I wrote this subject line two nights ago after watching the brilliant Marc Fennell's tv show. He is a consummate tv presenter, radio broadcaster and podcast presenter for SBS TV, ABC TV and ABC Radio.
But let us go back further to when our beloved Queen died. Well, loved my millions, if not all. A friend with Indian heritage sent me this picture. It is something I intended using on my blog at some point.
In a remarkable coincidence while having coffee after shopping yesterday, Friday morning, who should walk past us and stop at a bench nearby to sort out what he was carrying, but Marc Fennell. I saw him walking towards where we were sitting, but I did not click. R is better at celeb spotting than I am and he saw who it was as Marc paused at the bench for a few minutes. I first got to know of him from ABC Radio National's Download This Show. Most celebs we see are to be noted but I was quite chuffed to see someone who I admire so much.
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Colonisation has been responsible for a number of thefts. Thefts which in some cases preserved things which would otherwise have been lost. I am torn about it though.
ReplyDeleteAnd how nice to see (and recognise - thanks R) someone you admire.
EC, yes it was nice to see him.
DeleteIt is an incredible feeling to love the robber after being robbed by the same person?
ReplyDeleteRoentare, very much so.
DeleteStolen or gifted? Colonisation was a big thing and all of Europe did it but it seems the Brits are copping the worst of the blame at the moment. And now we are being colonised by the Chinese. I wonder if anyone will complain about that? (Yes I have my grumpy pants on this morning).
ReplyDeleteCaro, you're allowed to have a grump. Foreign ownership of Australian land troubles me. And really is it ours to sell? Aborigines may not think so.
DeleteI am worried about the chinese situation myself. They are snapping up a lot of farmland here. I think we're backing ourselves right into a dangerous corner.
ReplyDeleteI agree Debby, especially farm land. It is not just Chinese here but they are the main ones.
DeleteWasn't it Kipling who called colonization the White Man's Burden? He left out that its lucrative side.
ReplyDeleteKirk, in a way it is true. I think about the independent island country to our north, PNG which was once an English colony I think obtained from Germany. It went on to become an Australian responsibility and in many ways it still is in spite of being independent. Mind, we do mine there and so extract wealth.
DeleteI haven’t seen any of the programs but a lot of aboriginal artifacts (from all nations worldwide) are slowly being returned to their ‘owners’. It’s difficult to know whether these items will be looked after and studied or not.
ReplyDeleteCathy, in our case they would be ok, but I see your point. I think Aborigines mostly see human remains as the most important thing to be returned.
DeleteDidn't know so many 'things' belonged or so it's said to other countries other than Britain, guess I never thought about it but things happen over the years.
ReplyDeleteHow nice to you saw a person whom you listen to.
Margaret, stole is a very strong word for many of these items. Yes it was rather cool to see Marc.
DeleteI haven't seen any of the programmes, but agree with sparklingmerlot, were these things stolen or were they gifted. They have been in the royal family for many generations now, so Queen Elizabeth certainly can't be blamed and as EC said, perhaps these items would have been lost forever if not stashed in Britain's vaults.
ReplyDeleteI worry about the Chinese too, they have many market gardens in NT with produce being shipped all over Australia as well as overseas and how can we be sure they are using safe farming practices and not the despicably foul methods used in their own country? And like Debby says, they are buying up vast tracts of land. Will we all have to learn to speak Chinese? I don't want to.
River, I think it is a mix of both and I think you are correct in that most were probably during Victoria's reign. I doubt Chinese land ownership will be a problem in our time, but it certainly could be. Do Chinse or any race know how to farm in a country so delicate as Australia? We haven't made a great job of it although we now have a lot of knowledge.
DeleteI have seen one programme where the last Sikh Maharaja had to travel to Britain from his homeland at c8. There he "offered" her the Kohinoor diamond. What choice did a little boy have???
ReplyDelete"her" being Queen Victoria.
DeleteComplicated indeed that is Hels.
DeleteMarc certainly is a handsome devil. To be fair, a lot of that theft pre-dated Elizabeth. She wasn't personally responsible for it! I think most of that swag went to Victoria first.
ReplyDeleteSteve, naturally if I like someone, I use the most flattering photo of them I can find and this was it. I agree about it being mostly in Victoria's time.
ReplyDeleteIt is a complicated problem. All part of colonisation history.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Diane and it isn't something I have a strong opinion about. I can see both sides.
DeleteThe bloody conquerors. Even ants attack other colonies and enslave survivors. Expansion of territory means greater food options and resources. China is buying land here in America too and I just read about the water problems in Arizona created by massive Saudi alfalfa farms whose wells extend 1000 or 1500 feet down. The Saudi's export the alfalfa back to feed cows in the middle east. I don't think if I saw a celebrity I liked I'd say anything or take a photo. I saw Harrison Ford, the actor, at a gas station on the interstate once. He was in a yellow Humvee and at that time, had bought a big place up on the river near Sweet Home.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, pretty well sums up most wars doesn't it. That's an interesting one about the alfalfa. Humvee....sad.
DeleteWar stinks, but why sad about a truck? At least Harrison Ford doesn't preach to others. And what year was that, anyway? Those pushing 'green' policies today are among the worst offenders. I guess we humans should all just curl up and die to save the planet. ~sigh~ On a light note, politicians might as well be ants with their overall morals.
DeleteLove you, Strayer, by the way. :) Thanks for leading me to Andrew. Best wishes to you both.
I am not a fan of the Queen, she only became more human after the death of Diana. But I agree with you the stone should stay in the British museum, at least there it is safe. The stars I saw in my life were a disappointment, they all looked completely different, or they were small and not so tall like on the screen (Tom Cruise) or they had a real "normal face" and were not a beauty at all. The only one I recognized was Clint Eastwood when we were in a Restaurant in Hollywood, but he too looked more skinny then in a movie.
ReplyDeleteGattina, they do say film cameras add weight to people. I think Cruise is very short. It is a very flattering studio photo of Marc above, but that's ok.
DeleteI was a production accountant at a point in time and am still startled to see those I worked with, now famous, as I was privy to their babysitting woes and spousal challenges. I recently saw one in a starring role in The Good Fight and my mouth hung open for a while. So I understand the gobsmackery.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
M, it just goes to show... well I am not sure really.
DeleteI am terrible at recognizing celebrities. We were standing at a red light on a corner in NYC and John is saying look, look. I'm saying what? It was Laurence Fishburne. Another time, many, many years ago, in Puerto Vallerta, Elizabeth Taylor was sitting in the restaurant, and again I didn't recognize her until John pointed it out.
ReplyDeleteJackie, it would be a tragedy to have missed Ms Taylor.
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