IT'S SEVEN SHARP. TONIGHT ` WHERE DO BABIES COME FROM? I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA SAY A NEGATIVE, AND SHE SAID A POSITIVE. OK, WE KNOW WHERE THEY COME FROM, BUT WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO? WE DID EVERYTHING IN OUR POWERS TO PREVENT HAVING A THIRD CHILD. WHO PAYS? I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST. PLUS ` WE JUST PUT 'EM OUT IN THE BIG PADDOCK AND LET 'EM GROW UP. CAN SLACK PARENTING PRODUCE A CHAMPION? THEY ALL COME OUT OF A PADDOCK AT SOME STAGE. AND ` I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHERE I'M COMFORTABLE. IT'S MY HAPPY PLACE. WHY THIS WOMAN IS SO HAPPY IN A FIELD OF FALLEN FLOWERS. EACH FLOWER HANGS IN ITS OWN LITTLE AREA. CAPTIONS BY GLENNA CASALME AND AMY PARK. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2014 DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF SEVEN SHARP, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. Good evening. We have had a discussion in the newsroom about who contributes to what stories. What have we done in the last 10 months? You are above and beyond. In tonight's lead story, which is a moving story, your contribution is huge. I thought you were going to Jesus out. Gill rang up and said can I have a little bit of your, and you wouldn't look at the border on the doorstep. Good on you. What did you come up with? Putting up with you for 10 or 11 months and counting. He said he had quit. But it's the same thing. It's almost a pleasure. HERE'S WHAT CAUGHT OUR EYE TODAY. LETTING OFF FIREWORKS IN THE BACKYARD WITH THE KIDS COULD SOON BE JUST A MEMORY. WITH GUY FAWKES ONLY TWO SLEEPS AWAY, THE PRIME MINISTER'S SIGNALLED A NATIONWIDE BAN IS NOT FAR AWAY. MILK COULD BE KILLING YOU, ACCORDING TO NEW SWEDISH RESEARCH. IT'S FOUND MEN AND WOMEN WHO DRINK THREE OR MORE GLASSES OF MILK A DAY EXHIBIT HIGHER LEVELS OF A STRESS MARKER WITH LINKS TO CANCER AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. AND IS THIS GUY THE WORST DRIVER AROUND? HE'S TRYING TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND ACTUALLY ISN'T REALLY SHORT OF ROOM TO DO SO. STILL, IT TOOK HIM MORE THAN 10 MINUTES TO GET OUT OF THE PARK IN THE CHINESE CITY OF JIANGYIN, SERIOUSLY BEATING UP THE CAR NEXT TO HIM IN THE PROCESS. Looks like Sylvia Park on Saturday. IF YOU HAVE KIDS, YOU WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT COSTS TO RAISE THEM. ESTIMATES START ` THAT'S START ` AT ABOUT $100,000. SO WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT COST SO WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT COST IF A BABY IS BORN BECAUSE OF MEDICAL ERROR? PARENTS NARDINE AND DARREN ARE CERTAIN IT'S NOT THEIRS. GILL HIGGINS WITH THEIR FIGHT FOR COMPENSATION. UPBEAT MUSIC THAT MOMENT OF TRUTH ` THE PREGNANCY TEST. SHE PUSHED IT ACROSS THE DESK AND SAID, 'THAT'S DEFINITELY...' I WAS GOING TO SAY '...A NEGATIVE,' BUT SHE SAID '...A POSITIVE.' IT CAN BE THE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD ` OR THE WORST. I JUST BURST INTO TEARS, AND SHE SAID, 'IS IT YOUR HUSBAND'S?' AND I SAID, 'OF COURSE IT'S MY HUSBAND'S!' A TINY BABY WAS GROWING INSIDE NADINE. SHE DIDN'T DOUBT WHO THE FATHER WAS, BUT SHE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT GOT THERE. YOU