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Eye-watering price tag for "remarkable" first class Titanic menu

A first class dinner menu from the Titanic has been found and sold at an auction in England for £84,000 (around $162,000 AUD) on November 11. The water-stained menu was dated April 11, 1912 just three days before the ship hit an iceberg, ultimately meeting it's ill-fated end causing over 1500 deaths. Wealthy passengers at the time were spoiled with choice, with oysters, salmon, beef, squab (baby pigeon), spring lamb among other dishes on the menu, and that's not including dessert. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son said it was unclear how the menu made it off the ship intact, but the slight water damage suggests that it was recovered from the body of a victim. The rare artefact, which is over 111 years old belonged to amateur historian Len Stephenson, from Nova Scotia, Canada, who passed away in 2017. No one knew he had it, including his family, who only discovered it after going through his belongings following his death. “About six months ago his daughter and his son-in-law, Allen, felt the time was right to go through his belongings,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said. “As they did they found this menu in an old photo album. “Len was a very well thought-of historian in Nova Scotia which has strong connections with the Titanic. The body recovery ships were from Nova Scotia and so all the victims were taken back there. “Sadly, Len has taken the secret of how he acquired this menu to the grave with him.” Stephenson worked at a post office and would talk to people, collect old pictures and write letters for them, which might be how he got the rare artefact. According to the auctioneer, no other first class dinner menus dated April 11, 1912 have been recovered from the titanic making this “a remarkable survivor from the most famous Ocean liner of all time”. “There are a handful of April 14 menus in existence but you just don’t see menus from April 11. Most of them would have gone down with the ship,” Aldridge said. “Whereas with April 14 menus, passengers would have still had them in their coat and jacket pockets from earlier on that fateful night and still had them when they were taken off the ship," he added. A few other items recovered from the Titanic were also sold, including a Swiss-made pocket watch recovered from passenger Sinai Kantor which fetched £97,000 (around $187,000 AUD). A tartan-patterned deck blanket, which was likely used during the rescue operation also sold for £96,000 (around $185,000). Images: Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire

Cruising

Older women are doing remarkable things – it’s time for the putdowns to end

It’s not easy to claim being an old woman. To start with, how can I be 75 when I feel about 40? And isn’t it shameful to be old when youth is valued? People proudly parrot statements such as, “I’m growing older but not getting old” (meaning, “How terrible to be old!”). I even heard that line quoted approvingly by one of the middle-aged hosts of the recent Australia Day Award ceremony. Then there are shop assistants who serve an old person by asking, “What can I do for you, young lady/man?” (i.e. “I see that you’re old and will mock it by calling you young”). When author Jane Caro <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/this-throwaway-joke-at-the-bakery-was-just-another-example-of-ageism-20230130-p5cgjt.html">wrote about her husband’s angry response to this example of ageism</a> it created quite a Twitter storm. Can’t you take a joke? But, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/tv-commentator-jane-caro-roasted-after-saying-her-husband-suffered-ageism-when-he-was-called-young-man/news-story/98c39b5978498fbb2139268307c75ccf">as Caro replied</a>, “Benign ageism, hostile ageism. One often turns into the other and both make the recipients feel diminished”. Benign ageism applies as much to the stereotyping of young people (wasting their money on smashed avocado), as it does to the old. Ageism is bad enough, but it’s often compounded by sexism. It is humiliating for a boy to be told he’s playing like a girl but even worse for a man expressing doubts or concerns to be called an old woman. The stereotype of the old woman is anxious, dependent, useless, and a burden – if she isn’t a nasty, bitter old witch. Dismissing old women in this way renders them invisible because they are considered of no use to society. Women experience a sense of invisibility from late middle age: being overlooked in shops, ignored in restaurants. People walk into me in the street as though I’m incorporeal. Of course, it can be liberating to be ignored, not to be constantly assessed for one’s looks as young women are, and I try to make as much lemonade as possible from life’s lemons. Nevertheless, I’d prefer not to be completely disregarded. When Jane Fisher and I i<a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/promoting-older-womens-mental-health-insights-from-baby-boomers">nterviewed Baby Boom women</a> (born 1946 to 1964), we found that they wanted to be treated with respect, which doesn’t seem like much to ask. They said that respect includes requiring we all challenge – and refuse to perpetuate – these harmful stereotypes. <figure></figure> Ageist stereotypes reinforce age-based discrimination. An Australian <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28795587/">survey of more than 2000 people</a> aged over 60 found experiences of ageism have an adverse effect on mental health, prompting depression and anxiety. <h2>Challenging stereotypes</h2> My <a href="https://publishing.monash.edu/product/time-of-our-lives/">recent interviews</a> with women from the previous generation, dolefully named the Silent Generation (born before 1946), challenge these stereotypes. In their late seventies, eighties, and nineties, these women are leading fulfilling lives; contributing to their communities and to the wider society. There is Mig Dann, whose PhD was conferred in her early eighties. Her thesis explored memory and trauma through art theory and practice. Exhibitions of her work <a href="https://migdann.com/">are breathtaking</a>. Olive Trevor OAM developed her love of plants as her five children grew up and, in her eighties, was recognised as a world expert in bromeliads. Lester Jones runs an educational coaching business, specialising in people with learning difficulties. She is in her nineties. Jacqueline Dwyer was ANU’s oldest successful postgraduate student when she became a Master of Arts at 90; <a href="https://scholarly.info/book/flanders-in-australia-a-personal-history-of-wool-and-war/">a book about her research</a> was published when she was 92. After a difficult young adulthood as an itinerant worker, Raylee George found her vocation in typesetting. When she was made redundant, an employer who values older people took George on in her seventies as a specialist call-centre operator. As she approaches 80, environmental scientist and climate campaigner Dr Sharron Pfueller continues to set an example of how we should all be living sustainably. After working as a TV make-up artist and in managerial roles, as well as doing voluntary work, Robina Rogan at 76 joined a team that built a boat and rowed it around Port Phillip Bay. In her eighties, she’s still rowing. Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM was Senior Australian of the Year in 2021; her life is committed to supporting Indigenous youth and to maintaining bridges that unite Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures and people. These are just a few examples. It was Ungunmerr Baumann who led me to ponder the contrast between the way in which so many of us (appropriately) pay our respects to First Nations Elders past and present while disrespecting old people in general. As she says to audiences of people in late adulthood, “You are all Elders”. <figure></figure> The life stories of these women reveal they endured hardship and grief while displaying resilience and determination. But personal qualities can’t fully account for lives that continue to have meaning. It isn’t enough to tell women to exercise, eat more vegetables, do lots of puzzles, and volunteer at the local op shop. We live in communities and societies in which we are all interdependent. The Baby Boom women demonstrated that their whole life course influenced their experience of ageing, including their mental health. Were they adequately parented? Disadvantaged? Victims of violence? Well nourished in body and mind? Did they have good health? And, crucially, were there people, policies, and a culture that valued and supported them? <h2>A social responsibility</h2> Women may have qualities that help them to live productive and satisfying lives, but they can achieve their potential only in a milieu that enables, rather than inhibits, them. The milieu includes other people (family, friends, workmates, the community), the built environment and social policies. Ageing well is a social responsibility, to be shouldered by everyone – not only because it is the right thing to do but because we all stand to benefit. Preparations for old age begin with care and support for parents and infants and even with preconception healthcare: anything that contributes to physical and mental health and to parents’ capacity to nurture children. It includes financial support, adequate housing, early identification and treatment of postnatal depression, good childcare and high-quality education for all. Anti-discriminatory policies, informed and inclusive healthcare, and social structures that support and enhance the lives of girls and women – as well as boys and men – will benefit everyone, not only older women. The United Nations has declared the years 2021 to 2030 to be the Decade of Healthy Ageing: a time for worldwide collaboration to promote longer and healthier lives. Physical health is emphasised not as an end but as a necessary condition for full participation in society. This endeavour is part of a magnificent movement towards creating age-friendly neighbourhoods. The World Health Organization has taken the lead through its <a href="https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/age-friendly-cities-framework">age-friendly cities framework</a>. The eight areas in the framework are community and healthcare, transportation, housing, social participation, outdoor spaces and buildings, respect and social inclusion, and civic participation and employment. These areas are interconnected. They encompass the physical, psychological and social components of life, all of which are implicated in ageing. We need to develop and maintain a world in which everyone, of any age, feels welcome and is encouraged to participate. Socially constructed ideas of ageing can similarly be socially dismantled. I’m proud to be old, but my age is not what I want you to see first, especially when “old” means useless, past it, of no interest to anyone else. A woman of 25 might have firm flesh and a future full of possibilities, but she doesn’t have all the decades of life experience embodied by a wrinkly woman of 75. I’d like people to be interested in old women’s stories, to be prepared to learn about their lives: not only their past, but what they’re doing now, what they plan to do in the time to come. This isn’t a whinge. I enjoy getting old. I love birthdays and cake. But I would like old age to be valued. It seems perverse for those who are not yet old to condemn their own futures. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/older-women-are-doing-remarkable-things-its-time-for-the-putdowns-to-end-199500" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Getty

