THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY GUIDE The Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and has taken place every four years since then (with the exception of 1942 and 1946 which were cancelled due to World War II). The Commonwealth Games were known as the British Empire Games from 1930-1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 19541966 and British Commonwealth Games from 1970-1974. Although there are 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 71 teams participate in the Commonwealth Games, as a number of dependent countries compete under their own flags. The four home nations of the United-Kingdom--England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland--also send separate teams. Nine nations have hosted the Commonwealth Games. 18 cities in seven countries have hosted the event. Australia has hosted four Commonwealth Games (1938, 1962, 1982, 2006) and will host for the fifth time in 2018. A sporting competition bringing together the members of the British Empire was first proposed by John Astley Cooper in 1891 when he wrote an Article in The Times newspaper suggesting a “Pan Britannic-Pan Anglican contest and festival every four years as a means of increasing goodwill and good understanding of the British Empire”. In 1911, the Festival of the Empire was held at The Crystal Palace in London to celebrate the coronation of George V. As part of the Festival of the Empire, an Inter-Empire Championships was held in which teams from Australasia, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom competed in athletics, boxing, wrestling and swimming events. The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This event was the first to bear the current day name of the Commonwealth Games and also marked a new high as almost 1,500 athletes from 46 countries took part. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest of New Zealand‟s sporting contacts with apartheid-era South Africa, as well as Uganda, in protest of alleged Canadian hostility towards the government of Idi Amin. The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Forty-six nations participated in the Brisbane Games with a new record of 1,583 athletes and 571 officials. As hosts, Australia headed the medal table leading the way ahead of England, Canada, Scotland and New Zealand respectively. Zimbabwe made it‟s first appearance at the Games, having earlier competed as Southern Rhodesia and as part of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia. Over 4000 athletes took part in 281 events across 17 sports. For the first time in the history of the Games the Queen‟s Baton visited every single Commonwealth nation and territory taking part in the Games, a journey of 180,000 km. The final medal tally was lead by the host Australia, followed by England and Canada.
Queen‟s Baton Relay The Queen‟s Baton Relay, is a relay around the world held prior the the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, currently Queen Elizabeth II. The relay traditionally begins at Buckingham Palace in London as a part of the city‟s Commonwealth Day festivities. The Queen entrusts the baton to the first relay runner. Bilston St./Garrick St. The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay passes through Wolverhampton At the Opening Ceremony of the Games, the final before the 2002 Commonwealth Games in relay runner hands the baton back to the Queen Manchester. Photo by Annette Randle or her representative, who reads the message aloud to officially open the Games. The relay was introduced at 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. Up until, and including, the 1994 Games, the relay only went through England and the host nation. The relay for the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was the first to travel to other nations of the Commonwealth. The Goldcoast 2018 Queen‟s Baton Relay is set to be the longest in Commonwealth Games history. Covering 230,000 km over 388 days, the baton will makes it‟s way through the six Commonwealth regions of Africa, the America‟s, the Carribean, Europe, Asia and Oceania. For the first time, the Queen‟s baton was presented at the Commonwealth Youth Games during it‟s sixth edition in 2017 which were held in Nassau, Bahamas.
Youth Games The Commonwealth Youth Games is an international multi-sport event organized by the Commonwealth Games Federation. The games are held every four years with the current Commonwealth Games format. The Commonwealth Games Federation discussed the idea of a Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games in 1997. In 1998 the concept was agreed on for the purpose of providing a Commonwealth multi-sport event for young people born in the calendar year 1986 or later. The first version was held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 10 to 14 August 2000. The age limitation of the athletes is 14 to 18.