SEE, AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO TWO SONS, SHE'D HAD HER TUBES TIED AND WAS STERILISED. WE DID EVERYTHING IN OUR POWERS TO PREVENT HAVING A THIRD CHILD. TWO CHILDING WAS A BIG ENOUGH STRUGGLE FOR US AS IT WAS. BUT A THIRD DID COME ALONG ` UNPLANNED, UNWANTED AND BASICALLY THE RESULT OF A MEDICAL ERROR. SO WHOSE RESPONSIBILTY DOES THE COST OF THAT CHILD BECOME? IS IT THE STATE, WHO EFFECTIVELY FAILED THE PARENTS? OR DO THE PARENTS JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT THEY'RE GONNA FOOT THE BILL AND THEIR LIFE PLANS ` WELL, THEY'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE? AND CHANGE IT DID. WHEN IT WAS STILL JUST THE TWO BOYS, THEIR FINANCIAL FUTURE WAS LOOKING GOOD. WE'D JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT A HOUSE. MIKE HAD HIS OWN BUSINESS. THEN WITH ME DOING A NURSING DEGREE, IT WOULD JUST TOP IT OFF NICELY. THEN CAME THE BABY. BORN WEEKS EARLY, HE NEEDED SPECIAL CARE. SOMEONE HAD TO BE HOME WITH HIM, SO IT WAS CHOICE ` EITHER NADINE'S CAREER OR THE BUSINESS, SO WE GOT RID OF THE BUSINESS. THEY HAD TO SELL THE HOUSE SO THEY COULD RAISE THREE BOYS ON NO INCOME. THIS IS MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S HOUSE. BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS NOW. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, AND THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THE KIDS ARE IN HERE. OH OK. ALL THREE OF THEM? YEAH, ALL THREE. WOW. IT'S CRIPPLING. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF BRINGING UP OUR THIRD CHILD. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEVER PUT IN FOR OUR FUTURE. WE DIDN'T PLAN TO GO DOWN THAT PATH. CONVINCED THEY WERE VICTIMS OF MEDICAL MISADVENTURE, THEY MADE A CLAIM TO ACC. THEY JUST SENT ME BACK A LETTER SAYING I'D BEEN TURNED DOWN. ACC'S DECISION WAS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL SURGEON'S EXPLANATION ` AN EXPLANATION THIS TRAINED NURSE NOW SEES AS RIDICULOUS. THE SURGEON TOLD ME THE TUBE HAD GROWN BACK AROUND THE CLIP. I THOUGHT, 'WOW, MY BODY'S PRETTY FANTASTIC IF IT CAN DO THAT 'IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.' UNHAPPY, THEY GOT A LAWYER AND CHALLENGED THE DECISION. THIS X-RAY PROVED THE CLIP WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE. THE CLIP WAS ATTACHED TO THE PERITONEUM, WHICH IS NOT ON THE TUBE. ACC'S GYNAECOLOGIST ALSO CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS MORE LIKELY TO BE THAT THE SURGEON PLACED THE CLIP IN WRONG PLACE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE. ALL AROUND THE WORLD, VICTIMS OF FAILED STERILISATIONS HAVE BEEN WELL COMPENSATED. IN AUSTRALIA, VICTIMS LIKE NADINE HAVE HAD PAYOUTS OF UP TO... IN THE UK, THE HIGHEST WAS... SO WHAT DID THEY GET? $4700, WHICH ALL WENT TO THE LAWYER. AND HOW MUCH DID YOU SPEND ON THE LAWYER? ABOUT $10,000. SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION? IT'S A BIT STINK, REALLY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, AND NOW WE'RE OUT OF POCKET A LOT. SON NUMBER THREE IS MUCH LOVED. LOVELY WEE CHAP, AND WE WOULDN'T GIVE HIM BACK. THEY JUST DON'T SEE WHY THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR HIS KEEP. IT'S JUST ABOUT GIVING COMPENSATION WHERE COMPENSATION IS DUE. IT'S BEEN 'HOW DO WE GET OUT OF PAYING THIS?' 