Australian Times weekly newspaper | 15 April 2013

16 - 22 April 2013 Issue: 459

TASTE OF AUSTRALIA Best Cherry Ripe slice in London

Food & wine P7

THE SOUNDS OF OZ

London’s all-Australian chamber orchestra entertainment P9

MICHAEL LYNAGH

From rugby legend to marathon man Exclusive P4

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FAREWELL MAGGIE n Australia will be represented at the funeral of Lady Margaret Thatcher by John Howard and High

Commissioner Mike Rann. Bob Carr says the Baroness was ‘out of touch’, recalling ‘racist’ remarks.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has invited John Howard to be Australia’s representative at the funeral of Baroness Thatcher to be held at St Paul’s Cathedral this Wednesday.

“I have invited the Honourable John Howard OM AC to represent the government and people of Australia at the funeral service,” Ms Gillard said in a statement.

The former British Prime Minister died aged 87 on 8 April and will be buried at a ceremonial funeral in London with full military honours.

Mr Howard is one of more than 2,000 people on the guest list for the funeral. He had been invited to attend the funeral service as one of 24 members of the Order or Merit (OM).

The former Liberal prime minister will now be attending as Australia’s official representative. High Commissioner Mike Rann will also be attending as a representative of Australia.

Ms Gillard told reporters in Australia Mr Howard had the “deepest connection” to Thatcher and should therefore represent Australia.

“It was the appropriate thing for him to represent the nation at the funeral,” she said.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr will not be attending the service. Mr Carr attracted criticism last week for recalling comments made

by Baroness Thatcher he called “unabashedly racist”.

Mr Carr told Lateline of a conversation in which the Baroness

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Australia Shop set to close

CRIKEY! The Australia Shop in London’s Covent Garden will close its doors at the end of the month.

The plucky little shop in Maiden Lane has long been a beacon for Aussie expats in London hankering to wrap their laughing gear around a dinky-di taste of home.

For over 35 years it has stocked and sold all the favourite true blue Australian tucker, treats and patriotic paraphernalia to homesick Aussies longing for a Tim Tam to dip in their hot chocolate, or the cheesy tang of a pack of Twisties.

Now the sad news comes that the trusty Australia Shop is set to close the doors of its retail outlet forever, and has marked Saturday 27 April as its final day of trading.

The owners of the Australia Shop, Michael and Elizabeth Mills, said it was an extremely difficult decision to make. They point to a number of factors which have meant it is no longer viable to maintain the store in Covent Garden. These include a rise in council rates, falling retail sales in the face of the recession and the increasing costs of importing goods due to the dramatic rise in the Australian dollar exchange rate in recent years. ...continued on p3

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2 | News

16 - 22 April 2013

Blood test could determine suicide risk

n Scientists from UNSW believe that their research into the chemistry

of the brain may give doctors the ability to administer a blood test in order to determine whether a patient is likely to commit suicide.

By Paul Bleakley Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Alex Ivett Production/Design: Jackie Lampard News Editor: Paul Bleakley Business Editor: Sepi Roshan Contributors: Catherine Burrell, Tim Martin, Georgia Dawes, Phillip Browne, Michelle McCue, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Lee Crossley, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitz-gibbon, Chris Arkadieff, Bronwyn Spencer, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons,

Nicole Crowley, Alex Bruce-Smith, Sandra Tahmasby, Tyson Yates, Amber Rose, Jennifer Perkin, Josh Reich, Shannon Loves, Charlie Inglefield, Kris Griffiths, AJ Climpson-Stewart, Thomas Jones, Michael McCormick, Alistair Davis, Will Denton, Jennifer Lawton, Chloe Westley, Simon Kleinig 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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AUSTRALIAN scientists from the University of New South Wales believe their research into the chemistry of the brain may give doctors the ability to administer a blood test in order to determine whether a patient is likely to commit suicide.

The Australian team was asked to assist a group of Swedish researchers that are investigating the role of quinolinic acid, a neurotransmitter that has been linked to the extreme depression that often results in suicide attempts. The study of medical depression has concentrated on the brain chemical serotonin until recently, with the switch in focus to quinolinic acid providing new avenues to combat mental illness.

Gilles Guillemin, who was recently made a full professor at Macquarie University, has been involved in research regarding quinolinic acid for over fifteen years. His research had explored the linkages between the neurotransmitter and a range of other diseases, however his work as a member of the University of New South Wales team was the first time that he found connections between quinolinic acid and depression.

Guillemin told Australian Times: “It’s through collaboration with the Swedish group who had the samples from suicidal patients that I started this study.

My group is one of the only one in the world that can quantify quinolinic accurately. We use

Your Say

an expensive machine - gas chromatography mass spectrometry - with a complicated protocol to quantify quinolinic acid.”

Gas chromatography mass spectrometry is a process that is widely referred to as the ‘gold standard’ in forensic research, allowing researchers to identify different substances within a test sample by separating its component molecules into distinct fragments and ionising those fragments to allow for identification.

Quinolinic acid binds to neuronal receptors called NMDA, leading to an excessive excitation of the brain cells that can cause behavioural changes that may result in extreme emotional responses like severe depression and suicide. Research conducted by Guillemin’s team showed that heightened levels of quinolinic acid in an individual’s brain chemistry provided an accurate early warning regarding their tendency towards taking their own life.

Guillemin said: “At very low and physiological concentrations quinolinic acid is used by the brain cell to produce an essential co-factor called NAD+ leading to energy production and DNA repair.

When quinolinic acid reaches pathophysiological concentrations it becomes a neurotoxin.

Depression is associated with a low grade of inflammation. We thought that quinolinic might be produced in sub-neurotoxic concentration.”

Guillemin told Australian Times that the research team was currently working with a

Thatcher was right, anyway. Carr should keep his mouth shut he’s just after cheap publicity, which will rebound on him and the ALP.

On: Bob Carr recalls Margaret Thatcher’s ‘racist’ comments

Bob Carr need not apologise if all he is doing is stating a true fact of his encounter with Margaret Thatcher.

I am not surprised with her remarks as some people of her time are very ignorant as they are stuck in British colonial times or they think that they are of a superior race. I know racism still exists. I am sad not only for the people who have to put up with these racist creatures, but for the racist creatures themselves.

MN

It was NOT a racist statement but a fair warning of what can, and IS happening. Look at the UK. I am told that they can’t put on a Jack and the Beanstalk panto any more, because they can’t find an English man to play the main part.

Brian

He couldn’t believe it! What the British PM said. Fantastic Mr Carr, you warm and fuzzy person. It’s easy taking the high ground, now the woman is dead. You are an insult to Australia, you talk dribble.

Richard

On: WikiLeaks reveals Bob Carr as long-term intelligence source to US

If the information is true Car cannot be trusted to have access to confidential information of national interest.

Alton

Why does this not surprise me, and he is now our foreign minister. What a joke.

Phil

Being a source of intelligence also involves payment for service. Maybe the author can follow-up on that aspect, like secret accounts in havens.

Beno

On: Italian delights at Trullo in Highbury

Sounds wonderful. Mouth watering description of the food, and the ambience sounds seductive. Can’t wait to try Trullo.

biocompany to develop a simple test that could be used to identify quinolinic acid levels via a blood test rather than utilising the gas chromatography mass spectrometry method used at the University of New South Wales.

It is believed that the development of this blood test will take around twelve months, with clinical trials taking place shortly after. Guillemin said that the test “could give doctors a result within 24 to 48 hours”, allowing them to tailor their treatment of patients with mental illness based on their level of quinolinic acid.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90.

On: Hooroo: Australia Shop set to close

It’s always sad to hear when a business has to close however I was an Aussie expat in London for 2 years (returned to Aus 4 months ago) and only used this shop once. The reason? At 3-4 pounds for 1 packet of Tim Tams it was cheaper and easier to go without. Also increased competition such as Asda getting in as chicken crimpy and BBQ shapes from time to time and selling them for around 1 pound a packet has meant that Aussies in London are getting their fixes elsewhere. Let’s hope the on-line sales works out better for them.

Leanne

I’m shocked the Australia Shop sustained me form 1999 to 2011.

I called in weekly to stock up my favourites like Milo, Twisties and Iced Vovos (amongst others). Sad time indeed.

Steve

A positive move to go online :) Gail

Maggie

Tony

?

What’s your view

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

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AustralianTimes.co.uk

Margaret Thatcher was ‘racist’: Carr ...continued from p1

warned him Australia would “end up like Fiji” if it allowed continued migration from Asia.

Mr Carr however also said Lady Thatcher was deserving of respect for the boldness of her political leadership.

