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"What goes around...": Colonial-era statue toppled

The statue honouring a controversial colonialist has been vandalised in Tasmania, with local councillors up in arms over the destruction. The statue paid tribute to William Crowther, a politician and surgeon who cut off and stole the skull of Aboriginal man William Lanne in 1869, with the intention of sending it to London's Royal College of Surgeons. On Wednesday morning, the statue was found face down after being sawn off at the ankles and falling from its plinth, with the words "what goes around" and "decolonize" spray-painted on the memorial. The toppling of the statue comes just hours after someone attempted to saw through the statue's ankles but stopped about two-thirds through. Hobart City Councillor Louise Elliot said she had noticed graffiti on the statue at midday on Tuesday and reported it, and then the cuts were found. When Councillor Elliot visited the statue at 8pm on Tuesday, she noted that "no security was here" after she stood at the site for "half an hour". She said she was "appalled" that a statue had been vandalised in a "completely foreseeable" incident. "I found out about this from Crowther's great-great granddaughter in tears ringing me," she said. "I'm really disappointed that the council, in my opinion, didn't take enough protective and preventive action to protect [the statue]." ast year, the council voted to remove the statue, which was appealed in the Tasmanian Tribunal of Civil and Administrative Tribunal on the basis its removal would detract from the site's heritage value. But in its decision, which was handed down today after the statue was toppled, the tribunal upheld the council's original decision to remove it. Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson said it was" regrettable" that someone thought to take the law into their own hands. <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> "Regardless of anybody's sentiment or feeling, good intentions or otherwise, that's not how we run a civil society," he said. </div> "Horrible things happened in our history, but you don't resolve history [through] vandalism." As members of Tasmania's indigenous community have been campaigning for years to have the statue removed, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) campaign manager Nala Mansell said the desecration of the statue reflected community attitudes. "I'm not endorsing what's happened but I think it goes to show that the people of Tasmania are people who understand right from wrong [and are] saying 'enough is enough.' "We've been fighting for decades for it to be gone," she said. <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> "Good on them for taking that action and doing what needed to be done a long time ago." </div> Image credits: Instagram - Kate Doyle ABC

Legal

World's most powerful women come together to mark the end of an era

A group of the most powerful and influential women in the worlds of fashion and entertainment have joined forces to appear on a legendary cover of British Vogue. The iconic cover shoot occurred to celebrate the magazine's editor Edward Enninful, who is stepping back from the role after six years at the helm. Enninful gathered his muses for the history-making "Legendary" edition, featuring the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Selma Blair, Salma Hayek, Victoria Beckham, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, and many more. "To get one of these women on a cover takes months. To get 40? Unheard of," Cyrus remarked in an on-set video. In a post to social media, Selma Blair remarked that she "didn't want the day to end". <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/C3FtXApL8_O/?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/C3FtXApL8_O/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by British Vogue (@britishvogue)</a> </div> </blockquote> The shoot also included models Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, alongside the original '90s supermodels – Naomi Campbell, Iman, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford. Evangelista said of the iconic shoot, "I've met so many people today on my bucket list". Hayek also posted about the experience on Instagram, saying, "So honoured to be part of this legendary cover of British Vogue and Edward Enninful's muses, especially because they are my muses too!" Jane Fonda summed up the energy of the day on set, saying, "Women understand the importance and power of the collective." Image credits: Instagram

Beauty & Style

“I want to move on”: Rod Stewart announces the end of an era

After more than six decades establishing himself as a legend in the wide world of rock’n’roll, Rod Stewart has announced that he’ll be taking things in a whole new direction. The British music star was chatting to host of BBC Breakfast, Charlie Stayt, when he made the revelation in response to a comment about how “rock stars are performing into incredible ages now.” “I am actually stopping,” Stewart declared, before going on to share that “I’m not retiring, but I want to move on.” He noted that he’d enjoyed “great success” with his album, It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook, and that he’d “just done a swing album with Jools Holland” that is set to release in 2024. “So,” he said, “I want to go in that direction.” The 78 year old had more to say on the matter, offering more in the way of an explanation to fans who may still be struggling to come to terms with his decision when he said, “I just want to leave all the rock’n’roll stuff behind. For a while, maybe. “Everything has to come to an end sooner or later.” Stewart, who was joined by Boy George for the interview ahead of their tour together, also shed some light into his immediate plans after his 2023 tour, telling Stayt that he was “really looking forward to doing something else, especially singing with Jools’ band.” “It borders on rock‘n’roll anyway,” he noted, “it’s just not ‘Maggie May’ and ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?’” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 'Everything has to come to an end sooner or later' Singer Rod Stewart has told <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBCBreakfast?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BBCBreakfast</a> he's giving up rock and roll as he prepares to go on tour with Boy George<a href="https://t.co/Y29oI6E5Pk">https://t.co/Y29oI6E5Pk</a> <a href="https://t.co/odrQmQkOlT">pic.twitter.com/odrQmQkOlT</a> — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/1667049131867529217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2023</a></blockquote> And while some fans of the singer weren’t immediately onboard with the change of tune, others were supportive, taking to social media to share their well wishes ahead of Stewart’s new venture. “Good for him - I loved the American Songbook album,” a fan wrote. “Something to look forward to- Love them both,” another shared. One user took the opportunity to reflect on Stewart’s career so far, writing, “he put on AMAZING shows! Saw him first in 1975, and three others before 2010. He really could blow!!!” And another followed suit, telling the others that “I would HAPPILY hit a Rod Stewart convert just to hear him play his Great American Songbook tracks. Just loved it when he did those tunes. I like all of it! Look forward to the swing album, too! Music!” Images: BBC Breakfast / Twitter

