Shannon Crane

LIFE AFTER LONDON | Nine months. That’s how long it takes for a fetus to grow into a baby that is ready to leave the womb. It’s also the title of a 90s rom-com featuring Hugh Grant.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | When the tram pulls up, the doors open. The stairs are crowded with people. You step up and shuffle your way into the tiny space the stair dwellers have made for you.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | If you’re having indulgent visions of leaving the UK before the miserable, dark, icy winter sets in and coming back to Australia’s bright and sunny days … stop. Australia is not as warm as you remember.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | It’s been just six months since I returned to Australia and already I’ve forgotten one of the basic rules of travelling.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | When I moved to the UK my alcohol intake dramatically increased. In turn, my consumption of late-night kebabs also skyrocketed, while the number of workouts I did each week plummeted to an all time low.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | Albury, you’ve outdone London. I never thought I’d utter these words. But surprisingly it’s true.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | It’s suddenly dawned on me is that I’m an uneducated Australian who spent two years drowning out her Australian knowledge with beer and long flights on the other side of the world.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | I was only in London for two years, but that was long enough for most of my friends to learn some or all of the following grown-up words: mortgage, children and marriage.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | It’s been two months since I moved back to Australia but I’ve already noticed a couple of changes in myself.

There have been times recently when I have felt embarrassed to be an Australian. I never thought the day would come…

LIFE AFTER LONDON | About 18 months ago I subjected Australian Times readers to a pretty hefty rant about the woes of job hunting in London. Now that I’ve moved home to Australia, the time has come to let off some steam once again.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | Living in London has turned me into an excitable mix of a Darryl Kerrigan from The Castle, and a Japanese tourist. The full extent of this transformation became clear when my plane from London arrived at Melbourne Airport.

Washington, one of the most talented young musicians around, is suddenly causing a very big stir on the international music scene. SHANNON CRANE had a chat with the shooting Aussie star and found out just how she stays grounded despite her overwhelming success.

The New South Wales Mounted Police and Australian Aborigines will perform for the Queen as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.

GO HARD OR GO HOME | WHAT will I miss most about the UK? I was asked this question a few days ago and I am still struggling to come up with an answer.

GO HARD OR GO HOME | This week’s column is not an easy one to write because I have made one of the toughest decisions in my life.

REVIEW | The iconic 90’s pop song Ice, Ice Baby was the last song I expected to hear when I turned out to see Architecture in Helsinki perform in London on Tuesday.

GO HARD OR GO HOME | The ‘reality soap’ TV show ‘Made in Chelsea’ doesn’t interest me in the slightest. People-watching in Chelsea, however, is something I’d recommend tuning in to.

GO HARD OR GO HOME | Overall, I think I do a pretty good job of fitting in with the Brits. It helps that our homelands and cultures are so similar. But there are times when I feel like a bit of an alien.