POSSIBLE ASHES ITINERARY - AUSTRALIA 2013/14

First Test November 21-25 at the Gabba

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

November 1, Tina Arena, singer, 42; November 4, Curtis Stone, chef, 34; November 7, Mark Philippoussis, 33, tennis player; November 10, Chris Lilley, comedian, 35; November 12 Radha Mitchell, actor, 36; November 17, Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read, former criminal, 55; November 17, Kate Ceberano, 43, singer; November 23, Merv Hughes, retired cricketer, 48; November 24, Shane Bourne, actor/comedian, 60; November 25, Peter Siddle, cricketer, 25; November 26, Natalie Gauci, singer, 28; November 28, Andrew Bogut, basketballplayer, 25.

NEED TO KNOW

Something for everyone this month, starting with the annual moustache drive for men's health, Movember. Melbourne Cup Day (November 3) breaks the mid-year public holiday drought and Remembrance Day (November 11) gives us a chance to pause and reflect. You can see the Festival of Jewish Cinema (from November 12-29) and from November 5 you can catch Michael Moore's latest film, Capitalism: A Love Story and Eric Bana in The Time Traveller's Wife. Bangarra Dance Theatre presents a retrospective from November 6 and the festival season rolls on with the Polish Festival at Fed Square (November 15), the Big West Festival in Footscray (November 20-29) and the Queenscliff Music Festival (November 27-29). Tiger Woods pockets his $3-million appearance fee at the Masters and Dennis Hopper is in town (both from November 12). Seinfeld's Jason Alexander presents his Comedy Spectacular at Regent Theatre from November 27. There's a new exhibition of AC/DC memorabilia at the Arts Centre (from November 7). If you've missed out on tickets to the RocKwiz Christmas special (November 24-26) head down to the first Suzuki Night Market for a feed, on November 25.

From Light Beginnings, Glory Came

IT WAS a year with a welcome arrival and a tragic departure. Vladimir Ashkenazy, who becomes the Sydney Symphony's principal conductor and artistic adviser next year, returned in November for another single-composer festival (Elgar) and coaxed from the orchestra its best playing as well as an outstanding performance of the First Symphony and an anguished reading of the Cello Concerto by soloist Jian Wang.

Snap Reflex In Koala Drama

IT was a missed meeting with a friend that led to Simon Marlan wandering around Blackbutt Reserve on an afternoon in November.

Dude, Where's Our Nuclear Waste?

SOME people are careless with radioactive stuff. North Korea, with its nuclear tests, is one example. Another is Homer Simpson who, in the opening credits of The Simpsons, leaves a nuclear plant with a green radioactive rod lodged in his shirt. Now there's Cadbury Schweppes, which in late November lost in Melbourne two pieces of radioactive equipment that remain at large.

Market Falls Less Severe In Victoria

VICTORIAN-BASED companies fared better on the sharemarket last month than those based in most of the other mainland states, according to the Deloitte stock index for November.

Helfgott Brilliant

Helfgott brilliant My wife and I are grateful for William Verity's article (Mercury, November 18), alerting readers to David Helfgott's Shine On piano recital at Mittagong Playhouse on December 8.

Harbour Lovers Unite

Harbour lovers unite I had a feeling of dread and desperation after reading Paul Myjavecs letter (Saturday, November 29) about developing Wollongong Harbour.

Climate Debating Points Subtracted In Short Term

Accusing a scientist of falsifying data is a grave and professionally damaging charge, about the worst one can make. Michael Duffy was careless and wrong to allege that Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "fudged" climate data during his recent public lecture in Sydney ("Truly inconvenient truths about climate change being ignored", November 8).

Play Founders On Padded Script

THEATRE BELLE'S LINE Old Fitzroy Theatre, November 30 Until December 23

November Lake Macquarie Named After Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Area: About 750 Sq Km. Population: 183,139

NOVEMBER LAKE MACQUARIE Named after Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Area: About 750 sq km. Population: 183,139

Expanded Trio Does Some Grand Seraphic Repertoire Work

SERAPHIM TRIO Melba Hall, November 28 www.seraphimtrio.com

Mercury Soars Hard And Fast To Greet Summer

THE summer heat has arrived after a drier-than-average November that yielded Newcastle's coldest day in 20 years.

A Standout Performance

MSO CHAMBER PLAYERS Iwaki Auditorium, Southbank November 30 www.mso.com.au

Gilham Does Have Support From His Extended Family

I write to correct some inaccuracies in the article about Jeffrey Gilham ("Guilty of killing parents, 15 years on", November 29-30).

Towering Moments Of Power

SYDNEY SYMPHONY MICHELE CAMPANELLA Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, November 28

Keep Historic Harbour

Keep historic harbour I read with interest the letter from Paul Myjavec (Mercury November 29, re Wollongong Harbour).

A Fluffy Bunny That Needs Sharper Teeth

RABBIT Wharf Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, November 27 Until January 18

Lack Of Transparency

Lack of transparency Wollongong Harbour Consultative Committee chairman David Fuller calls community groups such as ROC and the wider public, such as the 300 who attended a public meeting, as "naysayers"(Mercury November 26).