Search

Longing for the ‘golden age’ of air travel? Be careful what you wish for

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janet-bednarek-144872">Janet Bednarek</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-dayton-1726">University of Dayton</a> Long lines at security checkpoints, tiny plastic cups of soda, small bags of pretzels, planes filled to capacity, fees attached to every amenity – all reflect the realities of 21st century commercial air travel. It’s no wonder that many travelers have become nostalgic for the so-called “golden age” of air travel in the United States. During the 1950s, airlines promoted commercial air travel as glamorous: stewardesses served full meals on real china, airline seats were large (and frequently empty) with ample leg-room, and passengers always dressed well. After jets were introduced in the late 1950s, passengers could travel to even the most distant locations at speeds unimaginable a mere decade before. An airline trip from New York to London that could take up to 15 hours in the early 1950s could be made in less than seven hours by the early 1960s. But airline nostalgia can be tricky, and “golden ages” are seldom as idyllic as they seem. Until the introduction of jets in 1958, most of the nation’s commercial planes were propeller-driven aircraft, like the DC-4. Most of these planes were unpressurized, and with a maximum cruising altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet, they were unable to fly over bad weather. Delays were frequent, turbulence common, and air sickness bags often needed. Some planes were spacious and pressurized: the <a href="http://everythingnice.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/PanAm-cutawayS.jpg">Boeing Stratocruiser</a>, for example, could seat 50 first class passengers or 81 coach passengers compared to the DC-3’s 21 passengers. It could cruise at 32,000 feet, which allowed Stratocruiser to fly above most bad weather it encountered. But only 56 of these planes were ever in service. While the later DC-6 and DC-7 were pressurized, they still flew much lower than the soon-to-appear jets – 20,000 feet compared to 30,000 feet – and often encountered turbulence. The piston engines were bulky, complex and difficult to maintain, which contributed to frequent delays. For much of this period, the old saying “Time to spare, go by air” still rang true. Through the 1930s and into the 1940s, almost everyone flew first class. Airlines did encourage more people to fly in the 1950s and 1960s by introducing coach or tourist fares, but the savings were relative: less expensive than first class, but still pricey. In 1955, for example, so-called “bargain fares” from New York to Paris were the equivalent of just over $2,600 in 2014 dollars. Although the advent of jets did result in lower fares, the cost was still out of reach of most Americans. The most likely frequent flier was a white, male businessman traveling on his company’s expense account, and in the 1960s, airlines – with young attractive stewardesses in short skirts – clearly catered to their most frequent flyers. The demographics of travelers did begin to shift during this period. More women, more young people, and retirees began to fly; still, airline travel remained financially out-of-reach for most. If it was a golden age, it only was for the very few. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bKqQgNZylLw?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Jet planes were introduced in the late 1950s, resulting in shorter flight times. But their ticket prices out of reach for the average traveler.</figcaption></figure> People also forget that well into the 1960s, air travel was far more dangerous than it is today. In the 1950s and 1960s US airlines experienced at least a half dozen crashes per year – most leading to fatalities of all on board. People today may bemoan the crowded airplanes and lack of on-board amenities, but the number of fatalities per million miles flown has dropped dramatically since since the late 1970s, especially compared to the 1960s. Through at least the 1970s, airports even prominently featured kiosks selling flight insurance. And we can’t forget hijackings. By the mid-1960s so many airplanes had been hijacked that <a href="http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/hijackers/flying-high.htm">“Take me to Cuba”</a> became a punch line for stand-up comics. In 1971 <a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/39593/index2.html">D.B. Cooper</a> – a hijacker who parachuted from a Boeing 727 after extorting $200,000 – might have been able to achieve folk hero status. But one reason US airline passengers today (generally) tolerate security checkpoints is that they want some kind of assurance that their aircraft will remain safe. And if the previous examples don’t dull the sheen of air travel’s “golden age,” remember: in-flight smoking was both permitted and encouraged.<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;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34177/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janet-bednarek-144872">Janet Bednarek</a>, Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-dayton-1726">University of Dayton</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/longing-for-the-golden-age-of-air-travel-be-careful-what-you-wish-for-34177">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

