Private Capital: ACT pair compete in National Miss Pole Dance in Sydney

The two instructors at FitSistas Pole and Fitness Studio in Braddon will compete together at the National Miss Pole Dance in Sydney on November 8 against other pairs from around the country.

Their routine is set to an extended version of the song Pump It by the Black Eyed Peas, which they perform in Converse sneakers.

Connor, who works full-time as a public servant and is mum to a two-year-old, said she first got into pole about six years ago, having come from a background of gymnastics.

"Some of my friends started to do pole and it was very similar to gymnastics, so I got into it and never looked back," she said.

"It's heaps of fun, you don't watch the clock, you get strong and toned all at once and you meet a great group of people."

Physiotherapist Jess, who was a dancer for more than a decade, also first discovered pole through friends.

"I just got addicted to it straight away," she said.

"I was probably training for about a year and then I went on to become an instructor."

Good luck to Connor and Jess.

Tuggeranong Vinnies comes of age

On Tuesday, Vinnies in Tuggeranong turns 25. In that time it has grown from a modest store in Kambah into the large upcycling department store that it is today. Located near the Tuggeranong Hyperdome, the shop, like all the 24 Vinnies Centres in the Canberra and Goulburn area, is the face of the St Vincent de Paul Society to the public and, as always, a great place for a chat and a bargain.

Quality, affordable secondhand clothing, furniture, books and household goods are sourced from public donations and provided to the public at great prices while the shop is staffed mainly by volunteers. Profits from any sales go directly towards supporting people in need. And in the last 12 months Vinnies made 2400 visits to people in need in the Tuggeranong area and provided over $100,000 worth of assistance.

The great news is that over recent years, donations have increased fourfold, resulting in great benefits for all the community, not to mention the benefits of recycling items rather than waste going to landfill. So happy birthday to the Vinnies team, and pop by on Tuesday for morning tea in the shop followed by a 50 per cent off everything sale between 11am-2pm.

Downton Abbey meets the Southern Tablelands

Could the next big TV drama be coming out of Bungonia, a tiny town just outside Goulburn?

Bungonia resident and former psychologist Martin O'Reilly put pen to paper in his retirement and has written two volumes of The Umbria Collection, with a third book still in the works.

"A very good friend had the books and she was in Los Angeles at the airport waiting for a plane," he said.

"She sat down at a table for a cup of coffee and there was a lady sitting there. They got talking and it turned out this lady was a film producer with her own company."

Martin describes the fictional series as along the same vein as popular British period drama Downton Abbey, but it is set in the present.

A few months later, the producer, Marina Martins, got in touch with Martin, and told him the news that she wanted to turn it into a television series.

Martin is restricted about what details he can reveal for now, but says it is due to be filmed somewhere in Europe.

"I'm actually a producer on the show, much like the same way [J.K] Rowling is with Harry Potter – she was a producer and her role was to keep it to the story, and that's mine," he said.

Martin said Marina was originally going to sign a deal with BBC America for the show, but was then approached by Fox.

"When the people at Fox came to her, she was all ready to sign with the BBC America. But then Fox approached her with a much better deal, so they're going to do all the publicity and all the distribution worldwide."

Other Bungonia local Dr Paul Paviour has also written the musical score for the TV series.

Talking to Hollywood producers is a long way away from regular life for Martin and his wife Ingrid, who live on a 25 acre property, with solar electricity and tank water.

"I feel a bit overwhelmed in some ways. I've been working at it for years," he said.

We'll be keeping an ear out for more information on this one.

Fright night

It's largely an American tradition, but clearly Halloween fever is alive and well in Canberra. Next weekend is littered with spooky events, with many using it as an opportunity to raise funds for a good cause.

On Halloween proper, which conveniently falls on a Friday night this year, the National Museum of Australia is opening its doors to over 18s for a spine-tingling evening of music, games, food and art. Tickets are $10 at the door.

You can also dress in costume for a 5 kilometre twilight walk around Lake Burley Griffin to raise funds for Bone Health Awareness Day. Register at arthritisact.org.au. Or local burlesque group Sass and Tease Collective are holding a special spook-tacular at the ANU Arts Centre. Ticketst $30 from eventbrite.com.au.

On Saturday, don't be alarmed if you see the undead shuffling through the streets of Civic. The Canberra Zombie Walk is back, and is a fun event for the whole family which raises funds for the Brain Foundation. See canberrazombiewalk.com for more. Zombies can then continue to rise from the grave at the Zombie Invasion after-party at Magpies City Club. Tickets $15 at the door.

What's On

– The 18th Canberra International Film Festival kicks off this weekend with a huge 18-day program of films from all around the globe, plus special Q and A sessions, panel discussions and other special events. See the program and buy tickets at ciff.com.au.

– November 1 and 2 is the Wine, Roses and All That Jazz Festival, a full weekend program featuring wine tastings, guided vineyard tours, feasting temptations and live jazz music across Canberra's wineries. For more information visit canberrawines.com.au.