Retirement Life

“Target on his back”: Ben Roberts-Smith’s spectacular closing remarks

After 100 days of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/key-witness-arrested-in-ben-roberts-smith-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testimony</a>, cross-examination, and dissection of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/multiple-bombshells-dropped-in-ben-roberts-smith-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evidence</a>, Ben Robert-Smith’s defamation trial is at the beginning of the end. Lawyers representing the veteran began their closing submissions by accusing The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times, and three journalists of embarking on a “sustained campaign” to falsely portray him as a war criminal, bully and domestic abuser. “Mr Roberts-Smith was an exceptional soldier; highly organised, disciplined, a leader, resourceful and extraordinarily brave,” his barrister, Arthus Moses SC, told the Federal Court on Monday. “He did not seek, nor did he want any recognition for performing his duties as a member of the Australian Defence Force. What he did not expect is, having been awarded the Victoria Cross, he would have a target on his back.” Mr Moses told Justice Anthony Besanko, who has been overseeing the proceedings, that the trial had been called “a great many things”, including the “trial of the century”, a “proxy war-crimes trial” and an “attack” on press freedom. “It is none of these,” he said. “This has been a case about how Mr Roberts-Smith, the most decorated Australian soldier, and a man with a high reputation for courage, skill and decency in soldiering, had that reputation destroyed by the respondents.” The articles, published in mid-2018, claimed that Mr Roberts-Smith killed or was complicit in the killing of six unarmed prisoners during his deployment in Afghanistan with the SAS. It was alleged he also bullied other soldiers and physically abused a woman he was having an affair with. The Victoria Cross recipient has emphatically denied all allegations, while the newspapers have relied on a truth defence during the trial, calling dozens of current and former SAS soldiers to testify. Mr Moses began his address by denouncing the conduct of the Nine newspapers, claiming they refused to back down from errors in their stories and taking aim at the evidence provided by three of their witnesses: Person 7, Person 14, and Andrew Hastie, a former soldier-turned politician. "The publications of the respondents were based on rumour, hearsay and contradictory accounts from former colleagues who were, some, jealous, and/or obsessed with Mr Roberts-Smith,” Mr Moses said, adding that Mr Hastie was “obsessed” with Mr Roberts-Smith but failed to provide evidence to support the murder claims. Mr Hastie, who served with Mr Roberts-Smith briefly in 2012, was called to testify about a mission in Syahchow and claims that the veteran soldier had ordered a junior soldier, referred to as Person 66, to execute an Afghan captive during the mission. The MP told the court he was at Syahchow that day and saw a dead body with an AK-47 rifle, and that Person 66 looked uncharacteristically uneasy. He claimed that Mr Roberts-Smith walked past and said, “Just a couple more dead c***s”. However, Person 66 refused to testify about the mission on the grounds of self-incrimination. Mr Moses claimed there was no evidence to support Nine’s claim of murder, and that the “sensationalist” stories came from bitter and jealous SAS insiders who wanted to take Mr Roberts-Smith down. "What is apparent is that both journalists (Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters) have mounted a sustained campaign to unfairly create a belief that Mr Roberts-Smith had committed war crimes in Afghanistan, including during the course of these proceedings," he said. Each side has been allocated four days for a closing address. Image: Getty Images

News

James Caan was rarely a star. But he was a remarkable actor’s actor who could hold his own among the greats

James Caan, who died on July 6 at 82, was one of those actors who wouldn’t attract mass audiences to a movie just because he was in it. He wasn’t a “star” in the same way we see his contemporaries such as Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino or Robert De Niro. In essence, Caan was an actor’s actor. He never cared for the trappings of stardom or desired the celebrity status so many other actors craved. He was into acting for one thing: the craft. In the 1960s, actors were experimenting with their craft just as much as the youth culture around them was experimenting with drugs, art, music and writing. A new generation of actors was emerging who were wildly different from their predecessors, influenced by Lee Strasberg’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-the-moscow-stage-to-monroe-and-de-niro-how-the-method-defined-20th-century-acting-179088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">method acting</a>. Caan signed up for classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York, where he learned the Method and stayed for five years. Caan’s years at the Playhouse School developed in him the urge to be seen as a serious actor, rather than a “star”. When offered a leading role in a television series in 1965 he <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/155268288" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turned it down</a>, fearful the role would make him rich and diminish his love of acting. This was the thing with Caan. He couldn’t be typecast. De Niro has always traded on his tough-guy image; Pacino, the outsider; Nicholson, crazy and cool. But Caan couldn’t be put in a box. You had the volatile, violent son in The Godfather (1972), the zany comedy police detective in Freebie and the Bean (1974), the passive victim in Misery (1990), and the uptight, reserved father in Elf (2003). He was a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prolific actor</a>, but rarely the lead. This took nothing away from his performances, but it highlights how uninterested he was in stardom. His quality as an actor lies in how he was able to turn these smaller roles into his own. When he was on screen, you knew he was there. He demanded attention. He owned those characters. No role was too small for his light to shine through. Even when playing a smaller role, he had the ability to eclipse the leads. Perhaps nothing shows this better than his role as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. Caan is explosive. He almost jumps out of the screen with his frenetic energy, and deservedly gained a best supporting actor Oscar nomination along with Pacino – although Caan had much less screen time. <h2>Life imitates art</h2> Caan’s personal life was as dramatic as his on-screen characters. Linked to <a href="https://radaronline.com/p/james-caan-gambling-ring-illegal-betting-death/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mafia groups</a> and periods of <a href="https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/james-caan-the-reformed-character-actor-26256800.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drug addiction</a>, he had phone calls tapped <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/08/james-caan-obituary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the FBI</a> and had numerous <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-12-me-33226-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">run-ins</a> with the law. The death of his sister – also his manager – <a href="https://www.pearlanddean.com/james-caan-struggling-to-find-roles-to-crown-his-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affected him greatly</a>. The theft of his money by a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-29-ca-7423-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dodgy accountant</a> left him penniless for a while. As a result of his ongoing troubles, especially into the 1980s, Caan’s career faltered. There are large gaps in his acting resume where little happened for him. Hollywood didn’t lock him out, but it didn’t go looking for him either. It is interesting to think of the roles Caan could have had and what he would have brought to them. He was considered for or offered the leads in Kramer Vs Kramer, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Blade Runner, Star Wars and even the <a href="https://comicbookmovie.com/superman/james-caan-talks-about-passing-on-superman-star-wars-badmouths-harrison-ford-a87726#gs.60qihy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1970s Superman</a>. But for all he either refused or was passed over. The 1990s and 2000s saw him return to steady work. Supporting roles in features and starring roles in lesser television movies became more prolific. In these later productions, you could still see the glimmer of greatness in the ageing Caan’s work. Occasionally, in dramas such as The Yards (2000), City of Ghosts (2002) and Dogville (2003), we witness a resurgence of Caan’s energy and intensity back on the screen. His longevity as an actor, rather than as a “star”, through his six-decade career came down to his versatility. He was noticeable, without having that star recognition. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise and his secret weapon as an actor. When we see a famous actor we see the “star” first and the actor second. With Caan we see the actor – and acting – first. He was able to transform into whatever character he was playing and make his audience believe he was that role, free from the artifice of stardom. Caan did not have a particularly stellar career compared with some of his contemporaries. But that is immaterial. He was a remarkable actor who, at his best, could hold his own among the greats. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/james-caan-was-rarely-a-star-but-he-was-a-remarkable-actors-actor-who-could-hold-his-own-among-the-greats-186635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Movies

"So hurtful": Greg Norman in hot water over "seriously misguided remarks"

