Usually, these medications are taken every day, even if you feel good. They help to prevent the symptoms of asthma and asthma attacks. However, they DO NOT RELY quickly in an asthma attack.
Control drugs are inhalers used every day that control inflammation in the respiratory tract.
This type of medication is usually the most effective for the control of chronic asthma.
2.Use a restraining chamber with your metered dose inhaler (if that's what you use).
Your doctor will adjust your dose so that you get the best asthma control using the lowest dose. For a complete list of side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist. In most cases, inhaled corticosteroids have few side effects with the dose required to control asthma.
These inhalers open your lungs by relaxing the very small layers of muscles that surround the airways.
Since they may take longer to function than relief medications, they should not be used to relieve symptoms quickly, such as during an asthma attack.
They are similar to blue inhalers, but they last longer – about 12 hours.
Leukotriene receptor antagonists are tablets to be taken daily that help control inflammation in the respiratory tract.
For people with moderate asthma, doctors may prescribe only an antagonist of leukotriene receptors. However, they are generally not as effective as low dose inhaled corticosteroids.
Doctors may also prescribe leukotriene receptor antagonists to patients who are already taking inhaled corticosteroids to help further reduce symptoms or to help reduce the dose of corticosteroids.
For a complete list of side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist. In general, the side effects of leukotriene receptor antagonists are very rare.
These are two drugs combined in an inhaler: an inhaled steroid and a long-acting bronchodilator.
They are used when the unique inhaled steroids do not completely control your symptoms.
This new drug, called Xolair (drug name: omalizumab) is intended for asthmatics who have severe allergies and corresponding high levels of "IgE" in the blood (IgE is an antibody produced by the body that causes allergic reactions) .
Xolair is a set of injections that synchronize the effects of IgE antibodies.
It may be useful for patients taking high doses of inhaled corticosteroids but still suffering from regular symptoms.
Usually, these medications are only taken as needed for quick relief or an asthma attack. They help to open your lungs by relaxing the muscles that surround the airways.
This is the inhaler you use when you have an asthma attack.
They are also used for less severe symptoms, or before doing physical exercises.
These medications are not useful for long-term asthma control because they do not control inflammation in your lungs.
If you need this medicine more than three times a week, consult your doctor.
Examples: Ventolin, Salbutamol, Bricanyl, Airomir.
It is a plastic device that is used with pressure inhalers (the kind that vaporizes the drug) to promote drug access to your lungs.
It facilitates the coordination of the inhalation drug inhaler.
You get more medicine in your lungs and less in your mouth and throat.
Sometimes, some people develop severe airway inflammation – this can happen, because they have a lung infection or for some other specific reason. In cases of severe inflammation of the respiratory tract, the doctor may prescribe corticosteroid tablets. In fact, corticosteroid tablets do the same thing as inhaled corticosteroids, but they are more potent. Doctors often prescribe these tablets for a short time to control inflammation.
What corticosteroid tablets do: Corticosteroid tablets reduce inflammation, redness and mucus in the airways.
Side Effects of Corticosteroid Tablets: For a complete list of side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Addiction: your body may show signs of withdrawal, if you spontaneously stop using Prednisone. Your doctor may ask you to gradually reduce your dose.
Ontarians can contact our accredited asthma specialists by calling our Asthma Helpline Helpline at no cost.


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Waterfront marine lab another flash in pan?
PUBLISHED: November 4, 2007 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: August 30, 2017 at 1:16 a.m.
SAN PEDRO: Hahn says good ideas have fallen by wayside. Port says it's part of idea mix.
By Art Marroquin
Shortly after a new marine biology research complex was proposed last month to anchor San Pedro's waterfront, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn questioned whether the suggested 28-acre site was a wise choice.
While she supports the concept, Hahn said she's skeptical about the fervor with which the oceanfront laboratory is being pursued.
She's seen it happen before with other waterfront developments that have been announced with much fanfare, only to fall by the wayside.
"I don't want to totally bash the idea of a marine research institute, but why aren't we moving forward on all the projects that have been proposed for the waterfront?" Hahn asked. "There have been a lot of good ideas, but I think it's premature to decide that this is the best location for the institute."
The facility is proposed for land once occupied by Westway Terminal Corp. as part of an effort to revive San Pedro's waterfront and the local economy, Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said when she suggested the project last month.
Storage tanks at the Westway site once contained solvents, fuels and acids.
The lab would likely house government researchers, marine- related businesses or environmental groups, in addition to serving as a new home for the Southern California Marine Institute, a consortium of a dozen colleges and universities that has studied marine biology at the port for about 50 years.
But port officials noted that the lab is simply an idea that still must undergo a series of studies.
"The marine research facility is just a spark of an idea right now," said Arley Baker, senior communications director for the Port of Los Angeles. "It's not even a concept, it's just something we are thinking about."
Hahn pointed to several other waterfront concepts that have lost momentum in recent years, including the La Piazza Cultural Center, the Sister Cities Pavilion, a memorial to longshore workers, a Ports O' Call conference center and a pair of museums paying homage to fire boats and the city's defunct Red Car system.
"I love the energy that these ideas come with, but then they disappear from the radar," Hahn said. "We hire world-class architect firms to design these things, but where have they gone?"
Several years ago, the previous harbor commission approved a master development plan that listed a series of projects that would have been built along the waterfront over the course of 36 years.
But that plan became too bloated and bogged down, prompting Knatz to scrap it and start over shortly after she took the helm at the Port of Los Angeles two years ago.
For now, Knatz has said that she wants to keep the waterfront revitalization plan simple by concentrating on infrastructure improvements for the next five to seven years.
"There's a very specific approach we are taking to determine what needs to be done on the waterfront first," Baker said. "This is a very measured approach, so let's see what makes sense now."
Among the ideas that have been suggested in the past – and then filed away – was the La Piazza Cultural Center. The project would have encompassed a library, meeting rooms and restaurants paying homage to San Pedro's Italian community and the Los Angeles sister city of Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples.
While the idea sounded appealing, organizers for La Piazza didn't have a business plan to keep the project afloat financially and asked the port to charge $1 annually for rent.
La Piazza was placed in a file with other projects while port officials conducted a formal "entitlement" process to determine how to develop the waterfront, according to Baker.
The proposed Sister Cities Pavilion – an Epcot Center-style building that would have showcased more than 20 worldwide towns linked to Los Angeles – faced the same fate as La Piazza, along with a memorial for longshore workers.
"Those ideas can come up again in the future, but we are making incremental increases in retail space," Baker said. "We won't do anything more than what the market will be able to bear."
Although a Red Car extension was removed from the waterfront plan, a museum recalling the history of the city's defunct rail line remains on the books, according to Baker.
Additionally, a 75,000-square-
foot conference center and retail expansion at Ports O' Call Village are still included in the plan, along with a fire boat museum.
The SS Lane Victory, one of the few remaining cargo vessels used during World War II, will also find a new home along the waterfront, along with an expanded facility for the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, which operates the TopSail Program for at-risk youths.
"It's about building what we need right now," Baker said. "We can always add more later."
art.marroquin@dailybreeze.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Auctions Jones & Horan To Sell The Howard Davis & Dennison No. 3 Pocket Watch
Vintage Watches A 1984 Rolex Explorer II With Cream Dial, A 1960s Aquastar 63, And A 1980s Heuer Yacht Timer
HODINKEE Radio Inside Our Dream Watch Designs
Steal Vs. Splurge High-Climbing White-Dial Sport Watches From Rolex And Timex
Could this be the holy grail of American watches?
Nicholas Manousos
In the mid-19th century, Americans changed the paradigm of watch manufacturing and repair by developing a system of interchangeable watch parts. This was the beginning of mass manufactured watches and the rest of the watchmaking industry soon followed America's lead. But where did it all start? Where are the original watches that started this manufacturing revolution? At their June 2, 2019, auction, Jones & Horan will offer the Howard Davis & Dennison #3 pocket watch, which is arguably the most important American watch ever seen at auction.
Howard Davis & Dennison #3.
Before this innovation, if a watchmaker received a watch for repair with a broken wheel, a new wheel would have to be manufactured from scratch. There were no replacement parts that would just work straight away. The company we know today as Waltham was largely responsible for this major development. Waltham went through many name and ownership changes throughout its history and at one point was known as Howard Davis & Dennison. I spoke with American pocket watch expert, John Cote, to learn more about the background of the Howard Davis & Dennison #3.
Howard Davis & Dennison #3 movement, 8 day autonomy, double barrel. The going train is fully jeweled, with a lever escapement and uncut brass balance.
Cote explained that the Howard Davis & Dennison #3 is not the first U.S. Made watch, but is definitely the ancestor of all factory made American watches: "It is the first watch produced by The Warren Manufacturing Company, which was the forerunner of both the Waltham and Howard watch companies. It is essentially the first Waltham watch." Cote mentioned that 17 serial numbers were reserved for these early 8 day watches, but likely only 3 were made. "These three, serial numbers 1, 2 and 3 were given to the founders of the company, Edward Howard, Aaron Dennison, and David Davis. The one coming up for sale is number 3, which is believed to have been the watch owned by David Davis."
This watch will likely attract the attention of every collector of American watches. Will it set the record for an American watch sold at auction? We will see on June 2nd. The estimate for this lot is $80,000 to $160,000. For more information on Jones & Horan's June 2, 2019, sale, visit their website.
