PONSONBY NEWS - AUGUST'13

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AUGUST 2013

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WHAT’S INSIDE THIS MONTH

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P120; This original advertising signage was found on the site of the Ponsonby Bowling Club and has been bought by a local resident for preservation.

P121; The Grey Lynn community is battling to stop a new liquor store from opening in the Grey Lynn shops.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM THE EDITOR DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW SHALE CHAMBERS: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD JACINDA ARDERN: LABOUR LIST MP AUCKLAND NIKKI KAYE, AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP PIPPA COOM: GREY LYNN 2030 U3A PONSONBY JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS BAKERIES

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EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY LAURAINE JACOBS: THE SEASONED PALATE PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE FASHION + STYLE ANGELA LASSIG: LETTERS FROM MAUDIE JAY PLATT: WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY LIVING, THINKING + BEING SHEENA SHUVANI: STARDUST ASTROLOGY

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PONSONBY PEOPLE & THEIR PETS FUTURE GENERATION SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY LOOK WHO IS IN THE ZOO HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS STREET NAMES REAL ESTATE UPDATE ARTS + CULTURE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Danilo Santana David

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LETTERS + EMAILS PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO info@ponsonbynews.co.nz

Grey Lynn Fire Station - July issue I read with interest the above article. My 84-year-old mother recalls visiting her great aunts Bertha and Clara who lived at the fire station during the depression. A fabulous place to play hide and seek, for a 3 year old, with purple velvet curtains and matching table covers and those beautiful stairs. The great aunts were missionaries to China and returned to New Zealand and lived with their grandson, Barry Charmley, supposedly an opera singer later in life. Their grandfather and my great great great great grandfather was a freed prisoner from Botany Bay, Captain Daniel Baker. He married Noa, a Samoan woman who is reputedly the first Samoan person (and woman) to come to New Zealand on an American whaler called the Ganges in 1845. They fled the island during an eruption and settled in the Hokianga - they are both buried in Mangonui. The aunts? well, I’m not too sure where they ended up. JANE JACKSON, Grey Lynn RSC committee

Ponsonby Bowling Club sign I am writing in response to the letter published in your recent edition relating to the fence at the Ponsonby Bowling Club. We are the developers partnering the Bowling Club with this redevelopment, and would like to set the record straight. The demolition contract is let to a professional demolition company, and this fence was instantly recognised as being of historical importance. Location Group made it very clear that this fence should be preserved and subsequently it was sold to a member of the public, and will show up soon in a place where it can be viewed by the members of the public as far as I understand. In response to your writer, it is very important not to assume in these situations. Location Group is a developer with 46 years experience in Auckland and prides itself on creating high quality developments and having a strong community conscience. The fence certainly wasn’t “going to some tip”.

MARCUS HILL, MRICS, Location Group

Views in Ponsonby News reflect the author’s, and not those of Alchemy Media.

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Bunnings development We have been amazed by the overwhelming support of locals opposed to the Bunnings proposal to place a large soulless warehouse on the ridge in Arch Hill/Grey Lynn.

Most sensible people understand the ridiculousness of a proposition that would place a monolithic structure in the heart of lovely old heritage homes. As the town planner advising the Arch Hill residents pointed out at a recent meeting, this is a watershed proposal...there is not another Bunnings site plonked in a residential area ANYWHERE. Why? Because the development is not suited to a residential area.

Readers such as the resident who wrote to Ponsonby News last month are very out of touch with what the residents want. Interestingly, the writer doesn’t live in Arch Hill, and seems oblivious to the excellent hardware store right on his doorstep in Ponsonby - Mitre 10. He also seems to think that an objection to a completely out-of-step development signals residents are opposed to any form of development. He needs to read what has been written and cease the extremist responses! Residents are in fact pro-development…supportive of projects that are sensitive to the surrounds and help build our community...development that adheres to the mixed use zoning.

Arch Hill residents and friends have enlisted the expertise of an experienced lawyer, town planner and traffic engineer. The meeting on Monday was effectively a Q&A with all three experts explaining the process involved, a little history of the zoning for Arch Hill and why the proposal was so out of sync with what the community needs. We have been really fortunate to have these people advise and assist us.

The next steps are for the residents to fundraise to pay for the fight. Unfortunately, unlike the corporation we are battling, we have very limited funds. We are proposing some community based events - a garage sale, a street party, movie night, and a wine and cheese evening with silent auction. If you would like to lend support for any of these events, we would be most grateful. Email: archhillcommunity@gmail.com Or if you would like to donate to the fighting fund please go to: ArchHill Residents, 38-9014-0148242-00, Sue Lyons, Arch Hill

‘MARR FACTORY’ FASHION SERIES BACK FOR 2013 Stephen Marr is again hosting five in-season runway shows at Ponsonby’s ‘The Golden Dawn’, with tickets available for public purchase. Karen Walker, Zambesi, Nom*D, Helen Cherry /Workshop and Kate Sylvester will each take a turn starring, from August 25 to 29.

