Search

"Devastated": Raygun finally breaks silence

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, otherwise known as Raygun, has broke her silence on all the hate she's received since her Olympic performance went viral. Everyone was talking about Raygun during the Paris Games after she competed in the breakdancing competition, which ran for the first time this year, and failed to make it through the first round. Now, the 36-year-old has taken to Instagram to share how "devastated" she is by the online barrage, while thanking all her supporters and discussing the impact the torrent of negativity and "misinformation" have had on her since the sport's Olympic debut. "I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped," she said, in a video filmed on a street in France. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-sDDtfokE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-sDDtfokE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly, been pretty devastating." “I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly." “I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking's Olympic debut.” In her video, Raygun added a “fun fact” about how battles are scored. “Bit of a fun fact for you: there are actually no points in breaking. If you wanted to see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on <a title="" href="https://olympics.com/" data-skimwords-word="Olympics.com" data-skim-creative="500005">Olympics.com</a>. All the results are there.” Her comments came after an anonymous online petition falsely accusing her of "manipulating the selection process to her own advantage", which quickly gathered tens of thousands of signatures. The Australian Olympic Committee issued a scathing statement debunking the claims and labelling the petition "vexatious, misleading and bullying" and called for the petition to be taken down. She also urged everyone to “stop harassing” her family, friends, and the Australian breaking and the broader street dance community. “Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to still respect their privacy,” she added. Image credits: Paul Kitagaki, Jr/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Music

Shane Dixon's heartbreaking posts before cruise plunge

Shane Dixon sadly <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/sad-reason-why-sydney-dad-went-overboard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plunged to his death</a> on May 6 on board a P&O cruise ship, after racking up a $9000 casino debt that he couldn't afford to pay. His family said that the debt, on top of series of personal tragedies and setbacks, including health issues, family deaths, and the breakdown of his marriage which led to him being estranged from his three children, was the last straw for Shane. "[After he lost the money] his brain would have been going 100 miles an hour. He probably thought, 'F*** it, I can't afford it,'" his brother Scott Dixon told Daily Mail Australia. Shane was the eldest of five children to parents Susan and Wilbur, and grew up in Campbelltown, Sydney's western suburbs. His youngest brother, Dylan who was a twin, tragically died at just three months old in 1993, leaving a mark on the family. In 2009, Shane lost his father at the age of 54, and the loss had a huge effect on Shane who described him as the "strength of the family" and "life of all parties". Adding to the pain, Shane was also experiencing heart problems and his brother Scott was diagnosed with a terminal illness, which he is still fighting. On top of that Shane was also struggling with the breakdown of his marriage, and now old Facebook posts about his struggles have re-emerged. "F***ing sucks.. Now over 12 years [and I have] not seen or herd [sic] from my kids," he wrote in September. "Not knowing how they [are] doing or if they [are] going through hard times just sucks." On December 31, 2022 he wrote: "The only happy [thing about] New Years is that hopefully 1 year will be happy for me when I meet my kids again." "12 years to not see or hear from you.. Breaks me every year but I stay strong, hoping one new year my dreams will come true," he wrote with a picture of his three young children. Sadly, he never got to fix his broken relationship with his children. In another eerie post obtained by <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13424493/Shane-Dixon-P-O-cruise-debt-suicide-eerie-post.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>, last year the truck driver described how May was his "hardest month". "My hardest month May is just around the corner," he wrote on April 2023. "[It's] not only my birthday, but my eldest girl turns 18 that I have not seen or heard from in over 12 years. My boy turns 15 and [it's] the same situation as my girl. [It's] my dad's birthday also who passed away in 2009 [at] only 54 years of age. "So yes, to me life is f***ed. [So] don't judge me or let's just swap shoes." His eldest daughter turned 19 this year, just three days after his death, and Shane would've been 46 in just one week. Several others have since spoken out on the enticing gambling tactics, and Shane's friend that he made on board the cruise even <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/it-seems-crazy-shane-dixon-s-gambling-friend-breaks-his-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recalled</a> how "full of energy and happy" Shane was just hours before his death. Earlier this week, a P&O spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that it would be inappropriate to comment on Shane's death as the matter is under investigation from the coroner. In response to the other allegations and calls for a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/these-are-people-s-lives-calls-for-gambling-reform-after-fatal-cruise-ship-plunge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gambling reform</a>, she said: "P&O Cruises Australia appreciates the feedback from guests." "We have Responsible Gaming Conduct Policies on all P&O ships and take those policies seriously." "We encourage any guest with concerns to get in contact with us so that we can investigate." Images: Facebook