Photo credit: Jones & Horan
Pocket-watch
Introducing The Omega 19 Ligne Pocket Watch Caliber 125th Anniversary Edition
Found Two Cool Pocket Watches At Christie's That Did Not Belong To Steve McQueen Or Paul Newman
Auctions Five Horological Heavy Hitters Coming Up At Christie's Geneva
Historical Perspectives The Metropolitan Museum Of Art Makes Image Archives Public, Including Photos Of Thousands Of Clocks And Watches


Easter is finally here and I cannot believe just how blessed I have been to date. First let me say thanks to God for blessing me with yet another year and an opportunity to reflect on my personal journey with Christ. So what Does Easter Mean To Me?
Growing up, Easter was a time when the whole family got together, went to church; had a feast; marshmallows and Easter eggs and that was it. Until one day my mother said to me, my girl you are of age now. I think it is time you find and understand the meaning behind certain things and events happening in your life. You need to make an adult decision for yourself and choose your path on this earth. As a child we offered you to Christ but it has to be your will and choice if this is the path for you. From then onward I went on a journey of knowing myself and what I need and want in life. And every time someone shared the word of God I went and read it for myself too. You do know that as humans we have a limited understanding and what you interpret or understand to be the meaning of the verse you just read can mean something totally different to me.
In a nutshell what is Easter to me!
Resurrection of Christ: Awakening in me the things that would make me a better person; renewing my faith and acknowledging that everything that happens on this earth be it good or bad; work together for the goodness of life. And that I must understand that sometimes sacrifices are necessarily for progress to prevail.
Thanks for stopping by, happy Easter!


What a notion… because this whole internet dating thing is just awful. I could pick a douche bag out of every crowd. Oh to sell out their secrets…. that's a really good idea.
😆 You know you could prolly sell your royal crown stuff, too…….
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Traditional Liptov wooden cottage located in near distance of the house Ondrej in the historical center of Demenova village. The capacity is 8–10 persons. Parking in the yard for 2 vehicals is at your disposal. In summer season, exterior sitting with grill is in the garden.
In the groundfloor, you can find, kitchen (dinnig room) with large table and corner sitting and traditional oven. The equipment covers also refrigerator with freezer, electric cooker, electric kettle. In the groundfloor there is a living room with fireplace, TV/SAT, radio, comfortable sitting and small kittchen as well. The bathroom is equiped with a toilet, shower and washing machine.
The upper floor is divided to 4 bedrooms (2× 2-bed, 2× 3-bed) and bathroom with toilet and shower. Together with house Ondrej, with is in the nearest distance, there is possibility to create capacity of 16 persons.


When my husband and I were first married and talked about our future family, we didn't plan on having a child with special needs. I doubt anyone ever does. But as we watched our son miss milestone after milestone, it became very apparent to us that he was not following the same developmental path as his older brother. He was late to roll over, clap, sit, crawl, walk and late to talk. When he did start talking it was only a matter of time before he would lose the new word he had worked so hard to acquire. We became heartbroken as we watched our baby boy struggle to accomplish what most see as the simplest feats. Our son was diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder just days after he turned 2. For a while, it was all I could do to see through this giant label that had been placed on my son. I began to focus on what he couldn't do and started to decide what would never be able to do – that is until he proved me wrong.
Click Here To Go To Cayleb's DONATE Page!
I would like you to meet my son, Cayleb. Cayleb is an extremely determined little boy that will never allow this little thing called autism to stand in his way. Since his second birthday, Cayleb has gone from a mere five word vocabulary to several word sentences. For a boy whose only form of play was to spin whatever object he could get his hands on, Cayleb has started to pretend play. Like all 3 year old boys, Cayleb loves to run, jump, climb and wrestle with his brother. Cayleb adores music and it is a rare occasion to find him without a song in his heart, singing at the top of his lungs. He has worked so hard with an amazing team of therapists and has achieved more than I ever could have imagined he would.
But as far as he has come, the first thing everyone notices about Cayleb, is something he wasn't taught and he didn't have to 'work on it', he was born with it and it's contagious. Cayleb has the inherent ability to melt the hearts of those who are lucky enough to meet him. No matter how big a challenge is placed before him, Cayleb's sweet nature and pure joy are never defeated. Not only did Cayleb not have to be taught to love life, he has managed to teach us. I now know that there is nothing Cayleb cannot do, and nothing that he won't be able to do – because once Cayleb has set his mind to do something, he will figure out a way.
We are absolutely delighted that Cayleb has been chosen to receive a service dog – and on a life path that guarantees many more challenges, are thrilled Cayleb will have a best friend to share in his struggles, joys and in his love of life!
If you love football, you almost certainly have a favourite team from the National Football League or two and have a list of players who like to have noticed.
Lovely page, Continue the fantastic work. Thanks a lot.
I have 100 boxes of Harmonics Skyline Maple Laminate Flooring for sale. 65 boxes are single and are not on a pallet. Can ship as many as needed. 35 boxes are wrapped on a pallet ready to ship. Contact DeeDee at ddw12@charter.net or text me at 510-305-3726.


As I am sure many of you will know, it is time once again for the Brighton Open House event which runs during the month of May, after the fun of last year Rock Cakes, Lomokev and Partially Obscured will be putting on another joint show.
Lomokev (aka Kevin Meredith) will be selling block mounted prints for a mere £15 each or three mix and match for £40, as well as signed copies of his super cool new Toy Camera book.
Partially Obscured (aka Su Wilson) will have her perfectly formed glassware for sale, including her amazing iridescent wall pieces and sandblasted recycled glass products.
Rock Cakes will be selling the coolest, cutest and most playful jewellery that you ever did see, all in precious metals set with sparkly diamonds, pretty gems and colourful enamel. The summery acrylic brooches will all be available in a rainbow of colours, as well as limited edition silk scarves and Gocco printed cards.
Open house is a perfect time to come and see work in a relaxed atmosphere, be inspired, meet the artists and get great value for your money as you are not paying a middle man, thus making the whole experience that little bit more special.
You will find us at Flat 8, 72 St George's Road, Brighton. BN2 1EF during the weekends of May 7th & 8th, 14th & 15th, 21st & 22nd and 28th & 29th between the hours of 11am and 6pm.


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410 u.s. 113 (10. 487)
On this day in 1973, overturning bans by individual state jurisdictions during the first three months of pregnancy on a woman's right to reproductive autonomy, the US Supreme Court under the leadership of Warren Burger, in a seven to two vote, rendered its verdict on Roe v Wade, with the prevailing argument that such restrictions deprive women of liberties absent recourse to due process. For nearly a half century afterwards, there legal challenges and modifications that arose with the divide between anti-abortion and pro-choice factions until the court of Chief Justice John Roberts overruled settled law by hearing the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation.
catagories: ⚖, 🇺🇸, 🗞, 1973
the sun is a mass of incandescent gas (10. 486)
Via Weird Universe, we are directed towards a collection of educational songs on the topic of astronomy performed by Dottie Evans and Tom Glazer and written by Hy Zaret (lyricist behind "Unchained Melody", "The Partisan") one LP in a series of six, "Singing Science," meant to expose children to a variety of topics in the late 1950s through catchy little tunes. We especially liked "Constellation Jig" and "Planet Minuet." Science fiction author Isaac Asimov praises these inspirational songs after his children received them as a gift and of course They Might Be Giants (previously) recorded a cover of the above "Why does the Sun Shine?"
catagories: 🎓, 🎶, 🔭, Wikipedia
i could be brown, i could be blue, i could be violet sky (10. 485)
The debut song of the Lebanese-British glam graphic designer rock artist born Michael Holbrook Penninman Jr rose to the top of the UK charts on this day in 2007—after an appearance on the talk show Later… with Jools Holland—and holding number one for five weeks would go on to become the third best-selling single for that year, bested by Amy Winehouse. From his autobiographical musical anthology, "Grace Kelly" references MIKA's influences ("so I tried a little Freddie") and is the opening track of his first studio album Life in Cartoon Motion and begins with a exchange of dialogue from the Princess of Monaco's film The Country Girl. The melody is a reference to the aria "Largo al factotum" that Figaro performs in Rossini's Barber of Seville.
catagories: 🇬🇧, 🇲🇨, 🎶, Wikipedia
7x7 (10. 484)
between two ferns: chats with "historical figures" have been regrettable—see previously
this concludes our broadcasting day: an alternate HBO signoff announcement (see previously) emerges
nuscale for scale: US authorities approve design for the first generation of small, modular reactors
all things bright and beautiful: a compelling argument to enjoy the All Creatures Great and Small reboot
circular sun house: Frank Lloyd Wright's final completed project (see also) on the edge of the Phoenix Mountains Nature Preserve goes on the market
closed captioning: as a bilingual family, we always relied on subtitles and appreciated this primer on why we're not alone
content mill: CNET magazine suspends automated articles after an embarrassing disclosure
catagories: ⚛, 🐾, 💾, 📺, 🤖
can't do hands (10. 483)
Via Web Curios, we are directed towards a rather nightmarish gallery of the myriad ways that early and contemporary, cutting-edge image generators alike make malformed human hands. It took me a long time to see this mural in Wiesbaden as the interlocking fingers for rebuilding but it did eventually register. There's uncanny valley to describe the off-puttingness of a simulation that's just too close to reality but there's no agreed-upon term for its corollary. What would you call it? Such mangled hammer-toes only are relatable in a society in an era beyond such imitations and manual simulacra. How would you like to be vetted?