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

Aussie actresses clean up at the Golden Globes

Awards season has officially kicked off in Hollywood, with A-listers flocking to the Los Angeles Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday for the 81st annual Golden Globes. With the very best of the best in the entertainment industry nominated for the best film and television moments of 2023, some of our own Aussie talent walked away with some of the biggest awards of the night. Aussie actress Elizabeth Debicki emerged as an early winner for the TV categories, taking home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana in The Crown. She beat out the likes of Meryl Streep (for her role in Only Murders in the Building) and Hannah Waddingham (for her role in Ted Lasso) for the award, as she has long been praised by royal fans for her touching portrayal of the late Princess of Wales' last years. Also coming out on top in another television category was Aussie actress Sarah Snook, who was the recipient of one of the biggest honours of the night, Best Actress in a drama, for her incredible performance in the final season of Succession. Meanwhile for outstanding achievements in film, Margot Robbie and the whole Barbie team took home the inaugural Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award, following the global hype of Barbie mania back in July. Margot was also nominated for Best Actress in a musical or comedy for Barbie, but was ultimately pipped by Emma Stone for her incredible performance in Poor Things. Elsewhere in the awards, Oppenheimer came out on top with Cillian Murphy taking home the award for Best Actor for portraying scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in the three-hour long epic, with the film also being crowned Best Picture and Christopher Nolan taking home the Best Director award. Image credits: Getty Images