Tickets went on sale on July 24th through iTicket.co.nz and are priced at $50 each.

The price is inclusive of a complimentary Courvoisier drink on entry, a gift from the designer or a voucher to redeem in-store, a voucher from Stephen Marr to redeem in -salon, and complimentary hair care product from O&M. All events are R18 (NB: Most of the shows sold out in 2012).

The schedule is: Sunday 25 August: Karen Walker Monday 26 August: Zambesi Tuesday 27 August: NOM*d Wednesday 28 August: Helen Cherry & Workshop Thursday 29 August: Kate Sylvester M.A.C Cosmetics have again joined Stephen Marr as make-up partner for The Marr Factory, and will fly M.A.C Senior Artist Amber D back from Sydney to lead the M.A.C PN Artists backstage. F

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FROM THE EDITOR

PONSONBY IS BUZZING JUST LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS. PONSONBY CENTRAL IS BRINGING more people to the area. Mark Wallbank’s Blue Breeze Inn is packed serving contemporary Asian inspired fare; the urban retail sector in Mackelvie Street brings fashion to the fashionable and some of our old favourites like SPQR are still rocking! Long time local GPK has gone and in its place is the fabulous Mekong Baby.

Sadly, it looks as if Peter Taylor of ‘Surrender Dorothy’ and ‘Dorothy’s Sister,‘ fame is nearing the end of his vibrant and colourful life. Peter bought the concept of ‘fabulousity’ to Ponsonby and he is remembered with great fondness by many people.

Regular Ponsonby News readers know we are strongly opposed to party pill testing on animals. Which is why, we’re proud to report that in a very short period local Herne Bay resident and dog lover, Angela Beer used Facebook to get 6,933 Likes (at the time of going to press) on her page, STOP Party Pill Testing on Animals. As she told me, “the march up Queen Street (on 30 July) is just the start of a campaign which will continue until party pill testing on animals is stopped.”

Like many others, we are keen on building a strong and vibrant community. As Arch Hill residents, we do not want a big box development, five minutes walk from us. We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it, we are not opposed to development in our area - but we want progress, which is appropriate and in keeping with our heritage villa neighbourhood. Sue Lyon’s letter opposite says it all, “there is not another Bunnings site plonked in a residential area ANYWHERE… why? Because the development is not suited to a residential area.”

The old Ponsonby Bowling Club in Jervois Road has gone making way for the Vert apartments and the new Ponsonby Bowling Club. As the fences came down old advertising signage was found on the site along with other significant pieces of historical interest.

photography: Michael McClintock

As we went to press, plans to shape the face of our high profile Ponsonby Road strip were unveiled and we look forward to seeing the Draft Ponsonby Road Masterplan.

This month we feature some local and not so local bakeries. We hope you will treat yourself to some of the delicious goodies on offer!

Don’t forget every Sunday morning there is the great Grey Lynn Farmers Market right on our doorstep with fresh, mainly organic produce. Think global shop local!

(MARTIN LEACH) F PN

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DAVID HARTNELL’S: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW

Paul Little Paul Little is an award winning author/journalist, he and his wife Wendyl Nissen are long time residents of Grey Lynn.

What was your childhood like?

It was a bit different. Dad was a funeral director and we lived above the funeral home in the Valley Road shops for the first few years of my life. It was a classic funeral home and yes we did play around the coffins. If you’ve ever seen the movie My Girl, about a widowed funeral director with a young kid, it was just like that - we even had the same embalming equipment as in the movie. Mum died when I was seven but luckily dad remarried my very nice stepmother who’s been taking care of me for nearly 50 years now.

Who do you think is the most annoying celebrity today?

Only one? Winston Peters.

Who do you think is New Zealand’s best dressed man and woman?

Leave that up to you David. But I admire fashion blogger Isaac Hindin Miller for making a career basically out of wearing clothes. And my wife Wendyl looks amazing whatever she’s wearing.

How would you like to be remembered?

I’d like “brilliant but erratic” but I think I’ll be lucky to get away with “bumbling but lovable”.

You’re an award-winning author; tell us about your latest publications?

I’m starting my own publishing company with two books for Fathers’ Day. One is a satirical book called 50 Shades of Key which is photos of the PM with funny captions added. The other is Grumpy Old Men which has a bunch of well-known guys talking about the things that drive them nuts. They’re both very entertaining (and great gifts for dad - no pressure).

Are Kiwi men really grumpy old men?

If you’re not grumpy about something then you haven’t been paying attention - it’s only when we’re grumpy about things that they get fixed.

