Three posts in one day!! Armidale is getting exciting!
We're off shortly to a live performance of the musical Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street. We're not short of culture in the form of theatre, musicals, chamber music, symphony concerts, and the last night of the Proms (creating down under an almost exact replica of the famous Albert Hall event) - not to mention fine art events.
Sweeney Todd is the second musical in town this year, with the other being Joseph and his Multicolour Dreamcoat. The latter was excellent for an amateur rendition and the reviews of tonight's performance have been very good.
We might be 500 km from a large city where such events are common, but it's great to see the locals taking up the challenge. We even have a sort of Glyndebourne nearby! Once a year there members of the Australian Opera turn up to a farm near Inverell (about 130km from here) for "Opera in the Paddock". We've never been, but might go next year to sit under the stars and listen to Mozart and Verdi among others. The event has its own web page: http://www.operainthepaddock.com.au/ , and it's cheap with tickets costing A$50 (a little over 20 GBP).
Postscript:
Sweeney Todd was very well done and enthusiastically received by the large audience. The plot is unbelievably gory, as you'd find out from a quick look at the internet. Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics are atmospheric and a long way from the schmalz of Andrew LLoyd Webber. The Armidale Playhouse Inc, who do the productions, announced that the next musical will be Titanic. This opened on April 23, 1997 on Broadway and ran for 804 performances. I suppose an on-stage representation of the Titanic's sinking is little different to staging the final Act of Götterdämmerung at Bayreuth. There the Rhine floods and drowns the villain and the Rhinemaidens reclaim the 'ring'.
AS
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Shopping Centre
In what must be a first for any town in the world of about 24,000 people, Armidale has just opened its third indoor shopping mall, which houses a very large (by UK standards) Woolworths supermarket, an even larger Big W variety store, and another 23 specialty shops.
The town now has 4 large supermarkets - which is absurd - and the area of the whole shopping centre appears to be about half the size of Plymouth's - which seems ridiculous. We now appear to have a branch of most Australian chain retailers and, to use another metaphor, Armidale is now a temple to consumption.
AS
The town now has 4 large supermarkets - which is absurd - and the area of the whole shopping centre appears to be about half the size of Plymouth's - which seems ridiculous. We now appear to have a branch of most Australian chain retailers and, to use another metaphor, Armidale is now a temple to consumption.
AS
Chocolate Shop
When one is busy important events slip past unnoticed. Dot and I were walking in town today and entered a part we rarely visit except whizzing by in a car. And there was a 'new' shop selling had-made chocolates and various pates. Well, we discovered it had been there since June.
The place was run by a former Parisian and imported among other Belgian chocolates. So, we splurged out on 12 different pieces at A$1.75 each (or about 77p for the POMS). I suppose Armidale might be attractive for Parisian as the central mall is a bit like the Elysian Fields (Champs Elysees) with all its pavement cafes with umbrellas. The only things missing at either end are something resembling the Arc de Triomphe, which is not likely to be fixed for a while, and the Louvre - although we have arguably the best art gallery in regional Australia.
AS
The place was run by a former Parisian and imported among other Belgian chocolates. So, we splurged out on 12 different pieces at A$1.75 each (or about 77p for the POMS). I suppose Armidale might be attractive for Parisian as the central mall is a bit like the Elysian Fields (Champs Elysees) with all its pavement cafes with umbrellas. The only things missing at either end are something resembling the Arc de Triomphe, which is not likely to be fixed for a while, and the Louvre - although we have arguably the best art gallery in regional Australia.
AS
Monday, 12 November 2007
Ben Lomond Station
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Australia has an open gardens scheme and most weekends in Spring see one or two gardens open in any region. New England is no exception, and yesterday we visited an excellent garden at Ben Lomond Station.
Ben Lomond is obviously named after its Scottish counterpart, and indeed there is a Ben Lomond Mountain. It's altogether higher than the original, coming in at 1520m (5000 feet). Although Ben Lomond village has a railway station (disused, but the highest in Australia), the word 'station' means a large grazing property. Originally, Ben Lomond Station was a massive 300,000 acres (136,000 ha.), but now it's smaller.
One other bit of information: the open gardens are not at all like those found at UK's stately homes. Usually they are simply well-maintained and designed gardens around ordinary houses in town or out in the country. Ben Lomond is 60 km north of Armidale in the middle of nowhere, and the house, while nice, was nowhere near a stately home!
The garden was one of the best we've seen. The owners had managed to maintain acres of flawless lawn (easier at Ben Lomond because it has a wet climate and low temperatures (unsurprising even in Australia at nearly 5000 feet). Then owners over the last 150 years had planted lots of grand trees, many from Europe including Oak, Ash, Elms, and Linden. There was also lots of pine trees, including the Monterey Pine.