Music

Taylor Swift kicks off the Eras tour in sensational style

Excitement was high for music icon Taylor Swift’s Eras tour since the very first announcement. And while controversy may have reared its head early on - Ticketmaster ran into a great deal of trouble trying to handle the masses of fans and alleged bots trying to secure tickets to the show, and that wasn’t even to mention the “dynamic pricing” debacle. The tour marked Taylor’s first since 2018, and features some of her biggest - and favourite - tracks from over the course of her illustrious music career … so far. In fact, for the first show of the tour, the 12-time Grammy award winner (and 46-time nominated artist) performed an astounding 44 tracks, for a total of over three hours. A typical stadium show will run for just under two, and average at around 20 songs. While some were surprised by the runtime, others barely batted an eyelid after months of speculation over what “a journey through the musical eras of [Taylor Swift’s] career” could entail. And from the moment people knew it was coming, the tour was set to break records. Taylor wasted no time with opening night, which became “the most attended female concert in US history”. The record was previously held by Madonna, who had held onto that bragging right for 36 years from her 1987 Anaheim Stadium show. And Taylor’s fans - affectionately known as Swifties - are well aware, their idol does nothing without careful planning and care. Album releases are often scattered with Easter Eggs for her most devoted followers to pick apart, and everything means something. So it came as no surprise when Taylor split her show into 10 distinct sections, each inspired by one of her albums. However, none of these were chronological, leaving even the most devoted fans to guess which they were going to hear next. The entire stage transformed with each new era - from the lighting to the props, videos playing behind Taylor and her dancers, and a mesmerising swim along the catwalk, everything was planned out well in advance to wow her audience. And in true Taylor fashion, her style on the night reflected this effort too, with the star embarking on no less than 16 spectacular outfit changes to honour each of her beloved albums. Images: Getty, @taylorswift @kevinmazur @kevincwinter / Instagram

Beauty & Style

A rare glimpse into the Depression-era

Yale University recently released 170,000 historic photos of the Great Depression to the public. These photos were commissioned by the US government in the 1930s to capture America “at her most vulnerable”. Shot over a 10 year period from 1935 to 1945, these pictures offer a rare and fascinating glimpse into the daily life of ordinary people simply trying to get by. A selection of some of the most captivating images are in the gallery above, but if you’re interested in browsing all the photos, <a href="http://photogrammar.yale.edu/" target="_blank">head over to their interactive website here. </a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/15-things-kids-of-today-are-missing-out-on/">15 things kids of today are missing out on</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/inside-a-1950s-tea-factory/">Inside a tea factory from the 50s</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/5-types-of-grandparents/">There are 5 different types of grandparents – which one are you?</a>

Family & Pets

Demi Moore announces the start of her "hot kooky unhinged grandma era"

Demi Moore is excited to be surrounded by kids once again after announcing her daughter’s pregnancy. The 60-year-old first shared snaps to Instagram of her daughter Rumer Willis’s pregnant belly and her boyfriend, Derek Richard Thomas kissing it. “Entering my hot kooky unhinged grandma era,” she wrote with a plant emoji indicating her grandchild has a bit longer to go. In another post, the actress shares an update where she and her daughters, Tallulah and Scout, are standing next to Rumer as she waits for her ultrasound. “Saying hello to the little nibblet!! Overjoyed for you, my sweet Rumer. It’s an honor to witness your journey into motherhood, and can’t wait to welcome this baby into the world!” her caption read. “So grateful for my incredible lineage of women in my family. I love you all so much. This baby is so lucky to have you guys,” Rumur responded. “Also shoutout to Pilaf we couldn’t do it without you.” Rumur’s child will be Demi’s first grandchild and her fans are already congratulating her on the exciting news. “Holiday blessings abound. Congratulations @rumerwillis,” someone wrote. “So excited for you all!!! What a blessing,” another commented. “So happy for Rumer! She’s going to be a great mom,” another wrote. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

State-run German museums disclose works acquired during Nazi era

A Munich-based foundation that oversees the art collections of museums located throughout the titular German state is set to publicly disclose the origins of over 1,000 works acquired during the Nazi rule. The Bavarian State Painting Collections is launching an extensive database that includes information regarding over 1,200 paintings that researchers have found were acquired during the National Socialist period, or had ownership links to Nazi officials. There are a series of artworks that were given to museums and galleries during this time that are often subject to legal claims from descendants of persecuted Jewish families. Operating since 1999, a specialised unit dedicated to origin research has been reviewing all the ownership records of each and every artwork in the Bavarian State Paintings Collections that were created before 1945, and have been acquired since 1933. Throughout the database notes, a statement will accompany each artwork to alert people of its proper origins. This protocol is in keeping with the 1998 Washington Principles and the 1999 Joint Declaration of the Federal Government, both of which mounted calls for greater transparency surrounding the provenances of artworks believed to be subject to restitution claims. Other initiatives have been put into practice around the world, with <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/new-york-museums-now-required-to-acknowledge-art-stolen-under-nazi-rule">museums and galleries in New York</a> now now legally required to acknowledge art stolen under the Nazi regime. The new state law requires New York museums to display signage alongside works of art from before 1945 that are known to have been stolen or forcibly sold during the Nazi rule. According to legislation and expert testimony, the Germans looted 600,000 works of art during World War II. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

A new era for the House of Windsor: How Her Majesty's death will affect royal titles

