’t pack it and don’t pack anything else that you think you ‘might’ like to wear. All packed items must have a proven history of good field performance. 2. Play favourites - We both know that most of your holiday clothing should come out of the clean laundry pile because those are the clothes you wear the most often anyway. Don’t be so hard on yourself, if you love wearing the same navy shorts every day then pack them! It is your holiday after all and what’s most important is that you feel comfortable and confident. 3. Consider your comfort - If you’re planning on moving around a lot or spending time on a bus be sure to pack at least one comfortable outfit because the last thing you need is to be stuck wearing your leather hot pants on a 14 hour bus ride. Although I would probably question why you own leather hot pants in the first place. 4. Plan ahead - If you’re travelling for five days then plan five outfits. The chances are that you more or

less know your itinerary so think of an outfit for each day plus one or two extras i.e. something for a nice dinner or beach bum day. Make sure your outfits are interchangeable too so you can mix Tuesday’s shorts with Thursday’s top. 5. Be ruthless - Once you’ve laid everything out, do a very stern audit on what you’ve got. Don’t be afraid to cut things from your packing list - you are on holidays so if you arrive there and realise that two sarongs just weren’t enough I’m sure you can buy a third one somewhere and it’ll be a nice memento. 6. Divide and conquer - If you’re travelling with someone else do you both need to bring a hairdryer, straightener, heat-protector and hairspray? Probably not. You can save money and space by sharing some items and the extra space you have left over can be used for souvenirs. I would definitely recommend you each bring your own toothbrush. 7. Prepare accordingly - When packing for a two week holiday to Bali the chances are you won’t need much more than a summer dress, bikinis, shorts and tops. So don’t go overboard and start packing five pairs of jeans and a jumper

‘just in case’. In Bali, there’s no ‘just in case’ - it’s always hot (always!) - so curb your weird jeans obsession, do some research on the weather forecast for your destination and be realistic about what you do and don’t need to take with you. 8. Relax - why are you stressing about what you have and haven’t packed anyway? As long as you have the basics I’m sure you’ll be able to survive in your four-star beach-side luxury resort and anything you’ve forgotten you can purchase at your destination, I’m fairly certain the rest of the free world also know about toothpaste. When you look back at your holiday you won’t be thinking ‘Wow... that was a killer outfit’... you’ll be thinking ‘Wow... that sunset was incredible’. There are a few extra things that I always like to pack that usually come in handy, and these are: a plastic bag, a zip-lock bag, basic medicines, a pack of wet ones and a bar of soap (just in case Matt didn’t pack his!). And then there is, of course, my hair straighteners (don’t judge me!). What essentials do you always pack? Can you survive the ‘carry-on only’ test? Tell us now at AustralianTimes.co.uk/voices

6 | Entertainment

24 - 30 July 2012

Best of the best has seriously left his Marque on Aussie cuisine

What we’re following

World renowned Australian chef Mark Best tells NATHAN MOTTON about growing up in Murray Bridge, his business naivety, and why he won’t be envious of restaurateurs during London 2012.

Mark Best is completely unassuming. We meet in the gorgeous W London in Leicester Square, a hotel which represents everything this man does not, pretentious and over-the-top, yet here is a chef at the top of his game. His Sydney restaurant Marque was awarded the prestigious two hats by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in 2000, just five months after opening. It has since received three hats for seven consecutive years. One of only four Australian restaurants to make the coveted top 100 in the World’s Best Restaurant awards, Marque is considered one of the nation’s best restaurants. And he’s just released his own book, Marque, A Culinary adventure, a collection of 80 signature dishes from the restaurant laid out in a gorgeous hardback. The 46-year-old grew up in the 1970s in the small town of Murray Bridge in South Australia, a childhood which he describes as “Tom Sawyerish”. “The Murray River dominates, it’s so wide and huge and could easily be compared to the Mississippi,” he tells me. “We spent all of our leisure time on the river either fishing, building rafts, swimming - it completely dominated our childhood.” This “idyllic” setting was replaced when he was 16 by a move to the remote mining community of Norseman, Western Australia, before he sat a trade exam after his HSC. “I wanted to be an engineer,” he mumbles through a mouth full of

ice cubes, “[but] my parents weren’t particularly supportive.” After suffering through a apprenticeship in the mines, Best moved to Sydney, where he found himself in a “soul destroying” job, refitting submarines in Sydney Harbour. I ask if there was a moment in time when Best realised that food was his passion - that becoming a chef was what he wanted to do? “Yeah, I recall the day, I remember the exact time,” he says with authority. After working in a kitchen alongside his flatmate, a head chef at a Sydney bistro, he was by his own admission “gone”. “F*ck this is it,” he remembers vividly. “[It was] a completely overwhelming feeling - it was recognition of what I should be doing.” Best travelled to France for a holiday in 1996, and he “fell in love”, before returning two years later to spend time under Alain Passard of the Michelin three-star L’Arpege in Paris, as well Raymond Blanc of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire. He points out on numerous occasions throughout the interview that key moments in his life were shaped almost by accident. He ponders that “my trajectory seems to have been very linear, but all of these things were just happenstance...” It’s a remarkably modest insight into a career that seems to have been shaped by anything other than chance. As he chews on a few more blocks of ice, I ask what it was that led him overseas to seek out these culinary giants. He admits that he is “eternally dissatisfied” that an “existential angst” leads him to constantly “question everything”. And so this remarkable culinary journey continued, as he returned to Australia to set up Marque in 1998. In another remarkable example of ‘happenstance’, Best admits he and his partner Valerie were “completely naive in regards to business... we opened the doors and hoped for the best”. However, throwing caution to the wind seemed to pay off. Food critics who had been “sniffing around for ages”, duly visited the new restaurant in Surry Hills in its opening week, giving them a rating of 16 out of

BACK TO BACK Theatre Company is returning to Australia after touring its current production across Europe, including a performance at the Barbican Centre in London from 28 June to 1 July. Back to Back, a Geelong-based theatre group with a well-filled trophy cabinet, features performers who are perceived as being disabled. The current production, Ganesh and the Third Reich, is a complex and fanciful tale of the elephant-headed Hindu deity visiting 20th Century Nazi Germany to reclaim the swastika, the ancient Hindu symbol of well-being and luck misappropriated by a murderous failed artist from Vienna. Since it premiered in Australia in 2011, Ganesh and the Third Reich has been touring globally throughout 2012, including stops in the USA and in London. Critics praised the performance and the company received a Melbourne Festival Age Critics Award in 2011. The core six actors who make up Back

and Back - all intellectually disabled are used to leaving their home at Corio Bay for far-flung destinations – they have travelled to at least 47 cities across the world in the past five years. That those with disabilities are excluded from mainstream society, and that this exclusion has the potential to create a distinct artistic vantage point, is a strong theme in Back to Back’s work, including the production of Ganesh and the Third Reich. Certainly, the fact that a talented troupe of intellectually disabled Australians would choose to represent on stage a regime that killed an estimated 275,000 disabled persons during World War II is spine-stiffening stuff in itself. Yet Ganesh and the Third Reich goes beyond this simple clash of history; the play also asked the audience to question the morality of artist and artists in using a subject as dark as Nazism for creative ends. Back to Back Artistic Director, Bruce Gladwin, spoke to Australian Times about the London performances.