What is something that you really disapprove of?

One thing that really drives me crazy is people not using their talents. I know lots of great teachers, actors and cooks, for example, who don’t teach, act or cook. It drives

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me nuts - especially when you see so many people who have no talent at all doing those jobs. Also “clairvoyants” - there ought to be a law.

When was the last time you turned off your cell phone?

At Star Trek: Into Darkness. Wish I’d left it on - I’d have had something interesting to look at.

If you won a million dollars what is the first thing you would do?

Buy half a house in Grey Lynn.

What do you think happens when we die?

Lots of crying I hope. When I go I don’t want a celebration of my life. I want people to be really upset.

Do you believe in ghosts? Or angels?

Or vampires?

Very happily atheist, it really frees up your weekend. As Kerry Packer said after he had his heart attack and was revived: “I’ve been to the other side, mate, and there’s nothing there.”

What’s the best movie you’ve ever seen?

Don’t know about best but every year I watch The Right Stuff and Lawrence of Arabia again. Never get sick of them.

When is the last time you cried?

Funny you should ask. Last week my nephew and his wife who live in Mumbai had their first baby and I had a small bawl at the Facebook pictures. My nephew is an only child whose mum died when he was about five, so it was more than a little poignant.

Give your teenager self some advice?

Even though it doesn’t feel like it, you’re in charge. And don’t worry - nothing that happens from now on will be as bad as being a teenager.

Who would play you in the movie of your life?

That’s easy. I actually have a doppelgänger - a French actor called Francois Cluzet. He’s even my age, though a few inches shorter.

What is your favourite time of the day?

The half hour after I wake up when my brain seems to work best. It starts diminishing from there.

Tell us about your dream home?

Not sure what it looks like but it’s in the middle of Paris.

What are you insecure about?

Everything!

Tell us something very few people know about you?

I have one false tooth.

What’s the best thing about your life right now?

Wendyl, the kids and grandkids. No contest.

What gizmo can you simply not live without?

I keep everything on my iPhone. If I lost it permanently I’d be munted. I’d probably have to go back to school and start all over again.

If you were Prime Minister of New Zealand what would be the first thing you would do?

Buy Paula Bennett a course of compassion lessons.

Then fire her.

(DAVID HARTNELL) F PN

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SHALE CHAMBERS: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD REPORT The three years of an election cycle go by very quickly.

Nominations for those who want to stand for local elected office for Auckland Council will close shortly, political hoardings will appear on Quay Street and Western Park and other parks in our neighbourhoods, candidates will announce they will stand for office and seek your support whilst thrusting their leaflets into your hand with their promises for the next three years. You will get your ballot paper through the mail halfway through next month to make your decision on who you want to represent you for mayor, local councillor and local board for the next three years.

The first term of the Auckland Council has seen some significant progress made for Auckland under the leadership of Mayor Len Brown and local Councillor Mike Lee. A first; a single Auckland Plan, agreement and planning for a City Rail Link and a harbour tunnel crossing, the fabulous Wynyard Quarter development and very importantly; rates restraint. At the local level, your local board has seen delivery of many projects; the Victoria Park Skate Park, the restoration of the historic Campbell Free Kindergarten and much admired Tepid Baths, the new Pt Resolution footbridge, the artificial playing turfs at Seddon Fields, and the Cox’s Bay boardwalk.

In September you will be able to determine whether you think your local elected representatives are on the right track towards the local community and Auckland you wish to see for yourself and your family, or whether there are issues not being addressed or you wish to see tackled differently.

Here in the Waitemata Local Board area, which covers all residents and businesses from Parnell to Westmere, the developing Wynyard quarter and City Centre and fringe to the metropolitan centre of Newmarket, there are normally two ‘political tickets’ which vie for your votes. City Vision, who are Labour, Green and Community Independents,

and the former Citizens and Ratepayers, now rebranded as Communities and Residents, who are National and Act Party aligned. Then there are always a few who decide to run on their own without overt political branding … independents.

You may have read that the new era of Auckland Council has seen some changes to the political landscape and that the old established Auckland political grouping ‘Cits & Rats’ are having The Waitemata Local Board some difficulties attracting Your City Vision-led local board team have been to the new candidates and their leadership is pulling in forefront of the debates within Auckland Council that affect different ways. We have yet to see how that will play out your community, and have joined with our neighbourhoods locally here in Waitemata. and community groups to make gains that did not occur under the old Auckland City. There are still things that Who are the incumbents? How will you judge how well need to be improved. We all will know examples of that. the incumbents have served your community when you The importance of local democracy and the ability of receive the ballot paper? Locally there is one councillor locals to influence local government decisions and plans and seven local board members to elect. in the new Auckland Council structure continue to be critical to its ultimate success. Local boards will continue Three years ago you chose six members of the City to play an important role in this.