As the world mourns the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, the royal family is shaking up their official business structure to accommodate for their "great sadness". Following the death of Her Majesty at age 96, the man formerly known as Prince Charles is now officially King Charles III, as announced by British Prime Minister Liz Truss this morning and later confirmed himself in an emotional statement. King Charles III is not the only one who has come into a new title after the death of Queen Elizabeth, as the entire royal family will see a change in their official titles as the line of succession has shifted down a generation. Camilla is soon to be known as Queen Consort, as per the late Queen Elizabeth's wishes, forgoing her title of the Duchess of Cornwall. Prince William is now first in line for the throne, meaning his title is expected to change from Duke of Cambridge to the titles his father held before ascending the throne: Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. While the title is not yet official, Prince William and Kate Middleton, formerly the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have changed their social media pages to read: "The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge." To align with her husband's new title, Kate is set to become the Princess of Wales: a title that has not been used since Princess Diana married King Charles in 1981. Out of respect, Camilla chose not to use the title Princess of Wales upon her marriage to Charles in 2005. "It's hard to see it not happening. I'm sure it'll be a bit of a bittersweet moment," a source told <a title="The Telegraph" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/01/09/celebrating-40-project-queen-kate-begins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Telegraph</a> in January this year of what is expected to be Kate's title. "This is [Diana's] son and his wife, so in some ways, it will be coming full circle – but it will also be a poignant reminder of what we all lost." It's not just senior working royals who will come into new titles, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, three, and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, one, are entitled become Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Current guidelines laid out in 1917 in a Letters Patent by King George V – the Queen's grandfather – say that the children of the sovereign, the children of the sons of the sovereign and the eldest male son of the son of the Prince of Wales would all be titled as prince and princesses. All the children and grandchildren of the current monarch are ultimately bestowed the prince or princess title, but it is unclear if Harry and Meghan will accept the titles for their children – or if Charles will allow it, which, according to <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/prince-charles-to-deny-prince-harry-meghan-markle-son-archie-royal-title-under-plans-to-slim-down-monarchy-when-he-is-king/7adc0484-6b0b-40ba-bbe3-58f0d4034615" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previous reports</a>, it seems he will not. Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Five dating tips from the Georgian era

If there was one thing the Georgians loved, it was the idea of love itself. The Georgian era, from the coronation of George I 1714 to the death of George IV in 1830, saw a celebration of love and marriage in popular culture, including in bestselling novels such as Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), which reaches its climax with the marriage of the heroine to her master, Mr B. Making a socially advantageous match that was also based on love and affection was the highest-stakes game men and women would ever play. How they experienced this emotionally fraught process is the subject of my book: <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-game-of-love-in-georgian-england-9780192870995?lang=en&cc=gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Game of Love in Georgian England</a>. In an age of rapid change in how we form our own attachments, it might be nice to shake things up and look to the past for some tips. Here are five dating trends from the Georgians that might shape up the process of looking for love. <h2>1. Go analogue</h2> The Georgian era was the great age of letter writing, with courting couples exchanging a veritable torrent of romantic missives. Some found that the practice of writing helped them to express sentiments that they wouldn’t dare verbalise in person. As treasured sources of intimacy, introspection and self-revelation, a flurry of love letters could even surpass the number of in-person meetings. Letters were treated as precious vessels for love to be touched, kissed, spritzed with perfume and used to inspire romantic verse. They were often carried around in a person’s pockets, and hidden beneath their pillow to inspire dreams while they slept at night. Many kept their love letters to reread over and over again, storing them away as precious evidence of a relationship and a momentous time in their lives. (And, if it came to it, important physical evidence of commitment in court.) <h2>2. Share a good book</h2> The period saw a boom in the number of printed titles, with the <a href="https://www.bl.uk/restoration-18th-century-literature/articles/the-rise-of-the-novel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">novel emerging as a new genre</a> and ever-increasing numbers of men and women able to read and write. As a result, books became popular romantic gifts. Some women used books to try and get a man to express his feelings more readily. The feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft sent a volume of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s best-selling novel Julie, or The New Heloise (1761) to her lover William Godwin in 1796, with <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Godwin_Mary/t04emuC2xl0C?hl=en&gbpv=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the request</a> that he “dwell on your own feelings – that is to say, give me a bird’s-eye view of your heart”. The shrewdest lovers marked up their books by highlighting the passages that they most agreed with, thereby ensuring that they found a spouse with a similar intellect, interests and outlook on life. <h2>3. Get crafting</h2> Georgian women invested hours making delicately crafted gifts for their suitors. A woman might make her lover a handkerchief, waistcoat, watch chain, watch paper and ruffles as tokens of her affection. The act both demonstrated her virtue and accomplishment as a needlewoman, while showing her investment in a relationship through the time and labour that she dedicated to it. It also enabled her to lay claim to a man when he wore her creations in public. <h2>4. Say it with hair</h2> What could be so personal as literally giving someone part of your body as a gift? Hair had <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-34-the-thing-about-edwards-hair-ring-with-guest/id1572718049?i=1000556512676" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special meaning</a> as a token as – like everlasting love – it did not fade or decay over time. To give a man a lock of your hair was a sure sign that you would soon be wed. As Margaret Dashwood presumed in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811), Willoughby and Marianne were certain to “be married very soon, for he has got a lock of her hair”. The Georgians set locks of hair into an assortment of jewellery including buttons, brooches, lockets, bracelets, and rings, which were plaited, studded with tiny seed pearls, and even chopped up to make delicate hair-work paintings. It wasn’t always hair from your head either. The aristocrat Lady Caroline Lamb sent an envelope of pubic hair to her lover Lord Byron during their <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/30029546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">torrid affair</a> in 1812, and the Yorkshire heiress <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-lesbian-expressions-from-the-19th-century-to-remember-when-watching-gentleman-jack-184267" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anne Lister</a> stored pubic hair collected from her female lovers in a cabinet, which she kept as “<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Secret_Diaries_of_Miss_Anne_Lister_V/yPZ3BgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22I+had+some+among+my+curiosities+now.+She+would+know+whose%22&pg=PT92&printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curiosities</a>”. <h2>5. Bundle up</h2> Poorer rural couples engaged in a tradition known as “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_(tradition)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bundling</a>” which was practised throughout the British Isles. It involved a couple getting into bed together in the woman’s family home – fully-dressed – sometimes separated by a plank of wood, or with the woman’s petticoat tied at the bottom with a knot. The ritual helped couples to bond by spending time alone and staying up late talking, without necessarily committing to sex. And yet plenty of young couples did that too – illegitimacy rates <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Courtship_Illegitimacy_and_Marriage_in_E/qmO7AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=adair,+Courtship,+Illegitimacy+and+Marriage&printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rose steeply</a> over the century, and <a href="https://www.utexaspressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.5555/gen.1989.6.125" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to one-third of brides were already pregnant</a> on their wedding day in England. These various words, tokens and acts of love provided a vital means for men and women to get to know each other, test their compatibility, and build a greater intimacy before marriage. The ultimate goal was a happy and contented union with a partner of similar rank and fortune. It provided a crucial pathway to that other key goal of the era – and indeed for many relationships today – lasting happiness. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-dating-tips-from-the-georgian-era-186847" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: George Goodwin Kilburne