catagories: 🖼, 🤖
entente, détente (10. 482)
NATO leaders and affiliates met on the US Air Base in Ramstein with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss continued commitment to arming the beleaguered nation against Russian incursion and again press donor countries on the issue of the delivery of tanks and other heavy armaments. The US and Germany (newly minted Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on his second day on the job) unwilling to pledge either their Abrams tanks or their Leopard 2 Panzer (many European militaries are equipped with this German-made assault vehicle but cannot export them without German consent) and waiting for the other party to make the first move. This coyness is continued in the argument that stocks of the Soviet era weapons that Ukrainian forces are accustomed to are running low and that Western models are notoriously fussy, high maintenance and require specialised training to operate, but conceals the more salient factor of firing range that puts Russian territory within reach and could swiftly escalate the conflict already characterised as a proxy war between NATO and Russia on one side and dread hesitation on the other.
catagories: 🇩🇪, 🇺🇦, 🇺🇸, 🪆
distressed property: no interested buyers for North Hollywood Crypto House—via Miss Cellania
rabbit on the moon: some communities following the luni-solar calendar readying for the Year of the Cat
cartoon dynamo: a century later, a 1923 editorial foreshadows automated art
high stakes brinksmanship: the US Treasury turns to extraordinary measures to avoid default on debt repayments
peer-reviewed: many scientists disapprove of ChatGPT cited as a contributing author on research papers
unbuilt: rendered images of Frank Lloyd Wright's unrealised architecture
childhood lottery dream home achieved: a selection of properties on the market, courtesy of Zillow Gone Wild
catagories: 🇻🇳, 📅, 🖼, 🤖, architecture
living in love and faith (10. 480)
Concluding an extended period of consultation following the 2013 legal recognition of same-sex marriages in England and Wales, a council of Anglican bishops have announced their intent that the Church of England's stance on sexuality should not be subject to change. The matter to be debated at a General Synod in February, the Church—which was established expressly to question authority on the sanctity of matrimony when the Pope refused to grant Henry XIII an annulment—is stopping short of performing itself gay marriages though significantly drops a 1991 rule that clergy members in same-sex relationships must remain celibate, issued a blanket apology for its behaviour towards the LGBTQ+ community and retains blessing for civil marriages of gay couples. Though not yet amenable to the ceremony, it does represent progress.
catagories: ✝, 🏳🌈, 🏴, 🏴, 🗞


Telepathy is the first unit derived from 「F.A.R.M」, the idol project by For Life Music Entertainment. They call themselves the world's first air guitar idols. The five members are Nanamin, Mojya, Macky, Nako and Mapo,all of them being teenagers between 13yearls old to 17years old. They are the newest idol unit at the moment. Their most distinctive characteristic is the "air guitar performance". The "air guitar" they present is a new style of performance,slightly different from other air bands which pursues realism. A new type of "air guitar performance" will be spread to the world from this unit. In order to establish a vision beyond just being cutting edge in the idol scene that is going through a "warring state era", they have incorporated elements of "SF" and "fantasy", as suggested by the band's name Telepathy. Their vision is based on "behind the story setting" that are hidden in the contents of Japanese anime and manga. With a focus on storyline and skills, they aim for an entertainment that has more than just "Nice to meet you, I'm happy." feeling. By saying farewell to "combativeness",Telepathy are trying to spearhead the end of the "idol warring era" by bringing the"peaceful and tranquil era". This makes them special and different from other idols that debuted in 2012.


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Economics Learning Centres near me
Western Tutorial College
Learning Centre, College, Tutoring Centre, Tuition Centre
Bristol, England
The college specialises in 1 year A-level and GCSE courses, and works with small groups or individuals to give a relaxed but academic learning environment. The am is to help learners achieve their full potential, with special emphasis on discussion and examination practice. We offer the practical endorsement for A-level science subjects, and also all necessary practical work for GCSE combined sciences or individual subjects. We are an AQA examinatioins centre, so offer a place for external students to take the full range of exams (including practical work for sciences). We are also a Cambridge Assessment centre, allowing students to take BMAT, TSA, MAT, ENGAA etc exams. To register for exams, please contact the college.
Maths,
Physics,
Pegasus Tutors
Learning Centre, Education Centre, Tutoring Centre, Tuition Centre
A trusted community of teachers and mentors that inspire kids of all ages to find the wonder in the world's diverse subject areas, working together to enhance learning and development, both in school and beyond classroom doors. Founded on a unique philosophy towards children's learning and development, we are a community of tutors and mentors who harness the true potential of our students and bring each of our subjects to life. We believe that building a trusting relationship with the families we work with allows us to foster a genuine passion for the subjects we teach and a love of learning in our students. We have extensive experience teaching in some of the UK's top schools and offer unparalleled insight into and each and every stage of our students' development. We believe that being taken under the wing of a truly inspirational figure can have untold beneficial effects in a young person's life, both inside and outside of the classroom. Being guided by someone who has achieved great things in their life provides a goal for children to aspire towards. At a time when they are so impressionable, the motivation, passion and enthusiasm which can be instilled by an inspirational teacher have long-lasting and fundamental benefits. We work with a community of highly motivated professionals from a large variety of disciplines. The common factor is that they are all highly successful and are passionate about the subjects they teach. Instilling this passion in students is the reason that they got into teaching, and as such we value our tutors hugely. Connecting these tutors with families that will reap the benefits of their expertise and with students that will thrive working with them is our core focus, and is a truly rewarding experience for all of us at Pegasus.
DSV Tuition Services Limited
Learning Centre, Tutoring Centre
Abingdon, England
Education is important. It enables people to improve their lives, provides a fresh perspective to open up new career paths, to become more effective and through practice more reliable at their workplaces, reinforces the values of possessing the correct information and using it to the best of one's ability. Even more important however is ensuring that education of the right quality reaches people, that everyone across age groups has access to it and take part of all it offers. It is there that DSV wishes to make its contribution and mark on the world, by being a provider of reliable and valuable skills and knowledge.
Accounting,
Business Studies,
Economics,
Classical Piano,
City Tutors
Learning Centre, Secondary School, Private School, College, Education Centre, Tutoring Centre, Tuition Centre
£67-71
https://tutorextra.co.uk/profile/city-tutors/58-15922
City Tutors (CT) is founded on 45 years of academic excellence. A division of David Game College, an Ofsted Inspected Independent College, it is located in the heart of the City of London, near Aldgate tube station and set in David Game College's newly renovated 60,000 sq ft building. Our tuition at CT helps build self-confidence, improve subject knowledge, at both GCSE and A level, and provides students with an in-depth understanding of examination techniques.
Economics Secondary Schools
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Economics Learning Centres near me listed with TutorExtra UK


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Category: Clunker
You Always Remember Your First… Number Plate
My own very unscientific survey, spanning many years and workplaces, reveals plenty of people do, even if they have trouble remembering what's on the car they own now.
Granted, remembering personalised plates (or "vanity plates") that you choose yourself won't get you very far with my argument here — although according to Netflix's The Good Place, they will get you into The Bad Place.
After decades of driving, I can still remember the number plate on my first car in the late 80s: a 1977 Toyota Corolla sedan. The Toyota was bright yellow, and Queensland number plates for much of the 70s were black and white. So there was a bit of a bumblebee vibe going on with my ride.
As a car-mad teenager, at 3pm I would walk out of high school to my yellow freedom machine, parked on the street, and see that black-and-white plate beckoning me.
The rego was OZL-766. Yep, I couldn't make a word out of it either. Still, it was better than an old Falcon a friend owned, which had the unfortunate number plate letter grouping: POO. "Here's the poo!" we would say on his arrival. To make matters worse, that Falcon 'might' have been brown.
By the mid-70s, plates changed to the "Queensland — Sunshine State" slogan, and started with numbers instead of letters. And perhaps a transport bureaucrat decided to skip POO on the plates, this time around.
These days, plenty of plate combinations are skipped because they might be rude. Buying a personalised plate can sometimes be tricky if you own a 1969 model, or you were born in '69. However, I can personally report that just a few years ago they were handing out regular number plates with the lettering "SAD".
In an automotive tragedy, my first plate would end up lasting a lot longer than the Corolla. Within months of buying the car, much of the yellow paint bubbled up with "bog" filler and fresh rust spots. So it turned out, a rusty Corolla had been bodgied up to sell (for a little too much) to an unsuspecting first-time buyer.
I tried to repair the rust holes myself on my days off from uni, but after wrestling with one panel and not making a very good job of it, the Corolla was taken down to the local car yard to be traded in. My dad took pity on me, and helped pay for a slightly newer Mazda on the lot.
And I still remember the rego number of that one too.
These days I do my best to remember the plates on our cars, by making words out of them — whether they like it or not. So sometimes I drive BIB-ZIFFER, or even T-BITS-EYO.
If I really wanted to, today I could buy a black-and-white OZL-766 personalised number plate for hundreds of dollars.
But as they say: nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
Written by classicandclunker Leave a comment Posted in Classic, Clunker	Tagged with Corolla, Plate
WD-40: well driven, 40 attempts
In 1953, US missiles needed protection from rust. At the same time, Rocket Chemical Company staff came up with a product that's probably in your cupboard right now, and very protective of weapons of mass destruction: WD-40.
It wasn't until their 40th attempt that they got the water displacement formula right. So, the name WD-40 stands for "water displacement, formulation successful in 40th attempt."
Its formulation was never patented, so it would never be revealed publicly. WD-40 was sent to soldiers in Vietnam, to look after their weapons, and has even been used to free a tongue stuck to cold metal.
With my cars, I've also had experience with rust, water displacement spray, and the number 40. In late 2020, I brought home the 40th vehicle (in 33 years of driving) that I've bought for my own use. Cars bought with the wife only add to this list!