Vision team - Mike Lee for councillor and for the local board this columnist, Shale Chambers, together with Together we believe we have accomplished much for Pippa Coom, Jesse Chalmers, Christopher Dempsey and our inner city communities in this first short period of Tricia Reade - one C & R member Greg Moyle and an three years as the inaugural local board and we have independent Rob Thomas. many plans and projects for improvements to our inner city on the drawing board. These will require the same One way you can gauge how the incumbent local board dedication, tenacity and hard work from your chosen members have served you is to take a look at their local board elected representatives after October to see ‘achievements’. A report on the last year’s local board these through. It’s a great time to be an Aucklander. activity, like the two previous periods, can be found on PN (SHALE CHAMBERS) F the Waitemata Local Board page of the Auckland Council Contact me: website www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz shale.chambers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

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MIKE LEE: LOCAL NEWS

The Unitary Plan Our historic houses and townscapes are well worth fighting for.

The announcement by Prime Minister John Key about the City Rail Link is enormously encouraging and at last puts Auckland and the Government on the same page. I intend to deal with the issue of transport and how it affects the Waitemata ward in the next issue - but in the meantime I am keeping my focus on the unitary plan which is still being rushed towards a notification deadline of September.

Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a problem because in normal circumstances notification then enables a further round of public submissions. The problem is that the Auckland Council has negotiated a deal with the government that in return for a truncated appeal period, the unitary plan hearing commission would be handed over to a panel dominated by government appointees. Therefore once the unitary plan is notified further influence by the community’s democratically elected local board members and councillor is going to be minimal.

In a discussion about my last month’s article in the Ponsonby News a colleague asked me why I talked about urban sprawl in an article aimed at inner city Ponsonby readers.

In other words, why do I feel that the unitary plan’s proposed 20,000 ha lateral expansion into rural greenfields would be of interest or consequence to people in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and the Bays? My reason in pointing this out was to demonstrate why the unitary plan is not really about a compact city, as has been repeatedly claimed but about intensification (which is a different matter) - and growth - everywhere. Because most of us would believe a compact city would be an ideal and environmentally sustainable type of urban form - we can assume most reasonably-minded citizens would be willing to make certain sacrifices to help achieve it. But if on the other hand the compact city objective is really largely hype then there are good reasons to think very carefully about plans to intensify our area, at the expense of the present built environment and amenity - especially our unique and lovely old bungalows and villas.

For instance there is every good reason for communities to push back on council plans to replace large swathes of historic and character townscapes such as in Grey Lynn with new and more intensive apartments and units. The unitary plan is a massive exercise and there is considerable momentum behind it - standing up to a juggernaut such as that is not always easy. However pushing back is what a lot of residents are asking us to do and that’s what we are doing - and I believe pushing back is starting to pay off.

AN AWARD WINNING DESIGN COLLABORATION FROM TWO ITALIAN STYLE ICONS Renowned worldwide for their sublime design work on Ferrari, Maserati and Rolls-Royce, Pininfarina have collaborated with Italian furniture company Calligaris on the innovative extending table Orbit.

Previewed at the Milan International Furniture Fair, its design goal was to create a masterpiece of form and practicality to extend the living space.

Orbit features a solid, harmonious base designed to make the structure extremely stable, whilst the large central opening gives it lightness and character.

The new highly transparent glass top reveals the ingenious automatic opening mechanism with its metal arms. This uncluttered, minimalist system supports the two glass extensions-which open simultaneously from under the table with a fluid, circular movement. Fully open, the table can accommodate 10 seats. See this stunning piece of PN design at Dawson’s Furniture store. F DAWSON’S FURNITURE, 1/1 Holder Place, North Shore T: 09 476 1121 www.dawsonsfurniture.co.nz

On a recent Saturday afternoon the Mayor Len Brown, Shale Chambers and myself met with members of the Grey Lynn Residents Association who are opposed to the planned re-zoning of much of Grey Lynn into new and intensive ‘terraced housing and apartments’ zone. Instead the ‘Grey Lynns’ are wanting the council to focus intensive housing along the Great North Road ridge and transport corridor in place of the present mixed-use car yards etc., (including the awful Bunnings proposal). That is a great idea which I fully support. Apart from this very sensible planning advice from the community, the fact that the meeting took place at all in my view was significant. The mayor is listening and there are signs that this is starting to filter down through the bureaucracy. So therefore let’s keep on pushing back. Our beloved historic buildings, houses and townscapes which have been handed down to us - are what makes Auckland unique - and what makes this PN place so different. They are well worth digging in and fighting for. (MIKE LEE) F MIKE LEE, Auckland Councillor for Waitemata and Gulf Ward

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JERRY CLAYTON BMW CELEBRATES BMW NEW ZEALAND TURNING 30 WITH A SPECIAL CAR IN THE SHOWROOM AND TWO LIMITED EDITION MODELS

The BMW 1600-2

Jerry Clayton BMW is helping celebrate BMW New Zealand’s 30th year with a very special car in their showroom.

