The Eastbourne Herald March 2021

Eastbourne cricket turns one hundred…and one!

by Carl McRae

'Better late than never' was the verdict of the organisers of the Eastbourne Cricket Club’s One Hundred and First celebrations, held last Sunday, at their home ground of HW Shortt Park.

ECC members were in the throes of organising their centenary in 2020, when lockdown and all things Covid intervened and the whole affair was placed on hold.

Then, in February this year, as they were preparing to re-host the celebrations, albeit a year later, the country suddenly went back into lockdown and once again plans were indefinitely shelved.

But co-organiser, Neil Gray, says that in the end, the club couldn’t have wished for a better day or turnout from the community, who scattered themselves right around the boundary rope, enjoying both the cricket and the sun.

“It was a wonderful promotion for Eastbourne,” he said. “We were staggered by the turn-out and guesstimate that there were at least 250 community members gathered to help us celebrate. It was a great way to honour the 100 years of the club and all players and administrators who have put in the hard years in the past.”

Rowan Swain, the man who led a big team of organisers in getting the day finally to fruition, agrees.

“In the end, we had a great mix of players in both teams, most of whom were able to share their back stories regarding who was and wasn’t playing, as the event itself swung in and out of all the Covid-interruptions.”

On the field, there were six former Black Caps, including our own local greengrocer, Chris Martin, who provided one of the day's highlights when he picked up a back of a length

delivery from Mayor Barry and clipped him over mid-wicket and onto the beach for six.

Among the stars were two Silver Ferns, two All Blacks, a junior All Black, a member of The Blaze and an Olympic bronze medal winning rower.

Stephen ‘Beaver’ Donald, the man who kicked the winning penalty in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, took to the local attack, causing a few who had parked in Oroua Street to hastily move their vehicles. One six even cleared the road completely, landed in someone’s front yard and was never recovered. Former Black

Chris Martin, Four Square owner and former Black Cap, in a pose familiar to cricket followers, delivers while Hutt City Mayor, Campbell Barry, ensures he stays in his crease.

Members from both sides gather behind Georgie Gellatly (8) and Sam Delaney (6 - the youngest members of the Eastbourne Cricket Club), while cutting the Centennial cake prior to the start of the festive cricket match. Photos: Phil Benge.

Cap and four test veteran, Bert Vance, who has family connections in Eastbourne, announced that this would be his last ever game of cricket. Bert captained the Invitation side.

Shared path finally set to become a reality

At last! After ten long years of lobbying, the Eastern Bays shared path will become a reality.

Resource consent was granted earlier this month, and Hutt City Council senior project engineer Simon Cager says the first step is investigating locations of services including, electricity, fibre and gas. The sewage pipes, which run down the middle of the road, will not be affected.

Mr Cager says due to the upcoming Winter weather, residents will not see much happening, but may notice the "mad hieroglyphics" marking the services, which must be included in planning for construction of the path, expected to begin in the Spring.

Before then, there are 15 pages of conditions that must be met to meet Resource Consent requirements. These include a bird protection plan, ecology plan and urban design.

The council has been working with penguin expert Mike Rumble, Forest and Bird, DOC, Greater Wellington Regional Council and ERAT over this.

This week, Mr Cager met with representatives from each of the eastern bays to discuss flexibility around the plan. While the path length and placement is decided, there is some room for consultation around amenity placement and design, and access to the beaches; "information looking at urban form.

TIMETABLE

Depart Days Bay

It's always been the detail people are interested in", Mr Cager says.

The first stage of the 4.4km path will likely take place at Windy Point. This is seen as an easy point to start construction in, as it already has a path on the hillside, meaning access from Days Bay to Eastbourne continues throughout the project.

Estimated to cost $30m, the lion's share$15m - is coming from the Government's Covid Recovery and Response fund. The remaining $15m will be split in half between a Waka Kotahi subsidy, with $7.5m in the HCC Long Term Plan currently under consultation. This is paid for by ratepayers.

The path will be 3.5m wide in most places, except where there is not enough room.

Days Bay itself is not included in the plan which runs from Point Howard to Days Bay, and Windy Point.

Mr Cager says Days Bay needs to be treated as a separate project, because of the different elements there. A large component of the plan is designing it for a sea level rise, and resilience during storms.

Easter is around the corner

- HOT CROSS BUNS

- LAMB LEGS

- LAMB RUMP

- FREE RANGE CHICKEN

- BEEF RIB ROASTS

- FRESH FISH

+ MUCH MORE

At your local, friendly Butcher

SAT, SUN & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

(S)

(S)

(S) = Sailing calls at Somes Island, subject to passengers.

FERRY FARES One way: adult $12, child $6. Family Days Bay $66 (Return). 10 trip: adult $91, student $68, child $46. Monthly pass: adult $273, student $201, child $138. Matiu Somes Island: adult $25, child $13, family $68 (Return).

Sailings may be cancelled at short notice due to weather. To check today’s sailings, call our daily status line on (04) 494 3339.

7 Rimu Street, Eastbourne Ph 562 8049

Next ECB meeting:

7.15pm Tuesday 13 April 2021, East Harbour Women’s Club, 145 Muritai Rd

Eastern Bays Shared Path

The Community Board was delighted to receive notification in early March that consent has been granted to construct the Eastern Bays Shared Path. The path has been a vision for the community for more than 20 years and will make a huge difference to accessibility between Days Bay and Point Howard and around Windy Point. Construction is expected to start before the end of June – a condition of the shovel-ready funding that makes up around fifty percent of the budget.