“She deserves credit for that,” Mr Carr said.

Mr Howard was opposition leader at the same time Thatcher was in government. Mr Howard said the Conservative leader transformed Britain.

“She is the greatest British prime minister since Churchill,” Mr Howard said.

“The true test of her greatness is to look at how she transformed her own country domestically and played a part with president Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II in bringing about the end of the Soviet empire.”

Downing Street said around 200 countries have been invited to send “an official representative”.

Invitees include all surviving former British prime ministers and US presidents, as well as Hillary Clinton, a representative of Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk.

The former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former first lady of the US Nancy Reagan will not attend due to ill health.

However, Argentina’s president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has not been invited following a number of comments about the Falklands deemed to be provocative.

“Who cares whether you are invited to some place you had no intention of going to?’’ Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman responded.

A number of celebrities have confirmed their attendance, including broadcaster David Frost, singer Shirley Bassey, composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

The Queen will also be present. It is the first time since Winston Churchill died in 1965 the Queen has attended the funeral of one of Britain’s former leaders.

British Prime Minister David Cameron defended the decision to give Lady Thatcher a ceremonial funeral with full military honours.

“People would find us a pretty extraordinary country if we didn’t properly commemorate with dignity, with seriousness, but with also some fanfare ... the passing of this extraordinary woman,” he said.

Wednesday’s service will begin at 11am after Lady Thatcher’s body is transported from Westminster to St Paul’s Cathedral.

Lady Thatcher’s coffin will initially travel by hearse from the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes – the Central Church of the RAF – on the Strand, opposite Australia House.

It will then be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and taken in procession to St Paul’s Cathedral.

Police officers will patrol the route with roads and bridges closed from 7am. Dozens of bus routes will be disrupted.

Details of the ceremony have been published, including the hymns To Be A Pilgrim, I Vow to Thee My Country and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. The hymn He Who Would Valiant Be will be sung on request of Lady Thatcher. It was a favourite hymn from her childhood.

The order of service features Wordsworth’s Intimations of Immortality and TS Eliot’s Little Gidding.

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No longer viable, says Aussie Shop owners ...continued from p1 In a statement, Mike and Liz have told customers how much they have enjoyed operating the business over the years.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patronage and hope we may look forward to your continued support in the near future,” they said.

Liz and Mike say they plan to continue the Australia Shop brand with a renewed focus on on-line sales.

Many Aussie expats took to Facebook to express their sadness at the Australia Shop’s closing.

“Oh no! Looks like Australia Post will be visiting more often,” said Hamilton.

“But where will we get Burger

Rings and TimTams?” asked Kyle.

Annaliese said she had just visited Australia Shop and stoked up on Tim Tames, Monte Carlos, Salt n’ Vinegar Samboy Chips, Jatz biscuits, Pizza Shapes, Minities, Milkos and a White Wings Pavlova Magic kit.

“Bliss,” she said.

The shock announcement of the Australia Shop closing comes just weeks after its neighbour and another Aussie fixture in Covent Garden put the shutters up. The original Walkabout, in Covent Garden, called last drinks on 30 March, much to the dismay of Australian expats and their mates.

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Winsor calls Joyce supporters ‘rednecks’

By Paul Bleakley INDEPENDENT MP Tony Windsor has labelled supporters of conservative rival Barnaby Joyce as “rednecks” in the aftermath of the maverick Queensland senator’s decision to run as a candidate for Windsor’s seat of New England at the next federal election.

Joyce was endorsed as Nationals candidate for New England over the weekend, following the withdrawal of Coalition candidate Richard Torbay under the cloud of an ICAC inquiry.

His campaign for the New South Wales electorate will mark Joyce’s first foray into lower house politics,

as well as a departure from his traditional base in Queensland.

Windsor, the electorate’s sitting MP, told the Sunday Telegraph that Joyce was old-fashioned on a range of issues including the National Broadband Network, climate change and renewable energy initiatives. He said that his rival thrived on the politics of fear and was supported by people who “frighten easily”.

Windsor said: “The right wing conservatives, people who receive fear messages easily, that’s been his demographic. Partly rednecks in Queensland. Well, don’t call them rednecks if it offends people. People who frighten easily. He’s a cross

between Joh Bjelke Petersen and Bob Katter.”

Joyce, a Tamworth native, said that it was a difficult decision to contest a seat in the House of Representatives after so many years in the Senate, pointing out that the only way to bring about a change of government is to win seats in the lower house.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he had approached Joyce about running for the seat of New England immediately after the last federal election, citing the senator’s strong appeal in agricultural communities as one of the main reasons for his decision to have Joyce contest the rural New South Wales seat.

4 | Exclusive Interview

From the editor’s desk > alex Ivett

For someone who struggles with a lap around my local park (and no it’s not Hyde Park), I am in awe of anyone who attempts anything longer than a 10km fun-run. The concept of a marathon amazes me – 42kms; that’s, well, it’s a really long way. Even saying it in miles (21) doesn’t help. It’s still double digits.

Therefore, anyone who attempts the marathon deserves our support – particularly when they are doing so for charity like Aussie rugby legend Michael Lynagh and the Sky Sports team. Not only is he running the marathon, he’s doing so only one year on from suffering a debilitating stroke to raise money for the Stroke Association. It’s an incredible, gutsy attempt and Australians in London should be proud of the Sky Sports team for participating for such an important cause.

London Marathon facts It is the world’s largest marathon. In 2012 it had over 35,000 participants.

The event was first held in 1981.

It has raised over £450m for charity.

The finishing post is in The Mall alongside St. James’s Park.

The distance is exactly 42.195 kilometres.

The marathon passes London landmarks including the Royal Artillery Barracks, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and the London Eye.

16 - 22 April 2013

the Expat factor

Extraordinary Aussies in the UK be able to talk correctly. I shouldn’t be able to use my hands, and legs, and I shouldn’t be able to see very well because it should have affected the whole left side of my body.

I have met people who have had similar things to me, and they’re not in great shape and struggling a bit.

The doctors don’t understand why I wasn’t affected like that – it’s a bit of a miracle really, but I’ll take it.

Rugby legend Michael Lynagh won the World Cup with the Wallabies and captained the team from 19931995. He survived 72 internationals but perhaps his toughest test has been making what he calls a ‘miraculous’ recovery from a life threatening stroke. Now just one year since the fright Lynagh is preparing to participate in the London Marathon, raising money for the Stroke Association. He took time out to fill us in on the story.

“If you had told me this time last year I was going to be doing a marathon, I would have been happy just being alive let along contemplating running 42kms”

I first came to the UK in 1996.

I had retired from Australian rugby in 1995 following the World Cup where Australia lost to England in the Quarter Finals, and I went to Italy to play the 1995/1996 season there. In August 1996 I moved to the UK to join Saracens Football Club to play rugby with them.

My motivation was twofold. The main reason was I had just married my wife, who is Italian, and we thought England was a good middle ground – a neutral stadium. We thought we would come and settle here for a few years and see what happened. It would let us create something as a couple, as opposed to trying to forge being an Italian in Australia or an Australian in Italy. Secondly I met Nigel Wray, Chairman of Saracens, who outlined his ideas for the club. I liked him, I liked his ideas and it sounded like a good fit. Since we’re still here, it’s worked out in a way.

It’s funny, because when I came here professionalism in rugby was a kind of toe in the water approach. It was a long way from where it is now. In Australia, although I played in an amateur era, it was very much about trying new things and looking at different ways of doing things in the sport. In the UK it was very much, well this is the way we do things here, it’s the way we’ve always done things and the way we’re going to keep doing things – that sort of approach.

You don’t want to be the brash Australian coming in and changing everything but there was a way to gradually integrate a different style.

Two weeks after I finished playing with Saracens in May 1998 I started working for a commercial property investment company in the West End. I don’t regret retiring at all. I was 34 and I was ready to move on to the next part of my life.

I had played since I was 18, so it was a long time. I keep involved in rugby through Sky, and that’s about the level I enjoy.

For Sky Sports I do all the southern hemisphere rugby.

Super Rugby, the Autumn Internationals, club rugby, the Heineken Cup – it’s a year round job. I do the studio work here in London every Friday and Saturday morning at 6.30am. It’s a lot of early mornings with the time difference. I’m not allowed to go for a particular team in the Super Rugby, but being a Queenslander

Michael Lynagh Rugby legend

and having played 100 games for them, I do have a little bit of a soft spot for the Reds.