2023 Logie hot favourites revealed

The nominees for the 2023 TV Week Logie Awards have been announced, just weeks out from the night-of-nights for Aussie television and its stars. It’s the 63rd event of its kind, set to take place at Sydney’s The Star on July 30 for the first time in 27 years, with comedian and presenter Sam Pang at the helm, marking the first time in over a decade that a host has flown solo. “It’s a huge honour to be asked to host the Logies and while it will be weird not having a buzzer or beer in front of me, hopefully I’m up to the challenge,” Pang told Media Week of his upcoming role. “I feel very lucky to be a part of this industry and can’t wait for July 30 in Sydney to celebrate Australian television on its night of nights and guide viewers at home through the entire four hour broadcast.” Pang will be joined by some of the biggest stars in Australian television as audiences all across the nation look to see who’ll be taking home the coveted statues, and who’ll secure their place in the history books with this year’s Golden Logie. Nominated for the latter, the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, are Julia Morris, Osher Günsberg, Leigh Sales, Mark Coles Smith, Shaun Micallef, Sonia Kruger, and last year’s Golden Logie winner, Hamish Blake. A number of those same personalities are up for the Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter, too, with Julia Morris, Hamish Blake, Shaun Micallef, Sonia Kruger, Tony Armstrong, and Scott Cam vying for the title. Meanwhile, the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor is in the sights of James Stewart, Ray Meagher, Sam Neill, Patrick Brammall, Lincoln Younes, and Mark Coles Smith. And striving for the Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress are Ada Nicodemou, Emily Symons, Lynne McGranger, Celeste Barber, Kitty Flanagan, and Julia Zemiro. Amy Shark, Kween Kong, Ayesha Madon, Chloe Hayden, Lilliana Bowrey, and Flex Mami are up for the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent. And when it comes to the award for Most Popular Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie, the likes of Home and Away, Mystery Road: Origin, Savage River, Underbelly: Vanishing Act, The Twelve, and Heartbreak High are in with a shot. For Most Popular Entertainment Program, it’s Australia’s Got Talent, Gruen, Hard Quiz, The Voice, LegoMasters Australia, and Gogglebox Australia. For Most Popular Current Affairs Program, 60 Minutes, 7.30, A Current Affair, Australian Story, Four Corners, and Foreign Correspondent. Fisk, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, The Front Bar, Wellmania, Have You Been Paying Attention?, and The Hundred with Andy Lee are up for Most Popular Comedy Program. Hunted Australia, Married at First Sight, The Block, Farmer Wants A Wife, MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites, and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! are the nominees for Most Popular Reality Program. And for Most Popular Lifestyle Program, the hopefuls are Back Roads, A Dog’s World With Tony Armstrong, Better Homes and Gardens, Selling Houses Australia, Gardening Australia, and Travel Guides. The ‘Most Outstanding’ awards are voted from within the industry itself, and feature their own lists of nominees. The Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor is within reach for Mark Coles Smith, Patrick Brammall, Sam Neill, Tim Draxl, Tim Minchin, and Richard Roxburgh. Meanwhile, Claudia Jessie, Harriet Dyer, Claudia Karvan, Milly Alcock, Marta Dusseldorp, and Kate Mulvany are up for Most Outstanding Actress. For Most Outstanding Support Actor, Alexander England, Clarence Ryan, Arka Das, Luke Arnold, Hamish Michael, Thomas Weatherall, and Luke Arnold are nominated. For Most Outstanding Supporting Actress, Brooke Satchwell, Hayler McElhinney, Pallavi Sharda, Miranda Otto, Yerin Ha, and Virginia Gay have received nominations. For Most Outstanding Drama Series, Miniseries or Telemovie, Black Snow, Mystery Road: Origin, In Our Blood, Five Bedrooms, Significant Others, and The Twelve. For Most Outstanding Entertainment Program, Hard Quiz, Gruen Nation, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Lego Masters Australia, The Masked Singer Australia, and The Cheap Seats. For Most Outstanding Comedy Program, Colin from Accounts, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Fisk, Summer Love, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, and Taskmaster. For Most Outstanding Reality Program, Australian Survivor: Heroes v Villains, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Married at First Sight, Hunted Australia, Masterchef Australia: Fans & Favourites, and The Block. Up for Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report are 7NEWS, Foreign Correspondent, Four Corners, and A Current Affair. For Most Outstanding Sports Coverage, broadcasts of the 2022 AFL Grand Final, the 2022 MelbourneCup Carnival, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2023 Australian Open, State of Origin, and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. For Most Outstanding Children’s Program, Crazy Fun Park, Barrumbi Kids, Surviving Summer, Turn Up The Volume, Ultimate Classroom, and Bluey. And last but not least, for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program, Australia’s Wild Odyssey, Old People’s Home For Teenages, Alone Australia, Revealed: Trafficked, The Australian Wars, and Todd Sampson’s Mirror Mirror: Love & Hate have received nominations. Images: @Channel7 / Twitter

“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

00-No: US traveller puts border security to the test with a golden gun

A 28-year-old traveller from the United States has been arrested after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered a firearm in her luggage. According to a report on the ABF website, the weapon - a 24-carat gold-plated handgun - was unregistered, and the passenger was not in possession of “a permit to import or possess the firearm in Australia.” If convicted, she will face up to 10 years of imprisonment. And while she was arrested and charged, she was released on bail at Downing Centre Local Court, and is expected to face court again in a month’s time. She remains subject to visa cancellation, and faces the likelihood of being removed from Australia. As ABF Enforcement and Detained Goods East Commander Justin Bathurst explained, the discovery was made with a combination of ABC officer skills and detection technology, one that served to prevent a dangerous weapon from entering the Australian community. “Time and time again, we have seen just how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal, and highly dangerous, goods from crossing Australia's border," he said. “The ABF is Australia's first and most important line of defence. ABF officers are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items like unregistered firearms getting through at the border." Photos distributed by the ABF present the image of the gun in its case, as well as a scan of the passenger’s luggage, with the gun clearly visible among the rest of her possessions. While travellers on domestic flights within the United States are able to carry firearms in their checked luggage - granted they are unloaded and securely locked away, and the proper authorities have been informed - Australia has much stricter laws surrounding firearms. In the wake of a 1996 Tasmanian tragedy, in which 35 people lost their lives to a gunman, all automatic and semi-automatic weapons were outlawed in the country. Meanwhile, in the United States, a frightening sum of 6,301 were confiscated at checkpoints as of December 2022, according to the Transportation Security Administration. For many, the news was broken on social media, with comments sections reflecting the shock - and disapproval - of the masses, with the occasional 007 reference thrown in. “Smuggling firearms into Australia is a serious offence,” wrote one on Twitter, “and should be met with the full force of the law as it endangers citizen safety.” “That’s a fantastic bit of security work by our airport staff,” someone commended. Another had one very important question, asking “how did she get it out of the US to begin with...??? TSA should have caught that at the airport before she even left. Even if it was in a checked bag, it still had to be declared.” Images: Australian Border Force