@AusUnlimited Any Aussies heading to London for the Olympics? Check out @ AusHouseLondon to stay in touch with #AusHighCommission #theaussiesarecoming @DeckHardware Playing with the new iPad so that I can follow the @AusSailingTeam easier in just a few days time #AussieSailorsRock #theaussiesarecoming @Culbert_Report London has possibly the strangest looking mascots in Olympic history. I like them. #london2012 #theaussiesarecoming

20. “We had no idea of the beast that that would unleash, that is the general public. Phones went completely crazy,” he offers. The accolades continued to flood in, with Marque received 17 out of 20 the following year. He believes the risks were largely outweighed by his determination not to become “populist”, preferring to say “f*ck the people, f*ck the customer”, an attitude he goes on to qualify, though not renege, as completely crazy. But it reveals a chef who wanted to make his own mark on Australia’s everexpanding culinary scene. And indeed he has. Just 12 months later however, it nearly all came to an abrupt end. During the Sydney Olympics of 2000, Best tells me that he was almost done for – his career on the rocks. “We nearly went broke! We went within one lot of staff wages to being completely broke. All of our customers left town and none of the tourists were interested in dining out.” It’s a frank admission. And as he warns restaurateurs in London that during London 2012 “the streets are not going to be littered with gold”, it’s reassuring to find such an honest and open Australian chef – out to leave his Marque on the rest of the world. Marque, A Culinary Adventure is available now via Hardie Grant Books. AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

The swastika seeking, elephant-headed Australians By Will Fitzgibbon

#TheAussiesAreComing

“The work is written from the hearts and the minds of the actors,” says Gladwin, who sees the personalities and interests of the Back to Back performers are central to the company’s art. Having led the company’s artistic vision since 1999, Gladwin has seen the Back to Back’s reputation grow and it move from disabled theatre to theatre pure and simple. “We were very trend-setting 25 years ago,” says Gladwin. Today, however, “critics no longer view it as a benevolent exercise but as art”. Gladwin believes that fearlessness and a desire to challenge complexity is central to the artistic outlook of Back and Back and to its success. Complex theatre performed by disabled people, says Gladwin, initially strikes some as a paradox. Given Back to Back’s success at home and abroad, it is surely a paradox worth maintaining. For more information, visit backtobacktheatre.com

@CaseyEastham Massive day yesterday, team induction, uniforming and training. Village is awesome, lots to explore #theaussiesarecoming @AUSOlympicTeam Check out what we’re following today on AustralianTimes.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

What’s On Aussie World Record Attempt 25 July @ Windmill Pub, Clapham Common Xavier Rudd 8 August @ Koko Heath Franklin’s Chopper: 20 - 24 August Southbank Centre Darren Hayes 24 September @ IndigO2, Tame Impala 30 October @ O2 Academy, Brixton Gotye 12 November @ Hammersmith Apollo The Cat Empire 10 December @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire For full details...

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

Entertainment | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Prita Grealy is ‘getting Love through the ages n Reply to: PO BOX out of her own way’ 49, Battersea Mess By Celia Back

Australian singer-songwriter Prita Grealy’s intimate gig on 3 July at The Troubadour Club– a private cellar beneath The Troubadour Cafe in Earls Court - was a testament to why European audiences are sitting up and taking notice of this captivating musician from Fremantle. Prita - who describes her sound as a mixture of hip-hop, soul and folk - left Australia for Europe in November 2011 to pursue her love of music and travelling. After a short stint in London, she moved to Berlin in February and continues to gig across the European continent, which included a two-week tour of the UK in June and July. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Prita for a quick chat before she took to the Troubadour stage and took the opportunity to ask her what motivated her to set up a new life in Germany’s bustling capital city. “I wanted to be in a big city and every time I’ve been there I’ve loved it so much. It’s a cool city with cool people and my friend offered me a room just at the right time when I was trying to decide between London and Berlin,” the friendly Western Australian explained. “Plus, Germany really loves Australians. I feel so welcome there and always get such a good response to my music. I still get a good response in England but it is, in a way, so close to home - there are a lot of Aussies here and we speak the same language. With Germany, it’s that one step away and allows me to be a bit more international.” With a timelessly bluesy and soulful voice, and a wonderful knack for telling emotive stories through her lyrics, it’s easy to see why Prita’s been compared to the likes of KT Tunstall and Norah Jones. “A lot of what I write about comes from my own experiences: like travelling and meeting people and love – and not love,” she told me. “Part of my ethos, my mission, is to connect, to uplift and inspire people and a couple of my songs are also about Indigenous people. That’s something I get really fired up about - when people are racist…In Australia I feel like there’s still a lot of racism, that we’ve still got a long way to go.” The evening itself started off with impressive supporting performances by fellow Australian singersongwriters, Kristy Clarke, followed by Will Udall and band mate bass guitarist, Aaron Spiers. It was then Prita’s turn to take to the stage in front of an intimate gathering of fans. Performing a mix of her new and

and Music Hall, 18 July REVIEW | By Carmen Allan-Petale

older material, it wasn’t long before Prita had me, and other members of the audience, mesmerised. Each song, with her melodic voice and catchy guitar finger-picking, told a different story - from lyrics about love and drinking whiskey in Ireland with friends, to the fire that’s burning in her soul. It was ‘Get Out of Your Own Way’ though – an a cappella song with beat-boxing about following your own dreams, just as Prita herself is doing – that had feet tapping and heads nodding throughout. Accompanying Prita on stage from start to finish was her friend and percussionist, Wills, who she met at an open mike night just a few months before. Playing an array of instruments including the tambourine and an upturned plastic garbage bin, Wills’ eclectic mix of improvised sounds added touches of funk (and moments of comedy) to the soulful melody to Prita’s voice and guitar playing. Prita also used a live loop pedal throughout her performance, which essentially records and plays back loops of her live performance, creating a dynamic layering of live harmonies unlike any solo performer I’d heard before. I left Prita’s gig feeling alive, truly inspired and proud to be Australian. I was also left wondering, what’s next for this talented musician? “I‘m just kind of taking whatever opportunities come my way,” she told me. “I’m living in Berlin, so my European tour is on-going. I’ll also be touring Australia for pretty much all of September where I’ll be doing a few WA dates, then Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.” I got the feeling from meeting Prita that, while she loves living in Berlin and all that Europe is offering her both musically and personally, her heart will always be in Australia. “My youngest memories are of Fremantle, so it always feels like home. I always seem to come back to there, no matter where I go.” The good news is that Prita will be touring the UK again at the end of November. For tour dates and to hear her music, go to Prita.com.au. AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Reply to: PO BOX 49 is a romance story acted out in an unusual way where you follow the actors around the theatre rather than just watching them from your seat. The journey begins upon arrival as fisherwomen greet you at the door and sing to you in perfect harmony, holding lamps up to their faces in the gloom. Slightly eerie, although this spooky feeling disappears as you enter the hall and the atmosphere turns almost fete-like with stalls spotted around the room, selling cupcakes, 19th century bloomers and ‘80s fashion. Unsure at first as to what was