I love being in London. I like the vibrancy of it – all the restaurants, theatre and music. We live near Richmond Park, and I love walking around the river there. Of course, I like my sport, so I enjoy all the English traditions that exist around sport, such as Wimbledon, the annual Boat Race and Ascot every now and again. It’s just one thing after another.

I love going to watch the cricket and I’m looking forward to the Ashes. To be able to go to The Oval or Lord’s to watch the cricket is something a lot of Australians dream of doing, and it’s all right on our doorstop.

Of course, whenever England is playing Australia in a sport I get teased or there’s some friendly banter. I get very nervous actually; more nervous than when I used to play rugby. My life is not much fun if we lose, so for the Wallabies to win – it really does mean something!

It makes life a little easier. The English are getting a bit confident about the Ashes. I’m sure we’ll be able to get some kind of squad together by then and be competitive.

We always are.

Apart from friends and family of course, I do miss the general way of life in Australia centered around the beach. I miss the ocean and being able to go down at any time in the year and have a surf and just hang out. I regret the fact my kids won’t have the same sort of upbringing that I, and a lot of other Australian kids, had – it’s an active lifestyle in Australia. You can be in the city in the morning and then at the beach or on the harbour in the afternoon. However, they benefit in other ways here in the UK. One day I’d like to take the boys back to give them a taste of where I came from.

The longer you stay in a place though the harder it is to move, and the more entrenched you become. I’ve got no plans to go back, but never say never.

I had a stroke in April last year.

I was in Australia at the time, and I had no warning. It was just one of those freak things. I was very unaware it happens to young people, younger than me, and people who are relatively fit too. I was one of the lucky ones to both survive, and be relatively unscathed out the other end. I have a few issues I have to deal with, but physically I’m in reasonably good shape. My sight is down 50%, but I still function. Really, I shouldn’t

I’m participating in the London Marathon this Sunday to raise money for the Stroke Association.

A team of us from Sky Sports are doing it. It was James Gemmell’s idea, a presenter I work with at Sky Sports. He had a family friend who passed away after a stroke and asked if I would like to support him. In a moment of weakness I said I’d do it with him. It’s a completely different type of fitness to rugby. Rugby is about short, sharp, explosive bursts, and in the marathon you have to sustain a speed for a long period of time.

Last time I did a marathon in 2000 I really had to retrain my body, and being short and stocky I don’t have a natural runners build. Now add 13 years, bad knees and worse joints, and a stroke to boot. It’s not going to be easy, but as long as I finish the marathon on the same day as I started I’ll be happy. The marathon is on 21 April, and the stroke happened on 16 April, so it’s almost a year to the day. If you had told me this time last year I was going to be doing a marathon, I would have been happy just being alive let along contemplating running 42kms.

The money we raise for the Stroke Association will be going towards a specific Back to Work project for stroke sufferers. It will employ a number of therapists and people who can help stroke sufferers get back into the workforce. People who suffer strokes are often not in the same position they were. Apart from the physical effects there may be depression and feelings of low selfworth. Getting people back to work is a big part of the recovery process so you can feel you’re contributing to your community and contributing to your family. It gives you that reason get out of bed in the morning.

To support the Sky Sports team go to justgiving.com/ teamskyforstroke. For more information on the marathon see virginlondonmarathon.com.

Interview by Alex Ivett

Community | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Business After 5 with Qantas @ Hyatt Regency Australian Business hosted their second Business After 5 event of 2013 last Thursday 11 April at the Hyatt Regency London. The Australian and UK networking event was hosted with Qantas,

and welcomed new and existing members in London. The Members Introduction segment allowed new members the opportunity to introduce their business to the guests.

Aussie’s random act of kindness on the Tube sparks London search IT IS every parent’s nightmare.

Travelling on a busy Tube with your young child, and all of a sudden they’re gone. Lost in the crowds, or worse – they’re suddenly on the train, the doors close before you reach them and the train takes off without you.

For Caroline Crick this nightmare became a reality when catching the Central line with her nine year old son and seven year old daughter on Thursday afternoon. Her son, Samuel, managed to squeeze onto the Tube without Caroline or her daughter. Before she knew it, the train had pulled away from the station, with Samuel on it.

“As you can imagine we were all terrified,” Mrs Crick tells Australian Times.

After alerting TFL staff, Mrs Crick

faced the overwhelming prospect of trying to find her son in a city of 8 million people. Luckily, on the train was a young Australian woman who, after seeing what had happened, approached Samuel and offered to help take him safely back to his mum.

She got off at the next station with Samuel and returned to Chancery Lane where the family were reunited.

Mrs Crick says she did not have the opportunity to learn the woman’s name and properly thank her.

“I really wanted to thank this anonymous lady and say what an amazing thing to do for complete strangers in a foreign country,” says Mrs Crick.

“I hope someone knows her so they can pass on my thanks.”

Australian Times would like to help

the Crick family find the Australian who was kind enough to look out for Samuel and go out of her way to return him to his family.

Caroline Crick, Samuel and her younger daughter were at Chancery Lane station at 4.30pm on Thursday 11 April. Samuel got on the westbound Central Line train. The young Australian woman who found Samuel was in her 20s, wearing a green top, and had curly hair tied in a bun. She returned Samuel and was heading to meet friends at 6pm.

If you are the anonymous Australian woman, or know who this woman might be, please email editor@australiantimes.co.uk so we can pass your details on to the grateful Crick family.

Barry Humphries; book fan n Good Living Street,

Australia House hosted a special literary event last week. High Commissioner Mike Rann welcomed Australian icon Barry Humphries to talk to Professor Tim Bonyhady about his highly acclaimed book Good Living Street.

Humphries, a passionate fan of the book, opened by telling the audience: “I’ve given many kinds of performances, but I’ve never participated in a discussion with an author, living or dead.”

Winner of several awards in Australia including the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Prize and the General History Prize, Good Living Street is

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a book by Professor Tim Bonyhady, gives an extraordinary account of Viennese life and culture in the early 20th century.

Barry Humphries discussed the book with the author at Australia House.

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an account of three generations of women from Professor Bonyhady’s family.

He began writing the book after the death of his mother in 2003, as a way of honouring and perpetuating her story. The book follows the family’s prosperous lives in Vienna, where they amassed a rarefied collection of art and design. Present at the event was Mr Emil Brix, the Austrian Ambassador to the UK. The book then charts the family’s migration to Australia seeking refuge from the Nazi regime in Europe.

Bonyhady’s family fled Vienna with the best private collection of art, furniture and design to survive the regime intact. However, as a way

assimilating to this new culture, details of their exile and their origins were heavily suppressed.

“We were raised to never talk about it on the assumption that to talk about it was dangerous. And really I maintained that…I never wrote about it until writing this book. So part of the book was to come out about this…and to learn much more about being Jew,” Bonyhady said.

Throughout the discussion, Humphries offered his own observations of these new arrivals, and told of anti-Semitism he witnessed as a child in Australia. And after reading the book, he said he has since “thought of having a good shake of the family tree and seeing what falls out”.

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6 | UK Life

16 - 22 April 2013

Room wanted n

Finding the right room to rent in London can be an exhausting process, as both parties try to negotiate the ‘get-to-know’ you minefield of matching the housemate to the house.

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Honeymooning The only thing in the way: finding the Nomad right room to rent. > Jacqui Moroney

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SUBCULTURE SLEUTH > PAUL BLEAKLEY

Before I moved to London, I was a sucker for signing up for things that I really had no interest in. The people from groups like Red Cross and Oxfam, as worthy as their causes may be, knew how to play me like a fiddle: hire a pretty girl with a big smile to call out to me in a shopping centre, then stick a pen in my hand and let hormones do the rest.

Let’s not make light of this situation because my inability to say ‘no’ was a seriously critical issue. At one point I was so drawn in by a mesmerising Oxfam representative, to the point that I did not notice that I had developed a nose bleed until a single drop fell awkwardly onto my outstretched hand.

I signed the donations paperwork just to get out of there before she noticed.

If nothing else has come from my time in London, it is that I have been

Having lived in many sharehouses over the years, I think it is safe to say we are well experienced with all types of people - couples, professionals, uni students and idiots who refused to pay rent for months at a time. But, if I asked, would they tell me I was the perfect housemate?

It brings up the question of how much information do I give in my “room wanted” ad?

“We are both friendly 26 year old professionals and recently married” seems to have had a mixed reaction.

26 = a bit young. Professionals = No parties. Married = possibly boring homebodies, never leaving the house.

I feel the need to add a little more information and mention that we are tidy, sociable, professionals, while strategically forgetting the bit about hubby leaving his shoes in the middle of the doorway, and that he is an Arsenal supporter who can scull a beer in less than 30 seconds. I also don’t want to spoil the vibe by mentioning that

neither of us like reality TV or that I have very limited cooking abilities (vegemite toasties are my specialty).