Travel Trouble

5 golden rules for safe shore excursions

While safety is paramount on any holiday, there are a few key things you can do to stay safe when disembarking your cruise for a trip to shore. These are our top tips for staying safe on excursions. 1. Do your research As with all travel, safety can vary hugely between destinations when you’re cruising. On cruises around Australia, in the South Pacific or New Zealand you’ll feel as safe as you do at home and shouldn’t need to take any extra precautions. For other destinations, do some research online before you go, looking at sites like Smartraveller that list any official government warnings in place. You can also chat to your cruise director or some of the shore excursion team to see if there are any specific details you should be aware of. 2. Minimise your risk Generally, the best advice is to try to blend in and avoid looking like an obvious tourist. Don’t wear lots of jewellery or carry an expensive camera around your neck. Always keep your belongings with you and be particularly careful in crowded places like markets. Try to travel in groups rather than on your own and keep alcohol intake to a minimum – a drunk target is an easy target. 3. Only take the essentials If the worst should happen and you are robbed, you don’t want to be carrying all of your money and every credit card. Only take what you need and leave the rest in your cabin safe. You shouldn’t need your passport to reboard the ship, so never take it ashore with you. Mobile phones are one of the most commonly stolen items from tourists, so unless you desperately need it this is another one to stick in the safe. 4. Join an organised tour If you’re nervous about exploring a port on your own, then book a shore excursion through the cruise line. That way you’ll be travelling with a group of other passengers and at least one guide, most likely a local. Cruise lines only work with reputable companies so you can feel confident that you won’t be ripped off or left in danger. 5. Check the safety gear Many cruise ports offer exciting excursions like hiking, ATV tours, diving or zip lining. Unfortunately, not everywhere is as strict with their safety standards as Australia and you may arrive at your excursion to find out of date equipment, no protective gear or a route that makes you feel uncomfortable. Use common sense – if you don’t feel safe, don’t do it. You also need to be aware of your own physical limits. Don’t push yourself too hard, especially in the heat, or you could quickly find yourself in the local hospital. Image credits: Getty Images