The BMW 1600-2 was produced in Germany in 1967 and was the very first BMW to be sold in New Zealand in January 1968. Although unique and special in its own right, the car has a significant tie to Jerry Clayton BMW. Our Marketing Manager, Kate Coveny has a very special generational link. “My grandfather Trevor Hudson, was a sales executive at Jensen Motors, the BMW distributor at the time. He was the first person in New Zealand to sell a BMW vehicle and this one was it”, says Kate.

The release of these celebratory models will increase BMW’s already impressive range of ultimate lifestyle vehicles, providing Kiwis with two further examples of perfect engineering, and the opportunity to own their very own piece of New Zealand automotive history.

“Sadly my grandad passed away last year, but he was always very proud of my involvement with the BMW brand, he thought it was very special and gifted me his BMW lapel pin the year I began working for Jerry Clayton BMW”.

Jerry Clayton BMW look forward to showing you the BMW Edition 30 models, as well as the 1600 -2 which will be on display from August 8 to August 22.

Jerry Clayton BMW are excited to be celebrating such a significant year for BMW New Zealand, and how the brand has become part of New Zealand’s driving culture.

In recognition of BMW’s 30th year in New Zealand Jerry Clayton BMW have the very same car Kate’s grandfather sold, on display during August.

BMW New Zealand are also celebrating their 30th year by releasing two celebratory model vehicles. These appropriately branded ‘Edition 30’ vehicles are based on the award winning BMW 1 Series and 3 Series, and offer Kiwis the opportunity to purchase a BMW 116i, 320i or 320d boasting an impressive array of additional features and unique design elements for a marginal increase in drive-away price.

The Edition 30 models have received significant upgrades encapsulating premium value, cutting edge technology and sheer driving pleasure. Amongst other items each variant will acquire additional BMW ConnectedDrive technology such as navigation, rear view camera and extended Bluetooth connectivity as standard, while the exterior receives Xenon headlights, an M performance spoiler and exclusive alloy wheels.

Drive away pricing for the Edition 30 BMW 1 Series and 3 Series starts at $49,900 and $75,900 respectively, and includes approximately $12,000 worth of additional specification over the base model for a fraction of the price.

1967 BMW 1600-2 Vehicle Specifics Engine: Transmission: Top Speed: Weight: Performance: Colour:

63 kW/132 Nm 4-speed manual transmission 160 km/ 920 kg 0-100 km/h 13.3 seconds Polaris Silver

445 Lake Road Takapuna, Phone 09 488 2000 www.jcbmw.co.nz

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JACINDA ARDERN: LABOUR LIST MP AUCKLAND

DEIRDRE TOHILL: LOCAL NEWS

Next generation aware of complex issues

Maureen Alexander’s life and times

There are lots of questions I have been asked since I became an MP, but probably the most frequent of all of them is “why would anyone want to be a politician?”

Maureen was born in Timaru many, many years ago, 94 in fact.

She lives contentedly in her pensioner’s unit at the end of Anglesea Street but doesn’t get around much anymore because arthritis has put paid to physical activity.

It seems incomprehensible to lots of people that anyone in their right mind would want to be involved in politics. I can’t help wondering if this is one of the many reasons we find it hard to get young people interested in taking part, let alone vote.

Last election was sadly a real shocker in terms of making sure people had their say.

Overall turnout as a percentage of those eligible to enrol fell to just 69%. Of those who did vote, young people were less likely to be satisfied with the voting experience than adults.

For those of us unusual enough to dedicate ourselves to the strange world of politics, stats like this make you incredibly sad. Perhaps that’s why I felt so encouraged this week to see signs that our next generation of youth leaders are not only engaged, but they are passionate.

Youth parliament took place this month. For two days the state of the nation was in the hands of young people, symbolically at least. Select Committees were held, mock legislation was debated and there was even a Question Time where current Ministers were pressed to justify the Government’s record and behaviour. What struck me most was the vigour with which these 16 and 17 year olds held, for example, the Minister of Economic Development to account on issues like the social harm caused by more pokie machines at SkyCity.

It was heartening to witness the next generation not just demonstrate their awareness of the many complex issues our country is facing, but a willingness to hold politicians’ feet to the fire and remind them of their responsibilities and the effects our decisions can have on generations to come.

I hope that this is a role that they continue to play, to challenge, to participate, and to have their say both as voters, and one day as politicians themselves. As my youth MP, Hart Reynolds of Western Springs College said to me as youth parliament was wrapping up “hopefully it won’t be the last time I sit in the debating chamber”.