The project team and ECB will consult with residents, bay by bay, to discuss details like beach access. Look out for notices about this in the Eastbourne Herald, the Library and on Facebook.

Maire Street pathway

ECB has started surveying users about the painted pathway at the end of Maire Street and will be able to share the results at the 13 April ECB meeting.

Eastbourne Community Board (ECB)

Residents are welcome to contact board members to sort minor issues directly with council staff or to ask for a report from council officers for the next

Virginia Horrocks (Chair) virginia.horrocks@huttcity.govt.nz

Ph 021 230 8210

Belinda Moss (Deputy Chair) belinda.moss@huttcity.govt.nz

Ph 029 494 1615

Tui Lewis (Ward Councillor) tui.lewis@huttcity.govt.nz

Ph 04 970 5159

Murray Gibbons murray.gibbons@huttcity.govt.nz

Ph 04 562 8567

Bruce Spedding bruce.spedding@huttcity.govt.nz

Ph 021 029 74741

Frank Vickers frank.vickers@huttcity.govt.nz

Ph 027 406 1419

No risk of lead in our pipes

Eastbourne's water comes from the Waiwhetu aquifer and is treated at the Waterloo plant.

Recent test results show a prevalence of lead in the water at less than 0.001, which is the maximum acceptable value to comply with the Drinking-water Standards.

The treatment process at the Waiwhetu aquifer is slightly different than that for water taken from rivers, as it is an underground zone of water-holding sand, gravel and boulders beneath the Hutt Valley. Water takes more than 12 months to pass through the aquifer to our wells and is naturally filtered while underground.

Waterloo treatment plant draws water from eight bores, which is then pumped to an Ultra Violet (UV) treatment unit at the plant.

Wellington Water’s records indicate there are no lead pipelines in the council networks. There are also no cast iron pipes in the Eastbourne network. So the risk is minimal.

A spokeswoman says while some of

Alan Collins recalls that in 1931, as a child returning from school along Muritai Road, when the water mains were being laid in trenches, the iron pipe joints were being sealed with molten lead. "The lead was in a cast iron pot swung under a steel tripod over a fire that had gone out.

"This was fascinating to a child so I put my finger in it. The burn and blister did last for a long while."

the region’s very early cast iron pipes were connected using molten lead solder, the lead does not directly contact water in those joints, and in many cases, the pipes are lined with concrete.

Wellington Water is progressively removing/replacing cast iron pipe over time and as budgets permit, largely due to age related deterioration of the pipes.

The Drinking Water Standards NZ recognises three classes of microorganisms that may cause disease: bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. UV treatment manages the protozoa risk, and if delivered in a high enough dose can also treat bacteria and viruses, whereas chlorine on its own only manages bacteriological and viral risks. A combination of both treatment measures provides a multiple barrier protection system. Chlorination of the water drawn from the Waiwhetu Aquifer began after E-coli were detected in the Waterloo wellfield bores in December 2016.

Once the water had been treated by UV at Waterloo it is aerated to remove carbon dioxide and lime is added to adjust the pH and alkalinity of the water (this is because the water in the Wellington Region is 'soft' and the lime and carbon dioxide help reduce the corrosive effect of the water on pipes and fittings).

Fluoride and chlorine are then added.

Don J. McIlroy

Remembering the scars of war – an Okiwi life story

escaped Europe during the Dunkirk evacuation, was stationed along the cliff tops of southern England protecting the coast from a possible Nazi invasion. The local girls had been asked to be kind to them, as the Poles had no idea if their own families were dead or alive. Shortly after the war ended, Pam and Paul were married in a local registry office.

Pam carries her own war scars. At the age of 10, as war threatened, she, like many hundreds of thousands of children throughout England, was evacuated to Wales where she was billeted for four years. Hating being separated from her own family, she saved up her pocket money and eventually snuck out of the house early one morning to catch the train back home. She refused to return to Wales. She never dreamt that only a few years later she would fall in love with a Polish soldier.

“Paul and I had been happily married for six years, but eventually he became terribly homesick and longed to see his family again. At the Polish Embassy in London, we were told returning Polish soldiers were treated well. We would be given a nice flat and Paul would find a good job.

money, we could never afford to buy meat and I sold my nylons for a little extra cash.”

Eventually Pam got permission to go home to England for a holiday. While there she tried to get a permit to bring Paul back, but the Polish government never allowed this. For 12 years, Pam lived a lonely, isolated life, saving anything she could to send parcels to Paul and never hearing back from him.

The situation was not sustainable and eventually Pam divorced Paul and married a nurse, Harold Fisher, she had met at Dover Hospital. Fifty years after Pam had left Poland, her son Laurence Fisher retraced his mother’s footsteps, meeting up with people and relatives of Paul who still remembered “Pameli, the little woman from England”. Laurence learnt that Pam’s parcels had never reached their destination and that Paul had died young, drinking himself to death. The connections to the Konieczny family continue to this day.

In 2013, Pam moved to New Zealand, following Laurence and his young family. She is happy to be living in Eastbourne and particularly grateful for the support she receives from the Okiwi Trust. “I have made so many friends through Okiwi. It’s a wonderful service for people like me living on their own.”

By Anne Manchester

“My new slippers pinch”—a strange sentence to write in a letter from Poland to one’s sister back in England. But this was the code Pam and her sister Peg had agreed to use if life in Stalinist Poland in the 1950s turned out to be as bad as people had warned.