happening, the room began to feel like a pub as more people arrived and got themselves a drink, clustering around bar tables to enjoy their tipple. The journey continued into various rooms throughout the evening, as we were broken up into groups, following our fisherwomen to the next scene, performed by different actors and set in a different period of time for each room. However, all scenes follow the same theme - of searching for love. From seeking a partner on the internet in a modern day setup, to three sisters writing a classified ad in the 19th century using a fountain pen to scribble out their terms for a husband – it describes the lengths people will go to find the one person in the world who might be their soul mate. This wasn’t a scrappy amateur performance. All the actors were believable and their accents suited to the period they were in. The script was well-

written and the scenes transported you to that era in time, giving you a glimpse of what it might’ve been like searching for love during World War II or a hundred odd years ago. Indeed, it was more than three centuries ago that the first so-called ‘love ad’ was placed in a newspaper by a man in his 30s seeking a partner. The words may have changed over the years – with a ‘gentlewoman’ becoming a ‘fitlooking gal’ but the sentiment behind these ads haven’t. However, walking from room to room is an odd concept and one that I think took some getting used to as it made the evening seem a little disjointed. Nonetheless the interaction between the actors and the audience made the evening jovial, putting people in a party atmosphere by the end of it. It was either that or the amount of wine being consumed! To read more musings from Carmen, check out her travel blog: Doublebarrelledtravel.com AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

Join in the Fun and Games @ The Larrik Friday 27th July

Opening Ceremony Saturday 28th July

Men’s Cycling Road Race Party + charity day We’ll be on our bikes, going nowhere fast but raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support! Wednesday 1st August

The epic and almighty quiz, with a slightly athletic feel

Saturday 4th August

Fancy Dress Party

Dress as your sporting hero, prizes for best dressed! Wednesday 8th August

The epically athletic almighty quiz MkII Saturday 11th August

The Grand Pub Games

All manner of silliness and challenges in the pub setting – find out who will be the ultimate pub athlete this year!

Follow us on Facebook Twitter: @thelarrikinn | Tel: 0207 3719585 | Email: enquiries@thelarrikinnfulham.com Address: The Larrik Inn, 425 New King’s Road, Fulham (Putney Bridge Approach)

8 | Entertainment

24 - 30 July 2012

A record night to remember for Aussies in London

There’s just one sleep to go until London’s Australian expat community get to show the world how to successfully break an official world record. From 7pm tomorrow night in Clapham Common, hundreds of Aussie expats will be filing into the Windmill Pub for the CommBank CAN Aussie World Record Attempt. The objective is to set a new record for the “Most People Wearing the Same Full Team Kit”. The current record is held by Switzerland (at 537 people) but with Guinness World Record officials standing by – hopes are high that the Aussie community of London can smash that record and set a figure that will be hard to be beaten. “Already almost 1000 people have responded to say their planning on coming down,” a CommBank

spokesperson told Australian Times. “The response has been quite honestly – amazing! We didn’t imagine the amount of feedback that we’ve had.” But officials had a warning for people hoping to participate in the Aussie World Record Attempt. “We just hope everyone remembers that to be eligible to be in the record, you must be wearing sneakers or trainers. That’s the only catch. You get given the green and gold kit to wear when you arrive at the event – which you are able to keep forever – but please make sure you have footwear that will mean you’re included in the record.” As well as the chance to be a world record holder, Aussies are being offered a free BBQ on the night as well as live entertainment and the chance to possibly

be on television back in Australia with Channel 9’s The Today Show broadcasting live. It’s more than just a record attempt though. With the London Olympics just days away, this is a chance for the Australian expat community to show their support for our Aussie Olympians competing in London 2012. And what’s more, Aussie Olympic legend Geoff Huegill will be on hand to be part of the world record attempt. “Basically we’re calling on all Australians in London to don the famous green and gold and show their pride for their Aussie Olympic hopefuls,” an Aussie World Record Attempt organiser said. “It gives exiled Aussies the chance to cheer on the team.

“The three key things to remember for the night are to arrive on time, to wear your joggers and to have fun. Remember – this is your chance to compete for your country. It’s something you can tell your grandkids about!” The CommBank CAN Aussie World Record Attempt, supported by Australian Times, will be held at The Windmill pub in Clapham Common on 25 July. The first 1000 people to arrive will be given an exclusive Commonwealth Bank Aussie Supporter Kit to wear proudly on the night. Doors open at 7pm. For more information or to register, head to

AustralianTimes.co.uk/london-olympics

Summer BBQ breaks for Aussie dance fans in London

KRAFTY KUTS - 29 July - Martin Reeves, AKA Krafty Kuts, one of the world’s greatest DJ’s is set to play a summer set at Clapham’s beloved dance venue, Gigalum. Lauded in the UK, worshiped in Australia, acclaimed in America, wherever Mr Kuts plays, he is guaranteed to cause a commotion with his riotous skills. So far in a super-successful career he has gained dance music’s top accolades including: Best International DJ at the Australian Dance Music Awards. Krafty has transformed numerous tracks in to serious party bangers for the likes of Jurassic 5, Arthur Baker, Eric B & Rakim, Stakker Humanoid and Afrika Bambaataa’s Funky Heroes. It’s time once again for Krafty to bring his inimitable of blending beats and breaks to the Gigalum decks. DJ sets from 3pm to 11pm on 29 July. PLUMP DJS - 5 August - Rous and Andy Gardner, aka Plump DJs,

have been performing and producing together in London since they met in mid 90’s. From the very start of their career they have been avid pioneers of diverse electronic dance music, ruling the early breaks scene and keeping the electro, house and bass music fields supplied with their ever-evolving beats. They cemented their status as industry heavyweights through the success of Fingerlickin Records releases such as ‘A Plump Night Out’ and ‘Eargasm’, subsequent epic parties and their long-term residency at London clubbing institution, Fabric. Over a decade of worldwide demand has lead the duo to the far corners of the earth to perform, becoming massive faves in Australia. Don’t miss them at Gigalum, 5 August, with early DJ sets starting 3pm. For more details go to Gigalum.com AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

travel

Travel | 9

AustralianTimes.co.uk

tting This week we’re pu

Uzes on the map

Charlie Inglefield goes in search of an elusive truffle and some culture before the tourist hordes invade the South of France.

Summer has finally arrived in Geneva and the woollies and ski gear have been put away for the next six months. As a resident of Geneva, we have the locational advantage of having the south of France on our doorstep and a summer weekend away always beckons. Soon, St. Tropez will be awash with rich sixth-formers wanting to get a peek at Beyoncé basking on the back of her husband’s yacht and maybe an outside chance of a £10 Guinness with Bono and his entourage. However, my trips will be to see my in-laws close to Nimes (near Provence), who live in a traditional working class farmers’ village, Brouzet Les Ales. I say nearly Provence because they are in Gard nestled between the Languedoc and Provence regions, thankfully well away from middle England tourists who inhabit this part of the world in the hope of seeing a truffle or two and their dream cottage in the Luberon.

Avant Gard

Once one has survived the Russian roulette of the autoroute which leads

from Geneva towards Lyon and then Marseille, being very careful not to get between an angry Frenchman and his dinner, the drive becomes very picturesque. There are many attractive medieval hamlets and villages which make up this part of France housing the likes of St Siffret, St Quentin-la-Poterie, Avignon and Uzes. The latter is rarely mentioned on a tourist guide map and thankfully so, given the hidden delights that emerge for the unsuspecting visitor. Uzes is cosily nestled into the sparse valleys of the Gard region and dates back to Roman times. As early

10 | Travel

24 - 30 July 2012

ageing but nostalgic buildings with shutters coloured in musket brown to dark green, there is continual excited chatter amongst the locals and sumptuous smells coming from within the restaurants and houses.

