Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Leafcurl on stone fruit: peaches, Nectarines, plums, peachcotts, peacherines, apricots, etc always a sad sight on the leaves – it manifests itself in Spring and Summer – after flowering. The leaves become distorted and discoloured (pretty yellow and orange coloration); when infestations are serious the number of leaves that drop off can be substantial, causing a reduction in photosynthesis and hence the ability of the tree to “feed itself”. In spring the answer to “cure?” it will always be: “You’re too late!”… Right now, in late summer/Autumn you are still ahead of the 2024 infection game. Taphrina deformans is the fungus that causes this leafcurl. Note how “deformans” is quite aptly chosen as a name, as it deforms the shape of the leaves quite obviously. The disease becomes active at bud-break: when the leaves and flowers come out of the buds in spring. The spores of Taphrina deformans are already settled on those buds, making infection quite easy. Those buds are initiated by the trees in autumn, which is just a few weeks away. What to do? First of all prune your stonefruit right now – after the last peaches, nectarines etc etc have been harvested, pruning can be done. Doing it this early has another advantage: you avoid bacterial diseases in the cooler months (late autumn/winter is a dodgy period for bacterial infections!) Pruning now also reduces the amount of tree to spray in April. Around mid April, when the leaves are falling off the deciduous stone fruit trees, the new buds for the next season are formed. Taphrina deformans will then be invading those new buds and overwinter on those buds to infect the trees again in spring. First thing to do is to remove all fallen leaves from under the trees. That reduces infection chances. Next thing is to apply a double dose of copper spray (copper oxychloride, liquid copper, or copper-sulphur mixtures, available form garden centres) on the remaining leaves and on the branches/twigs/buds of the tree. Don’t worry about “burning the rest of the leaves off: they were going to fall anyway. Use a “sticker” if you can, to increase coverage and stickability Do this again a few weeks later and ensure good coverage of all parts of the tree. This autumn spray exercise is the most important preventative thing you can do to avoid Leaf curl. If you still get some infected leaves in spring there is no point in spraying with copper fungicides as that will burn those leaves quite badly. Best thing to do is to remove and get rid of infected leaves as much as you can – especially fallen leaves. “Getting rid of them” does not mean COMPOSTING them!! Fertilising the tree in spring allows it to make new leaves and get some resistance to the infection, especially when you use Seaweed Tea and such marine-originated liquid fertilisers. During the period when fruits grow and expand, check for fallen leaves that show signs of leafcurl, and get rid of them. REMEMBER “Getting rid of them” does not mean COMPOSTING them!! Autumn is the time to start controlling leafcurl on stonefruit for the next fruiting season: Some people use Lime sulphur; that’s OK too as a winter clean-up; seeing the trees are getting to dormancy this Lime Sulphur won’t harm the leaves either; but I think that lime may not be a great material for apricots as it has the ability to raise the pH levels. A last smack of Copper spray before budburst should “mop up” the last surviving spores before the flowering and fruiting season begins again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why I chose it: - Difficult vintage (Cyclone Gabrielle) - Be guided by vintage ratings but be aware that there are many exceptions - Sorting machine takes a photo of every grape and rejects sub-standard fruit. What does it taste like? A rich and flavoursome chardonnay that will be appreciated by fans of the “big and buttery” style. Slightly toffee-ish, mouth-filling wine with enough richness and flavour to handle a mild butter chicken curry. Why it’s a bargain: I’d buy it if it was $40 Where can you buy it? Wine Collective Direct $33.31. Paritua Winery, Hawke’s Bay $25 Food match? Roast chicken, most seafood Will it keep? Drink up See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" would ban TikTok in the US, unless it is sold to a non-Chinese owner. It passed the House 352-to-65. The Senate Leader hasn't decided when the bill will make it to the floor for a vote. There are concerns over free speech restrictions and presidential overreach. The driving factor according to the White House: Chinese ownership of ByteDance poses grave national security risks to the United States, including the ability to meddle in elections. It's particularly concerned that the Chinese government could meddle in the algorithm that serves up content. Financial Analysts are concerned it could prompt China to retaliate against American's firms' business activities in China. Disney has a theme park, Tesla gets almost of a quarter of its revenue from China, about half of Amazon's third-party partners are from China. But remember, Platforms like Facebook and YouTube are blocked in China. TikTok is not going down without a fight. It has called on its 170 million US users to phone and write to their representatives. In 2020 the company created a deal with Oracle to separate US user data from the rest of the world, and host that in the US. Arguing this is a breach of the first amendment is likely to be the company takes its lobbying. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apples Never Fall - (TVNZ+) In Apples Never Fall, recent retiree Joy, played by Annette Bening, suddenly disappears. Police are quick to suspect her husband, Stan, a former tennis coach played by Sam Neill, and the mystery forces the couple's four adult children to reevaluate their parents' seemingly perfect marriage. Girls5Eva - (Netflix) A '90s girl group with just one hit record gets a second chance at success when a young rapper decides to sample their song. The Gentlemen - (Netflix) When cannabis mogul Mickey Pearson plans to sell his profitable marijuana empire following his retirement, it stimulates an array of wrongdoings in the name of greed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eight events deep into the fourth season, Team New Zealand is vying for the top spot in SailGP. This month the race is returning once more to Lyttleton Harbour in Christchurch, giving the kiwis the home-water advantage. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have been on the team since New Zealand sailed onto the scene in season two, and the growth they’ve witnessed in the scene is impressive. “It’s great for our sport to have a league that’s there,” Tuke told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame. “To see then the growth of the whole SailGP brand, of the teams individually, viewership numbers all around the world... it’s pretty impressive.” Last year was the first year that a leg of the competition was hosted in New Zealand and the support the team received from local fans was amazing, Burling said. “Seeing how many people down in, in Lyttleton and Christchurch, you know, got behind us, and it sold out in minutes I think.” “It was crazy.” Burling and Tuke have been sailing together since 2008 and in those sixteen years they’ve experienced the growth and development not only of SailGP, but of sailing as a whole. “The intensities just keep going up,” Burling said. Since every team has the same type of boat, winning comes down to the way they use it and the skill of the sailors. Mistakes are costly and events are becoming tighter, with a lot coming down to the fifth race. “Everyone’s starting to push the margins harder and harder." The competition’s timeframe has also aided in its growth, occurring yearly as opposed to every three or four years like the America’s Cup or the Olympics. “The unique thing with the, the GP format is we get such limited time training,” Burling said. “We’re having to develop the whole time during these events.” While this is great for strengthening the abilities of the racers, it makes it somewhat tricky for newcomers as they don’t have the same level of experience. “Getting to grips with everything is the bit that takes time.” Burling and Tuke are co-CEOs of the team, which means they not only have to focus on growing their skills on the water, but also growing the business. “It’s like any, any start-up business where yeah, it’s not necessarily about those mistakes but how you learn from then, and then grow going forward,” Tuke told Tame. Their partnership extends even further than SailGP and Team NZ, the pair establishing the Live Ocean Foundation together out of their deep concern for the health of the ocean and the life within it. The charity is partnered with Team NZ, the pair seeing the platform that SailGP could be for connecting new audiences to what’s happening just below the surface. It’s a busy year in sailing, with SailGP, the Olympics, and the America’s Cup all taking place, America’s Cup occurring not long after SailGP finishes. “We’re incredibly lucky as a sailing team,” Burling said. “We get to, you know, practice our trade at the really high level in two sporting competitions, essentially.” The America’s Cup is kicking off in August, which means it’s too early to have an idea of how it’ll shake out just yet. Boat launches in April will give the first insight, Burling told Tame, but even then, you can’t be sure how they’ll develop over the coming months. “Keep pushing as hard as you can and hope you’re faster than them and racing better at the end.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This dish magically transforms pumpkin from side dish to star performer and I can’t get enough of it. Serves 2-4 Ingredients 750g crown pumpkin (can use butternut), cut into wedges, skin on 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon sea salt 4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds Handful parsley, chopped Sunflower cream ½ cup sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoons tahini ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon sea salt Method Heat oven to 180 C. Line a tray with baking paper. Mix oil, pomegranate molasses and paprika and rub/brush this all over the pumpkin. Lay out on prepared tray, sprinkle with salt and roast for 45 minutes or until pumpkin is soft and cooked through. You can cook the pumpkin for longer and it will only intensify the flavour. Toss in the pumpkin seeds in the final 5-10 minutes and they will toast and puff up. To make the sunflower cream, cover sunflower seeds with warm water and soak for at least 1 hour. Drain. Blitz drained seeds with remaining ingredients in a blender until it is smooth and creamy. Add water if needed to get a creamy consistency. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice and/or salt to taste. Serve warm pumpkin drizzled with sunflower cream and scattered with parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds. Nici’s note: Use kumara or cauliflower in place of pumpkin if you like. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goodbye Julia Winner of the Freedom Award at Cannes Film Festival, this Sudanese film sees a married former singer from the north seek redemption for causing the death of a southern man by hiring his oblivious wife as her maid. Ricky Stanicky Twenty years after creating the imaginary Ricky Stanicky, three childhood friends still use the non-existent pal as a handy alibi for their immature behaviour. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet him, the guilty trio decides to hire washed-up actor Rod to bring him to life. However, when Rod takes his role of a lifetime a little too far, they begin to wish they never invented Ricky in the first place. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it a miracle to find that one life partner? Or do we underestimate how many people we could have a successful marriage with? Kevin Milne ponders whether getting to know someone in a non-romantic setting is the secret to a long-lasting relationship. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sister to her previous album, Norah Jones has released her 9th studio album ‘Visions’. The album consists of a vibrant and joyful twelve tracks, celebrating the rollercoaster of life, feeling free, and wanting to dance. It's a stark contrast to her previous album, 'Pick Me Up Off The Floor', released early in the lockdown of 2020, foreshadowing many of the dark emotions that period invoked. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Women by Kristin Hannah An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. End of Story by A. J. Finn “I’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.” So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story . . . living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life “detective fever.” “You and I might even solve an old mystery or two.” Twenty years earlier—on New Year’s Eve 1999—Sebastian’s first wife and teenaged son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past? “Life is hard. After all, it kills you.” As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian’s life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth . . . while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family’s koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn’t gone—it’s just waiting. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Career progression seems to be on the back burner for many kiwis. Randstand’s latest Workmonitor report found that employees are prioritising flexibility and mental health over career progression. Over 27,000 people were surveyed, a thousand of whom were kiwis. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to talk about this new data and offer some tips for businesses who want to proactively address these new priorities. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Situated on the largest island in the archipelago, Grand Terre, New Caledonia’s bustling capital proudly flaunts its oh là là influence as a French overseas territory, where European chic mingles with laid-back Melanesian charm, set amid coconut palms in the swagger of a sea breeze. If you want a tropical island getaway with a little Parisian panache and the best baguettes in the South Pacific, you’ve come to the right place." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I remember Jack telling me he’d harvested his tomatoes in February and was pleased with the crop. I reckon that —especially in the North— tomatoes can go on and on and on; here in Canterbury they grow well into autumn (April, May) until the frosts start to play havoc. In my tunnel house I carry on harvesting them till June, sometimes July! This is what they look like in February/March: The green tomatoes are still on the plant. These will easily ripen as long as you water and fertilise the plants with a fruit-fertiliser (sufficient Potash – K). Keep trimming the laterals and keep tying up the vines to the stakes. Each week I do a thorough harvest of all the tomatoes that are ripe or almost ripe. Pink Berkely Tie-Dye is quite lovely coloured and firm, great for fried tomatoes with eggs. My biggest crop is F100 (sweet cherry tomatoes) that come in red and Brown-ish hues; The original F 100 is really long-lasting on the plant and keeps going the longest. It’s my standard variety that is best represented in the tunnel house. It’s also the basic tomato for roasted tomato sauce, creating the Bolognese for decent Italian meals Another good general processing tomato is “Tigerella”, this one goes on till May at least – sometimes well into June. Roasting them is a piece of cake; olive-oil over the top, plus some onions, paprika and later, basil. Not too high in temperature (150 is usually enough), blitz them when done, if you like, and freeze them in ziplock bags and you’ll have tomato sauce for the year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With everyone talking about mortgages and interest rates, it's easy to forget that property is just one part of your overall wealth plan and strategy. Hannah McQueen joined Jack Tame for a chat about the considerations people should have towards long-term wealth creation and what homeowners should be preparing for once the housing market has settled again. And, if you're not interested in property, how to choose your investment strategy while the markets are down. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xtra says there are 260,000 email accounts which will need to start paying. From May 16th, 2024 Xtra Mail will be $9.95 a month, or $5.95 a month if you're a Spark customer with broadband, a monthly mobile plan or a landline (That works out to be $71.40 per mailbox per year, almost $18 million a year for all those customers). So where to from here? What are your options? If you choose to go somewhere else, Xtra says it has a free email forwarding service. Free services are available from Gmail or Hotmail/Outlook, you may get ads or your data may be used for targeting ads. Microsoft Outlook has the option to go "premium", which is an ad-free experience for $3 a month, or you can bundle it with a Microsoft 365 subscription for $129 a year, or $179 for a family plan. A .nz domain name is going to be about ~$20 a year, then you need to pay for a mail service on top of that. Fastmail is an option for US$2.50 a month, there are also offerings from Proton Mail (Swiss based), Hey (US based) or Zoho (India based). Google Workspace is US$6 per user per month, and Microsoft 365 is NZ$9.70 a month. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Curb Your Enthusiasm The final season of the long-running show sees Larry David star as an over-the-top version of himself in this semi-improvised comedy series that shows how seemingly trivial details of day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events. (Neon) James Must-A-Pic His Mum a Man Imagine being tasked with finding your mum the love of her life in front of the nation. That’s exactly what comedian James Mustapic sets out to do in his new show James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man. Alongside his mum, Janet, the 2023 Celebrity Treasure Island winner will vet potential candidates in the reality/comedy series, ensuring hilarity ensues along the way. (TVNZ+) The Regime The Regime is an American political satire television miniseries from HBO starring Kate Winslet, depicting a year within the palace of a crumbling authoritarian regime. (Neon) LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Named by IndieWire as one of the best actors to have never received an Academy Award nomination, Guy Pearce has had quite the prolific career. The Aussie actor has stared in over 400 episodes of Neighbours, L.A. Confidential, Memento, and The Time Machine, but his breakout role was in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert back in 1994. He’s returning to kiwi cinemas in a week’s time with The Convert, the third collaboration between director Lee Tamahori and producer Robin Scholes. The film is a historical drama, depicting pre-colonial Aotearoa New Zealand and Māori Culture. A lay preacher arrives at a British settlement in 1830s New Zealand, his violent past is drawn in to question and his faith is put to the test as he finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody conflict between Māori tribes. Pearce plays preacher Thomas Munro, telling Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that he found the script very raw, moving, and fascinating. “It was just very emotional, and I could really see myself as that character.” The film is set in a New Zealand context, but the content translates to an international audience, Pearce telling Tame that no matter what the narrative is the idea of a white colonial man taking over or delving into indigenous culture is something that people in many countries can relate to. The Convert is more than a two-dimensional depiction of colonialism, director Lee Tamahori aiming to take that narrative and make more of a human story, centring connection and compassion regardless of culture, history, and background. For Pearce, the crux of the story was his character’s development. “We’re finding a character who’s been traumatised and is looking to find himself and in, in discovering this other culture, he is, he is allowed to then find himself and he therefore owes this other culture.” “His life was the crux of the story in a way,” he told Tame. “Certainly for me, selfishly, it was the crux of the story.” This project wasn’t the first time Pearce met Tamahori, but it was the first project they’d worked on together, and Pearce said it was beyond his expectations. “To witness that wonderful, brilliant intelligence, inspirational kind of outlook that he has, to witness that on a daily level and to be a part of it, and to, you know, he’s so joyful.” “He’s got such a beautiful kind of energy, and an inspiring quality that you just want to be around him.” Pearce has had an extensive career, and his success means that he can now be discerning in the projects he chooses to be involved in. “I just do the things that move me, you know. I’ve always done that.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How To Have Sex Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives. 20 Days in Mariupol As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities. Quick mention The Oscar’s are on March 11th - we can watch them on Disney+ in NZ. Red carpet 11.30am and ceremony 2pm. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Late season peach or nectarine crumble is just the best! Make these individual fruit crumbles, they’re fabulous! Serves 2 Ingredients 2 large peaches or nectarines, halved, stones removed 1-2 tablespoons golden syrup or maple syrup ¼ cup rolled oats 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon plain flour 2 tablespoons butter Small handful of nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts – chopped Yoghurt, cream and/or ice cream. Method Heat oven to 180 C and grease a small ovenproof dish. Place fruit in dish, cut side up. Generously brush the fruit with golden syrup or maple syrup. Mix together dry ingredients and rub in the butter. Add the nuts. Fill the holes of the fruit with crumble. Scatter over any leftover crumble. Drizzle in a little water – just enough to cover the bottom of the dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until fruit is lovely and soft and the crumble is golden. Serve with yoghurt, whipped cream and/or ice cream. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TNVZ announced a raft of cuts yesterday, with nearly 70 members of staff facing the axe and Sunday, Fair Go, Tonight, and Midday all on the chopping block. Kevin Milne was Fair Go's longest serving host, and finds the loss of the show to be a great shame not only personally, but for regular kiwis who will no longer have that weapon available to them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was an awful day in my household and office yesterday, as TVNZ joined its free-to-air mates at Warner Brothers Discovery in announcing massive cuts to news gathering operations. My wife Mava is a reporter on Sunday, and for many, many years I’ve worked with the teams on Sunday, Fair Go, Tonight, and Midday. They are my colleagues and friends. As anyone in any industry who has gone through a restructure or been made redundant will know, it’s a personally devastating thing to experience. Perhaps I’m biased, but I do think the news business is a bit different to other businesses. I think it contributes to the strength of our democracy and the vibrancy of our society in ways that can’t be measured on a balance sheet. I think it celebrates and reflects us, and I think well-resourced journalism is our single most effective check on power. When it comes to the TV business, it’s clear the traditional economic models are no longer fit for purpose. In the digital age, traditional TV plays a less prominent role in our lives than it once did. Advertising dollars move from the telly to the likes of Google and Meta, instead. The gazillions they make in profits are mostly shipped offshore. Of course, people in my industry should have seen this coming. And for the most part they have. I’m not saying there aren’t things they couldn’t have done differently, innovations they could and should have made, but ultimately the force of those digital giants is irrepressible. Trying to save free-to-air commercial TV, with quality news, current affairs, and local programming, in a country with five million people... is like trying to bail out the Titanic with an empty ice cream container. I’m not aware of any comparable broadcast markets where they’ve managed to pull it off. TV and moving pictures still have a certain magic. Radio has intimacy. But TV is the only medium where you can both hear the crack in the politician’s voice and see the flash in their eyes when a hypocrisy is exposed. At moments of national or international significance... natural disasters, pandemics, we can get information from several sources, but for the collective experience, we still turn to telly. And there is an extra power that comes with TV currents affairs. Think about the kinds of stories that have been exposed in New Zealand. I remember as a kid in Christchurch, when the doctor Morgan Fahey was exposed by TV3’s 20/20 for sexually abusing his patients. I was eleven years old and I remember it. It was profound, devastating journalism... a story which has stuck in my head for more than 25 years. Consider Kristin Hall and Sunday’s extraordinary recent investigation into emergency housing in Rotorua. News reports about that issue popped up from time to time on various news websites, but it took moving pictures, careful storytelling, meticulously-produced, expensive current affairs, to drive home the full scale and significance of those abuses. It took the power of telly to affect change. If we value these things, one way or another we have to pay for it. From a purely economic perspective, if the commercial model is broken, the only other real viable option is a regulatory response. Of course I’m biased, but I’d argue the value of journalism should be measured in more than dollars and cents. Maybe you disagree. Maybe you think a number of newish, small, independent, digital outlets fills the gap left by the shows that are dying. I think I’d be more open to that argument if the overall number of journos in New Zealand wasn’t massively, steadily dropping. The traditional TV companies might be poor, but without something meaty in place of Newshub, Sunday and Fair Go, our society and our democracy are poorer too. And by the very nature of the work they do and the vital stories they tell, we will never know what we have lost. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iconic kiwi band L.A.B. has just dropped their latest album ‘VI’. It’s their sixth album in seven years, a total of nine tracks with cruisey summery vibes. They celebrated the album's release with a performance at Electric Avenue in Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lone Wolf by Greg Hurwitz Once a black book government assassin known as Orphan X, Evan Smoak left the program, went deep underground, and reinvented himself as someone who will go anywhere, and risk everything to help the truly desperate who have nowhere else to turn. Since then, Evan has fought international crime syndicates and drug cartels, faced down the most powerful men in the world and even brought down a President. Struggling with an unexpected personal crisis, Evan goes back to the very basics of his mission - and this time, the truly desperate is a little girl who wants him to find her missing dog. The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson From enchanting cliff tops and white sandy bays to the pretty cobbled streets of St Helier, Jersey is known as the land of milk and honey. But for best friends Bea Rose (the local postwoman) and Grace Le Motte (who works in the island's only library) it becomes the frontline to everyday resistance when their beloved island is occupied by German forces in 1940. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shōgun Set in Japan in the year 1600, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village (Disney+). Constellation When a fatal accident occurs on board the International Space Station, a lone astronaut makes the heroic journey back to Earth, only to discover key pieces of her life —including her young daughter— have changed (Apple TV+). The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Dick Turpin is a legendary British motorway robber, whose success is defined mostly by his charm, showmanship and great hair. Together with his gang of rogues, he sets out on new adventures, all while trying to escape the clutches of a thief-taker (Apple TV+). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dune: Part Two Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. The Great Escaper In the summer of 2014, a World War II veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Remote and wind-blasted Farewell Spit is a sweeping 30km-long sliver of sand that arcs east, buffering Golden Bay from the Tasman Sea. If you’ve never done it before, revel in this singular environment, by hopping onboard a Farewell Spit Eco Tour, for a 6 hour journey of discovery." Read Mike's full article here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Load shifting is one of the best things we can do to ensure we are using renewable energy sources instead of non-renewables. But what is load shifting? Load shifting is simply moving power use to different times of the day. Turning large appliances on at off peak times, setting timers, charging EVs overnight etc. Kate Hall joined Jack Tame to discuss the benefits of load shifting and its ability to save kiwis hundreds of dollars a year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In NZ, we have a number of wasp species that can cause a few problems: 1) German Wasps (arrived after WW2) Vespula germanica 2) The Common Wasp (arrived in the 1970-s) Vespula vulgaris Both these two species sting – no sense of humor! They nest in cavities: hollow trees, wall cavities and hollow trunks of trees, in your ceiling or roof space, etc. These wasps are often found eating honeydew in native forests, especially in the South Island. They will also hunt for insects (protein) in your garden (Monarch butterfly caterpillars and other sizeable insects). The Vespula species are tricky to control, kill and remove – best left to professional pest controllers. 