The fiancée of a journalist murdered in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul has slammed Australian entrepreneur Greg Norman’s comments on the incident, describing his comments as “so hurtful”. Last year, a classified intelligence report from the United States government concluded that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was responsible for the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Norman, who is the head of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series set to rival the PGA Tour per <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/golf/wealth-and-lies-furious-fiancee-of-murdered-journalist-slams-greg-norman/news-story/8d4cf5ae2252dacfbcc0ffeea00f0d04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>, caused a stir when he weighed in on the involvement of the Crown Prince in Khashoggi’s death, saying that “we’ve all made mistakes”. “The whole thing about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi and human rights, talk about it, but also talk about the good that the country is doing in changing its culture,” Norman said of the murder on Thursday, as reported by the New York Post. “Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn by those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward.” Norman was the subject of widespread criticism online and from Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancée, who told the UK Telegraph that those responsible should be held accountable. “Would you say that if it was your loved one? How can we go forward when those who ordered the murder are still unpunished, and continue to try and buy back their legitimacy?” she said. “We should not fall for their wealth and lies, and lose our morals and common humanity. We should all be insisting on the truth and justice; only then can we look forward with hope and dignity.” Amnesty International also criticised the entrepreneur for his “wrong and seriously misguided” remarks, while Felix Jakens, the organisation’s UK head of campaigns said Norman’s rival golf tour was an example of “sportswashing”. “Greg Norman’s remarks that the Saudi government’s brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi and its attempted cover-up were a ‘mistake’ are wrong and seriously misguided,” Mr Jakens said. “Far from trying to ‘move on’, the Saudi authorities have attempted to sweep their crimes under the carpet, avoiding justice and accountability at every turn. “The regime’s human rights record is an abomination - from its murder of Khashoggi to recent mass executions and the situation for LGBTI+ people, which continues to be dire. “The LIV Golf Invitational Series is yet one more event in a series of sportswashing exercises that the Saudi authorities are using to clean its blood-soaked image.” Mr Norman’s comments also come after he slammed the PGA Tour the day prior for “perpetuating its illegal monopoly” after it emerged that officials won’t grant releases for players to compete in the opening event of the LIV Tour in London. Images: Getty Images

Legal

Something remarkable has happened to Australia’s book pages: gender equality has become the norm

For the first time in the nine-year history of the Stella Count, and perhaps in the entire history of Australian book reviewing, gender equality has become the norm in Australia’s books pages. Our new research for the Count reveals 55% of books reviewed in Australian publications in 2020 were by women. The Stella Count surveys 12 Australian publications – including national, metropolitan, and regional newspapers, journals and magazines – collecting data on the gender of authors and reviewers, length of review and genre of books reviewed. <a href="https://stella.org.au/initiatives/research/the-stella-count/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In 2012 when the Count began</a>, ten of the 13 publications then surveyed reviewed more books written by men. In 2020, only three of the 12 publications currently surveyed review more books by male rather than female authors. All bar one of these publications improved the gender balance of books reviewed significantly over this period. Some publications have dramatically transformed their pages to better represent women authors between 2011 and 2020. The Age has increased its representation of books written by women from 38% to 55%; The Monthly, from 26% to 56%; and Brisbane’s Courier-Mail, from 43% to 54%. The Saturday Paper entered the Count in 2014 with 37% of books reviewed written by women; it hit 61% women authors reviewed in 2020. Likewise, the Sydney Review of Books has increased its percentage from 36% in 2015 to 70% in 2020. These significant gains do not mean gender bias has been eliminated from the Australian book reviewing field. Some publications continue to find the gender parity line a hard one to cross – and in general, books written by men still attract longer reviews. After several years of stasis, The Australian has inched closer to parity with 45% of its reviews now of books by women. Australian Book Review, however, is the only publication in our study that has not significantly improved representation of women authors over the nine years: indeed, the percentage of reviewed books by women dropped from 47% in 2019 to 43% in 2020. <h2>Why does this matter?</h2> About 22,500 new book titles <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/09/30/157402/publishing-and-the-pandemic-the-australian-book-market-in-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are published each year in Australia</a>. In a crowded marketplace, any opportunity to get a book discussed in the public eye is worth its weight in gold. Book reviews are a longstanding means of bringing attention and, possibly, acclaim to new titles. Our surveyed publications published 2,344 reviews in 2020. Some books received multiple reviews, meaning authors of new books have a less than 10% chance of being reviewed in one of Australia’s major book pages. When you look at the demographics, you would not expect Australia’s literary scene to be a place of gender bias. Women make up <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/making-art-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">65% of Australian writers</a>, <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2018/11/21/118475/for-love-or-money-analysing-the-employment-survey/#:%7E:text=Show%20me%20the%20money,2013%20to%20%2460%2C207%20in%202018." target="_blank" rel="noopener">77% of employees in Australian publishing</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/528030/FinalFinalReaders-Report-24-05-17-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">61% of “frequent readers”</a>. But until very recently, book reviewing – like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/04/australian-version-orange-prize" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literary prizes</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/old-white-men-dominate-school-english-booklists-its-time-more-australian-schools-taught-australian-books-127110" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school syllabuses</a> – appeared to have a gender problem. There was, however, no comprehensive quantitative evidence to prove it. Newly-formed feminist nonprofit organisation, The Stella Prize, set out to do something about this in 2012. Inspired by <a href="https://www.vidaweb.org/the-count/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar counts happening overseas</a>, Stella began collecting statistics about the gender of authors whose books were reviewed. We began working with Stella in 2014 when it expanded the data collection in order to understand how gender bias was operating when it came to the size of reviews, the genre of books reviewed and the gender of reviewers. Over the ensuing years we have seen something remarkable happen: real change. Literary editors, when asked, were often surprised by the statistics, when presented with them. Or they made excuses for them: men pitch more or write books on important subjects that deserve reviewing, they said. These biases are no longer unconscious. <h2>Gender disparities persist</h2> While this is cause for celebration, there is still some way to go. While women writers now receive their fair share of reviews in terms of the overall number published, this does not mean they receive equal access to the actual space devoted to public literary criticism. Books written by women are still more likely to receive shorter or capsule reviews. Long reviews – those of 1000 words or more – continue to be largely the precinct of men, either as reviewers or as authors of books reviewed. Women authors receive 55% of all reviews, but only 45% of long reviews. Long reviews are the most conspicuous and prestigious, not just because of their size and prominence but because they are often written by prominent critics and accompanied by images such as book covers and author photos, which lead to market recognition. <h2>Gender assumptions continue</h2> Long-held assumptions about gender and reading are evident in the Stella Count data. Key among these is the idea that men are interested in books by men, and women are interested in books by women. Australian book reviews are highly partitioned by gender: female reviewers are much more likely to review books by women, and male reviewers books by men. Fiction reviews skew towards women as authors and reviewers (especially those written for children and young adults), and non-fiction skews towards men. This supports broader findings in relation to <a href="https://www.wlia.org.au/women-for-media-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the representation of women in Australian media</a>: that women are less likely to be called upon to offer expert commentary on topics such as politics and sport. Our research also offers a snapshot of the state of book reviewing in Australia. It shows the number of reviews published in our surveyed publications dropped by 15% between 2019 and 2020, when the pandemic arrived here. The Stella Count is now the longest-running yearly count of a nation’s book pages conducted anywhere in the world. Next year will be the Stella Count’s ten-year anniversary. The real impact of COVID-19 on the gender make up of authors and reviewers – and on Australia’s literary sector more broadly – is yet to be seen, but data collection such as the Stella Count is key to understanding it. This article originally appeared on The Conversation. Image: Shutterstock