PN I hope it won’t be too. (JACINDA ARDERN) F

JACINDA ARDERN, Labour List MP based in Auckland Central www.jacinda.co.nz

Not one to complain, she is very happy following her favourite pursuits, reading and listening to music. There was a time when she was very adventurous, travelling by boat to the UK on the mandatory OE for a six month stay that stretched to two years. When on a short visit to Rome, The Eternal City caught her in its thrall, so much so, she was determined to return one way or another.

Achieving this ambition necessitated a return home where she regained her former position at a laboratory in Christchurch Hospital. She took on a two year contract realising it would take that long to save enough to go back to Rome.

Finally arrived in Italy she au paired for two years till she was at ease with spoken Italian. Then, having a nursing background, she gained work in an early education centre for two to six year olds. One year extended into another, then another while her daughter and son kept asking when she was going to return home. Maureen tried to persuade them to live in Italy but this was too difficult to arrange. Ten years passed before she re-joined her family and grandchildren in Dunedin.

Next thing all her family members decamped to Australia where they have lived ever since. Maureen visited from time to time, enjoyed Sydney’s milder weather and became fed up with crouching over a heater during Dunedin’s cold winters. She simply had to move to a warmer climate so came to Auckland in 1990 and settled happily into her cosy Freemans Bay unit. Unfortunately storm clouds gathered when John Banks became mayor in 2001. The city council accepted the recommendations made in the controversial Bill Birch report which included selling pensioner housing units to the private sector. Maureen had written a letter to the local paper saying two busy B’s were running around Auckland and the public should beware.

Maureen’s involvement in the struggle to save pensioner housing began at a Peace Foundation meeting she attended. Well known activist, Sigrid Shayer approached her and asked if she would be the spokesperson for the newly formed Pensioner Housing Action Group. Though in her early eighties Maureen was eager to take up cudgels and go to battle alongside Sigrid, organising meetings and distributing pamphlets to let people know what was happening. At a Society of Friends little mid-winter party she met up with Judith Tizard who offered to help. Next thing a leaflet was printed and distributed with a photo of them both, Maureen described as the advocate for the cause.

As well as threatening to sell from under the pensioners’ feet, John Banks immediately increased the rent, which none of them could afford so WINZ had to cover the shortfall.

Maureen refused to comply and urged others to do the same. She held out for two or three years then was called before the district court and ordered to pay the arrears within 24 hours! She then negotiated a settlement of $5.00 a week. Next she wrote to the 53 pensioner villages scattered around Auckland telling them what action she was taking and also wrote to mayors throughout the country for their comments and asked permission to publicise them. Judith Tizard provided the paper and stamps and along with Bruce Hucker was continually supportive. At a public meeting opposite the town hall in Queen Street Maureen gave a speech outlining the whole situation and what action her group was taking.

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Reprieve arrived when the newly elected Labour Government purchased the units. The pensioners now had security of tenure and affordable rent. There was a ceremony to mark the handing over to which neither Sigrid nor Maureen were invited, which wasn’t surprising as John Banks probably regarded them as rabble rousers. Maureen’s ‘Spirited Ageing’ story is a remarkable one and shows that age is no barrier when it comes to PN fighting a worthwhile cause. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

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NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP

Auckland rail and transport package a giant leap forward Recently the Prime Minister confirmed our commitment to Auckland transport by giving the City Rail Link (CRL), and a second harbour crossing, the green light.

These announcements are significant steps forward for central Auckland, will help ensure its future as a world -class city, and better support the number of people living and working in the CBD. Many of you will know I have been a long-time supporter of the CRL. I have advocated strongly for it in my meetings with the mayor, local politicians, senior ministers and other stakeholders. I have always believed that a rail link is needed to reduce the number of cars coming into the city.

We are committed to a joint business plan for the City Rail Link with Auckland Council in 2017 and providing our share of funding for a construction start in 2020.

An earlier start date will be considered if it becomes clear that Auckland’s CBD employment and rail

patronage growth hit thresholds faster than current rates of growth suggest.

The second Waitemata harbour crossing preferred alignment and route will be confirmed by December this year. We agree with the Auckland Council that the next crossing should be a tunnel. A new harbour crossing is likely to be needed between 2025 and 2030.

Our support for the CRL business plan and construction start date is a clear commitment the Government is backing Auckland, particularly as we consider the unitary plan and the significant growth forecast for our city.

Over recent years I have been involved with the route designation process. While I have seen, and understand, the potential impact on residents and businesses there has also always been a clear desire for certainty about the CRL, and for the Government to give it the green light.

This decision has been decades in the making. We believe a connected and integrated transport system is vital to helping the city grow and thrive. The number of people

living and working in central Auckland has significantly increased over the last decade, and this growth is only predicted to accelerate.