Paraplegic Games The Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth Countries. Athletes were generally those with spinal injuries or polio. The event was first held in 1962 and disestablished in 1974. Athletes with a disability were then first included in exhibition events at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, and, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England they were included as full members of their national teams, making them the first fully inclusive international multi-sport games
Athletes of the 1962 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games Photo by Unknown - Daphne Ceeney/Australian Paralympic Committee
Images used in accordance with Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
STREET ART IN TOWNSVILLE A PHOTOGRAPHERS TOUR Townsville City Council recognises Street Art as an important factor in creating a vibrant and lively city centre. Contributing to placemaking and urban living transformation, Street Art delivers considerable benefits for the city and its residents. Commissioned pieces by world-renowned artists and local talents such as ROA, HAHA, Fintan Magee, Lee Harnden, Kennie Deaner, Roberto Ciredz, Tellas, Leans, Adnate, Garth Jankovic, Nicky Bidju-Pryor, Beastman, Baby Guerrilla, and the RUN Collective Street Art is a must-see when visiting Townsville. The Street Art City Walking Trail: 2018 edition is available in PDF from Townsville councils website and is designed to make it easy for you to discover Townsville‟s growing Street Art collection as you navigate the city‟s streets. Head into the city centre for the biggest concentration of pieces, you‟ll also be able to see some of the larger murals in the outer suburbs.
Fintan Magee The Tower 2014. Located at City Walk Townsville Grab your camera and don‟t miss the massive murals covering the car park behind a suburban skate shop. If you‟re prepared to make the effort, you‟ll be rewarded with some amazing local talent and might even cross paths with other artistic wanderers. The city‟s Street Art scene is constantly evolving, so keep your eyes peeled for new works.
On the left of the page is a portion of the map provided by the city council with a list of the artists provided below. This map can be picked up at your local council Tourist information center, ferry and bus terminals or you can download the map in PDF from the Townsville City Council website https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/29377/Street-Art-CBDwalking-trail_SML.pdf
ACKOWLEGMENTS: Townsville city council.
Author: FR. March 2018
ORANGE SKY LAUNDRY COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Many of us have seen it as we go about our daily lives. Maybe you have experienced it yourself, or know of a family that has. Maybe you smelt it at the supermarket, or came across it when you shared a public bus seat with a stranger. Talking about this issue is something that is avoided too often, so let us clean up the confusion and acknowledge the people behind this important issue, because „Homelessness‟ shouldn‟t be a dirty word. Many Australians take having adquate access to showering and washing facilities for granted. Whereas, being homeless may mean having no access or limited access to these facilities. Homelessness poses many more difficulties than simply having a fresh and crisp pair of jeans to wear – yet, it is important to recognise that each of these difficulties may affect each other. As a case study of how homelessness issue can complicate each other, having no access to showering facilities or a washing machine may result in hygiene and health complications, which could lead to substance abuse for symptomatic treatment of pain, which may reduce the available resources for fresh and safe food, which may result in further health complication.
“I had a dream I stood beneath an orange sky, with my brother standing by.” – Songwriter Alexi Murdoch While not all circumstances of homelessness are as dire as our case study, you can see how quickly these issues build up to work against our homeless friends being able to reconnect with the community in a positive way. For example, individuals in our community tend to avoid looking beyond „the drunkard‟ they percieve with their eyes, to understand that this could be a homeless friend struggling to self-manage pain relief. Some people tend to avoid thinking about the root issues surrounding homelessness, and also tend to avoid the homeless individual because his or her clothes are unclean. This tendency to avoid, disconnects our community and leaves many of our homeless friends feeling rejected and dejected, within a system that neither supports nor values them. Too long, have our homeless friends been ignored or perceived negatively, treated poorly, and edged towards being disconnected from the rest of our community…
Orange Sky Laundry (“OSL”) is one organisation which acknowledges this negative cycle. OSL aims to break this cycle, through encouraging individuals in our communites to: Connect with our homeless friends, to treat them well, and to percieve homelessness in a different way. With a particular emphasis on young people, this wonderful organisation‟s vision is a community where those experiencing homelessness are not ignored and treated like the proverbial elephant in the room; are percieved in a positve way; and, are treated well. The hope is that this change in attitudes will bring us to a point where our homeless friends are able to connect with the rest of the community in a positive way. The story of OSL began in 2014, when two 20-year-old mates in a garage somewhere in Brisbane came up with the idea of visiting public parks to wash and dry clothes for free. The Founders credit their inspiration for naming OSL, to a song by Alexi Murdoch which acknowledges the value of helping your brothers and sisters. Now facilitated by more than 1000 volunteers, OSL has expanded to 20 services across Australia and generates over six tonnes of laundry each week. Most importantly, OSL volunteers have engaged in more than 100,000 hours of conversations to date, helping to dispel myths about homelessness and positively connect communities all around Australia.