'HOW DO WE SAY NO TO THIS CLAIM?' THEY JUST, KIND OF, SHUT THE DOOR ON YOU AND SAY, 'SEE YA LATER.' It's tricky when internationally. They have precedent there. My suspicion is they won't get the bulk of support. They were worried about how people react to them speaking out. The ACC is no false claim, and has a monopoly, and when you give them your case... There was the case where they didSue and a couple $100,000. When they tie you choose, they said there was 0. Something chance. That's the jurisdiction. Let us know what you think. COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` JUST A HORSE. < JUST A HORSE? JUST A HORSE. WHY 'JUST A HORSE' COULD BE ABOUT TO BECOME 'JUST A SMALL FORTUNE'. 3.6 FOR THE WIN. PLUS THE CUP'S WORTH 195,000. AND TIM TRIES TO RECREATE THIS... IT'S PRETTY UNREAL. PRETTY UNREAL. ...IN OUR VERY OWN AUCKLAND, BUT THERE'S A SLIGHT PROBLEM. I DON'T WANNA RUIN YOUR PARTY, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THAT OVER THERE ON THE RED TILE. UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC # Bring on # the weekend. # No matter what you're up to in the garden, we've got the goods at Mitre 10 MEGA. WE'RE A LITTLE UNDER 24 HOURS AWAY FROM THE MELBOURNE CUP, AND ALREADY EVERYONE'S ACTING LIKE THEY KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT RACING THOROUGHBREDS. ALL THE TALK SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE INTERNATIONALS IN THE FIELD ` Including you. Who 11 horses? I know how to do a bet. HowdyOu do a trifecta? I tried to do it once. We need to clarify. ALL THE TALK SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE INTERNATIONALS IN THE FIELD ` THE JAPANESE HORSES, THE GERMANS, THE IRISH ` BUT WHAT ABOUT A KIWI HORSE FROM A NONDESCRIPT PADDOCK OUT THE BACK OF WANGANUI? THAT COULD BE THE SECRET TO SUCESS. HERE'S MICHAEL HOLLAND. UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC IT'S AS DOWN HOME AS IT GETS. THIS LUSHEST OF LUSH VALLEYS JUST SOUTH OF WHANGANUI. HORSE COUNTRY. YEAH, MUST BE. AS FAR FROM THE FROTH OF FLEMINGTON AS IT GETS. THEY ARE BLOODY FRIENDLY? OH, REALLY FRIENDLY. THEY'RE JUST HAPPY HORSES. OUT OF A PADDOCK LIKE THIS COULD COME A MELBOURNE CUP WINNER? THEY ALL COME OUT OF A PADDOCK AT SOME STAGE. AND WATCHING OVER THOSE FIELDS OF GREEN, LIKE DOTING FATHERS, THE O'LEARY LADS ON THE BACKBLOCKS-TO-THE-BIG-TIME RIDE OF THEIR LIVES. JUST A DREAM. ABSOLUTE DREAM. RESPECTFULLY, ARE YOU THE MOST SOPHISTICATED MOB TO BE GOING TO FLEMINGTON? ARRHHH, GOOD QUESTION. MICHAEL, DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? I WILL PASS THAT ONE. YOU SEEN SHAUN? WELL, HERE IS SHAUN, IN THE TANGERINE TIE AND JUST A TAD ANIMATED AS THE BROTHERS' SPEEDY STAYER, WHO SHOT THE BARMAN, SERVES UP THE VICTORY CHAMPAGNE IN HIS FIRST EVER GROUP ONE RACE, THE AUCKLAND CUP. I DO RIDE THE HORSES HOME WHEN I GET EXCITED. HAVE TO GET OFF THE SEAT AND RIDE THEM. SO A REPEAT OF YOUNGEST BRO'S JIG IN MELBOURNE TOMORROW AFTERNOON WOULD MEAN ONLY ONE THING. $3.6 TO THE WINNER. PLUS THE CUP'S WORTH $195,000. AND THEN WE CONVERT THAT TO KIWI DOLLARS? YES, THEN WE DO A LITTLE CONVERTION. WE WONT COUNT THE MONEY TIL THE HORSE CROSSES THE LINE. UPBEAT MUSIC NONE TOO SHABBY, IN TERMS OF A RETURN ON INVESTMENT ` A SIGHT UNSEEN INVESTMENT. I PAID $8000 FOR HIM OVER THE PHONE. 