Truffle hunting

as the 5th century, Uzes provided water for the city of Nimes via what is the spectacular Pont Du Gard, a remarkable feat of engineering and still very much intact today.

Uzes oozes charm

As you approach from the northern part of the town, the imposing Cathedral looms up as a towering beacon to the valley below. Uzes is a maze of cobbled walkways and enticing alleyways where getting lost is the intention. Many a lazy hour can be spent wandering the streets, peering into antique shops or stopping for a glass of rouge. If you are feeling peckish there are plenty of delicious restaurants to choose from whilst people watching around the old town square. Most routes will lead through to the Duche, one of the first castles to be built in France and a historic landmark in these parts. A real highlight is to catch market day either on Wednesday or a Saturday. It is all hustle and bustle in the old town square, where you can either purchase a trout slaughtered before your very eyes or sample the local honey and tapenade. The Uzezians come out to discuss the latest football results over a glass of pastis and the ritual slicing and dicing of a poissonerie selling swordfish and butchers loudly proclaiming their chickens. There is a rich, rustic feel to Uzes perhaps best emphasised by the architecture in the town. Everywhere there are

Economy

Melbourne £649 Sydney £667 Perth £709 Adelaide £715 Darwin £745 Brisbane £717 Auckland £749 Christchurch £786 Cairns £799

One recommendation is to visit ‘La Maison De La Truffe’, home to a wonderful truffle dog (they don’t come cheap, these experts can be bought for £10,000) and a charismatic owner who lives and breathes the infamous truffle. The art of truffle hunting is taken very seriously in France; a truffle sauce can add the piece de resistance to many dishes in the finest eateries in France (and Europe for that matter). A truffle tainted accompaniment can add a couple of hundred euros to your plate if you are not careful. Specially trained dogs are required to dig up these ugly roots but the pride of one’s truffle outlay has led to century-long village rivalries and I daresay wars due to jealous farmers wanting to get one over their counterparts. There are even festivals dedicated to the truffle throughout France every summer. This is serious business, proven by the eagerness of the otherwise adorable dog who started to eat my shoe - perhaps he mistook them for a truffle. Keen to see what all the fuss was about, we were allowed a hallowed taste of some truffle oil on a slice of baguette and as uncouth as my pallet maybe I just couldn’t taste the magic. That is why the French will always rule the roost over the rest of the world when it comes to the kitchen.

Guarding the Gard

No visit to Uzes can be complete without going to the Cathedral. Perhaps I am being slightly biased because I had the fortune of getting married there. You will more than likely come across a snappy old woman or two at the entrance, they are a hazard, as I was to find

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out during my wedding service a few years earlier. They continually stalked the outside of the pews to where our congregation was seated, looking for collection money and making sure that our friends behaved themselves. I know we aren’t French - but really. Uzes is ideal for a weekend stop on the way to more established parts of Provence or a passage through the Gard region taking in the likes of Avignon and Nimes. The food is delicious, the wine is addictive and the shopping a pleasant surprise. You can get by without paying a fortune for the privilege of seeing this part of France. Crucially you feel that the centre of Uzes has not changed in a hundred years and in this day and age of travel that is very comforting. AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

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12 | Jobs & Money

24 - 30 July 2012

Dollar Review

Ask the Experts

Australian Dollar softens Citizenship after two-week highs THE Australian Dollar traded between 1.023 and 1.041 US Dollars and between 0.654 and 0.664 British Pounds, from 16 to 23 July 2012. The Australian Dollar rose to an almost fortnight high against the USD last week on the news that the American Federal Reserve Bank, chaired by Mr Bernanke, will stimulate the US economy in an attempt to boost growth in light of the country’s stubbornly poor jobs data. Westpac chief currency strategist Robert Rennie said the Australian Dollar was taking full advantage of global economic conditions and had continued to trade well. At the beginning of this week, the Australian Dollar weakened against its two-week high of USD1.04. St George economist Janu Chan said news of a bailout request from one of Spain’s regional governments

lizzy@heatlondon.co.uk sarah@heatlondon.co.uk

had weakened markets over the weekend. “There’s been a re-surfacing of worries in Europe; however, the Australian currency was still holding a good position in the market,” Ms Chan said. Spain is the hot topic this week, but investors will be keeping a firm eye on Greece’s economy too. GBP/AUD: 0.664 EUR/AUD: 0.853 USD/AUD: 1.037 Exchange rates as of 09:00 GMT+1, 23 July 2012

Composed by Matthew Cridge of 1st Contact :: Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.

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I have recently arrived in the UK and would like to find out how one qualifies for British citizenship?

In most cases in order to qualify for British citizenship, you would be required to complete 5 years lawful continuous stay on a visa leading to permanent residence, and a further 12 months with the status ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ or more commonly known as permanent residence, before you will be eligible to apply for British citizenship. Visas and permits leading to permanent residence inter alia include; Tier 1 Entrepreneur, Tier 1 (General), Tier 2 work permit, the ancestry visa etc. In some cases it is possible to qualify for permanent residence after three years, such as the Tier 1 Investor and Tier 1 Entrepreneur, if the applicant manages to create 10 jobs a year or have a turnover of £5 million in 3 years. Visas like student visas and visitor visas are temporary visas and do not normally count towards your British citizenship if applying under the five year lawful continuous stay rule. One exception to this rule is where a person has been in the UK legally for a continuous period of ten years, at which time they can apply for permanent residence under the discretionary ‘ten year’ rule. The ten years may include time spent on temporary visas; such as the two-year working holiday visa, student visas and other temporary visas. Under the new family immigration rules, if you are married to a British citizen or someone who holds Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, you will be able to apply for British citizenship after you have lived in the UK for six years on a lawful continuous stay, provided that you hold permanent residence at the time of your application.

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Sport | 13

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Olympic boss resists pressure to pick a chick Continued from p16... Cook, 37, a gold medallist at the Sydney 2000 Games, said this week the choice of a female should be a “no brainer”. “If there’s a male that carries the flag I will sit in protest,” she joked. “No pressure on Nick but from my point of view it has to be a woman. Go the chicks.” Cook, who also won bronze in Atlanta in 1996, admitted she was so keen to carry the Australian flag she had been practising “just in case”. “I’ve been dreaming about it and the wave to the royal box,” she said. “I’d love the honour of leading the team out, but for me as long as it’s a female.” Cook has walked behind four men in her Olympic career: Andrew Hoy, basketballer Andrew Gaze, sailor Colin Beashel and rower James Tomkins. The last woman to lead the Aussie team out was four-time Olympic diver Jenny Donnet at Barcelona in 1992. However, women have a greater presence at the head of winter Olympic teams, with Torah bright, Alisa Camplin and Kirstie Marshall carrying the flag at three of the past five winter Games.