“I knew my letters to England would be censored,” said 92-year-old Pam Fisher of Eastbourne, as she recalled her life with her first husband Paul Konieczny. “Peg and I had agreed before I left England that if I included this phrase, she would know things were bad and that I needed help.”

Pam had first met Paul at one of the weekly dances in the Folkestone school hall. He, along with many other Polish soldiers who had

“As soon as we arrived in Poland, we discovered this was all lies. After a week of questioning by the Soviet authorities, we were sent to Silicia to live with Paul’s sister. Paul was offered a job in a coal mine in Pszow. Because of his fear of working underground, he had to take a lesser-paid job above ground. We were given an attic room to live in with one tiny stove on which to cook. The toilets and laundry were outside in the yard. We were so short of

Okiwi Volunteer Driving Service

Pam Fisher. Photo: Pippa de Court

Kōrero with Council

Have your say on our 10 year plan

E whakatika ana i ngā mea matua Getting the basics right

Hutt City Council invites you to tell us what you think about our 10 year plan that address the challenges we face in Lower Hutt, like rapid population growth and the pressure this puts on our ageing infrastructure.

We are proposing to double the money we’re spending on water infrastructure and transport, and get on with important community projects like the rebuild of Naenae Pool. We also want to have a kōrero with you about our district plan review (the Council’s land use rulebook).

Where: Koraunui Stokes Valley Community Hub, 184 Stokes Valley Road, Stokes Valley

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Tuesday 6 April Time: 6-8pm

Where: Naenae Library, Hillary Court, Naenae

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Thursday 8 April Time: 2-4pm

Where: Lower Hutt War Memorial Library, 2 Queens Drive, Hutt Central

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Thursday 8 April Time: 6-8pm

Where: Riverbank Market

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Saturday 10 April Time: 11-1pm

Where: Walter Nash Centre, 20-22 Taine Street, Taitā

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Tuesday 13 April Time: 6-8pm

Where: Petone Library, 7 Britannia Street, Petone

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Tuesday 13 April Time: 6-8pm

Where: Western Hills, Hardwick Smith Lounge, Belmont Rec Reserve, Norfolk Street, Belmont, Lower Hutt

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Wednesday 14 April Time: 6-8pm

Where: Wainuiomata Community Hub (Meeting Room 3), 1a – 1c Queen Street

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Thursday 15 April Time: 5-7pm

Where: Eastbourne Hall, southern end of Tuatoru Street, Eastbourne

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Saturday 17 April Time: 12-2pm

Where: Queensgate Shopping Centre, Cnr Queens Drive and Bunny Street, Lower Hutt What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Saturday 17 April Time: 1.30-3.30pm

Where: Naenae Village Market, Hillary Court, Naenae

What: Discussion about the 10 year plan and the district plan

When: Saturday 24 April Time: 11-1pm

You can also visit:

10 year plan

• hutt.city/10yearplan

• write to The Council at Draft Long Term Plan, Freepost 100039, Private Bag 31912 Lower Hutt 5040.

District plan review

• hutt.city/dpreview

• write to District Plan Team, Hutt City Council, 30 Laings Road, Lower Hutt 5040.

Engagement will run from 6 April to 6 May 2021: check out the sessions below, we hope to see you soon!

Life on the sea a lifestyle choice: meet the O’Gradys.

By Ann Packer

What are the best things about living on board a boat at Seaview marina? We asked Eric O’Grady, 5, and his big sister Carmen, 12, what they like most about life afloat.

Eric, who has lived on board his parents’ yacht Skywave most of his life, says he loves sailing, fishing and swimming.

He even managed to swim to the pier when he fell in last winter after slipping on an icy deck – fully dressed, with a backpack on. He already knows what he wants to be when he grows up – it’s a toss-up between the Navy and Police.

Whenever they’re sailing Eric’s favourite place is on the helm. As soon as the sails are up, he considers the wheel his place. “He loves it,” says mum Cathy, “and if he can’t do it he gets upset.”

Over the summer, the O’Grady family heads out on the water regularly for dinner cooked on a barbecue off the back.

For Carmen, currently staying in Stokes Valley with her grandparents and commuting to Muritai School, life is more complicated. “It’s a bit difficult finding places to put my stuff,” she says.

She has to think ahead if she wants something from the family’s storage unit nearby, and says that during Lockdown, “Zoom classes were very hard, trying not to get in everyone’s way.” Carmen enjoys reading, writing and watching things on her phone just like many kids her age.

Carmen and Eric play together in his cabin, or go up to the carpark to kick a ball around. They are expected to do the same chores as land-based kids – clearing the table, taking the rubbish up to the dock, and keeping your bedroom tidy.

Eric, who loves Lego, needs to put his toys away, before pulling out other toys; if he doesn’t pack them up immediately, there is no space. Cathy says it’s good for self-discipline.

Playdates for Eric, in Year One at Muritai, are no problem – though not all his friends’ parents are comfortable with their child sleeping over on a boat.

But Eric’s only injury of note, a broken arm, was the result of a trampoline accident – onshore.

Cathy and Shawn met at high school in Queensland, after Stokes Valley-born Shawn moved there with his mum. He now works with his dad in the family accountancy practice while Cathy enjoys developing her freelance photography business – her Moments Captured can be found on Instagram and Getty.

They bought their first yacht, a ferrocement Hartley Fijian, from Mana four years ago, and decided to move to Seaview, known for its strong community, to see if they liked the liveaboard life. Once decided, they sold their home onshore and traded up to a Chico, bought from Evans Bay, a year or so later.

