Latest news with #Bev
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- NZ Herald
'Our hopes for Fairview are simply that it stays just as it is'
This article was prepared by Fairview Lifestyle Village and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial. Fairview's residents share memories of life, laughter and care. This sentiment, shared by long-time residents John and Mary Gardner, perfectly captures the spirit of Fairview Lifestyle Village as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Once a rural block on the outskirts of Albany, Fairview has grown into one of the North Shore's most sought-after communities. While much has changed, the heart of the village remains the same. It's the people who make Fairview what it is: residents, staff, families and the wider community. John and Mary Gardner were appointed village managers in June 2000, just as construction began. 'We were everything in those days,' John laughs. 'Office staff, nursing staff, security staff, sales, cook, show producer.' Living on site, the couple handled it all, including preparing three-course meals for 70 residents from a pair of household stoves. Over time, they built more than just buildings. 'It was the people that made it,' Mary reflects. 'We shared our lives with them. We were a part of their community.' One of the earliest residents to join that community was Bev Barnes, who moved in back in 2002. Her son-in-law, a builder, recommended one of Fairview's newly built villas. But for Bev, it was the warmth and feeling of community that mattered most. 'That was John and Mary,' she says. A former principal and hockey player, Bev brought her own energy to village life, organising bingo nights, joining the residents' committee, and starring in John's infamous plays on stage in the lodge's lounge. 'I was a German guard in Stalag 21. The costumes were made by Mary, and the script was written by John. It was like Monty Python!' Today, Bev is 96 and still going strong. She paints, reads and plays the keyboard. She speaks warmly of the community that surrounds her. 'This is a people place, where people can feel at home right from the start. That first morning waking here, I said to my children, 'I've done the right thing.' After surgery left her unable to drive in 2020, her neighbours Jim and Natalie stepped in to help with the shopping and still do it for her, to this day. 'It's a warm, caring place to be, it really is,' Bev says. Fairview's success has always come down to the people. From day one, it's been a place shaped by relationships, support, and shared experiences. 'We had lots of fun,' John recalls. 'Opera in the Park, ballroom dancing, cruises with residents. We were like one big family.' Bev agrees. 'My fondest memories are from those early days, when we all got into a bit of mischief,' she says with a smile. That legacy continues today, with our residents enjoying a full calendar of activities and strong connections with those around them. As for advice to those thinking of moving in? 'The sooner, the better,' says Mary. 'Don't wait until you're too old to enjoy it.' Bev agrees. 'This is a place where people care. You're never on your own.'
IOL News
23-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Peace and Unity in the Cold: 600 Gather for 11th International Day of Yoga at Union Buildings
International Day of Yoga will be observed on Saturday. Image: Supplied Hundreds of people, ranging in age from 3 to 70 and representing diverse communities—including foreigners and diplomats — gathered in the Union Buildings gardens on a chilly morning to practice yoga together. The event united individuals from all walks of life in a shared commitment to wellness, mindfulness, and community spirit. The High Commission of India warmly invited the public to join the celebration of the 11th International Day of Yoga 2025, held at the South Lawns of the Union Buildings in Pretoria. This significant day fosters unity, health, and empowerment through the ancient practice of yoga. The buildup to the event began with the International Day of Yoga Curtain Raiser, organised at India House on 21 May 2025. Attendees included members of the International Diplomatic Spouses Association, representatives of various yoga institutes, and the Indian diaspora. In a conversation about the event, Bev Naude, a passionate yogi from Pretoria, shared her long-standing involvement. 'I have been practising yoga for 60 years in total,' she said. 'I have participated in every International Day of Yoga since its inception in 2015, starting with our first event at the 7th of March Hall in Laudium.' Bev, who serves on the organising committee, is also the founder and coordinator of the Tshwane Yoga Festival, created to complement the International Day of Yoga, which falls in the South African winter. 'Two years ago, I suggested holding the festival in summer or spring to make it more accessible, and that idea was well received,' she explained. Now in its third year, the festival has become very successful, held at the University Campus in the east. Bev works closely with the High Commission of India on International Day of Yoga events, corporate functions, and the Tshwane Yoga Festival. She expressed her honour to be part of this year's celebration, noting her deep connections within Pretoria's yoga community and mentoring younger yogis such as Tamara. After the yoga session, participants were treated to snacks, drinks, and traditional Indian masala tea. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The gathering concluded with a group photo taken against the iconic backdrop of the Union Buildings. Among the sponsors supporting the event were Manzarali, Virgin Active, Taj Cape Town, Tata, and Mahindra Rise, whose contributions helped make the celebration possible. 'As our Prime Minister, Hon. Narendra Modi, said yesterday on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga — 'Yoga is the pause button our humanity needs to breathe, to balance, and to become whole again.'' quoted Prabhat Kumar, High Commissioner of India to South Africa, while addressing hundreds of yoga enthusiasts gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to mark the 11th International Day of Yoga. The High Commissioner emphasised that yoga, which unites body and mind, is now a global practice that fosters compassion, balance, and harmony — qualities that proved especially vital during the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, India launched the 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative, supplying life-saving vaccines and medicines to 150 countries in the spirit of Vasudev Kutumbakam — the world is one family.'We celebrated the 11th edition of the International Day of Yoga in South Africa, with an enthusiastic crowd of over 600 people gathering in front of the iconic Union Buildings. ''We had a wonderful yoga session, and everyone who participated was deeply engaged and appreciative, especially on this cold winter morning,' said Banu Prakash, Deputy High Commissioner of India in Pretoria. 'Yoga, as you know, is India's gift to the world, and its growing popularity globally is reflected here as well. The fact that this is the 11th consecutive year of celebration in South Africa is a testament to yoga's rising embrace in the country.
