Saturday, January 3, 2009

The silly season around the World

Stoke Newington: A balanced diet is seen as important in Clissold Park. Recently overheard: – ‘Young mother in Clissold Park to toddler in push chair… ‘No darling, you can’t have cous cous with pasta – they just don’t go’. GO HERE for more such balanced views of life in N16. And nearby in Islington, residents are looking forward with vision to the next Olympics - see 'Olympic road closure anger' for the stirrings of local support structures.

Val Verde A local good Samaritan attempting to prevent his friend from drunk driving ends up in gaol (or jail, in this case). His good humored blasting of the mate's windscreen with paintballs was not appreciated - see the 'Watercooler talk' in the Signal.

Western suburbs - Melbourne The Department of Sustainability and Environment has issued and impassioned pleas for residents and visitors to Williamstown to be kind to seals - "Don't feed them - they will just stay longer ..." While over in Berrilee, stunned resident about to have a bit of a sit down finds reason to praise the firemen:
“They were a wonderful mix of people, with a mountain of combined knowledge.” she said, when they came to take away a tree that had fallen on her house.

Wellington Organisers of the Khandallah quilt exhibition were thrilled with the excited public response to their recent show. One of the groups members made her quilts out of her husbands old jeans. And a quilt sold within minutes of the show opening.

Christchurch A mother and daughter got separated while picking up men at a New Years event, and each reported the other missing to the police. Could happen to anyone, I suppose. And in the museum the Fred and Myrtle Paua house gets great response from visitors. (One grumpy old arty person thinks the whole thing is rather naff, though. )


Sunday, April 20, 2008

Mufflers, mis-mash, progress

Val Verde: Muffler mavericks - 2 men and 2 women were arrested in Val Verde 12 April for stealing exhaust mufflers from cars parked in the street. They were after platinum and other precious metals that are used in catalytic converters. According to the Signal, the metals are valued at about $2,035 an ounce for platinum, about $9,000 an ounce for rhodium and about $460 an ounce for palladium.

Flemington: The Quiet Man Irish pub is being torn asunder (metaphorically) from its surroundings. It finds that it will be the only Flemington business to be part of Melbourne under a new boundary change, with the others all going to Moonee Valley. But, along with the pub, another cultural precinct is being ruptured: The Flemington library will be in one city, but its car park will be in another.

Stoke Newington: Clissold Comeback - over budget, problem ridden, and then closed just after it opened the Clissold Leisure Centre has a rich history. And after being completely re-arranged it opened again in December. And it is still open! And there are photos of smiling and happy leisure users.

Johnsonville: Well not a lot there to report, so instead here is a link to the web cam on the Motorway out of wellington from the Terrace.

Christchurch: Christchurch girl Vicky is flushed with success: She has won a contest to make a wedding gown out of no more than eight rolls of toilet paper.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

East End scandal, schools, more

OK so its been a long break. So time to to post:

Stoke Newington: For a story of a cowboy developer riding roughshod over planners and the flagrant disregard of the courts, this 8 year saga surrounding a Stoke Newington mews development is unbeatable. Read the article and feel your blood boil. Clearly wide boys are still flourishing in East London.

Val Verde: Californian parents now have a new tool to help choose a school. The state has a web site that gives school location, API scores, racial composition, student/teacher ratios ... Whether all this does anything for actual education is a moot point. There are only two elementary schools near Val Verde, Live Oak and Castaic - Live Oak?

Flemington: A good news education story from Melbourne. African refugees in Flemington are achieving well in school and education. This is a story of positive attitudes and achievement that is worth reading and a pleasant antidote to the main stream media which seems to actively farm and harvest dysfunction and disasters.

Johnsonville: Down the road in Ohariu valley, artist Jane Kellahan (abstract expressionist landscapes) runs workshops for painters and aspiring painters.

Christchurch: We're up with the times in Christchurch. Johnny Devlin, NZ's answer to Elvis Presley is back in town this weekend. Yours truly won't be going, 'cos the memory of his concert at the St James in 1960 (or there abouts) (he arrived in a pink Caddie convertible with MP Mabel Howard) is still vivid and I rather fear revisiting it would not be good karma. This was the first time I had seen an electric bass and an electric zylophone competing on stage

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Opera, rain, feathers, fashion, Christmas

Stoke Newington: When you read this you will be too late to be swept away in the audience at the 2007 Stoke Newington Opera Caberet, since it was held on December 15. The Round Chapel once again resounded to the stunning sounds of arias sweeping over an enthusiastic interacting audience. This year Farquhar scored an interview in the N16 Magazine [click on the link to down-load a 6mb PDF copy of the magazine - the Opera Cabaret Article is on page 18. The photos are from the 2006 cabaret, (and Rod can see himself in the corner if he really squints)].

