Staying local

With both the girls back at school this week, and fairly rubbish weather - lots of fog, drizzle and wind - I've been staying close to home this week. My new best friend Cathy and I went to  the local cinema to see The King's Speech, the film about the lead up to King George VI's famous speech to the nation to announce Britain was at war with Germany. Colin Firth was terrific as the king and Geoffrey Rush does a fine job as the Australian speech therapist who works with him.  It was refreshing to see an Australian character depicted in a film without a corked hat, a barbecue busy with prawns or a single "she'll be right" type comment. 

Last night I went out with my other new best friend, Janice, who lives a few doors down, and another neighbour, Jem. We went to the residents' association meeting of an adjoining neighbourhood to register our objection to the demolition and redevelopment of an old warehouse at the back of our row of terraces. Aside from the blot on the landscape it will result it, it's a lovely old building that we'd rather see renovated than replaced with an unimaginative modern box. The meeting had all the elements of an episode of The Vicar of Dibley, with a rum collection of local nutters, councillors and old people with loud voices all talking at the same time. Afterwards we all retired to a local bar to put the world to rights.

We've been glued to the box all week, watching the tragic events unfolding in a flooded Queensland. Rob grew concerned mid-week when he was unable to get hold of his brother Craig and family who live in the suburbs of Brisbane. Eventually we made contact and had a skype session with him this morning, in which he bashfully admitted that while most of his city is under water, he was able to mow his lawn yesterday. My understanding is that both Anna Bligh and  Julia Gillard have shown what they are made of in impressive style.