Books

Podcast hosts slammed for disgusting remarks about women's postpartum bodies

Image: Getty The male hosts of a concerning new podcast have received major backlash over comments made claiming they’d leave their future wife if she didn’t lose weight after giving birth. Brothers Anthony Casasanta and Nick Casasanta launched “The No Filter Pod” earlier this month with friend Jason Girratano – describing it as “the most blunt podcast in the world”. While their show is deliberately “controversial”, many are condemning the show over comments made by Anthony about a potential future wife’s body after she gives birth to his child. The comments have been quickly gone viral, with women branding them “disgusting”, “horrendous” and “God awful”. In a statement issued to news.com.au, “The No Filter Pod” said the comments had been taken “out of context” but doubled down on the controversial remarks. “We just don’t want our wives to be obese. We feel as if society promotes obesity which is a very unhealthy and uncomfortable way of living. “We promote healthy lifestyles here at NoFilterPod. It’s also not only about weight gain after childbirth, it’s also about mental health as well as the physical health. We feel like it’s very important to hold spouses both men and women to a high standard.” The backlash was sparked by the men themselves, who all play NFL in the US, after they shared the clip on TikTok, asking: “Is this too much?” “If my wife lets herself go after I have kids with her, I’m going to tell her once,” Anthony tells Nick and Jason. “‘If you don’t get your sh*t together, because I still want to be sexually attracted to my wife, my spouse, but if you can’t do that, I’m out’.” The guys said they were prepared a negative reaction but received an avalanche of a response, predominantly condemning the view and labelling it “misogynistic”. “We really feel as the video was taken out of context,” the trio said in a statement. “We will not be apologising.” Women have fought back in droves, with many creating videos in response to the clip, while others flooded the guys social media feeds with their thoughts forcing the podcast hosts to turn off comments. “Where is the respect, the love, the admiration for his partner. I actually feel sorry for him. Clearly he has no idea what love is,” one woman said. As one simply stated: “I can’t even comment on this cus the outrage is just UNREAL.” Comments on the guys’ personal Instagram accounts, which haven’t yet been disabled, displayed a similar response. “You’ve made a fool of yourself and you’ve made an already foolish world more worrisome,” one raged. “Why are you turning off your comments? yallll are a joke and can’t take the heat,” another lamented. Anthony, Nick and Jason have claimed they are receiving death threats over the outcry but have continued to post clips on TikTok on topics surrounding cheating, “fitness chicks” and female vs male value. According to the boys, girls who workout are “superior to all women”, calling them “top of the line”. They also reckon “girls cheat more than guys” and women seek “financial security from their husbands” citing that all they ask for in return is that “you don’t sleep around with like 50 other dudes”. These statements have obviously not gone down well, with words such as “repulsive”, “vile” and “red flag” being used to describe them in the comments.

Body

Feel alone in your eco-anxiety? Don’t – it’s remarkably common to feel dread about environmental decline

Feeling anxious about the ecological crises we face is entirely understandable, given the enormity of the threats. Eco-anxiety is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b2e7ee32-ad28-4ec4-89aa-a8b8c98f95a5">sometimes described</a> as a mental health problem. It’s not. Eco-anxiety is a rational psychological and emotional response to the overlapping ecological crises we now face. If you feel this way, you are not alone. We have found eco-anxiety is remarkably common. Almost two-thirds of Australian participants in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378021001709">our recent surveys</a> reported feeling eco-anxiety at least “some of the time”. The response <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02862-3">can be triggered by media stories</a> on environmental and climate crises as well as human efforts to combat them. This includes the barrage of media from the United Nations climate conference, or COP26, now underway in Glasgow. In this age of ecological reckoning, eco-anxiety is not going to go away. That means we must learn how to cope with it – and perhaps even harness it to drive us to find solutions <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430117/original/file-20211104-17-1846nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430117/original/file-20211104-17-1846nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Cleared area of rainforest" /></a> Awareness of environmental crises like deforestation can provoke anxiety. Shutterstock <h2>Dwelling on problems we contribute to</h2> Our study found four key features of eco-anxiety: <ol> <li>affective symptoms, such as feelings of anxiety and worry</li> <li>rumination, meaning persistent thoughts which can keep you up at night</li> <li>behavioural symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, working, studying or socialising</li> <li>anxiety about your personal impact on the planet.</li> </ol> We found similar levels of eco-anxiety in our surveys of 334 Australians and 735 New Zealanders, with people affected in similar ways in both countries. This supports <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955">emerging research</a>, which found more than half of young people surveyed across ten countries experienced climate anxiety. Feeling anxious about the state of the planet is likely to be universal. When we asked Australians how it affected them, they told us eco-anxiety affected everything from their mood to their daily routine to their relationships. It even affected their ability to concentrate, work or study. For some, eco-anxiety made them feel restless, tense and agitated. New Zealanders reported similar impacts. Our study found people were also anxious about their personal contribution to the deteriorating state of the planet. Some participants noted the state of the planet made them “extremely anxious”, so much so they “find it hard to think about anything else”. Other research shows many people are anxious about how their personal behaviours impact the earth, such as <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520343306/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety">consumerism or flying</a>. Some young adults are choosing to have fewer children, or none at all, out of concern their children will contribute to the climate crisis or will <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/book-excerpt-the-uninhabitable-earth-david-wallace-wells.html">inherit a degraded world</a>. These fears appeared in our study too, with one parent participant noting: <blockquote> My biggest worry is that climate change will affect my child in their lifetime, and I get very upset that I won’t be able to protect him from the effects of it. </blockquote> <h2>Is eco-anxiety different to generalised anxiety?</h2> Eco-anxiety has similarities with generalised anxiety and stress, but we found important differences, such as the focus on environmental issues and our contribution to the problem. We also found people experience eco-anxiety independent of depression, anxiety and stress, suggesting it’s a unique experience. While it is possible to experience eco-anxiety as someone who is otherwise mentally well, many people experience it on top of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-021-01385-4">existing mental health issues</a>. What we need to do now is understand what eco-anxiety means for individual (and planetary) well-being, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2020.1844166">provide support</a> to people with varying degrees of this anxiety.<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429905/original/file-20211103-19-pt7tvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429905/original/file-20211103-19-pt7tvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="School students carrying posters calling for climate action" /></a> School students marching for climate action in the UK, 2019. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-united-kingdom-15th-february-1315212515" class="source">Shutterstock</a> <h2>Four ways to cope with your eco-anxiety</h2> Eco-anxiety is not going to go away as an issue, given the range of environmental issues the world is confronting. To stop these feelings becoming overwhelming or debilitating, there are a range of <a href="https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/cf076d33-4470-415d-8acc-75f375adf2f3/coping_with_climate_change.pdf.pdf">behavioural, cognitive and emotional strategies</a> people can use to cope. Here are four techniques: <ol> <li> validation One part of managing your own anxiety is to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618520300773">validate it</a>, by acknowledging it makes sense to feel anxious and distressed </li> <li> time out Another technique is to take mental breaks and avoid your 24/7 news feed to give yourself time to restore a sense of balance </li> <li> seek hope Cultivating a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494412000138?casa_token=mIMzMUtEHZYAAAAA:VHVA59QmgjLMGuMr8n-gb4aCxYKO3OrC-ym8UViPw14R1OBZymnfoW4dmQYsw7FHvvWv2T_J4w">realistic sense of hope</a> about the future can also reduce anxiety emerging from our awareness of ecological threats. That means appreciating the complexity of the problem, while also searching for alternative visions of the future and trusting that we, as a collective, will eventually resolve the crisis before it’s too late </li> <li> take action Many of us struggle with a sense of overwhelming powerlessness in the face of a deteriorating climate. This can be self-reinforcing. To combat this, you can try action - whether changing your own behaviour or getting involved in campaigns. </li> </ol> As climate campaigner Greta Thunberg <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2019/jul/young-climate-activists-on-greta-thunberg-and-climate-crisis.html">has said</a>, “no one is too small to make a difference”. Climate change has been described as the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378018313608?casa_token=W-MRkMOq8DoAAAAA:o81eFiIQ6_82L9CGUP-WDIN9zEtq8cdgQSIUqqsqhH2QXaaHPF4X_bOSXJ4F7qNFmtY05REbfQ">greatest collective action problem</a> we have ever faced. That means the necessary changes will have to come from the collective action of all individuals, industries and governments. We all must act together now, just as we have in combating the COVID pandemic. Eco-anxiety is increasingly common. But being concerned about environmental crises does not need to come at the <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520343306/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety">cost of your health</a> and wellbeing. After all, psychological, emotional and behavioural burnout is not helpful for you – or the planet.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170789/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/teaghan-hogg-1284859">Teaghan Hogg</a>, PhD student, Clinical Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lean-obrien-1286734">Léan O'Brien</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samantha-stanley-1205158">Samantha Stanley</a>, Research Fellow in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/feel-alone-in-your-eco-anxiety-dont-its-remarkably-common-to-feel-dread-about-environmental-decline-170789">original article</a>.

International Travel

Hugh Bonneville’s remarkable transformation

Hugh Bonneville has surprised fans after he reappeared from quarantine looking unrecognisable from his old self. The beloved Downton Abbey actor made waves when he appeared on UK TV show, The One Show this week in a live cross from his home after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bonneville, 56, also reappeared with a completely new hairstyle which added to his radical transformation. <img id="__mcenew" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837281/hugh-downtown-abbey-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/96410fbfb59448fbba851f1bfad01b2f" /> Rocking a trim buzzcut, the actor who plays Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey had some fans and presenters doing a double-take. Viewers took to social media to share their shock over seeing Hugh. Fans wrote that he was showing off a “major glow up”. “Almost didn't recognise Hugh Bonneville on #TheOneShow. Lost so much weight,” one viewer said via social media app Twitter. “He looks totally different!” another said “Wow, I didn't recognise Hugh Bonneville on #TheOneShow to start with! What a transformation!” gushed a third fan. Hughis best known for playing Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in hit drama series Downton Abbey. His other notable roles include Mr Henry Brown in the Paddington movies and Ian Fletcher in the series W1A.