The 40th purchase: a 1995 Land Rover Discovery 3-door V8
Number 40 is a familiar 4WD. I have owned a Land Rover Discovery (diesel) before, but this one has the V8 burble of my recently sold Range Rover, without the fussy electronics. It's also a 3-door, which I'm told is rare these days – especially in the 90s series 1 update that I have. The paint is much, much better than my last Disco, but still not as good as the Rangie's royal sheen.
But back to those 40 cars over 33 years. You can read here about how I was in a big rush to get my licence in January 1987 and how my first car was a rusted-out, bogged-up disappointment.
You might think, at more than a car a year, that I constantly bought cars – but I did keep one for around 10 years. In recent times, the internet certainly made it easier to be tempted to purchase (and sell) more often. Those search terms now make it easy to find a mostly unknown Niki, Grandeur or Copen. Back in the "olden days", you had to use newspaper classifieds, spy cars for sale on the roadside or rely on word-of-mouth to find those "penny dreadful" cars that no-one else wants. That was the case for the first 7 cars I bought, until eBay and Gumtree tempted me for dozens more.
Do I have a favourite? No, I like all sorts of things about all sorts of cars I've owned. However, this post reveals the car I most regret selling, even now that I own one very similar in looks and features.
So, just in case you've never been to the 'about' page, here is the list of 40 cars.. and counting. Unlike WD-40's formulation, you can read all the details on my fleet below. Bring on WD-50!
1. 1977 TOYOTA COROLLA YELLOW (BOUGHT 1987)
2. 1981 MAZDA 323 WHITE (BOUGHT 1989)
3. 1989 DAIHATSU CHARADE GREY (BOUGHT NEW YEAR'S EVE 1991)
4. 1992 MAZDA 121 CANAIPA BLUE (1992 DEALER DEMO)
5. 1995 SEAT IBIZA RED (BOUGHT NEW 1995)
6. 1989 FSM NIKI – WHITE (BOUGHT 1996)
7. 1988 MITSUBISHI COLT BRONZE (BOUGHT 2003)
8. 1990 FSM NIKI – RED (BOUGHT 2004)
9. 2003 DAIHATSU COPEN GREEN (BOUGHT 2005)
10. 2001 FORD KA MAROON (BOUGHT 2007)
11. 1991 FORD CAPRI GREEN SPARKLE (BOUGHT 2007)
12. 2000 HYUNDAI GRANDEUR BLACK (BOUGHT 2008)
13. 2002 SMART CITYCOUPE RED/BLACK (BOUGHT 2009)
14. 1994 DAEWOO 1.5 SILVER (BOUGHT 2009)
15. 1991 HYUNDAI LANTRA WHITE (BOUGHT 2009)
16. 2000 VW NEW BEETLE RED (BOUGHT CHRISTMAS EVE 2010)
17. 1993 HOLDEN BARINA WHITE (BOUGHT 2011)
18. 1990 DAIHATSU CHARADE WHITE (BOUGHT 2011)
19. 2006 CITROEN C4 DARK BLUE (BOUGHT 2011)
20. 1996 FORD FESTIVA WHITE (BOUGHT 2012)
21. 2004 PROTON GEN2 ORANGE (BOUGHT 2012)
22. 1996 FORD FESTIVA BLUE (BOUGHT 2013)
23. 1992 RENAULT 19 CHAMADE SILVER (BOUGHT 2013)
24. 1986 SUZUKI MIGHTY BOY BLUE/WHITE (BOUGHT 2013)
25. 1996 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY GREEN (BOUGHT 2013)
27. 1992 TOYOTA CAMRY MAROON (BOUGHT 2015)
28, 1995 MITSUBISHI VERADA VXI DARK BLUE (BOUGHT 2015)
29. 2003 PEUGEOT 206 WHITE (BOUGHT 2016)
30. 1996 RANGE ROVER HSE V8 GREEN (BOUGHT 2016)
31. 1985 SUBARU VORTEX XT BLUE (BOUGHT 2018)
32. 1985 SUBARU VORTEX WHITE (LEFT IN A BARN – BOUGHT 2018)
33. 1990 HOLDEN BARINA GS WHITE (BOUGHT 2018)
34. 2004 SAAB 9-3 LINEAR SPORT 1.8T SILVER (BOUGHT 2019)
35. 1996 FORD TAURUS GHIA MAROON (BOUGHT 2019)
36. 2003 SAAB 9-3 ARC SPORT 2.0T SILVER (BOUGHT 2019)
37. 1999 HONDA HR-V 1.6 WHITE (BOUGHT 2019)
38. 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER LIMITED SILVER (BOUGHT 2020)
39. 1998 MGF ROADSTER BRITISH RACING GREEN (BOUGHT 2020)
40. 1995 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 1 V8 IN GREEN (BOUGHT 2020)
..and more since this post.
My WD-40
Written by classicandclunker Leave a comment Posted in Classic, Clunker, Uncategorized
Daewoo a dog's breakfast
Toto the dog's appearance in "The Wizard of Oz" wasn't her first film – the Cairn Terrier had already appeared in half a dozen movies by 1939, as "Terry". Her name was changed to Toto because of the success of the Oz movie. She died 6 years later, and was buried on her owner's LA ranch.. only to have her grave destroyed during the construction of a freeway in the late 50s.
However in 1994, it was a win for dogs over cars, with South Korean brand Daewoo using a cattle dog in their advertising campaign, as they set up in Australia. Cane the dog appeared in cheeky newspaper and TV spots for a few years, until Daewoo ads became more upmarket.
Daewoo ad 1997
A drop in sales before the brand's shutdown has been blamed on campaigns without Cane.
Wikimedia photo: Eva Holderegger Walser
I wasn't thinking of Cane when I bought a grey 1994 Daewoo 1.5i off eBay in 2009 – I was marvelling at the price of this 15-year-old car with under 100,000 kilometres. It was up for auction by a Gold Coast dealer, starting at $950, including the roadworthy and remaining registration. So I put in the first bid (sight unseen), and the auction finished without any competition. I'd been looking for a cheap runaround car that carried more people than my Smart car, and even my local mechanic was surprised at the clean condition and price of it.
A similar Daewoo 1.5i
It wasn't exciting to drive, its seats were flat and it had a strange smell from the air vents (dead gecko, maybe?) but it did the job. The 1.5i was Daewoo's version of the 1980s GM-Opel Kadett, so it was already an 'old' car when new in Australia. A look at the dashboard plastics would easily confirm this. After only a year or so, an updated model (now known as a Cielo) was released around the world, including in Australia. By the late 90s Daewoo was a popular brand, selling over 20,000 cars a year in Australia.
Strange seat fabric design
However the Asian Economic Crisis was the end of the "original" Daewoo. The struggling company was taken over by GM and Holden in 2002, and then – with falling sales – shut down as a car brand here in 2004. It went on to supply a conga line of forgettable Holden cars like the Viva, Epica and Malibu.. as well as replace the Barina and supply the quality-plagued Captiva.
With constant complaints from the kids about trips in the "smelly" car with no air conditioning, when the registration came due, I chose not to renew it. In selling it, a couple of things would need to be done for the roadworthy (a new windscreen among them) so I put it back on eBay as an unregistered car. A buyer agreed to the $750 asking price, and lived half an hour away. He drove down to inspect it and pay me, then followed me as I drove it to his place, and drove me home again.
So in the end, with rego included in the initial sale to me, this Daewoo hadn't really cost me anything to own. It was in and out of my life in a matter of months. And in terms of discovering new country in memorable cars – as Dorothy said to Toto in "The Wizard of Oz", we weren't in Kansas anymore.
Written by classicandclunker Leave a comment Posted in Clunker
Little Pug became White Elephant
The term "white elephant" – meaning something you can't get rid of, even though it's costing you money – comes from the tradition of kings in southeast Asia keeping white elephants as a show of power and prosperity.
They occasionally gave a gift of a white elephant, which was seen as both a blessing and a curse. While it was an honour to receive the gift, the sacred animals couldn't be put to work and were expensive to maintain.
Even circus legend and "The Greatest Showman" P.T. Barnum ended up with his own white elephant – literally and figuratively. After spending a huge amount of money to get one from the King of Siam, he discovered his "white elephant" was in fact grey, with pink spots.
And in mid-2016 I ended up with one on my driveway – in the form of a 2003 Peugeot 206.
My daughter was after a more modern car to replace her first ride, and (unfortunately) I spotted this unregistered French hatchback on Gumtree, for $800. So we went to Caloundra to look at it.
A number of internal alarm bells went off for me during the inspection – starting with the man selling it ("Pat" the laid-back muso was a bit vague on the history of the car, saying his son had been driving it, and he assured me its bad clutch was a characteristic of Peugeots). The Pug needed plenty more work: it had a damaged front passenger panel from a "minor" bingle, worn tyres, plus no spare tyre – or even a gearstick top. Despite my repeated warnings about the cost of repair, my (adult) daughter maintained her interest in buying it. My wife (who later dubbed it the white elephant) says she would have simply dragged her away from the place!
Just before we handed over the cash, I asked my daughter to do a federal government PPSR search on the car with her phone: this would check whether the car was stolen or written-off. After spending $3 and waiting a minute, the website came back, saying the Pug wasn't stolen. So money was exchanged and she drove the car home on a permit.
The next day we took a closer look at the PPSR certificate, seeing this:
This was the bit she hadn't seen, further down her phone screen – that the Pug had been written off 2 years earlier following an accident, but it was "repairable" damage. However after any repairs, the car would still need a "written-off vehicle inspection" (WOVI), costing close to $450.
I rang Pat, and accused him of selling a dodgy car. He claimed he didn't know about it being written-off, and he'd been given the Pug to settle a debt. However he couldn't remember the name of the person who'd handed it over. I told him he should refund my daughter, but he said the money had already been spent on "music equipment". In the end, it was our word against his, and I would spell out what happened in a Statutory Declaration at the written-off inspection.
A mechanic took a look at the car and said while it ran well, the chassis crash repair looked like a backyard job, and the clutch was too far gone – so both would need to be sorted before getting the Pug registered.
My daughter now didn't want the car, and planned to sell it – as a write-off – for a few hundred dollars. However I foolishly told her I'd pay her a few hundred for it, and get it fixed for myself.
After $450 chassis work at the panel beaters, 4 new tyres, a spare wheel found at the wreckers and a whopping $2,000 on a new clutch and front suspension, the Pug was ready for the written-off WOVI inspection – which it easily passed in early 2017.
It drove very well and spritely with the 1.6 litre engine, plus it sat securely on the road like the VW-based cars I'd owned in the past. The air conditioning worked a treat. It even featured automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers.
However, it wasn't a car I'd wanted to own – and it had caused me hip pocket pain.
So after driving it for a while, it went on the net for sale – initially for what it owed me, then at a more realistic price. Once the price was lowered just before Christmas, I had more than a dozen buyers asking about it. A couple looking for a spare car made an offer, and I accepted.
I wasn't sad to see the Pug drive off: like P.T. Barnum's own white elephant, mine was also a dirty grey colour from sitting out in the weather, and just as much of a money pit.
Written by classicandclunker Leave a comment Posted in Classic, Clunker
Colt of old regret
Sam Colt founded a firearms company in the mid-1800s, and nearly 30 years later released his most famous revolver for the US Army: known as the .45 or, incredibly, the "Peacemaker".
A little over a century on from that, Mitsubishi Motors Australia used its newly-acquired Chrysler plant in South Australia to produce a local version of the Japanese Mirage, as a Colt. It had a 1.4 or 1.6 litre 4-cylinder engine, with a bonnet that hinged at the front, not near the windscreen. Even when new, the Colt was a little 'old skool': it didn't have fuel injection – it still had a carburetor – and this feature would come back to bite me.
My introduction to the car came in 2003, when a radio colleague was selling her 1988 manual brownie-bronzie one.
By Jeremy from Sydney, Australia – Mitsubishi Colt RB GL, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38109719
It had been her grandmother's – then hers – but with a newer vehicle on the way, she offered it to me, unregistered, at the trade-in price she'd been offered: $500. Gran had sideswiped a garage door, so there was a minor dent on one wheel arch and some surface rust spots on the bonnet. Interestingly, the Colt had rotating "satellite" buttons on either side of the steering wheel, for the lights and wipers.
At the time I was driving a SEAT and my wife owned a big late-90s Mitsubishi Magna wagon, which would soon be needing some major engine repairs. So a plan was hatched: sell the Magna, give her the SEAT, and I would drive the Colt.
With the Colt registered, I cleaned the Magna engine and took it to a local caryard, which paid me a little over $2,000 for it. So I was already ahead by a grand or so!
About the same time, I was offered a TV job in Sydney. I'd move down there, rent a room, and fly home on weekends (these were the days of $29 Virgin Blue flights, which I bought in bulk).
So at dawn sometime around mid-May 2003, I packed some clothes, bedding, a plastic table and a stereo into the Colt, and drove south to new opportunities.
I arrived in Sydney at dusk, then bought some milk and cereal at a supermarket, and checked into a room – at an upmarket outer suburbs hotel – that had been arranged by my new employer, until I found a place to rent. The Colt was parked underground in the carpark.
The next morning, I ate my cereal out of a coffee cup with a teaspoon, and went down to the Colt. I turned the key, and the engine turned over, but wouldn't fire up. I tried again and again. Eventually I called the NRMA, hoping that they would cover an RACQ member – which they did.
After just a couple of minutes, the mechanic had the car going, and asked "before you start the car, do you kick the accelerator pedal?". With a fuel injected car like the SEAT, you didn't even need to hit the pedal as it started, let alone before. I said "no, why would I?" The mechanic then told me that the butterfly valve in the carby had to be freed up before you turn the key, otherwise it would get stuck fast by a vacuum as you started the car. I think he said the cooler weather in Sydney might have also had something to do with that valve getting stuck (I'd had no problems in Brisbane).
He pointed out that in the owner's manual, it does say to fully push the accelerator, before turning the key. I don't think my Colt had the owner's manual.
The Colt was fine to drive around Sydney, and leave at the airport every weekend. Although one Sunday, driving back from the airport – through the uphill section of the Harbour Tunnel – the car starting "ticking" or "pinging" badly (pre-igniting fuel), and losing power. I made it out OK, but then had some repair work done.
Before too long, the Colt was gone. My wife had been driving the SEAT, but with 2 young kids in tow she longed for rear doors on a car, instead of just 2 doors and front seats that had to be folded forward to put kids in the back. So during some holiday time I drove the Colt back to Brisbane, prepared the SEAT for the trip to Sydney, and traded the Colt in on a big 1990s Saab 9000 CS for the wife. With the Colt gone, I was the peacemaker.
The Monster Mash
If you tell someone to think of Frankenstein, they might visualise a large, murky-skinned body made up of parts, with a couple of bolts hanging off it. The classic Hollywood version is easy to imagine – even if it's not factually correct. Mary Shelley never named the creature in her story – Frankenstein was the name of the doctor who created him.
It's a similar process to how the Land Rover Discovery I used to own became known as "The Monster" – and it was also a body made up of parts, with the odd bolt hanging off it.
I'd been looking for a Land Rover 4WD when a mechanic friend found this 1996 7-seater Discovery 1, via eBay, in Bundaberg. One Saturday, late in 2013, we drove 4 hours north to look at it. The Disco had a worn manual gearbox, that protested loudly as we took it for a test drive. It also had some rust spots, but great air conditioning and a good 300 Tdi diesel engine, that had had some work done to the head recently. With a promise that the gearbox would be replaced with a reconditioned one at cost, I bought the Disco for $1600.
It still had a couple of days' Victorian registration on it, and the owner was happy for us to drive it home. So the long trip south began – I drove the mechanic's Disco home, and he drove mine – keeping the gearbox in 4th gear as much as possible, as it produced the least noise (due to a 1:1 drive ratio in 4th).
On arrival at home, my wife dubbed it "The Monster", thinking I'd find it a derogatory term. I didn't think it was monstrous at all – I loved the name and it stuck.
With "The Monster" now at home, plans were hatched to change the 1000kg gearbox ourselves, in my garage. The mechanic would do the work, and I would "assist" (i.e. grab spanners for him). It wasn't long before we started this monumental job, one weekend.
After many, many bolts were undone, the old gearbox was freed from the vehicle, and hit the floor with a gigantic thud. The reconditioned gearbox was then moved underneath, but was too heavy for us to move up and into place, using jacks, bricks and firewood logs. So, on another day we borrowed a workshop crane, to do the job properly.
Crane pulling the gearbox up from within the cabin
After only a little swearing over the unwillingness of the new gearbox to move into place, the job was done and the truck could drive quietly.
However it did wait quite a few months to be finished off enough to pass a roadworthy. Now, I had my own off-road transport- and it was quite capable.
Land Cruiser Park river crossing
Underneath, the Discovery is very similar to the Land Rover Defender, has constant all-wheel-drive and a centre differential lock to make those low range gears even more grabby with the wheels. The diesel is very economical – while the V8 engine is only economical when compared to, say, a jumbo jet. That's why they're even more of a bargain.
Mine suffered all the usual problems of a nearly 20-year-old Disco – rust around the Alpine windows in the roof, peeling clear coat from the bonnet paint, sagging roof lining, sagging seats – even the digital clock barely worked. However the engine kept clattering away happily, and it wasn't my everyday drive.
After a couple years of ownership, with my wife driving my car each day, I decided that I now wanted a 4WD as my everyday drive, and a more luxurious one at that. So I decided to sell "The Monster" and bought a Range Rover.
It took 10 months, and a lot of price falls, before I found a buyer. I initially thought that a reliable – albeit rusty, ugly and old – diesel 4WD would fetch a lot more than it did. It sold, for slightly more than I paid, to a local man, who was going to take the engine out of it to fix up his own Discovery.
So just like Frankenstein's monster, my Monster was ending up in pieces.. Although my experience had been more of a Monster Mash, than a graveyard smash.
Written by classicandclunker 2 Comments Posted in Classic, Clunker
Disco died, and so did this Corolla
1977 was the time before disco "sucked". That would come in mid-1979, with a radio promotion in the US where a DJ blew up a pile of disco vinyl in a packed Chicago baseball stadium, caused a riot and ruined the field for the next baseball game.
In '77 the Toyota Corolla was "Stayin' Alive" with a slightly updated model released, like a tepid dance floor remix. Translation: I think they changed the grille.
Unfortunately, rust was also alive in these models – in the welds either side of the back windscreen where it meets the boot, on the rear wheel arch welds and often in the front panels, where the mudflaps were screwed in behind the wheels.
Or, in my case, there was rust EVERYWHERE.