Running a household of four in a space not much bigger than a container is no easy matter. Shaun and Cathy are constantly modifying their interior to make everyday life more comfortable – a diesel heater, akin to a potbelly stove but safe; a bigger sink to accommodate more than bread-and-butter plates; and a hot water cylinder along with a number of other modifications.

The marina is a good place for children, Cathy reckons.

“It’s a gated community – everybody looks

out for everybody else.

"The facilities are pretty good, the people are lovely and the staff know the kids well.” She says marina CEO Alan McLellan in particular is very patient with Eric. “He spoils him.”

Because this is a community the parents trust, and they are able to swim, the kids can range anywhere within the marina precinct –they have their own walkie-talkies (complete with panic button).

While it‘s tempting to join in local regattas – the O’Gradys have done a few casual races –they don’t race their home these days; there’s too much at stake.

For this family, it’s not about money, it’s a lifestyle choice.

“Winter really tests you,” says Cathy. “Struggling up the pier against the wind and rain is not for the faint-hearted. You soon discover the people who really want to be here.“

Eric O’Grady

Carmen O'Grady

Eric O'Grady.

The good and bad of policing on the waves

by Ann Packer

It was the best of summers…it was the worst of summers. Wellington Police Coastal Master Stu Main says while Wellington boaties were better behaved in general than previous years, there was also a record number of deaths on the water, six in all. Several of those were medical events, two were drownings and one is still missing, presumed drowned.

“The general behaviour of boaties was very good,” says Senior Constable Main, a maritime unit veteran of 12 years and sworn officer for 40. There were very few not wearing lifejackets now after several years of education and increased enforcement action.

Wellington Police Maritime Unit – one of two nationally – is based in the historic Eastbourne Ferry building on Waterloo Quay, making the service one of the most photographed police units in the country. As sworn officers, the 12-strong squad are also called on to assist with nearby events on land.

Some of the reports coming from the public turn out to be false alarms, Stu says. His staff must make the call to respond, either by water or land. They first question the informants, then land-based police patrols close to shore may go to the scene. The shore based police staff will try and corroborate what police have been told and sometimes assist in the rescue.

Marine broadcasts are also used so that any boaties in the area will get to hear what is happening and may be able to assist.

While we’re chatting on board the Lady Elizabeth IV, a report comes in of a kite-surfer in trouble off Island Bay; a little while later, the person has got himself to land, safely.

Stu says some police who try out the maritime service last only two to three years, usually for family reasons, but those who do can stay 12 – 15 years. “You're on call a lot especially in weekends,” he says. “And you have to live within 15 minutes of the base.” Which rules out living in Eastbourne, even though his wife grew up here and he often holidayed with an aunt on the waterfront in Days Bay.

The Police Maritime Unit covers a large area of sea but most tasks are carried out within Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait. They include a wide range of activities from crime on the water to marine emergencies, such as overdue boaties and broken-down

Lower Hutt – your river city

or sinking vessels, and missing divers. The unit also supports the Police National Dive Squad, supplying skippers to transport the divers by water. “They do the diving, we do the driving.”

Basic rules for boaties:

• Skipper responsibility

• Lifejackets appropriate for each person on board

• Weather forecast – wind is a particular problem around Wellington

• Two forms of waterproof communication

• No alcohol – “very seldom do we see people consuming alcohol”

RiverLink is a partnership between Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington, and Waka Kotahi who are working collaboratively with Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira as mana whenua to deliver flood protection, revitalizing Lower Hutt’s central city, and Melling transport improvements.

"Wobbly boat" exhibition at Dowse

By Ann Packer

He’s best known for his wobbly boats, but Robert Rapson didn’t want to be cast as “the boat person” says Mahina Bay resident Caryl McKirdy, who liaised with curator Dr Chelsea Nichols on the preparation of the late ceramicist’s exhibition now showing at The Dowse in Lower Hutt.

The owner of Visual Culture Gallery and former co-owner of Avid Gallery is executor of Rapson’s ceramic estate. Having met in earlier years, when Caryl was running Roar and Pablo’s galleries, the pair reconnected when Caryl took up ceramics after moving out from town. They often hung out in the evenings at Hutt Art Society, where he used the kiln to fire his shimmering symbols of a world now gone.

“He loved kitsch,” says Caryl. “He was absolutely open to moving with the imagination and other people’s stories – and he had stories of his own too.”

She says he never allowed money to dictate what he made.

The 2013 winner of New Zealand’s top ceramics award, the Portage Ceramics Premier Award, for Himalaya Serves the World 1949 – early 70s, Rapson was diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer in November 2019. In January last year, the night before he died in Te Omanga hospice, Caryl, and Robert’s good friend Matthew Reade, wheeled him across to the Hutt Rec for the Six60 concert.

It was a chance remark by Claire Regnault, formerly a curator at the Dowse, that led to Caryl pitching to the art museum the concept of a show featuring Rapson’s clay sculptures.

Deceptively simple, the quirky pieces are faithful replicas of classic cars, planes and the liners that symbolized the end of an era of international travel. Robert – who made his first sea voyage as a 20-year-old on the Angelina Lauro, heading for South America and Europe on a trip that would last almost two years – made hundreds of ships on commission, meticulously researching the authentic details that make the ceramic creations highly sought after. When Wellington curator Stuart Shepherd took his work to Outsider (self-taught) art fairs and galleries in New York and Paris, exhibitions would completely sell out; his latest body of work for New York was completed after his diagnosis.