8 GRAND? YEAH, IT SEEMED A LOT AT THE TIME. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU FINALLY CLAPPED EYES ON HIM? UH,... UGLY DUCKLING. JUST A HORSE. JUST A HORSE. JUST A HORSE. WE JUST PUT HIM OUT IN THE BIG PADDOCK AND LET HIM GROW UP. MICHAEL SUCCUMBED TO THE BADGERING OF HIS SIBLINGS AND LET THEM ALL IN ON THE DEAL AS THE NEW ARRIVAL GREW AND GALLOPED THE FENCE-LINES. WHAT DID YOU SEE? HE WAS LIKE A LOW-FLYING AEROPLANE, REALLY ` ZOOMING ALONG THE PADDOCK. I THOUGHT, 'THAT'S A FAST HORSE.' SO YOU RANG BRO AND SAID, 'I THINK I NEED TO BE IN ON THIS?' I THINK I DID. DID YOU HAVE TO TWIST HIS ARM? OH, I JUST MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, OLD COBBERS SORT OF STYLE, YOU KNOW... THE BIG QUESTION ` HOW MANY LOSING HORSES BEFORE YOU GET ON THE WINNING SIDE? YOU QUICKLY FORGET THE LOSING HORSES. THAT'S BASICALLY THE KEY TO BEING A RACEHORSE OWNER. YOU QUICKLY FORGET THOSE SLOWER ONES. YOU FOCUS ON THE FAST ONES. THOSE DOZENS OF SLOWER ONES? THERE'S BEEN A FEW. AND ANOTHER BIG QUESTION I HEAR YOU ASK ` HOW DID 'WHO SHOT THEBARMAN' GET HIS HANDLE? WELL, CHEERS TO THE BOY'S LATE AUNTY JULIE, WHO QUITE LIKED A TIPPLE OR TWO. IF SHE HAD AN EMPTY GLASS, SHE WOULD SAY, 'WHO SHOT THE BARMAN?' WHICH MEANS GET THE DRINK, QUICK. SHE WANTS A REFILL? YEAH, YEAH. GOOD ON AUNTY JULIE. SO, WE ARE HAPPY BOYS. THIS LAST HIT OUT IS GOOD. YEAH, VERY NICE. HE'S REALLY ENJOYING THAT WORK, EH. HE'S HAVING A GOOD LOOK AT FLEMINGTON RACETRACK. VERY HAPPY. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN. I'M HOPING THEBARMAN WILL DELIVER THE GOODS. ANNOUNCE: TOO BIG, TOO STRONG, TOO GOOD. I RECKON HE COULD GO ANOTHER LAP. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN. That magic. You never know. It's so family orientated. Two of those brothers in 1983 snuck in. We have a close connection with the Melbourne cup. We do. Are you going to mention our jockey? Little Gracie is there. Fashion in the field at Derby day. Look at this. She is the one on the far left. She got second awesome for a Kiwi. This is our head of tech. How Shouldn't win? That's a winning outfit. She should have won it. Don't go there. She has a friendship with one of the jockeys. Imagine if James wins, hooks up with the most glamorous woman on the course We're banking on himwinning. You're in trouble. NEXT ON SEVEN SHARP ` MEN, PREPARE TO FEEL VALIDATED. I THINK MEN HAVE GOT IT RIGHT IN APOLOGISING WITH FLOWERS. AND SHE KNOWS ABOUT FLOWERS. IT'S AMAZING HOW FLOWERS CAN BE A WHOLE LANGUAGE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. AND DON'T LOOK DOWN. MAN: TWO STEPS. I'M QUITE QUICK, EH? TIM WILSON: DOING WELL. OH! OH! OH NO. BUT TIM FAILS TO GET SOME PAST THE FIRST STEP. WHAT TV PROGRAMME ARE YOU FROM? SEVEN SHARP. SEVEN SHARP? YEAH. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT. (LAUGHS) I HAVE. I HAVE. ONE OF THE GREAT ROLES OF FLOWERS IN LIFE IS FOR THE APOLOGY. NOTHING SAYS SORRY LIKE A FEW PETALS. NOTHING SAYS 'I LOVE YOU' LIKE FLOWERS. WHO DOESN'T LOVE THE MAJESTY OF A WHITE LILY MIXED WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF GREEN FOLIAGE OR A LARGE BOUQUET OF WHITE HYDRANGEAS TO SET OF A LIVING ROOM? BUT I DIGRESS. IMAGINE A ROOM FULL OF FLOWERS ` There was a letter. I didn't realise you