Cruising

"It seems crazy": Shane Dixon's gambling friend breaks his silence

The man who befriended Shane Dixon on a P&O Cruise before he plunged overboard has broken his silence, saying he too fell victim to seductive gambling tactics. The man, James, and his friends met Shane on the first day of the Elvis themed cruise and casually socialised throughout the entire trip. James, his friends, and Shane all spent time together in the onboard casino, where James was shocked by the blatant practices used by the cruise line to lure gamblers to the table. "We all got given free cruises to use in the next six months from the casino director and I myself racked up almost $2,000 gambling which was charged to my credit card, something I would never normally do in a million years," James told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13415149/p-o-cruises-gambling-shane-dixon-suicide-pacific-adventure.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>. "He [Shane] was a great guy and it’s so wrong how the casinos push so hard to get you to gamble more.'" When onboard a P&O cruise, customers use their room key, or "cruise card", as a form of currency to pay for various items onboard the ships. Passengers can either pay "cash" by topping their cruise card up with set cash amounts using machines located around the vessel or by "card" by linking it to a credit or debit card. James said the same payment methods extend to the casino, as every time a passenger plays a game in the casino they need to scan their cruise card, regardless of which type of payment arrangement they have set up. When funds are depleted, players have the option to select "charge room" to add more money and the bill will be charged to the card associated with your room at the end of every day. James said paying with this method makes it difficult to track how much you have spent, particularly as there is no internet on board to monitor transactions through online banking. When James, luckily, won back most of his debt and chose to walk away from the table before any more damage occurred, he asked the cashier if he could enter a self-exclusion arrangement to bar him as he didn't trust himself to not spend the cash. However, James said the cashier told him self-exclusion was not an option. "They should have been able to [disable my room key] just like they do with minors, but the cashier said they don’t know how or if it’s even possible," he said. "It seems crazy!" According to P&O's website, self-exclusion is one of the initiatives punters can access under the company's "commitment to the responsible delivery of gaming on our ships". The last time James saw Shane was while they were all dancing together in a bar at midnight on Monday. While he left to go to a club, Shane went back to the casino and just four hours later, the father-of-three was dead. "We were all drinking heavily but he was full of energy and happy," James said, recalling their last encounter. "He had been saying how he had lost heaps at the casino but we didn't know his situation so didn’t know how much of a big deal it was. He didn’t seem overly upset about it at the time. He seemed fine." Shane had racked up over $4,000 in gambling debt, and went overboard while the ship was making its way into Sydney Harbour. Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock

Cruising

“These are people’s lives”: Calls for gambling reform after fatal cruise ship plunge