We always said the CRL project needs to stack up fiscally, and be backed up by realistic growth figures. The recent discussions around housing, the unitary plan, and intensification have been important in determining the timing of our transport infrastructure. The final shape of the unitary plan, and forthcoming census results, will give us greater clarity on the scale and location of growth areas.

I will continue to work hard in Government to progress these projects, and be your voice at the Cabinet table.

These announcements have been a giant leap forward and will enable central Auckland to become the vibrant, diverse city that people want to live, work and come PN home to. (NIKKI KAYE) F HON NIKKI KAYE, MP for Auckland Central www.nikkikaye.co.nz

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ROB THOMAS: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD MEMBER Let’s Talk: Rail through the inner-city The Government’s announcement to back rail through the inner-city is a gasping breath of fresh air.

The rail link has been imagined for many years, dating back to the original Britomart Train Station on Queen Street which closed in 1930. More recently, the rail link has drawn many comparisons with Robbie’s (Sir Dove -Myer Robinson’s) rapid rail plan for the central city, a plan which was defeated by the central government of the day. Only now has Robbie’s vision come close to being realised; with a comprehensive rail network for the central city.

We don’t have to look much further than the Britomart precinct to see how transport solutions can lead to city transformation. For many it might be a faint memory, but the former Britomart Bus Terminal and car park was an unruly and derelict cesspit on Auckland’s waterfront.

In 2003, when the station opened, there were a paltry 2,500 people using the station each day. Britomart has demonstrated how rail can reclaim parts of the inner city for local residents and businesses. Today, 10 years later, over 20,000 people rely on trains into the city every day. Our opportunity now is to replicate the same urban renewal along the route of the city link and planning needs to get underway now.

While studying at university, I worked alongside former Labour MP and Councillor Suzanne Sinclair on the Britomart Project Team, where we advocated to the public on the merits of the $204m transport, heritage and urban renewal project. Former Mayor and now Councillor Christine Fletcher was a driving force in its success. As you may recall Christine Fletcher’s council signed off on the $98m station contract only weeks before John Banks was elected mayor. That was a close

call. I will always remember Christine Fletcher walking down to the Britomart Display Centre with the biggest smile on her face and bottle of Champagne under her arm after the contract was signed. Credit must be given to Mayor Len Brown for his leadership and persistency on this important Auckland project.

and put it back into our local retailers, restaurants and bars while keeping us healthy. I cycle because it’s the best option for me. Cycling is not for everyone but for many people in our community it’s easy and the most cost effective way to get around.

Winning design group Mario Madayag and Jasmax Ltd designed the Britomart underground railway station to allow rail to break through its walls into Auckland’s innercity. The jewel in the crown of the Britomart precinct, the former Chief Post Office Building with its ornate Oamaru stone and Coromandel granite facade, had new foundations designed to allow rail underneath her central domes. The current station configuration is designed to serve up to 10,500 passengers during the peak hour. The rail efficiency that will be gained from electrification, the rising cost of fuel and an increasing population will drive the current stagnant rail passenger numbers back up.

Last month the Waitemata Local Board adopted our Greenways plan that will connect our parks and open spaces for walking and cycling. The first section of the Coxs Bay Boardwalk, which was delivered $70,000 under budget, is the first realisation of this plan. The heart of the plan is simple; that an eight year old child can safely walk or cycle through our community. This is achievable with separation and dedicated paths. The plan has two key project priorities to build the Grey Lynn Greenway from Coxs Bay, through Grey Lynn Park, to the Western Cycleway and re-opening the abandoned rail tunnel in Parnell to link the western cycleway at Stanley Street to Newmarket Park along the rail corridor.

In the not so distant future, when Britomart reaches its limits and becomes operationally inefficient, the inner city will be crying out to reach its economic and social potential and at that time I look forward to seeing the first sod turn on the Central Rail Link.

While the local board is doing its bit, Auckland Transport is yet to come onboard and support the Greenways Plan and Auckland Council has stagnated on its decision to support the Get Across Campaign for walking and cycling across Auckland’s Harbour Bridge.

Let’s Talk: Dedicated cycling links

This election I will be standing as your councillor with a commitment to focus on making the innercity more accessible and safer for walking and cycling.

With talks around expansion of Auckland’s motorway and rail network, some of the city’s most exciting transport projects have fallen by the wayside. These large, regional transport projects have eclipsed many smaller projects at a time when residents in our community are crying out for safer walking and cycling.

Cycle infrastructure has an excellent investment record.

The existing western cycleway has seen a $4 return on every dollar spent on it, a great bang for our buck. Active transport modes take money away from the fuel pump

The Big Day Out A quick update on the BDO. A resource consent has been granted for Western Springs - so see you there!