Cruising

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

All the best moments from the star-studded Golden Globes

The 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards took place on Wednesday, with the who's-who of Hollywood coming out in droves to celebrate their TV and movie achievements of the last year. From iconic fashion, historic wins, powerful speeches and Jennifer Coolidge stealing the show, the award show had some incredible moments. Fashion On the red carpet, there were several contenders for best dressed. Australia's own Margot Robbie shone in a light pink Chanel gown, complete with a halter top and fringed hemline. Jessica Chastain, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Coolidge and Michelle Yeoh all opted for sequins, while Heidi Klum made a daring statement in feather. Red carpet icon Billy Porter wore a velvet pink tuxedo, that trailed behind him in a gown-line train that had everyone talking. Jamie Lee-Curtis and Aussie actress Milly Alcock went for black gothic looks, while Michelle Williams went for an all white gown. On stage highlights Australian House of the Dragon actress Milly Alcock went viral for appearing seemingly tipsy while on stage with her co-stars to accept the award for Best Television series. Throughout director Miguel Sapochnik's speech, Alcock held onto her co-star Emma D’Arcy and giggled, while pointing at people in the audience. Fans took to Twitter to break down the star's antics, with one person saying “Milly Alcock wasted at the Golden Globes is top tier.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Milly Alcock wasted at the golden globes is top tier <a href="https://t.co/vE2YJt1fKy">pic.twitter.com/vE2YJt1fKy</a> — quincy (@qlou112) <a href="https://twitter.com/qlou112/status/1613025501701967873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote> The night began with host Jerrod Carmichael calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)'s lack of diversity, saying, "I'm only here because I'm Black." He said, "I'll catch everyone in the room up. This show, the Golden Globe Awards, did not air last year, because the HFPA – I won't say they were a racist organisation, but they didn't have a single Black member until George Floyd died." His honesty resulted in his name trending on Twitter after his monologue as fans praised him. Jerrod Carmichael also took an opportunity to roast Tom Cruise while hosting, as he took to the stage with three awards that Cruise returned in 2021 amid the HFPA controversy. Carmichael said, "Backstage, I found these three Golden Globe awards that Tom Cruise returned..." he said. "I think maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige." Shelly is the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige, who is reportedly a close friend of Cruise. She was last seen in public in 2007, and there has long been speculation about her wellbeing and whereabouts. Winners The Banshees of Inisherin was the most nominated film of the night, taking home the award for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. The final award of the night — Best Motion Picture Drama — went to Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans. For the TV awards, House of the Dragon, Abbott Elementary and The White Lotus all came out on top. Jennifer Coolidge won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work on The White Lotus, with her emotional and chaotic speech quickly going viral. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Jennifer Coolidge delivers an epic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldenGlobes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldenGlobes</a> acceptance speech that makes <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheWhiteLotus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheWhiteLotus</a> creator Mike White cry. <a href="https://t.co/m069JEKekW">https://t.co/m069JEKekW</a> <a href="https://t.co/WBWx9H6BCj">pic.twitter.com/WBWx9H6BCj</a> — Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1613016340650151942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote> She thanked the show's creator Mike White for "killing me off" at the end of the second season, a major spoiler for any viewer who hasn't yet finished the series. Coolidge spoke of how the iconic role has brought her back into the public zeitgeist, after saying her 1990s career has "fizzled". "Mike White, you have given me hope. You've given me a new beginning. Even if this is the end, you changed my life in a million different ways. My neighbours [are] speaking to me and things like that. I was never invited to one party and now everyone's inviting me." Australian icon Cate Blanchett won a Golden Globe for her performance in the psychological drama Tár, while Michelle Yeoh took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

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

“Such intimacy is rare in everyday life”: The benefits of playing music can’t be understated

