The Sun
Friday April 27, 2018
7
The Solomon Islands Vine Power team who turned up to help clear the garden area for Blenheim School.
Island power gets the gardening job done in record time By Bill McElhinney This was a working bee with a difference . . . The Blenheim Lions Club was asked by Blenheim Primary School principal Denyse Healy if they could help coordinate the planting of a
new garden on the southern side of the school. “It’s a project that’s been in the pipeline for the past two years,” Denyse says. “The first stage was to get the area dug over and remove some big old tree roots that
were there and level the area.” Ross Ayson from Blenheim Lions took on coordinating the project and received an offer of help from Gus Struthers of Vine Power. “Gus said he could supply
25 Solomon Islanders to help with the project before they flew back home,” Ross says. The Vine Power team turned up with spades and shovels on a recent Saturday morning, and with the help of four Blenheim Lions the
area was cleared in an hourand-a-half. “What an enthusiastic group of young Solomon Islanders,” Ross says. “They did a marvellous job and had it all completed in very short time.
“Denyse supplied us all with a yummy morning tea in appreciation of their voluntary community work and doing such a fantastic job.” Next stage is ordering the plants and planting the area.
Historic seats get new lease of life By Bill McElhinney The blokes at the Blenheim Menz Shed are busy restoring some Blenheim history. “We were approached by the secretary from the Waterlea Racecourse and asked if we could repair and restore 10 garden seats they had,” Menz Shed chairman Dave Oliver says. The six-seater benches bear plaques showing they were donated by a Blenheim family in 1921, a year after the Waterlea course officially opened. “They were all in various states of disrepair,” Dave says. “There were slats that needed replacing and getting those off was a mission, as the bolts that held them in place were rusted and had to be cut off.” Some of the iron legs were
also broken or distorted, but the Menz Shed team has refurbished five of the benches and they are back at Waterlea for spectators to use at this weekend’s race meeting. “We’ve put a lot of man hours in on these,” Dave says, “but we’re getting there. “It’s been a big job cutting timber for new seat slats. They all have to be bevelled and then fixed with new bolts.” The Menz Shed team are kept busy with a steady stream of community projects. They have done similar seat repair work for Rapaura School, built about 30 planter boxes for the Selmes Road Garden Trust, and are now making compost bins for the same organisation. “And we’re grateful to Rapaura Timber who have
donated the material for these,” Dave says. They have also been asked to make signs for the various plots at the Marlborough Community Gardens. There are dozens of bikes which are being repaired and refurbished for youngsters who may not be able to afford a new bike and a steady stream of smaller jobs for people from all walks of life. “We don’t charge, but people can make donations, and many do,” Dave says. “Some are quite generous. “People also donate materials and we often get repaid in scones and biscuits, which go down well at smoko time!” The Menz Shed members have a wide range of skills and a good selection of machinery and equipment built up over the years. “But the main thing we
The seat restoration team at the Blenheim Menz Shed. From left: Dave Oliver, Phil Hutson, Colin Smithies, Peter Perham and Peter Crawford.
offer is companionship,” Dave says. “We have about 45 members and at least 15
regulars who turn up to help with the various projects we have on the go.
HEIM LIONS BEAVERTOWN BLEN
Bride 2018
of the year Friday 29th June
Entries Now Open We invite all brides married or residing in Marlborough between 29th September 2017 and 18th June 2018 to enter the Bride of the Year Show held at the ASB Theatre. Application forms are available at the Sun Newspaper and the ASB Theatre. All enquiries please email bblbrideoftheyear@gmail.com Entries close 20th June 2018 Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Marlborough Group NZ Riding for the Disabled and Child Cancer Foundation.
Bride of the Year Blenheim
“It’s a great place to learn new skills and make new friends.”