3) Australian Paper Wasp (been here for more than 100 years) Polistes humilis 4) Chinese Paper Wasp (since 1979) Polistes chinensis 5) European Paper Wasp (Since 2016) Polistes dominula These guys and girls sting too! Paper wasps do not go for the sweet stuff; they eat mostly caterpillars. Not a problem when they go for white butterfly caterpillars that damage your broccoli etc, but killing our native insects is not welcome. A few weeks ago —in Bannockburn— I ran into Susie Bassett of Waspol NZ Ltd collecting nests of paperwasps. This Company is based in Nelson. (Facebook Waspol NZ) They send the wasps (frozen) to US immunotherapy Laboratories where they develop products to desensitise people that are seriously affected by wasp stings through acute allergies. Wasp species have unique versions of venom – immunotherapy can save lives! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a ‘middle ear’ infection? - One of the most common infections that occur in children. - By school age most children would have had an infection, and it becomes less common as they get older. - An infection of the middle ear: air filled space behind the ear drum, which contains the vibrating bones of the ear we hear with. What do we need to look out for? - Often starts with a cold. - Tube that drains the middle ear to the back of throat becomes blocked. - Middle ear fills up with fluid and can become infected with viruses or bacteria. - Symptoms include pain in the ear, temperatures, headaches, and trouble hearing. - Babies may cry a lot, pull at their ears, stop feeding, or be irritable. - Drum may burst and discharge fluid from the ear How is it diagnosed? - Your doctor will look into the ear with a magnifier called an otoscope. - They’ll look at the drum and see if it’s infected behind the drum. How do we treat it? - Most middle ear infections will clear themselves after four days. - Simple pain relief such as paracetamol or brufen is used for symptom control, fluids, many cases don’t need antibiotics. - With severe symptoms such as fever or vomiting, they’re more likely to use antibiotics. Where there is risk of complications: - Those younger than 2 years, Māori/pacific children, or underlying medical conditions. Any long term concerns? - Recurrent infection or can develop glue ear: thick mucus that won’t clear behind the drum. - Can interfere with hearing. - You may need to see an ear specialist to insert a grommet or drain. - If you have hearing concerns, see your GP. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook & News are breaking up The "news tab" is no more and Meta is basically trying to get out of the news business altogether. Meta says it will “deprecate” Facebook News in the US and Australia in April and has removed the News tab in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Meta says it will not do any new commercial deals for news and “will not offer new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.” In Australia, the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code prompted Meta to do huge licensing deals worth an estimated $70 million with publishers like News Corp, Seven, Nine, and Sky News. But no more! Threads and Instagram have been pushing as far from news as they possibly can, trying to deemphasize news content. Meta says: “news makes up less than 3% of what people around the world see in their Facebook feed". Apple's car stays in the garage Dubbed one of Silicon Valley's "worst kept secrets", Project Titan is no more. Apple had planned to produce a fully electric and self-driving vehicle and has spent billions on research and development. By all accounts it was a very real project. In 2017, it got a permit to test self-driving vehicles in California and purchased a startup in the car space. One analyst said Apple is following investors’ appetites, with enthusiasm for electric vehicle investments waning amid the frenzy for all things AI. Apple still hasn't commented on anything related to the car project. In the past five years, Apple has spent $113 billion developing new tech ($22b a year!). What's next? The guess is that Apple will evolve the CarPlay offering to become an operating system for cars. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has had an eventful life. One of New Zealand’s most prolific performers, the opera singer has performed in countries all over the world in several different languages, receiving a slew of honours over the years. She retired in September 2017, her last performance taking place in October of 2016. Since then, Te Kanawa committed herself to nurturing young artists, sitting as a judge in singing competitions and establishing the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation which supports young musicians and singers in realising their dreams. Te Kanawa recently moved back to New Zealand after living in the United Kingdom for over 55 years, and her connection to both countries saw her sent as one of NZ’s official delegates for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Her 80th birthday is coming up this week, Te Kanawa telling Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that she can’t believe she got to this age. “I thought 70 was bad enough, now we’re at 80.” The celebrations might not be exactly what you’d expect for such a milestone, Te Kanawa revealing that she and her husband are going fishing. They plan to just get enough for the table, as being out on the water is what Te Kanawa really enjoys. “I’m, you know, a Pisces, my husband’s an Aquarius, so we’re water people.” Te Kanawa moved back to New Zealand in 2021, settling down in the Bay of Islands. While she does feel that it was the right choice, she does still feel homesick for England after having lived there for such a long time. “We did it and we’re pleased we’ve done it, but I’ve left an awful lot of my heart behind.” “But home is here, and I am thoroughly enjoying all the different things about New Zealand which I never knew about.” One such thing is kiwis' refusal to give way to others in traffic, a contrast to the politeness she’s used to in England. “There’s a whole lot of little things that people don’t do or do do that are nice.” Despite having such a long career, Te Kanawa revealed that she doesn’t look back on it all that much, the rapid pace of her life and career overwhelming. “It took me several years to calm down and about a year to sort of say that I’m not going to sing again.” “It’s best not to look back, it’s always best to look forward.” Since retiring from performing, Te Kanawa has instead put her efforts into supporting the next generation of artists with the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. “We’ve had a lot of great successes,” Te Kanawa told Tame. Some of the people the Foundation has supported have gone on to get major roles at Covent Garden, some singing in Glen Bourne and Salzburg. “I’m so pleased that we’ve, we’ve helped them a lot, and it’s a lovely little group now that we’ve been sort of really mentoring.” Mentoring is what she’ll continue to do, Te Kanawa having no plans to perform in public again. “The past is in the past,” she said. Te Kanawa told Tame that while her voice was very beautiful in the past, she hasn't trained it in years. She said that even if she tried to start training it again, it would take months to get it anywhere near what she would like it to be. “It’s just best to leave it, go to sleep, and let’s enjoy the youth of today.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is losing one of its two TV news organisations as Warner Bros. Discovery pulls the plug on Newshub. Kevin Milne has found the Government's response to be quite lacklustre, given the importance of the third estate to democracy. "NZ is now on it's own and I think that's, in a way, a bit tragic." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We made it. Hurrah. My wife and I celebrated the one-month anniversary of our wedding this week. A meagre milestone relative to many other relationships but a month married is a month married and so far at least, it’s been great. It also means I’ve crossed the one-month threshold for life with a wedding ring. I must admit I was a bit torn at first about whether or not a ring was for me. Like many of his generation, my Dad never wore a ring. When my siblings and I questioned him about it as kids, we’d joke that no ring would fit around his salami fingers, but he’d always counter by proudly stating that men shouldn’t wear jewellery. The words must have stuck for, because but for an ill-advised few months in fifth form where I wore a beaded surfer necklace and an oversized chunky goth ring with a demon’s face and two large protruding horns, I’ve not worn more than a watch. My boss put his ring finger on the scale by telling me you can’t trust a married man without a wedding ring. But when my wife said it was up to me but at the very least she thought I should try it, I ordered simple gold band. I’m not gonna lie, it was weird at first. It reminded me strangely of having braces on my teeth for the first time, in that all of a sudden you’re going about life with a little piece of you that’s artificial. The morning after our wedding, I woke at dawn and went for a swim. And even though the water was still and calm, I pinched the fingers of my left hand together, paranoid that somehow my ring would slip off and be lost on day one. I tested it this week, travelling. I fly fairly regularly for work and pride myself on being very organised when it comes to the security scanning – my laptop is always out and ready to go. But having left the ring on my finger, I was alarmed when metal detector buzzed. Oh no, I thought. Don’t tell me the ring is going to ping me every time I pass through security for the rest of my life. I tried again on the return journey. Wore the ring. Didn’t change a thing. No beep. No hold up. No drama. I fiddle with it. I turn it on my hand and every day or two slide it off to check if my finger hasn’t yet grown too fat. And every now and then when I see my hand, I get a good feeling. That’s right, I think. I’m married. The ring still feels new. It still feels novel. But a month in, it feels good. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boiling Point A new four part British drama that picks up six months after the 2021 movie of the same name, and follows the staff working in a high pressure restaurant (TVNZ+). Feud Capote and the Swans: Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts and Chloe Sevigny star in this American drama about writer Truman Capote’s friendships with a group of high society New York women (Neon). The Choir An uplifting six part documentary series about the Detroit Youth Choir, as the inner city kids practice for a performance of a lifetime at Carnegie Hall (Disney+). LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A highly controversial fruit, feijoas have long held a special place in New Zealand culture. They’ve become a feature of kiwi iconography, their popularity seeing the flavour crop up in the least expected places. Kiwi author Kate Evans thinks of herself as the nerdiest of feijoa nerds, travelling the world and researching the fruit. She’s recently published a book on the subject, ‘Feijoa: A Story of Obsession and Belonging’. Evans told Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that her obsession started with the fruit tree in her parents’ house, sitting under the tree as a child and eating them by the bucketful. “I lived overseas for about a decade, and when I was away, I just missed feijoas so much.” She said that whenever she managed to find one overseas, cutting it open would fill her with an intense nostalgia for home. “When I moved back to New Zealand in 2014, I was so excited to be here for an entire feijoa season.” The fruit is so ubiquitous in New Zealand despite not being native, which got Evans wondering how this South American fruit became such a cultural touchstone. Feijoas originated in South America and were imported over to New Zealand in the early 1900’s, where they were found to grow incredibly well. “It’s quite easy to grow them, you don’t really have to do much.” Despite the cultural love for Feijoas, the Colombians might have us beat with their festival dedicated to the fruit. “They make so many more things with them than we do,” Evans told Tame. Recipes for some of which, she has included in her book: feijoa mousse, carpaccio, and more, for those desperately searching for a new way to consume their crop. Learn where you can donate your excess feijoas here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fifth studio album from American rock band MGMT, 'Loss of Life' is the band's label debut on Mom + Pop, coming six years after the release of 'Little Dark Age'. The ten track album shifts between genres, Britpop, acoustic folk, power ballads with an 80's flair. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Day by David Nicholls 15th July 1988: Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Moscow X by David McCloskey A daring CIA operation threatens chaos in the Kremlin - its execution is foiled by a Russian woman with secret loyalties. CIA operatives Sia and Max enter Russia to recruit Vladimir Putin's moneyman. Sia works for a London firm that conceals the wealth of the super-rich. Max's family business in Mexico, a CIA-front since the 1960s, is a farm that breeds high-end racehorses. They pose as a couple, and their targets are Vadim, Putin's private banker, and his wife Anna, who is both a banker and an intelligence officer. As they descend further into a Russian world dripping with luxury and rife with gangland violence, Sia and Max's hope may be Anna, who is playing a game of her own. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're done seeing the sights of Gisborne and are after something a little more outdoorsy, Tairāwhiti is packed with adventures. Mike Yardley joined Jack Tame to run through some of his favourites, including tandem cycling, Tipuna Tours up in Tolaga Bay, and feeding the stingrays down the line at Tatapouri. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia workers have been given the right to ignore after-hours calls from work, unless it’s in their contract/role requires it or an emergency, following on from some European countries (e.g., France) who have done this. How likely are we to follow suit in NZ? It's unlikely that it will become law – since 2015 Health and Safety at work act neither Labour nor National govts appear to have been interested in putting in any more regulations. However, debate may increase in kiwi workplaces surrounding the topic. There are pros/cons to the discussion – some will feel it’s an example of a “snowflake” generation who do the bare minimum, others will see it as supporting people to switch off from work when they’re done. Some workplaces say things like “if you receive an email from me after hours feel free to ignore it until it’s your work hours”, which might be a compromise. We do that at Umbrella, it allows some level of autonomy and responsibility on both ends – I can send you an email at 11pm but don’t expect you to respond to it until you’re at work. You do need to be a bit careful about this as there can be an implied pressure to respond, particularly if the person sending the email is your boss. That links into the topic of how “psychologically safe” you feel at work to express your opinion (but that’s a whole other topic!) LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have caught me talking about Psyllids, from time to time. Especially the Tomato-Potato Psyllid. This is an insect that appeared in New Zealand around 2006 and it makes a mess of the two main hosts: Tomatoes and Potatoes. The Tomato-Potato Psyllid. Photo / Supplied As a fanatic tomato grower, I always keep a serious eye out this thing and practice a lot of weed control (Solanum weeds – the overwintering hosts of my crops). I also use regular Neem sprays to stop the Psyllid nymphs (immatures) from developing on my tomatoes. Like most Psyllids, they are sapsuckers; taking the sweet sugars out of the plant to extract Nitrogen for growth of their bodies. They excrete the sweet materials as “honeydew” which in itself is a great food for other insects, but also birds and certainly black, sooty mould. Another Exotic Psyllid species came in the late 1990’s and is often found on Syzygium smithii, mostly known as “Monkey apple”, Lilly-Pilly, or the old name Acmena. It is often used to form fast-growing hedges. Black hedges, especially in the warmer north, due to copious amounts of sooty mould. Lilly-Pilly is considered a weed in our country, so the psyllid is perhaps helping to suppress this exotic plant somewhat. But in NZ we have our own, Native species too: On Pohutukawa and Rata, for instance (Trioza curta), and a species on Pittosporum (Trioza vitreoradiata). Both these natives suck juices out of the leaves of their host, causing distortions and dimples. Isn’t that causing some severe stress and damage to these native hosts? The creation of the dimples is also no doubt under the influence of toxins or enzymes injected by the young, sedentary nymphs. But the astonishing thing is that the actual health of the Pohutukawa, rata or pittosporum is rarely, if ever, severely affected as a result of these psyllids. Mind you, they've been living together now for many millions of years, and the evolutionary processes will have reached a nice balance between the sucker and its host plant. But when we take a detailed look at this symbiosis, we must ask ourselves the question why the Pohutukawa facilitates the psyllids by creating cosy little dimples? The answer can be found at a surprising location: the rear end of the larvae. You see, that's where the sweet excrement is being produced. Pittosporum psyllid being “milked” by a native ant. Photo / Supplied Native ant species will patrol the psyllids and collect any sugary waste products that may become available, and while doing so, they protect the psyllid nymphs and the leaves they are living on! Indeed, Pohutukawa and rata leaves with psyllids on them are almost always without any chewing damage. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylors Estate Limestone Coast, Clare Valley Shiraz $20 Why I chose it - Hearty red for the months ahead. - Taylor’s produces some of the best value reds in Australia. - Australian wine sales to China, once their biggest wine market, have ground to a halt, resulting in many bargains if you are prepared to shop around. What does it taste like? - Dense, inky red with choc/mocha, cassis, anise/liquorice, vanilla, cigar box and spicy oak. Nicely layered shiraz with obvious cellaring potential. Why it’s a bargain? - Terrific quality for less than $20. Where can you buy it? - Whisky and More $16.99, The Good Wine Co. $17.99, New World $17.99, Countdown $16. Food match? - Hearty stews and casseroles. Will it keep? - Yes, good for 5 or 6 years if stored well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk a lot about AI and how it might change things, but it's starting to have real world consequences Tyler Perry, who founded the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Network and is a prolific content creator, has said he's stopping plans to open more sound stages. He was due to add 12 sound stages to his Atlanta complex, but advances by OpenAI's video generator Sora has given him pause. Sora is an AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes from text instructions. It's not without its quirks, but there's probably a very good chance that in the time it would take to build 12 sound stages, the model might actually get better. We're seeing advances that quickly! Tyler Perry: "I had gotten word over the last year or so that this was coming, but I had no idea until I saw recently the demonstrations of what it's able to do. It's shocking to me." Think of the jobs lost through this - construction workers, stage crew, catering, production assistants... It did it... the first private spacecraft has landed on the moon Intuitive Machines' lunar craft successfully landed. It has some communications issues, but the CEO of the company confirmed the craft is standing upright and transmitting data successfully. Odysseus will now begin a suite of experiments that will hopefully provide data useful for a future mission and help to ensure the safety of humans when they eventually return. The mission is the first American lunar landing in more than 50 years, since the crewed Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Zone of Interest Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes 2023, this historical war drama from filmmaker Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin) centres on the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, who strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp. The Eternal Memory Chilean couple Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years, but Augusto was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease eight years ago. Both of them fear the day he will no longer recognize her. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you got a glut of plums like me? This little condiment - plum paste - is easy to make and it goes so well with all manner of cheeses and meats. Ingredients: 1.5kg whole fresh plums, washed (count them into the pot, I used 32 plums – see note) 1 ¼ cups water ½ cup sweet white wine or apple cider vinegar ¼- ½ tsp ground cloves, depending on your taste Sugar, white or raw – likely to be about 600-750g Method: 1. Cook plums with liquids and cloves until very soft and reduced a bit – about 20 minutes. Extract the same number of plum stones as you had plums. Mash or blend the pulp and weigh it. Add half its weight in sugar and return to the stove. Cook on a brisk simmer for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. 2. It’s ready when a teaspoonful is dropped on a cool saucer, left to cool, then a finger dragged through it leaves a clear stripe. Keep cooking until it reaches this stage. 3. Line a swiss roll tin or similar with baking paper or lightly oiled foil. 4. Pour paste into prepared tin and refrigerate overnight. It will be gorgeously glossy. 5. Cut into squares, wrap in baking paper and store in fridge. 6. Eat with cheese or meats. Note: If your plums aren’t freestone count them into the pot, so you know how many stones you need to remove once they cook down. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s often believed that the music you listen to when you’re seventeen or eighteen is what sticks with you throughout your entire life. Kevin Milne recently stumbled across concert programmes from when he was living in London in the 70’s; how much of that has stuck around? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I never thought the previous government’s fees-free education policy made sense. I’m on the record from the get-go. I didn’t think it was a well-designed or considered policy. At an annual cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, the policy was expensive. I felt there were other priorities. The more cynically minded might even suggest that fast-tracking a fees-free education policy was a decision made with an impending election in mind, rather than the stated educational outcomes. The goals of the policy were to increase access for students from poorer backgrounds, Māori and Pasifika, and to improve educational outcomes. But short of a Scandanavian-style tax system, I actually thought New Zealand’s interest-free student loan scheme is pretty good. It strikes a fair balance and the barriers to access are low. And for every poorer student brought in by fees-free and who otherwise might have missed out on higher education, there were obviously dozens if not hundreds or thousands of middle-class kids who would’ve gone to university anyway, and now enjoyed an additional subsidy. Instead of a blanket fees-free policy, the previous government could have considered so many alternatives: - Increasing scholarships for students from poorer backgrounds, or for students from low-decile schools. - Re-introducing the 10% bulk payment incentive to student loans, whereby anyone who paid off more than $1000 in a voluntary payment, had ten percent of that payment matched by the government. - Means testing first year fees-free students. - Making the third year of an undergraduate degree fees-free, so students were incentivised to finish. - Greater assistance to students with cost-of-living support. Instead, although they held off making additional study years fees-free, the previous government stuck with their scheme. And the results have been damning. The total number of fees-free students has been decreasing. From the get-go, overall enrolments fell short of what was promised. Fees-free students have been dropping out. What’s more, the New Zealand Herald revealed over summer that the number of decile 1 first-year students has halved since the scheme began. The number of first year decile 10 students has increased by 40%. So much for improving access for students from poorer backgrounds. I was surprised National stuck with the scheme during the election campaign. But now at least, the government is moving to change the policy to make the final year fees-free, as per New Zealand First’s election policy. I note the Tertiary Education Commission acknowledged this week there was no discernible evidence the policy has increased access to low-socio economic groups. The policy has failed in its stated objectives. It’s a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have. It deserves to go. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow marks the 46th year of Round the Bays Wellington, an iconic community event bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate physical activity. Over 10,000 people are expected to take part in one of three distances, Sir Ashley Bloomfield among them. He’s taking part as a Pause Breathe Smile ambassador, which is a free mental health program for primary and intermediate schools. Bloomfield is doing the 5.5km event, telling Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame that he’s been taking it easy with his training this week, to ensure that he’ll be able to finish the run. He said he’s been running in some capacity for his entire life, having run a few marathons and as well as having a group of friends he goes on Saturday morning runs with whenever possible. “That fellowship kind of aspect of it, spending time with friends and in terms of both physical and mental wellbeing, to me you couldn’t tick many more boxes than that.” One of the reason’s Bloomfield enjoys running is its accessibility. “All you really need is a pair of shoes.” Regular exercise is also known to be a benefit for those in high stakes environments and high stress jobs, both of which Bloomfield was facing in the last few years. “Being able to kind of decompress, as well as get out and keep active and fit was a lifesaver for me.” “Literally a lifesaver.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennifer Lopez has dropped her ninth studio album, a sister to her 2003 LP ‘This Is Me... Then’. The genre crossing ‘This Is Me... Now’ is a confessional, a deeply personal insight into her love life and relationship with Ben Affleck. Released alongside was a 65-minute short film, ‘This Is Me... Now: A Love Story’, a high gloss blend of genres and styles to match the tone of the album. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anna O by Matthew Blake What if your nightmares weren’t really nightmares at all? We spend an average of 33 years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we sleep? Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive—and hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.” Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods are the last hope of solving the infamous “Anna O’” case and waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect—he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own. As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened and whether Anna should be held responsible for her crimes. Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. And they’re both in danger from what they find out. The World's Biggest Cash Machine by Chris Blackhurst From Chris Blackhurst, the former Editor of the Independent, comes The World's Biggest Cash Machine, a gripping and tightly reported account of how the Glazers, owners of Manchester United, became the most maligned figures in the Premier League, and how they changed the beautiful game forever. Manchester United's supporters span the globe and cross generations. But, with few exceptions, they are united in their anger with the American family who bought their club in 2005, plunging it into record levels of debt. The Glazers' reign has become synonymous with the financialization of football, and has coincided with fan protests and a decline of Manchester United's fortunes on the pitch . . . if not on the balance sheet. But what defines this secretive family, and do these astute businessmen deserve the opprobrium they receive? In this captivating account, informed by interviews with key figures behind the scenes, journalist and commentator Chris Blackhurst charts the gripping story of the world's biggest football club - as well as exploring the wider transformation of the Premier League into a playground for billionaire owners. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Criminal Record In the heart of London, an anonymous phone call draws two brilliant detectives -- a young woman in the early stages of her career and a well-connected man determined to protect his legacy -- into a fight to correct an old miscarriage of justice (AppleTV+). Strife Asher Keddie stars in this Australian drama about a small-time blogger who overcome professional and personal challenges while working towards creating a women-centric website (ThreeNow). The New Look This series explores the rise of fashion designer Christian Dior, as he attempts to bring colour and life back to post-war Europe (Apple TV+). LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.