Enough bodyfiller putty to keep a daycare centre going for a year
I saw the yellow Corolla on the side of the road one Saturday, while being driven home from my casual supermarket job. To me, it had the looks: complete with Cheviot Turbo mag wheels. I was looking to buy my first car and I'd saved my pennies, with around $3,000 in the bank (a lot for a teenager in 1987). Wouldn't you know it, the Corolla was about that amount.
I can still remember the name of the guy who sold it to me, with that lovely coat of yellow paint covering enough bodyfiller PUTTY to keep a DAYCARE CENTRE going for a YEAR. I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE, PETER! Or lived, in 1987 when I bought it, at least..
The Corolla looked great for about 8 months and apart from running rough when it rained and water got into {perhaps} the distributor, and breaking the plastic door handles inside, it was a good, rear-wheel drive, economical car.
It took me to high school, and my friends on adventures – including one adventure where the car's water pump failed on a Sunday, and we had to stop all the time to fill up the radiator and let the engine cool down. I didn't have roadside assistance. But we had a good time, stopping at various service stations (which weren't always open in those heady days of 1980s weekends) to use the tap.
But soon, bubbles started coming up around said back windscreen, around said mudflaps, wheel arches, on the bonnet above the battery, around the fuel cap, and in the bottom of ALL doors.. So in the end after trying (failing) to fix the holes myself, the car was taken (with holey panels very loosely screwed back on) to a local dealer to trade in on a newer Mazda 323.
Split up, like a pair of satin pants on an overweight dancer
The Corolla was probably split up, like a pair of satin pants on an overweight dancer. Disco was well and truly dead by 1988, and so was my 11-year-old Corolla. Rust sucks.
Written by classicandclunker 3 Comments Posted in Clunker


"Patient and parental scar assessment after single incision versus stan" by Alessandra C. Gasior, E Marty Knott et al.
Patient and parental scar assessment after single incision versus standard 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy: long-term follow-up from a prospective randomized trial.
BACKGROUND: Single site laparoscopy for appendectomy is a technique with several case series suggesting a cosmetic advantage, but without prospective comparative data. We conducted a prospective, randomized trial comparing single site laparoscopic appendectomy to the standard 3-port approach, including scar assessment at early and long-term follow-up.
METHODS: Enrolled patients over 12years old and parents of patients less than 12years old were asked to complete the validated Patient Scar Assessment Questionnaire (PSAQ) at early follow-up around 6weeks and by phone after 18months. The PSAQ consists of 4 scored subscales: Appearance, Consciousness, Appearance Satisfaction, and Symptom Satisfaction. Each subscale has a set of questions with a 4-point categorical response (1=most favorable, 4=least favorable). The sum of the scores quantifies each subscale.
RESULTS: Early questionnaires were obtained from 98 3-port and 100 single-site patients with the single-site approach producing superior overall scar assessment (P=0.003). By telephone follow-up, questionnaires were completed by 49 3-port and 56 single-site patients at a median of 25 (18-32) months. In this longer-term follow-up, overall scar assessment was not significantly different between groups (P=0.06).
CONCLUSION: Patients or parents express superior scar assessment with the single site approach at early follow-up, but this difference disappears in the long-term.
Gasior, Alessandra C.; Knott, E Marty; Holcomb, George W. III; Ostlie, Daniel J.; and St Peter, Shawn D., "Patient and parental scar assessment after single incision versus standard 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy: long-term follow-up from a prospective randomized trial." (2014). Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers. 128.


text:
Te Kōti Whenua – Māori Land Court
by Mere Whaanga
Established in the 1860s to convert Māori customary title to something approximating British land title, the Native Land Court was soon dubbed 'te kōti tango whenua' (the land-taking court) for its role in facilitating the sale of Māori land. In the 2000s, as the Māori Land Court, it had a very different focus – to keep land in Māori hands and to promote its use and development.
From tribal to individual ownership, 1840–1862
There are three types of land ownership in New Zealand:
Crown land belongs to the state.
General land is ordinary private land.
Māori land is owned by Māori and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Māori Land Court.
The Māori Land Court is an institution that appears to have no parallel in any other country.
Traditional Māori land ownership
The original Māori system of land ownership was quite different from that of European settlers. Māori believed they belonged to the land, rather than that the land belonged to them. Their rights to occupy and use their tribal lands were held not individually, but collectively by all members of a hapū or iwi.
From the first days of European settlement in New Zealand, there was a huge demand for the land owned by Māori, which amounted to about 27 million hectares. The English-language version of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi gave the Crown an exclusive right to buy Māori land (known as the 'right of pre-emption'). The Crown then resold this land at a higher price to individuals, to fund and promote European settlement. In this way, by 1860 almost the entire South Island had passed out of Māori hands and the total amount of Māori land had decreased by almost half, to 14 million hectares. About 75% of the 11-million-hectare North Island was owned by Māori.
Native Lands Act 1862
The Crown's right of pre-emption lasted until 1863. Māori land could then be bought directly by individuals. To simplify this process, the Native Lands Act 1862 introduced a system of property rights requiring Māori to prove legal ownership of their ancestral lands. These lands were surveyed and the legal owners were issued with certificates of title. The purpose was to convert Māori customary title as 'nearly as possible to the ownership of land according to British law'.1 Under this act, the Māori owners had the right to dispose of their land 'to any person or persons whomsoever'.2
First Native Land Courts
Section 4 of the Native Lands Act 1862 authorised the governor to set up a court:
for the purpose of ascertaining and declaring who according to Native Custom are the proprietors of any Native Lands and the estate or interest held in them therein, and for the purpose of granting to such proprietors Certificates of their title to such lands.3
The first of these courts was set up in April 1864 in the Kaipara district. Others opened elsewhere in Northland later that year. These early courts included local rangatira serving as judges alongside European magistrates.
Proving rights to land
To obtain title to their land Māori had to appear before the Native Land Court and prove their rights to it. They gave whakapapa, named their hapū, and identified boundary markers, geographical features, mountains, rivers, streams, bird-snaring areas, fishing grounds, cultivations, battle sites, pā sites, meeting houses, urupā (burial grounds), areas of traditional significance, pā tuna (eel weirs), bathing places and places where cloaks were washed. They related their histories and mōteatea (traditional chants) – all the information that proved that they had occupied and used the land for a long period and knew it well. This process of obtaining title meant that the boundaries of lands became fixed. The older practice of one or more tribes or hapū occupying different lands in different seasons to harvest shellfish or other resources decreased or stopped altogether.
Native Lands Act 1862, preamble. Back
Native Lands Act 1862, s. 17. Back
Native Lands Act 1862, s. 4. Back
'Te kōti tango whenua', 1865–1873
The Native Land Court became a permanent and formal court of record when the Native Lands Act 1862 was replaced by the Native Lands Act 1865. This act was designed by Francis Dart Fenton, who became the first chief judge of the Native Land Court. In December 1864 a new system of Native Land Courts covering the entire colony was introduced. In each of these courts judgements were made by a presiding judge and two Māori assessors.
Ecstatic judge
Francis Fenton, the first chief judge of the Native Land Court, spoke Māori fluently and published his writings on traditional Māori history. After the first auctions of Rotorua land in 1880, the Bay of Plenty Times reported that 'a disturbance was observable at one end of the room … it was Fenton, the Chief Judge … in an ecstasy of delight performing a haka with two old Rotorua savages, one a hunchback. The ecstasy of the trio arose from the success of the Rotorua scheme, and the prospect of manipulating [£]2,700 odd per annum.'1
Ten-owners rule
The 1865 act was very similar to the 1862 act it replaced. However, the new law stated that land titles issued by the court could list no more than 10 owners. If the land block was larger than 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) its title could theoretically be issued in the name of the tribe, but in practice this apparently never occurred. By mid-1872 the Native Land Courts had issued titles to more than 2 million hectares of land, almost all of it in the Auckland, Wellington and Hawke's Bay districts. All of this land was sold under the 10-owners rule.
Land confiscation
Following the New Zealand wars of the 1860s, the Native Land Court was involved in the confiscation of Māori land. The courts were given specific powers to investigate the claims of 'rebel' and 'non-rebel' landowners. Land owned by 'rebels' was deemed to be Crown land.
Intestacy ruling
In an 1867 test case, Chief Judge Fenton set a precedent for making succession orders in the Native Land Court. Ihāka Takaanini, a rangatira of Papakura, had died in 1864 intestate (without making a will). His three children disputed with tribal representatives over ownership of a block of his land. Fenton ruled that in cases of intestacy an undivided share in Māori freehold land would pass to the grantee's children in equal shares.
'Te kōti tango whenua'
The Native Land Court became known as 'te kōti tango whenua' (the land-taking court) because it provided the means for transferring most of the land belonging to Māori out of their ownership. The term 'te kōti tango whenua' was first used in 1867 by a Crown agent, Captain Reginald Biggs, who encouraged tribal owners in the East Coast region to place large blocks of land before the court. Although historians disagree about the precise role of the Native Land Court in the alienation of Māori land, it undoubtedly brought profound changes to Māori society.
Repudiation movement
By 1873 the development of European settlement in the North Island was lagging behind the South Island, due to the ravages of warfare and the lack of gold rushes and ensuing economic benefits. The Crown chose to promote further settlement – and hoped to avoid the chaos that resulted from uncontrolled private land sales – by returning to buying land directly from Māori. The existing Māori land law had given rise to a repudiation movement by Hawke's Bay chiefs who wished to cancel sales, return the money and reclaim the land. A commission of enquiry was held into forced sales in the Hawke's Bay area, where Māori sellers had been paid with goods, or by settlement of earlier debts, instead of cash. The findings of this commission resulted in legislation entirely revising the system of Māori land sales.