Relationships

Why COVID-19 means the era of ever cheaper air travel could be over

After its worst two years since the second world war, 2022 is looking brighter for the global airline industry. For passengers, though, the chance to travel at low cost again may prove short-lived. In 2020 international passenger demand was <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2021-02-03-02/">less than 25%</a> that of 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association. 2021 data isn’t yet available, but the hiccups of the Delta and Omicron variants make the association’s forecasts of 50% of 2019 levels look optimistic. With international and domestic routes reopening, airlines are offering a range of special deals on airfares. These deals are partly to entice back uncertain travellers and partly to compensate passengers for costs required to travel internationally, such as fees for COVID tests. But don’t expect the cheap fares to last. They are likely to have a brief lifespan, as the industry come to grips with post-pandemic realities minus the government support that enabled so many, <a href="https://theconversation.com/once-the-pandemic-is-over-we-will-return-to-a-very-different-airline-industry-134124">contrary to predictions</a>, to survive. Now comes a reckoning, as surviving airlines seek to return to viability, repair their debt-laden balance sheets and future-proof their operations, with no guarantee they’ll get the same government support when the next crisis hits. What this may mean is abandoning the business model of wafer-thin profit margins that delivered ever cheaper airfares from the 1970s until the beginning of 2020. <h2>Regulation and jumbo jets</h2> Up until the 1970s the airline industry was highly regulated. Domestically, this was often done by governments to protect state-owned airlines. Australia’s “<a href="https://www.taamuseum.org.au/TwoAirlinePolicy/">two-airline policy</a>”, for example, restricted competition on major routes to just two airlines – the government-owned Trans Australia Airlines and a private competitor (Ansett Airlines for most that time). Internationally, airfares were kept high by price cooperation through the International Air Transport Association (IATA), often described as a cartel. There were two ticket pricing levels – first-class and economy. Until 1970 the biggest commercial jet aircraft was a Boeing 707, which could accommodate 180 passengers at a squeeze. Airfares had to be high to cover the high cost of operations (especially jet fuel). Most airlines accepted the IATA fare levels. Discounting was rare. Then in 1970 came the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, which more than doubled flights’ passenger capacity, from 180 to 440. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436818/original/file-20211209-136652-1tkvgop.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436818/original/file-20211209-136652-1tkvgop.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> A Boeing 707-138B alongside a Boeing 747 at the Qantas Founders Outback Museum, Longreach, Queensland. <a href="http://www.airliners.net/photo/Qantas-(Qantas-Foundation/Boeing-707-138B/1569939/L/" class="source">Wal Nelowkin</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-SA</a> This led to many changes in aviation operations and costs. Jumbo jets also enabled greater seat-pricing flexibility, with the introduction of business and premium economy classes. <h2>Airfares plummet</h2> When I began work as a travel consultant in 1981 the regulation of air fares was beginning to unravel. The official IATA economy return fare from Sydney to London was about A$3,500. But you could find fares on selected airlines for about A$2,500. (This was still several months’ wages for most, with Australian average weekly full-time earnings in 1981 being <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/media-releases/families-then-and-now-how-income-and-employment-changed-australian-households-between-1980-and-2019">A$311 for men and A$241 for women</a>.) In the 1980s and 1990s, travel agents began to set themselves up as “bucket shops” specialising in offering discounted air fares to fill empty seats on less popular airlines. This was how Flight Centre started. It opened its first shopfront <a href="https://www.fctgl.com/our-brands/leisure/flight-centre/">in Sydney in 1982</a>, followed by stores in Melbourne and Brisbane. (It now has more than 650 shops in Australia, and more than 550 in 10 other countries.) Lower costs and plummeting air fares made the IATA’s fares increasingly irrelevant. With the global rise of low-cost carriers, many of which were not IATA members, the IATA finally abandoned <a href="https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2017-07-06-02/">so-called “YY” fare-setting in 2017</a>. Government regulation was also unwinding. Australia’s two-airline policy <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/report_073.pdf">ended in October 1990</a>. Deregulation permitted more competitors, and airfares were driven by the market rather than set by regulatory bodies. By 2019, a return fare between Sydney and London on a reputable airline could be bought for about A$1,250, less than Australia’s average full-time adult average <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/average-weekly-earnings-australia/nov-2019">weekly earnings of A$1,658</a>. A Sydney-Perth return fare that cost about A$1,100 in 1981 could be bought in 2019 for less than A$300. <h2>Why the cheap fare era may end</h2> These price falls depended on airlines embracing a business model based on lower profits per customer but flying a lot more customers, cutting fixed overheads by using larger-capacity aircraft. This business model contributed to the number of global tourists increasing from about 166 million in 1970 to <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/tourism">1.5 billion in 2019</a>. But it also meant airlines needed planes full of passengers to make a profit. By 2019 the average pre-COVID profit margin per passenger on a long-haul international return flight was <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-12-11/iata-again-cuts-airline-profitability-outlook-2019">about US$10</a>. It’s difficult to see how running on razor-thin margins can continue to be the industry model. During 2022 it is likely we will see consolidation within the industry, with the airlines that survive looking to diversify into other businesses, such as catering or insurance. Low-cost carriers may still be viable, but only by convincing customers to pay for “ancilliaries” beyond the airline seat, such as in-flight snacks, extra luggage capacity or a booking a hire car. Although most airlines are committed to limiting price increases, there is no escaping the fact they have two years of massive losses to make up and the continuing extra cost of COVID-related regulations to absorb. Higher margins with lower passenger volumes looks the more probable model.<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/172149/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-beirman-4852">David Beirman</a>, Senior Lecturer, Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</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/why-covid-19-means-the-era-of-ever-cheaper-air-travel-could-be-over-172149">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

