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Julie Goodwin shares her top tips for perfect potatoes every time

Who doesn't love a good, hearty, delicious serving of fluffy and decadent potatoes? Original MasterChef Australia champion Julie Goodwin has shared her ultimate hacks for cooking the perfect potatoes every time, whether they’re mashed, roasted or baked. According to Julie, there are three key things every home cook needs to keep in mind the next time potatoes are on the menu. Make sure you have the right potatoes Depending on whether you want baked, mashed, roasted, or any other way you want to prepare your potatoes, it all starts in the supermarket. "I find that for things like mashed potatoes and gnocchi and rostis you want a floury potato, so the general rule is dirty potatoes for those things," Julie told <a href="https://kitchen.nine.com.au/latest/julie-goodwin-top-three-tips-to-cook-potatoes-robertson-potato-festival/4d16ba12-bf14-4af2-990e-dcf0e89c30ee">9Honey</a>. "And then for stuff like potato salads, boiled baby potatoes, and potato bake, it's better to have a waxy potato because they hold their substance better. And those are the ones that are sold clean, so things like the Pontiac and Desiree with the pink skin or the washed potatoes with the white skin." "If you want to use them in an Irish stew to break down and thicken the sauce you've got to use a floury potato," she says. "So tend to your dirty ones." She says that if you're buying a clean, waxy potato, you won't have to peel them since the skin is supposed to be edible. However, if you're buying a dirty, floury potato, then you're going to want to peel the dirt off first and then wash off the residue. Get those crispy edges As every home cook knows, the key to the perfect roasted potato is for the inside to be soft and fluffy while the outside stays crispy. It can be a tricky balance to master, but Goodwin says there's a simple way to get it right every time. "I like to par boil them before I roast them. Just so that they go a bit fluffy around the edges," she explains. "What happens is those bits go really crispy and lovely." Let the flavour flow When it comes to seasoning your potatoes, it's hard to know what flavours will suit your dish best. According to Goodwin, more is less when you season potatoes, so it's best to close the spice cabinet. "Salt is absolutely the number one, pepper's beautiful [but] it depends on what the meal is," she says. "So if you're doing a bit of a Portuguese or Spanish inspired meal you might put some paprika on there.” "But I really love rosemary and that's beautiful if you pound that up with your salt and put it on the potatoes that makes it really nice." Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

Food & Wine

Hospice nurse reveals six unexplainable "death bed phenomena"

Hospice nurse Julie McFadden has lifted the lid on six unexplainable "death bed phenomena" that occur within a person's last weeks of life. The LA-based nurse, who specialises in end of life care, explained that as a person nears the end of their life, they will experience a range of unusual things, including hallucinations, random bursts of energy and even choosing when they're going to die. McFadden once again took to her YouTube channel to educate people on what happens when you're on your death bed, detailing each of the six strange occurrences. Julie explained that patients often experienced "terminal lucidity", "hallucinations", "death stares", and more in their final weeks. She began by explaining the first wild thing that happened at the end of life was terminal lucidity, in which people get a "burst of energy" in the days before they die, sharing that it happens "very often". She said, "Just enjoy it and expect that maybe they will die soon after because that's the kicker with terminal lucidity, it looks like someone's going to die very soon then suddenly they have a burst of energy." "They maybe have a really great day, they're suddenly hungry, they're suddenly able to walk, they're suddenly very alert and oriented, and then shortly after usually a day or two they will die, so that can be the hard part if you're not ready for it, if you don't know what's coming you can think they're getting better and then they die, which can be very devastating." Julie then described how most people in their final days will encounter "death visioning" or "hallucinations", as many people describe seeing the ghosts of loved ones in their final days. "I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it for myself over and over again," the nurse admitted. "Number three, this is really crazy - people choosing when they're going to die. I have seen some extreme cases of this, people just saying, 'Tonight's when I'm going to die I know it, I can feel it,' and they do. There's also a time when people will wait for everybody to get into town or get into the room arrive at the house whatever it is and then they will die," the nurse explained. The fourth phenomena is known as the "death reach", according to Julie. She explained, "It's when the person's lying in bed and they reach up in the air like they're seeing someone or they're reaching for someone either to hug them or to shake their hands. A lot of times they'll hold their hands up for a long time, like they're seeing something that we're not seeing and they're reaching for someone that we can't see." Julie then listed "number five is the death stare," explaining that the death stare and the death reach often "go together". "It usually looks like someone is staring off into the corner of the room or the side of the room basically looking at something intently, but if you're snapping your finger in front of their face or trying to say their name to kind of snap them out of it, they won't," she said. The last wild thing the nurse has seen is known as a "shared death experience" and is "most impactful", according to Julie. She explained, "A shared death experience is when someone who is not dying feels or sees or understands what's happening to the person who is dying." "It's kind of like the dying person gives you the sensation of what they're going through. From what I experienced, it was a very good feeling. It was like the person was giving me these feelings of freedom and joy and kind of telling me that they were okay." "At the time, I was shocked, I didn't know what was happening, but I've come to find out that that's called a shared death experience." Image credits: YouTube / Instagram

Caring

Flex your sustainability skills this Plastic Free July

It’s no secret that single-use plastics are often a huge part of our lives, with grocery items and household essentials often relying on plastic for their packaging. However, if you look a little further, you’ll find that there are sustainable options out there to help curb your plastic consumption. The annual global initiative of <a href="https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/">Plastic Free July</a> is once again taking place, with over 190 countries determined to be a part of the plastic pollution solution. Plastic Free July is a great opportunity to discover more sustainable options in day to life, while also helping to save valuable dollars during the ongoing cost of living crisis. In collaboration with this international movement, <a href="https://www.brita.com.au/">BRITA</a> have shared ten valuable tips to help reduce individual plastic waste contribution in everyday life. <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Make the switch to a filtered water jug and reusable bottle instead of drinking single-use bottles of water at home or at the office. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Instead of plastic food wraps, choose alternatives such as beeswax wraps or reusable containers. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Try a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Skip the plastic straw or buy stainless steel straws to reduce dangerous plastic waste caused by used straws. Think of the turtles! </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Try out powdered laundry detergent that comes in a box instead of laundry liquid in plastic bottles. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Swap plastic bin liners for newspaper or certified compostable ones instead. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Avoiding pre-packaged foods by choosing bulk or loose food. Or, better yet, take in your own jars. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Use soap bars instead of liquid soap in plastic containers. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Use your own cutlery when ordering takeaway food, instead of relying on plastic ones. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Always consider the three R’s for a better planet – reduce, reuse, recycle! </li> </ol> Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

