Backchat - 19 January 2006

Madonna – Hung Up

The Material Girl lives a quiet, bucolic existence at Ashcombe — her pile in the English countryside. According to USA Today (that useless newpaper, which seems to be the ‘Stateside’ hoteliers’ rag of choice for stuffing under doors) Maddie likes to wile away the hours riding horses, fishing and getting about on her treadly. Maddie

Global - 5 January 2006

Zacatecas Mine, Mexico

Mexican clubbers now have a new venue in which to ‘rock out’. The history of the Zacatecas Mine in Mexico goes back to the 16th and 17th centuries when pre glo-stick miners went in search of shiny metal. In 1975 the mine became a nightclub, but in 2004 the club closed in preparation for a

Global - 5 January 2006

Ocean Dome, Japan

This is an unusual inclusion in our Aspire page, but undoubtedly it is a venue, and undoubtedly it is quite extraordinary. Ocean Dome is known as the world’s largest indoor water park (300m x 100m x 38m), with a retractable roof. The air temperature is always kept around 30º C and the water temperature is

Backchat - 5 January 2006

Melbourne, The Games & Keeping Ourselves Nice

When visitors are about to drop-in we like to get our house spick and span. It’s nice to look our best — fluff up the welcome mat, mow the lawn and dust off the best china. So it goes with the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Melbourne is getting its house in order. Of course there are