Whether you’re driving in the car, riding in a lift, or attending a concert, music is everywhere. For many, our involvement in creating music stopped outside of high school music classes and attempts to learn the recorder, keyboard, guitar, or to sing. Or it might have included playing in the school band, taking music lessons as a child, or maybe even continuing to play at university. But playing music is something that often falls to the wayside as we get older, with the demands of work, home and family taking priority. Given that playing music has benefits for our mental health, including easing anxiety and depression, feelings of satisfaction with life and health, and even reduced alexithymia - a dysfunction affecting emotional awareness, social attachment and how we relate to others - it’s an activity that many of us can reap benefits from. For Stephen O’Doherty, the conductor and musical director of Golden Kangaroos Concert Band, music has been an outlet for expressing himself creatively and maintaining his wellbeing - and he has seen similar effects in many of the players he works and plays with. “Having outlets to express myself creatively through musical performance has been absolutely essential in maintaining my wellbeing and having a stable quality of life,” he tells OverSixty. “The (Golden Kangaroos) have many members who have joined later in life. For some it is a chance to take up the same opportunity they gave their children, encouraging them to learn music at school and wishing they could have done the same. “For others it is the idea that playing music will help them to keep their brains active as they enter later life. For others, or perhaps for all of the above, joining a community band is a way of finding their tribe, their people, a safe place where people of a like mind can learn, grow, and contribute together. “Knowing the many life stories of our members, I can say with absolute alacrity that band contributes to their identity and self-fulfilment in ways that may never be explicitly known but are formative and extremely significant.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks0.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> With the benefits of playing music established, taking music into a community environment brings with it additional benefits to our wellbeing. In a study <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1163211.pdf">published</a> in the London Review of Education, Dr Debra Rodgers, whose PhD focused on community music and mental health-related stigma, argued that community music can be beneficial in helping both to distract participants from their personal worries and as a place where they can interact without fear or judgement. O’Doherty agrees, adding that playing in a group is a way for many to truly be themselves. “We know that learning music has beneficial effects intellectually and emotionally. Learning or performing with others adds a social dimension that, I think, is critically important,” he says. “At its best, playing in a well-run musical group helps us to express our emotions in a safe and structured way, and that is good for the soul. We are part of something bigger than ourselves and, when we play for an audience, we are (hopefully) gifting them a great experience. Enriching others also enriches us. “For many, band is the place where they are most fulfilled. Where their contribution matters. Where they will be missed if absent. Where they are safe when expressing their creativity. “To play music alone is good. It is personally satisfying and should not be underrated. But to play with others and achieve a pleasing outcome for an audience is a whole new level. It both fosters and requires a level of interpersonal communication between performers that is beyond words. “Such intimacy is rare in everyday life. It enriches the human experience in a unique and very special way.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/gks2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> For O’Doherty, playing music has had added benefits when it comes to his own mental health, including managing the symptoms of depression. “Depression is a serious and debilitating condition which, untreated, will attack our self-worth and seriously affect our quality of life. I have lived with this condition for my entire life,” he explains. “... if I can’t perform music I am not being fully me. I am somehow less than whole. Music is a way I find wholeness, an acceptance of who I am and of what I can contribute to the world around me. “When a black mood sets in and starts attacking my self-worth, playing music is one of the few things that can restore me, and I find joy and purpose in seeing the beneficial impact on the members of our group.” As for those who may have played music in the past or have always wanted to learn, O’Doherty suggests finding a safe place to give it a go. “Many people go through the stage of leaving their earlier musical learning behind. After school or Uni life gets busy!” he says. “I want to encourage people however to think about this: when you were the best version of yourself, was performing music part of the equation? If the answer is yes (or even maybe) then do you not owe it to yourself and your loved ones to return? And if you’ve not yet tried to learn an instrument but have a yearning desire to express your creative instincts in this way, what do you have to lose? “Find a safe place to explore your interest and give it a go! Creative expression is part of what it is to be truly human. Perhaps music is your pathway to a more fulsome life.” Images: Stuart Coster (Supplied)

Mind

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

Roof roof! Huckleberry welcomes new addition to his family

A golden retriever pup named Huckleberry, who was photographed frequently sitting on the roof of his family home in Austin, Texas has quite the following on Instagram after rising to fame five years ago. Huckleberry's owners, Allie Burnitt and Justin Lindenmuth, became so used to public concern for their dog they installed a framed sign outside their home. "Don't be alarmed," the sign read. "Huckleberry is living up to his name and learned how to jump onto our roof from the backyard." “We appreciate your concern but please do not knock on our door… we know he’s up there. But please feel free to take pictures of him and share with the world." The family then offered the hashtag hucktheroofdog. Next, they had an Instagram account for him with over 3,000 follwers. Allie told a news outlet in the US that Huckleberry gains access to the family home through an almost one-metre-wide clearance between a hill and the family's backyard. "We wondered when he would figure it out. It took him about six months to figure out the roof was an extension of his backyard. He now goes up every single time we let him outside," she told the media outlet in 2017. Fast forward five years and Huckleberry is still enjoying time on the roof as well as close to 40,000 Instagram followers. Huckleberry's family have welcomed a new addition, Bluebell the Golden Retriever puppy earlier this year in April. <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ce2ephVD-4C/?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/Ce2ephVD-4C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Huckleberry (@hucktheroofdog)</a> </div> </blockquote> A video posted to Huckleberry's social media account shows Bluebell's excited arrival with the family as well as a sneaky photo of her on the family's roof. Images: Reddit / Instagram