"Prima donna in pigtails": how Julie Andrews the child star embodied the hopes of post-war Britain

In June, the American Film Institute presented its 48th Life Achievement Award, the highest honour in American cinema, to the beloved stage-and-screen star <a href="https://www.afi.com/laa/julie-andrews/">Julie Andrews</a>. On conferring the award, the AFI praised Andrews as “a legendary actress” who “has enchanted and delighted audiences around the world with her uplifting and inspiring body of work”. As anyone who has seen Mary Poppins (1964) or The Sound of Music (1965) can attest, “uplift” is central to the <a href="https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/female-glamour-and-star-power/andrews/">Julie Andrews screen persona</a>. It is a sweetness-and-light image that is easy to lampoon. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZtTQSbl-nw/?hl=en">Andrews herself</a> is alleged to have quipped “sometimes I’m so sweet even I can’t stand it”. But it’s an element of feel-good edification that fuels much of the star’s iconic appeal. The idea of Julie Andrews as a figure of uplift has a long history. Decades before she attained global film stardom in Hollywood, Andrews enjoyed an early career as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19392397.2022.2109303">a child performer</a>. Billed as “Britain’s youngest singing star”, she performed widely on the postwar concert and variety circuit with forays into radio, gramophone recording and even early television. Possessing a precociously mature soprano voice, Andrews was widely promoted in the era as a <a href="https://paralleljulieverse.tumblr.com/post/63601790519/julies-status-as-a-juvenile-prodigy-possessed">child prodigy</a>. A 1945 BBC talent report filed when the young singer was just nine years old enthused over “this wonderful child discovery” whose “breath control, diction, and range is quite extraordinary for so young a child”. <h2>‘Infant prodigy of trills’</h2> Andrews made her professional West End debut in 1947 where she dazzled audiences with a coloratura performance of the Polonaise from Mignon. Newspapers were ablaze with stories about the “12-year-old singing prodigy with the phenomenal voice”. Reports claimed the pint-sized singer had a vocal range of over four octaves, a fully formed adult larynx and an upper <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistle_register">whistle register</a> so high dogs would be beckoned whenever she sang. On the back of such stories, Andrews was given a slew of lionising monikers: “prima donna in pigtails”, “infant prodigy of trills”, “the miracle voice” and “Britain’s juvenile coloratura”. While much of it was PR hype, the representation of Andrews as an extraordinary musical prodigy resonated deeply with postwar British audiences. The devastation of the war cast <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436946/">a long shadow</a>, and there was a keen sense a collective social rejuvenation was needed to reestablish national wellbeing. The figure of the child was pivotal to the rhetoric of postwar British reconstruction. From political calls for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0363199020945746">expanded child welfare</a> to the era’s booming <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30036327">family-oriented consumerism</a>, images of children saturated the cultural landscape, serving as a lightning rod for both <a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war">social anxieties and hopes</a>. In her status as “Britain’s youngest singing star”, Andrews chimed with these postwar discourses of child-oriented renewal. A popular myth even traced her prodigious talent to the very heart of the Blitz. Like a scene from a morale-boosting melodrama, the story claimed the young Andrews was huddled one night with family and friends in a Beckenham air raid shelter. In the middle of a communal singalong, a powerful voice suddenly materialised out of her tiny frame, astonishing all into silent delight. <h2>‘Our Julie’</h2> One of the most pointed alignments of Andrews’ juvenile stardom with a discourse of postwar British nationalism came with her appearance at the <a href="https://www.royalvarietycharity.org/royal-variety-performance/archive/detail/1948-london-palladium-">1948 Royal Command Variety Performance</a>. Appearing just two weeks after her 13th birthday, Andrews was the youngest artist ever to participate in the annual event. It generated considerable media coverage and yet another grand nickname: “command singer in pigtails”. Andrews performed a solo set at the event, and was also charged with leading the national anthem at the close. Ideals of restorative nationalism shaped Andrews’ child stardom in other ways. Much of her early repertoire was markedly British, drawn from the English classical canon and rounded out by traditional folk songs. Press reports emphasised, for all her remarkable talent, “our Julie” was still a typical English girl thoroughly unspoiled by fame. In accompanying images she would appear in idyllic scenarios of classic English childhood: playing with dolls, riding her bicycle, doing her homework. Elsewhere, commentary was rife with speculations about Andrews’ prospects as “the next <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelina_Patti">Adelina Patti</a>” or “future <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Pons">Lily Pons</a>”. The mix of nostalgia and hope helped make the young Andrews a reassuring figure in the anxious landscape of postwar Britain. <h2>All grown up</h2> Little prodigies can’t remain little forever. There lies the troubled rub for many child stars, doomed by biology to lose their principal claim to fame. In Andrews’ case, she was able to make the successful transition to adult stardom – and even greater fame – by moving country and professional register into the American stage and screen musical. Still, the themes of therapeutic uplift that defined her early child stardom would follow Julie Andrews as she graduated to become the world’s favourite singing nanny. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/prima-donna-in-pigtails-how-julie-andrews-the-child-star-embodied-the-hopes-of-post-war-britain-188363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Record listing of Kenny G's former waterfront estate

The sprawling Washington estate formerly belonging to saxophonist Kenny G has <a href="https://www.mansionglobal.com/listings/5774061-42122-re-undisclosed-98004?mod=chiclet&pos=5&page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit the market</a> for an eye-watering $US 85 million ($AU 121 or $NZ 134 million) - claiming the title of most expensive listing in the greater Seattle area. Sitting on four acres, the 1100-square metre mansion was designed by celebrity architect Richard Landry and features a “very European feel to the exterior” of sandstone and glass, according to listing agent Anna Riley. “It’s the premier address we have in Washington,” Ms Riley said. “Most properties in Hunts Point are 1 acre. This one is 4.3 acres on Lake Washington, a beautiful fresh-water lake. It’s a really rare, world-class property.” The property also boasts plenty of celebrity-worthy amenities, including a pool, a tennis court, a four-bedroom staff house, a pool cabana with changing rooms and showers, and a dock big enough to house a 150-foot yacht, a seaplane and jet skis. “It has an unrivalled dock. It’s almost like having your own marina,” Ms Riley said. Inside the home, you’ll find high ceilings with custom mouldings, a wood-panelled office, and a two-storey formal dining room that features 24-carat gold leaf ceiling details painted by hand and a hand-carved fireplace mantle. The home also features a saltwater fish tank and wet bar in the recreation room, and a marble fireplace and private balcony in the upstairs primary suite. As for views and water access, the home has nearly 100 metres of waterfront and access to a sandy beach, with views extending beyond the gardens and water features to the mountains and lake. “One of the coolest things about the property is that it has an outdoor stage and two really grand lawns,” Ms. Riley said. “You could do epic entertaining here.” “It’s an amazing property for doing charitable events and large-scale entertaining,” she added. The Careless Whisper crooner reportedly sold the home to Bruce and Jolene McCraw in 1999, four years after it was built. Images: @kennyg (Instagram) / Mansion Global

Real Estate

To scooter, or not to scooter?