“I note that history absolutely,” said Green in reference to the 20 year gap for Australian women at the summer Games. Swimming veteran Leisel Jones is another female who has figured in the London flag bearer guessing game, although swimmers and rowers are generally thought to have less chance because their events are held early and they tend to rest rather than march. Tomkins happily changed his plans, however, when he was selected. Meanwhile Australia’s presence in London increased with the arrival on Sunday of the swim team, divers, rowers and weightlifters and of the cyclists, volleyball team and women’s waterpolo squad on Monday. Monday was special for world champion gymnast Lauren Mitchell as well, who was preparing to celebrate her 21st birthday by “knuckling down” to two training sessions. The cake will have to wait. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Countdown to the

London Olympics 3 days to go

Unforgettable Australian Olympic moments Sydney 2000: Golden girl Cathy Freeman carries hopes of a nation Cathy Freeman. The embodiment of Australian sporting brilliance. She’d already lit the Olympic flame at the Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony – but it was the 400m final where Cathy carried the hopes of the nation on her shoulders. Australia held its collective breath as the Aboriginal Australian, dressed in her full-length bodysuit, took her marks. When the gun went off – the only question on a nation’s lips was ‘would she buckle under the intense pressure?’. She didn’t. She ran arguably the most memorable race in Australian Olympic history, cantering away to a gold medal. Australia rejoiced as one. And a new hero was born.

Australian athletes to watch at London 2012

Sally Pearson

Women’s athletics 100m hurdles

James Magnussen Men’s swimming 50m, 100m, 4x100m freestyle

Kookaburras Men’s - hockey

Malcolm Page Men’s sailing - 470 class

Anna Meares

Women’s cycling Team sprint

Mitchell Watt

Men’s athletics - long jump

Hooker soars on mixed weekend for Australia Pole vaulter Steve Hooker and triathletes Erin Densham and Emma Moffat gave Australia’s Olympic team a much needed boost after a weekend of mixed fortunes which ended with heartbreak for horseman Shane Rose and a sharp reality check for the Hockeyroos. Hooker has experienced a nightmare build-up to the defence of his Olympic title but pulled off a morale-boosting leap of 5.72m to take third place at a meet in Poland. It was well short of the height he cleared for victory in 2008 but would have been good enough for bronze in Beijing. It is bound to lift Hooker’s spirits after he failed to clear more than 5.42m since qualifying for the London Games in May. “I saw the video of him jumping and I just sensed this sense of relief in his face,” said Australian chef de mission Nick Green. “Steve is a competitor and I think everyone will be inspired by the fact that he is starting to build his confidence.” In Germany, Australia’s top two women triathletes made it a green and gold quinella in their last hit-out before the Games. Erin Densham chased down her teammate Moffat over the last five kilometres to win by 12 seconds, lifting hopes that the Aussies will secure a second consecutive Olympic gold in London following Emma Snowsill’s triumph in Beijing.

“I have been feeling a little flat all week but the further the race went, the better I started to feel,” said Denham. The news was nothing but bleak, however, for eventing competitor Shane Rose, who lost his spot in the Australian team after his horse Taurus showed signs of a shoulder injury. A devastated Rose, part of the silver-medal-winning eventing team in Beijing, was close to tears as he decided to head home to Sydney before the Games even begin. He will be replaced by reserve rider Megan Jones, also a 2008 silver medallist. “I guess in our sport we are probably more used to disappointment than other sports, simply by the nature of our sport having another animal involved,” Rose said. The Hockeyroos, in the second of three Games warm-up matches, were handed a 4-0 drubbing by the topranked Netherlands. Seventh-seeded Australia’s medal prospects now don’t look so bright as they failed to make an impact against the world No.1s. And basketball’s Opals, chasing a gold medal in London after three consecutive silvers, had their perfect run to the Olympics spoiled by a 6458 loss to France in their final warmup match. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Kieren Perkins confident in Australia’s Olympic swimmers

Just as he did in Atlanta in 1996, Olympic great Kieren Perkins believes Australia’s swimmers can defy gloomy predictions at the London Games. Sprinter James Magnussen is Australia’s only individual gold medal favourite in London, but Perkins has faith in the relay squads and insists it won’t take much to convert some of the eight silver medals from last year’s world championships into gold. “Our depth in our relays is the thing that excites me the most,” the triple gold medallist told reporters at Olympic Park on Saturday. “Watching the trials and seeing the men’s and women’s 100 (metres) and 200, seeing five, six, seven, eight guys in the final swimming exceptional world class times to qualify for the relays is fantastic.” While Magnussen’s 100m freestyle title and his 4x100m relay squad provided Australia’s only gold medals at the Shanghai world championships last year, Perkins dismisses predictions of the worst swimming haul at an Olympics since he won one of only two gold in Atlanta. “The step up for some of these young guys between silver and gold at that level can be small,” he said. “I think that with the youth we’ve got on the team, there’s a lot of athletes who have the opportunity to really step up and do some great things. “We’ve all been talking about James Magnussen plenty but you’ve got his compatriot James Roberts who’s just there, second in the world and certainly can give him a run for his money.” The men’s 4x100m and women’s 4x200m freestyle relays are both clear gold medal favourites, while the women’s 4x100 should win a medal

behind world No.1 the Netherlands. The mens’ 4x200 are on the fringes of medal contention while both medley relay teams should be in the hunt. Alicia Coutts is likely to be the best hope among the Shanghai silver medallists to upgrade to gold in her pet 100m butterfly. Perkins was impressed with what he saw when he visited the swimmers at their Manchester training base this week in his role as an athlete liaison officer with the Australian Olympic Committee. “I’m pretty positive. Head coach Leigh Nugent did mention this is the first time in his memory the whole team is healthy and ready to race, so they’ve had a really good run in to these Games,” he said. “I’m confident we’ll do well.” As defending 1500m freestyle champion in Atlanta, Perkins was out of form and was given little chance of winning, especially after scraping into the final as the slowest qualifier. But he led the final from the outset in lane eight to win his third Olympic gold medal and provide one of the most inspiring moment in Australian Olympic history. - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

14 | Sport

24 - 30 July 2012

High hopes for Aussie cycling after strong Tour Bulldogs and Power to light up Continued from p16...

Australia and Great Britain are having an influence in cycling that no one could have anticipated as late as a decade ago. A year after Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France, Bradley Wiggins has made the same history for Great Britain. Sky have dominated this year’s Tour, with Wiggins’ teammate Chris Froome finishing second overall. It was also a landmark Tour for Australian cycling - having the defending champion Cadel Evans, OricaGreenEDGE becoming the first team from Australia to compete in the race and a record 12 starters from Down Under. Two of those riders are the most visible Australian presence at Sky. Mick Rogers and Richie Porte have been pivotal to Wiggins as support riders on the big mountain climbs. But two of Wiggins’ most important advisors are also Australian - longtime mentor Shane Sutton and sports scientist Tim Kerrison. It is Kerrison’s insight and left-

field advice over the last couple of years that has played a massive role in Wiggins taking the step from very good Grand Tour rider to a champion. There is a strong historical background to the Australian presence at Sky. Back in the early ‘90s, when British cycling started developing their track program, they borrowed heavily from the Australian model laid out by Charlie Walsh. Naturally, there is a strong rivalry between the two countries in cycling. But there is also plenty of mutual respect and more than occasional sharing of ideas and resources. “When you are looking at national teams and professional sports teams, I think ... look at any professional sport now and it is a real blend of taking the best people for the job, regardless of nationality,” Brailsford said. “And when we look at this team we wanted to try and choose some of the best guys for the job. “The fact we got quite a few Aussies on the team is testament to just how good we rate Australian cycling and the people who work in it.