Family & Pets

Big news for Golden Girl Sally Pearson

Sally Pearson OAM has announced she is pregnant with her second child. The 35-year-old Olympic athlete revealed their new addition to their family will arrive in August, joining Sally and her husband Kieran, along with their daughter Ruby. Along with the news of her family expanding, Sally is taking on a new role at the <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/qld/sally-pearson-joins-7news-gold-coast-as-sport-presenter-while-expecting-second-child-c-5768287" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a> Gold Coast desk to present sport alongside Amanda Abate and Steve Titmus. “I have loved my time working with Amanda, Steve and the 7News Gold Coast team in various guest roles and I am excited to make this role a permanent one,” Sally said. “As a proud Gold Coast local, I look forward to delivering the best local sporting news to our viewers." “What better way to kick things off than with some headline-making news of my own! Kieran and I are absolutely thrilled to be bringing another little one into the world, as is Ruby, who is already taking the ‘big sister’ role very seriously.” Sally gave birth to Ruby in 2020, after an incredible 16-year sporting career that saw her win a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Undoubtedly one of Australia’s greatest Olympians and the fourth fastest hurdler in history, Sally was later awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her contribution to sport. In the wake of her big news, Director 7News Brisbane and Gold Coast, Neil Warren, said, “Firstly, a big congratulations to Sally on her baby announcement. What wonderful news. Sally will be a great addition to our strong Gold Coast team, joining Amanda Abate, Steve Titmus and Paul Burt on the local news at 5.30pm." “I’ve got great confidence in Sally, who displayed unbreakable drive and determination as an Olympian, and she’s already showing those same characteristics with us.” Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

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

Australia's new golden couple?

After being spotted looking cosy, Olympic superstars Emma McKeon and Kyle Chalmers are rumoured to be dating. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/emma-mckeon-and-kyle-chalmers-australian-swimmings-new-golden-couple/news-story/b034ca1f084444dfd71b087a0e064a60" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a> reported that the swimming pair were seen looking smitten with each other while attending an induction session after the Olympic swimming trials in June. Both Emma and Kyle were seen in Naples last week as part of the International Swimming League where both are on the London Roar team, with Luke as the co-captain. The pair are two of the most influential names in Australian sport, with both Emma and Kyle coming out on top at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Following her incredible show in the pool at Tokyo, Emma became <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/emma-mckeon-shines-on-australia-s-best-ever-day-in-olympic-history-very-very-special" target="_blank">Australia's most decorated Olympian</a> ever, with her seven medals bringing up her career total to 11 Olympic awards. The 27-year-old blitzed her competition, winning gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m free, 4x100 women’s medley and freestyle relays, and bronze in the 100m butterfly, 4x100m mixed medley relay and 4x200m freestyle relay. Kyle went on to win a silver medal in the 100m freestyle, when he was unable to defend his 2016 gold position in the race by a small margin. He also won bronze in the men’s 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle races, including breaking the individual 100m world record Following their hotel quarantine, Emma and Kyle headed to Europe which churned the rumour mill, as they giggled and flirted their way through a London Roar podcast last week, speaking of plans to remain in Europe for the remainder of the season. The romance reportedly began after Kyle split with fellow Aussie swim star Madison Wilson, who was McKeon’s relay partner at the Olympics, having dated since 2015. Image credits: Getty Images

Relationships

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Longing for the ‘golden age’ of air travel? Be careful what you wish for

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