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Climate Council calls for €10,000 EV grants as transport emissions cuts ‘unlikely to be achieved'
Supports for purchasing electric vehicles need to be ramped up by the Government with grants of up to €10,000 for low-income households purchasing smaller vehicles, the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) has told the Government. This measure is one of a series of interventions required to ensure the transport sector does not exceed legally binding limits on carbon emissions , it said. With emissions falling by an estimated 1.3 per cent last year, 'urgent Government intervention [is needed] to support sustained emissions reductions and people making the switch to public transport', it added. The Republic has a national target of a 51 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. Key to delivering transport emissions reductions 'is ending reliance on harmful and expensive fossil fuels', the independent advisory body said in its latest review of the sector published on Wednesday. READ MORE 'An increase in new battery electric vehicle (Bev) registrations and the achievement of targets for Bev adoption under the Climate Action Plan must be realised.' To drive this forward, the council has recommended grants of up to €10,000 (for Bevs less than €35,000) for lower-income households, particularly in places with limited access to public transport, including rural areas. EV grants have been pared back in recent years. A grant of up to €3,500 is available for new Bevs with a price of between €14,000 and €60,000. In parallel, there needs to be accelerated roll-out of publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure alongside ambitious electricity network reinforcement. That is 'a measure which is critical to support access to charging for those without off-street parking and decarbonisation of commercial vehicles', the CCAC said. With only 18 per cent (172,000 out of 945,000) of primary and post-primary pupils accessing the School Transport Scheme, it strongly supports expanded eligibility criteria and greater integration of school and public transport services. Expansion of the safe routes to school programme, which aims to encourage as many students as possible to safely walk, cycle and wheel to school, was also needed to support the required shift in the sector. 'Transport is Ireland's biggest source of energy demand, and emissions from the sector must reduce by half if the sector is to meet its target,' Marie Donnelly, chair of the CCAC, said. 'Urgent and decisive action must now be taken by Government to end our reliance on fossil fuels and deliver the kind of transformative change that is required in this sector.' There were signs of progress in public transport, she said, with more than half of the redesigned BusConnects network in Dublin implemented; a 48 per cent increase in passenger boardings on redesigned routes, and a significant growth in the number of EV and hybrid buses on Irish roads. The review also highlighted the potential benefits of 'vehicle to everything charging' that can increase resilience in rural areas during power outages by providing temporary grid support for households while the main grid is restored. 'Bidirectional charging' and 'vehicle-to-grid' technology are increasingly available in EVs, which can provide home backup power for a number of days but also helps stabilise grids and decrease costs for electric vehicle owners. 'There is a significant opportunity for bidirectional charging, in tandem with solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems, to increase resilience to storm events,' the review finds. Highlighting learning from storms Darragh and Éowyn, Ms Donnelly said the Government must 'scale up investment to enhance the climate resilience of vulnerable and critical transport infrastructure' including road, rail and aviation. Ports are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events and it is 'crucial that the National Ports Policy is updated to reflect these risks'.