The shocking death of a 50-year-old father who went overboard on a P&O Cruise has caused widespread outrage, with many questioning who is to blame for his untimely passing. Shane Dixon had racked up $5,000 of gambling debt while onboard the Elvis-themed voyage, which his mother, who was also travelling with him, helped him to repay. The next day, Dixon went back to the cruise ship's casino where he racked up another $4,000 in debt, before he plunged to his death while the vessel was on its way into Sydney Harbour. While questions have arisen about the circumstances surrounding his death, the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform Carol Bennett said the cruise ship operator had failed to provide Shane with an adequate duty of care, and encouraged him to keep gambling. "It's really concerning that when a ship sails 12 nautical miles off the coast it can then allow anything and everything to happen," she told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13414919/Anti-gambling-Shane-Dixon-cruise-ship-casino.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>. "The rules that might apply on land no longer seem to apply and yet you would expect this cruise line would have some kind of duty of care to ensure that people are not plied with inducements, promotions and advertisements that are pushing them to gamble to extremely harmful levels." "It is just beyond belief that there is not an expectation that when a cruise ship leaves a dock that the rules of that jurisdiction apply." "But clearly that's not the case and we leave it all in the hands of the cruise line operator who may or may not apply the responsible service of gambling." Ms Bennett said it was "fundamental" that gamblers were able to set spend limits, self-exclude themselves and be in an environment free of inducements: all of which are required by law when it comes to casinos on Australian soil. "This is just basic harm reduction that any provider or organisation that is providing gambling services should be complying with," she said. "And if they're not, we need to really seriously think about what governments need to do to address this problem because you do wonder how widespread this is. This could be just the tip of the iceberg." Ms Bennett said Australia loses an estimated $25billion on legal forms of gambling each year, with the consequences spreading far beyond the impact on the economy. "It leads to everything from domestic and family violence to health and mental health issues, anxiety, depression, financial distress, right through to suicide," she said. "It is a huge and to some degree hidden problem in Australia, which is why we need stronger enforcement of safeguards and guardrails around gambling that don't see people led into a situation where they see no other way out but suicide." "These are peoples lives. For every person who gambles, there are six people around them who are going to be directly impacted." Labor backbencher Graham Perrett said the British cruise line most likely operated under the UK's gambling laws. "My understanding is that the UK gambling laws are not dissimilar to ours in terms of marketing and advertising," he said. "It's not just a gambling free-for-all, even if they are outside our territorial seas they still have to follow the laws of the UK." Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock

Cruising

Woman dies after suspected mushroom poisoning at health retreat

A 53-year-old woman has died and two others have been rushed to hospital after allegedly ingesting poisonous mushrooms while at a holistic wellness retreat. Rachael Dixon became violently ill on Saturday night after she allegedly crushed up mushrooms and consumed them in a drink. Dixon and her two friends were at the Soul Barn Creative Wellbeing Centre, an "alternative health retreat" in Clunes, near Ballarat, when the incident occurred. An ambulance was called after reports she was in cardiac arrest and not breathing, and despite best efforts by paramedics, she died at the scene just after 12am. Her two friend were also rushed to hospital, but were released days later. Police are investigating her sudden death, and are expected to look into if the drink contained 'magic' mushrooms, which contain the hallucinogenic chemical psilocybin. Dixon's son Matthew paid tribute to his mother on Facebook, writing, "To the most loving, most caring person I've ever known can't thank you enough for everything you ever did for me and all the support you gave me." "Words can't begin to describe how much I will miss you, wish I could give you one last hug." Soul Barn has remained closed since the incident as local business owners and residents said the incident was "confronting" and "devastating". The death comes after Victorian authorities warned residents earlier this month that poisonous mushrooms were growing across the state. “Unless you are an expert, do not pick and eat wild mushrooms in Victoria,” acting chief health officer Evelyn Wong said. “There is no home test available to distinguish safe and edible mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms.” Image credits: Facebook