Townsville is expected to be the next location to receive an OSL hybrid laundry van. While we have already missed the previous projected arrival date of February, OSL has already raised more than $100,00 in donations. With approximately $40,000 more to be raised, before the van can finish being constructed, our homeless friends can begin to look forward to improved access to these basic facilities. With a bit of generosity and good will from Townsville‟s community, we will soon see this wonderful organisation offering its services in Townsville. To find out more, to donate, or volunteer to this worthy cause, please contact (07) 3062 4811 or email at info@orangesky.org.au or direct mail to P.O. Box 3207 NEWMARKET QLD 4051. ACKNOWLEGMENTS: Author: M.D., 8 Mar ch, 2018. Orange Sky Laundry logo, Orange Sky Laundry Australia. Orange Sky Stories book front cover, Orange Sky Laundry Australia. Image of homeless man (modified and edited), acquired attribution free CC-0.
MOVIE REVIEW FANTASY MOVIES Guardians of the Galaxy: This film was released in 2017, and I would like to give this film a 4/5 star rating for this film as this movie has a nice twist that I enjoyed. I particularly approved of the start. As you will see the gang helping a race of beings that are under threat by a creature that threatens their way of life. This movie is rated PG-13+ and is targeted to those 13 years and older. I would not recommend peopling that is 70 or older as they might not have an interest in this kind of film. The carst of this film are Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell, Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone, Elizabeth Debicki, Gregg Henry, Seth Green, Ving Rhames and many more. Some music you might like which are Mr Blue Sky, Father and Son, Flash Light, Brandy (you‟re a fine Girl), Fox on the Run and the Guardians Inferno. War of the Planet of the Apes: This film starts off in a lush green rain forest, where a group of soldiers are in formation traveling deeper into the forest, they have nick names on some of their helmets, and getting closer to the enemy they have been looking for they soon realise that they may have gone too far. The Stars of this great film are Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, and Steve Zahn, my opinion is that they could not have chosen a more grate cast and it was truly amazing to see thaws actors working together and came to make a fantastic film that keeps you interested throw out the entirety of the movie, And a ending you will never see coming. I give this film a 4/5 star rating. This movie is rated M 15+
Spider-Man Homecoming: Is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It starts off with a little of a reminder of Captain America Civil War, showing glimpses of the fight Between the Avengers Vision, Black Widow, Clint, Ion Man, Captain America, and the other hero‟s from other films such as the Black Panther, Ant Man and other grate hero‟s. This film go‟s on about Peter Parker trying to get approval from his mentor Tony Stark. The incident that makes Tony Question his decision about letting Peter into The Avengers, is a situation between a group of people that are trying to sell alien Technology to thugs, but Peter try‟s to stop it but in the proses ends up putting many other innocent people‟s lives at risk. Tony takes back the suit that he gave to Peter. Peter feels that he has failed but try‟s his best to get his approval once again. I give this film a 5/5 star rating. This movie is rated M 15+.
MOVIE RELEASES ACTION FANTASY AND COMEDY The Avengers Infinity Wars: the Avengers after being torn up from Captain America Civil War join up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to face the forces of Thanos. What will happen, will the Avengers and there new allies be enough to overcome this new enemy or will they be defeated and lose all that they love? This film will be Starring Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Benedict Cumberbatch. This film will be in th cinemas on the 25 of April 2018.
Rampage: this film starring Dwayne Johnson shows the story of Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) raising a silverback gorilla from birth. All is well until an experiment gone wrong ends up turning this gentle ape into an enormous ape with tendencyâ€&#x;s to lash out. It also seems that there are other animals that have gone under the same experiment, which had the same outcome, so not only are there a thirty foot ape there is also a thirty foot wolf and crocodile. How will this fantastic film play out? Will Davis Okoye be able to find a cure in time for his friend or will it be too late. This film will be released on 12th of April.
Super Troopers 2: the same cast from the first funny film comes back to deliver us a sequel, In this film the guys are faced with a US/Canada border dispute, will there be funny antics performed by the funny gang or will it be more series as the dispute is solved, only one way to find out. This film will be in cinemas from 19 April 2018.