Let’s just get to the meet and greet stage first.

On the other hand, “room for rent” ads are often equally difficult to decipher.

When someone states “we don’t want someone who will stay in their room all the time” does this mean I have to watch awful TV with them in the lounge room, struggling not to gouge out my own eyes?

How clean and tidy do they want me to be?

If you advertise you are down the road from the pub does that mean you like to spend all of your time there, or does it mean that it is a really noisy area and we will never get to sleep?

And please let me know how 7 people can fit comfortably in a 3 bed, 1 bath flat!

In the meantime, we are between houses and currently couch surfing with a very generous friend we met in London. I tried to show our thanks by cooking my delicious Spag Bol – the only thing I can cook after ten years of perfecting it.

In what turned out to be another #typicaljacquiday, it turns out that you can’t use any old fry pan on the so-new-it-has-never-been-used Bosch glass ceramic cook top.

I think this Honeymooning Nomad is going to have to find a way make up for the newly scratched hot plate that does not include cooking. Perhaps I am not the perfect flatmate after all.

Charity begins at the Tube cured of this vulnerability to charity workers. London has bred a different type of charity workers, less reliant on charm and flirtation than manic yelling and persistent heckling. These charity muggers – known as ‘chuggers’ – are the bane of any underpaid Aussie in London who really would give if they could.

The government has recently brought in legislation governing the actions of chuggers. Last year, rules came into place saying that chuggers could not continue to pester their victims if the person says no (or even if the person refuses to make eye-contact, a passive aggressive move that I tend to favour).

We have all been there: walking out of a Tube station, just wanting to get home or get to the pub or get somewhere to escape from the insanity of city life.

You are almost free and then there they are: like military tacticians they have

set themselves up at every exit, there is no hope for escape except to put your head down, pretend to play with your phone and walk briskly past the legion of chuggers.

To all of the chuggers out there: I am sorry. Had we met this time last year I would have signed my life away to you without a second thought, all it would have taken would have been a cheeky wink. It’s nothing you have done wrong.

It is not you, it’s me.

Winter boyfriend needed – applications welcome tube talk > Sandra Tahmasby

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With all this cold weather I have been thinking of advertising for a winter boyfriend. Yes, that’s right a boyfriend for the winter months. Or at least the spring months that feel like winter.

Of course I have put a significant amount of thought into this and come up with a few essential features of the role.

• Seasonal work offered with immediate start; • Must be available to hang out for snuggles mornings and evenings; • Temporary contract, reviewable when London’s weather gets its act together;

• Unpaid position.

Apply to: Sandra@tubetalk.com.

Then I had a thought…

I already have something in my life that pretty much ticks all these boxes. The Tube! I know by now my readers are thinking that I must have a strange fetish with this means of public transport, but a year and a half into being an expat in London I really think that this relationship is working.

Ok so the Tube isn’t seasonal, but I guess I can manage an all year-round boyfriend.

He is definitely available mornings and evenings for snuggles – in fact he is available all day for snuggles.

Temporary contract? Well, no one is making me ride the tube everyday.

And unpaid… well, that bit isn’t true. Mr Tubey does take a good chunk of my paycheck each month.

So worth it.

After considering all the pros and cons, maybe a winter boyfriend is not the solution. Why advertise when the Tube fulfils all the essential criteria.

He can keep me nice and warm in the colder months, he is there for me every two minutes or so, and I don’t have to listen to him chew with his mouth open or watch boring TV shows he loves and I hate.

Girls, take it from me. The Tube is your salvation this spring. He is cuddly, fast, impressive and smart.

Just what every girl wants.

Get More UK Life

AustralianTimes.co.uk/uk-life

Food & Wine | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Coffee Cult visits

Salvation Jane in Old Street

By Alex Ivett Never has an event been so anticipated in London’s history.

No, Coffee Cult is not talking about Thatcher’s funeral, but the 19°C day that had been predicted for last Sunday.

Ever since weather announcers shared the news with the gleeful delight of a small child diving headfirst into a vat of fairy floss, Londoners everywhere spent the week checking and rechecking their I-phone weather apps with religious devotion. Reassuring themselves that no, it wasn’t in fact some government conspiracy to distract us all from attending ‘celebration parties’ in Trafalgar Square but instead a genuine, real, legitimate, double digit degree day. One deserving of a different type of celebration party – in a park, outside, in the fresh spring air. Dare I say it, possibly even

without a coat.

It was approached with the hyped enthusiasm of teenagers hanging out for the latest instalment of the Twilight Saga. All London conversations suddenly started with the words, “have you heard about Sunday?” Murmurs of sunshine, and spring, and BBQ plans were held in hushed tones across the city. As if announcing it loudly would scare it away and we’d be forever doomed to a Narnia style never-ending winter.

It is therefore safe to say Coffee Cult awoke on Sunday with a sense of anticipation. Not least because of the possible opportunity the day would bring to turn our translucent skin a slightly less reflective shade of white, but also because it heralded another keenly anticipated event – a visit to Salvation Jane in Old Street.

The Craic & Connection Salvation Jane is the big sister to Fitzrovia’s Lantana – a fellow Australian owned cafe also named after an iconic Australian weed (sensing a theme?). It’s much bigger than Lantana – 65 seats in fact. All of which are empty when I arrive at what appears to be the unusual brunching time of 9.30am. At least there is very loud hip-hop blaring through the speakers to keep me occupied.

Once it fills up Salvation Jane is a lovely space – a big wooden share table dominating the light-filled room, jugs of flowers decorating the tables and a giant wall decal of a climbing plant. With the sun streaming through the windows from the courtyard, it was not a bad place to kick off the day now known as the official start of London’s spring.

The Crucials Coffee – excellent. What would you expect from the people who also run Lantana? They know what they’re doing in that respect. Breakfast similarly lived up to all expectations, with corn cakes, crème fraiche, avocado and bacon proving reliably consistent with the same offering on Lantana’s menu.

However it was the big Portobello mushrooms with thick crispy wedges of polenta, a perfectly poached egg and topped with goat’s cheese that really impressed. Even better than a standard breakfast done well is a breakfast you would never think

to make for yourself. It was an unexpectedly perfect combination of flavours.

And, talking of perfect, no visit to Salvation Jane would be complete without a Cherry Ripe slice. For any Aussie desperate for a taste of home, these thick, juicy cherry treats with a crunchy biscuit base are a must.

The Conclusion Like a 19°C day in London, Salvation Jane is worth getting excited about. Great coffee, excellent breakfasts and deliciously decadent treats, all in a warm, bright and open space. The only other place you might want to be on a sunny

Serving up salmon chris’s

kitchen

> CHRIS ARKadieff

Salmon blinis have long been considered a posh way of serving smoked salmon, and are often a dish you would only find in a restaurant.

However, this yeast based pancake is actually very simple to make.

The focus for this recipe will be the flavours of the buckwheat flour and acidic crème fraiche, which brings out the smokiness of the salmon.

Traditionally the dish is served with caviar. However I have added my own touch of caramelized spiced walnuts which is kinder on the bank balance.

Freshly shaved radishes and crisp celery sticks create a perfect sharing platter.

What you need Blinis • 55g buckwheat flour • 140g strong white flour • ¾ tsp table salt • 7g dried yeast • 165ml crème fraiche • 190ml whole milk • 2 large eggs separated • 40g butter

• Take a large bowl and sift in the buckwheat flour, plain flour and salt. Add the yeast.

• Lightly heat the milk and crème fraiche together to 32 °C • Add the egg yolks to the milk mixture and whisk well. Add to the flour mixture.

• Whisk well until a thick batter is formed.

• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and pierce a few holes. Place the bowl in a warm area of the house for one hour.

• Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the batter.

• Place the smallest non-stick pan you have on a medium heat. Add a few small knobs of butter.

• Once the butter is melted add a tablespoon of batter to the pan.

Allow the blinis to cook for 1 minute and then add a small spoonful on top of the first blini.

This will give your blinis body that will settle once cooked.

Salvation Jane Unit 2, 1 Oliver’s Yard 55 City Rd. EC1Y1HQ

CHEF DE PARTIES AND ABOVE

Spiced walnuts • 4 tsp honey • ½ tsp cayenne pepper • 120g roasted walnuts • Pinch of salt To serve • 2 small radishes thinly sliced • 3 sticks of celery

What to do

morning is a celebration party in a park – and you can always go there afterwards.

