The b’ys from Down From Dublin are excited, and few could blame them. As we fool around on the sand at Murray’s Beach in the Murray Premises as we take a few promotional shots for the upcoming Kitchen Party at the Beach slated for August 20th and hosted by yours truly, Matthew Dominic, Brandon Walsh and Sean Skiffington share the reason behind their palatable anticipation.

Elvis makes an appearance in this week’s issue of The Newfoundland Herald

PARTY OF THE SUMMER

“We’re calling it the biggest dance party of the summer. The big one after getting our normal back. Fingers crossed for the lifting of the restrictions as planned, of course, but be ready to dance and sing and rock and roll and be with each other again for the first time in a very long time,” Walsh said. “It’s going to be lots of fun. Not one to miss, for sure. DJ Noof and Peter Fewer and Leigh Brockerville and Aubree Lambe plus some special guests will be joining us. Plus there’s you,

Pam Pardy from The Newfoundland Herald as our MC, so there’ll be laughs for sure,” Dominic added with a chuckle.

While the main band will be performing their hits like the rollicking Kitchen Party, the fun Down on George Street and the touching Hold Fast, the fellas will be joined by a full band to amp up the fun.

GUARANTEED GOOD TIME

“We have our big show band that’s going to be joining us that night, so it’s going to be exciting. And we do have a special guest or two in that show that we’re saving for that night,” Skiffington added.

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The weather is always a factor, but the fellas are hopeful that this will be a guaranteed good time had by all.
“We’re looking forward to what we hope will be a big ol’ sunny day in August but either way we’re going to have lots of fun on the beach,” shared Walsh. As Dominic holds yet another pose for the camera, his smile is contagious.

“We’ve been playing a lot this summer and obviously with the restrictions that we’ve been under, the crowds have been down trying to keep the guidelines in place and keep social distancing followed so we’re excited to have what will hopefully be the first full-capacity evening in over a year. I’d love to see a big group of people out enjoying the sun and the music as we get back to normal and celebrate that in Newfoundland style, by holding a big, fun, kitchen party on the beach in downtown St. John’s.”

To purchase tickets to Kitchen Party at The Beach, click here

“I served a lot of customers over the years,” Heffernan told The Herald. “It has been an honour and a privilege… it’s hard to believe that tomorrow at one o’clock I retire after 48 years and seven months.”

Heffernan’s personality, tenure and work ethic have made Heffernan a staple at the Blackmarsh Road supermarket, and have rightfully earned him praise from his longtime coworkers.

“He’s got a very good work ethic,” Beverly Wills, the store’s assistant manager explained. “He’s very dependable. The only time he misses work is if it’s snowing. He doesn’t like to drive in the snow, which is understandable,” she laughs.

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ABOVE AND BEYOND

“Standard would say you should only push five carts at a time,” Store Manager Andrew Norris told us. “But I often see Marty coming up with the carts in two hands… I would say ‘Marty, you’re doing too much… and just remind him he’s doing a great job for us. He always tried to too much and go above and beyond the call of duty.

Being a well-known figure at the store, Heffernan has even received a number of gifts from customers after learning of his retirement.

“The other day he got a little timepiece — it was a watch, apparently,” Norris explained. “But they’re always customers giving Marty gifts. A lot of the customers know Marty, say hi to him or acknowledge him.”

Since announcing his retirement, Heffernan has gotten a lot of attention from customers and media — attention he tells us was unexpected.

‘I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT’

“When I read that this morning — I figured it was only going to be a little piece,” Heffernan said of a newspaper article about his retirement. “But when I saw the whole front cover… I couldn’t believe it,” he said proudly.

“I’m only Marty Heffernan, I don’t think of myself as anyone special, but that really warmed my heart this morning to see that story in the paper.”

With as much experience as he had, we asked him if he had any work advice for young people.

“Take one day at a time,” he said thoughtfully. “Be as helpful as you can to everybody. Be around with people — the employees that you’re working with. Be friendly. But most of all: customers are the most important thing. Be friendly with them and help them if they want help.