Body

Why Germany’s coronavirus death rate is remarkably low

Germany is one of the countries most affected by the new coronavirus pandemic. As of March 31, it had the fifth-highest number of reported cases in the world, with more than 66,800 people being infected. However, only 645 people have died from the virus, giving a death rate of just under 1 per cent. It gives Germany one of the lowest rates in the world, faring better than other European countries such as Italy – where 11 per cent of infected people have died from COVID-19 – and France, which has a rate of 6.7 per cent. Experts said the most important factor contributing to Germany’s low death rate is the widespread testing across the country. While other countries only test very symptomatic cases, Germany “very rapidly rolled out testing to a very large number of people relative to the population”, said Dr Liam Smeeth, clinical epidemiology professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. According to <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-testing">Our World in Data</a>, Germany conducted 167,000 tests as of mid-March while France and Spain carried out 36,747 and 30,000 respectively. The testing helps detect milder coronavirus cases, bringing the total number up. “I believe that we are just testing much more than in other countries, and we are detecting our outbreak early,” Christian Drosten, director of the institute of virology at Berlin’s Charité hospital told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/03/25/820595489/why-germanys-coronavirus-death-rate-is-far-lower-than-in-other-countries">NPR</a>. “We have a culture here in Germany that is actually not supporting a centralised diagnostic system, so Germany does not have a public health laboratory that would restrict other labs from doing the tests. So we had an open market from the beginning.” Germany also has <a href="https://gateway.euro.who.int/en/hfa-explorer/">the second-highest number of intensive care beds</a> per capita in Europe and 13.2 nurses per 1,000 people in the general population, higher than other heavily affected countries such as <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.NUMW.P3?end=2018&start=2018&view=map">France with 9.7 and Italy with 5.9</a>. “In general, we have a rather good intensive care situation in Germany,” German virologist Martin Stürmer told <a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2020/3/27/21196246/coronavirus-germany-death-rate-covid-19-cases-italy-europe">Vox</a>. “We have highly specialized doctors and facilities, and maybe that’s part of the reason why our severely ill patients survive compared to those in other countries.”

International Travel

TV host issues tearful apology to black co-host after making insensitive remark

A news anchor from Oklahoma City has issued an apology to her black co-host on Friday after she compared him to a gorilla during a segment last week. Alex Housden, morning anchor for KOCO-TV made the comparison with her co-anchor, Jason Hackett as they pair spoke about a young gorilla at the Oklahoma City Zoo on Thursday. Housden told Hackett that the animal “kind of looks like you” to which he responded, “he kind of does, actually yeah.” The video of the exchange soon went viral, causing outrage amongst those who watched it. She then apologised on Friday to “one of my best friends for the past year and a half.” “I’m here this morning because I want to apologise, not only to my co-worker Jason, but to our entire community,” she said. “I said something yesterday that was inconsiderate, it was inappropriate, and I hurt people. “I want you to know I understand how much I hurt you all out there and how much I hurt you. I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you,” she said as she turned to Hackett. Housden then emphasised on the love she has for the community and said her apology is coming straight from the heart. Hackett then accepted his co-host’s apology and reiterated that the two shared a fantastic bond. “What she said yesterday was wrong,” he said. “It cut deep for me and a lot of you in the community.” He continued: “The lesson here is that words matter. We are becoming a more diverse country and there Is no excuse. We have to understand the stereotypes, we have to understand each other’s backgrounds and the words that hurt, the words that cut deep. “We have to find a way to replace those words with love and words of affirmation.”

News

Men in high heels: Tramping The Remarkables

My husband has never worn high heels before. He's always been extremely scathing about such silly footwear but on this occasion he thought they were practical and even enhanced his performance. Besides, the other two burly men in our party had donned high heels too so he would have felt left out without them. We were hiking uphill with snowshoes strapped to our tramping boots. Our feet were at a 90-degree angle to the slope thanks to a clever device which lifted the heels of our boots off the frame to the height of a reasonable stiletto. However, there was no mincing or prancing along in these high heels – the technique required a firm, deliberate stride engaging the rows of metal spikes on the soles into the hard-packed snow on the Remarkables. <img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/8/4/d/z/b/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.183tm8.png/1447969994454.jpg" alt="Lunch was simple but delicious." width="600" height="NaN" /> Lunch was simple but delicious. Image credit: Nigel Kerr The snowshoes were lightweight, high-tech models, much more streamlined than the cumbersome ones we had experimented with in Europe earlier in the year. The spikes ensured there was no slippage and with the addition of two height-adjustable walking poles, I felt entirely secure even negotiating quite steep slopes. A quick flick of the cleat engaged the high heel and saved our leg muscles. "Your calves will thank you for it later," said our guide, Shaun, who was practically sprinting up the slope despite carrying a full pack with lunch and snacks for our party of five, along with a spade and other emergency equipment.Once into the rhythm of the snowshoes, which took all of 20 seconds to master, I forgot about them. It was just like ordinary hiking but with a footprint the size of Sasquatch. <img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/8/4/d/z/f/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.183tm8.png/1447969994454.jpg" alt="The secret snow cave where groups take shelter when the weather turns nasty." /> The secret snow cave where groups take shelter when the weather turns nasty. Image credit: Nigel Kerr With every step the sound of the chairlifts, skiers and snowboarders faded and the grandeur of the mountainscape and the Wakatipu Basin unfolded. In a region where even superlatives fall woefully short, it's one of the most awe-inspiring of panoramas. Once we reached the remote, high-altitude Lake Alta cirque, the silence was sublime. The dead flat, smooth surface of the snow was the only indication there was a lake there at all. Shaun got out his spade and dug down through half a metre of snow to prove it . . . and to reassure us the ice was safe to walk on. With visions of cracking ice and plunging into frozen water, I had a strong urge to skirt around the lake edge but Shaun was one of those veteran outdoor Kiwi blokes who inspired total confidence. Still, I felt like a brave intrepid explorer setting off after him into the white wilderness. I expected to see wolves appear at any minute from behind the rocks. Our lunch spot was a rocky promontory just below the jagged jet black sawteeth of the Remarkables range, the reverse side of the iconic view you can see from Queenstown. <img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/8/4/d/z/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.183tm8.png/1447969994454.jpg" alt="'High heels' engaged, heading straight uphill on the Remarkables." /> 'High heels' engaged, heading straight uphill on the Remarkables. Image credit: Nigel Kerr Bathed in winter sunshine, we looked down on our tracks across the frozen teardrop lake as we munched on huge wedges of pumpkin bread sandwiches stuffed with chicken, brie, salad and relish. Simple fare but delicious.The only sounds were the whoops of exhilaration from an occasional extreme skier or snowboarder plummeting down the narrow chutes above us. And the squawks of the kea, the cheeky mountain parrot with its lethal hooked beak and vivid red plumage on the underside of the wings. One of our Aussie companions was a bright spark marketing man. As we chatted over lunch, he decided snowshoeing was a clumsy term so he came up with sniking - snow hiking – with a nod to Nike as a company that might like to rebrand the sport. My contribution was shnoeing. Not quite as marketable. <img class="photoborder" src="https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/8/4/d/z/e/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.183tm8.png/1447969994454.jpg" alt="The view from a lookout on the Remarkables." /> The view from a lookout on the Remarkables. Image credit: Nigel Kerr On the way down the mountain, we visited a secret snow cave where groups take shelter when the weather turns nasty or have lunch if it's too cold outside. Dug out under a huge jutting rock, it would hold eight to 10 people in cosy comfort. Shaun tailors the degree of difficulty of the expedition to suit the fitness of the group with some overseas visitors opting for a short play around in the snow and a photo opportunity and others climbing as far as the South Wye Saddle at 1950 metres. Ours was a serious workout. We covered about 6-8km with a climb of 300-400m reaching an elevation of 1900m at the Grand Couloir, a gully between Double and Single Cone, the latter being the highest point on the Remarkables Range at 2319m. The snowshoe concept appealed to the greenie in me. In a tourist town famous for its expensive, high-octane adventures, it's the ultimate accessible low-risk activity. Apart from the 35-minute van trip from Queenstown, there is no artificial means of propulsion. And you don't have to be a finely-tuned athlete or even particularly well co-ordinated to master the technique. The prerequisites are two functioning legs with feet attached, mild to moderate fitness depending on the steepness of the gradient you opt for, and the taste for a gentle, scenic adventure in the Great Outdoors. Written by Justine Tyerman, 30/05/18. Justine Tyerman was a guest of Ngai Tahu Tourism who own NZ Snowshoe. <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.ngaitahutourism.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.ngaitahutourism.co.nz</a>; <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.snowshoeing.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.snowshoeing.co.nz</a> The writer flew Air NZ from Auckland to Queenstown return. <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.airnewzealand.co.nz</a> and stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Queenstown <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.crowneplazaqueenstown.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.crowneplazaqueenstown.co.nz</a> Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Domestic Travel