are such a flower man. 10,000-ODD FLOWERS ALL UPSIDE DOWN ALL IN THE NAME OF ART. SUCH A ROOM EXISTS IN NEW PLYMOUTH, SO WE SENT OUR TARANAKI BUREAU, AKA HADYN JONES, TO HAVE A LOOK AND A LEARN ABOUT THE ART OF SAYING IT WITH FLOWERS. OVER 10,000 ROSES HANGING FROM THE CEILING UPSIDE DOWN ATTACHED BY 11 K'S OF COPPER WIRE. IT'S ART, OBVIOUSLY. IT'S CALLED 'THE FALLING GARDEN'. I REALLY ENJOY CREATING INSTALLATIONS THAT ARE IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AND THAT BRING THE COUNTRYSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE INTO A SPACE. REBECCA LAW MADE THIS. SHE'S FROM LONDON. SHE'S AN ARTIST, NOT A FLORIST. SHE GOT AN EMAIL ` AN INVITATION TO COME TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD AND MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHERE I FEEL COMFORTABLE. IT'S MY HAPPY PLACE. SHE ARRIVED IN NEW PLYMOUTH WITH DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF FLOWERS SHE THOUGHT SHE'D HAVE. LOCAL GROWERS HAD DONATED ALL THEY HAD. MORE HAD ARRIVED FROM INDIA AND COLOMBIA. REBECCA NEEDED HELP. THE LOCAL FLORAL ART SOCIETY VOLUNTEERED. THEY WERE PUMPED. THEY WORKED HARD. INCREDIBLE. THE ENERGY AND THE POSITIVITY ` THEY WORKED RIGHT THROUGH. EACH FLOWER HANGS IN ITS OWN LITTLE AREA, NOT TOUCHING OTHER FLOWERS, WITH NO MOISTURE AND IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. HER TRANSPORTATION WAS THIS VERY SLOW CRANE. SHE JOKES SHE'S THE QUEEN IN IT. SHE HAS THE ROYAL WAVE DOWN PAT. LAUGHTER REBECCA'S ALWAYS WORKED WITH FLOWERS ` BUT NOT THE ONES THAT WILT AND DIE. THESE ARE DRIED. HANGING THE ROSES, IN PARTICULAR, UPSIDE DOWN HOLDS THE PETALS AND THE SCENT. REBECCA LAWS SAYS FLOWERS CHANGE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WOMEN. MAKES THEM SOFTER, NOT SO RUSHED. THEY LOVE THEM. I HAVE A STUDIO IN LONDON WITH AN OPEN WINDOW, AND WOMEN JUST STOP AND STARE. IT'S FULL OF FLOWERS, BUT THEY JUST ABSOLUTELY ADORE THEM. I THINK MEN HAVE GOT IT RIGHT IN APOLOGISING WITH FLOWERS. TO HAVE A LOOK AT 10,000 TO 12,000 APOLOGIES HANGING ON A CEILING UPSIDE DOWN. IT'S AMAZING HOW FLOWERS CAN BE A WHOLE LANGUAGE IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULT. WHEN THEY'RE DONE, THEY'LL BE BUNCHED UP AND GIVEN TO CHARITY, NOT TO MEN WHO'VE DONE SOMETHING WRONG AND NEED TO SAY SORRY. When did you buy flowers last? What did you do? White bunch. I say I love you. I want that for my second wedding. This again wedding? When is that? Sorry Matt. THE HANGING GARDEN IS PART OF THE POWERCO TARANAKI GARDEN SPECTACULAR. WE CAN'T TELL YOU THE EXACT NUMBER OF ROSES ` THERE'S A LOCAL COMPETITION UNDERWAY TO GUESS. Quickly ceramic poppies in London. If you haven't seen them marking World War I around the moat it is the most spectacular thing to see. It on until the middle of November. WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THIS GUY ON A TIGHTROPE. DID YOU SEE THIS ON THE NEWS? HE WALKED BETWEEN TWO CHICAGO SKYCRAPERS ` ONCE WITH HIS EYES UNCOVERED AND THEN AGAIN WITH A BLINDFOLD. OPINION IN THE SEVEN SHARP POD TODAY HAS BEEN GREATLY DIVIDED, RANGING FROM 'HOW COOL' TO 'WHAT A MORON'. TIM WILSON SET OUT IN SEARCH OF THE DEFINITIVE ANSWER. DAVE DOBBYN'S 'SLICE OF HEAVEN' THE WALK OF FAME ` AMERICAN STYLE. DRAMA! LOOKIN' GOOD. DRAMA! THEN AGAIN, IT