International Travel

Downton Abbey: A New Era full teaser FINALLY released

Only a week ago, it was announced that the new teaser trailer for Downton Abbey: A New Era would only be shown in cinemas ahead of showings of Belfast. Fortunately, those of us that haven’t been to the cinema can now enjoy it from home, with the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/full-teaser-trailer-online-for-downton-abbey-a-new-era/" target="_blank">release</a> of the footage online. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ZLjAORkXS0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> With the release of the new trailer, more of the film’s plot has been revealed. Specifically, Dame Maggie Smith’s Violet Crawley reveals that she had a casual fling in the past that has resulted in her inheriting a French Villa. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845740/downton1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/65764e4a03a342509dd9174c34fdafd7" /> Image: @downtonabbey_official (Instagram) Plus, the family are gearing up to welcome a royal visitor to the estate. The film also promises to include the wedding of assistant cook Daisy Mason to footman Andrew Parker. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845741/downton2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/172d00698e014b368b3a3a4e57822057" /> Image: Universal Pictures UK / YouTube The list of returning faces includes: Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham), Laura Carmichael (Lady Grantham), Jim Carter (Charles Carson), Brendan Coyle (Mr Bates), Michelle Dockery (Lady Crawley) and Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates). <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845742/downton3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9f2f1567c0724ca79f57a3111e92b8da" /> Image: @downtonabbey_official (Instagram) Joining them are newcomers Hugh Dancy (Hannibal), Laura Haddock (Guardians of the Galaxy), Nathalie Baye (Catch Me If You Can), and Dominic West (The Wire). Directed by Simon Curtis and scripted by Julian Fellows, Downton Abbey: A New Era is due to arrive in cinemas on March 18, 2022. Image: @downtonabbey_official (Instagram)

Movies

“End of an era”: Richard Wilkins reflects on Ellen’s legacy

Following on from Ellen’ DeGeneres’ announcement that she will be ending her talk show after almost two decades, Richard Wilkins <a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/richard-wilkins-reflects-ellen-degeneres-legacy-ends-talk-show/5fd290da-6fc5-40c5-b2b7-6253b459489c">shared his experience</a> working with her and watching her career grow over the years. Commenting on the “swag of accolades” The Ellen DeGeneres Show has brought in - including three Emmys, 20 People’s Choice Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom - Wilkins says the effort was “not bad for a gal from Louisiana, who found comedy as a way to escape complicated teen years”. Wilkins goes on to describe the first time he interviewed the star about “a decade or so ago”. “It was the coldest studio I’ve ever been in - figuratively and literally. It wasn’t just the temperature, which was freezing. I couldn’t work out whether it was to counteract the heat generated by the huge screens with the lighting, or just to keep everyone on their toes. But, man, it was cold,” he said. “It was the weirdest of interviews,” he recalled. “Immediately after the credits rolled and the hysterical applause, a voiceover guy announced, ‘Please stay seated. Ellen’s going to be interviewed by Richard Wilkins from Australia. Come down, Richard - you’re on.” Wilkins admits that the interview “was quite intimidating” as audiences watched Ellen “being grilled mercilessly by some bloke they’d never heard of before.” “And I think it’s fair to say Ellen likes asking questions more than she likes answering them.” As he recounted the two other moments he was face-to-face with the talk-show queen, Wilkins shared his shock over the claims surrounding the show but that he was “not really surprised”. “She clearly knows what she wants and she doesn’t suffer fools badly,” he said. “And I imagine she was pretty tough on her staff. In a situation like that, I would assume where there’s smoke, there’s certainly a bit of fire about.” Despite the hit in popularity due to the controversies and additional challenges from the pandemic, Wilkins said he “will be sad to see Ellen disappear from the screen” and that she deserved praise for making the show a success for so long. But, he found it “kind of strange” that she would be looking for “a new challenge” when “making tomorrow’s show better than today’s show would be an ongoing challenge.” Either way, he remarked that the end of the show will mark “the end of an era”. “I wonder what we'll be doing at midday from now on when Ellen leaves a big hole in Nine's telecast schedule in a year's time. Congratulations to Ellen — we'll be interested to see what she comes up with next,” he concluded.