F D talks modestly of the event as: "It belongs to the community, is of the community, and is not transferable". But success is contagious, and there are rumours that 2008 could see not on, but two opera events. Time to look for cheap flights to the UK ...

Val Verde: Val Verde maintains several facilities that trap and retain rainwater for future use. I think this means that there are some lakes in the area. Anyway, water board officials are happy because there's been a lot of rain - 4.84 inches overnight (that's 122.9 mm in real measure). To put this into perspective, last year (2007) was the driest on record with a total of 0.85 inches - 21.6 mm - for the year (that is what the article says, anyway). Not every one is happy - the firemen are out of sorts because the expected mudslides didn't occur. We know that Alistair will sympathise with them.

Flemington: OK so the local news paper is closed down for the holidays. So instead here is a link to a video of the worst dressed women in 2007. Caution: US content ex CBS - may offend sentient humans.

Johnsonville: Well not much to report in Johnsonville papers at the moment, either. But down the road in Paekakariki there is an intriguing exhibition by Leah Shepard at Finns, where she is showing works that are 'about feathers and how they represent people'.

Christchurch: Helen Brown is a columnist in the Christchurch Star. This is a link to a Christmas morality tale she posted for Christmas.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

gas down, tree up, clothes off, and more

Val Verde. Gas (petrol) down for Christmas: They now pay NZ$1.10 a litre in the Santa Clarita area, (with a car wash), says the SCV Signal. This compares with NZ$1.75 a litre in Godzone.

Stoke Newington. 100 year old tree saved at Highbury Corner ronndabout after 1000 residents petioned , and Ken Livingstone (all hail to Ken) intervened. But the traffic will still be travelling blind ...

Flemington. 20 armed police with dogs seize drugs and gun at the Centennial Hotel, Kensington - just arond the corner from Flemington. The raid by police dogs etc etct on Dec 17 was only a day before our rellies left for NZ. Only a coincidence.

Christchurch. Nude and lewd on the beach at Spencer Park not encouraged. Sign has been erected. But still it goes on. One 67 yo local said when she took childeren to the beach 4 years ago there were naked people . She hasn't been back. And a 'middle aged Scottish man' has a lot to say.

Johnsonville. Makara (just down the road from J'ville) mountain bike park had a great day of competition in st7unning weather. New expert level tracks now opened.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Riots, party calls, knitted goodies,

Val Verde: Do meal time calls from survey firms get you excited. In Santa Clarita you can have even more excitement. Your local politician, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth is likely to call and invite you to take part in a conference call with about 5000 other voters. Sounds like Fun? Good God!! Read more...

Flemington: Youth parties put of control are news around, and the leafy suburb of Flemington is no exception. Last week in this multi-racial area, 50 youths attacked police: "It was very chaotic. There were a lot of girls crying and people were absolutely distressed. They were just throwing rocks randomly. It was .. totally out of control,'' Leading Senior Constable Watt said. More ...

Johnsonville: By the time you read this you will have just missed the excitement of the annual Johnsonville craft fair (15 November). Reports of sharing tales from across the stalls welcome. More ...

Hackney: Top pop star Sophie Ellis-Bexter (as yet to make it in NZ) launches a £20,000,000 campaign to make primary schools greener. Pupils will be able to join the Climate Cops to help reduce their, and their schools, carbon footprint. Watch the video (Sophie does scrub up well) and read more ...

Sunshine: Students from the Australian Technical School Sunshine are helping local primary pupils ready themselves for future life in the suburbs by sharing tips on martial arts and judo. More ...

Christchurch: Graham Partridge ran out of petrol on way to maternity hospital, but baby OK. Your editor rather thinks the descriptive stuff can be over done, but that seems to be the fashion these days: Read the gory details here ...

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Hot water, gunners march, love 'pollies, more

Santa Clarita: Hot times ahead for Water Board. In a narrow election, Daniel R Mortensen was voted on, on a platform of making sure returning director Lynne Plambeck gets to pass no motions during the next term. Our Daniel sees this as making him a 'pariah' . More ...

Flemington: Bus drivers in Melbourne looking for a free ride. Spokesman denies his drivers nick the cash, but others might. More ...

Stoke Newington: Gunners up in arms and on the March. Will Britsish resolve hold out against the Russian Billionaire? Ben Dimach says its time for Arsenal supporters group Red Action to stand and be counted. More ...

Sunshine: Labor party local politicians take mutual hatred to Court. Jurors told to 'fasten their safety belts' and be prepared to hear details about the grubby side of politics. More ...

Johnsonville: Local Craft Show at J'ville Community Centre on the 15th November. Dollls clothes, bits and bobs, knitting - just in time for Christmas. Quel Horreur! More ...

Christchurch: Southern men most likely to slurp the turps. From a few binges when young to a steady haze when older. More ...