Caring

5 minutes with author Rachael Johns

In 5 minutes with author, Over60 asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next in this series is Rachael Johns, a romance writer and English teacher based in Perth. Her novel The Patterson Girls was named the Favourite Australian Contemporary Romance in the 2015 Australian Romance Readers Awards and General Fiction Book of the Year at the 2016 Australian Book Industry Awards. Her latest book Something to Talk About is out now. Over60 talked with Johns about Marian Keyes, stay at home activities, and her favourite romance tropes. Over60: What is your best writing tip? Rachael Johns: To be a writer you must also be a reader and you must read LOTS, inside and outside your genre. Read for pleasure but also with a critical eye, trying to learn from your favourite authors and the bestsellers. How have you been holding up living with coronavirus restrictions? As an author, I’m quite used to living a quiet life at home, but having my family around all the time has made being creative a little bit harder. I’m using the downtime when I can’t focus as much on writing to read lots, catch up on TV and have finally taken up knitting – it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. What was the last book that made you laugh? The End of Cuthbert Close by Cassie Hamer. What do you think makes for great romance? Chemistry, conflict and emotion. I love when there’s a lot of playful banter between the two main characters – when they’re clearly attracted to each other, but they can’t or don’t want to act on these feelings for some reason. What does your writing routine look like? I try to keep to school hours, Monday to Friday. First hour or so involves admin stuff – like emails, interviews, chatting with readers on Facebook/Instagram and then I get serious. I aim for about 2,000 words a day, and if I don’t make those words during the week, I try and make them up on the weekend. Do you deal with writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it? Usually if I’m stuck mid-book it’s because I’m trying to make the characters do something that isn’t really true to their personality. Once I remember this, I go for a long walk or take a shower and try to brainstorm what else could happen instead that is within their character. What trope grinds your gears? Alternatively, is there a cliché that you can’t help but love? I’m not a fan of the really alpha male hero, but aside from that, I’m open to most romantic tropes. My top favourites however are ex-lovers reunited, friends to lovers, and a good love triangle. Which author, deceased or living, would you most like to have dinner with? Ooh, tough choice – can I really only pick one?! If so, I choose Marian Keyes – I’d love to pick her writing brain but also just hang out with her because she seems so warm and funny!

Books

5 minutes with author Rachael Treasure

In 5 minutes with author, Over60 asks book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next in this series is Rachael Treasure, an author based in southern rural Tasmania. Her 2002 debut novel Jillaroo has been recognised for inspiring more women’s stories to be shared in the contemporary rural genre. Her screenplay Albert’s Chook Tractor was filmed for SBS Independent TV. Her seventh novel, White Horses is out now. Over60 talked with Treasure about brainwave states, sustainable farming and finding time to write in the ute. Over60: What is your best writing tip? Rachael Treasure: Trust that there’s a big swirling creative field of energy inside you. As a writer our job is to get beyond the everyday beta brainwave state – the state that is self-critical, fearful of other’s judgement or limiting. Once you allow yourself to get into an alpha brainwave state and beyond you can then relax and trust the ideas to come and let the creativity flow. What book do you think more people should read? My latest novel White Horses – not just because I wrote it but because I’ve woven my heart and soul into it. It’s a book to show that no matter what life throws at you, you can heal. The book also gives people hope that regenerative agriculture can help us reverse climate change and the ill health of humanity. What was the last book that made you laugh? Meg Bignell’s The Sparkle Pages – it’s about a Tasmanian mother who is struggling with life. It’s poignant, funny and a very clever first time novel. How has living and working in rural Australia influenced your writing? My rural journey underpins all my novels – from serious issues like rural youth suicide and succession planning where the farm is often left to sons and not daughters, to the land degradation we now see across the entire continent… it’s all taken from my direct experience. On the upside also in my stories is my daily work on the farm. We are restoring the ecology and regenerating our soil using regenerative farming techniques. Mother Nature is responding so well it inspires me to keep using story to get information out to the masses. I want to entertain my readers, and I also want other farmers to see how they can cut costs, reduce chemical use and avoid droughts and return their land and life to healthy systems. What does your writing routine look like? There is no routine, but I aim to write everyday even if I can only find ten minutes. I generally do the morning farm chores, drop the kids to school, do an hour or so in a café on the way back to the farm then move the livestock. We move our sheep and cows daily so the land gets long rests. Then I write again on my laptop – either in the ute or sitting in the shed or the paddock. Sometimes I get an idea whilst cooking and I write on my laptop on the kitchen bench… the meals on those nights are often a bit hit and miss! Do you deal with writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it? I don’t get writer’s block as I’ve learned about brainwave states and how they impact creativity. So if I feel sluggish in terms of creativity, I meditate for ten minutes. Plus, my life is so varied and rich that inspiration is all around me! I only have to look at our Aloeburn Poll Merino ewes or our cows to come up with an idea. Or look at people as I drive to school. Art is all about observation. So I look and listen and observe all the time. Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is a brilliant book for people who feel they are blocked artistically. Which author, deceased or living, would you most like to have dinner with? Can I have a dinner party? There are so many! I’ve had dinner with Monica McInerney in Dublin and that was beautiful and I’d love to do it again, however I think on the top of the list would be William Shakespeare. It would be very entertaining and interesting given the language and era difference, and culturally I’d love to see what he thought of me – a Tassie-as lass! What trope grinds your gears? Something that really irritates me is this belief that farmers are in drought because it hasn’t rained. It’s not true. We are in drought because in 200 years of white settlement we have drained the marshes, drained the river mouths to allow ships in, overgrazed the land, ploughed our soils so they blow away, reduced biodiversity in everything and continue to now kill most life in the soil to grow monoculture crops that have very little nutrients. All these things are avoidable and that’s where I stop getting irritated and begin to get excited as we and other farmers all over Australia and the world are changing to regenerative farming, so we have healthier food and healthier environments and cleaner water.