Marlon Brando’s former LA home could be yours for $4.295 million

Marlon Brando’s former four-storey Laurel Drive home in West Hollywood has hit the market for the steep price of $4.295 million. Once lived in by the two-time Oscar winner back in 1954, the classic yet sophisticated residence is a perfect reminder of a time gone by. Built in 1926, the actor said the neo-Gothic home was a “very pleasant place to live” when on Person to Person in 1955. “I enjoy it very much,” he told the show’s host Edward R. Murrow at the time. The four-bedroom, five-bedroom space with 270-degree jetliner views of equal city lights and darling ocean, is located a half mile above the Chateau Marmont on the Sunset Strip. “It's awfully nice to go out here in the evening and have dinner at this sort of little nook here, especially on warm nights when the desert wind comes up over the hills,” the Golden Era actor claimed. While the home has had modest updates, including the kitchen and formal dining room, the home has remained true to its roots with many of the original fixtures completely in place. Marlon Brando died at the age of 80 in 2004 from respiratory failure that was a result of pulmonary fibrosis with congestive heart failure.

Real Estate

James Bond is more than a (sexist) secret agent. He is a fertility god, a Dionysus of the modern era

James Bond is more than a (sexist) secret agent. He is a fertility god, a Dionysus of the modern era “History isn’t kind to people who play God,” quips James Bond to supervillain Safin in the trailer for No Time to Die. The film’s release has been delayed yet again, to April 2021. It will mark Daniel Craig’s swansong as 007 and speculation continues as to who will be the next Bond. Will it be Idris Elba, Tom Hardy or perhaps a woman? Bond has long been criticised for his sexist attitudes, with even Judi Dench’s M in GoldenEye (1995) dubbing him a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” . But what if we view him through the prism of Greek mythology? Is Bond, in fact, a contemporary incarnation of Dionysus, the god of wine, pleasure and fertility? In Greek mythology, the gods punish mortals for the sin of hubris. In our pop-culture pantheon, Bond is a deity. Dionysus travelled throughout the ancient world, sometimes by boat in the Aegean islands, sometimes in a winged chariot. Bond also circumnavigates the globe, equally at home on yachts or in helicopters. But his chariot of choice is an Aston Martin. Its logo? A pair of wings. Secrets of wine – and martinis Wherever Dionysus went he initiated his followers in the secrets of wine-making. Wherever Bond goes he initiates the mixologist in the secrets of making the perfect Vesper martini. In Ian Fleming’s Diamonds are Forever (1956), Bond tells the bartender to combine three measures of Gordon’s gin, one of vodka and half a measure of Kina Lillet with a thick slice of lemon peel and poured into a deep champagne goblet. In Casino Royale (2006), he adds the martini must be shaken “until it’s ice cold.” Unlike mortals, Bond’s prodigious consumption of alcohol does him no harm, indeed he is hailed as “the best shot in the Secret Service.” In a study of the novels published in the British Medical Journal in 2013, researchers estimated Bond consumed an average of 92 units of alcohol per week with a maximum daily intake peaking at 49.8 units. There were days when Bond abstained – 12.5 out of a total 87.5 days – but mostly because he was being held prisoner. Weapons of disguise Dionysus carries a thyrsus: a sacred pinecone-tipped staff wreathed in vines. The thyrus is a phallic symbol, sometimes displayed with a kantharos wine cup, denoting female sexuality. The union of the two created a powerful representation of fertility and rebirth. Dionysus also turned his thyrsus into a dangerous weapon by secreting an iron tip in its point. As a secret agent, Bond conceals his Walther PPK pistol in a hidden holster, but one of his most lethal weapons is disguised as a cigarette – a potent symbol of sexual union in cinema, where smoking a cigarette signifies the completion of copulation. In You Only Live Twice (1967) the villain makes the fatal mistake of allowing Bond “one last fag.” It turns out to be tipped with a rocket-propelled bullet, proving that cigarettes aren’t just lethal for smokers. Gods of possession Dionysus was deeply attractive to his female followers, Maenads, who would drink themselves into a frenzy to be possessed by the god. Likewise, Bond is pursued by a bevy of beautiful women – Pussy Galore, Plenty O’Toole and Honey Rider – panting to be possessed. As with the Maenads, devotion to Bond comes with its perils. In Live and Let Die (1973), Bond girl, Solitaire loses her psychic powers after a close encounter of the passionate kind with Bond and becomes a target for heroin baron, Dr Kananga. In Goldfinger (1964), Jill Masterton is punished by the eponymous villain for betraying him to Bond, dying of skin suffocation when he covers her in gold paint. This puts a new spin on the Midas myth in which Dionysus granted the king’s wish to be blessed with the golden touch, only to discover that it is a curse making it impossible to eat or even embrace his daughter without turning her into metal. Ecstasy and death In ancient Greece, the number seven was sacred and composed of the number three (the heavenly male) and the number four (the heavenly female). Bond’s number in the secret service – Agent 007 – is thus the perfect number to represent a modern-day fertility god. Like Dionysus who is depicted in a number of forms which range from an older, bearded god to a long-haired youth, Bond has appeared in a variety of guises from the debonair David Niven to the strapping Daniel Craig. Yet regardless of his age and physique, Bond’s dual Dionysian nature brings either divine ecstasy in bed, or brutal death to his foes. Dionysus almost dies before he is born but his father Zeus saves him. Later he returns from the dead after he is dismembered by the Titans. Bond says, “You only live twice: once when you are born and once when you look death in the face.” Like Dionysus, Bond is resurrected in Skyfall (2012) after he is accidentally shot by Moneypenny. The bullet penetrates his body causing him to fall off a train and into a waterfall where he sinks to the bottom. But Bond is immortal. He returns to save another day. When it finally reaches cinemas, No Time to Die will be the last hurrah for Craig, but gods do not die. Bond will live on. Written by Nicole Lenoir-Jourdan. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/james-bond-is-more-than-a-sexist-secret-agent-he-is-a-fertility-god-a-dionysus-of-the-modern-era-131040">The Conversation</a>.