<img width="117" height="100" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/41006/julie-g-aka-barbara-bindland_117x100.jpg" alt="Julie G Aka Barbara Bindland (5)" style="float: left;"/>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. So, as a senior citizen, you have finally hung up your car keys, for whatever reason. That is part of our ageing journey, one day no longer being able to drive a motor car again. What’s next? Well, the senior citizen, over-60, golden oldie, can decide to purchase an electric mobility scooter. These provide both transportation and independence to anyone with limited mobility. Scooters are a great invention, assisting their owners in performing everyday tasks, such as shopping, or running errands. Electric mobility scooters are the safest way of travelling currently in Australia, even safer than walking on a footpath! There is a variety of styles of scooters available, at a variety of prices. In Australia, the costs range from $1,400 to $8,000, depending on style, number of wheels, length of battery life, and manoeuvrability, as well as number of wheels. They have a warranty, you can have a home demonstration for a test drive, and can even have lessons! Here are some questions to consider before purchasing: <ol> <li>What and how far do you intend to travel?</li> <li>Are you only planning to use your scooter locally, or do you wish to use it on trips?</li> <li>Are there tight corners where you wish to travel?</li> <li>Where will you store your scooter?</li> <li>Do you wish to carry luggage or bags with you?</li> <li>Have you considered the cost of insurance for your scooter?</li> <li>Is your vision okay at normal walking speed?</li> </ol> Overall, electric mobility scooters are easy to operate, travel at a modest speed, and are a safe and stable mode of transport, as they are designed low to the ground. If you have a disability, or issues with walking, a power scooter helps you get around and provides you with independence. With a variety of styles available, you can find one that suits your needs, and looks good too. Finally, here is a little verse about greys on scooters to lighten your day… FREEWHEELING! What a lovely day, Look, here come the greys! Freewheeling today, On their scooters again… Skateboarding teens, yah! Look out, kids, you’re in the way! Greys toot and wave, Freewheeling today, There go the greys! Have a fun grey day! Cheers from one of the greys! Do you use a scooter? How do you find it? Let us know in the comments below.

Caring

A dystopian or utopian future? Claire G. Coleman’s new novel Enclave imagines both

I was reading Noongar author Claire G. Coleman’s third novel, <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/claire-g-coleman/enclave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enclave</a>, a few days after the US Supreme Court <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-but-for-abortion-opponents-this-is-just-the-beginning-185768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overturned</a> the Roe v Wade judgement, a political victory for a conservative project many years in the making. As Michael Bradley argues in <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/06/27/trumps-activist-supreme-court-abortion-us-christian-theocracy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his recent article in Crikey</a>, those driving this project “want to live in the America of their small imaginations: white, straight, patriarchal, Christian and mean”. Such small imaginations also inhabit the world of Enclave. Divided into two parts, the novel opens in a dystopian society just enough like our own to be disconcerting. The third-person narrative is told from the perspective of Christine, who is soon to turn 21. She has recently completed her undergraduate degree and is about to enrol in a Masters of Pure Mathematics. She has grown up in a walled town ruled by a Chairman and controlled by an Agency full of identity-less men in charcoal suits, backed up by security forces. People are led to believe that the widespread <a href="https://theconversation.com/big-brother-is-watching-how-new-technologies-are-changing-police-surveillance-115841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">camera surveillance</a> and armies of <a href="https://theconversation.com/eyes-on-the-world-drones-change-our-point-of-view-and-our-truths-143838" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drones</a> keep them safe. The world is hotter than our own, so everyone lives indoors in temperature-controlled environments. Opening a window in your own home is enough to alert the security forces. Light does not illuminate – it sneaks up, heats up, blinds and glares. It is violent and ugly bright, not unlike the “blank and pitiless” gaze from W.B. Yeats’ poem <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Second Coming</a>. Christine lives a life of seemingly immense privilege. Servants are bussed in from outside the wall each day to serve her every whim. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/algorithms-can-decide-your-marks-your-work-prospects-and-your-financial-security-how-do-you-know-theyre-fair-171590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">algorithms</a> of the Enclave’s social network anticipate and manufacture desires that are met before Christine is even aware she has them. The Safetynet’s news service feeds residents a constant stream of images of the terror, violence and chaos outside the wall, from which the Agency is protecting them. The people of the Enclave live in uncannily similar homes that all seem new – even the faux old buildings of the University. They present perfectly manicured and curated lives on Safetynet socials. The town is nominally Christian, but no one goes to church. Christine is just starting to wake up to the reality of her situation. Her family is cold and loveless. Her father is a callous and unfeeling patriarch who works for the Fund, which controls the finances of the town. He wants Christine to do the same, at least until she gets married. Her mother drinks herself numb during endless long lunches with empty women who all share the same cosmetic surgeon. She exhorts her daughter to do the same, which is both menacing and hangover-inducing. Christine’s brother Brandon, a clone of her father, is a business student preparing to work for the Fund. He is, as she suggests, a real dick. Christine is also mourning the mysterious disappearance of her best friend Jack who, in a dig at the handful of controversially well-funded programs in the Australian university system, studied in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/western-civilisation-history-teaching-has-moved-on-and-so-should-those-who-champion-it-97697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western Civilisation Studies</a> department. She is awaiting a message from him through a secret channel. It never arrives. <h2>Becoming illegal</h2> Life in the Enclave is deeply oppressive, not to mention boring. Questioning the status quo is not tolerated. The lonely, loveless and listless descriptions of Christine’s world are enervating. Although she is meant to be rather smart, Christine has a remarkable lack of curiosity – an effect, one supposes, of the world in which she is raised. But for the first time in her life, she is starting to notice that all of her servants are brown-skinned or darker. Though they move around her home silently, catering to her every need, she doesn’t know any of their names. Things come to a head when she sees for the first time that one female servant in particular is breathtakingly beautiful. She feels desires that she wasn’t aware were even possible, and kisses her. They are caught on one of the many surveillance cameras. Her family is appalled, not only because Christine is attracted to a woman, but to a dark-skinned woman. According to her father, this makes her a “dyke, race traitor, bitch”. (I was more concerned about the power dynamics between master and servant.) Christine is cut off from everything – money, accommodation, communication – and taken into custody. She thus learns that Safetown, the name of her walled Enclave, is actually a private facility, so being without support is trespass. She is, in effect, illegal. Safetown, it transpires, is one of several organisations that established walled enclaves made possible by earlier government policies and laws. It is an economic and socio-political enclave started by extremely wealthy people, to produce and sustain a homogenous society. Christine is cast into the world outside Safetown: a hellish liminal zone where sunburned white exiles, dressed in rags and living off soup kitchens, slowly go mad. In this violent and dangerous place, people survive by trapping rats and pigeons with discarded wire. This wasteland is littered with corpses, evidence of prior occupation of the land on which Safetown was built. <h2>Utopian and dystopian</h2> Coleman’s vision is both utopian and dystopian. The world of the Enclave is a dystopia created in an attempt to realise an exclusive utopian vision: a homogenous world of straight white people served by a coloured underclass. In Safetown, everyone believes themselves to be protected from the chaos and violence outside the wall. Part two reveals Safetown as the walled dystopia the reader already knows it to be. And it offers a revised postcolonial and queer utopia – a place of radical inclusivity, in the form of a more technologically advanced version of Melbourne. Buildings are covered in plants to combat climate change. Trains are free to keep cars off the road. There is a universal income. Education is free and world-class. There is no surveillance or drones. Food is multicultural and always delicious; the coffee uniformly good (in that sense, not too different from Melbourne today): <blockquote> It was like a fever dream of a civic heaven, all light and beauty and people in connection with the natural world, which appeared to be invited into all human spaces […] And everywhere there were people, men, women, people she could not determine either way, every spectrum of skin colour from darker than Sienna to lighter than her. </blockquote> Like all literary utopias, Coleman’s idealised city reminds us that change is possible if we can imagine an alternative vision that makes change worth fighting and hoping for. But the novel also falls prey to the dangers of all utopias with its ideological certainty, its lack of nuance, the totality of its vision, and its dehumanisation of those who don’t share it. Surely, I’m not the only reader who is suspicious of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-our-utopia-careful-what-you-wish-for-165314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">utopia</a> in which everyone is beautiful. And a place where everyone is happy all the time has its own sinister and coercive feel, flying in the face of the human condition as it does. Having said that, Enclave is a novel that inclines towards hope. It touches on many of the issues of our own world – the ecological crisis, the scourge of racism, Australia’s treatment of refugees, greed and the manufacture of algorithm-driven desires, our acceptance of widespread digital surveillance and stolen attention, and the refusal to adequately acknowledge prior occupation and dispossession. It also reminds us of the dangers of the othering politics of fear. Enclave’s epigraph and some of its section titles are taken from Yeats’ The Second Coming, which describes a strange alternative to the prophesised return of Jesus. The poem opens in a world spiralling into chaos where <blockquote> The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. </blockquote> The Second Coming proposes a catastrophic and apocalyptic vision for a world on the brink of self-destruction that seems all too apt for the present moment. Coleman’s novel offers us an alternative: a world in which people, in meeting the demands of the present with curiosity, courage and conviction, can bring about a more just and inclusive future. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-dystopian-or-utopian-future-claire-g-colemans-new-novel-enclave-imagines-both-182859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Goodreads