The remarkable true story of WWII hero Eric Batchelor

The Ferret is the true story of a remarkable yet humble man, Eric Batchelor, from the South Canterbury town of Waimate who became one of New Zealand's highest decorated soldiers of World War II. Through his stealthy and deadly night time operations against the Germans he was secretly dubbed The Ferret by his commanding officers. It was a name he never heard until well after the war. I interviewed Eric several times during the years as I worked as a journalist in Timaru, usually in the lead up to Anzac Day or some other military commemoration. Sitting in his homely kitchen he shared stories of his exploits during World War II in his quietly spoken manner. He was always frank with detailed accounts of battles as well as his personal experiences and recollections away from the front lines. He went into details of combat, death and survival few other returned soldiers were willing or able to do. He joined, and eventually led, a platoon of young South Islanders with a similar background. Several were from the West Coast and had spent their teenage years stalking elusive red deer through some of the most rugged terrain in New Zealand or hunting tahr in the high grassland tops. They had become excellent marksmen with a rifle and self-reliant bushmen capable of living rough for extended periods. Moving soundlessly through rough country, finding their way in the dark and in wild, cold weather had become second nature to them long before the army turned them into soldiers. It had been the best possible training for infantrymen who were sent out at night after a much more dangerous quarry during the Italian Campaign of World War Two. By the end of the war in 1945 Eric had been awarded the prestigious Distinguished Conduct Medal twice for his actions on night patrols against enemy positions, the only soldier from the Southern Hemisphere to do so. He was also mention in dispatches for similar actions. His bravery decorations were second only to Captain Charles Upham who was twice awarded the Victoria Cross. I have drawn extensively on the outstanding official history of Eric’s 23 Battalion by Angus Ross to ensure the chronology of battles and the history of the war in North Africa and Italy, where Eric served, were accurate. However, this biography is not another history of 23 Battalion but the true story of one of the men who served in the battalion, who survived the war and returned to his hometown of Waimate in South Canterbury where he continued to serve his community both in the military, in business and in many volunteer organisations for the rest of his long life. Eric Batchelor died in July 2010 just a month shy of his 90th birthday. One of the sad threads running through his story was the transition from excitable young men in their late teens and early twenties at the start of the war into hardened old men in their mid-twenties when it was all over. At the beginning some of their pranks and adventures were typical of over exuberant school boys pushing the boundaries of discipline and acceptable behaviour as boys always have. Those still alive four years later had seen and done things beyond the comprehension of people who have never served in the front lines of a world war. Their personalities, attitudes and empathy had irreversibly changed. Nightmares disturbed their sleep, the sounds of gun fire, terrifying closeness of violent death and the screams of dying men never left their memories. Many had difficulty readjusting to a non-violent, non-aggressive role civilian life. Eric was one who made that adjustment, with initial difficulty, and spent the rest of his life in his beloved Waimate. He was, rightfully, considered to be a local hero, earning the title Waimate Warrior which became the title of a bagpipe tune composed in his honour. <img width="181" height="234" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817714/1_181x234.jpg" alt="1 (126)" style="float: right;"/> Read an excerpt of the book below: March 1944 in Cassino, Italy. Keeping the men fed was a continual and dangerous problem, sometimes more dangerous than the nightly patrols which were sent out to probe the enemy defences. “At night, runners would bring food up for us, but their jeeps could only go so far. I think they probably had a worse job than we did as they had to move through enemy-occupied territory. Sometimes the Germans would only be a few feet away in the next house, occasionally in the next room! Under the old hotel that we had got into was a German tank right underneath us and every night he’d start his motor to charge up his batteries.” To ease the boredom, and gather the ever-important information on enemy deployments, more patrols were sent out and occasionally ran into each other in the darkness. At this time Eric and five others had taken up lodgings in what had been a big bakers oven underneath a large hotel. From here they had a good view of enemy movements to and from their positions in the rubble. Eric often went out on his own relying on his stealth and hunting skills to avoid getting into trouble. It was dangerous activity and several men had been shot and killed by equally stealthy German snipers, but it was better than sitting around waiting for the next shell or mortar bomb to arrive. “I went out one day to see what I could find around the old post office and a German sniper had a go at me.” These marksmen, armed with a special rifle and telescopic sights, rarely missed, and had killed a lot of New Zealanders, but the bullet meant for Eric went wide and missed. "Then they put in what we called a stonk, a massed bombardment, down on me. They must have thought attack was on, or the German who fired at me got the wind and got a bit excited.” These close calls had become almost commonplace as the deadly cat and mouse games among the rubble saw many men from both sides killed or wounded, but Eric was fast becoming recognised as an expert with better survival skills than most. Some of the Germans had established mortar positions hidden away in the ruins, and could bring down bombs on advancing British infantry without their location being seen, but Eric managed to locate one. "They had been firing for a day or two and it was annoying me that I couldn’t see where it was coming from so I went poking around and saw some smoke coming up from a cellar about sixty yards away. As luck would have it, a tank commander came up at that time looking for a target, so I said ‘come with me and have a look.’ “He whipped his tank around the corner and put three or four shells into the cellar and headed off, and I got out of it pretty quickly.” Tom O’Connor is a semi-retired journalist, historian, political commentator, author of several books, a Councillor for the Waimate District Council and the chair person for NZ Grey Power Association. The Ferret can be purchased at some local book stores or online at <a href="http://www.tomoconnor.co.nz/" target="_blank">www.tomoconnor.co.nz</a>. Written by Kirsten Wilson.

Books

The remarkable true story of how 4 Aussie soldiers escaped a prison train in WWII