Books

"They won't get away with it": Sylvia Jeffreys’ moving message

Sylvia Jeffreys delivered a moving message this morning, paying tribute to Eurydice Dixon whilst passionately urging for change to take place across the country. The Today show reporter delivered her emotional speech during a live cross from Princes Park in Carlton North, Melbourne, where the memorial for the 22-year-old rape and murder victim sits. Jeffreys returned to the site of last night’s candlelight vigil, to speak of the tragic incident that has struck a chord with hearts around Australia. “Once again this morning, I stand here 900 metres from Eurydice’s home, on the soccer pitch where her body was found last week as we, as a nation, search for answers,” Jeffreys said. <img width="499" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819243/2_499x375.jpg" alt="2 (90)"/> “How did we let her down? How do we stop this from ever happening again? We can light more footpaths, we can mount more cameras, but there will always be shadows. We can, and we must, teach our sons and our brothers to respect women and to strive for gender equality. “But attitudes won’t change overnight. So for now, it’s on our leaders, our law makers, our law enforcers to hold perpetrators to account, to send a clear message that they will not get away with it, that there is zero tolerance for violence against women.” Jeffreys urged listeners to keep the dialogue alive about gendered violence. “It is also on every one of us to keep this dialogue going, to look out for one another and to continue to apply pressure on the men and the women we elect to end this crisis of gendered violence that is robbing mothers of their daughters, husbands of their wives, children of their mothers,” she said. “Last night, I learned a little bit more about Eurydice Dixon. She volunteered at a community kitchen and she was about to become an aunty. “She was on the verge of big beginnings, she was brave and she was smart. She was funny and just like every one of us, she thought ‘it won’t happen to me’.” The Channel Nine reporter’s passionate appeal for change was applauded by viewers and quickly shared on social media. “Long after these candles go out, we have to carry her flame,” Jeffreys said. “Eurydice, just like her name, will always and forever be a symbol of justice. And it's on us now to ensure that her life drives change to make our streets and our homes a safer place for every one of us.”