Sydney Morning Herald
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
This moody Australian crime thriller is utterly absorbing
CRIME The Name of the Sister Gail Jones Text, $34.99 A new novel from award-winner Gail Jones is always a cause for celebration. The Name of the Sister is a suspenseful, sombre tale, spun with an unwavering grace, a crime thriller presented in a moody literary tone. It opens with a fleeting scene of modern tragedy shown on a television screen. A man in a war-torn country is weeping beside the ruin of his house where his family lies entombed. Soldiers appear, and it begins to snow. But it is the next news item that provides the material for the novel's main plot. Here is the story of the appearance of a mute and traumatised woman on a lonely road 30 kilometres outside Broken Hill. Angie, a freelance journalist, is watching the screen in Sydney, and she is captivated by the image of the silent woman. Her best friend from childhood is Bev, a police officer, and they begin to discuss the case. They have always loved to go into the grim details of life, including the grief of 'dark churning thoughts' that 'turn in the night like sticky clay, like the cling of the earth itself, like the sightless underground world'. Events unfold in Sydney and Broken Hill, both of which are vividly brought to life in the text. Two main plots are interwoven. There is the matter of the gradual failure of Angie's marriage to schoolmaster Sam, alongside her journalistic investigation of the case of the unknown woman on the road, her life 'a puzzle waiting to be solved'. Bev is at first reluctant to reveal police details of the case to Angie, but as time goes on, she cannot resist disclosure. They become more or less partners in the investigation, Bev sometimes risking her job in the process. Many strangers claim the woman as a long-lost relative, and Angie talks to a wide range of these, taking the narrative into the dramas of many other lives. But in fact it is the life of Angie herself, and how the case has the power to influence it, that is the focus of the novel. The reader needs to know the identity of the unknown one, but at the same time is carried deep into the identity of Angie. There is a dark and terrible secret about the death of her father which she reveals to no one. As a child, Angie was enchanted by the ancient Egyptians and their origin myth in which male ibis Thoth, born from the lips of Ra, the sun god, 'laid an egg which contained the world'. He was also, incidentally, the inventor of writing. Angie recalls this childhood fascination when Merle, a Wilyakali woman, tells her the tale of the bronze-wing pigeon, Marnpi, 'older than the Great Pyramid of Giza'. This bird was injured and came to rest on what is now known as Broken Hill, forming the shape of the land, and dropping his coloured feathers 'which became gold, silver, copper and lead'. The presence of Merle and her Indigenous wisdom breathes into the narrative a human softness and gentleness. As part of her story on the identity of the unknown woman, Angie visits Berlin, for the life of the stranger has links to the Holocaust. The mystery is resolved and the purpose of the novel's title is finally revealed. Between the abjection of the introductory scene on the TV screen and memories of the Holocaust, the narrative contains, as a key part of its design, Angie's participation in the bloody horror of a confrontation with an armed man in a disused Broken Hill mine.
The Age
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
This moody Australian crime thriller is utterly absorbing
CRIME The Name of the Sister Gail Jones Text, $34.99 A new novel from award-winner Gail Jones is always a cause for celebration. The Name of the Sister is a suspenseful, sombre tale, spun with an unwavering grace, a crime thriller presented in a moody literary tone. It opens with a fleeting scene of modern tragedy shown on a television screen. A man in a war-torn country is weeping beside the ruin of his house where his family lies entombed. Soldiers appear, and it begins to snow. But it is the next news item that provides the material for the novel's main plot. Here is the story of the appearance of a mute and traumatised woman on a lonely road 30 kilometres outside Broken Hill. Angie, a freelance journalist, is watching the screen in Sydney, and she is captivated by the image of the silent woman. Her best friend from childhood is Bev, a police officer, and they begin to discuss the case. They have always loved to go into the grim details of life, including the grief of 'dark churning thoughts' that 'turn in the night like sticky clay, like the cling of the earth itself, like the sightless underground world'. Events unfold in Sydney and Broken Hill, both of which are vividly brought to life in the text. Two main plots are interwoven. There is the matter of the gradual failure of Angie's marriage to schoolmaster Sam, alongside her journalistic investigation of the case of the unknown woman on the road, her life 'a puzzle waiting to be solved'. Bev is at first reluctant to reveal police details of the case to Angie, but as time goes on, she cannot resist disclosure. They become more or less partners in the investigation, Bev sometimes risking her job in the process. Many strangers claim the woman as a long-lost relative, and Angie talks to a wide range of these, taking the narrative into the dramas of many other lives. But in fact it is the life of Angie herself, and how the case has the power to influence it, that is the focus of the novel. The reader needs to know the identity of the unknown one, but at the same time is carried deep into the identity of Angie. There is a dark and terrible secret about the death of her father which she reveals to no one. As a child, Angie was enchanted by the ancient Egyptians and their origin myth in which male ibis Thoth, born from the lips of Ra, the sun god, 'laid an egg which contained the world'. He was also, incidentally, the inventor of writing. Angie recalls this childhood fascination when Merle, a Wilyakali woman, tells her the tale of the bronze-wing pigeon, Marnpi, 'older than the Great Pyramid of Giza'. This bird was injured and came to rest on what is now known as Broken Hill, forming the shape of the land, and dropping his coloured feathers 'which became gold, silver, copper and lead'. The presence of Merle and her Indigenous wisdom breathes into the narrative a human softness and gentleness. As part of her story on the identity of the unknown woman, Angie visits Berlin, for the life of the stranger has links to the Holocaust. The mystery is resolved and the purpose of the novel's title is finally revealed. Between the abjection of the introductory scene on the TV screen and memories of the Holocaust, the narrative contains, as a key part of its design, Angie's participation in the bloody horror of a confrontation with an armed man in a disused Broken Hill mine.