Books

Here’s what happening across New Zealand in July

Though the start of July brings with it the peak of winter’s chill and darkness, there’s still plenty to do across New Zealand this month. From Christmas festivities and a slew of top-notch films to nights of looking to the stars, here are some events you won’t want to miss. Festival of Christmas (Greytown) This month-long festival features a program of spectacular lights, night markets, workshops, parties and activities celebrating Christmas in Greytown. With all the hallmarks of a northern hemisphere Christmas, you can expect European markets, warming drinks and festive treats, the Festival of Christmas also has a distinct Kiwi flavour, with celebrations of Matariki also featured. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/xmas-festival.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Image: @greytownvillage (Instagram) This year’s theme is Gingerbread, with highlights including: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> The Great Gingerbread Hunt, where visitors can enter a competition to search for a brightly-lit eight-foot gingerbread man and go in the draw to win some amazing prizes. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Cocktails and Comedy - a rotating program of top comedians will entertain you as you enjoy a two-course dinner and Greytown Gin Cocktail. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Family Fun at Cobbletones, where you can flex your baking muscles at the Great Gingerbread Bake Off on July 9 and step back in time with A Very Victorian Christmas on July 16. </li> </ul> For more information about this year’s program, head <a href="https://www.wellingtonnz.com/experience/events/festival-of-christmas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. New Zealand International Film Festival Technically starting at the end of July, the New Zealand International Film Festival will be screening seventy feature films and four collections of short films in Auckland from July 28 until August 7 before touring the rest of the country through August. The festival will be opened by the premiere of Muru, the much-anticipated action-drama from local filmmaker Tearepa Kahi. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/nzff.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The New Zealand International Film Festival will kick off in Auckland from July 28. Image: Fire of Love (NZFF) Other titles will include films direct from Cannes, award-winners from this year’s Berlin Film Festival, and a collection of New Zealand docos and feature films. Tickets for Auckland’s sessions are available for sale from July 14, while tickets for Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin’s sessions will be available from July 15, 18, and 25. The full program of films and information about the festival can be found <a href="https://www.nziff.co.nz/nziff-2022/auckland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. The Snugs Though it might be chilly outside right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a night out - and the return of <a href="https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2022/the-snugs/auckland#when" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Snugs</a> makes it even easier. Each transparent dome is kitted out with blankets and heaters, and can seat up to six people. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/snugs.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Image: Auckland Live Plus, when you book your Snug you’ll be able to choose from a wide selection of food platters, beverage packages, and other add-ons, with a special Matariki menu available until July 13 and an exclusive Elemental AKL menu available from July 14-31. Each booking requires a minimum spend of $80 for sessions before 4pm and $130 after 4pm required. Our Night Sky: See the Sky Above Auckland and Beyond See Auckland in a new light this winter with the 360-degree display of New Zealand’s skies at Our Night Sky, the latest experience at Stardome Observatory and Planetarium. Suitable for ages 5+, the experience will take kids (and kids at heart) on an exploration of the stars, planets and the universe and even shows the placement of stars on the day you visit. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/stars-july.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Image: Stardome Observatory and Planetarium Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and bookings are essential for each show, which run Wednesday through Sunday throughout July. To find out more and book your tickets, head <a href="https://www.stardome.org.nz/movie/our-night-sky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Images: NZFF / Stardome Observatory and Planetarium