Against the Tide, part of the Dowse’s 50th Anniversary programme, runs to 1 August, 2021

The Mahina Bay Residents’ Association met recently and revitalised the association.

This is the first of our “what’s on in Mahina Bay” information column and is sponsored by The Music Warehouse in Lower Hutt. Various issues that concern the residents of the bay will now be canvassed here.

Residents and supporters are invited to take part in a clean-up of the stream down the Mahina Bay valley on Sunday, 18 April, 10 am to noon. Postponement only if it is a raging storm or the stream water level is too high. Wear good shoes, bring gloves, and weather protection as appropriate. There will be a planting session in June, at a date to be advised.

Representatives of the bay will be at the planning sessions for the Shared Pathway design that has been approved by the Hutt City Council. Discussion around the effects on Mahina Bay, such as the proposed moving of the bus stop, will be raised. In addition, the traffic situation in Mahina Bay will be high on the agenda as bay residents are quite concerned and are asking that those who pass through the bay observe the speed limits and double yellow lines.

Observers will note that a pair of Oyster Catchers have taken up residence in the bay and can be seen having serious squabbles between themselves as traffic zooms by.

Those who are residents and who are not on the bay’s contacts list should email us with details and we will add you - Oyster Catchers not included.

Biography gives Jack a voice

By Ann Packer

When Mary Tallon was studying History and Literature in the late 1960s at Auckland University she would sometimes wear her father’s old army jacket – which annoyed her mother, “though she never mentioned why”.

The former Eastbourne historian has just published a memoir of her late father, Jack Turner, based on his POW diary and letters. It was in the early 1990s, while working on an oral history project in Wellington, that she decided to interview him during a summer holiday at Lake Tarawera. He had never spoken of his experiences.

“It was then that I realised there was a story worth telling,” she says. But even then she had no idea Jack had a secret diary and a trove of correspondence in the attic. It was Mary’s son Simon Tallon who found the stash, when helping his gran clear out that Mt Albert attic, 70 years after WW2 began.

Jack Turner left New Zealand in early January 1940 with the 27th Battalion. Following the German airborne invasion of Crete he was captured in Spharkia, on 1 June 1941, when he went back for a wounded comrade, then shipped to Athens before being transported by cattle truck to Stalag VIIIB in Lambinowice, Poland. He worked four years in a sugar factory until, with the Allies’ victory imminent, thousands of prisoners were marched away from the advancing Russians during a deadly winter, with -25 degree temperatures and blizzard conditions.

With no food, digging in ditches looking for snails to eat, they marched 900 km west for 81

Kidztalk

days to Hildesheim. Once, when he collapsed, he was picked up and carried over the shoulder of the friend he’d saved on Crete. Normally 12 stone, Jack was six stone when liberated by the Americans.

Jack’s letters convey little of the horrors, preferring lyrical descriptions of wild flowers and olive trees in his notes, and the poems written onboard ship when he was finally well enough to head home.

A representative selection of his family’s letters to him, describe life back home.

Mary writes: “It is a testimony to the English postal system and German attention to detail that so many letters and parcels reached their destination even during the latter stages of the Long March across a Germany in ruins.”

In post-war life Jack continued to write daily – letters to the editor and to parliamentarians about issues such as free trade and competition – while taking a leading role in the family firm Turners & Growers, following in his father, Sir Harvey Turner’s and grandfather Edward’s footsteps. It was Jack who coined the name “kiwifruit” for the Chinese gooseberry, which boosted sales in the US no end.

He was also on the national committee of the Red Cross, having been the recipient of its good works, and remained a man of deep faith, involved in the Mt Albert Baptist Church.

Great-grandfather Edward Turner, born Ebenezer Tredgett, had been “a bit of a rascal” says Mary, leaving behind 11 children and a wife before emigrating with Maude Constable to New Zealand where the couple had ten children, nine of them boys.

Mary and husband Jeff Tallon visited the Stalag VIIIB museum at Lambinowice in 2018 – though their best-laid plans were almost thwarted because it was a Polish holy day. Mary still managed to take photos on her iPad and stills from the museum video. “A beautiful forest covers the site of that huge camp now, emanating an eternal calm.”

Jack’s Voice: A POW’s Diary & Letters –Stalag VIIIB 1941 – 1945 may be purchased direct for $25 plus $5 postage from tallon@xtra. co.nz or at Rona Gallery.

WELCOME TO DAYS BAY PLAYCENTRE

Potion making! Mud kitchen recipes! Musical exploration! And all sorts of imaginative play! Term 1 has been full of creativity and fun. We can't wait to see what Term 2 will bring! We still have spaces available, so come visit us and check it out!

Sessions run Monday, Tuesday Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Call Jeanne for more information on 021979177.

Right: Ada, Quentin and Holly exploring foam using colors and textures.

Mondays

• Retired Persons’ Assn meet 4th Mon, 10am St Ronan's Church hall for morning tea followed by a speaker - $2 entry.Transport can be arranged for these meetings on request, ph 562 7365 or 562 8387.

• East Harbour Women’s Club – Contract Bridge 2pm-5.30pm. Contact Judy Bishop 562 8985

• “Baby Bounce & Rhyme” at the library 10.00am.

• Singalong 1st Mon, 2pm at St Ronan’s.

• DB Playcentre Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, from 9:15 to 11:45, phone Jeanne 021979177.

