| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The White Hat Melbourne NewsletterArchived Newsletter No.188 - 14 September 2006Contents
Pirate Week Festivals Theatre Reader Feedback Motorcycle Grand Prix A Moment from Australian Sporting History Music Fringe Festival Politics in the Pub Children & Family Food & Wine Country Victoria The White Hat Quiz +----------------------------------------------------+ PIRATE WEEK This week be pirate week and Tuesday be ‘International Speak Like A Pirate Day’. We be expectin’ all White Hat Subscribers to do the proper thing. If ye be at work ye can start practin’ now. “Arghh. This be the Department of Human Services. State yer business yer scurvy wench or stop wastin’ me time.” Come Tuesday it would help if you dress proper. Gentlemen should wear a shirt open to the navel together with gold chains. Just like Lygon Street. Women should wear a peasant blouse and industrial strength push-up bra. Good luck me hearties. +----------------------------------------------------+ FESTIVALS As Melbourne emerges from winter you can expect to see an increasing number of festivals each week. This weekend at Fed Square is Festival Indonesia. On Saturday in Dandenong is a Chilean Latin American Festival and a Moon Lantern Festival in Richmond (to be confirmed). This weekend is a Turkish Tulip Festival in the Dandenongs. Also watch out for the inaugural Peruvian Festival coming up in a couple of week’s time. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Festivals/Ethnic.asp Next weekend is the High Vibes Street Festival in Northcote with tons of bands. This year the authorities have decided thar be no grog on the streets an’ cutlasses be left at door. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Music/Pop.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ THEATRE This week a season of plays directed by newly graduated theatre directors from the VCA drama school begins in Melbourne. This is your chance to see their work before they become rich and famous. Jamie Oliver cooks his favourite dishes live on stage at The Regent. I won’t be going – I’m waiting for the ultimate theatre experience of renovations live on stage. If you enjoy the television show “Thank God You’re Here’ you are likely to enjoy the improvised comedy of Theatresports in St Kilda which starts a new season next weekend. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Events/TheatreM.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ READER FEEDBACK Thank you for all subscribers who sent in recipes for quinces. “Dear Mr Hat, WHAT IS THE CORRECT METHOD FOR FERTILISING LEMON TREES? Enquiring minds want to know. Gillian the Po-Faced Killer of Trees in the Middle Suburbs” Gillian. This is matter of some delicacy so we may leave suggestions to some of our other subscribers. “Dear White Hat, I would like to unsubscribe from your newsletter, as I am moving to Wellington for 9 months before 2 years around the world. I have loved your newsletter - informative, full of ideas and humorous (not to mention a plethora of Melbourne based trivia that puts most Melburnians to shame)! Thanks again and I will hopefully be subscribing in 3 years when I hope to be back in Melbourne, Amir” Enjoy your travels Amir. After Wellington it’s all an anti-climax. “Doug here. Fair go... I said that HV McKay was a friend to John Flynn. Not a friend to ME. I ain't that old, Sunshine. Doug” A couple of weeks ago we asked for a show-of-hands from overseas readers. We were surprised by the result and and had far too many responses to print at the one time, so we will dole them out over the coming months. Here is the first of them: “Martin here from Canada. We shared a table at the Australian/Canadian Business Breakfast during the Commonwealth Games and I was inspired to subscribe to your newsletter although I did not read any of them until I returned home to Canada. I was particularly intrigued by your hopes for the closing ceremony. Writing in what I now know to be your often cryptic style, you expressed that hope that a number of important achievements and people of Melbourne and Victoria would be celebrated. I recall none of them being featured in that ceremony and would be particularly interested to know more about them as, I’m sure, would many of your overseas readers.” The section of the newsletter Martin is referring to is “What Make’s Melbourne Special” at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Newsletter/Previous/060324.asp Martin, we’ll see what we can do. A little later in this newsletter we will mention one of those people. +----------------------------------------------------+ MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX This weekend at Phillip Island is the Motor Cycle Grand Prix. Local subscribers knew that already but I mention it for the benefit of our overseas readers. You see we have this island where delicate little penguins come up the beach each night so we decided this would be just the place for a major motorcycle race and we all ride down there on our choppers and go to the market at Cowes where we can learn to meditate to the sounds of a twin valve . . well it’s a bit complicated but it makes sense to us. You had better come and see for yourself. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Victoria/Regions/PhillipIsland.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ A MOMENT FROM AUSTRALIAN SPORTING HISTORY