Domestic Travel

Here’s what’s happening across Australia in July

With July just starting, there is plenty to do no matter where you are in the country this month. From festivals of light and snow to public art installations and activities to take part in, here’s what’s happening across Australia this July. Illuminate Adelaide As one of the country’s newest festivals, Illuminate Adelaide is a city-wide celebration packed with art, lights, sounds, and creativity. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/adelaide-illuminate.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Lights, sounds, and immersive experiences are all on the cards at this year’s Illuminate Adelaide festival. You can even get up close to towering glowing creatures! Images: @illuminateadelaide (Instagram) Highlights of this year’s program include: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.illuminateadelaide.com/program/season-2022/base-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Base Camp</a>, a pop-attraction in Victoria Square, which boasts an ice-skating rink open day and night and Electric Playground, consisting of three immersive installations: Neon Village, SEEP, and ORBIT. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.illuminateadelaide.com/program/season-2022/light-creatures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Light Creatures</a>, where giant glowing animals take over Adelaide Zoo along with some of the zoo’s furry and feathery residents. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.illuminateadelaide.com/program/season-2022/light-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Light Cycles</a>, which sees the Adelaide Botanic Gardens transformed into an after-dark transcendent experience where technology and nature meet. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.illuminateadelaide.com/program/season-2022/digital-garden-mount-gambier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Digital Garden</a> takes over Mount Gambier’s cultural centre once again with a captivating program of installations, projections and interactive lighting created by local and international artists. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.illuminateadelaide.com/program/season-2022/lacunae/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lacunae</a>, a free art installation where a live-feed shares silhouettes and music simultaneously from different locations, meaning people across South Australia can communicate and dance with each other. </li> </ul> For a full program and information about tickets, head <a href="https://www.illuminateadelaide.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Darwin Fringe Festival The annual festival celebrating Darwin’s arts scene is returning once again this year, with ten days of theatre, cabaret and burlesque, music, art, circus and dance planned. Highlights include a free networking night for artists, roller disco in Civic Park (though it is BYO skates), a zine fair, and a slew of top-notch comedians - including a showcase of Darwin’s teen comics. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/Darwin-fringe.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The Darwin Fringe Festival lineup includes comedian Di Barkas’ show, ‘Oops’, and the roving performances at Fringes of Mindil. Images: Di Barkas (Facebook) / Darwin Fringe Festival The festival will also include a variety of night-time events, including raving performances and fire shows at Fringes of Mindil, as well as art exhibits and even installations where visitors' stories and dreams are turned into artworks. Darwin Fringe Festival runs from July 8-17, with more information available <a href="https://darwinfringe.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Mackay Festival of Arts If you’re looking to immerse yourself in art of all kinds, Mackay’s annual Festival of Arts could be perfect. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the festival program includes fan favourites such as the <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts/wisely_wine_and_food_day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisely Wine & Food Day</a>, the <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts/friends_of_the_mecc_jazz_brunch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friends of the MECC Jazz Brunch</a>, and the vibrant displays and installations at <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts/daly_bay_illuminate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daly Bay Illuminate</a>. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/mackay-festival.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> The Daly Bay Illuminate (left) and Barbaroi (right) are just two of the highlights of this year’s program. Images: @mackay_festivals (Instagram) New additions to the lineup cover everything from art to trivia, with highlights including: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts/wonder_rooms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wonder Rooms</a> - an installation of shipping containers converted into selfie museums and filled with works created by Queensland-based artists, with five rooms to discover across the Mackay region. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts/barbaroi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbaroi</a> is a performance where contemporary circus meets physical theatre, featuring acrobatics, aerials and circus acts. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts/read_the_room" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the Room</a>, a quiz show at the Ambassador Hotel that sees guests answer curly trivia questions through their phones, with panel guests then needing to guess which way the Room will swing. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <a href="https://www.hauntmackay.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Haunt Cabaret</a> - Mackay’s permanent Dinner Theatre hosts dinners with a show every Friday and Saturday night, with its current show, ‘FANTASY’, coinciding with the festival. </li> </ul> To see the full program for the Mackay Festival of Arts, head <a href="https://www.themecc.com.au/mackay-festivals/events/mackay_festivals_of_arts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Anything But Square: Under Surveillance (Melbourne) With a theme of surveillance from our devices, homes and streets, this intriguing festival will be taking over Melbourne’s Federation Square until early August, complete with a towering, eight-metre-high creepy sculpture of a head covered in giant eyes. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/surveillance.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Free film screenings and a creepy, everwatching sculpture are two features of the Anything But Square 2022 program. Images: @fed.square (Instagram) Other highlights include Dance Dystopia, a series of Friday night DJ sessions with free loaded hot chocolates and eye-themed sweets; Surveillance Film Festival with free outdoor screenings of movies catering to the whole family; Secret Workshops, with a eye-theed program including jewellery making, paint and sip classes, and embroidery. For more information about the Anything But Square: Under Surveillance program, head <a href="https://fedsquare.com/events/anything-but-square-under-surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. The Snow Festival Sydney 150 tonnes of real snow is making its way to North Sydney’s Greenwood Hotel for Snow Festival 2022. The festival also welcomes the largest ice rink the area has ever seen, with free ice skating all day and night (and coaches to show you the ropes), as well as figure skating performances and live music rink-side. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/snow-fest.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Snow, music, drinks and skates abound at North Sydney’s Snow Festival. Image: @greenwoodhotel (Instagram) On top of the wintery goodness, the festival will also include special sponsor parties, gondolas, skate-up Fireball whiskey bars, plenty of activities for the kids, free-flowing Champagne, and inflatable polar bears. To find out more or book a table, head <a href="https://greenwoodhotel.com/snow-festival/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Bicheno Beams Tasmania The family-friendly light festival is returning once again to Bicheno this winter, with not one, but two different light shows on display on alternating nights. Due to the festival’s proximity to Bicheno’s adorable penguins, the festival has adopted a silent disco approach, encouraging visitors to bring along a device to stream the soundtrack to and a pair of headphones, as well as woollies, a torch and a thermos of hot chocolate to stay warm as the night turns chilly. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/bicheno-beams.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Two light shows feature at this year’s Bicheno Beams festival. Images: @bichenobeams (Instagram) If you can’t make it down, you can still enjoy the lights from the comfort of home. Bicheno Beams will be streaming live every night from 6pm. You can find out more about Bicheno Beams <a href="https://bichenobeams.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Images: Instagram

