Game On After Umpires' Strike Averted, Butchers Sharpen Knives For Ex-skipper

A WEEK that began with Illawarra cricket umpires threatening to strike, ends with players, clubs and umpires preparing for round six this afternoon.

Sharp Operators

The knives are out in a changing world, but business is looking up for those tough enough to adapt, Rita Erlich reports.

Column 8

We rarely run personal greetings in Column 8, but here's one for Jessica Sheil, of Bondi Junction: "A pinch and a punch for the first of the month - no returns!" Now, this will drive Jessica nuts, as it is intended to, because Column 8 will be able to say that it appeared online at midnight, and so Column 8 got in first (a crucial aspect of such greetings). Most readers will be familiar with the "pinch and punch" bit, but what's with the "no returns"? As far as we can work out, it was an ...

Bites

Sharpen your filleting skillsI can't remember how long ago it was that I stood in a restaurant, wearing a waiter's uniform with a black bow tie, filleting fish in front of customers. This memory loss has also afflicted my filleting skills, as I realised when faced recently with the task of tackling a couple of fine creatures using two new Victorinox filleting knives. Lucky I have a chef for a husband. The best tip in my revision lesson was that the more flexible the blade, the better the knife ...

Postcodes

With its rows of tiny Victorian terraces, Edwardian bungalows and stately, elm-lined streets juxtaposed against new (and rather colourless) estates, high-rise flats and factory and industrial precincts, this postcode encompasses a range of demographics. Food and drink options run the gamut, too, with pockets of cafes, strips of delis, budget supermarkets, Asian grocers and halal butchers, a couple of theme pubs and isolated takeaways servicing factories and warehouses.

When Shooting To Kill Is A Farmer's Lifeline

THE business of being a professional shooter has never been easier.

Guns, Blades Rule In Crime Corridor

AUSTRALIA'S first highway, Parramatta Road has become a sorry emblem of NSW's runaway crime rate and a haven for armed bandits.

Thirroul Butchers Carve Up Port

Thirroul Butchers sharpened their knives for the Carlton Illawarra League finals series with a 44-14 win over Port Kembla at Noel Mulligan Oval on Saturday.

In For The Long Trawl

They brave mountainous seas, wrestle cranky sharks and play Celebrity Head to stave off boredom. Everard Hunder meets the men who put the orange roughy on your plate. Sunday, midnight. The main street of Portland is empty except for the coach dropping off a few suitcases before clunking off to

Showing Some Teeth

Every job has its occupational hazards. Butchers and cooks get nicked by their knives, carpenters hammer their thumbs and librarians all seem to wear glasses. With wine tasters, it's teeth. Judging at nine or 10 competitions and tasting thousands of wines a year doesn't do your enamel a lot of good.

Cobby Killers Escape Plot

NSW prison authorities have foiled an escape planned for today by 11 of the country's most vicious criminals from the State's top security Goulburn Jail. The plot involved the mass slaughter of guards as well as people visiting other inmates. Those poised for the killing frenzy inclu

Meat Skills Are In Demand

An apparent trend towards vegetarianism in modern Australian society seems to have had little effect on the demand for skilled butchers. Shops currently have a shortage of qualified butchers, but competition for apprenticeships is usually very keen, nevertheless. Butchers prepare ca

Of Butchers And Bilberry Baskets

Annelotte Bielfeld, Gerda Bottcher, Inge Edelmann, Magdalene Haake, Rose Marie Haccius and Renate Tybussek - these names in an old address book remind me at once of the girls and the place where I met them and lived with them for a time. Magdalene, or Lenchen as she was called, wrote her d

Butchery

THE butcher breaks up carcass meat into primal cuts, boning, trimming, and slicing it into various cuts using hand or electric saws, choppers and knives. The butcher must also be able to deal with the public. Qualifications and training: The minimum age is 15 years. Studies supplementary to t