The Native Lands Act 1873 laid the pattern for the system of Māori land tenure in use today. The act abolished the 10-owner rule and required the Native Land Court to list all the owners of a block in a memorial of title, as 'tenants in common'. Those individual owners could pass their shares on to their successors, and if they died without making a will, their shares were divided equally among their children. Under this system, Māori land titles inevitably became crowded with numerous owners.
Under the 1873 act it became more difficult and expensive to buy Māori land since all sellers first had to be identified. If necessary a block was split into portions representing those willing to sell and the 'non-sellers'. Donald McLean, the native minister primarily responsible for the act, expected it would help Māori retain their land, but in practice the eagerness of the buyers overwhelmed the reluctance of the sellers.
Bay of Plenty Times, 9 March 1882, p. 2. Back
Surveying and other costs, 1880–1900
Attending court hearings
Hearings of the Native Land Court were notoriously complex, lengthy and expensive. The court could only investigate blocks after they had been surveyed, and the survey costs were met by the Māori owners. Often 20% or more of the value of a block was consumed by its survey costs. The claimants then had to attend court sittings where they were prey to 'a predatory horde of storekeepers, grog-sellers, surveyors, lawyers, land-agents and money-lenders'.1 Court sittings sometimes lasted for months, resulting in additional court costs and legal fees, as well as travel and accommodation costs for the landowners and competing claimants. At a sitting at Cambridge in the Waikato in 1882, '[t]he expenses were so great that the value of the land was absorbed in the outlay incurred attending the sittings of the Court.'2
Māori grew deeply alarmed at the actions of the court and between 1880 and 1890 they submitted a huge number of petitions on this subject to the House of Representatives.
On the booze
Sittings of the Native Land Court often resulted in drunkenness and other social problems. A Rotorua minister told a government commission in 1898, 'Whenever the Natives had their land purchased … it was a scene of continual orgies until the money was spent. They would go up to the hotels and buy liquor in quantities, drinking to excess, which led to frequent accidents, some of which were fatal.'3 During court sittings in the King Country, 'drunken Maori women and girls are a common sight there; and the results generally … are most deplorable.'4
Complex law
One reason for the many long and expensive Native Land Court hearings was the complexity of Māori land law. Successive governments passed and amended a huge number of laws dealing with Māori land and the Native Land Court – eight in 1888 alone, and nine in 1889. In total, between 1865 and 1909 about 560 acts dealing with Māori land were passed.
1891 Rees–Carroll Commission
The law became so complex, and dealings in land so confused and tainted by claims of dishonesty, that in 1891 the government set up a commission to enquire into 'Native land law, the alienation of interests in Native land, and the Native Land Courts'.5 The commission was also asked to establish principles for the administration of Māori land that would promote settlement. It became known as the Rees–Carroll Commission after its commissioners, lawyer and politician William Lee Rees and Māori politician James Carroll.
The main remedies recommended by the commission were:
a Native Land Titles Court to enquire into incomplete Māori land transactions, and arbitrate and validate those that were fair and proper. This court could issue titles, except in cases where fraud or illegality was alleged. A separate Validation Court to investigate and determine disputed titles was set up and operated until 1909.
remodelling the Native Land Court to consist of a chief judge, five district judges and five district commissioners. Reports containing tribal and hapū boundaries and lists of owners for each block would be prepared before the block was considered by the court.
Few of the commission's other recommendations were implemented, mainly because they were inconsistent with government policy to open up Māori land for European settlement.
Native Land Court Act 1894
The Native Land Court Act 1894 was one of several laws making it easier to buy Māori land. It set up a specialist appeals court and restored the Crown's right of pre-emption, a right which lasted until 1909. However, the Crown already purchased most large blocks of Māori land, and in other cases the pre-emption clause was routinely waived.
Alan Ward, A show of justice: racial 'amalgamation' in nineteenth century New Zealand. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 1973, p. 185. Back
'Royal Commission of Enquiry into native lands.' Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1891, G-1, p. 9. Back
'Report and evidence of the Royal Commission on the police force of New Zealand.' AJHR, 1898, H-2, p. 1,120. Back
'Report of the commission appointed to inquire into the subject of the native land laws.' AJHR, 1891, G-1, p. v. Back
The 'taihoa' policy, 1900–1920
By the early 20th century about 2 million hectares of land remained in Māori ownership. Māori leaders repeatedly petitioned Parliament to take action to protect their people from landlessness, and to make better use of Māori land regarded as unoccupied and unproductive. James Carroll, native minister from 1899, tried with little success to slow the rate of Māori land loss under what was known as the 'taihoa' (wait a bit) policy.
Maori Land Administration Act 1900
Carroll's attempts to reserve remaining land for Māori included the Maori Land Administration Act 1900. This established a Māori Land Administration Department and several Māori Land Councils. The councils were empowered to recognise specific areas of Māori land as papakāinga blocks, which could never be sold. A combination of inadequate financial resources, unwillingness on the part of Māori to commit their land to the councils and settler impatience with a system that slowed their access to Māori land led to the councils ceasing operations within five years.
The complexities and inequity of the law governing the Native Land Court are shown by the sale of Tūtira, a hill-country block north of Napier. This land, belonging to a hapū of Ngāti Kahungunu, was leased to Herbert Guthrie-Smith (who later wrote Tutira, a famous account of his efforts to develop the property). The owners offered the land to the Crown in 1917 but the sale was not completed until 1941. Owners unwilling to sell their shares not only did not benefit from their land, they also had to pay major surveying costs.
Maori Land Settlement Act 1905
The Maori Land Settlement Act 1905 replaced the Māori Land Councils with seven Māori Land Boards, each consisting of a president and two other appointed members, at least one of them Māori. Māori could voluntarily vest their lands in these boards, which operated only in the North Island. If owners were in arrears with their rates, or their land was infested with noxious weeds, the Crown could compulsorily vest their lands in the land boards. Land that was considered 'surplus' (not required or suitable for occupation by its owners) could also be compulsorily vested. The land boards administered the lands on behalf of the owners, and could lease out blocks for up to 50 years. They also oversaw the sale of more than 930,000 hectares of Māori land in the following 20 years.
As board members were usually the judge and registrar of the local Native Land Court, the courts took on administrative as well as judicial functions in regard to Māori land. The land boards formed an administrative arm of the Native Land Court until 1952, when their functions were transferred to the Māori Trustee.
Native Land Act 1909
The Native Land Act 1909 consolidated a complex mix of legislation into one comprehensive law. The act prevented the Crown from buying Māori land unless a meeting of all owners had agreed to accept the Crown's offer. Crown pre-emption was again removed. The Native Land Court was empowered to set up consolidation schemes to regroup adjacent blocks of land into larger blocks, which were often then sold to the Crown. The jurisdiction of the court was extended to include social functions such as:
making orders for the adoption of children by Māori
appointing trustees for Māori who were unable to manage their own affairs
the incorporation of the owners-in-common of native land.
This act did little to restrict Crown purchases of Māori land, and over 800,000 more hectares, almost all in the North Island, were sold in the following 14 years.
From Native to Māori Land Court, 1920–1980
A 1920 survey showed that only about 19 acres (7.6 hectares) of Māori land remained for each of the 49,000 North Island Māori. From this period the government showed less interest in buying remaining Māori land, and more concern that impoverished Māori should not be a burden on the state. The Native Land Court moved away from its role as a 'land-taking court', and instead made greater efforts to help Māori develop their remaining lands. A Native Trustee was established to loan money to individual Māori for this purpose. Under the influence of Sir Āpirana Ngata, the Native Trustee funded a series of large land-development schemes in rural areas.
The Native Land Court became the Māori Land Court under the Maori Purposes Act 1947, which required that the term 'Māori' should replace 'native' in any official context. In 1952 the Māori Trustee assumed the functions of the Māori Land Boards.
Maori Affairs Act 1953
The Maori Affairs Act 1953 defined three types of Māori land – customary, freehold and reserve land. Most controversially, it gave the Māori Land Court the power to vest Māori freehold land valued at less than £25 in the Māori Trustee. The act also tried to improve the use and development of Māori land by allowing some flexibility in land management, such as through trusts. It remained the governing legislation for Māori land for 40 years.
Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1967
A committee of inquiry chaired by former Chief Māori Land Court Judge Ivor Pritchard reviewed the power and jurisdiction of the court in 1967. Many of its recommendations were incorporated in the Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1967. Māori opposition to the compulsory acquisition of 'uneconomic interests' (land blocks worth less than $50) and provision to convert Māori land with fewer than five owners to general land led to the act's replacement by the Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1974.
1978 McCarthy Commission
In 1978 another commission of inquiry, chaired by Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, inquired into the structure and operation of the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court. Its 1980 report recommended that both courts should operate without major changes until Māori lands were adequately recorded in District Land Registries. The courts' judicial functions should then be taken over by general courts and their land administration functions by the Department of Māori Affairs and bodies such as the Māori Land Board and Māori Land Advisory Committees. The McCarthy Commission noted the complexity of the Maori Affairs Act 1953 and advised that a complete revision of the law governing Māori affairs was necessary.
Te Ture Whenua Maori 1993
From the 1970s Māori issues, including Māori land legislation, became much more prominent in New Zealand's political life. A shift in political attitudes to focus on preventing further sales of Māori land led to the revision of Māori land law proposed by the 1978 McCarthy Commission. The resulting legislation, Te Ture Whenua Maori (Maori Land Act) 1993, was the first piece of Māori land legislation to include a reference to the Treaty of Waitangi. Its preamble acknowledged the special relationship between the Māori people and the Crown established by the treaty, affirmed that it is desirable to recognise that land is a taonga tuku iho (treasure handed down) of special significance to Māori people, and promoted retention, occupation, development, and use of land for the benefit of its owners, their whānau and their hapū.