Scattered among the tall trees were lots of flower beds, including masses of Rhododendrons and interesting ground covers.
AS
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Electioneering Australian Style
We're in the throes of a general election campaign that has been going on for nearly 9 months. The official campaign is 6 weeks long and we're half-way though that, which is suprising given that Commonwealth Parliaments last a maximum of three years.
This has been among the nastiest of campaigns, reaching new heights of dishonesty, slagging opponents, and bribery. It's enough to turn anyone off the concept of democracy and the thought of joining any political party. The problem is that an ageing and very tired government with a history of deceit and numerous incompetent ministers is desperate to hang on to office and affronted that the electorate might turn away from a government presiding over Australia's greatest economic success in about 120 years.
Unfortunately for them, the electorate isn't inclined to show gratitude. The polls this year have consistently shown a landslide to the Australian Labor (sic) Party rejuvenated by Kevin Rudd and campaigning under the slogan Kevin07. He's difficult to attack as he's a Blair substitute: articulate; professional wife; Christian credentials; centre of the road; promising to keep the good ship Australia on a steady course. His would-be ministers are accident-prone, but that matters less in a contest dominated by leaders, ground chosen by the incredibly narcissistic Howard. It's clear by now that his entire career is dominated by compulsion to win and gain office and letting nothing stand in his way. That served well in imposing discipline on a previously fractious Liberal party, but it is not working when the world is moving on, policy imperatives are changing and he's trapped in the past.
So we're regaled with daily exaggerations and absurdities, the most priceless of which is the story that the ALP front bench is inexperienced. Of course it would be after 11 years in opposition, but if one believed this crap the opposition should never win power and we'd be better off with a one-party state. The Liberals have made promises totalling perhaps $25 billion, matched for the mostpart by the ALP. The showering of dollars seems to have left the electorate underwhelmed once it was realised that the Liberals had been hoarding cash for the purpose and was bribing voters with their own money. In effect they had been grossly over-taxed!!
And so it goes on. No wonder that politicians are despised worse than used-car or insurance salesmen or real estate agents. Laws regarding honesty in advertising do not apply to them, which is just as well for their bank balances given the litany of untruths.
Thus, I'm going to vote independent yet again. Our region is the heartland of independents - there is no representative of the three major parties at either the Federal or State level. Armidale is served by two good acquaintances of mine, both with honour, integrity, and a record of acheivement. For this reason, Richard Torbay (State) reaps an 80% two-party preferred vote and the highest majority of any politican in Australia; Tony Windsor (Federal) gets about 70%. If you're not represented by an independent you should try the experience. They live on their ability to serve people well and can weigh up issues free of party hacks. Richard is a businessman and former mayor of Lebanese background. His daughter is the belly-dancer admired by Max. Tony is a farmer.
Stop press: the latest opinion poll has the ALP on about 54% and the Liberals on 46% and going backwards.
AS
This has been among the nastiest of campaigns, reaching new heights of dishonesty, slagging opponents, and bribery. It's enough to turn anyone off the concept of democracy and the thought of joining any political party. The problem is that an ageing and very tired government with a history of deceit and numerous incompetent ministers is desperate to hang on to office and affronted that the electorate might turn away from a government presiding over Australia's greatest economic success in about 120 years.
Unfortunately for them, the electorate isn't inclined to show gratitude. The polls this year have consistently shown a landslide to the Australian Labor (sic) Party rejuvenated by Kevin Rudd and campaigning under the slogan Kevin07. He's difficult to attack as he's a Blair substitute: articulate; professional wife; Christian credentials; centre of the road; promising to keep the good ship Australia on a steady course. His would-be ministers are accident-prone, but that matters less in a contest dominated by leaders, ground chosen by the incredibly narcissistic Howard. It's clear by now that his entire career is dominated by compulsion to win and gain office and letting nothing stand in his way. That served well in imposing discipline on a previously fractious Liberal party, but it is not working when the world is moving on, policy imperatives are changing and he's trapped in the past.
So we're regaled with daily exaggerations and absurdities, the most priceless of which is the story that the ALP front bench is inexperienced. Of course it would be after 11 years in opposition, but if one believed this crap the opposition should never win power and we'd be better off with a one-party state. The Liberals have made promises totalling perhaps $25 billion, matched for the mostpart by the ALP. The showering of dollars seems to have left the electorate underwhelmed once it was realised that the Liberals had been hoarding cash for the purpose and was bribing voters with their own money. In effect they had been grossly over-taxed!!
And so it goes on. No wonder that politicians are despised worse than used-car or insurance salesmen or real estate agents. Laws regarding honesty in advertising do not apply to them, which is just as well for their bank balances given the litany of untruths.