The crew of Hudson & Rex can be found out and about almost anywhere in this fine province of Newfoundland.

Hudson & Rex Set | Michael Chubbs

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS

Tune into social media and you’ll find hikers and staycationers posting about their own unexpected encounters with the dynamic duo anywhere from Manuels River in Conception Bay South to Marine Park’s beach in Pouch Cove.

Seeing this proud Newfoundland production at work is a sight to behold and an honour to take in.
On this fine July day, The Herald’s Managing Editor Pam Pardy visits the cast and crew on their set in the city’s core to have a look around and to meet the team behind the television magic.

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Pardy comes bearing gifts; copies of The Newfoundland Herald featuring Hudson & Rex along with Stella, the RNC’s Support Dog. Associate producer and life partner of producer Paul Pope, Lisa Porter, graciously shows us around, the pride is apparent. Elaborate set construction – from jail cells to Hudson’s kitchen at home or at headquarters – it’s a thrill to take it all in.

On this hot day it’s clear how much love and dedication goes into each episode by each and every team member. From greeters who check any site-goers temperature for COVID safety protocols to catering and wardrobe, everyone has a role they seem thrilled to fill.

SAYING CHEESE

There’s lighting stand-ins doing their thing as the next shot scenes get lit, ‘police officers’ hanging around waiting to look authoritative the second they hear ‘action!’ and then there’s Hudson – the very talented John Reardon – who manages to look cool in leather and jeans on this sweltering day.

Of course, the moment of the day belongs to Diesel as he struts his fluffy stuff on set from his air-conditioned trailer. Every bit the diva, he poses for the camera, taking the selfie up a notch by putting a copy of The Herald in his mouth and showing off his cover before saying ‘cheese.’ It’s been an incredible visit and our host has graciously taken us to see every inch of the fine and fun facility. From Rex’s trailer to wardrobe, it’s clear this is a labour of love for those who work on this incredible production shot right here at home.

Update: A previous version of this story identified Lisa Porter as a writer

Halo-halo — or “mix-mix” in Tagalog — is the quintessential Filipino summer dessert found in shops and stalls across the islands.

A rarity in these parts, this beautiful dessert was likely an adaptation of a Japanese shaved-ice dessert known as kakigori — a ‘towering frozen desert’ dating back to 1000 AD Japan — introduced prior to the Japanese occupation of WWII.

Originally intended as a delicacy for elites, the first kakigori were made from blocks of ice, stored in the mountains of Kyoto in winter ice-houses. When the summer came, ice was brought down, hand-shaved, and piled high in metal bowls, and topped with sweet saps, hydrangeas and ivy.

ADAPTABLE & CUSTOMIZABLE

The Filipino adaptation of the shaved-ice dessert is highly customizable and will vary by region, though consistent features include shaved ice, condensed milk, and sweet toppings.

Local toppings include a variety of preserves like ube jam — a delicious preserve made from a sweet, purple yam — ube ice cream, sweet beans, coconut strings, and leche flan to name a few.

HALO-HALO ORIGINS

To find out more about this spectacular desert, The Herald sat down with Marichris Francisco, of Sinaing — a Filipino restaurant in downtown St. John’s — to learn more about what makes their version of this uniquely Filipino dessert tick.

The Filipino take was introduced in the 1800s — Francisco explained — after an American named Met A. Clarke introduced ice cream to the country, and became more popular with the introduction of the Insular Ice Plant and Cold Storage.

While the building blocks of the desert rested on the availability of ice, the toppings are unique products of the country’s diverse regions.

“There are different kinds of preserved root crops and fruits in there,” Francisco explained. “Because it depends on the region in the Philippines.”

“For example, if you’re in this area where there’s an abundance of bananas, then they put lots of bananas on and nothing else… it depends on the region where you are.”

While it varies greatly, the halo-halo you see here is most akin to what you might find in the country’s urban centers.

