SPECIAL GUEST: Tim Minchin

Comedian, actor, writer, musician and director

Matilda the Musical is at the Civic now!

Matilda The Musical is the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by the beloved book by incomparable Roald Dahl.

With the book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/Matilda-the-Musical-tickets/artist/1601714

 

 

JACK’S BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

Life Is So Good by George Dawson

One man’s extraordinary journey through the twentieth century and how he learned to read at age 98
 

 

 

FRANCESCA RUDKIN: Movies

Lucky Logan starring Daniel Craig, Katherine Waterston, Riley Keough, Channing Tatum, and Adam Driver

Directed by Steven Soderbergh ('Traffic', 'The Informant!', 'Ocean's Thirteen')

Francesca’s verdict: 3.5 out of 5

And the delightful The Trip to Spain with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon

Francesca’s verdict: 3.5 out of 5

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11903780

 

NICI WICKES: Food

This week Nici talks lamb and the best way to roast it.  The audio and tips are on our page. For more inspiration visit  http://www.niciwickes.com/  or her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/niciwickes

 

TARA WARD: Screen Time

Netflix has released a new trailer for season 2 of The Crown which will be released in November.  You've got time to catch up if you haven't already with the first season on Netflix, highly recommended!

New to Netflix: Atypical, a show about an autistic teenager navigating his love life. Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Keir Gilchrist, Michael Rapaport

The Replacement - new three part British thriller Screens on TV One and TVNZ OnDemand from 8.30pm on Sunday 20 August.

Top of the Lake: China Girl, which will air on Sky TV's UKTV from August 22.

The second series will see Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) reprise her Golden Globe winning role as Detective Robin Griffin. She will be joined by Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

 

 

RUUD KLEINPASTE: Gardening

Asparagus!

The arrival of the asparagus season is eagerly awaited each year. The fresh, sweet new shoots seem to appear overnight from the bare soil. Asparagus crowns can be planted from July to December in warmer parts of the country and from August/September to December in cooler parts of the country.

A native of Europe, Asia, and North Africa, asparagus will produce tall, ferny-looking stems that can reach heights of more than 2m if left to its own devices. Patience is the main resource required when starting an asparagus patch, as it can take a few years for a crop to begin producing enough to feed the family. It's not a vegetable for the small garden either - it's a perennial that comes back every year, and it needs space to do so.

Choose a variety; they’re in shops now:

Jersey Giant: produces large spears; the flavour is sweet when the tips are small.

Mary Washington: a popular early-season asparagus, widely grown throughout the country.

Sweet Purple: a neat-looking dark red or purple variety with a sweet taste when young. Generally only available as seed from catalogues.

Prepare

Like building a house a good foundation is the key to success in your garden. The better the soil, the better your plants will grow. Cultivate the soil to a spade depth (approximately 30cm) and add heaps of organic matter like compost or sheep’s poo and dags, ground up. Leave to settle for a month or so prior to planting.

Plant when it’s not too warm in the day (morning or evening or cloudy, dull day)

Mature crowns are available as dormant plants over winter, they are a much quicker option than growing asparagus from seed.

Choose a position in full sun. If planting quite a few crowns dig trenches in the soil to plant in. Plant crowns with their roots facing down 15cm deep and 30cm apart. Rows should be spaced at least 50cm apart. Cover with soil.

Shoots will appear as the soil warms in spring. Keep the soil moist but not wet as asparagus crowns will rot in waterlogged conditions.

Sow the seed

Growing asparagus from seed is a slow yet rewarding process - it takes about three years from sowing to harvest. Sow seed in autumn in a seed raising tray. Seedlings should appear within a month. Allow the seedlings to develop for at least one growing season before planting them out in rows the following season. Transplant the seedlings crowns when they are a year old.

Once established asparagus seems to be happy in a sunny, free draining, moist warm soil. In the winter it dies down to the crown and hides underground until the soil warms up again in spring. The cold winters stimulate new season's growth.

Harvest

Harvest asparagus grown from crowns after two seasons. If you have grown asparagus from seed don't harvest any spears until the third season as the plants need to mature and establish their root systems.

Cut aspargus off at ground level with a sharp knife. Don't be tempted to rip it out of the ground as you will more than likely pull out the whole crown. Eat as soon as possible - the fresher the better - although asparagus will store in the fridge for several days.

 

MIKE YARDLEY: Travel

Bites & Sights in Bali ...for more tips on some of Bali's best bites, Mike's article is on the website www.newstalkzb.co.nz/lifestyle

 

CATHERINE RAYNES: Books

Exile by James Swallow, Allen and Unwin $33

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce, Penguin $37

 

ANDREW DICKENS: Music

Paul Kelly 'Life is Fine' - Andrew's verdict: 8 out of 10.

Sturdy pop rock tunes with a real bite and energy and some trademark clever and lovely lyrics this is Paul Kelly as we loved him in the 90s.  There’s no doubting where this comes from with many references to distinctly Southern Hemisphere concepts.  Good stuff and proof that for Paul Kelly Life is Fine, indeed.