APRIL GAME RELEASE PILLARS OF ETERNITY TWO: DEADFIRE
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is an upcoming role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment, published by Versus Evil and distributed by THQ Nordic. Unlike its sequel 2015‟s Pillars of Eternity, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire if played from a more isometric perspective. It will have immersive dynamic weather and a living, breathing world. Both returning and new companions will be available, depending on the choice made by the player/s upon playing the game. Like its sequel Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire is recommended to any age group with the understanding of the basics involved with RPG (Role Playing Game), so this include ages 10 and above. In the past Pillars of Eternity has only been exclusive to PC, but with so many people getting or upgrading to console gaming has made the people at Obsidian make a new and improved version of Pillars of Eternity. The people at Obsidian are so confident about Pillars of Eternity 2 that they had this to say: “At Obsidian, we are all about stories, worlds, and characters and in Deadfire we‟ve done it again with a vast open world explorable by the player‟s own customisable ship, character customisation with enough options to make any RPG player want to make a hundred characters, and an exciting narrative that truly delivers on the reactivity that makes our games special. We‟re confident that new and returning players will find Deadfire to be the RPG experience of the year,” Urquhart said. The Standard Edition just contains the base game for $49.99. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game and soundtrack, as well as “an in-game pet, a Deadfire themed special in-game item, and many more items” for a very reasonable price of $59.99. If you can fork out $74.99 you can get the digital Obsidian Edition which includes everything from the Deluxe Edition, plus the first three DLC expansions. If none of the above tickled your fancy well then maybe this will. The physical Obsidian Edition will set u back $79.99 but it has the added bonus of a “cloth map” of the Deadfire region, an Explores notepad and a set of postcards that render the Deadfire Archipelago in beautiful detail. The final release date for Pillars of Eternity will be on the 03/04/2018. So on that day I will see you on the battlefields of Eternity my fellow thrill seeking adventures.
ROLE PLAY GAMES HISTORY DUNGONS AND DRAGONS The history of role-playing games goes way back into the decades, but the first ever RPG to hit the shelves was D&D. Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It was first published in 1974 by tactical Studios Rules. The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997. It was derived from miniature war games with a variation of Chainmail serving as the initial rule system. D&D‟s publication is commonly recognised as the beginning of modern roleplaying games and the role-playing game industry. Dungeons & Dragons is a structured yet open-ended role-playing game, which is usually played indoors with participants seated around a tabletop or hard surface. Each player controls only a single character, which represents an individual in a fictional setting. When working together as a group, these player characters are often described as a “party” of adventurers, with each member often having their own area of speciality which contributes to the success of the whole “party”. During the course of play, each player directs the actions of their character and their interactions with other character in the game. This activity is performed through the verbal impersonation of the characters by the players. The game often continues of a series of meetings to complete a single adventure, and longer into a series of related gaming adventure, often called “campaigns”. The only items required to play the game are the rulebooks, a character sheet for each player, and a number of polyhedral dice. Many players also use a miniature figure on a grid map as a visual aid, particularly during combat. Many optional accessories are available to enhance the game, such as expansion rulebooks, pre-designed adventures and various campaign settings. During the game players describe their PC‟s intended actions, such as punching an opponent or even picking a lock, then their converse with the DM (Dungeon Master), who then describes the result or response. The outcomes of more complex or risky actions are determined by rolling dice. As the game is played, each PC changes over time and generally increases in capability. Characters gain or even lose experience, skills and wealth, and may even alter their alignment or gain additional character classes. The DM can either design or follow one of the many pre-made adventures that have been published throughout the history of D&D. the locations where these adventures occur include: cities, country, planet or an entire fictional universe. To this day you are still able to buy D&D but due to its rarity it is hard to find as it is significant to collectors, such as myself.
GARDENING TOWNSVILLE PLANTING GUIDE FOR MARCH IN TOWNSVILLE
Cauliflower (brassica oleracea var. botrytus botrytus) Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C. Space plants: 60 - 100 cm apart Harvest in 15-22 weeks. Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile) Avoid growing close to Climbing beans, tomato, peppers (chilli, capsicum), eggplant, strawberry and mustard
Large leafed cabbage-like with a white 'curd' or flower forming in the centre. It can be hard to grow successfully. More frost sensitive than most brassicas, it's also not particularly heat tolerant. They tend to fail if stressed when transplanting. Watch for cabbage white butterfly. Grow better in cooler temperatures. Not suitable for warm areas. Break a leaf over the head to prevent the curd becoming discoloured Cauliflower can be steamed. Young ones can be broken into small pieces and added raw to salad. Cook briefly and add to curry mix. Traditionally served with cheese sauce. Add tomato slices for colour. Growing Celery (Apium sp.)
Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 12°C and 21°C. Space plants: 15 - 30 cm apart Harvest in 17-18 weeks. Compatible with (can grow beside): Not applicable as celery needs to be close together to encourage blanching. Avoid growing close to: Sweetcorn
Most varieties improve with blanching but there are some self-blanching varieties available. To Blanch: plant in trenches 15- 20 cm (6-8 in) deep and 20cm (8in) apart. Leave about 40 cm (17 in) between rows. Fill the trenches gradually and keep well watered as the plants grow. The plants can be lifted as needed after about 11 weeks. Alternatively wrap the plants in sleeves of paper or black plastic. Celery needs moist fertile soil. Chop and use raw in salad or braised in hot dishes.
Growing Cucumber (cucumis satavis) •
Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. Space plants: 40 - 60 cm apart Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Cut fruit off with scissors or sharp knife. Compatible with (can grow beside): Nasturtiums, Beans, Celery, Lettuce, Sweet Corn, Cabbages, Sunflowers, Coriander, Fennel, Dill, Sunflowers Avoid growing close to: Potato, Tomatoes
Cucumbers can be started in small peat pots then transplanted when weather is suitable. A trailing plant which will grow tendrils as it gets bigger. Lebanese cucumbers are best picked about 10 -12 cm (4 - 5 in) and eaten whole. Gherkins are usually picked 5 or 6 cm (2 - 3 in) long and pickled. They have a prickly skin. Apple cucumbers are round with a pale, almost white, smooth skin. Grow in full sun. Grow up a trellis or framework to save space and keep the fruit clean. Needs ties to support it at first. Water regularly and fertilise to encourage growth. Pick frequently before the fruit become too big. Use raw in salads, peeled if preferred. Growing Endive (Cichorium endivia)
Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 15°C and 25°C. Space plants: 20 - 30 cm apart Harvest in 10-11 weeks. Compatible with (can grow beside): beans, brassicas, carrots, cucumbers, chervil, sage. Avoid growing close to: Alliums (garlic and onions)
This is a green leafy plant which looks a bit like a crinkly lettuce. Slightly bitter taste which can enhance a salad bowl but if this is not wanted the bitterness can be removed by blanching. Blanch by tying the leaves together when a rosette begins to form or cover with a large pot for about 3 weeks. Relative of chicory Best grown in cooler months as hot weather might make it bolt to flower. Keep well watered to reduce bitterness. Water at base as water trapped inside leaves will cause rot.
Very tasty topped with grated swiss cheese and grilled for a couple of minutes to crisp up the cheese and wilt the leaves. Can use in salads additional to lettuce, but needs a flavoursome dressing if you aren't overly fond of bitterness.
FULL MOON DRUM CIRCLE RHYTHM CONNECTION
The Rhythm Connection has been an integral part of the rhythmic and cultural landscape of North Queensland since 2000 making regular appearances in numerous festivals, schools, corporate events and private celebrations. It is the driving force of what has become one of the most anticipated events in the North Queensland calendar - the Full Moon Drum Circle - held on the Saturday night closest to the night of the Full Moon since 2001 at the Strand, Townsville. Alex Salvador - Drum Circle Facilitator Alex Salvador has been playing hand drums since 1997 and has studied under various drumming teachers including internationally renowned Djembe Master –Famoudou Konaté in Guinea, West Africa. Originally from the Philippines and residing in Townsville since 1987. Alex has contributed to the growth of the drumming scene in Townsville and surrounding regions through drum circles, performance and facilitation of djembe and conga drumming workshops.
Anyone can join the group down on the strand, it starts at 6:00pm – 7:30pm and are on the following dates: 28th of April, 26th of May, 30th of June, 28th of July, 25th of August, 22nd of September, 27th of October and the 24th of
Author: FR. Mar ch 18
PUZZLES & GAMES CROSSWORD & SUDOKU
MEDIUM
HARD