Movies

The Golden age of Hollywood

The Golden Age of Hollywood was the boom in movie productions from Hollywood after silent films. The actresses that graced our screens with their timeless glamour and style is something that we still aspire to today. Here we take a moment to salute these ladies who are forever immortalised on our screens. Marilyn Monroe <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B452SF0nGIy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B452SF0nGIy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Marilyn Monroe (@somelikeitmonroe)</a> on Nov 15, 2019 at 3:05pm PST </div> </blockquote> Marilyn Monroe was a classic Hollywood sex symbol of the 1950s. Monroe was usually typecast to play the "dumb blonde" roles but she was incredibly smart, strong and sophisticated, growing up from a tough, dysfunctional childhood. Her sex symbol status is forever immortalised by the scene in the 'The Seven Year Itch' (1955) where she stands over a subway grate that blows up her white dress. It is one of the most iconic scenes of classic Hollywood. Judy Garland <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-3cAHFaVA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-3cAHFaVA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Movies (@archie_movies_and_more_1)</a> on Nov 17, 2019 at 1:51pm PST </div> </blockquote> Judy Garland's breakthrough role was Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) and she continued to light up screens with her amazing voice, starring in a number of musical films such as 'Me in St Louis' (1944) and 'A Star is Born' (1954). Her life was marked by tragedy but we will forever remember her voice and presence on screen. Grace Kelly <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xNYy2Dj5U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xNYy2Dj5U/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by life (@life)</a> on Nov 12, 2019 at 6:34am PST </div> </blockquote> Grace Kelly shot to Hollywood fame through her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s 'Rear Window' (1954) as Lisa Fremont. Kelly wedded the Prince of Monaco, Rainier III and famously wore her engagement ring in her last film, 'High Society' (1956). Her wedding too was dubbed by the press as “the wedding of the century” due to her high profile within Hollywood at the time. Vivien Leigh <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B45ozMllTI_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B45ozMllTI_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Period Fashion (@periodfashion)</a> on Nov 15, 2019 at 1:07pm PST </div> </blockquote> Vivien Leigh, was British born actress that shot to stardom in Hollywood by winning two Academy Awards for her “southern belle” performance of Scarlett O’Hara in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939). Leigh also had a love for theatre where she met and fell in love with Laurence Olivier and had a very public love affair. Elizabeth Taylor <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-TYhyn0Ki/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-TYhyn0Ki/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Elizabeth Taylor Archives (@elizabethtaylorarchives)</a> on Nov 17, 2019 at 8:36am PST </div> </blockquote> Elizabeth Taylor is one of the world’s most famous film stars and one of the last to debut from the classic Hollywood studio system. You may remember her from films such as 'A Place in the Sun' (1951), 'Cat on a Hot TIn Roof' (1958) and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' (1966). She was not only recognised for her acting, but she was always featured for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty and her alluring blue/violet eyes. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/the-gold-age-of-hollywood-the-female-starlets/page/1">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Movies

World War II-era plane crash kills seven

At least seven people were killed in the World War II-era plane crash at a Connecticut airport on Wednesday, officials said. The four-engine, propeller-driven Boeing B-17 bomber was carrying 13 people on board when it struggled to get into air after take-off and crash-landed at Hartford’s Bradley International Airport, bursting into flames. Public Safety Commissioner James Rovella said the remaining six people suffered severe injuries, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2019/10/02/7-confirmed-dead-in-connecticut-wwii-era-plane-crash-number-may-rise/" target="_blank">the death toll could rise</a>. The 75-year-old restored aircraft is owned by the Collings Foundation, an education group that hosts historical re-enactments, authorities said. It was among the <a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/world-war-ii-plane-crash-connecticut/index.html" target="_blank">13,000 B-17 bombers produced ahead of and during World War II</a>, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bradley-airport-plane-crash-boeing-b-17-flying-fortress-crashes-connecticut-today-7-killed-live-updates-2019-10-02/" target="_blank">one of the 18 left in the US</a>. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were on that flight, and we will be forever grateful to the heroic efforts of the first responders at Bradley,” Collings Foundation said in a statement. “The Collings Foundation flight team is fully cooperating with officials to determine the cause of the crash of the B-17 Flying Fortress and will comment further when details become known.” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said, “These are husbands and wives and brothers and sisters and children and all part of our Connecticut family. And we feel our hearts are broken for you right now.”

Travel Trouble

Retirement: the end of an era?