• Pt Howard Playcentre. Mon 9.15 -11.45am. Lucy 021 335 391.

• The Historical Society’s Eastbourne History Room above the library is open 2-4 pm every Monday.

• Eastbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade training every Monday 7-9pm. Ph 562 7001 for more info.

• Toy Library 8-9pm. St Ronans Hall www. eastbournemibase.com.au Elizabeth 021 08224664.

• Eastbourne Karate Dojo junior and senior classes (children 8 year & older, plus parents) on Monday and senior classes on Thursday. Contact lindsaysensei@live.com, cell 021 844 873.

East Harbour Women’s Club

• Duplicate Bridge: 2-5pm. Contact Judy Bishop 562 8985

Keas: Monday 5.15pm – 6.15pm

Kea Leader: Ed 021 738 699

Cubs Monday 6.30pm – 7.45pm

Cub Leader: Damon 022 620 7116

Tuesdays

• Pt Howard Playcentre Tues 9.15 -11.45am. Lucy 021 335 391.

• Days Bay Playcentre Puddle Jumpers Tues 10:30 to 12 noon: Messy and Sensory play for children 2 years and under. Casual sessions, $3 donation.

• Muritai Tennis Club 9.30–noon. Merryn 562 0236.

• Eastbourne Homebirth Group 1st Tuesday of the month. Phone Kate 562-7096.

• East Harbour Women’s Club Morning Tea & Chat Group 10am. Contact Glendyr 562 7181.

• Indoor Bowls Club 1.30pm, at the croquet club, Oroua Street. Rosemary 562 7365

• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Mike 562 8688.

• Poetry group, every second Tuesday meet to read and enjoy poems old and new. Phone 562 8387.

• Toy Library 9.30-10.30am. St Ronans Hall. Facebook: Eastbourne Toy Library Elizabeth 021 08224664www.eastbournemibase.com.

• 9.30am Nia Dance Fitness Class (low impact - teens to 70+) Music Movement MagicMuritai Yacht Club - call Amanda 021 316692 www.niainwellington.com

• Pump Dance preschool and junior hip hop. 4pm onwards St Ronans Hall. 0274373508 info@pumpdance.com

Wednesdays

• Retired Persons’ Assn meet 2nd Wed at Tartines for morning tea and socialising 11am. Occasional outings arranged. Ph 5627365 or 562 8387.

• Library preschool story time 10.00 am.

• Pt Howard Playcentre Wed 9.15 -11.45am. Lucy 021 335 391.

• Scottish Country Dance. Merryn 562 0236.

• Bridge Club 7-10pm. Shona 562 7073.

• DB Playcentre Mon, Wed, Fri 9-12. Siobhan siobhan_whelan@yahoo.ie

• “Steady as You Go” Age Concern sponsored Falls Prevention and Exercise Programme. Held 12 noon each Wednesday at Eastbourne Community Hall. Classes are held for 1 hour and costs only $2. Improve your strength and balance to reduce falls and injuries. Falls are preventable. Please join us!

• Intermediate/teen hip hop and contemporary. 5pm onwards St Ronans Hall. 0274373508 info@pumpdance.com

• EHock - Fun Stick and Ball game Girls and Boys 7- 13.Eastbourne Community Hall. Wednesdays 6.00 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Derek Wilshere 0274303596

Thursdays

• Menzshed 9 till 12 , Williams Park, Mike 562 8688. Women welcome.

• St Ronan’s Mainly Music, 9.30am-10.30am, contact Cathy 027 213 9342.

• SPACE at Days Bay Playcentre. Michelle 971 8598.

• East Harbour Women’s Club

- Bolivia 12.45pm, Contact Glendyr ph: 562 7181. Guest Speaker (3rd week of month)7pm, drinks and nibbles provide, Contact Diane ph: 562 7555

•Lions meet 2nd Thursday of the month at the Eastbourne Sports and Services Club, Tuatoru St 6.30 pm. New members and visitors are welcome. Graham 562 8819.

• Eastbourne Karate Dojo junior and senior classes (children 8 year & older, plus parents) on Monday and senior classes on Thursday. Contact lindsaysensei@live.com, cell 021 844 873.

• Intermediate Contemporary Dance

Thursdays 6:30pm - 7:30pm St Ronan's Hall info@pumpdance.com,0274373508 Scouts: Thursday 6.30pm – 8.00pm

Scout Leader: Susan 027 535 4962

Fridays

• Pop in and Play playgroup at St Ronan's Church Hall, 9am-11.30am during school terms. All preschoolers (0-4 years) welcome. Cath 027 213 9342.

• Pt Howard Playcentre Fri 9.15 -11.45am. Lucy 021 335 391.

• AA Plunket Rooms 7.30pm. Mark 566 6444/ Pauline 562 7833

• DB Playcentre Mon, Wed, Fri 9-12. Siobhan siobhan_whelan@yahoo.ie

• Discovery Time for 4years+ at San Antonio School, 78 Oroua Street, 9.30-10.30am. Office 562 7398.

• Eastbourne Bowling Club. Newly formed Ladies casual bowling group meets Fridays at 2.00pm. Experience is not required. Bowls & instruction available. Casual dress code. Contact Cheri - 021 0699 274.

Saturdays

• Justice of the Peace at the Eastbourne Community Library, first Saturday of each month 12pm-1pm.

• Lions’ rubbish bin last Saturday of each month.

• Croquet from 10am Muritai Croquet Club. Lyn 562 8722 or Val 562 8181.