“The innovative thing is the city itself because the city has everything. Whatever they have, that’s what they put on top, and when they mix them all together with the flavour in the ice cream that explosion comes out.”

Francisco tells me that while halo-halo’s toppings traditionally go on the bottom of the dish, having them at the top allows guests to try each topping before mixing the whole thing together.

“They put it on top so that you can taste every flavour of the ingredients and you can visible see what you’re eating also — I like digging into it”

SINAING’S TOPPINGS

Liberally stacked on top of shaved ice and condensed milk is a circle of preserved toppings, finished with crispy rice and a scoop of ice cream made from a sweet purple yam called ‘ube’.

“(Ube ice cream) is actually just three ingredients! It’s just the purple yam itself — I’ll make it like a jam first — then it’s condensed milk and whipped cream. And that’s all it is; you don’t even need an ice cream maker.”

Arranged in a rainbow-like arrangement around the dine-in bowl are some familiar sights like tapioca pearls, jello, preserved banana, coconut strings, and pieces of leche flan.

“Seventy per cent of it is all homemade — we preserved it,” Francisco says of the many vibrant toppings.

Perhaps less familiar to western dessert-lovers are a number of preserved root crops and fruits: sweet potato, sweetened red beans, palm seeds and the purple yam jam used to make the ice cream.

THE HALO-HALO EXPERIENCE

The first time I encountered halo-halo was at another local Filipino restaurant, RJ Pinoy Yum, and at the time I decided to mix it all together right away. While that was a great first experience, I found myself not recognizing some of the toppings — resulting in my palate getting confused, and leading to my brain telling me to spend more time questioning what I’m putting in my mouth.

This time — at the advice of the ultra accommodating Marichris Francisco — I took the time to taste each individual topping and get familiar with some of the flavours and textures so I could recognize them once mixed.

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This resulted in what I’d say was a perfect deserting experience — aside from the fact that it was around 10:30 AM, of course.

Once I tasted each topping, I mixed the whole thing together into what resembled a cartoon dessert soup; the kind of thing your four-year-old might present to you one morning after sneaking into the kitchen to make you their idea of ‘breakfast’.

This is halo-halo at its best. The different flavours and textures are tied together by the tastes of condensed milk and homemade ice cream, and each topping combination makes for a different bite each time.

If you’ve already checked out all of the St. John’s staple dessert spots, this is an option you’re going to want to put right at the top of your summer checklist. It’s cold, photogenic, and probably unlike anything you’ve had before.

At the time of writing, halo-halo is only available at Sinaing, making this one of the rarest deserts to grace the Island.

If you’re looking to get your hands on one of the rarest deserts in St. John’s, head down to Sinaing Home of Filipino Cuisine at 194 Duckworth Street — opposite the war memorial. To keep up with all things Sinaing, find them on Facebook

Clifford George has the soul of a poet. A true artist, he sees beauty in all things, including this very writer.

When we arranged to meet to chat about his Solace in the Canvas show at the Christina Parker Gallery, George mentioned how he wanted to wear his red shoes, his fancy bow tie, and his special cap. I couldn’t be outdone!

DRESSED TO IMPRESS

I hit up the divine diva herself, Shelly Neville, and borrowed one of the most glorious gowns she had and showed up ready for the occasion. Playing dress-up made both George’s and my day a little brighter. Pandemic times have been challenging, and a gallery showing — even at the prestigious Christina Parker Gallery — isn’t the rubbing elbows that it used to be.

George grows reflective as we explore each and every piece in his collection. “Time stood still,” George told me. “It’s like a COVID play that has no ending yet. Our younger generation will remember when they grow older, the days when time stood still”.

“The communities gave me a new offering, alone in the silence I found solace in the canvas.”

