Will The Aussies Turn to Shane Warne?
It is being rumoured that the Australians might turn to Shane Warne to help them get even with England in The Ashes.
In a way, I wonder whether some think this might be a good idea for England too, as some of their batsmen would just love to get at him and pay him back for all the damage he’s done in the past! Remember many of the England batsmen have had a good look at Warne lately in 20/20 cricket, so perhaps he’s not as feared as he once was!
The Oldest Mosque in Australia
In Adelaide, C and I visited the mosque and the associated museum to the Afghan camel drivers, who opened up the middle of the country in the nineteenth century. I have talked to Australians about this part of their history and few actually know of the story. It’s here in an article in the Guardian, which offers advice to those visiting for the cricket.
Australia’s oldest mosque (1888) was built in a back street for Afghan camel drivers employed in the South Australian desert. A simple stone affair with whitewashed brick minarets, it now serves city workers and a new wave of Afghani refugees. You can enter (avoid prayer times) but the wood-lined interior makeover now bears unfortunate resemblance to a Swedish sauna. The camels’ descendants have gone feral but their pure bloodline means they are in demand back in the Middle East. Those not exported can end up as camel pastrami at Wild Oz in the Central Market (wildoz.com.au), which also deals in wild goat, wild boar and, of course, Skippy.
In fact the Afghans, were a mix of people from all over those places where camels are a beast of burden, and as soon as they had done their work, they left, leaving behind the camels, wich quickly went feral. At least the Australians have seen fit to call the train that links Adelaide to Alice Springs and Darwin, The Ghan.
One of my regrets is that when I flew round Australia with C, we only allowed four weeks for the trip. We should have allowed a lot more time. But then C was a typical barrister, who believed that if you were away too long, your colleagues would nick your best cases. We did fly along the southern part of the route of The Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs, with stops at Coober Pedy and Yulara. One day I’ll put all of the Australian photos on the web, but sadly, many are missing and I don’t have the negatives any more.
It’s Raining in Adelaide
C and I liked Adelaide, when we went there in the 1980s. But it didn’t rain. In fact in the whole three weeks we were in Australia we never saw any rain at all. This was unusual, as we usually had rain on holiday, just like Queen Liz does!
Adelaide is a unique Australian city in that it was planned by Colonel William Light to be a city with wide streets and lots of green spaces. It is also surrounded by a large area of parkland and has proved to be one of the best laid-out cities in the whole world. There is a statue to his memory called Light’s Vision overlooking the city with this inscription.
The reasons that led me to fix Adelaide where it is I do not expect to be generally understood or calmly judged of at present. My enemies however, by disputing their validity in every particular, have done me the good service of fixing the whole of the responsibility upon me. I am perfectly willing to bear it, and I leave it to posterity and not to them, to decide whether I am entitled to praise or to blame.
Light and his father, Francis, are two of those characters in history, to whom I am drawn. C and I came across the father first in Penang and realised that the founder of the settlement, had been born in Dallinghoo, which was the next village to Debach, where we lived at the time. So the father of the designer of Adelaide was a Suffolk man. In fact, he was the illegimate son of a woman in the village, who was taken under the wing of the local landowner. He certainly was a well-educated and successful man as this extract from Wikipedia shows.
From 1765, he worked as a private country trader. For about ten years he had his headquarters in Salang, Thailand, near Phuket, reviving a failed French trading post. While living there he learned to speak and write several languages, including Malay and Siamese. In 1785, he warned the Thais on Phuket Island of an imminent Burmese attack. Light’s warning enabled the islanders to prepare for Phuket’s defence and subsequently repel the Burmese invasion. For the British East India Company, he leased the island of Penang from the Sultan of Kedah, where many others had failed, and was supposedly given the Princess of Kedah as a reward (other sources state that the Princess was sent to covet Light’s aid on behalf of the Sultan). The multicultural colony of Penang became extraordinarily successful from its inception and Light served as the Superintendent of the colony until his death.
They were an amazing father and son, who from humble beginning made a real positive contribution to the world. We get massive tomes written about obscure and useless politicians, but where is the dual biography of Francis and William Light? A book was written in 1901 and it’s here in PDF.
Let’s hope the rain eases up enough for the Aussies to take their deserved beating!
The First Welsh-Born Prime Minister Since Lloyd George
Julia Gillard has just become Australian Prime Minister, as Kevin Rudd has stood down. She was born in Barry in South Wales, so becomes the first Welsh-born Prime Minister since Lloyd George.
When will we have a foreign-born Prime Minister? We already have! He was Bonar Law, who was born in the crown colony of New Brunswick, which is now part of Canada.
New Zealand Get a Draw
As one of the least-fancied teams in the World Cup this was a bit of a surprise. They’ll be a bit of tension down-under, especially as the Aussies weren’t very good a few days ago.
