October 2, 2012 · 3:47 pm

Watch BBC iPlayer, Sky Go, 4OD and More… In Australia

Tired of seeing this message on UK sites? POMSTAR gets emails and tweets about this issue all the time so we thought we would explain how to access the BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Player, Sky Go and more from Australia.

BBCiPlayer on iPhone

The answer is simple, you need a VPN.

A VPN is  is basically a gateway that masks your location, and and stops you being blocked from viewing content. They are cheap, quick to install and easy to use.

POMSTAR has tried a few providers over the years but the best is www.streamingvpn.com. Subscription costs a couple of bucks per week and instillation instructions are clear and easy to follow.

One subscription works on your pc, iphone, ipad etc.

Once installed, all you need to do is click to turn on the VPN each session, and you are in… you never see those pesky blocked content signs again.

If you want to watch it on your TV,  you need a HDMI cable to connect your PC / iphone to your TV and Bob’s your uncle, it’s just like being back home, except its less likely you will get your TV stolen once you have switched off and gone to bed.

Sky GO – EPL football live on iphone… Not bad

If you want ‘Sky Go’ (live Sky TV on mobile devices), you need to get the VPN, and get someone in the UK to register for Sky Go and share their username and password. The only issue with Sky Go is they block you connecting it to your TV which is annoying. The picture quality is amazing, but i’m not sure i would watch a full 90 minute EPL game on my iphone.

Is this legal? That’s complicated. This is a good article on Mumbrella which concludes that “bypassing geoblocks is permitted under Australian Law“.

So enjoy guilt free, for now at least.

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August 18, 2012 · 7:28 pm

TOPSHOP Sydney to Open October 4th!

It’s nine months since TOPSHOP opened it’s first Australian store in Melbourne.

Now its Sydney’s turn. The flagship Sydney store in the ol’ Gowings building on the corner of George and Market Street in the city opens in October.

Credit cards at the ready ladies!

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August 14, 2012 · 10:52 am

Is The Term “Pom” Racist?

 

Is it or isn’t it? Is it just the way its said? Or does it depend on the combination of words that surround it?

In 2006 the Pom debate kicked off because of aTooheys ad .  The ad should have been banned because it was so terrible, not because of the use Pom.  Incidentally - when writing about the Tooheys ad, news.com.au used the headline; ‘Don’t call us Poms, say Poms’. That’s kind of provocative isn’t it?!

I’ve never met Pom that is offended by the word. It’s only when its used aggressively, or with a derogatory tone, or if its preceded by the words, “Fu*& off home you Fu*&ing”. This site uses the word. Its a good, quick way to describe a million Brits living in Australia.

The issue came to POMSTAR’s attention again recently as a result of an email from The Editor in Chief of NineMSN. He wrote to staff saying that the word Pom is “increasingly regarded as a racist term”.

The email read:

From: Hal Crawford
Sent: Monday, 6 August 2012 7:56 AM
To: Editorial
Subject: use of the word “pom”

Hi guys – please avoid “pom” unless it’s being quoted. It’s becoming increasingly regarded as a racist term.

Cheers

Hal

Its an interesting thought. What do you guys think?

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August 10, 2012 · 3:23 pm

Love this….

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November 3, 2011 · 10:34 am

Are you a Ping Pong Pom?

 

ABC radio recently interviewed Dr Mary Holmes from Flinders Uni about her survey on English expats in Australia, and why they choose to return to the UK. Its interesting stuff..

- 20% of English migrants return from Aus to the UK

- Poms claim to be ‘bored’ of Australia

- Poms miss family in UK 

Click here for AUDIO:


Are you a ping pong pom?

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September 30, 2011 · 12:52 pm

The Two Best British Restaurants in Australia Are…..

Fancy a taste of home? The 2012 SMH and Age Good Food Guides launched recently and the The Best British in NSW and Vic are (drum roll please)….:

bistrode CBD

GFG Score: 15 / 20
The move to the Merivale camp suits ex-Brit-pack chef Jeremy Strode. His nose-to-tail menu matches the butcher’s stripe chairs and dark tables of this faintly blokey upstairs dining room in the heart of the… well, yes, CBD. Offal bits both wobbly and chewy are scattered through the list, from ears to bones to ‘hearts and minds’-a salad of marinated, sliced lamb’s heart and creamy brain croquettes. Quite a few dishes are loose-leaf compositions, as in a smokey yet sharpish duck salad with pickled plum; crackly pig’s ear on egg-topped leaves hiding crumbly blood sausage nuggets; or in a lilting combo of blood-red ox-heart tomatoes blobbed with shiny goat’s curd. There’s good steak-grass-or grain-fed, maybe with an up-ended marrow bone alongside like a little pot of jellied richness; or a wedge of wagyu corned beef with condiments that’s a triumph of the genre. So is champagne jelly layered like a trifle with oat crumbs and berries. Nice move, Mr Strode.

The Middle Park Hotel

GFG Score: 14.5 / 20
The Middle Park feels like a club that specialises in good food. This grand Victorian dame with a makeover of marine plywood and sports paraphernalia is still a popular pub cashed-up tradies downing a light beer and a Scotch egg at the bar underline that. The adjoining dining room has a grand little entrance under a red awning and crest-embossed carpet. The waitstaff are professional and warmly familiar, with a hint of blokiness. Consultant chef Paul Wilson has handed down a Brit pub-style menu with a heavy push for local and sustainable produce. Prawn cocktail or devilled crab and egg add a retro touch. At the heart of this operation is a charcoal grill on which steaks are cooked. Properly rested and served with a good bottle of plonk suggested by the gruff but fun sommelier, they are among the best in town.
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· 10:40 am

John Lewis Now Delivering To Australia

Expats across the country will be thrilled to hear that for just 15 quid John Lewis will deliver online purchases to Australia.

But, before you throw away your Freedom Furniture sofa and upgrade to a John Lewis beauty, you’ll be disappointed to hear that there are a bunch of exclusions, including furniture (oh, and crackers). Here is the full list:

  • All electrical items (including those with batteries)
  • Lighting (except lampshades)
  • Furniture and heavy or bulky items which need to be carried by more than one person
  • Food/alcohol/perishables/flowers & plants
  • Crackers and candles
  • Liquids and aerosols
  • Beauty products
  • Knives/scissors
  • Fabric by length, fabric samples, wallpaper
  • Paints, glues and products containing these items (e.g toys)
For more information go to the John Lewis website
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