Thus, I'm going to vote independent yet again. Our region is the heartland of independents - there is no representative of the three major parties at either the Federal or State level. Armidale is served by two good acquaintances of mine, both with honour, integrity, and a record of acheivement. For this reason, Richard Torbay (State) reaps an 80% two-party preferred vote and the highest majority of any politican in Australia; Tony Windsor (Federal) gets about 70%. If you're not represented by an independent you should try the experience. They live on their ability to serve people well and can weigh up issues free of party hacks. Richard is a businessman and former mayor of Lebanese background. His daughter is the belly-dancer admired by Max. Tony is a farmer.
Stop press: the latest opinion poll has the ALP on about 54% and the Liberals on 46% and going backwards.
AS
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Surprise Event
Sometimes stunning events occur unheralded, and one was today. Well, it was unherladed for me but I suppose there was advance warning in the local rag.
Dot and I went grocery shopping early and found, when we reached the town centre that streets had been cordoned off and the place was crawling with uniformed soldiers. My first thoughts were that Osama bin Laden might have put in an appearance, or perhaps the fruitcake in charge of North Korea had threatened to nuke Armidale. But why Armidale?
Then I started putting two and two together to make five. Two days ago we saw on television a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade. It wasn't the charge near Sebastopol in the Crimea, which was something of a flop to put it mildly, but a second and highly successful charge at Beersheba in what was then Palestine (in 1917). This charge, involving the 12th Light Horse Regiment (based at Armidale and Tamworth, but including troops from all over New England) was 5 miles long. The greatly out-numbered Australian troops captured Beersheba from the Turks and ultimately that led to the rout of Turkey from Palestine. It is thought to be the last such charge in military history and certainly one of Australia's greatest victories. The light horsemen had no heavy weapons - just rifles.
Anyway, the 30th October was the 90th anniversary of the charge and the re-enactment. amidst great celebration, was in Israel at Beersheba itself and Australian army personnel and veterans went over to ride borrowed horses in another charge on the city. And today, in Armidale, the 12th / 16th Hunter River Lancers - the successors to 12th light horse - exercised their right of freedom of entry to the City of Armidale. This tradition goes back to Charles II in 1660. The event was a great spectacle. The parade was lead by one of Australia's best military bands from Brisbane with lots of marching tunes; the line of armoured vehcles was maybe a mile long (and some dated back many years); the Mayor in scarlet robes and gold chain took the salute; there was a running commentary on the significance of this and that; lots of dignitaries (including my friend the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor); and there were lots of old soldiers marching, some in light horse uniforms.
All in all, it was a spectacular free show commemorating a spectacular event in which locals were the participants. There was one jarring note. There wasn't a horse in sight! And then we recalled that our region has an outbreak of horse 'flu and their movement from one district to another is banned. Oh well! There will be another parade in 10 years to celebrate the centenary.
AS
Dot and I went grocery shopping early and found, when we reached the town centre that streets had been cordoned off and the place was crawling with uniformed soldiers. My first thoughts were that Osama bin Laden might have put in an appearance, or perhaps the fruitcake in charge of North Korea had threatened to nuke Armidale. But why Armidale?
Then I started putting two and two together to make five. Two days ago we saw on television a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade. It wasn't the charge near Sebastopol in the Crimea, which was something of a flop to put it mildly, but a second and highly successful charge at Beersheba in what was then Palestine (in 1917). This charge, involving the 12th Light Horse Regiment (based at Armidale and Tamworth, but including troops from all over New England) was 5 miles long. The greatly out-numbered Australian troops captured Beersheba from the Turks and ultimately that led to the rout of Turkey from Palestine. It is thought to be the last such charge in military history and certainly one of Australia's greatest victories. The light horsemen had no heavy weapons - just rifles.
Anyway, the 30th October was the 90th anniversary of the charge and the re-enactment. amidst great celebration, was in Israel at Beersheba itself and Australian army personnel and veterans went over to ride borrowed horses in another charge on the city. And today, in Armidale, the 12th / 16th Hunter River Lancers - the successors to 12th light horse - exercised their right of freedom of entry to the City of Armidale. This tradition goes back to Charles II in 1660. The event was a great spectacle. The parade was lead by one of Australia's best military bands from Brisbane with lots of marching tunes; the line of armoured vehcles was maybe a mile long (and some dated back many years); the Mayor in scarlet robes and gold chain took the salute; there was a running commentary on the significance of this and that; lots of dignitaries (including my friend the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor); and there were lots of old soldiers marching, some in light horse uniforms.
All in all, it was a spectacular free show commemorating a spectacular event in which locals were the participants. There was one jarring note. There wasn't a horse in sight! And then we recalled that our region has an outbreak of horse 'flu and their movement from one district to another is banned. Oh well! There will be another parade in 10 years to celebrate the centenary.
AS
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