But good luck to them, although to get out the group they’ll need to beat either Italy or Paraguay.
It was good to see Ipswich’s Tommy Smith giving a mature performance at the back.
Aussies Get a Pasting from the Germans
It certainly looks that way with just a few minutes to go, but there is nothing that cheers a real Englishman more than Aussies losing. Except possibly a bunch of chippy Scotsmen doing the same!
I know we weren’t that good, but remember where Robert Green learned to keep goal – Norwich City! It was also the altitude, as it’s rather low in Norfolk.
Around the World in 33 Days – Latest Itinerary
The latest route and itinerary is as follows. I shall be flying business all the way, as that was good value from Trailfinders.
Stop 1 – Hong Kong – Arrive Wednesday, May 12th at 16:05
I need to break the journey and what better place than Hong Kong. I am staying in the Mandarin Oriental. My late wife and I always did and it’s worth every penny.
In Hong Kong I will be seeing a few old friends and some others who are perhaps interested in my new project management system, which can produce reports in both English and Chinese. Or in fact any number of languages at the same time.
Stop 2 – Melbourne – Arrive Saturday, May 15th at 06:15
Of all the major cities in the greater south-east of Australia, Melbourne is the only one I haven’t visited. I suppose I haven’t visited Canberra either, but then my Aussie friends say it isn’t worth it.
I also want to play real tennis in the city and see the sights. I’m also going to see some old Metier mates. But if anybody else wants to see me, then just contact me. Or leave a message at the Bloomfield Hotel, where I’m staying.
Stop 3 – Brisbane – Arrive Tuesday, 18th May at 14:15
Seeing an old mate that I’ve never met! We’ll talk about Artemis, Metier and the new project management system. I shall be staying at the Holiday Inn.
Stop 4 – Hawaii – Arrive Friday, 21st May at 09:25
Now I’ve never been to Hawaii, but it looks like a place that is worth a stopover as I make my way across the Pacific. I also want to visit Pearl Harbor. After all, I’ve stood on the dock at Taranto, where the Fleet Air Arm proved the concept for the Japanese. Read the Attack on Taranto by Lowry and Wellham for more details. Note that the book is an American publication. I shall be taking a copy.
I don’t know if anybody knows me in Hawaii, but I shall be staying at the Aqua Bamboo and Spa. I chose it as I got a little kitchen, so that I can fend for myself if GF seems bad in Hawaii.
Stop 5 – San Francisco – Arrive Monday, 24th May at 20:35
I’ll probably spend a day or so in San Francisco and then it will be a car all the way to New Orleans. I’m staying at the Orchard Hotel. Note that this is at 665 Bush Street and not the Orchard Garden Hotel, which is a sister hotel.
The first leg is planned to be a drive to somewhere around Bakersfield after visiting the giant redwoods and other sights in Calfornia
Stop 6 – Bakersfield – Arrive Wednesday, 26th May
This will only be an overnight stop.
Stop 7 – Route 66 Motel – Arrive Thursday 27th May
I had a very interesting stop here many years ago.
Stop 8 – Grand Canyon – Arrive Friday 28th May
There are places in this area that I want to visit again, like the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Route 66, the meteor crater at Winslow and the ruins of the pueblas.
Stop 9 – Phoenix – Arrive Saturday 29th May
Phoenix is somewhere I’ve been before but only for a change of flights.
Stop 10, 11 – Las Cruces, Midland – Arrive Sunday 30th May and Monday 31st May
These are provisional and it all depends on weather and speed.
Stop 12 – Austin – Arrive Tuesday 1st June
If things work out, I’ll stay two nights here.
Stop 13 – Houston – Arrive Thurday 3rd June
Two nights here too.
Stop 14 – New Orleans – Arrive Thursday 5th June
I’ve never been to New Orleans, so I’ll drive from Houston. It may be that I get there a day later.
Stop 15 – New York – Arrive Tuesday 8th June
I’m taking the Delta direct flight on the day.
Stop 16 – Boston – Arrive Wednesday 9th June
I’ll probably take the train and hire a car in Boston, before driving to Cape Cod. Two nights there and one night in Boston.
Stop 17 – London – Leave Boston on Saturday, 12th June at 21:30
And then it’s back to London.
This will get filled out even more as the time unfolds.
Note that anybody who wants to see me, just contact me in the normal way. LinkedIn is probably the easiest.
An Australian Boat
The Thames Clipper that brought me down the river was built in Australia. You may find this strange, but that country does have a reputation for building large and/or fast catamarans.
Thames Clipper
Here’s the maker’s plate.
Cyclone Clipper Nameplate
Note the builders were bscship.
The Anonymous Widower 