Domestic Travel

“A night of magic and music”: Julie Andrews enjoys touching ‘Sound of Music’ reunion

Dame Julie Andrews has been awarded one of Hollywood's highest honours - bestowed on one person each year - and had a heart-warming reunion all in the same night. When the acclaimed actress received the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award in Los Angeles on Thursday, she was surprised with a sweet rendition of 'Do Re Mi' from five of the stars who played the Von Trapp children in The Sound of Music. Andrews went on to join Duane Chase (Kurt), Kym Karath (Gretl), Angela Cartwright (Brigitta), Debbie Turner (Marta), and Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich) in their performance which marked the first time the cast had performed together in over six decades. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Julie Andrews is surprised by her kids from THE SOUND OF MUSIC and joins them in a sing-a-long of ‘Do-Re-Mi’ to kick off the AFI Life Achievement Award presentation to her — what a beautiful moment! <a href="https://t.co/TZYT7UNPhr">pic.twitter.com/TZYT7UNPhr</a> — Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottFeinberg/status/1535106725946093568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> Only Charmian Carr, who played eldest sister Liesel and passed away in 2016, and Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa and died in 2017, were missing. Prior to receiving her award, Andrews said she was “gobsmacked” to find her career was being honoured in such a way. “I didn’t know or think that it would ever come,” she said on the red carpet. “But it’s just as well, because you can’t go around expecting awards and things like that.” Fans took to social media to share their delight at Andrews’ award and reunion with her castmates, prompting Karath to share an update on what happened after. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"> Signing our SOM Family Scrapbooks together today, and talking about how magical Julie’s AFI Tribute was last night! <a href="https://twitter.com/thesom7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thesom7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DebbieTurnerDTO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DebbieTurnerDTO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/acstudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@acstudio</a> <a href="https://t.co/memxYDOR5V">pic.twitter.com/memxYDOR5V</a> — Kym Karath (@KymKarath) <a href="https://twitter.com/KymKarath/status/1535362904928575488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote> “Signing our SOM Family Scrapbooks together today, and talking about how magical Julie’s AFI Tribute was last night!” she commented on a video from the performance, sharing a behind-the-scenes look of the five Von Trapps. All five, along with Andrews, also posed for a formal portrait and shared it on social media. “So much fun last night at the 48th AFI Life Achievement Award honouring Julie Andrews,” Cartwright captioned the photo on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CepYeBdFTtc/?igshid=YTgzYjQ4ZTY%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>. “It was great being with my ‘Sound of Music’ siblings once again. A night of magic and music.” Image: @angelacartwrightstudio (Instagram)

Music

Fun facts about The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is that film you can watch over and over again without getting bored. The 1965 American musical drama stands out thanks to its loving cast, the phenomenal soundtrack and storyline. Starring the beloved Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, here are five fun facts you did not know about the movie. <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Julie Andrews almost wasn’t cast as Maria </li> </ol> Richard Rodgers said that Julie Andrews would be perfect for the role of Maria but no one else agreed. It was only after the crew saw Mary Poppins that they noticed how everybody loved her. <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Julie Andrews kept falling over on the mountain </li> </ol> The opening scene where Maria is dancing on the mountain saw Julie Andrews fall multiple times thanks to the helicopter hovering above. “This was a jet helicopter,” Andrews said. “And the downdraft from those jets was so strong that every time … the helicopter circled around me and the downdraft just flattened me into the grass. And I mean flattened. It was fine for a couple of takes, but after that you begin to get just a little bit angry… And I really tried. I mean, I braced myself, I thought, ‘It’s not going to get me this time.’ And every single time, I bit the dust.” <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Christopher Plummer hated the movie </li> </ol> Our beloved Captain von Trapp hated the film to the point where he actually called it “The Sound of Mucus”. “Because it was so awful and sentimental and gooey,” he said. “You had to work terribly hard to try and infuse some minuscule bit of humor into it.” Because he hated the film so much, Plummer would sit eating and drinking in excess which caused him to gain so much weight. In the DVD commentary, Plummer also confessed that he was in fact drunk during the filming of the music festival. <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Young Gretl was traumatised during the boat scene </li> </ol> In the scene where Maria had taken the von Trapp kids out to town and were spotted by the Captain in the boat outside their home traumatised young Gretl. Gretl did not know how to swim and therefore it was agreed that Maria would fall forward when the boat flipped. When the boat flipped, Maria instead fell backwards which saw Gretl struggle and inhale a lot of water. She eventually vomited on the actress that played Louisa. <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Friedrich grew 15cm during filming </li> </ol> Nicholas Hammond played Friedrich and grew an incredible 15cm during filming. Because he was supposed to appear shorter than Liesl but taller than Louisa - at the start of the film Hammond had lifts on his shoes and by the end of it they were gone. Image: Pinterest

Movies

Pierce Brosnan film to debut after eight-year delay

Pierce Brosnan’s latest role sees him portray King Louis XIV in The King’s Daughter, but its January release comes after an unusually long delay. The film, based on Vonda N. McIntyre’s 1997 novel The Moon and The Sun, follows King Louis XIV’s journey for immortality. His quest seemingly ends when he captures a mermaid with the intention of stealing her life force to fuel his immortality. However, the plot thickens when he discovers his illegitimate daughter, Marie-Josèphe, has become close with the mythical creature. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OdCNs2pkNLk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Starring alongside Brosnan is Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) as Marie-Josèphe, Fan Bingbing (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as the Mermaid, and Julie Andrews as the film’s Narrator, as well as William Hurt, Benjamin Walker and Rachel Griffiths. Although a trailer for the film was released in December 2021, no-one had heard of the film at the time, with <a rel="noopener" href="https://screenrant.com/kings-daughter-pierce-brosnan-movie-8-year-delay-release/" target="_blank">ScreenRant</a> reporting that the film was actually completed in 2014. With an initial release date set for the following year, The King’s Daughter was cancelled just weeks before its premiere due to issues with the film’s water-based visual effects with no future release date set. After responsibility for the film’s distribution was passed around multiple times, independent film company Gravitas Ventures eventually secured the rights and will now release it on January 21, 2022. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846767/brosnan2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f96782bb92b94b66a203ff15ec356131" /> Pierce Brosnan stars as a French king in the film, which will finally be released after eight long years of delays. Image: Thekingsdaughter.com The film’s lengthy delay comes as the film industry continues to grapple with the impact of COVID-19, which has seen delays affect big titles such as John Wick 4 and Marvel’s Morbius among others. Though delays are often a bad sign for films, Paul Currie, a producer for <a rel="noopener" href="https://thekingsdaughtermovie.com/" target="_blank">The King’s Daughter</a>, has said he is confident in the film and claims it will be “somewhere between Twilight and Alice in Wonderland”. Expectations may also be running high due to the popularity of the source material, with the critically acclaimed The Moon and The Sun even beating Game of Thrones for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1997. But, it’s debut is sure to spark plenty of scrutiny too, as is common with book adaptations. Whatever the outcome, the long-overdue release of The King’s Daughter will prove to be a victory in itself, all while showing that pandemic-related delays are nothing to be complained about. Image: Thekingsdaughter.com