Caring

My Kitchen Rules star reveals her devastating health battle

Roula and Rachael were billed as My Kitchen Rules’ “friends with attitude”, and so far, they’ve lived up to that description. But while she’s feisty and opinionated at the dinner table, off-camera, Roula is battling a devastating disease that’s affected her for 11 years. Talking to <a href="https://www.newidea.com.au/mkr-roula-multiple-sclerosis" target="_blank">New Idea</a>, the 34-year-old revealed she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when she was just 23. The disease, which attacks the body’s central nervous system, has taken a huge toll on Roula, leaving her with kidney failure, blindness in one eye, hair loss, depression and anxiety. She currently has over 90 lesions on her brain, causing episodes of complete loss of feeling in her arm and one side of her face. She was also forced to learn how to walk again after losing the use of her right leg twice. So far, she’s battled through during her run on MKR, but Roula says it almost ended after a terrifying incident following the first Instant restaurant. She required urgent medical attention after suffering a serious bout of hypothermia and a flare up of her hiatal hernia. “I didn’t want to talk about it on the show. I didn’t go on the show to talk about MS... but it did affect me on the show,” she told New Idea. “I got sick a few times, I had a doctor come visit me at the hotel. With MS you get very fatigued and I got hypothermia after the very first instant restaurant. My hiatal hernia was also the reason I couldn’t eat fried food in episode one – which I could never explain to the table. It was full-on.” Roula, who is currently competing in the Channel Seven show with her best friend Rachael, said she doesn’t want MS to define her. “I went on MKR to prove to myself that I can be me – I can be fun, I can be loud, I can be Roula. My parents were very worried about me, worried about my health – but I told them, ‘No, I want to do this... I want to go be me for a little bit.’ “But all these people judging me by what they see on TV, they don’t really know what I’m going through deep down. I might be on a reality TV show at the moment – but dealing with my MS is my real-life reality.” Image credit: Channel 7.

Body

Discovering the wonders of Europe from London to Lille

Yvonne Dixon describes a trip from London to Lille with her husband, where she discovers the wonders of travelling through this beautiful part of Europe. On 26 September, we travelled by underground train from our base in West London into St Pancras-International Station in Central London. The check in for Eurostar closed half an hour before the 1pm departure. This allowed time for going through body and bag security checks and immigration control. We were amused to find that we “crossed the border” from UK into France before we boarded the train. The Eurostar train travels through outer East London, then through Kent countryside, down to Folkestone on the coast. There are some tunnels on the English side, including one under the Thames. It was difficult to tell when we entered the BIG tunnel. We realised when a tunnel seemed long. The train spent about 25 minutes under the Channel and emerged in France. A brief stop was made at Calais, with prior notice given in French and English. We eagerly looked out the train windows. Now we could see plastic wrapped bales of hay in French farm fields. Church spires in villages could be seen every few minutes. The impending arrival at “Gare Lille Europe” was announced, with warning to be quick. The train was going on to Brussels in Belgium. We grabbed our luggage and walked off the train. Lille station was big and busy. Many bi-lingual signs helped us find the way. We found a public toilet at the railway station but there was a charge of E0.70c, to be paid to the attendant. We needed to get some small change to use it. I remembered “spending a penny” for the toilets at the Wellington, NZ railway station, back in 1967. We walked down the stairs, and emerged, into a large plaza. We could see a dazzling contemporary flower sculpture, and old buildings in the distance. Lille is only 10 km from the French border with Belgium, so has Flemish elements in the culture. It was interesting to walk on narrow roughly cobbled streets. Many of the magnificent buildings were erected in the seventeenth century. Some old multi-storey structures have beautiful shining gilded trimmings on the top levels. There is a former stock exchange, built in 1652. We walked through the antique book market in the central courtyard, and looked up. Housing for workers was provided on the upper floors. Near to our apartment was a fortified citadel built in a star shape for defence when the King of France annexed Lille in 1667. We took photos of the fort’s heavy wooden doors and the drawbridge, over a moat. The small landscaped Lille zoo is in part of the surrounding green park. (The Entry cost 4 Euros.) I liked the owls, and the picture panels to read about the animals. In the central city we visited St Maurice’s church which has a 68 metre tower. There are intricate wood carvings on the interior fittings. The oldest part dates back to the 14th century. We were intrigued to read that at the time of the French Revolution, the church had been stripped of treasures and turned into a “temple of reason”. In the 19th century, the church was restored and again used for Christian worship. The “Liberte, Equalitie, Fraternitie” slogan of the French revolution was part of the signage on a Council building. The central areas of Lille are strongly oriented to pedestrians. Where there were lanes for cars, vehicles travelled slowly and deferred to pedestrians. Drivers on the motorway were polite and considerate to us and other vehicles. Lots of people whizz around on bicycles in central Lille, but few wear helmets. We observed some workmen repairing paving on the street. They did not have safety goggles or boots despite using an electric cutting saw. Safety rules seem to be different in France. We found that shop and office workers in Lille were polite and helpful, when they realised we did not have much French. Many people used their English to assist. First it was said “my English is not good” but functional English was spoken everywhere we went. We remembered our French numbers and a few words from high school classes. We had a French phrase book and dictionary. My husband went to buy bread in the little nearby bakery. I asked how he managed. “Oh I just pointed and then said “Trois croissants”, he replied. Fresh baguette slices were delicious with butter and jam for breakfast. The phrase “Je ne parle Francais” was useful to discourage hawkers and beggars who approached us in the street. When we left France early on Thursday evening, Eurostar Border bio security only seemed to concern water. We took fruit, breads and cheese back to the UK. There are restrictions so some items, such as knives can’t be carried on the Train. We liked the size and location of Lille. It is 30 minutes closer to London, and the train fares and accommodation are cheaper than going to Paris. We visited midweek during the UK and French school term so it did not seem crowded. We felt welcome as visitors. We were very pleased with our little taste of travel to France. We were glad of our walking shoes. It is easy to trip or stub toes on cobbles and pavers on the streets.