IS A BLINDFOLDED GUY WALKING A TIGHTROPE,... ANOTHER STEP. ...HUNDREDS OF METRES IN THE AIR. THE WALK OF ` LAME ` KIWI STYLE. NO DANGER. A BALANCE POLE MADE OF BROOMS. OK, OK. NO WORRIES! THAT'S GOOD. DO IT BLINDFOLDED. YOU'RE PLAYING WITH ME. OH YEAH, I'M STILL GOING. OH, OH. OHHHHH! (SCREAMS) CAN YOU RIDE YOUR BIKE ALONG THAT WIRE? LOOK, IT'S SUSAN DEVOY ` EX-SQUASH CHAMP AND RACE RELATIONS HEAD HONCHO. YOU'RE THE RACE RELATIONS CONCILIATOR. YOU BRIDGE DIVID` COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER. MY BAD. IT'S NOT THAT HARD, IS IT? WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOOK, ARE WE? LAUGHTER IT WAS ONLY COS I WAS GOING FOR SPEED. OK, NOW BLINDFOLDED. ALL RIGHT. OH SHIT! THAT'S HARD, EH. THAT'S HARD, EH. ANYWAY. THANKS A LOT. I love how she is still competitive. Mike's reaction was the poll is heavy. Surely that out. We'll get you on a wire Christmas. AS WE MOVE THROUGH LIFE, THERE'S ALWAYS BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE. WHAT SCHOOL TO GO TO, WHAT TO STUDY, WHO TO CHOOSE AS YOUR HUSBAND OR WIFE, HOW MANY KIDS TO HAVE OR NOT HAVE, WHAT JOB TO DO. TODAY, AT THE TENDER AGE OF JUST 29, BRITTANY MAYNARD CHOSE TO END HER LIFE. YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH HER STORY ` IT'S GONE VIRAL. BRITTANY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A SEVERE FORM OF BRAIN CANCER IN JANUARY AND GIVEN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS TO LIVE. SHE MOVED FROM CALIFORNIA TO OREGANO TO ACCESS THE DEATH WITH DIGNITY ACT AND HAS BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR IT TO BE A CHOICE FOR EVERY SICK PERSON TO MAKE. AND I REMEMBER LOOKING AT MY HUSBAND'S FACE AT ONCE POINT AND THINKING, 'I KNOW THIS IS MY HUSBAND, BUT I CAN'T SAY HIS NAME.' THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ME IS THAT I WAIT TOO LONG BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO SEIZE EACH DAY, BUT THAT I SOMEHOW HAVE MY AUTONOMY TAKEN AWAY FROM ME BY MY DISEASE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF MY CANCER. NOW REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU STAND ON THE ISSUE, I THINK ONE THING WE CAN ALL AGREE ON IS THAT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A YOUNG WOMAN THAT LOVES HER MUM, LOVES HER HUSBAND AND CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANT TO DIE, SO WHAT AN INCREDIBLY TOUGH THING TO DO. SO, IT'S FIREWORKS SEASON, AND ONCE AGAIN, THE DEBATE IS ON OVER SALES AND WHERE YOU CAN LET THEM OFF. I SAW THE MOST SPECTACULAR SHOW ON SATURDAY NIGHT, A SHOW SO WONDROUS, LOUD AND COLOURFUL IT SETTLES THE ENTIRE DEBATE FOR ME. A LOCAL SCHOOL RUNS A FUNDRAISER, AND THE FIREWORKS THEY SET OFF ARE AMAZING. WHY YOU WOULD BOTHER SPENDING 75 BUCKS AT WHEREVER FOR A COUPLE OF RUDE DOUBLE HAPPYS AND A CATHERINE WHEEL IS BEYOND ME WHEN, FOR WAY LESS, YOU CAN BE ENTERTAINED BY THE REAL THING. BUYING YOUR OWN IS AN ACTIVITY OF A BYGONE ERA. THERE ARE TOO MANY IDIOTS; TOO MANY CALL OUTS AND TOO MANY COMMERCIAL SHOWS THAT MAKE STICKING A ROCKET IN A BOTTLE IN YOUR BACKYARD A SAD LITTLE AFFAIR OF YESTERYEAR. SO LET'S FLAG IT AND LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS. CAPTIONS BY TOM WILSON AND ANNA BRACEWELL-WORRALL. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR.