Ashburton Guardian - YOU March 23

you MARCH 23 2013

magazine

Your Ashburton Guardian publication

Gretchen hart loving life WHERE EVERY SECOND COUNTS

INSIDE

GARDENING

is a blessing for everyone

RECIPES

Grab your slice of pie heaven

CRAFT

Make your own Easter egg tree

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Publisher

Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd

you 307-7900 l ashburtonguardian.co.nz

What’s in

YOU social scene Ashburton Art Gallery – Views of Distant Towns

magazine P2-3

social scene

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COVER STORY:

Gretchen Hart, loving her busy life P10-11 gardening

photos joseph johnson 020313-jj-073

P14-15 recipes

Material in YOU is copyright to the Ashburton Guardian and can not be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers

P16-17

everyone’s got a story

P18-19

you and your toys

P20-21

women in business

P22-23

social scene

Above – At the Views of Distant Towns art exhibition opening, Rebecca Scott (left) and Jessica Ward.

Editorial contact Lisa Fenwick • 307-7929 lisa.f@theguardian.co.nz

020313-jj-072

Above – Artists Mat Logan and Marela Glavas.

Advertising contact

Left – Jacqui Wilkinson and Tim Middleton.

Desme Daniels • 307-7974 desme.d@theguardian.co.nz 020313-jj-072

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International Women’s Day

photos joseph johnson 090313-jj-042

Above – Toni May. Right (from left) – Sylvia McKay, Sue Prowse, Jo Foster and Terrie Hunt.

Left – Helen Carter.

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YOU cover story

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Gretchen Hart: Lawyer, mum gardener, superwoman If you want proof that being a mum doesn’t mean calling time on the rest of your life, talk to Gretchen Hart. She talked to reporter Sue Newman about living a life where every minute counts.

J

ust thinking about an average day in Gretchen Hart’s life is exhausting.

What she packs into 24 hours sounds impossible – she’s a solicitor, mother, runner, gardener, wife and more. About the only thing she misses out on is sleep, but do that long enough and it becomes the norm, she said.

Gretchen’s a ball of energy who talks, laughs and thinks on the run.

The 38-year-old left Ashburton 20 years ago, vowing she would only return to visit her parents. Like many school leavers she believed small town life belonged in her past.

“I absolutely couldn’t wait to leave.”

Leaving meant heading to Otago University to study law and classics, but it didn’t take long for the lure of law to lose its appeal.

“I’d go to law lectures and think, this is so dry, so boring and uninteresting, then I’d go to a classics lecture and think – wow.”

She completed her classics degree but abandoned law, again vowing never to go there again. Her dream was to head overseas and work on archaeological digs.

Fate had other ideas, dealing her a hand that changed her life.

She went to Australia to spend time with sister Fleur, an intensive care doctor, and to Queensland to work to fund her travels. That was the plan, but overnight the Hart family’s world turned upside down.

“One minute my sister was a doctor in intensive care and the next she was a patient after she caught some rare strain of pneumonia.

I ended up going back to Sydney and all our family came over.”

A month later Fleur was still on life support; each day seemed like a lifetime.

“She wasn’t getting any better and every night they said she had a 30 per cent chance of

making it through to the next day and eventually everyone had to go home and get back on with their lives. I stayed.”

Staying meant Gretchen abandoned her ideas of archaeological digs and became a nanny for another doctor at the hospital, juggling this work around hospital visits.

The months ticked by and Fleur’s condition remained unchanged. The family was offered a treatment being trialled in the United Kingdom. It proved to be the miracle they’d been praying for.

“She started to recover and came out of a coma. She had to learn to move all over again, but eventually I was able to put her on a plane to come home.”

After months of a life that revolved around hospital visiting, Gretchen found herself on her own in Sydney, looking to pick up the threads of her interrupted life.

“I looked through the Sydney Morning Herald for work and quickly realised there’s not a lot you can do with a degree in classical studies.

That made me realise I’d be better off if I went back and finished my law degree.”

It was a tough call, abandoning her travel dreams, but she returned and spent two and a half years at Canterbury University. It’s a decision she’s never regretted.

Neither did she regret the decision that followed graduation. Rather than a job in a big law firm where there was a danger of being pigeon-holed into early specialisation, Gretchen wanted to go into a general law practice. An offer came from an unexpected quarter – Ashburton. She accepted.

“Talk about down-sizing – Sydney, Christchurch, Ashburton.”

She had her doubts initially, particularly when the offer of a hot-shot job came immediately

5 photos kirsty clay 120313-kc-026

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Ashburton solicitor Gretchen Hart seamlessly marries her busy working and home life.

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after, followed by a chance encounter with the man who would become her husband.

Gretchen stuck with her decision and moved back home. It felt good to be back, she said.

“There are a lot of really great people who’d come back here and a lot who had never gone away but who were doing really well in the paths they’d chosen.”

Moving into a small town legal practice did bring some surprises, however. She was the only female lawyer in town and the only person under 40 practising law. That was in 2000.

Today it’s a vastly different scene in an industry where most graduates are female.

“It was so different as a profession then, but I never had any doubts. I was really into running at that time and I loved being able to go out and run in the country, loved being at work just five minutes from home. Loved the fact that if you can’t get a car park at the

door you think you’re hard done by.” Being the only woman in Ashburton’s legal profession did mean Gretchen had to work harder than her male counterparts just to gain respect and recognition.

“As soon as you show you can apply yourself and do a good job it comes quite quickly.”

When she joined the staff of Russell, Moon and Fail there were no computers on lawyers’ desks. That gave her an opportunity to take the lead in helping the firm to move ahead technologically.

She manages her workload by taking a client non-contact day each week.

“It’s not common in our profession but it works for me. It’s a day when I can focus solidly on things. I achieve three times as much in that one day, it’s about using time really well, but it’s hard to change the perception of this.

People still say, how was your day off?”

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Today she works mainly in property and commercial law, estate planning and with youth.

“I like the challenge of working with young people. I wasn’t the finest example of a teenager so it’s good to be able to relate to them – I didn’t commit crimes though!”

Three years ago she was offered a partnership and says she’s well cemented into her working life back in her hometown.

“A partnership like this would never have happened at that age in the city,” she said.

Today she admits she was wrong, very wrong about Ashburton. Coming back 13 years ago was the best decision; living the life she does would be impossible in a city, impossible without the family support that comes from living on home turf.

That’s Gretchen Hart the professional, the woman who regularly commits up to 55 hours of her week to work. But there’s another

Gretchen Hart. That’s John’s wife, Theo and Sylvie’s mum, gardener, cyclist, runner, home decorator, school board of trustee member ... the list goes on.

While many career women choose to take time out to raise children, Gretchen and John have come up with a plan which is an all-round winner for their family.

When Theo, now 6, was born Gretchen opted to take three months off work; four years ago when Sylvie arrived, she took two weeks.

“I rang one of my commercial clients the day before I was to have a caesarean and said I wouldn’t be there for two weeks. He asked if I was going on holiday. When I told him no, I was having a baby the next day he was stunned. He told me that was a relief because he thought I was just getting fat!” continued over page

YOU cover story

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‘

photos joseph johnson 170313-jj-025

I take gardening by the moon to a whole new level – I do it with a head torch. Night is often the only time I’ve got

True to her word she was back behind the desk two weeks later and John was “enjoying” a four-month stint of maternity leave.

“For me it was really hard going from a really intense, adult environment to this other environment that was unknown, but equally intense. I found that very challenging having a baby; it’s an environment where there are no answers and things don’t happen on time.”

Childcare has become a well-oiled machine, with John taking one day a week out of work and John’s mum and Gretchen’s parents filling in the gaps.

John works long days, commuting to Christchurch and Gretchen starts her days early, usually biking to work.

“That’s so I can have 10 minutes’ peace between the chaos of my home environment and the chaos of work, but lately I’ve been thinking I need a hands-free phone on my bike.”

She’s the first one to admit she’s not super human, that getting things done at home is sometimes a bit of a struggle. If anything goes, it’s usually sleep.

There are often several projects running at once in her life. She’s completely redecorated the family home and spends as much time as she can in her garden.

“I take gardening by the moon to a whole new level – I do it with a head torch. Night is often the only time I’ve got.”

In all that busyness, she still finds time for herself. Every day must include something that is an enjoyable event just for her. That’s sanity.

Sometimes that’s nothing more than taking her two dogs, boxers Stanley and Patrick for a

walk, but in an action-filled day, that’s pretty relaxing, she said.

“I’m training for a 10km run, probably at Hanmer.

“I used to run half marathons but not now.

After I had Theo I decided I’d do a 30km run.

Afterwards I realised there were better things to think of when you’d just had a baby. Now I want to do something a bit more manageable.”

Running is the ultimate time out, it’s time to think, time without telephones and time

without interruptions.

When you talk to Gretchen, apart from her boundless energy, there’s little to indicate she’s a woman whose life is a juggling act, but it’s a life she has no desire to change. It works for her and it works for her family, she said.

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Gretchen’s children may have busy parents, but mum and dad have the childcare down pat, with both parents getting to enjoy time with their children, including overseas holidays as a family.

“I suppose there are some things I wish I had time for like catching up with friends and it would be nice to sit down and read a magazine occasionally.”

Her life might be on the manic side of busy, but there are still things Gretchen’s aiming for.

One of those is to sell up and move to a bigger house on a bigger section – somewhere where kids, dogs, chooks, toys and a garden won’t be competing for space. And somewhere she can begin redecorating all over again.

And are there regrets?

She accepts the big OE might never happen but said that as a family they save, plan and make a priority of having a decent overseas trip each year.

“That gives us the best of both worlds – we live in a great place for most of the year and

we get to have an overseas experience too. When we finally paid off our student loans we put that money into savings, it’s our travel fund.”

She loves people, loves finding out what makes them tick and has never lost her desire to fix the world. Just back from a trip to India and Borneo she’s working out who she should write to about the heavy pollution in the sea in Borneo.

“I decided I had to write to someone and tell them this pollution is not acceptable.

I’ve started drafting the letter. They’re polluting the sea so much. I’m so glad I live in New Zealand. For such advanced countries technologically it’s hard to understand how they think it’s okay to pollute the ocean so badly.”

Add that job to the neverending list of tasks in Gretchen’s working day.

If Ashburton had to find an advocate, she could well be the number one candidate.

“We’ve got the best of all worlds here; for a small town, Ashburton is fantastic.”

And she heaps praise on her workmates.

“The guys here are really supportive.

They accept flexibility because they know I’ll be totally responsible and that I’ll get everything done. My life would be impossible without workplace understanding and flexibility.”

Yes, her life is busy, frantic even, but it’s all about priorities, Gretchen said.

“I don’t watch TV, I haven’t got time for that. I get out there and live my life. If you take all the time that some people watch television, they could fit so much into that time.”

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YOU configure express

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Birthdays - aren’t

they W

fun?

e have these every year and we celebrate them.

YES, it’s our birthday. At Configure Express Ashburton we just celebrated our first birthday and it got me thinking.

It was a great day for us, we celebrated, we baked a cake, we had balloons and we decided to give our members and the rest of Ashburton the opportunity to join us at Configure Express at an amazing membership price.

We had great fun with heaps of ladies joining to enjoy the experience of Configure Express and health and

fitness and the cake was enjoyed.

The really nice thing was the number of ladies that genuinely said ‘Happy Birthday, this has been a great year’.

Sorry, back to my thinking; while it was our birthday and only being a one-year-old, I was thinking how many ladies will experience so many more birthdays because they’ve taken the time to give themselves a present.

That is, taking the time to have some “me” time and do something about their health and fitness.

With all the ladies that have been coming to Configure Express in the first year we’ve been open, how many

Carol Moore General Manager Configure Express Ashburton and Christchurch

more birthdays are they going to enjoy because they’re now exercising and have lost weight and toned up? I can’t answer this question, but seeing so many enjoying themselves and so much healthier is a real buzz and this is the real present I got from our first birthday.

One thing I see a lot of at reception is, when you join us we take your photo and when you come in you swipe your card and your photo comes up. The smiling faces of everyone have changed; in some cases I can’t recognise the ladies as they’ve changed so much. The other cool thing

is that they actually look younger and fitter and this means to me, that these ladies will have many more birthdays.

So, the secret to living longer, experiencing many more birthdays and being happy and healthier is join a gym – one that gets results for you, takes the time to ask the important questions, understands your requirements and gives frequent reassessments so you know that you’re on track. So make exercising a habit and you’ll experience many more birthdays.

Enjoy.

THE PERFECT TEN

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Level 3, Somerset House on Burnett Street, 03 307 7030 | www.configureexpress.co.nz

The Gym for Women

gardening YOU foodies YOU

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photos tetsuro mitomo 110313-tm-033

A whole lot of T

By Sue Newman

here’s an awful lot of love in Dawn Giles’ garden.

For her, winning the open section in this year’s Ashburton Garden Competition had nothing to do with awards, but more to do with rewards, those that come from doing something you love.

Dawn and husband Trevor built their home and then their garden on a section that once housed an old garage and little else. The soil was under nourished and the ground hard, but with love and a lot of back breaking work they transformed the property.

Today that garden is picture perfect, a place

where weeds have no room to grow and where flowers happily jostle for their place in the sun.

Over the past 19 years plants have come and gone, trees have grown and been replaced but what hasn’t changed is the sheer joy the couple gain from working in the soil.

There has been change, however, with Dawn becoming the sole gardener as Trevor’s eyesight has failed. But she’s not complaining.

“If ever Trevor can’t find me he knows where to come looking,” she said.

There’s no real pattern or theme to Dawn’s garden. “I do this how I like it, it doesn’t matter if it’s not a show garden. If you’re happy in your garden, it’s your own domain. In its own way it’s always been nice. I just enjoy it, it’s not really about getting judged,” she said.

T of roo Ell ho so “ pu S sh rea flo ga “ wo the In

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Dawn and Trevor Giles love time spent in their garden.

of love in Dawn’s garden

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to

rs en,

-

The Reid Crescent garden might be packed full of plants in a riot of colours, but there’s always room for something more. Dawn visited the Ellerslie Flower Show on the final day and came home with a heap of bargains when plants were sold after displays were dismantled.

“There’s always a bit of room somewhere to push and poke thing in,” she said.

She admits that with her 82nd birthday looming she’s no spring chicken, but said she can see no reason why she can’t continue maintaining a large flower garden and heavily producing vegetable garden well into the future.

“My dad died when I was young so I’ve always worked. My garden is my salvation. I believe in the Lord and it’s his garden, I’m just its caretaker.”

In the vege patch there isn’t an inch of non-

producing soil, as berries, tomatoes and a host of vegetables keep the Giles’ well fed.

And in this garden there are no pests to be seen – no chemicals either. Dawn has her own organic recipes for keeping unwanted beasts out. She uses molasses and water to spray brassicas and clips the white plastic bag ties found alongside plastic bags in supermarkets onto leaves to deter white butterflies. Flour is also a good butterfly deterrent, she said.

Add to that marigolds to deter pests, baking soda and water spray to stop mildew and coffee grounds to deter snails and Dawn is the perfect organic gardener.

When you love your garden, there’s no such thing as hard work, Dawn said.

She lifts dozens of begonias each year and hap-

pily digs and divides dahlias. When it comes to heavy pruning, she’s the first one to grab a ladder and saw. Add to that digging in the annual round of garden manure and pulling out anything that’s not performing and it’s clear that age has nothing to do with ability in her garden.

“I even take the tulips up every year. I suppose I’m a bit crazy really.”

Like many gardeners who love what they do, Dawn is happy to walk visitors around her garden, talking about plants and the small pleasures each one brings as it works its way through its seasonal growth.

“Nature is amazing. Once you get the garden filled up it’s amazing how it looks after itself. I love it and it takes no effort because it’s fairly much a full house.”

Gardening for Dawn is a hobby, a passion and an occupation that soothes her soul.

“If I’m worried I get out in the garden,” she said.

She doesn’t play favourites saying she loves everything in the garden. Whatever she’s given she grows and occasionally buys annuals to fill any gaps.

And like all keen gardeners she shares plants too.

“I have a lot of friends with lovely gardens and a lot of the joy of gardening is sharing plants.”

It’s a year-round garden where a little bit of love goes into everything that’s planted. There is always something to admire, something to look forward to.

“Gardening is a blessing that gives other people joy too. You can forget all your worries when

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YOU craft

advertising feature

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Easter art

Contemporary

Materials

– Small tin bucket or vase – Sand to fill half of the bucket or vase – Tree or bush branch – White spray paint – 12 chicken eggs – Craft glue – PVA glue – Paintbrush – Glitter in a range of colours – Any other embellishments you find at your local craft store – 1.5m of thin ribbon

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Step 1

Step 4

Spray the branch with the white spray paint, leave to dry.

Glue 10cm of looped ribbon to the top of each egg.

Step 2

Step 5

Once dry place the branch in the vase or tin bucket, fill with sand and compact to hold the branch in place.

Paint each egg with PVA glue and roll in glitter, add any other embellishments you have chosen to use. The glitter should cover the ends of the looped ribbon.

Step 3

Step 6

To empty the eggs put a pin hole in each end, shake the egg to break the yolk and then blow into one end of the egg. The yolk and white will come out of the pin hole at the other end.

Leave the eggs to dry. Once the eggs are completely dry, hang them from the tree.

And just like that you will have a beautiful contemporary Easter tree to decorate your house or Easter dinner table this year.

Come and visit this very beautiful craft shop, bursting with a huge product base for scrapbooking/card making and general craft supplies.

Also the gorgeous Christmas shop which is full of festive products,

Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm Closed Sundays.

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YOU food

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W

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Mary had a little lamb fries and a Coke.

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A little slice

of

pie A

utumn might signal the end of summer but it also signals the rich harvest from orchards.

Stone and pip fruit is now flooding into stores and if you’re lucky enough to have fruit trees in your back yard, then you’ll have fruit to turn into chutneys, jams and to preserve.

You’ll also have the makings of beautiful dessert pies.

There’s nothing quite like a fresh fruit pie, wrapped up in home made pastry (or bought pastry if you’re short on time), served up still warm with cream or yoghurt. No matter how decadent that pie becomes with the addition of other ingredients, the goodness of the baked fruit can still convince you that what you’re eating is still good for you .

The pie is an ancient food with its origins traced back to

Pear and chocolate pie

24cm shortcrust pastry sheets 1 1/4 cups (125g) almond meal 2 eggs 125g softened butter 1/3C caster sugar 185g good quality dark chocolate 3 pears, peeled, cored and quartered

– Preheat oven to 190°C – Line a 24cm flan/tart dish with the shortcrust pastry sheets – Prick with a fork then put into the freezer for 20 minutes to stop the pastry rising during baking – Bake the pastry shell for 10 minutes then set to one side – Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C – Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of water – Do not let the bowl touch the water or allow the water to boil as the chocolate will burn – Keep stirring to an absolute minimum or the chocolate will separate – In a separate bowl mix the almonds, eggs, butter and sugar – Pour in the warm melted chocolate and stir – Pour the chocolate mixture into the pastry

case – Arrange the pears on the chocolate filling pushing them into the mixture – Bake the tart for 35 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden and the mixture is firm

Apple pie with crumble top

7 apples, sliced 1C sugar 1/2 T cinnamon 3 1/2 cups water or apple juice 1T cornflour 1/4 C lemon juice Crust: 1 1/2C flour 1/2 C oil 2 T milk 1 1/2 t sugar 1 t salt Topping: 1/2 C flour 1/2C sugar 125g butter

– Place 7 pieces of sliced apple at a time in a large saucepan with 3 cups of boiling water – Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil – Drain and keep the hot cooked fruit in a

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heaven around 9500 BC, in the Egyptian Neolithic period or New Stone Age. Early pies were in the form of galettes wrapping honey as a treat inside a cover of ground oats, wheat, rye, or barley.

Historians believe the Ancient Greeks originated pie pastry using a flour-water paste to wrap around meat, served to cook the meat. This sealed in the juices and provided a lightweight sealed holder for long sea journeys.

The modern day pie possibly dates back to 12th century England. Then the crust was referred to as a coffin. Fruit pies are believed to have made an appearance around the 1500s with Queen Elizabeth I credited with making the first cherry pie.

covered bowl – Combine sugar and cinnamon in a large saucepan with the 3 cups of water/apple juice – Stir almost constantly while cooking until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble – Mix cornflour with lemon juice and add this to the saucepan – Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly. Coat the apples with this liquid Crust: – In a large bowl, mix together flour, oil, milk, sugar and salt until evenly blended – Pat mixture into a 22cm pie dish spreading the dough evenly over the bottom and up sides Topping: – Mix together flour, sugar and butter until evenly distributed and crumbly in texture – Sprinkle over apples – Put pie in the oven on a lined tray

Fresh plum pie

Pastry: 2 1/2 cups plain flour 1/2 t baking powder 200g butter 1 cup caster sugar 1 t vanilla sugar

1 egg Filling: 2 C sliced plums, juice reserved 2 lemons, juiced 2t vanilla sugar 2T cornflour

– Preheat oven to 180°C – Mix together flour and baking powder – Add remaining pastry ingredients and work into a pastry dough – Cover and chill for 1 hour – Grease a pie dish and lightly flour a work surface – Cut dough in half and roll out one piece.

Line the bottom and sides of the tin with pastry dough Filling: – Place reserved plum juice, lemon juice and cornflour into a small pan – Heat until thickened. Let cool, then drizzle over pastry-lined tin – Layer plums on top and sprinkle with vanilla sugar – Roll out remaining pastry dough and place over the plums – Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Dust with icing sugar

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YOU everyone’s got a story

garden

Inesons’ lifetime

A

shburton’s Judith Ineson and her husband Mervyn built their Galbraith Street home after marrying 51 years ago, and have lived there ever since.

They brought their two sons up there, and today tend a large vegetable garden, as well as care for roses, dahlias and two mischievious cats.

“I would sooner be outside than in,” the Ashburton grandmother said about getting out in her garden.

She said the vegetable garden had mainly been her husband’s domain, but declining health in recent years meant he was limited in the amount of outdoor activity he could do.

Mrs Ineson has since had to become the main vege grower of the household, and it’s something she has taken to with fervour.

This year for the first time she planted corn and was surprised when a six-cell pack had two plants per cell, meaning she had as many as a dozen tall corn plants.

“One of my sons loves corn, so I thought I would put it in,” she said.

With towering corn, a fruitful pumpkin plant which has crept “right out amongst the spuds”, and rows of leafy silverbeet, there is no evidence of a difficult growing season at the Ineson household.

The couple also has half a dozen chooks.

Mrs Ineson is a member of the Ashburton Dahlia Circle, and loves this time of the year when the bulb plants are at their colourful best.

Mr Ineson is the rose specialist of the house,

YOU magazine writer Susan Sandys randomly chooses a number from the phonebook and tells the story of the person who answers.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

BY SUSAN SANDYS and at the entrance to the home there are several rose plants with handpainted signs at their base informing of the type of rose.

Another area of the garden which has signs, is a small graveyard for some of the cats the couple have owned over the years – Flo, Darkie, Monty and Sox. Each name has its own story and memories behind it.

Today the couple own Buster the tabby and Tinker the black and white.

Buster has a habit of playing on the beds in the house at the worst possible time, between 2am and 6am.

Mrs Ineson is 75 and has lived her whole life in Mid Canterbury.

She was brought up on a farm near the Hinds River, and moved into town with her family after they sold the farm when she was 20.

After leaving school she worked at Wright Stephenson and Company, stock and station agents, until marrying and having children.

Once her children went to school she worked at Brophy Knight accountants in data entry for 32

years until she retired. She said she had seen many changes in Ashburton over the years.

“Some have been good and some have been not so good,” she said.

She said it was sad to see buildings such as the old Radiant Hall, at today’s Countdown site, where she used to attend dances, be demolished long ago.

Today she would like to see the Ashburton Railway Station building remain, and thinks it would be a perfect place for the town’s museum to relocate to. The building the museum and art gallery were in now could house an extended art gallery.

And money saved on building the new art gallery and museum could go towards saving the railway station, and even on improving the town’s hospital services.

On the bright side in Ashburton, she said the town’s public gardens had come along wonderfully over the years, and it was lovely to see such a colourful display of flowers this time of year in town centre locations.

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Above – Ashburton’s Judith Ineson tends to dahlias in her flourishing garden.

Left – Former pets of the Inesons have a special place in the family’s hearts and garden.

17

Photos Tetsuro Mitomo 070313-TM-020

YOU and your toys

18

David Oakley at the wheel of his restored 1925 Hupmobile, his seventh vintage restoration.

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Photos Kirsty Clay 140313-KC-039

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19 Lifelong passion

vintage FOR

E

by Jonathan Leask

ver since he was eight years old vintage cars have been a big part of David Oakley’s life.

David fell in love with vintage cars then and he is now a collector and restorer of vintage cars, the proud owner of six, and the president of the Ashburton Vintage Car Club.

“Hobby, obsession, call it what you like but I 140313-KC-038

The vintage four-cylinder engine featuring long pistons that Oakley fully reconditioned.

got into cars when I was eight years old,” David said.

“It all started when my father took me along to the Christchurch show. He had a bit of an interest in vintage cars and there was a display which he took me around to look at.

“There were a few cars but I just remember looking at the very rare Brough Superior.

“I stood in front of it and thought it was the most beautiful thing I had seen and have been fascinated by vintage cars ever since.”

The fascination drew him to learn to work with the older model vehicles and he now restores them, for himself and others.

His most recent completed project is a 1925 Hupmobile, but he has already started work on his next one.

David has restored six vintage cars for himself and each one tends to get a little older.

“The last four I’ve worked backwards.

“I started with a 1938 Willys, then skipped down to a 1927 Whippet, a 1926 Austin, and then the 1925 Hupmobile. The next project is a 1915 Rover, which I had actually started but put it aside to work on the Hupmobile.

“I have a 1956 Austin that has been commandeered by my wife, and we also have a 1972 Triumph to make it seven.”

The Hupmobile, one of the now rare creations of a defunct car manufacturer that ceased to exist in 1940, was a temptation too good to pass up when the opportunity arose.

“I spied it was for sale and in a weak moment my wife let me get it.

“I bought it partially done. The previous owner had completed about 60 per cent of the work over 20 to 30 years of pottering around. I have it almost completed after around 500 hours, but there are still a few things to tweak.

“With the vintage cars the work is never really done.”

The car has long pistons which means you can stay in top gear the whole time. It’s not very fast but you never have to change gear.

While changing gears is not a problem, it does have its own difficulties.

“Stopping does require planning.

“But its top speed is around 45m/h when the engine starts sounding a bit busy and 35m/h is the comfortable cruising speed.

“It’s a leisurely car you don’t want to ever be in a hurry.”

Lochlea Lifestyle Resort Situated on 9 hectares in Racecourse Road is Ashburton’s premier lifestyle resort village for people aged 60 years and over.

Expressions of interest are invited for this fabulous complex which is currently under construction and will eventually provide 107 two-andthree bedroom villas, 10 age care units and a 70 to 80 bed hospital with attached dementia units.

The hub of the village will be Lochlea Lodge the community centre for all residents and their visitors. A lot of thought has gone into the design of the lodge, and it will provide many indoor and outdoor facilities such as residents’ lounge, library, workshops, bowling green, barbecue area, putting green, indoor swimming pool & spa, gymnasium and much more.

This gated complex will provide a safe and secure living environment and is situated on the north-west side of Ashburton, an idyllic semi-rural location with mountain views and the resort is only an hour’s drive to Christchurch and Timaru.

Adjacent to the resort is Lochlea Estate Stage 1 now selling sections enquiries welcome

Provisonal member of RVA.

Enquiries to Tony Sands, Resort Manager Contact 03-307-9080 Free phone 0800-2727-837 After hours: 03-302-6887 Email: tonysands.lochlea@hotmail.co.nz

20

women in business YOU

advertising feature

The joy of P You can’t help getting

by Amanda Wright

older, but you can stop getting old. With daily joy, learning and discovery, being young at mind is being young at heart.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm for life is to wrinkle the soul.

independence

ersonal driving service Driving Miss Daisy provides the independence and freedom to allow those who can no longer drive the opportunity to still live their life with enthusiasm and joy. With Driving Miss Daisy now in Ashburton, independence, comfort and companionship is just a phone call away.

Unfortunately there will come a time when mum and dad are no longer able to drive safely. After the age of 65, accident rates rise significantly. After the age of 75, an accident is more likely to end in a fatality, and not all senior citizens are the same. Some 90-yearolds are better drivers than some 70-year-olds, so you can’t assume that just because dad is only 65 that he is still okay to drive.

While giving up the keys may feel like giving up freedom and independence, there will come a time where vision, memory or reflexes are such that driving a car, even a short distance, can be lethal to not only the driver, but also to the beloved members of another family in another car.

Losing this initial independence can cause

emotional distress, as having to rely on others for transportation is difficult for many, and pride or downright stubbornness will often encourage those who shouldn’t be driving to continue, when even they know they shouldn’t.

For many it’s because they don’t want to be a burden on anyone else. They don’t want to have to call their son or daughter from work to take them around the corner for a prescription.

“I don’t want to be a bother, it’s only around the corner, I can manage.”

It’s in these cases and many more where Driving Miss Daisy is a perfect solution to keep everyone safe, independent and happy.

Christine Sandrey realised the need for such a service in Ashburton with the passing of her uncle last year.

“He spent the last 18 months of his life in a local rest home and had huge difficulty coming to terms with the loss of his driver’s licence. Like a lot of other people in full-time employment, I found it difficult to be available every time he wanted to go somewhere, which

was almost daily.

“We encouraged him to take advantage of local taxis but for his own personal reasons he was very reluctant to do that,” Christine said.

A once in a lifetime trip for Christine and her husband Brian to Alaska and Canada last year presented the opportunity Christine had been searching for.

“While in Vancouver we spotted a Driving Miss Daisy vehicle in the city. That sewed the initial seed of thought. When we arrived back in New Zealand we saw the CloseUp presentation for Driving Miss Daisy on television, which gave us the answers and opportunity we had been looking for.

“We saw the huge window of opportunity to be able to set up the service in Ashburton and contacted the New Zealand franchisors, Melanie and Jack Harper, based in Havelock North. Melanie and Jack have been very inspiring and meeting them last year led me to owning the local Driving Miss Daisy franchise,” Christine said.

Christine’s work history and experience made

YOU women in business her an excellent candidate for owning a Driving Miss Daisy franchise.

Christine trained as a community nurse at Ashburton Hospital, and spent 18 years in various areas of the hospital, learning different skills and nursing patients under different circumstances.

Following Christine’s nursing years she was offered an administrative position with a successful local dairy livestock business, South Island Dairy Farmers Ltd. Christine developed extensive administration and business experience, and after four years moved on to spend time with Electricity Ashburton, and then a local rest home in which she was tasked with both administrative and nursing duties.

She then returned to South Island Dairy Farmers Ltd for a further 12 years, most of which were spent as office manager.

“Owning my own business has always been on my bucket list, and when the Driving Miss Daisy franchise became available it seemed a perfect fit for me, encompassing all of my strengths and interests,” Christine said.

Christine describes her job as the best in the world, and is delighted to help local individuals maintain their independence and freedom.

“I am enjoying playing a huge role in helping our elderly maintain their independence and feeling of self-worth.

Some people require transportation from A to B only, but what is different about Driving Miss Daisy is the service that we offer in conjunction with transportation.

“We offer help with shopping; groceries, clothing, and also assist to put items away when clients return home. It’s these small additions to transportation that make our service so special for those we help.

“Some people may have a desire to spend some time at a place that is special to them; beside the sea or close to the hills.

“They may just want to go and spend some time sitting at the domain with a cuppa and some friends. Anything that adds value to their lives is possible, and I feel privileged to be able to make their days more fulfilling and enjoyable,” Christine said.

Travel to Timaru or Christchurch, especially

advertising feature driving within an unfamiliar city can often be daunting to an elderly or disabled driver, so Driving Miss Daisy offer services beyond Mid Canterbury, at prices often better than other transportation options.

“We are available to accompany people to medical appointments. Sometimes having someone else in the room might help to fill any memory blanks later of the discussion that took place. For this reason we will happily transport people to appointments locally, or in Christchurch or Timaru, to avoid stressful driving in the city.

“Whilst the service is a valuable asset in helping the elderly maintain independence, it is not just aimed at that sector of the community.

It is a service available to anybody who, for whatever reason, doesn’t drive, either temporarily or permanently.

“This could even be due to something as small as a sporting injury, where the patient may need a ride to physio.

“It may even be another transport option for those needing to go to the airport instead of leaving their own vehicle sitting in

21

the open at the airport until their return.”

The Driving Miss Daisy car comfortably seats four adults and their luggage.

“Meeting a flight in the early hours of the morning can also be catered for, to return people to their home,” Christine said.

Above all, safety and comfort is assured.

All Driving Miss Daisy drivers have a passenger endorsed licence and have undertaken a comprehensive first-aid course, so are well equipped to provide for the needs of clients in their care.

The model of the vehicle exclusively sourced overseas by the Driving Miss Daisy New Zealand franchisors, makes it easier for those who have limited mobility to get in and out.

There is also plenty of room in the back of the vehicle to accommodate a walking frame or wheelchair.

With Christine at the wheel, you can rest assured that your loved one is receiving top care and service, in a comfortable environment, with the ability to safely retain their independence and continue living the life they love.

Christine Sandrey photo Kirsty Clay

YOU social scene

22 Tinwald Golf Club’s past players’ reunion

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120313-tm-034

Above – Wendy Sim (left) and Betty Wilson.

Above left – Sheila Blyth, Pat McLauchlan and Judith Johns.

Left (from left) – Rosemary O’Sullivan, Jean Drummond and Nola Grant.

photos tetsuro mitomo 120313-tm-026

Above – Wyn Peck and Valda Johnston.

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15% OFF ALL MERINO POSSUM Winter is coming. Come on out to The Merino Story and check out the new winter fashion.

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23 Ashburton Red Hatter Society

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Above – Cecily Casey (left) and Florence Davidson.

Left (from left) – Chleone Emery, Gwen Emery and Mollie Smith.

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Above – Members of the Ashburton Red Hatter Society enjoy lunch and each other’s company at Braided Rivers.

120313-tm-025

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36 24 BONUS DEALS +

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