Ray Thomas left his family farm in South Australia when he was in his 20s and moved to New Zealand. He has always loved writing short stories and watching sport. He married an amazing woman 16 years ago and they both retired three years ago. They love family life, travelling, spending time in their large garden and fostering young children. The day dawned warm and sunny. Nothing unusual about that, as this was summer after all. I had been retired for almost two years, so days tended to be the same. However, today was going to be different. The last 14 years of my working life, I worked in a large department within the local hospital. One of my bosses, Barry, (not his real name) was unlike any boss I had previously worked for. Barry stood out because no matter how busy he was, he always made himself available, by putting other staff members first. Many times I required his urgent help. Not once, did he ever say “no”. Barry was well known within the department and the hospital at large, for being that sort of person. A softly spoken, hugely respected friend of many people. Today was his retirement after almost three decades of loyal, continuous service. Today was his day. Today was the “end of an era”. Because of the respect I held for him, it only seemed right and proper to attend his farewell morning tea held in the department, where we had spent so many hours together. Everything was great. The room was full of staff members, many sitting, with others standing in any available space. The speeches, the fantastic morning tea and a “life sketch” of Barry during his years within the department, resulted in much laughter and the odd tear. Suddenly, among the 50 people, I became confused. Here I was, surrounded by these people, many of whom I had worked with for a number of years. Some had become friends. After retirement, if I was ever in the hospital for any reason, I would sometimes call in and say a quick “Hi” and a brief catch-up with some staff members. Today when I entered the department, I noticed on the photo board of all staff members, I counted at least 20 staff I did not know. These were staff who had started since my retirement. Despite the large number of people, I felt very much alone and out of place. “What am I doing here?” I thought to myself, and “I don’t belong here”. Most of these people did not know me, and I did not know them. When I worked in the hospital, I wore my uniform. I felt as if I “belonged”. I felt “special”. After retirement and dressed in my normal clothes I no longer felt like that. I was now, no different to most people. Today I realised and accepted that I no longer had that close relationship with the staff. We had all moved on with our lives. Today it became obvious it was time to stop visiting, and make a break from my working life. Yes, I will keep in touch by email with one or two friends, but nothing more. Today, I accepted that not only was it an end of an era for Barry, but it was an end of an era for me as well. How appropriate this enlightenment happened the same day this amazing man retired. Do you have a story to share? Share your story with the Over60 community <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/contributor/community-contributor/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Retirement Life

This couple live like they’re in the Victorian era

Meet the Washington couple who live like it’s the 1890s. Sarah Chrisman, 36, and husband Gabriel, 38, have a strict “only if they did it in the 1800s” policy, which sees them live in an 1880s home, keep their food cold with an icebox, cook with a wood-burning stove, read by oil lamp and ride bicycles everywhere. Sarah has even worn a corset day and night for the past seven years! The couple’s Victorian-era lifestyle all started in early 2009, when Gabriel gifted Sarah, who collects vintage clothing, a corset for her birthday. "We've always been fascinated with this period," says Sarah. "We believe that the best way to understand a different culture is to interact with its daily life." So that’s exactly what the Chrismans did. Every day, after Gabriel heads off to his job at a bike shop, Sarah dresses in her corset, pantalets, petticoats and a long dress, before she tackles the domestic chores. She’ll clean out the ashes in the stove and lays a new fire. She’ll then move onto emptying the drip tray from the icebox, before baking a loaf of bread, filling the lamps and the heater with oil and washing the laundry by hand. The couple say their eccentric lifestyle has brought them closer together. “Living like this brings us together,” says Gabriel. “Because we have all these wonderful challenges that we're both sharing and trying to understand and workout. It helps us connect.” He adds, “It's not about replicating the past – we're trying to bring these principles into the modern world.” Scroll through the gallery above to see how the Chrismans live. Could you live like it’s the Victorian era? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/06/the-best-way-to-apologise-according-to-science/">The best way to apologise, according to science</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/05/why-always-being-right-is-ruining-your-relationship/">Always being right is ruining your relationship</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/05/marriage-secrets-from-relationship-experts/">6 marriage secrets relationship experts want you to know</a>

Beauty & Style

Rare black-and-white photographs show how families holidayed 100 years ago

A collection of 100-year-old photographs from the Edwardian era that give a rare glimpse into the traditional British seaside holiday has been found in a dusty box. The never-before-see photographs, taken at various seaside resorts in the UK, show a more informal side to life over a century ago. The early 20th century images will be displayed at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery next month as part of an exhibition celebrating the story of the British seaside. Stuart West, Shropshire Council cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “These pictures were the holiday snaps of the time and they give us a rare glimpse into the lives of holiday-makers some 100 years ago. “The collection was discovered in a box in the archive and had been lying there for quite some time. They offer a fascinating view into holidays from a century ago. “We would love to know more about the people and places that feature in these photographs and we're asking people for their help.” The “Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside” exhibition will be on display between June 20 and August 28. Find more information at their <a href="http://www.shrewsburymuseum.org.uk/events/?c24event=EVENT554006" target="_blank">website here.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/06/senior-female-solo-travellers-on-the-rise/">Senior female solo travellers on the rise</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/06/10-of-the-best-travel-photos-from-2016-so-far/">10 of the best travel photos from 2016 so far</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/06/beautiful-european-cities-you-never-thought-to-visit/">15 beautiful European cities you never thought to visit</a>

International Travel

Vintage photos capture the height of the baby boom

At the end of World War II, Australians returned and family life resumed after an interruption of almost six years of war. Soon after saw the start of a population revolution as childbirth rates rocketed sky high. Fun facts: <ul> <li>More than four million Australians were born between 1946–1961.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>People born during this period became known as baby boomers.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Today, members of the baby boomer generation are just beginning to enter retirement.</li> </ul> Related Links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/never-carry-your-phone-in-your-pocket/">You should never carry your phone in your pocket</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/bear-cub-performing-tai-chi/">Cute bear cub masters the art of tai chi</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/things-you-didnt-know-your-dishwasher-could-do/">5 things you didn’t know your dishwasher could do</a> <a href="/health/body/2015/12/signs-your-body-is-trying-to-tell-you/"> </a>

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Vintage photos capture the height of the baby boom

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