Movies

MP cycles to hospital while in labour

In the early hours of Sunday morning, New Zealand Member of Parliament Julie Anne Genter welcomed her new baby into the world. The MP took to Facebook to share her dramatic birthing story, and how she cycled to the hospital while in labour. The Greens politician wrote, "Big news! At 3.04am this morning we welcomed the newest member of our family. I genuinely wasn’t planning to cycle in labour, but it did end up happening." "My contractions weren’t that bad when we left at 2am to go to the hospital - though they were 2-3 min apart and picking up in intensity by the time we arrived 10 minutes later." "And amazingly now we have a healthy, happy little one sleeping, as is her dad." <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJulieAnneGenter%2Fposts%2F4916210785057860&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="797" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> Her extraordinary story has racked up thousands of likes on Facebook, with many well wishers commending her strength. One person wrote, "Wow, cycling in labour... not sure I could've done that!" Others shared their congratulations and called Julie a "Wonder Woman" for riding a bike while enduring contractions. Julie also praised the medical staff that assisted in the delivery, saying, "Feeling blessed to have had excellent care and support from a great team, in what turned out to be a very fast (and happily uncomplicated) birth." Image credits: Facebook

Family & Pets

Fashion for a cause: Julie Bishop kicks off Frocktober

Julie Bishop has kicked off this year's Frocktober campaign in style. The former politician and ambassador of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation posed in a stunning red and pink ombre ballgown with the unusual backdrop of a lithium mine. The annual Frocktober campaign is aimed at raising much needed awareness and funds for research into ovarian cancer, which over 1,500 women in Australia are <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ovariancancer.net.au/page/67/about-ovarian-cancer" target="_blank">diagnosed with each year</a>. The ballgown was custom-made by Adelaide designer Jaimie Sortino, who also designed Julie's pink dress from last year's Frocktober campaign. Jaimie began working on the gown last year with his cousin Jenna, who was in the early stages of her ovarian cancer diagnosis. They began working on the dress together as a way to share Jenna's story, who passed away before she could see Julie Bishop in the gown. Jaimie included Jenna's name in the dress, saying "Her story touched many." <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdqAJAvSCp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdqAJAvSCp/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Jaimie Sortino (@jaimiesortino)</a> </div> </blockquote> The ombre gown dress features words such as 'raw' and 'emotional' from people living with ovarian cancer and people who've lost loved ones to the illness stitched into the delicate tulle. Julie was photographed at the Mt Marion Lithium project in outback Western Australia by photographer Russell James, who wanted the dress to stand out against the unusual backdrop. Teaming the gown with pink work boots, the mine was chosen for the campaign shoot location to encourage conversations about women's health in every situation, including the workplace. Julie said it was a "great privilege" to support the work of the OCRF in developing a test that will "give women hope in fighting ovarian cancer". "With no early detection test, ovarian cancer is an insidious and dangerous condition," she added. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.frocktober.org.au/" target="_blank">Frocktober</a> encourages women to use fashion as a creative outlet and don their most show-stopping outfits to shine a light on the issue of ovarian cancer. Image credits: Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation / Russell James / Supplied

Beauty & Style

“Acting caused it”: Julie Walters quits after cancer diagnosis

Julie Walters appears to be done with acting after her cancer diagnosis caused her to re-evaluate her entire career. The 70-year-old actress known for her role in the Harry Potter movies recently opened up saying she believes the stress from the industry “caused” her cancer. "Part of me was going, 'Oh my God! I've got cancer! Oh my God!' And I'm dealing with the shock of that, and it's all systems go to have it treated," she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/julie-walters-i-dont-want-to-work-again-unless-theres-a-mamma-mia-3-fdn0dxsn3" target="_blank">The Times.</a> "But there was also an element of going, 'I don't have to do any more work. I can actually get off this treadmill.' Because I had been working really hard and it seemed like a big excuse not to do anything. Cancer trumps everything. So there was a huge relief in it, which is strange. But I needed something to stop me." In 2018, Walters was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer which forced her to get chemotherapy and undergo surgery. Due to this, she had to be cut from certain scenes in her new film The Secret Garden, and also ended up missing the premiere for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. She has now been told she’s cancer-free. "Acting caused it," Walters said. "Because of the way that I approach it. I have to be totally in it. Everything has to be just so. It's very stressful. You're immediately above the parapet. You're being judged. It's a stressful job and I don't sleep when I'm working. It's not good for me." While Walters appears to be ready to call her time on acting, she'd never turn down the opportunity to return for Mamma Mia 3. "After I had the operation and I was thinking about the future, I thought, 'I don't want to work again,'" Walters said. "Unless it's another Mamma Mia!"