London in twilight AFL match

“They are a talented bunch and a talented bunch of riders.” As well as the expertise and ability, Brailsford is an unashamed fan of the Australian approach to sport. “I must admit I like the Australian attitude,” he said. “I think it is a great attitude to have in sport. “And I think it’s good to have that in a team - a blend of different cultures and nationalities, the diversity which I think is good in every walk of life.” And let’s not forget the fact that Wiggins is half Australian himself his late father Gary was an Aussie. AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Webber hoping to bounce back in F1 An ongoing investigation into Red Bull Racing’s engine mapping could hamper Mark Webber’s bid to reignite his Formula One title chase in Hungary this weekend. Webber struggled for pace in Sunday’s German Grand Prix, eventually finishing eighth in a race won by championship leader Fernando Alonso, who now holds a 34-point lead over the Australian. The result came after revelations pre-race that the FIA had referred Red Bull to the stewards to investigate irregularities relating to the torque map used by the team’s Renault engines during qualifying at Hockenheim. Although stewards subsequently deemed the Red Bulls to be legal, team principal Christian Horner didn’t think the issue would end at that with an FIA statement claiming the stewards “do not accept all the arguments of the team”. An F1 technical working group meeting is scheduled to be held in London later on Monday and Horner expects the mapping issue to be raised

there. “The regulations are clear, so there could well be further technical directives that are designed to try and further clarify those regulations,” Horner told motoring website Autosport.com. Although it appears Red Bull won’t face any punishment over the issue, a clarification or alteration of the rules could force some hurried technical changes. And with the Hungarian Grand Prix being held this Sunday, Webber will be hoping the issue doesn’t distract his team from solving the speed issues which dogged him in Germany. Having to start from eighth on the grid after a five-spot penalty for replacing a gearbox before qualifying, Webber never threatened to challenge during the race. He said he was at a loss to explain why his RB8 was so slow.

“I just couldn’t do the lap times,” Webber said. “We thought about doing something

different strategy-wise, but if you don’t have the pace you can’t even do that. “What happened this afternoon is bizarre because we’ve been so competitive in the last few races and here I finished 40 seconds behind the winner.” Despite the disappointing weekend in Germany, Webber was staying positive going into Hungary. Webber won at the Hungaroring in 2010 and appeared to be happy to be heading to eastern Europe. “We’ll look long and hard into what happened at Hockenheim to ensure we’re back to our usual levels of competitiveness,” he said. “What Germany proved above all else is how important it is to start at the front. If you’re back in the pack, you get caught up in slower cars and that results in you dropping even further back. “I’m confident that we can be strong again.” - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Bannister forced to go it alone for Games If Jarrod Bannister delivers on his undoubted potential and wins a medal in the javelin at the London Games, it will be a triumph through selfinflicted adversity. By Bannister’s own admission, hardly anyone wanted anything to do with him in the vital lead-up period to the Olympics. The Commonwealth champion was slapped with a six-month ban by the Australian and Victorian institutes of sport late last year for breaching their codes of conduct. In a separate incident, Bannister was handed a suspended three-month competitive ban by Athletics Australia (AA) after being found guilty of a string of driving offences. The 27-year-old was fined $800 and had his licence suspended for three months, having pleading guilty to drink-driving in February as well as driving unlicensed, unregistered and uninsured. The subsequent message from AA and the Australian Olympic Committee was clear - one more stuffup and he was off the Games team. Rather than drop his bundle, Bannister knuckled down.

He finished third and fourth respectively at recent Diamond League meets in Paris and Monte Carlo, with the prospect of bigger throws to come in London. “It was really hard,” said Bannister of the six-month ban. “Basically I had no funding, I was banned from all the institutes and pretty much no one wanted anything to do with me for that period. “When your whole income gets taken off you when you are trying to prepare for an Olympics it is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to you. “Having to train and try and get medical support, rocking up to training when I didn’t have a car that’s pretty hard “I was catching the bus there for a while.” Although he felt the six-month ban was somewhat harsh, Bannister knew there was nothing he could do about it. “It has just been me and my coach and my family that has supported me and that has pretty much been the way it has been for the whole year,” he said.

“If I get a result out of it, it just shows that I can do it on my own and I am happy. “I think it will give me more satisfaction if I can do it on my own.” For all his off-field issues and injury problems, Bannister has long been one of Australia’s most talented track and field athletes. He went into the 2008 Beijing Olympics atop the world rankings following a huge personal best of 89.02m, only to badly damage his elbow in the final and finish sixth. There have since been a string of other fitness concerns, including a troublesome adductor muscle this year, although he reckons he is now enjoying his best run with injuries since 2007. “I am capable of throwing anything,” he said. “Anyone that knows me knows that if I put it together it is going to be my PB and maybe further. “I am confident that if I get one even close to right it should go 87m and I am pretty confident it can go that.” - AAP AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

AFL football will return to the KIA Oval this year after the Australian Football League (AFL) confirmed the Western Bulldogs would meet Port Adelaide in London on Saturday 3 November. And in an exciting development – the exhibition AFL game will be played as a twilight match. AFL Europe said it was delighted to see a return of two senior clubs. “An AFL match in Europe provides our members and fans of the game to see the stars they watch online and on TV each week up close and personal,” AFL Europe General Manager Ben MacCormack said. “We envisage great support from our AFL Europe community in attending the match which will further highlight the progressions being made in the growth of the game in this part of the world.” Surrey County Cricket Club CEO Richard Gould also said they were delighted to host the AFL fixture at The Oval in November. “The ground has hosted many AFL matches over the years and we are sure that the first game since 2006 will provide as much entertainment for spectators as we have come to expect. “It has always been a popular and colourful event in our calendar and we look forward to it immensely.” AFL General Manager Andrew Dillon said elite AFL teams returning to London for the first time since Port Adelaide played Geelong at the ground in 2006, continues to support the development work of AFL Europe in building the profile of the game outside Australia. “There are now 21 countries affiliated under AFL Europe with more than 4600 players competing in regular competitions across Europe while a large Australian expatriate community in England, primarily centred in London, retains strong links to their clubs at home,” Mr Dillon said. “The staging of a match between two AFL clubs continues to promote our game internationally and enables us to continue to build the returns from overseas broadcast rights that flow into both game development here in Australia and overseas.” Both clubs intend to use the match as a key part to the opening of their training preparations for the 2013 AFL Premiership Season, and will factor

in promotional work for the sport in Europe while in London as well as professional development work with visits planned to elite EPL Clubs. Simon Garlick, Western Bulldogs Chief Executive, welcomed the opportunity to participate in the London match. “The Western Bulldogs are viewing the clash as a unique opportunity to not only promote our great game but to also kick-start our 2013 pre-season campaign by taking advantage of the professional development opportunities overseas,” Garlick said. Port Adelaide Chief Executive Officer Keith Thomas said the club would further enhance its preparation for 2013 by supplementing the London game with visits to leading international sporting organisations including a camp at the Australian Sport Commission European Training Centre in Italy,cofunded by the players and staff. “For Port Adelaide, this trip is an exceptional development opportunity for our young squad to share the experience of training, playing and learning in some of the most outstanding sporting environments in the world as we build for next year and beyond,” Mr Thomas said. AFL Clubs were first part of matches in London in the 1980s, with matches also played overseas at various times in New Zealand, the USA, South Africa, Canada and recently in Shanghai, China in 2010 as part of the 2010 World Expo. Mr Dillon said he expected the game would again be heavily supported, in line with all previous matches in London. “The games in London over some two decades have been extremely valuable in building awareness of our sport, while both the Bulldogs and the Power will be able to tie in a key preparation period for the 2013 season to help develop their younger players in particular.” The AFL have appointed Australian major event company Event Planning Group (EPG) as their event delivery partner for the match. EPG, who have been involved with the Olympics, will plan and manage the London based logistics and marketing of the match. Tickets will go on sale from Wednesday 25 July. They’ll start at £5 for kids and from £20 for adults, available at KiaOval.com

Sport | 15

AustralianTimes.co.uk

RUBDOWN Shock Scott collapse hands Els Open win THE It’s anybody’s guess for the AFL’s big race Continued from p16...

chance slip through my fingers today.” Scott dominated the championship and seemed a lay down misere to join dual winner Norman, five-times champion Peter Thomson, Kel Nagel and Ian Baker-Finch as only the fifth Australian in 152 years to raise the Claret Jug. Then disaster struck in the most dramatic way. After taking a birdie on the 14th to restore his four-stroke buffer, the golfing gods cruelly intervened as Scott inexplicably rattled up bogeys on the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes. “It was a very sloppy finish by me and disappointing to finish that way,” Scott said. “I played so well all week. I wasn’t even really out of position and I managed to get myself in some trouble and couldn’t make the putts to get out of it the last four holes. “It’s a championship golf course, it’s very difficult, and you’ve got to play some good shots to win those golf tournaments and I wasn’t able to do that the last few holes. Norman suffered heartbreak at all four majors, his most demoralising

defeat coming at the 1996 US Masters when he surrendered to Nick Faldo after starting the final round six shots in front. He lost playoffs at all four majors and, all up, had eight runner-up finishes at the big ones - plus four more thirds, four more top-5s and five more top-6s. No other player in golf history has been as cursed. Scott, who now has two runner-ups at the majors after his equal second last year’s Masters, was at home on the Gold Coast in tears watching on TV as Norman fell on his own sword at Augusta in ‘96. Asked if he now felt like the Shark, Scott said: “I guess so, yeah. “I mean, look, Greg was my hero when I was a kid and I thought he was a great role model, how he handled himself in victory and defeat. “He set a good example for us. It’s tough; you don’t want to sit here and have to ... I can’t justify anything that I’ve done out there. “I didn’t finish the tournament well today. But next time - I’m sure there will be a next time - and I can do a better job of it.”

The magnitude of his missed opportunity was yet to hit home in the hour after his capitulation and Scott didn’t know if there would be tears again on Sunday night - this time for himself. “I don’t think so. Maybe it hasn’t sunk in yet. But maybe there will be a bit more disappointment when I get home and kind of wind down,” he said. “I haven’t even wound down. I feel like I’ve just walked off the course and it’s all a lot to digest, and I feel fine at the moment. “But I’m a positive guy; I’m optimistic and I want to take all the good stuff that I did this week and use that for the next time I’m out on the course. “I don’t think I’ve ever played this well in a major championship, so that’s a good thing for me moving forward. “All the stuff I’m doing is going in the right direction. Today is one of those days, and that’s why they call it golf.” - AAP

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Swans want to stay No.1 on AFL ladder

Sydney defender Marty Mattner says the Swans are desperate to preserve their No.1 spot on the AFL ladder. As well as earning them a home final and two bites of the cherry in the playoffs, Mattner said there was a sense of pride in holding onto first place for the rest of the year. The Swans returned to the top with a hard-fought 29-point victory over St Kilda on Sunday at the SCG. Despite a slow start and a scare in the fourth quarter, Mattner said the Swans were encouraged by their ability to kick away under pressure. The 29-year-old said Sydney are determined to continue playing from first for the remainder of the AFL season. “Definitely, you always want to finish the season on top to get that double chance home final and those

sort of things,” Mattner said at the Swans’ recovery session on Monday. “It’s hard to win from outside the top four, that’s been shown from the last few years. “If we can finish in the ... top two to get a home final it would be great. “You don’t know what other teams are thinking (in the chasing pack) but as a team we are trying to get better. “We’ve got to improve every week. We still want to keep that top spot ... so we’ve got to keep improving and working on the little things. “The thing out of the weekend was our start and our goal kicking (accuracy).” Sydney are sweating on the results of scans on ruckman Shane Mumford’s injured knee. The club is confident there’s no ligament damage and he’s simply jarred

the knee - which isn’t the same one he had operated on in the 2010 off-season. Sydney face the lowly Gold Coast this week, and Mattner said he’s confident the Swans have the depth to cover Mumford if he is to miss matches. “Also we’ve been lucky with injuries. We haven’t had guys out for long periods of time. Other than Mummy (back injury earlier in the year) and Adam Goodes, everyone else has been pretty fit for the whole season. “Our twos have been going alright and we have to have that pressure coming from below. “It makes us play better and means everyone has to be on their game.” AAP

By Will Denton

The Round 17 fixtures list was a promoters dream. The only way the AFL could’ve improved the script was to get Martin Scorsese involved. This was Christmas in July for footy fans, for as luck would have it, all teams currently in the top 8 played another team in the top 8. The results were quite stunning too, as the race to the cup is starting to become quite a narrow field. Honestly though, it’s so tight that given what’s happened this season, ANYBLOODY-THING could happen. What this means for fans is HOPE. Hope that when the finals have been locked in, anyone can beat anyone. Right. So what did we learn? Well, like all things that get built up too much, Round 17 it was a bit of a fizzer, especially if you’re a Pies or Bombers fan. Ok hands up if you wrote off the Cats? It seems the hunger is back as they totally demoralised the Bombers in front of their home supporters. Hirdy, hoping to nullify the masses rage came up with a brilliant plan to ‘let them eat cake, and all shall be forgiven!’ Well Jim, you might want to offer something a bit more substantial (like an HSV or something) this week as you’ve got the red hot Hawks, fresh from a total pantsing of the Pies. Poor Pies...If there’s one thing Eddie

hates more than losing, it’s explaining to his kids at bedtime that it’s ok to lose now and then. This is complete rubbish as far as he’s concerned and often gets his missus to do the dirty work. Luckily for him they should manage a win this week as they travel to take on the Giants. Speaking of GWS, they did really well last weekend and didn’t lose by over 100 points! (Technically it was 95 but who’s counting?) The Crows looked the goods on their home deck and easily accounted for the Eagles. Kurt Tippett kept his weekly concussion quota in check as well, so it’s all coming up rosy for them. And of course don’t forget about the Swans. They are still top although they had to dig deep to grind out a win over the Saints. Seriously, good luck to anyone that has to travel to Sydney come finals time. As for the race for eighth spot? Looks like Richmond have nailed down ninth again, going down again in a tight one this time versus the Roos. It wasn’t quite as horrendous as last week though as North Melbourne are a real football team. So add Dogs to the GORN list (but you’ll see them in London in November), and still the race continues…