— Clifford George

LONELINESS IN THE ART

As he embraced “the new normal,” George began to paint. “I found myself, at the beginning of the epidemic, painting in the stillness of my studio to the new normal. I looked back at my sketches or I visited a new place, and I just felt what I wanted to express. It’s all happiness. All my paintings are happy, but it’s also a reminder of how alone we have all been,” he continued.

“This silence is hard to explain,’ he added, “but there is a peace in the silence.” As George reaches out to touch one painting he shared, “I added bits of rock to this from where I painted. It gives texture. Over here I have sand added to the paint from that very beach in the painting. It’s part of my style. It’s a reminder,” he shared.

“A MAGICAL KIND OF WAY”

He paused. “I am overwhelmed with the sounds in my head. Sounds of rivers flowing to the sea, fishermen on the stage head in the morning mist, sun dancing on the rocks. It touches my soul in a magical kind of way. And then, I put it on canvass.” Beautiful words. Stunning artwork. Inspirational man. George loves to share his craft with others, saying that he loves nothing better than a “suffering artist.” “During this period I posted several videos of me painting to inspire others to carry on in this lock downtime.

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I communicated with friends on Facebook; writers, musicians, other artists, and the feedback was tremendous,” he shared. Yes, we were alone, but we could also be together too, he explained. “When spring came in 2020, out I went doing Plein Air painting. I traveled around the Avalon and down to Twillingate where Art at the Gate organized a Plein Air painting video with myself and J.C. Roy for educational purposes.” The sights and sounds captivated him, he added. While he has a favourite place to paint (Salvage), there’s beauty to be found everywhere, he said with a smile. Every little community has a story to tell. And every place, no matter how big or small, is worthy of being captured on canvass.

SOUNDS OF THE TOWNS

“While I was painting, I could hear the sounds of each community. There were dogs barking, cars driving by, people calling out to me to say hello, crows were cawing and the wind was blowing through the coves. I captured it all. I stayed and traveled around the area and did some more painting in Little Harbour, Purcell’s Harbour, etc. In the evenings, J. C. and myself would have a few drinks and talk about days gone by, it was great to laugh and get reacquainted again.” There was more travel. Gander Bay, Musgrave Harbour, Lumsden, Cape Frees, Green’s Pond, New West Valley, all placed George considered “a painters dream.”

“TIME WAS IN A TRANCE”

“Travelling for miles, the shoreline seemed to go on forever. Communities were in silence, signs on the road said restaurant ahead and signs listed a special, but the sign on their doors said closed due to Covid. The only thing moving was the clothes on the lines and they were all flapping in the wind. “Time was in a trance, waiting for the curtains to open and for life to start up again. I painted life in these communities. I learned the stories and I listened to the sounds.”

“…the loneliness I saw out in the world was telling me that other people might want to see these paintings.”

— Clifford George

As we sashayed around exploring the paintings, as we poured through his glorious sketches and read his poetic ponderings, as we happily posed for picture after picture, as we laughed at one another’s jokes, there was still a sense of the magnitude of this pandemic that George had painted his way through. “The communities gave me a new offering, alone in the silence I found solace in the canvas, thus the show’s name. It gave me peace and it gave me joy,” he said. Something else that gave him joy? Playing dress up for The Herald as we helped kick off his show in fine style, in spite of the realities of the pandemic.

THE FEELING OF STILLNESS

“This has made all this painting worth it. It was like the loneliness I saw out in the world was telling me that other people might want to see these paintings.” When COVID came into the world it changed so much, he added. “Our way to create changed and most of my paintings were done during a time when everyone stayed away. All along the coast clothes swayed in the wind, but even the clothes lines looked lonely and not a soul could be seen. Stores stood, but all the doors were locked.” His Solace in the Canvass collection captures that. “The feeling of stillness is there. It’s hard to explain, but I did find solace in the canvas, and I hope others find that too.”

For more on Clifford George and the Christina Parker Gallery, visit christinaparkergallery.com. For more stories by Pam Pardy, click here, or visit our new Instagram page for story updates as they happen.

Correction: A previous version of this story misattributed authorship.