Sundays

• AA Plunket Rooms 10am. Karen 021 440 705.

Private functions

Garden Stuff with Sandy Lang

BIG TREES, LITTLE GARDENS

April: Feels like autumn. Time to get your winter crops in the ground and plan next season. A large tree means no sun and rootbound soil. Maybe roots in your drains.

Small trees: Ideally, small trees for small gardens. But dwarf trees can be weak, slow growing, or not the species you want.

Bonsai: The ancients knew how to keep (potentially) big trees small (penjing, bonsai). Plants need root growth to produce hormones that travel up to stimulate shoot growth, which produces hormones that travel down to stimulate root growth. These opposite-going hormones work together to get a healthy balance between root and shoot. So, to stop a tree getting big you must continually prune both shoot and root. OK for bonsais but impossible for gardens. Or is it…?

Root bags: Heard of root restriction bags? Uncommon in gardens, commoner in nurseries/orchards. Root bags are made of plastic felt (geotextile, used by road makers). Plant your (potentially) large tree in a root bag in the ground. Its root system grows to fill the bag - and its shoot system grows in balance.

Then: When the fine roots reach the bag, they find their way through the felt to the surrounding soil. But as they grow fatter, they are garrotted by the strong felt fibres. This greatly slows or kills these escapees. Automatic root pruning…! But root escapes continue, so root hormones continue to keep the shoot healthy.

Ratios: Tree canopy volume is about 10-times root system volume. So, with a bit of shaping, a 40 L root bag will help limit a tree to about 3 m high, and a 30 L bag to about 2 m high.

Planting: Plant your new tree in a root bag in a 1:1 mix of garden soil and potting mix. Then plant the bag in the ground with 2cm of bag showing above the soil surface. Maintain an organic mulch on top and water it in a drought.

Easier: A fruit tree in a root bag needs less pruning, will be earlier and heavier cropping, easier to pick and easier to cover with bird net.

Bonus: Your root bag tree can also be transplanted easily. So, redesign your garden, relocate your tree, or take it with you if you move.

More info? Google evergrow slang@xtra.co.nz www.gardenstuffnz.blogspot. com

Autumn is the time for rats to seek shelter

Rats will now be busy making a home for the winter and that home may well be your roof space, basement, woodshed or compost heap. Now’s the time to keep your traps set and baited. If you do not have a trap already, contact MIRO ( info@miro. org.nz) to buy or borrow a humane trap. MIRO sells these at cost for $20 for a trap in a tunnel. The tunnel keeps pets and children safe as well as positioning the rat for a humane kill. It may also attract a rat seeking shelter on a rainy day. If you want a heavier duty trap to kill a wider range of pests (including stoats and weasels), MIRO has stainless steel DOC200s for sale for $100.00.

Where do you put the trap?

Place it along a stream or a fence line near a food source. Food sources at this time of the year are compost bins, chicken coops or droppings, walnut or fruit trees, and bread or fat balls left out for birds. Other good locations are where a rat may be seeking shelter, such as a woodshed, ivy covered fence or pile of branches. Sally Bain’s rat dog, Rapu, has been indicating in these types of places.

What lure should you use?

We use peanut butter, mayonnaise or Nutella.

Don’t forget to report your catch to your local TLO (Trap Line Operator). Contact Sally Bain (info@miro.org.nz) to find out who your local TLO is. Sally is also happy to calibrate your DOC200 if you have one.

Sally Bain and Terry Webb, MIRO

Petition going to Parliament

Imagine having a disorder so rare there may be only one or two of you in New Zealand with your set of symptoms. Around 300,000, or 1 in 17 Kiwis have a rare disorder, which may not be obvious in early childhood.

An Eastbourne teenager, whose mother struggled to access mental health care when he had a breakdown two years ago, is one such person. Known as 22q for the tiny missing portion of chromosome 22, his symptoms include schizophrenia.

His mother, who asked not to be named because of the stress of the condition on his wellbeing, says on paper he should have got help straight away but the rareness of the condition made it impossible for them to find mental health support.

In the early, pre-internet days of her son's diagnosis, when he was constantly sick, the Eastbourne family "just winged it one day at a time", But as he got older, his mental health deteriorated until he became so distressed at the thought of school that his mum would receive 20 texts a day asking to be picked up.

Rare Disorders NZ and their collective of over 100 support groups gathered at Parliament on Wednesday to hand over a petition for reform to Dr Liz Craig MP, calling urgently for a national framework.

Australia launched the National Strategic Action Plan for Rare Diseases in 2020, and Taiwan recently celebrated the 20-year anniversary of their framework. The UK even has a minister for Rare Disease policy.

Living with a rare health condition can be a genetic lottery as well as a game of chance in terms of the support and healthcare available in New Zealand, says Rare Disorders NZ Chief Executive Lisa Foster. “Anyone, anytime, could find themselves or a loved one having to cope with the symptoms of a rare disorder. While the disorders may be diverse, the discriminatory barriers within the system are strikingly common, and often exceptionally difficult for the rare disorder community.”

Especially during a pandemic…

Sally Bain's dog, Rapu, at work.