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Cold smoked salmon with buckwheat blinis, crème fraiche and spiced walnuts • Turn the blinis after 2 minutes.

Cook for 1 minute further.

• Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Spiced walnuts • Take a small pan and add the honey.

Heat gently until the honey becomes runny and add the walnuts.

• Add the cayenne pepper, salt and mix well.

• Remove and place on a plate to cool.

• Arrange the blinis, salmon and compliments on a large board for serving. Enjoy.

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8 | Entertainment

What’s On The Jezabels 20 April @Sebright Arms Chet Faker 21 May @Sebright Arms

16 - 22 April 2013

Let the teasing begin n

Ahead of her performances at the London Burlesque Festival in May, Miss Strawberry Siren, a highly acclaimed cabaret artist from Australia, is proving that when it comes to burlesque, there are no rules.

Xavier Rudd 24 June @Koko Tame Impala 25 June @ Hammersmith Apollo Kate Miller-Heidke 3 July @The Islington Flume 4 July @Heaven Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite 16 July @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds 26 - 28 October 2013 @Hammersmith Apollo

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

See what we are following this week on

Margaret Thatcher @rickygervais8 Apr Some people are in a frenzy over the hashtag #nowthatchersdead. It’s “Now Thatcher’s dead”. Not, “Now that Cher’s dead” JustSayin’ @Harry_Styles RIP Baroness Thatcher .x @Halcruttenden3h Can we bring country back together by getting ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ to number one next week? A wonderfully camp resolution. #DingDong @Charles_HRH Dear BBC, please can you add Justin Bieber and One Direction to your censored list as one finds them extremely offensive. #dingdong @Queen_UK Mr Clegg says Mrs Thatcher “drew the lines on the political map”. He’s hoping to do the colouring in though. He’s good at that. @Lord_Sugar Baroness Thatcher in the 80’s kicked started the entrepreneurial revolution that allowed chirpy chappies to succeed and not just the elite

Follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

By Thomas Jones The 7th annual London Burlesque Festival showcases the best teasers from around the world.

Burlesque is all about delayed gratification. The artists are masters of seducing, tempting and teasing audiences with their bodies… every inch of them. From 10-19 May, audiences will be treated to an abundance of flesh, revealed ever so slowly, for what has become the largest international burlesque festival.

Miss Strawberry Siren is an award winning burlesque artist from Melbourne, Australia. Described

as the Tarantino of Burlesque, she is sexy and dangerous, and is performing as part of the festival.

For Miss Siren, burlesque represents more than an adults-only cabaret show. It also highlights the beauty, variety and power of the female form, liberating women and allowing them to enjoy their bodies.

“I love that it celebrates the female form in all it’s different shapes and sizes and allows the performer to be themselves and express their sexuality, in a safe and supportive environment,” Miss Siren tells Australian Times.

“There are no rules on what you should look like, what you should wear or how much you should take off. But there must be an element of tease!”

Miss Siren first came across burlesque in her early 20s, when she was involved in the alternative pin-up scene. Her success as a burlesque artist has seen her crowned Miss Burlesque Victoria and Miss Burlesque Australia – Entertainer of the Year.

Performing in circus, theatre and dance since she was 11, Miss Siren is a highly

skilled artist, and she draws upon all these diverse strings to her bow during her burlesque performances.

Previous shows include ‘I heart NYC’, a solo neo burlesque performance paying tribute to the big apple, and ‘The 8 of King Henry VIII’, a burlesque tale of the Tudor wives and mistresses.

So what can Londoners expect from her?

“I’m actually bringing two childhood characters to life in two performances at the festival. It’s always fun to dress up and be a sexy version of characters you love and look up to. I will also be bringing some of my circus skills to the stage to help spice things up a bit.”

On top of performing, Miss Siren also teaches classes in burlesque, covering everything from the business of burlesque to the tease itself. For our readers, she offered a tip to help introduce a little bit more sexuality into your everyday.

“I only own sexy lingerie, that way I can never leave the house wearing daggy underwear. It’s the little

details in burlesque that are easy to introduce into everyday life and they can make a big difference.”

Following her performance at the London Burlesque Festival, Strawberry Siren will head back home to compete for the title of Miss Burlesque Australia and then hit the road with the Australian Burlesque Festival.

Tickets are still available for Strawberry Siren’s performance at the Opening Gala International Extravaganza on 18 May 2013. The London Burlesque Festival runs from 10 – 19 May. For further information visit londonburlesquefest.com

All Australian chamber orchestra to perform at Australia House Established in 2011, Ruthless Jabiru is comprised entirely of professional Australian musicians based in the UK. Held under the official patronage of Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, the orchestra is committed to showcasing the best of Australia’s expatriate musical talent.

Tipped to become a forerunner in the city’s chamber orchestral scene, Ruthless Jabiru has received recognition from international programmers, producers, arts industry executives, Australian diplomats, and the cultural remit of Buckingham Palace.

West Australian Kelly Lovelady, the company’s Artistic Director and Ruthless Jabiru at City of London Festival 2011 (c) Eleni Xintaras

Travel idea

Combine Bilbao BBK Live with Pamps

Principal Conductor, is passionate about Ruthless Jabiru’s potential to succeed in the UK orchestral industry.

“My goal is to connect and strengthen the network of professional Australian musicians living in the UK. There’s an extraordinary amount of artistry and expertise amassed, and with so much common ground between us, it’s a great foundation for an ensemble.

“The Australian High Commission has been so supportive of the orchestra’s development. It will be a real honour to have the chance to present this event in partnership with the Government of Western Australia, my home state,” said Ms Lovelady.

The concept for the evening, a showcase of top Australian wine and orchestra, came about after several meetings between Ms Lovelady and Agent-General, Kevin Skipworth.

“There is a significant number of West Australian musicians living and working in the UK. London is a magnet for musical talent, so our musicians are operating in

Kelly Lovelady, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Ruthless Jabiru. (c) Eleni Xintaras

a very competitive market. I am always amazed at their passion and willingness to put in the hard yards to break into the industry,” said Mr Skipworth.

“Having an all-Australian chamber orchestra in the UK is a fantastic initiative. I am pleased that we are able to support Kelly and Ruthless Jabiru in hosting a concert in the magnificent Exhibition Hall at Australia House.”

Ruthless Jabiru will perform works for string orchestra by Australian and American composers: Brett Dean Carlo, John Adams Shaker Loops, and the world premiere of the orchestra’s first commission, by

Ruthless Jabiru at City of London Festival 2011 (c) Eleni Xintaras

Australian composer and producer Leah Kardos.

Tickets to Ruthless Jabiru at Australia House on 9 May 2013 are available for £30 per person to be paid in cash on the night. To attend please RSVP with the full names of all guests to wine@wago. co.uk. Further information can found at the orchestra’s website www. ruthlessjabiru.com.

n

If you are thinking of hitting up Pamplona this year for the Running of the Bulls, double down on the summer fun.

BILBAO BBK LIVE is northern Spain’s premier music festival and an easy add-on for Pamps travellers who also partial to a bit of rock with their sangria.

Taking place this year from the 11 to 13 July, this year’s edition of BBK features headliners Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon and Green Day plus Fatboy Slim, Biffy Clyro, Mark Lanegan Band, The Hives, alt-j, Klaxons, Soulwax, Two Door Cine Club and many more.

Bilbao BBK Live takes place on top of a hill and surrounded by mountains, offering spectacular views over the gorgeous Basque capital, Bilbao. Its proximity to the city and

beach and a very Spanish late start of bands, allow festivalgoers to make the most of this event and the unique setting, just an hour’s drive from Pamplona.

Bilbao is a modern city famous for its architecture, museums and gastronomy, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from some of the best waves in Europe too.

Above all, BBK a fuss free festival and has an amazing price tag of just £85 + booking fee for a three-day ticket including camping.

Some of the major Pamplona tour operators such as PPTravel.com and Contiki.com even offer combined Pamps + BBK deals.

For more info and to book tickets to Bilbao BBK Live, go to Bilbaobbklive.com/2013/en/ or check out Facebook.com/bilbaobbklive.uk Also enter the competition to win tickets on AustralianTimes.co.uk.

10 | Travel

16 - 22 April 2013

n

Waterfalls are one of nature’s most amazing wonders. This list brings you the world’s best waterfalls – whether you’re swimming in pools at the bottom, or hiking to the top to admire from afar.

Pipiwai Trail, Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii

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Along the Hana Highway (or “Road to Hana” as it is commonly called) there are countless picturesque spots, including Mokulau and Honomanu Bay. On the southeastern side of Maui, just off Route 330, visitors will find the Pools of ‘Ohe’o, commonly known as the Seven Sacred Pools.

One of the most popular attractions in East Maui, the gulch is a string of pools and waterfalls that are easily accessed for swimming, cliff jumping, and people-watching.

While the Seven Sacred Pools is beautiful, continuing on the Pipiwai Trail for 1.8 miles into Haleakala National Park is truly rewarding. First, you’ll come across the Falls at Makahiku, which plunge almost 200 feet (60 meters). If you continue on, the hike culminates at Waimoku Falls which drops more than 400 feet (121 meters) above you. The trail is maintained by National Park Service, so it is relatively well-traversed and you will most likely pass other people while on the hike.

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Travel | 11

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Karlovac County, Croatia

Plitvicka jezera, Mario Romulic & Dražen Stojcic from Croatian Tourism Board

Plitvice Lakes is Croatia’s best known national park and the only natural spot among Croatia’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. Located in the mountainous area of central Croatia, just off the border of Bosnia and Herzegonia, the park is comprised of 16 interconnected lakes between two mountains.

The entire park, with its network of paths, provides ample hiking and water features. However, Veliki Slap (the Big Waterfall) seems to be a particular draw for visitors. Located in the Lower Lakes area of the park, the Veliki Slap falls 255 feet (78 meters). Although there are viewing platforms at the bottom of the falls, there are also stairs that you can climb to the top of the waterfall as well as a tunnel where you get to look down upon the waterfall.

Aber Falls, Snowdoin National Park, Wales, UK TOPDECK

Picturesque Aber Falls in Snowdonia National Park located in the northwest corner of Wales makes many people’s top five list of amazing waterfalls. At 3559 feet (1085 meters), it is the highest mountain in Wales and England and the national park’s rolling hills provide fantastic views of Snowdonia, Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Pembrokeshire and even Ireland if you reach the summit.

This hike is just a short 2 miles walk from the car park, but can also be the first half of a 4.5 mile circle if you’d prefer to not walk in and out the same way. Aber Falls is 115 feet tall (35 meters) and although the pool at its bottom is swimmable, it should be noted that the water is very cold, even in the summer months.

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La Fortuna Falls, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica Whenever waterfalls or hiking is mentioned, Costa Rica often comes to mind since the small country is rich with natural spectacles and rainforest. The waterfall hike to La Fortuna Falls, located just inside Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica, is particularly special.

Situated in the shadow of Arenal Volcano, an active volcano which is presently in a resting stage, the trail to the falls can be completed on foot or on horseback. Along the hike, visitors pass through both pasture and rainforest with toucans, monkeys, and other rainforest inhabitants often spotted along the route. It is only a short trip from the trail head to the falls, which plummet 200 feet (62 meters) to a swimmable pool below.

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12 | Travel Whether you’re looking for a hike to burn off a few Mai Tais or a full-day trip to a UNESCO World Heritage site, VirtualTourist.com has hundreds of reviews and travel tips by real travelers who’ve actually been on the trails and photographed the scenery.

Check out more suggestions at www. virtualtourist.com.

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AustralianTimes.co.uk/travel

16 - 22 April 2013

Reef National Park, Utah With the number of hikes available in Utah, it’s a tough assignment to choose only one, but we were assured that Lower Calf Creek Falls at Capitol Reef National Park is a great bet. At 6 miles round trip, it is the longest of the hikes on the list, but the geological and archeological points of interest along the hike make it well worth the longer journey. While the hike doesn’t have much elevation change, the trail is quite sandy so it can be a bit more strenuous than a normal flat walk.

Calf Creek provides a greater variety of vegetation than other parts of the park, so the trail is a great spot for bird watching - hummingbirds, downy woodpeckers, golden eagles, and mourning doves can all be commonly seen in the area. Upon reaching Lower Calf Creek Falls, you can marvel at the way it has carved into the rocks above before falling 126 feet (38 meters) into the pool below. Swimming is allowed and encouraged so don’t forget to wear a swimsuit or bring a change of clothes for after taking a dip.

* Lower Calf Creek Falls at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, Courtesy of VirtualTourist member goodfish

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Professional Life | 13

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Top up, your way n

Dollar Review

Aussie tanks on commodities sell-off and China data

In a competitive working environment it

By Saskia Johnston is important to continue your professional THE Australian Dollar opened the education and keep your skills up to week with sharp declines following weaker than expected Chinese growth date. Here are three ways to fulfil your data and a bloodbath in commodity stocks. development needs.

While the Aussie currency traded in

> SEPI ROSHAN

Sometimes being a professional feels like being a top up phone.

You use your knowledge credits and every so often, you have to top up again to stay on top of your game. Whether you are moving countries, starting a business or moving into leadership positions, there is always something new to learn. Many professions now make it mandatory for their members to maintain continuing professional education and keep their skills up to date. Our brains continue to develop throughout our lives and feeding it with the right skills and experiences can help your career.

Like many of my friends, when I finished university I thought that I had finally reached the font of knowledge. I was ready to take that last vital sip from the font, then sit back and relax. Yet, to make the most of any career or professional life it has become increasingly important to develop and build our knowledge base. Whether you are running your own business, leading teams or getting ready to move into any leadership position, start looking at ways you can build on your strengths and top up your knowledge.

Technical skills are now the baseline for anyone wanting to excel in their professional life. The changing nature of work means that softer skills, such as emotional intelligence, self awareness and leadership skills are becoming more important. There are many options for making sure that you stay in the game. Before you embark on your development venture, determine what it is you want to get out of it.

Here are just three ways you can fulfil your development needs.

Go bespoke

If you wish to work on specific development areas, bespoke sessions could be your best bet. Bespoke development can be tailored to either confidential one-on-one or group sessions. Coaching, development and training consultants can sit down with you and develop programmes that

Open access training courses

There are many training and development companies and organisations which provide structured courses to anyone who books. These courses are generally held for groups and can be either face to face or online. Some courses result in accreditation of some sort. Many employers provide their employees with face to face and online courses, either from external or internal suppliers, to keep them skilled up. Employees should try to make the most of these courses. Courses can run from one hour, to weeks or months.

Degrees and diplomas

a range of 1.459 to 1.465 to the Pound during the previous week, on Monday it dropped through the 1.47 mark.

China’s growth rate tumbled to 7.7% in the first three months of the

has caused much volatility in the Australasia area.

Looking at the week ahead, investors will be monitoring reaction to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s minutes of Tuesday’s monthly meeting and looking for further clues on their interest rate policy.

In The Wall Street Journal, James Glynn said: “Economists said the sharp drop in the Australian Dollar underscored once again the country’s hyper-sensitivity to events in China, with some arguing it raises the likelihood of a further interest rate cut this year.”

Exchange rates GBP/AUD: 1.470 EUR/AUD: 1.254 USD/AUD: 1.041 NZD/AUD: 1.227 10:20 GMT, 15 April 2013

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.

If you are looking for additional degrees or diplomas, you can try colleges and universities. This is generally the more formal option and many courses have specific entry requirements.

Do your research and find out which institutions provide the qualifications, quality of education and support you want. You might even be able to get funding. Many professionals decide to undertake MBAs to hone their business skills.

We have collated a list of the top five MBA schools in the UK: • London Business School • University of Cambridge: Judge Business School • University of Oxford: Said Business School • Warwick Business School • Manchester Business School Professional lives and careers are ever evolving. To grow and be the best at what you do, find new ways to develop both your technical and softer skills. Learning should be fun so find the right fit for you and your learning style.

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year, down from 7.9% in the previous quarter. This caused substantial weakness in the Aussie, China being the nation’s biggest export market.

The Aussie’s strong run has been further moderated since the release of declining commodity prices as well as disappointing US Figures.

Commodity figures released on Friday showed gold has hit a 20 month low and Brent Crude Oil also hit a nine month low. In addition, US retail sales disappointed by falling 0.4% in March.

Market participants will be looking out for any news regarding the shrinking spread between US and Japanese bond yields.

After Japan announced its new radical monetary policy it

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14 | Sport

16 - 22 April 2013

Try your hand at tag rugby with his free taster session

Free taster sessions offered at venues across London, including Hyde Park THE spring weather has well and truly arrived in London, with temperatures consistently reaching double digits. It’s a perfect time to get out and participate in a free tag rugby taster session taking place at a number of locations across London and Reading.

These free tag rugby taster sessions are a great chance for new players to give tag rugby a go before deciding whether to sign up to a league or one day event.

The taster sessions are open to players of all abilities and rugby experience levels (Rugby League, Rugby Union, Touch Rugby etc), including complete rugby novices who want to give tag rugby a go.

Each session will start with an introduction, a briefing on the basic rules of tag rugby, followed by some tag rugby specific drills. Players will then get the chance to play a game of tag rugby. All sessions will be taken by an experienced, friendly and welcoming try tag rugby competition supervisor, referee or representative player who will be able to answer any tag rugby specific questions you may have.

Free taster sessions will be taking place at the following venues: Reading (15 April), Hyde Park (16 April),

Southfields (17 April), Shoreditch Park (18 April), Balham (23 April) and East London RFC (23 April).

Meanwhile, Try Tag Rugby’s early summer competitions commence in just two weeks time. Competitions kick off from 29 April onwards at 15 venues across London and Reading.

The competitions cater for all standards of players with divisions including beginner, intermediate, A grade and for the ultra competitive, super league.

Leagues are taking place at Acton, Balham, Borough, Canada Water, East London RFC, Finsbury Park, Fulham, Highbury, Hoxton, London Bridge (beach court), Reading, Richmond, Shoreditch Park, Southfields (Wimbledon Park) and Wandsworth Town.

With a large number of teams returning from their winter breaks and a significant number of new teams expected to join, many venues will fill up quickly. Don’t leave registering until the last minute or your team may miss out.

Great Scott will win more majors, says Norman

ADAM SCOTT can win more golf majors than any other Australian, Greg Norman believes, after he smashed the country’s 77-year Masters hoodoo.

Scott paid tribute to childhood idol and close friend Norman when he ended decades of near-misses and heartbreak on Sunday by becoming the first Australian to don the Masters green jacket with a play-off victory over 2009 champion Angel Cabrera.

“It’s amazing that it’s come down to me today,” Scott said after snaring his first major title at age 32.

“But it was one guy who inspired a nation of golfers and that’s Greg Norman.

“He’s been incredible to me and all the young golfers in Australia.

“He’s given me so much time and inspiration and belief and I drew on that a lot today. Part of this definitely belongs to him.”

Norman, three-times the heartbreak story at the Masters, was so nervous watching the final round unfold that he went to the gym as the leaders made the turn.

He was elated when Scott proved wrong doubters who claimed he was too nice a guy to win the big ones and would never recover from his British Open meltdown last July.

But never afraid of the big call, Norman insisted Scott - who will climb to an equal-career-high world No.3 behind Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy - could now surpass Peter Thomson’s five majors.

“I think he’ll go on and win more majors than any other Australian golfer,”

said two-time major champion Norman.

“Everybody questioned whether he could do it. We all knew it. The players know it.

“I think he is a better driver of the golf ball than I ever was. Nobody gives him that recognition.

“I have been a huge believer in Adam and I am so proud of him.”

Showing nerves of steel, Scott became an instant national hero when he nailed the winning birdie putt from four metres in near darkness, to beat 43-year-old Cabrera at the second extra hole on a rain-soaked Augusta National.

Earlier, Scott had screamed “c’mon Aussie” when he holed a seven-metre birdie putt on the last hole of regulation play to shoot a closing three-under-par 69 and grab the clubhouse lead at nineunder 279.

But the steely Cabrera drilled his approach shot to within a metre of the hole and matched Scott’s birdie to tie him with a 70 as he eyed a third major title, and the first Masters win by a grandfather.

Scott became the 10th Australian to win a men’s major, the first since Geoff Ogilvy in the 2006 US Open.

It was sweet redemption after he surrendered a four-shot lead with four holes to play last year at Royal Lytham, where he was runner-up to Ernie Els. “I found my way today,” said Scott.

“It seems a long way away from a couple of years ago here and even last July when I was trying to win another major.”

Before the win, Australians had finished second outright or joint second

eight times, including Scott’s tie for second two years ago with fellow Queenslander Jason Day - who himself led by two strokes on Sunday with three holes to play.

Scott said he’d done his best to shut out the weight of star-crossed Australian history at Augusta.

“The thing I did well out there was just stay right where I was, wherever it was on the golf course. I stayed in that one shot,” he said.

“We (Australians) like to think we’re the best at everything. Golf is a big sport at home, and this is the one thing in golf we hadn’t been able to achieve. It’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Australian to win.”

By Ben Everill at Augusta, USA

Shaun Higgins’ AFL career in jeopardy over injury Shaun Higgins (AAP image/David Crosling)

...continued from p16 Shaun’s rehabilitation,” said Bulldogs official Andrew McKenzie.

“Shaun is a resilient character and will leave no stone unturned in his recovery from this set-back.”

Higgins also had a foot injury during the pre-season.

A navicular bone injury prematurely ended the career of Geelong defender Matthew Egan.

The playing career of Essendon coach James Hird was also in jeopardy during the late `90s because of a navicular stress fracture.

The `Dogs have paid a heavy price for the Richmond loss, with Tory

If you would like to register for a Try Tag Rugby free taster session or early summer competition, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details.

N W O D B U R

E H T Go mammoth

Greg Norman (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Round 3

By Will Denton

I’m gonna call it; we are amidst quite possibly the most dramatic, controversial and peculiar start to a footy season in living memory.

There’s a myriad of sub plots to cover, but the biggest soap opera of all is the Essendon Football Club. Currently under investigation for being a bit naughty in trying to attain that ‘winning edge’, it came out merely hours before the huge clash with Freo, that James Hird was also alleged to have been involved in the whole syringy/ whatever it takes thing. Apparently the supplements used were pig’s brain, first milk of a cow and tree bark.

Now, two things spring to mind.

Either he was trying to concoct some sort of medieval spell to ward off Ross Lyon’s game plan, or it’s actually the secret to his supreme boyish looks. Judging from the fact he lives in Melbourne and he is rocking the best April tan of all time, I’m thinking the latter.

The actual game of footy was a beauty with, unbelievably, the Bombers winning by less than a kick. The Dockers will rue a series of missed opportunities to snatch the game at the death, but obviously Essendon’s involvement in the Dark Arts prevented this. By the way, anyone got any Eye of Newt? I’m just asking for a mate.

North Melbourne hosted the Swans down in North Antarctica and had sniff for a half before being totally blown away by the premiers. Second and Third gears is all that was required.

West Coast didn’t even bother to start the engine for Melbourne, thankful for Essendon taking the heat

Dickson and Easton Wood also injured.

Dickson is out of action for eight weeks after rupturing a lateral ligament in his left ankle.

He was due to undergo surgery on Monday night.

Wood limped off with a hamstring injury in the first term of the match and scans have revealed a tear, meaning he is out of action for at least three weeks.

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off them for generally failing at life.

Amazingly the Dees managed to string two solid quarters together.

The only were down by 10 at the big break. But as sure as night follows day, Benny Hill music reigned in the second half and the Demons went on to lose by just less than 100 points. They even got clapped off!

Well, guess it’s something.

Carlton. Still winless after the Cats took care of them and suddenly Mick’s wolves are starting to twitch in their slumber - watch this space.

Brisbane held off the Suns in the Q clash, certainly wasn’t easy though.

J Brown had to pull out the ‘let us win or I’ll smash ya’ approach.

Jeff Kennett is nowhere to be seen after the Hawks dismantled the Pies, with Buddy adding a few extra dollars to his salary for next season.

Port looked sensational in the Showdown, as did AAMI stadium filled with real people.

The Power are undefeated, along with the mighty Tigers! Focus now shifts towards Collingwood and a decade of Yellow and Black revenge may yet be unleashed.

Sport | 15

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Sweeping changes at Melbourne Rebels ...continued from p16

of former Wallabies halfback Luke Burgess while retired Rebels and Test halfback Sam Cordingley was appointed to a newly-created role of rugby general manager.

The Rebels have only won two matches from eight so far this season; missing their third last weekend in heartbreaking fashion thanks to a drop goal after the siren by the Southern Kings.

They have also had off-field strife resulting in the indefinite suspension of

Wallabies five-eighth Kurtley Beale.

In 2012, Hill’s first year as head coach, they won four games to finish 13th overall.

While Hill said he had the desire to continue the journey in Melbourne, he was yet to make a final decision on his future.

It is believed Hill is waiting to see how the handover of the Rebels ownership by major shareholder, media buyer Harold Mitchell, to the Australian Rugby Union plays out.

“The players and the whole organisation have worked very hard to date and there’s a lot more to do,”

Hill told AAP. “We lost around 700 caps of combined Super and Test rugby with the roster changes for this year so we knew there were going to be challenges.

“However we’re injecting youth for the long-term development of the club.

“We continue to build in certain areas but we let ourselves down in others and that’s why the performances aren’t leading to those wins.

“Some of that has to do with experience, some with working

Cadel Evans: Is it still there in his head? ...continued from p16 target the three-week Italian Grand Tour.

But after starting this season with a third place at the Tour of Oman, the Australian cycling legend has struggled in European races.

Illness severely hit his form last year and, while he is healthy again, Evans is yet to regain top form.

Peiper, a pioneering Australian professional cyclist in the 1980s, is now an experienced team director.

He joined BMC this year in a new role as performance director and strongly backs Evans to bounce back.

“I don’t think the big question is ‘can he win it?’ - I think the big question is ‘is it still there in his head?’,” Peiper told AAP. “You can understand - you’ve won the Tour, you’ve been world champion, you’ve achieved most of the things you want to do.

“The big challenge is stepping up again.

“I don’t believe it’s his health or his age or any of those things - I just believe it’s his will to want to win.”

Peiper notes that Evans showed some of his best form in 2010, the last time he did the Giro-Tour double.

But he also had shocking luck that year, falling ill during the Giro and then suffering an elbow fracture during the Tour.

Evans briefly led the two Grand Tours and finished fifth overall in the Giro.

BMC team director John Lelangue pitched the idea to Evans last month.

“He did the Giro and came out of that in really great shape for the Tour de France,” Peiper said of 2010.

“Sometimes you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can certainly take him around the block a different way.

“Sometimes to change things, it brings

a whole new energy.

“He seems to be in good shape and good spirits.”

Peiper also dismissed Evans’ age as a factor.

Evans was already one of the oldest Tour winners when he became the first Australian to achieve the feat two years ago.

“A rider of 36 isn’t getting any better, but we’re not talking about an average rider, we’re talking about Cadel Evans,” Peiper said.

Peiper points out that Evans came to road cycling later than most of his rivals and has a formidable depth of natural talent.

“We’ll see how it goes, but it seems to be a good plan - especially on what he did in 2010,” Peiper said.

“Amazing things can happen sometimes.”

By Roger Vaughan

Aussie rules gets social

By Mat Lyons Hayley McKenzie and Steve Murnane may be expatriate Australians from vastly different backgrounds, but they share one strong common link: their love for Aussie rules football.

For McKenzie, footy is in her blood. She grew up on AFL in a male dominated Wagga Wagga household, where both her father and brother were local stars. She would spend weekends cheering on her beloved Carlton Blues, and playing in the Queensland Women’s League, where she carved out a reputation of her own as a sharp-shooting, prolific goal kicker. However, her arrival in the UK to pursue her teaching career seemingly signalled the end of her playing opportunities.

Similarly, Murnane thought his sporting days were numbered as he entered his late thirties. Having spent 11 years in the UK as an accountant, and with his glory days as a fine rugby player behind him, Murnane turned to the ‘Social Sport’ scene. The veteran relished his opportunity to turn back the clock, when he was invited to join Kanga Footy, London’s premier Mixed Touch Football League.

“The younger players are slightly quicker than me these days and keep you on your toes”, he told Australian Times.

“But in social footy competitions such as Kanga, everyone can excel.

It’s a level playing field and age

harder with our core skills and decision making.”

He was philosophical about his contract not being automatically extended.

“It’s best for the business that they test the market; it’s just the way of business,” Hill said.

“The results at the moment, while we’ve had a lot of change in the playing ranks, we’re only two from eight.

“We could very easily be four from eight but the reality is that we’re not, so there’s pressure on everybody.”

Hill will remain in control of the

Rebels for their remaining nine games, starting with the daunting task of taking on the Crusaders in Christchurch following a bye weekend.

“We’ve just got to make sure we manage the process the best we can, that the distraction is minimal because the focus of the team remains unified,” Hill said.

The club intends to advertise the head coach position within Australian and internationally while they are yet to finalise an interim replacement for Boland.

By Melissa Woods in Melbourne

Cadel Evans (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

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isn’t really a factor.

“The great thing is we get fit, meet some cool Aussies and play the best game in the world, here in London”, added McKenzie.

Clapham Common lights up every Wednesday evening throughout spring and summer with the Kanga Footy League. With over 100 regular players, it has proven a popular and competitive format for players like McKenzie and Murnane to play their beloved sport against players of all abilities.

“I get a real buzz from playing against the AFL London boys and my family back home is always ringing to find out how I played,” said McKenzie, ahead of the new season, which kicks off next week.

Kanga Footy’s adapted rules include no tackling, which enables

players to participate with reduced risk of injury and allows a facedpaced style of game which is both fun and inclusive.

One rule which McKenzie has found particularly favourable is that females score 9-point ‘Super Goals’. In 2012, she was awarded the League’s ‘Golden Boot’ prize for scoring the most goals in the competition.

“My team use this rule to our advantage, as they always look for me in the forward line”, she said.

“It often means that I have the chance to be the match winner, and it’s great to let the boys know all about it at the pub afterward.”

To join a team see www.kangafooty.com.

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ANZAC TEST IS A WELCOME BREAK n

Lining up for the Kangaroos against the Kiwis this Friday gives the Cronulla and NSW Origin captain some respite from his already torrid league season.

By David Barbeler in Canberra REPRESENTATIVE footy has always been a welcome outlet for Paul Gallen.

Perhaps never more so than this season.

The Cronulla skipper has seen four senior staff members sacked and has led his side to just two wins from six games after his club became embroiled in an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority drugs probe.

But the 31-year-old NSW State of Origin captain will get a week away from the controversy for the next five days at least while he prepares for the Anzac Test at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

When asked if the chance to be a part of a different side for a while had come as a welcome distraction, Gallen replied: “Yes and no”.

“It’s not going to make anything go away so we’re still dealing with it,” he said.

Paul Gallen (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

“For me, in 2009, 10 and 11 when things weren’t going that well at Cronulla it’s been a big plus for me and something I really look forward to and to be back here again is something that I’m really happy with.”

Gallen said he was never worried that what was happening off-field at Cronulla would affect his performance and thus his chances of playing for the Kangaroos again.

“I’ve done the job for Australia in the past and the coach and selectors have been happy with me and I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’ve been playing this year,” he said.

“Early on it was a bit hard but the last three or four weeks have been ok.”

The Kiwis have failed to win a one-off fixture against the Kangaroos since 1998 and their hopes of ending their 15-year drought have been hindered by the loss of Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall to injury.

However Gallen said he won’t be underestimating the current Rugby League World Cup holders.

“We’ve got to give them the utmost respect,” he said.

“Guys who are going to come into their spot are going to be enthusiastic and want to prove a point, and if they possibly can, keep that spot, so we’re going to have to be on our game.”

Meanwhile, Kangaroos halfback Cooper Cronk says players from both sides will be trying to nail down a spot for the Rugby League World Cup at the end of the year.

“First and foremost is getting a result and representing the jersey in the right spirit and playing well,” Cronk said.

“But you always have it in the back of your mind that it is a World Cup (year) and everyone wants to be a part of it but it only fits a certain amount of players.”

Evans’ Tour chances receive strong backing

CADEL EVANS can win the Tour de France again, according to fellow Australian and long-time cycling expert Allan Peiper.

Evans was set to start his revamped racing schedule on Tuesday in the four-day Giro del Trentino, an important build-up race to next month’s Giro d’Italia (Tour of Italy).

The BMC team raised eyebrows on Easter Saturday when they announced Evans had added the Giro d’Italia to his schedule.

The Tour de France remains Evans’ top objective and it is unusual for an overall contender in that race to also ...continued on p15

‘Dogs lose Higgins for AFL season WESTERN BULLDOGS forward Shaun Higgins will miss the rest of the AFL season with a foot injury.

It is a massive blow to the Bulldogs, who are reeling from Sunday’s 67-point loss to Richmond.

Higgins suffered the fracture to the navicular bone in his left foot during the match and will undergo surgery this week.

“The nature of navicular injuries means we’ll obviously take full caution with how we approach

GREAT SCOTT

Masters champ can win more, says Greg Norman | P14 AT LAST: Queensland’s Adam Scott became the first Aussie to win the US Masters, on Sunday. (AAP Library Image/Tracey Nearmy)

...continued on p14

Rebels coach asked to re-apply for his job

EMBATTLED Melbourne Rebels coach Damien Hill has been asked to re-apply for his Super Rugby position with his contract up at the end of the season - but he’s no certainty to do so.

Sweeping changes are afoot at the struggling club with the resignation on Monday of chief executive Steve Boland, who will finish up at the end of the month after 18 months in the role following his elevation from deputy CEO. The club also confirmed the signing ...continued on p15