The TV was on tonight when Getaway was airing a spot about Villers-Bretonneux in The Somme, Northern France. This is probably a place that sounds familiar to Aussies - perhaps not when they first hear the name, but certainly after it’s significance is explained. During World War I, (April 25, 1918) Australian troops were given orders to liberate the village from German occupation. During the battle, over 700 Australian soldiers died.

Since the liberation, Villers-Bretonneux has become a popular destination for Australian tourists - not only is the Australian War Memorial in France located in Villers-Bretonneux, but the village itself has become dedicated to preserving the memory of the Australian involvement in France during World War I. There is a restaurant on the main street named ‘Restaurant Kangaroo,’ while the primary school bares a sign that reads ‘Never Forget Australia’ (the blackboards are also apparently inscribed with the message ‘N’oublions jamais l’Australie’). An Australian-French Museum is located in the town, as are numerous Australian flags proudly displayed next to French.

Next year on April 25th, it will be the 90th anniversary of the liberation of Villers-Bretonneux by the Australian soldiers. This also coincides with ANZAC Day celebrations (for the non-Australian readers, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps Day is held every year on the 25th of April, and is essentially our day of remembrance for all those that have served for our country). Next year will also mark the first time in history that there has been a dawn memorial service held on ANZAC Day (and the anniversary of the liberation of Villers-Bretonneux) at the Villers-Bretonneux War Memorial. While I’m not sure whether any of my relatives fought specifically at Villers-Bretonneux, I’m certain I had at least one relative stationed in the Somme, and I cannot think of a more perfect time or place to honour their memory.

More information: Villers-Bretonneux at Wikipedia / Villers-Bretonneux at Diggers-History.net / ANZAC Day at Wikipedia / ANZACs in The Somme.

Courtesy of a forwarded email from Sarah:

From a letter written into Sydney Morning Herald:

My birdbath is now at 70 per cent capacity but I still have level two
restrictions in place. Five second limit. No flapping allowed. Coloured
birds odd days, monochromes even days. Anything bigger than a magpie
must
wash itself on the lawn with a bucket or use a commercial bird wash.

- Tony Podpera Woden (ACT)

I’d love to meet the man that wrote that letter!

It has been an incredibly hectic few days! Over the last week I’ve managed to squeeze in lunch with Sophie and Sarah; dessert with Kate and Nick at Freestyle Tout and then back to Kate’s to taste-test some of Rob and Nick’s home brew; witnessing the shamozzle that was the Socceroos’ loss to Iraq; dinner with some family friends; seeing the new Harry Potter movie; and finally, tonight, dinner with some old school friends - Tammy, Simone and Pearl.

Combine this with trying to be at uni and getting as much research done as possible before the start of semester two (next week), and still not feeling 100%, and you can imagine I’m pretty tired!

I am, however, incredibly happy about this: Socceroos Last Past Thailand / The Pressure is on Japan: Arnold / Socceroos Shake Off Slumber. That’s right, the Socceroos miraculously pulled themselves together and beat Thailand 4-0. Although by no means playing to their full potential, it was heartening to see a few of the lesser-known players doing really well - Michael Beauchamp, David Carney and Mark Milligan all seemed up to the challenge. The next game is against Japan on Saturday.

Now do I spend the next few weeks as a hermit-researcher, or do I try and fit in time to read the final Harry Potter novel?!