Here we were, four Australian soldiers, trudging along the edge of a railway track in the middle of the night, somewhere in the centre of northern Greece. We were all in high spirits for we had just escaped off a German prisoner-of-war train which had left Salonika some two hours earlier bound for Germany. Our escape from the train had been unpremeditated. However, from the time some 56 of us had found ourselves packed jam-tight into a cattle truck, we were sure there would be no way we would be willing to see out the expected eight-day journey to Germany in those conditions. There was absolutely no comfort in our situation, no seats to sit on, or even room where one could lie out flat. We either had to stand up or sit with our knees up under our chins, and as there was insufficient room for everyone to do the latter at the same time, everyone had to take turns at standing up. To make matters worse we were rotten with dysentery, which had plagued most of us from the first couple of weeks after we were taken prisoner on Crete some two months earlier — 31 May 1941, to be exact. We were also emaciated, lousy and unwashed, and altogether not a pretty sight. The cattle truck is a pretty common sight around Europe even today but during the war it was the sole means used by the Nazis for transporting millions of people to places they didn’t want to go. It is a rail box wagon about six metres long, three wide and two high. It has a sliding door on each side about 1.5 metres wide reaching from floor to ceiling. With the door closed the only ventilation inside was through two small openings about 50 centimetres wide and 35 centimetres high, placed high up under the roof at one end of each side wall and open to the elements. In our wagons these were crisscrossed with strands of barbed wire stapled to the outside of the wagon at about 10-centimetre intervals. In true German fashion it was planned to stop the train every hour and unload the prisoners a wagon at a time for us to attend to the calls of nature on the side of the track. But dysentery waits for no man, so, not long out of Salonika, one of the corners of the wagon was cleared for use as a toilet. In spite of this, and hampered by the darkness and the crush of bodies, people at the far end were often unable to make it in time. It is not hard to imagine the results. On the way back to the train after the first stop, and eyeing the window from the outside, someone said, ‘You know it would be pretty easy to escape from this bloody death-trap if we could only get out that window. Once out we could swing around the corner of the wagon onto the buffers and jump off from there.’ We all looked at each other but had our doubts. We got back into the wagon and started to discuss the possibilities. After a while we came to the conclusion that it was worth a try. If we got onto the buffers and waited for the train to slow down going up an incline before we jumped off, we could roll away in the darkness. First up we tried putting our hands through the wire while standing on the back of one of our mates, who was kneeling on the floor, and trying to lever the wire off the outside with our mess knives. However, neither our backs nor our equipment were up to the task and we soon had to abandon it. Then someone got the bright idea of lifting up one of our lightweights horizontally and getting him to kick the wire off with his army boots. We soon gave this a try and when it seemed to be a goer, decided to attack it in earnest after the next train stop which would be soon due. There were no guards on the outside of the train while travelling (these were to come later). Our guards travelled in a passenger coach at the end of the train, the prevailing blackout conditions preventing them from looking out. Soon after the train was nicely on its way again we attacked the barbed wire with a vengeance. At first it seemed hopeless but slowly, gradually, it started to budge. After about 20 minutes and many changed shifts, one end of each wire had been freed and bent back out of the way. We were ready to go. It was obvious we would have to get through this small window feet first if we were to avoid doing ourselves an injury if we slipped. We soon worked out that the best way to do this was to stand with our back to the window and, while clinging to the shoulders of a couple of mates in front, have two others lift up our legs and feet from behind and feed them through the opening. Little Leo Barnden, who had had first go at kicking at the wire, was first to leave and was soon out of sight. I was about sixth in line, being preceded by Joe Plant, ‘Aussie’ Osborne, Noel Lumby and Reg Clarkson, all members of the same army platoon. Reg had agreed to wait for me on the buffers so we could get off together, in case we got separated from the others. Once outside, it was relatively easy for us to swing around the end of the wagon onto the buffers although it was pretty hairy making the leap as the train slowed down. Nevertheless we both got off safely — triumphant, if somewhat shaken. The arrangements were that once we were off the train we could walk back along the track until we met up with Leo, who would be waiting for us where he got off. We would then all head off east, moving by night and hiding by day, and eventually make our way into Turkey, which was a neutral country at that time. None of us had much of an idea of what was involved in this but, fired with the enthusiasm of escaping, we did not much care. Thus we found ourselves — Clarkson, Osborne, Lumby and Foster — picking our way along the track hoping to meet Barnden and Plant further ahead. It was incredibly dark and the going was difficult. As far as we could make out, it was open country with not a glimmer of light to be seen anywhere. We had been walking for 10 to 15 minutes and I figured we must be getting close to where Leo had got off the train, when ‘Aussie’ kicked something soft and heavy with his boot. He stopped, bent down, peered at it for some seconds in the darkness and finally picked it up. ‘Bloody hell! It’s an Aussie army boot!’ he said, somewhat surprised. ‘A small one.’ And with a cry of anguish, ‘Gawd, it’s got a bloody foot in it. Leo must have slipped when he jumped and fallen between the rails and the wheels cut his foot off.’ We stood still, straining to hear cries or moaning of any kind — stunned that our little mate could have come to such a tragic end — but all was quiet. Before we had a chance to organise there was a loud pained exclamation from ‘Aussie’. ‘Aw shit!’ he cried, and then started to laugh. ‘The bloody boot’s full of shit!’ and he proceeded to throw it away from him as hard as he could and rub his hands in the dirt as though to erase forever the thought of that horrible thing. It is easy to guess what had happened: someone on the train, caught in the grip of dysentery, had used his boot as a toilet and pushed it out the window. Four frightened soldiers breathed a great sigh of relief, collected their wits, and proceeded on their way. We never did find Leo or Joe that night. After walking another 20 minutes along the track we concluded they must have set off together eastwards on their own. Unfortunately none of us had any idea how far it was to Turkey or what type of country we would have to traverse before we got there. Of course we had no maps or compass. We set off in silence at a cracking pace, thinking that if we could put 15 to 20 miles between us and the railway before dawn, we would place ourselves out of harm’s way. We could then find some place to lie up during the day and continue our journey, moving by night. Food was going to be the problem, for we had only the meagre rations the Jerry had given us for the train journey, but we were confident we should be able to live off the land. This was all very well in theory, but unfortunately didn’t work out in practice. We had been captured nearly two months, were all rotten with dysentery and had been forced to work hard by our captors, on starvation rations, clearing the wrecked German transport planes and troop gliders which had crashed or been shot down on the Maleme aerodrome in Crete. After a couple of hours’ marching we began to tire. We must have been a good 10 miles from the railway. What initially had appeared to be flat country turned out to be quite undulating and crisscrossed with wadies or dried water courses. This had held up our progress so we were glad to call a halt and camp for the rest of the night. We slept fitfully and, cold and stiff, were relieved to see the arrival of dawn. As soon as it became light enough we began to look around and saw a group of houses, a village, a couple of miles away. ‘Let’s get closer,’ said Reg. ‘We might be able to scrounge something to eat before anyone gets about.’ We made our way closer to the village, keeping out of sight as best we could, until we were about 100 yards from the nearest house. We kept watch on the house and after a while a young man came out and hesitantly started to move in our direction. He stopped a short way off. We thought the game must have been up and decided to send someone out to meet him. Lumby agreed to do this, showed himself and went out. None of us could speak Greek, nor could the fellow speak English, so things were a bit difficult for a while. He could see from our uniforms that we were British (if not Australian) soldiers, and it was soon evident that his sympathies were with us. He motioned Lumby to go back and lay low, and he would bring us out some food and water. True to his word he appeared shortly with some farm bread, cheese, tomatoes and an array of vegies from their garden, the like of which we had not seen for months. Towards evening the young fellow came over with an older man, obviously his father, bringing us more food. The father seemed pleased enough to meet us, but showed his concern that we should not stay where we were, so close to the house, as they were afraid of reprisals from the Germans if they found us there. By gestures, they told us that they would take us, after dark, and hide us up in the hills, about a mile away. We would be able to stay there in a safe place until we recovered our strength and they would bring us food each night. As soon as it got dark they led us around the village and into the hills. We ended up at what looked to be just like a typical biblical sheepfold: a sheep yard fenced with a dry-stack rock wall, with a gate at one end and a little roofed shack for the shepherd at the other. It was an ideal hiding place for us, for we were well out of sight and had a good long-distance view if anyone tried to approach. The village people were peasant-type farmers and the kindest people one could ever wish to meet. Word gradually spread of our presence and before long they had organised themselves to take turns to deliver food to us on a nightly basis. One of the first things they wanted us to do was to shed our army uniforms and don civilian clothes and thus make ourselves less conspicuous if Germans happened to come our way. We kept our army pay books and identification discs. After we had been in the hut a few days, one evening at dusk we saw three men approaching up the track. We recognised Viachios but not the other two. Then we realised it was Joe Plant and Leo Barnden – they too were decked out in old civvy gear and had their hair dyed a dull jet black as they were both naturally blond-headed. Joe and Leo had been taken in hand by Greeks in another village. The local grapevine must have told their benefactors of our presence, so they’d brought them to join us. There were now six of us in the little hut: Leo Barnden, Reg Clarkson, Noel Lumby, ‘Aussie’ Osborne, Joe Plant and Norton Foster, all members of the same platoon of ‘B’ Company, 2nd/11th Battalion AIF. The group of six stayed in the area for some two months, assisting the villagers in raking up grain stubble and baling it. They were then taken to Salonika and escorted to a remote coastal area where British submarines made occasional visits to rescue escaped prisoners and stragglers from the Greek campaign. All six, who had enlisted at Northam, WA, in November 1939, were thus repatriated eventually to Australia. The Listening Post, Winter 1996 – Autumn 1997. Norton Henry Foster was born in Melbourne on 7 August 1919, enlisted at Northam, WA, on 10 November 1939, was discharged with the rank of private in November 1945 and died 16 February 2004. Noel Percival Lumby was born in West Maitland, NSW, on 20 April 1916, was discharged as a corporal in December 1945 and died 7 February 2010. Reginald Thomas Clarkson was born in Dongara, WA, on 28 October 1917, was discharged as a private in September 1945 and died 17 January 1970. Henry John Osborne, nicknamed ‘Aussie’, was born in Birmingham, England, on 30 September 1911, and was discharged as a corporal in September 1945. Joseph Vernon Plant was born 7 May 1916 in Merredin, WA, was discharged as a lance corporal in September 1945 and died 4 September 1998. Leo Edward Barnden was born 19 January 1918 in Geraldton, WA, was discharged as a private in August 1945 and died 17 October 2012. <img width="178" height="273" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816511/great-australian-world-war-ii-stories-cover_178x273.jpg" alt="Great -Australian -World -War -II-Stories ---cover" style="float: right;"/> This is an extract from Great Australian World War II Stories edited by John Gatfield and published by ABC Books. Image credit: Australian War Memorial.