Now at this stage we should leave off. We know that most state education departments have removed Australian History from the syllabus, and many curriculum experts tell us that dates and names are not important so we had better not mention either in this case. In addition we have been warned that ‘story telling’ is not an appropriate way to stimulate an interest in Australian history. Pity. +----------------------------------------------------+ MUSIC Sunday afternoon jazz continues at the Copacabana in Smith Street. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Music/Jazz.asp On Friday evening there is free klezmer music at the George Adams Gallery at the Arts Centre. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Music/Folk.asp In classical music you have the choice of choral music at St Paul’s Cathedral, Rachmaninov Vespers at BMW Edge, Howell’s Requiem at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Tudor Choristers in Camberwell, Twilight Chamber Music at Ripponlea and a fair bit more. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Music/Classical.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ FRINGE FESTIVAL The Fringe Festival starts at the end of this month. The organisers state that this year’s festival themes explore fear and depression. Maybe artists found to be producing positive or cheerful works will be expelled from the festival. For a full listing of offerings go to: http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/season/2006/ +----------------------------------------------------+ POLITICS IN THE PUB We received late notification of an event called ‘Politics in the Pub’ and claiming to be ‘an informed roundtable discussion for people interested in international affairs’. “Aha – dodgy” I thought. (By the way, Did I tell you that the Dodgy Sisters have a new exhibition in Highett opening on Friday night. You can see one of the Dodgy Sisters posing in her elegant white hat at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Events/Exhibitions.asp) Now, where was I? That’s right. “Dodgy” I thought. Events with titles like this are often fronts for dubious extreme socio-political or religious groups. I had better check it out. I went to their website and at the top was a banner inviting me to join the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. Curiouser and curiouser. I then glanced at the list of patrons and realised this was no dodgy fly-by-night organisation – in fact maybe I should be ashamed that I haven’t encountered them before. I haven’t had time to investigate further, but you can by going to: http://www.aiiavic.org.au/ +----------------------------------------------------+ CHILDREN AND FAMILY This Tuesday is Story Time for under-5s at the City Library. Next weekend there is a Munchkin Market at Lilydale. The Melbourne Show opens next week which gives you a chance to check out the newly refurbished showgrounds. While you are sitting on the chairlift you may wish to ponder whether the government and contractors used any cost cutting techniques to get the site open on time. You might want to take up the pirate theme with the family. Dress up accordingly (“Muuum – I’m not going out with you if you dress like that”) and off you go. The Polly Woodside is currently closed until the end of next year so take them down to the raging splendour of Port Phillip Bay. For several weeks at Newquay in Docklands there has been an independent whale watch vessel moored which has regular tour running. It looks like a small goth version of the Rainbow Warrior. I don’t know if it is still there. Failing that, there is a cruise ship visiting Station Pier next weekend with the self-effacing name of ‘THE WORLD’. Give them the taste of the high seas on the Williamstown Ferry where they can practice a bit of pillagin’ and pluderin’. Who knows – today the willy ferry, tomorrow . . Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Lifestyle/Children.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ FOOD & WINE The Asian Food Festival continues all this month. Details in the mainstream media. This is a good time to combine a bit of heritage tourism with your taste for food, wine and art. This weekend there is a ‘A Taste of Montsalvat’ at the well-known artists colony. (“Ahh. The wench in that paintin’ be comely, but when come the vittles an’ the grog?” “Shut up Gerald! I wish you’d never seen that wretched White Hat Newsletter”) Next weekend there is a showcase of food and wine at the Gulf Station in the Yarra Valley. Gulf Station is a wonderfully preserved working farm from a previous era and we highly recommend a visit. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/Victoria/Other/FoodWine.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ COUNTRY VICTORIA This weekend there is a tulip festival in the Dandenongs, a Medieval Festival and a BMX Festival in Ballarat, a Gold’n’Wattle Festival in Maryborough, a Daffodil Festival at St Erth and a wildflower festival at Anglesea. Next weekend there is a country music festival in Mildura. Details at: http://www.whitehat.com.au/victoria.asp +----------------------------------------------------+ THE WHITE HAT QUIZ How well do you know Melbourne? Last week’s quiz raised some interesting issues which we don’t have space to list here. Brett had the first answers in, but Anthony raised a particular issue that requires further discussion. More on that next week, but now to this week’s quiz. SPORT, POLITICS & PIRATES
No prizes – just glory and a warm inner glow.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