International Travel

Carrie Bickmore slams vicious critics of Rachael Finch’s parenting

The Project TV host Carrie Bickmore has slammed the criticism of model Rachel Finch after she revealed she sometimes leaves her daughter at grandma’s house on weekends so she can spend some alone time with her husband. In a column for Stellar magazine, Bickmore said that Finch “might as well have put her hand in a blender” by making the ‘confession’ public. “The immediate reaction was vicious outrage. In a world where there is so much to be outraged about, where does the energy for this come from?” the mother-of-two wrote. “There is nothing wrong with having an opinion. But do we really need the vitriol?” Criticism of Finch ranged from strangers calling her selfish, asking her why she had children if she didn’t want to spend time with them and that she’d regret not parenting her children. <img width="465" height="279" src="http://static.kidspot.com.au/cm_assets/201507/rachael-finch-family-20170301155845.jpg~q75,dx720y432u1r1gg,c--.jpg" alt="Image result for rachael finch family" class="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Bickmore went on to remind everyone that we do not know the details of other people’s lives. “Perhaps she [Finch] might spend more time with her daughter during the week than a lot of other mums or wishes to maintain a healthy relationship with her hubby,” she said. Social media has made parenting “risky business”, according to Bickmore. “Post your latest birthday cake creation and you’ll be shamed for setting standards too high for other mums,” she said. “Share a pic of your kid’s school lunch and someone will point out how chocolate crackles are the first step to childhood obesity.” What’s your take on the issue? Are you with Carrie or do you think the criticism justified?

News

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

"Devastated": Raygun finally breaks silence

Shane Dixon's heartbreaking posts before cruise plunge

"It seems crazy": Shane Dixon's gambling friend breaks his silence

“These are people’s lives”: Calls for gambling reform after fatal cruise ship plunge

Woman dies after suspected mushroom poisoning at health retreat

5 minutes with author Rachael Johns

5 minutes with author Rachael Treasure

"They won't get away with it": Sylvia Jeffreys’ moving message

My Kitchen Rules star reveals her devastating health battle

Discovering the wonders of Europe from London to Lille

Carrie Bickmore slams vicious critics of Rachael Finch’s parenting

Our Partners