BRIEFS

The next Burdan’s Gate beach clean up Saturday, April 10, 9am to noon - rain or shine. All ages welcome. Gloves and bags provided. Pitch in for as long as you’re able, and enjoy a coastal walk or bike ride while you’re at it. This is a twice-yearly community led effort supported by HCC. Feel free to PM or email Sarah for more details: wynpettus@ gmail.com

Local Wild Food Challenge Participants, Sponsors, Whanau and Enthusiasts will have to wait until later in the year to get their fill of fresh and interesting ingredients. Organisers Bill and Sarah Manson say that the current state of Covid 19 alert level changes around New Zealand has made it impossible to stage the annual Local Wild Food Challenge festival at Days Bay this autumn. "We are currently planning for the 2021 festival to take place in early December, when we hope it is safe to hold our event.," Bill says. "Thanks to all who have supported the Eastbourne LWFC festival over the last 12 years. We look forward to another celebration of wild food, beautiful natural environment and our community later in 2021." localwildfoodchallenge.com

CLASSIFIEDS

SONNY'S YOGA - EASTBOURNE CLASSES

- Enjoy a relaxing yoga class near the ocean. Every Wednesday 6.45pm at Muritai Yacht Club. Beginners welcome. First Wednesday of each month will be a gentle YIN yoga class. For more info visit www.sonnysyoga.nz

ECO GARDENER - restoration, restyling, maintenance. All sizes. All styles. txt 027 6939 323

Dan Reed lawn mowing, lawn and garden care. Contact 027 337 1360.

WATERBLASTING Services – For all exterior cleaning and maintenance – call Mike on 027 587 5871.

Lawn mowing and gardening services

Contact Supreme mowing. Phone Grant 0212481771.

CLASSIFIED

ADVERTISING: 50 CENTS PER WORD.

editor@eastbourneherald. co.nz

Faith in the Community

Team...

Team NZ’s done it again…! Years of effort have had the desired result - the America’s Cup remains New Zealand’s cup. In daily competition, we saw the effectiveness of the team of 11 members who sailed Te Rehutai but it was not till the cup presentation we saw the whole team of 104 members.

What makes a good team? Analysts identify several key elements. • First, clear and effective communication to create a culture where all feel free to contribute. • Then, valuing diversity and recognising different strengths and talents.

• Next, clear goals to build a cohesive culture.

• All this fostered by a leadership style which values engagement and is open to constructive feedback. • Such leadership also generates trust and respect, using language that encourages and supports collaboration and dialogue. • The resulting environment allows issues to be worked through to good outcomes.

So, what about the church? Writing to encourage unity and cooperation in the churches in Corinth and Galatia, Paul used the analogy of the human body with its many interacting parts. Those who belong should put on the ‘team jersey’. He also encouraged Christians to run with resolution the race set before them. That’s just what Team NZ has done…

APPLICATIONS FOR EASTBOURNE FREEMASONS’ SCHOLARSHIP

Closing date 31 March 2021

This $4,000 scholarship is available to students who have distinguished themselves during a minimum of three years tertiary study and who have lived in Eastbourne for a minimum of five years during their life.

Application forms are available from the website www.ebct.org.nz

Contact: Anne Keogh 027 687 1845

APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS

Closing date: 15 May 2021

Applications from Eastbourne-Bays groups are invited. Application forms are available on the website (see below) or from Eastbourne Library.

Please refer to the following website for information on the Trust: www.ebct.org.nz

Contact: George Tuffin 562 7520 or email: trustees@ebct.org.nz

Combined Service: Good Friday 2 Apr, 9.30am, St Ronan’s.

St Ronan’s: Services, Sun 9.30am. Ask if you’d like our weekly emailed e-Service or monthly printed magazine the Record E:office@ stronans.org.nz W:www.stronans.org.nz

St Alban’s: Service, Kids Club (primary), Hot Chocolate Club (intermediate), Sun 10am, Wellesley School. Communion Thurs 10am, various venues. Easter Sun service 10am.

From 11 April two Sunday services: 8:30am (traditional) and 10am (contemporary). E:office@ stalbanschurch.nz W:www.stalbanschurch.nz

San Antonio: Easter Sunday Mass 9.30am, San Antonio. No San Antonio services on Holy Thursday, or Good Friday, or Easter Saturday (these services at Sacred Heart Petone and St Patrick Wainuiomata). Regular services: Mass, Sat 5.30pm, San Antonio. Mass, Sun 9.30am & 5.30pm, Sacred Heart, Petone. E:holyspiritparish41@gmail.com W:www. holyspirit.nz

SPENCER LOGAN Valuations Limited

Registered Valuers and Property Consultants

Tel: 562-7555

or Spencer Logan - 021627773

Campbell Logan - 0220938090

Email: spencer.logan@xtra.co.nz

www.spencerlogan.co.nz

Spectators invited to start of gruelling race

Watch the spectacular start of the 24Hour Endurance Yacht Race on Saturday, March 27 at 11am.

Rona Wharf in Eastbourne will be abuzz with activity around the start of the big race. There will be live music, balloons and a sausage sizzle.

MP Chris Bishop will fire the canon at precisely 11.00 am, marking the start of the 24-Hour Endurance Yacht Race. At that very moment the yacht club will release a large flock of homing pigeons as an environmentally-friendly alternative to

helium-filled balloons.

On the water in the meantime, competing yachts will be jostling for position near the start line with their colourful spinnakers aloft - promising to be a great spectacle.

The race will finish at exactly 11am on Sunday, March 28 and the prize giving will be at approx. 2pm.

Skippers, crew, club members, friends and family will gather in the clubhouse of Lowry Bay Yacht Club in Seaview and no doubt fill the rooms to capacity. All are welcome.

There has never been a more important time to seek professional property advice!