The Māori Land Court in the 2000s
Since 1993 the objectives of the Māori Land Court have been quite different from the Native Land Court of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the past the court facilitated the transfer of land from Māori ownership. Since then its primary objectives have been to:
retain Māori land and general land owned by Māori in the hands of the owners
promote the effective use, management and development of land by or on behalf of the owners.
All Māori land transactions must go through the Māori Land Court. Māori land generally has a lesser monetary value than land in general title because it can only be sold to a very restricted number of potential purchasers. The intent is to keep Māori lands within the ownership of the hapū associated with the land. The court also has jurisdiction to hear cases under the Maori Fisheries Act 2004, the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004 and several other statutes.
Māori Land Court records
The Māori Land Court maintains the records of title and ownership information relating to Māori land. These records, particularly the early minute books, contain a wealth of unique information of great interest for historians, Māori-language students and researchers.
Occupation orders
The court makes occupation orders enabling an owner to build a home upon ancestral land without having to obtain a separate title to part of the block. It must consider whether other owners support an occupation order, the best use of the land and the effect of the occupation order on other owners. This is one way that Māori may make good use of land while retaining it in multiple ownership.
Influence on Māori life
In the 2000s the Māori Land Court retains jurisdiction over many social aspects of Māori life. Marae are generally built on Māori reservations, and the court regulates the trusts and trustees that govern these marae. With regard to Māori land trusts or incorporations, the Land Court regulates matters such as shareholdings, dividends, appointment of valuers and auditors, accounts and balance sheets.
The court also has the jurisdiction to advise upon or determine representation of Māori groups. It can be asked to advise on the most appropriate representatives of a group of Māori for the purposes of negotiations, consultations, allocations of property or other matters. The court is also empowered to determine the appropriate kaitiaki (guardians) of taonga tūturu (precious artefacts that have been recently discovered).
Although many Māori no longer have contact with their ancestral land, the Māori Land Court remains a highly significant institution to the Māori people.
Asher, George, and David Naulls. Maori land. Wellington: New Zealand Planning Council, 1987.
Boast, Richard. Buying the land, selling the land: governments and Māori land in the North Island. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2008.
Boast, Richard, and others. Māori land law. Wellington: LexisNexis, 2004.
Loveridge, Donald M. Maori land councils and Maori land boards: a historical overview, 1900 to 1952. Wellington: Waitangi Tribunal, 1996.
Ward, Alan. A show of justice: racial 'amalgamation' in nineteenth century New Zealand. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 1995.
Williams, David V. 'Te kooti tango whenua': The Native Land Court 1864–1909. Wellington: Huia, 1999.
How to cite this page: Mere Whaanga, 'Te Kōti Whenua – Māori Land Court', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/te-koti-whenua-maori-land-court/print (accessed 18 January 2020)
Story by Mere Whaanga, published 20 Jun 2012
All text licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/nz/deed.en). Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. © Crown Copyright.


Originality is what interests Olivier Deriviere. A veteran composer in the video game industry, Deriviere worked on his first game, survival horror title Obscure, in 2004. Since then, he's brought his tactile, unique style of composition to games likes Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Get Even, and most recently, Dontnod's Vampyr. He is currently composing the score for an upcoming title by Aardman Studios entitled 11-11: Memories Retold. Games have been a lifelong passion for Deriviere, and his candid perspective on the industry often dictates which projects he chooses to work on, and why he chooses to work on them.
What is it about games that appealed to you that first time?
Games are the passion. As a kid I was fascinated by them, and by how you watch the screen and it reacts to what you are doing. They have been mimicking movies and TV shows for a long time now, so it's like doing an interactive TV show or a movie. It's not so far from those things, except it's a walk in the park to score a movie or a TV show compared to games, and people don't understand why.
Do you mean that nobody knows how to turn their idea into a game?
Yeah, nobody has the right idea. Usually they get lucky.
Is that because of the amount of people involved?
It's not about that, it's about the fact that you don't know what the game is like until you're done making it. It's very difficult to know. Usually, let's say in the case of Assassin's Creed, because the production is so huge, it's difficult to have such a level of polish. It's always a matter of who is making the game, and all the logistical stuff behind it.
Would you say that games are different from other visual art forms in that way?
Yes, you know how to make a movie. I mean, right now if you go and watch any superhero movie, it's not a movie. It's a very fine-tuned product. You watch it and enjoy it, it's entertaining, well crafted, impressive, amazing, whatever you want, but it's not a movie in the way that we envision cinema. TV shows are the same, almost.
For games, there is no formula, no anything. You can be Bungie and think that Destiny will be a success because they've been doing Halo for so many years, but Halo actually started as a strategy game. Then they put the camera in third person, and then first person, and then it became a shooter. It's crazy if you look at the development, and they still ended up with Halo, which is an amazing game.
Vampyr is your second game with Dontnod after Remember Me. When they released Life Is Strange, were you interested in returning to score that game?
For Life Is Strange, I told them that I wasn't the right candidate. Maybe it was a mistake because of the game's success but I don't feel that at all. The artistic decision that they went for is very different from one that I would support. It's not wrong, just different, which is what I told them.
I said that if they wanted to try to go the Sundance direction — maybe a little cliché in my opinion, but very effective, and it worked for a lot of people — then it wasn't for me.
It's good because it worked, but I had more of a Donnie Darko approach, that's what I wanted to do in terms of the background music. The score would be different from the actual songs to give another dimension. But there is no right or wrong, it's just a matter of taste.
What convinced you about Vampyr?
The game is unique. Crazy unique, even though it's not perfect because it's the first iteration. Hopefully there might be a second one, in the same way as Assassin's Creed. The first one was mostly potential, and the second one was the 'boom' moment. When I saw what they wanted to do with Vampyr, it was very ambitious. Way too ambitious really, but this is how we like to do things as creators, we like challenges. When I look at working on a game, I don't look at whether it's a AAA game or not. It's rather about the fact that the game is taking a risk, it's taking something that nobody has done before.
Vampyr is about citizenship. About how citizens work with the actual gameplay. You need to learn about people, to know them, to like or dislike them in order to make them ready to be bitten by you, but you also don't have to. It's up to you. If you don't, the game is harder, and then you're struggling, and you're struggling as much as the main character, who is a doctor, not just a vampire.
I can tell you that they surpassed what I thought could be possible. When I played the game, I thought it was great, I called the creative director and I said, "You made it!" Whatever people might think about the game, whatever the bad reviews are, because you always get bad reviews, he made it. I was stunned. It's very unique, the way you feel in this game. It's not only the story, but the gameplay. They are both intertwined, and I love that.
From a musical perspective, how did you approach it?
My first concern is the game. You will hear that the music is organic, not only with the environment but with the choices that you are making. For example, if you are in a safe environment the music is wide open, but then when you start talking to people it becomes very intimate. It is seamless, you don't feel anything.
From a musical perspective, the cello is heard regularly, and uses a lot of reverb, and there's a lot of industrial and electronic soundscapes. It's not the usual classical sound, it's very unique and contemporary, and something that you won't hear much in games at all, except for this one.
How do you see perception of games and their scores changing?
What I would like is for gamers to understand that we can provide them with a better experience thanks to music. It can be more than just illustrative, emotionally driven, film-like scores, rather it can be more interactive, conveying the player's feelings and emotions, rather than just those of the characters. I hope in the next few years or in the next decade, players will get a sense of what a game can offer that is so different from the movies that we will no longer try to replicate them.
On his best days, Sep Gohardani is a freelance writer with a love for story-driven games, whether they be long RPGs or short adventures. On his worst, he'll be trying to convince you that The National are the greatest band of the 21st century. Mostly, he's somewhere in between. If you'd like to take your chances, Tweet him @SepGohardani.


Having just returned from Patagonia and the Torres del Paine, I was forever being told what a great time March and April is to visit; I had back-to-back sunshine the whole time I was there, the Park was in its autumn colours and practically empty... which begs the question why most people visit in January and February when the Park's at its busiest and most expensive! Below we've put together just a few of the advantages of travelling in the shoulder season.
The Park is much quieter at the start and end of the season, between October and November and March and April. Most visitors arrive between the end of December and the end of February, to coincide with the summer months in Chile. Fewer people means better photo opportunities, smaller groups for activities and more chances of seeing wildlife that doesn't like big crowds like pumas and the heumul.
The weather is more stable - the infamous Patagonian winds are at their strongest between January and February but are less severe from March onwards meaning you have a better chance of being able to complete one of the more exposed hikes like the Base Torres hike.
The Park takes on its autumn colours - from the end of March, the colours in the Park start changing as the leaves turn to orange and red. It's one of the most eye-catching times to see the Torres del Paine.
Although you can see pumas all year round, March and April are the best months to visit the Park if you want to increase your chances of seeing puma cubs. They are usually born in December and become old enough to venture out with their mother in March and April. EcoCamp and Awasi Patagonia run puma tracking programs with specialist guides who know exactly where to head to for wild sightings.
Lots of the hotels will offer an incentive for travelling in March or April to encourage you to come outside of their busiest months. For example EcoCamp offer a free night in Santiago and Patagonia Camp, Tierra and Awasi Patagonia offer discounted mid-season rates.