Books

This might be Australia’s most remarkable natural formation

Visit one of Australia’s most remarkable natural formations. What is it? Eaglehawk Neck Tessellated Pavement in Tasmania is one of the world’s most spectacular geological phenomena. A tessellated pavement is an incredibly rare rock formation that is only found in a few places on earth. Over thousands of years, a section of flat sedimentary rock that sits close to the ocean gets broken up into a series of regular blocks through cracking and erosion. There are two potential results: a series of small rectangular pools that fill and empty with the tides or rounded rocks that bulge upwards in a ‘loaf’ formation. Though it looks manmade, the formations are entirely natural. The rock comes to resemble a traditional Roman mosaic floor, which is where the name ‘tessellated pavement’ comes from. Where is it? Eaglehawk Neck is the thin strip of land that separated the Tasman Peninsula to the Forestier Peninsula, on the southeast coast of the island of Tasmania. It is around 400 metres long and 30 metres wide. The Port Arthur prison was opened on the Tasman Peninsula in the 1830s and the narrow isthmus formed a natural barrier to prevent convicts escaping to the main island. To add an extra degree of difficulty, the entrance to the peninsula was guarded by a line of fearsome dogs chained together. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3W8nS0wyQzs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> How can I visit? The Tessellated Pavement is a one-hour drive from Hobart along a pretty coastal route. You can stop at the lookout on the sea cliffs above to get a birds’ eye view of the entire formation. At low tide, you can walk across the rocks and out to Clydes Island. The rocks can be uneven and slippery, so take care and wear appropriate footwear. Have you ever visited this incredible attraction?

International Travel

Grandmother’s remarks about her “rude” grandson goes viral

A grandmother’s comment about how she wished her grandson was more like a worker at her local grocery store has gone viral after the store put it on display. The woman wrote to the store to compliment employee Nathaniel Hunter, who helped her when she visited the store when she was having night cravings for yoghurt covered cranberries. “I was having one of those late night cravings, you know how it is,” she wrote. The woman explained she “could not wait till the next day” for her cranberries and upon entering the store and looking for them, Nathaniel offered to assist her “Instead of merely pointing me in the direction, he walked me over to the trail mix machines. He then helped me navigate those darn contraptions. He even put in the number so I could print out my barcode,” she continued. The woman, who confessed she has “trouble with this new technology”, added that it is nice to know “there are bright young people out there that will stop and help an old lady like me.” After experiencing Nathaniel’s helpful assistance, the grandma started to compare him to her own grandson. “As I was leaving the store I couldn’t help but wish my own grandson could be more like Nathaniel. I know that’s terrible of me to say as a grandmother,” she said. <img width="499" height="665" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39668/in-text-letter_499x665.jpg" alt="In Text Letter"/> “Don’t get me wrong, I love my Tyler to death but he is so rude to me sometimes. Whenever I ask for computer help he just tells me to Google it. He dresses in all black and it really disturbs me. His mother says it’s only a phase, I hope so.” "Perhaps I’ll see Nathaniel again and I can ask him to be friends with Tyler so that he has a good influence." The woman’s letter has gone viral after it was put up in the Kentucky, US, grocery store for two weeks. There is a good chance Tyler is reflecting on his behaviour to his grandma as the letter has been viewed almost 175,000 times on Imgur.

Art

Andy Murray hits back at reporter’s sexist remarks

He might’ve lost his match, but tennis ace Andy Murray has won praise from all corners after interrupting a reporter’s question to make an important distinction during a post-match news conference at Wimbledon. After losing to Sam Querrey in the quarterfinals, Murray was faced with a question that referred to Querrey as the “first US player” to reach a major semi-final since 2009. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Sir Andrew Murray is NOT amused with your casual sexism! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon?src=hash">#wimbledon</a> <a href="https://t.co/a6pTpHCFSr">pic.twitter.com/a6pTpHCFSr</a> — Jamie (@_JamieMac_) <a href="https://twitter.com/_JamieMac_/status/885189154128224257">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote> “Male player,” Murray pointed out. “I beg your pardon,” the reporter responded. “Male player,” Murray repeated. Querrey is the first American man to make the semi-finals at a Grand Slam in eight years, but this disregards the achievements of Serena Williams who has won more than 10 majors since 2009 and her sister Venus who was a Wimbledon semi-finalist this year and last. Murray’s mother Jane posted on Twitter, affirming support of her son. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> That's my boy. ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/ldZUQ2wbZj">https://t.co/ldZUQ2wbZj</a> — judy murray (@JudyMurray) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudyMurray/status/885181694319484929">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote> What’s your take on this story? Was it an overreaction from Murray? Or was the reporter well out of line? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Image credit: Twitter / BBC

News

Qatar Airways boss apologises for disparaging remark of flight attendants

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker is apologising for referring to US airline flight attendants as "grandmothers." At a gala in Dublin, Ireland last week to celebrate Qatar Airways' launch of its Dublin-Doha route, Al Baker told the audience that "the average age of my cabin crew is only 26 years." "So there is no need for you to travel on these crap American carriers," Al Baker said. "You know you're always being served by grandmothers on American carriers." Al Baker apologised "unreservedly" for his remarks after being blasted by labour unions and American Airlines. "Cabin crew are the public face of all airlines, and I greatly respect their hard work and professionalism," Al Baker said on Wednesday. "They play a huge role in the safety and comfort of passengers, irrespective of their age or gender or familial status. I have worked for many years in the industry, and I have a high regard for the value that I see long-serving staff members bringing through their experience and dedication." American Airlines said overnight it was ending marketing agreements with Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, Bloomberg reported. It comes after a long disagreement over whether the Persian Gulf carriers use government subsidies to compete unfairly. First appeared on <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

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Eye-watering price tag for "remarkable" first class Titanic menu

Older women are doing remarkable things – it’s time for the putdowns to end

“Target on his back”: Ben Roberts-Smith’s spectacular closing remarks

James Caan was rarely a star. But he was a remarkable actor’s actor who could hold his own among the greats

"So hurtful": Greg Norman in hot water over "seriously misguided remarks"

Something remarkable has happened to Australia’s book pages: gender equality has become the norm

Podcast hosts slammed for disgusting remarks about women's postpartum bodies

Feel alone in your eco-anxiety? Don’t – it’s remarkably common to feel dread about environmental decline

Hugh Bonneville’s remarkable transformation

Why Germany’s coronavirus death rate is remarkably low

TV host issues tearful apology to black co-host after making insensitive remark

Men in high heels: Tramping The Remarkables

The remarkable true story of WWII hero Eric Batchelor

The remarkable true story of how 4 Aussie soldiers escaped a prison train in WWII

This might be Australia’s most remarkable natural formation

Grandmother’s remarks about her “rude” grandson goes viral

Andy Murray hits back at reporter’s sexist remarks

Qatar Airways boss apologises for disparaging remark of flight attendants

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Eye-watering price tag for "remarkable" first class Titanic menu

Older women are doing remarkable things – it’s time for the putdowns to end

“Target on his back”: Ben Roberts-Smith’s spectacular closing remarks

James Caan was rarely a star. But he was a remarkable actor’s actor who could hold his own among the greats

"So hurtful": Greg Norman in hot water over "seriously misguided remarks"

Something remarkable has happened to Australia’s book pages: gender equality has become the norm

Podcast hosts slammed for disgusting remarks about women's postpartum bodies

Feel alone in your eco-anxiety? Don’t – it’s remarkably common to feel dread about environmental decline

Hugh Bonneville’s remarkable transformation

Why Germany’s coronavirus death rate is remarkably low

TV host issues tearful apology to black co-host after making insensitive remark

Men in high heels: Tramping The Remarkables

The remarkable true story of WWII hero Eric Batchelor

The remarkable true story of how 4 Aussie soldiers escaped a prison train in WWII

This might be Australia’s most remarkable natural formation

Grandmother’s remarks about her “rude” grandson goes viral

Andy Murray hits back at reporter’s sexist remarks

Qatar Airways boss apologises for disparaging remark of flight attendants

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