Beauty & Style

Dame Julie Walters reveals frightening cancer diagnosis

Veteran British actress Julie Walters has revealed she was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2018. The Harry Potter and Mamma Mia! actress says the news of being diagnosed with stage three of the disease left her and her husband, Grant Roffey, in a state of shock. "I couldn't believe it," she told BBC's Victoria Derbyshire, describing the moment she told her husband as one she would “never forget”. "I'll never forget his face. And tears came into his eyes," she admitted. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8r1vjUgWRx/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8r1vjUgWRx/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Julie with her husband, Grant, and her daughter, Maisie, at the Buckingham Palace when she received her OBE (1999). #buckinghampalace #obe #JulieWalters #juliewaltersbrasil #damejuliewalters #britishcomedians #mammamia #educatingrita #michaelcaine #harrypotter #juliewaltersmovies #nationaltreasure #mollyweasley #billyelliot #juliewaltersbrasil #goldenglobewinner #calendargirls #educatingritauk #baftawinner #oscarnomination #london #bafta</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/juliewaltersbrasil/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Julie Walters Brasil</a> (@juliewaltersbrasil) on Feb 17, 2020 at 2:36pm PST </div> </blockquote> The 69-year-old star says that despite being cleared of the disease around 18 months ago, the diagnosis left her pondering on her life. Decidedly, she has chosen to be more particular with the workloads and projects she takes on. The BAFTA-winning actress told Derbyshire that she visited her doctor after suffering from a number of symptoms, including indigestion, stomach pain and vomiting. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ydB1RgmZj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ydB1RgmZj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Julie Walters Brasil (@juliewaltersbrasil)</a> on Feb 20, 2020 at 4:15am PST </div> </blockquote> While filming The Secret Garden Walters found out that a CT scan had uncovered an abnormality in her intestine, which specialists feared was cancer. The star underwent surgery, which removed approximately 30cm of her colon. She also underwent chemotherapy – both experiences she detailed as ones that “completely changed” her perspective towards acting. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yv0Epgmym/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yv0Epgmym/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Wizarding Washingtons (@the_wizarding_washingtons)</a> on Feb 20, 2020 at 6:59am PST </div> </blockquote> "I feel like the person before the operation is different to this person," said Walters, adding that she enjoyed stepping back from her intensive workload. Walters has been nominated for two Academy Awards — for her supporting roles in Educating Rita and Billy Elliot — and also played Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter movie franchise. "I'm not saying I'll never act again," Walters said. Instead, she says she will likely opt not to star in a film that required her to work 14-hour days, five or six days a week. A recent scan has shown Walters she has fully recovered from her frightening ordeal. As she moves on to new ventures, the actress says the new “merry-go-round” of acting projects lined up for her has given her a sense of “relief”.

Movies

How Julie Andrews sorts out her “demons”

Julie Andrews reflected on her career and how therapy helped her become “a better mum and a better wife” in a new interview. Speaking to Anthony Mason on <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/julie-andrews-mary-poppins-star-on-memoir-home-work-early-years-in-hollywood-going-to-therapy/">CBS This Morning</a>, the British actress said therapy “sorted out my demons and what I call the garbage that clutters your head and you don’t need”. “It helped me very much understand and put in perspective my childhood, of course. That was probably the biggest work I did,” the 84-year-old said. “And it makes for a lot of compassion and understanding, and you realise that everybody else is in the same boat.” Andrews, who made her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend ahead of her 19th birthday, revealed in her new memoir that she felt “scared” and “inadequate” during her early years in the movie industry. “Was I scared? You bet. Did I feel inadequate? All the time,” she wrote. She told Mason that she was “sad” and disappointed that she was passed over for a part in the film version of My Fair Lady in favour of Audrey Hepburn. “I did understand the choice,” Andrews said. “The Warner Brothers Studios … they wanted big stars and big box office names.” However, Andrews later beat out Hepburn to win the Golden Globe for her titular role in the 1964 flick Mary Poppins. She also shared that she was initially hesitant to take up the offer to star in The Sound of Music. “I was very worried when I was asked to do The Sound of Music,” Andrews said. “That it could be very saccharine, with the mountains, with the music, with seven children.”

Mind

A life in pictures: Julie Andrews turns 84!

Dame Julie Andrews turns 84 today and what a life she has lived! The trailblazing actress has been in the business for more than 65 years and has appeared in over 40 films. Andrews however became a Hollywood heavyweight for her starring role in 1964’s Mary Poppins and 1965’s The Sound of Music. She also displayed her brilliant gift into films like Thoroughly Modern Millie and Victor Victoria. To celebrate the incredible life of Julie Andrews, we’ve compiled a gallery of some of the actress’ best moments over the years. Scroll through the gallery above to see Julie Andrews’ life in pictures.

Art

Julie Andrews receives special honour at 83

Julie Andrews has been the star of a number of successful films, including Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, and now her incredible efforts have been recognised once again. The veteran actress says she is “blessed” to have had a long cinema career while being awarded a lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival. Andrews won an Oscar in 1965 for her beloved role as a kindhearted nanny named Mary Poppins. "I consider myself so blessed to have spent a large part of my professional life in the cinema arts," she said on Monday. The 83-year-old began her long, illustrious career as a child actress in London West End before making a name for herself in Broadway. Mary Poppins turned into an international star and has gone on to star in movies such as Victor/Victoria and The Princess Diaries, and most recently lent her voice to 2018 blockbuster Aquaman. Scroll through the gallery above to see Julie Andrews throughout her years as an actress.

Beauty & Style

Is ageism affecting you?

Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. Yah, we made it! We got old! Now we are ageing in the millennial world, which we have played a part in creating. Is ageism affecting you? Ageism is simply discrimination against older people in the workforce, in the media, in advertising, and in the social scene. One of the major areas where ageism is evident, is in the employment of older workers. Older workers can provide years of experience, life skills, and be great mentors to younger workers. But nearly a third of the officially unemployed workers are aged 45-65 years old. If someone loses their job at this age, they may never gain more than a casual, part-time position. These are the vital years pre-retirement, when employees build up savings and superannuation for their golden years. Basically, many employers do discriminate against hiring older workers from their candidates. Some unemployed older worker can retrain, but may battle an overlooked prejudice, the ageism of the potential employer. These retrained workers may never gain employment. If they do, they may have only 5-10 years of working life remaining. Many employers prefer to hire someone younger. Ageism is also evident in the media. For instance, no weather girl on the television is an old, grey, fat woman. Weather girls are anorexic, beautiful, blonde bimbos who can barely read an autocue. Maybe old, fat, grey women don’t want to be weather girls. That’s okay. Maybe they do, and the employers in television land hire young, attractive babes. That is ageism. On the other hand, ageism can factor in a reverse situation. An older, more experienced nurse, doctor, allied health professional, or a teacher, can still attract job opportunities. Society regards their experience as both valid and valuable. In my personal experience, as a teacher/tutor for 42 years, I receive part-time job offers as a tutor, several times per week. Nice to be asked. Moreover, seniors have discounts on travel fares, a senior’s card discount on purchases, and some concessions with their pensions. But is the level of the senior’s pension, a sign of ageism itself? Most household budgets are eroded by the cost of food and bills. What are your experiences? Is ageism affecting you?

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