SURVIVING LONDON | Umbrella or Hoodie? It’s the age old question that’s been haunting Londoners since the Sloppy Joe sprouted a hood. So, which you do reach for when you see storm clouds brewing?

• Shorts in spring – are you brave enough to go bare?
• Keeping your head above ground
• Embracing the bug – the travel bug

AUSTRALIANS in London and the UK will play a key role as overseas electors in Australia’s federal election when they cast their votes on 14 September. ALP Abroad will be hosting their first election planning meeting next Thursday 30 May at The Blue Posts, and encourages potential volunteers to attend.

• How do you maintain links with Oz? New survey seeks answers
• Aussie garden wins Best in Show at the Chelsea Flower Show
• Three Brits to fly to Oz for final stage of ‘Best Jobs in the World’

Indigenous leaders in the Northern Territory have hit back at comments made by Chief Minister Adam Giles that children that are neglected should be adopted out, regardless of fears that the government policy was reminiscent of the Stolen Generation.

• Gina Rinehart tops Australia’s rich list, despite $7bn loss
• Christian Lobby’s Stolen Generation claims show bigotry, says Wong
• Abbott rejects sale of ABC, SBS

Three of the ‘big four’ Australian banks have made the top 100 of a global survey of the world’s most valuable brands. The Brandz survey credits Australia’s strong economy for contributing to the growing value of Australian brands.

• 1000 year-old coins found in Australia could rewrite history
• Migrating professionals say UK more desirable than Australia
• New legislation means Schapelle Corby a step closer to parole

For any Australian in London, Flat White in Soho is an ageing icon still worth visiting – even if its trendy Aussie offspring dotted elsewhere in the city may just have outgrown this Antipodean matriarch.

• Build me up, Buttercup
• Spring blooms with Vanilla and Lavender crème brulee
• Coffee Cult visits: Taylor St Baristas in Mayfair

New Zealand-born, Australian-based filmmaker Jane Campion has been acknowledged by her peers receiving the prestigious Carrosse d’Or in Cannes last week. Her latest work, a six-hour critically acclaimed crime miniseries ‘Top of the Lake’ was filmed in New Zealand and is set to be aired on UK’s BBC2.

• The Great Gatsby enjoys star-studded Sydney première
• With GoodWil | Wil Anderson on life, legs and the Logies
• Tubular Bells ‘for two’: Unique Aussie twist on Oldfield masterpiece

FACE THE FESTIVAL 2013 | Have you got festival fever? We’ve got the ultimate guide to the music festival season for 2013. All the best music festivals from London, the UK and Europe, all in one handy location. Plus, win tickets to festivals in Spain, Portugal and London. Find out who you’re likely to meet, with our Top 5 festival goers, and our handy tips and tricks with a ‘Surviving Summer’ guide.

• Aussie beats at Latitude festival
• The Five People You Will Meet At Every Festival
• Surviving the Summer: A Festival How-To Guide

TRAVEL WRITER WINNER | Traversing the US and Canada by bus can be an eye-opening way to travel, in more ways than one. Our Great Travel Writer competition winner for April, ALICE RERDEN, shares her story.

• Tantalising Thailand
• Enter our competition to win a £250 Topdeck voucher
• To Amsterdam we go

You can now grab a top travel deal on Australian Times. Search the best selection of tours from the most popular travel operators. You can filter by price, trip, length and destination. Where will you be off to next?

A scripted life could be holding you back from new experiences, as in the quest for comfort and safety we can become so habitual that we become stuck in our ways. Is your predefined script preventing you from living a full life?

• Australian dollar cops a beating
• Swapping the London Underground for Australia’s Uluru
• Interest rate cut sparks Aussie sell-off

MOVE TO AUSTRALIA | If you and your family are thinking of making the move Down Under, the Commonwealth Bank can help.

• The British move to Australia
• Plan your move to Australia with this checklist
• O’Connor flags changes to Australian 457 visa laws

HEADING HOME | Australian Matthew Wood is set to swap the grey skies of London, for the stark setting of Australia’s Red Centre – with a new post as Artistic Director of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra and a symphonic concert at iconic Uluru.

• Get that job in Australia! Tips for job-hunting
• Resume writing for returning Australians
• When a Buy-To-Let property meets a ‘pain-to-get’ mortgage

THE AFL RUBDOWN | It was the round where the AFL dished up the very best, worst, sublime and ridiculous it could possibly muster. Surely it was no coincidence it fell on the same weekend as Eurovision – as the parallels were a bit spooky.

• Should Dave Warner shut the tweet up?
• Cooper must share the load more: Deans
• Huge pressure for Mark Webber at Monaco in F1

With a record 185 teams competing in tag rugby early summer competitions across London and Reading, there is plenty in store for keen taggers to get their tag rugby fix – including two one day festivals this June.

• Signing up for summer: Try Tag Rugby numbers soar
• Tumeke win inaugural Hog ‘N’ Ale Tag Rugby Festival
• Spring competition Try Tag Rugby finals held across London

COMPETITION | Enter the draw to win tickets to catch 100+ bands in a day at the awesome Camden Rocks Festival!

• Win tickets to Super Bock Super Rock 2013
• WIN tickets to Bilbao BBK Live 2013
• WIN a signed AFL Sherrin footy