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

London Residents whitewashed by Great Britain & Ireland

AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

North pummel the Swans to secure finals spot Continued from p16... route to the Grand Final by contesting the sudden-death semi the next day. Wandsworth, no stranger to finals action, seem to be making all the right noises again at the business end and look set to again have a big say in who will take out this year’s prize. The Demons trailed West London by nine points at the last change on Saturday at Barn Elms before storming home with a seven-goal-totwo final term to win 12.6 (78) to 8.6 (54) and hand their arch rival their third defeat of the season. “To come from behind and overrun them on a hot day was really pleasing,” Wandsworth coach Jarryd Browne said. “I think our fitness, due to the fact we use Clapham Common really well for training was a key factor in getting us over the line. “We had two players didn’t show up at the start which left us with only two ROWs on the bench and then we lost our ruckman Matt Tucker in the first quarter with a knee injury so the boys needed to dig deep and they did.” Browne said the Demons will be approaching their trip to Bounds Green on Saturday with caution with the Lions starting to turn a few heads in recent weeks, prompting talk they

may be the dark horse come finals time. “There’s every chance we could play them again in the finals, either in the prelim or the Grand Final, so we won’t be taking this one lightly. “The trip to Bounds Green coincides with the start of the Olympics so we might have to leave Wandsworth on Thursday to get there on time!” At Putney Heath on Saturday the Magpie machine continued to gather speed, notching up a 20.14 (134) to 5.12 (42) win over winless Wimbledon. Captain Andrew Slevison booted 10 goals for the winners. The Magpies host London Swans on Saturday in a dress rehearsal for their semi against Wandsworth. West London take on Wimbledon at Motspur Park in the other match. The top four is settled in the Conference division, too, but the order of teams could change depending on Round 10 results. Shepherds Bush, gutsy winners over Clapham on Saturday, will finish on top but Clapham could steal second from Regents Park Lions if they beat them at Bounds Green on Saturday. Hammersmith Magpies have stitched up fourth and will play the loser of the Demons-Lions clash in the knock-out semi.

In the Social division, Wandsworth and Putney will compete in the second semi for a Grand Final spot, while it will be a West v North London first semi. Motspur Park will host three weeks of finals, however negotiations are continuing with council to get access for the fourth weekend with back-up plans of potentially using Bounds Green being considered. AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

Image by Mathew Scuds

AUSSIES AMONG THE POMS: Great Britain & Ireland World Cup Men’s squads featuring a handful of Aussie Tag stars.

By Phillip Browne

The Great Britain & Ireland World Cup squads put in some fantastic performances on Saturday to whitewash the London Residents in both the men’s & mixed divisions at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground in Acton. The London Residents squads were made up of players who reside in London regardless of nationality and both the men’s & mixed teams featured a host of London based Aussies. The Great Britain & Ireland World Cup squads also featured a handful of Australians who qualify to play through either heritage or citizenship including former Oztag Australia representative, Tim Ross. The Great Britain & Ireland World Cup squads who are coached by Australians Pat Ginty (Head Coach) & Jay Wilkinson (Asst Coach), have been steadily improving and preparations for the upcoming 2012 Tag Rugby World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand in December are coming along nicely. The results were as follows: Men’s Game 1: Great Britain & Ireland WC squads 11 def London Residents 0 Game 2: Great Britain & Ireland WC squads 7 def London Residents 5

Game 3: Great Britain & Ireland WC squads 7 def London Residents 6 Mixed Game 1: Great Britain &Ireland WC squads 9 drew with London Residents 9 Game 2: Great Britain & Ireland WC squads 8 def London Residents 6 Game 3: Great Britain & Ireland WC squads 15 def London Residents 4 Meanwhile, Late Summer Tag Rugby competitions in London & Reading are currently taking place. Leagues are running at; Acton, Balham, Canada Water, Finsbury Park, Highbury, Hoxton, Reading, Richmond, Southfields, Wandsworth Town, West Ham & White City. There is still room for a number of individual registrations to join teams! If you would like to get involved in one of the fastest growing sports in London, new team and individual registrations are welcome. This is a great chance to develop a network of friends if you are new to London. To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition or event, go to www. trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details. AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport

TAG TEAM GB DISPATCH RESIDENTS

Powerful performance by Tag Rugby World Cup squads

GENDER NO MATTER FOR OZ OLYMPIC FLAG BEARER n

Despite calls from a host of Australian sporting legends to pick a woman to be our Olympic flag bearer, Aussie chef de mission says gender will make no difference in his decision as to who will lead Australia out at the Opening Ceremony on Friday. Gender will play no part in Australia’s choice of Olympic flag bearer. Twenty years have elapsed since a female last carried out the ceremonial honour, and history-making beach volleyballer Natalie Cook has upped the ante by declaring in jest she will protest if Australia’s London team boss doesn’t pick a “chick”. But chef de mission Nick Green is having none of it. “Our flag bearer will be the best person to represent this country, as simple as that,” Green said on Sunday as Cook sat beside him at a media conference. Green, who will announce his decision on Games eve this Thursday, revealed his short list included both genders. He also indicated longevity could be a factor shaping his choice, which might lower the odds on his “great friend” Cook. She is the first female to represent Australia at five summer Games, although shooters Michael Diamond and Russell Mark are at their sixth Olympics and equestrian Andrew Hoy is riding in a record-breaking seventh. But apart from that, Green said only that the “values of Olympism” were guiding his thoughts. “I’ve got to get it right,” he said. “The flag bearer is the symbolic head of our team. “My decision potentially has the capacity to influence and affect someone’s life.” Longevity could influence his search for the right leader, he said. “It could also include the way they conduct themselves on and off the field. A whole lot of things go into the final outcome.” “I’m not generally a tick-the-box type of guy,” said the former rowing great, adding that he and Cook had enjoyed “a good chuckle” over her comments. ...continued on p13

Adam Scott: I know how the Shark feels

Feeling like his idol Greg Norman, a shellshocked Adam Scott offered no excuses for throwing away the British Open. Scott received a generous round of applause from the world’s media after manning up to confess to blowing his big shot at major glory in tragic Shark-like fashion. “I can’t justify anything that I’ve done out there,” a brutally honest Scott said after wasting a fourstroke lead with four holes to play to allow South African Ernie Els to snatch a second Open trophy from the Australian’s grasp. “I know I’ve let a really great ...continued on p15

Aussies key in Sky’s Tour de France win

Team Sky general manager Dave Brailsford first plays up to the question, invoking the age-old rivalry with the colonials. How deliberate is the strong Australian presence in the British Sky team? “The first thing that went on the (team) strategy document was to ... turn them on their fellow countrymen and let them loose - civil war,” he says with a straight face. ...continued on p14

AFL London top four settled By Lee Crossley

THE AUSSIES ARE HERE Our Australian Olympic stars

prepare for London 2012 | P13

THE AFL London top four is signed and sealed with one homeand-away round remaining. North London’s 28.9 (177) to 4.3 (27) win over London Swans at Bounds Green spelled the end of the latter’s campaign this year, while securing North a final’s berth. Wandsworth, last year’s runnerup, will finish on top ahead of Putney, West London and North. The Demons will meet Putney in the second semi-final on 4 August at Motspur Park for a chance to go straight into the Grand Final, while West London and North London will have to take the long ...continued on p15