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Exposing roots.

1/12/2015

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Nowadays, it seems perfectly acceptable for celebrities to reveal dark roots below their bleached hair. But that's not the roots I mean.

PictureGlenelg tram
The New York Times has named Adelaide, the fifth largest city in Australia, one of the 52 Places to Go in 2015. The capital of South Australia came in at number 24 for its arts scene, its sophistication, and its proximity to wine country.

I'm gloating inside because that was the place of my birth 73 years ago. I grew up in modest circumstances, but my Mother always made the best of what she had, using artistic skills to decorate. I recall her painting a single stroke on the back of a fireplace depicting the outline of a man and woman's face.

Listed as number 24, Adelaide, close to the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley, beat Florida's Miami Beach, China's Shanghai and Italy's Rome.

This is the second time the effortlessly chic Adelaide has been heralded as a sought-after destination. Travel bible Lonely Planet named it one of its top 10 destinations in 2014, ranking ninth.

The elegant colonial city is surrounded by the spacious green parklands.

Just down the tram tracks is beachy Glenelg. At the age of 16, I took the tram from Glenelg to my job in Adelaide as a receptionist at an advertising agency.

My forefathers from England settled in Glenelg and built the house I later lived in as a teenager with my mother and sisters. My great grandmother worked as a seamstress to stitch the elaborate Victorian costumes worn by the wealthy settlers. In 1836, the British governor delivered the proclamation creating the colony of South Australia right by the sea. A ceremony is held each year on Proclamation Day, with the current Governor reading out the original speech. My sister proudly displays an original painting (not the one shown) of the founding members of the group.

Now, I live on the other side of the planet, separated from my remaining family by half a rotation. Funny about life's twists and turns.

Do you have a fond memory of the place where you were born?

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    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

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