PN (ROB THOMAS) F WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD MEMBER www.VoteRobThomas.co.nz

AUCKLAND COUNCIL WORKS TO LOWER BURGLARY RATE More than 1000 SelectaDNA UV property identification kits will this month be distributed to homes across the region in an Auckland Council and New Zealand Police initiative to prevent repeat burglaries.

Councillor George Wood, Chair of council’s Community Safety Forum, says: “It is important everyone, in every part of our city, should feel they are safe in their homes and their property is secure. Auckland Council is committed to working with the police and the community to ensure this happens.”

The SelectaDNA kits are easy to use; the owner labels their belongings, such as a TV, with a liquid UV tag (invisible to the naked eye) and then records the labelled item’s serial number in an online system. One kit can mark up to 100 items of property.

New Zealand Police Area Commander, Manukau Counties West, Inspector Jason Hewett says: “In the pilot of the UV identification kits, results from the installation of the kits showed that home burglary dropped 61.8 per cent, which is significant.”

Funding for the SelectaDNA kits came through the council’s Community Safety Forum and the Ministry of Justice. F PN

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PIPPA COOM GREY LYNN 2030 NEWS: SUSTAINABILITY

PONSONBY U3A: JULY 2013

Want to see our community more resilient, connected and vibrant?

Retired China trade consultant Sik-Wai Tsoi, who has lived in New Zealand for the past 41 years, is a volunteer committed to reviving authentic Chinese culture. He was the guest speaker at the July meeting of Ponsonby U3A.

At the end of June representatives from a wide range of Grey Lynn groups came together for an afternoon workshop to share ideas, brainstorm for Grey Lynn’s future and plan some actions. This is core to Grey Lynn 2030 as our name is about how we want Grey Lynn to be in the year 2030.

The workshop came up with plenty of positive opportunities for collaboration with everyone taking away actions. Here are just some of the terrific initiatives: The Grey Lynn Residents Association will undertake a needs assessment so we have a better idea of what gaps there are in our community for example for seniors, young people, schools, sports and church groups.

Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away are committed to all Grey Lynn events, facilities and clubs becoming zero waste. Don’t be surprised to see a group of “Old Bags” singing their encouragement, flashmob style, for locals to reject plastic bags at the supermarket.

A very popular proposal is a Grey Lynn Timebank as a means to share resources, time and skills. This could be particularly useful for sharing a lawn mower with neighbours now that we are responsible for the berms outside our homes. We also heard about “men’s sheds” opening in other neighbourhoods and would love to see a Grey Lynn version where it is possible to learn new practical skills.

The Grey Lynn Community Centre is looking at ways to create a community hub that can support all the local groups. The hub idea could be modelled on the successful Kelston Community Hub which is a place for everyone to grow connections. There is also a spare office at the centre that is being investigated for a shared working space that can be used by community groups as we continue to collaborate.

Grey Lynn 2030 is investigating a new initiative called “Sustainable Streets” a street wise approach to sustainable living that starts with ‘streeters’ learning ways to minimise waste, reduce energy and water consumption. We are considering also how to link to neighbourhood support/civil defence groups that provide encouragement and other good reasons to get to know your neighbours.

Richmond Rovers Rugby League is celebrating their centenary this year and is looking to build relationships with the wider community. The club’s aspiration is to develop new club rooms in the park that can be used by multiple codes and to attract “new” Grey Lynners to get involved in playing league.

Many other initiatives are bubbling away driven by the other groups represented at theworkshop including Grey Lynn Festival, Grey Lynn Business Association, Ponsonby /Grey Lynn CAB, Kelmarna Gardens, and the Grey Lynn Farmers Market.

The Grey Lynn RSC generously provided the meeting space (which is available to all local groups and as a venue for hire for social functions). We are fortunate to have so many resources as a community and importantly, passionate people who give a huge amount of voluntary time.

Want to get involved? Email greylynn2030@gmail.com www.greylynn2030.co.nz or contact any of the groups directly. The next community networking meeting is planned PN for September. (PIPPA COOM) F

He outlined the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization to the present day. The first part of his presentation concerned the essence of traditional Chinese culture. He told us that of the ancient civilizations, China is the only one with a continuous uninterrupted history for 5,000 years.

From the period of the Yellow Emperor, he talked of the deep roots of the culture of self cultivation, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Chinese Kung Fu and Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi, Chinese medicine, the physical and the intangible, traditional Chinese moral Retired China trade consultant Sik-Wai Tsoi values and the cultural inheritance of and U3A member Monika de Man spoke at the Ponsonby U3A meeting in July the Chinese people.

In part two he outlined the “destruction” of the Chinese culture and morality, from 1949 and the revolution starting in 1966, which “uprooted traditional Chinese values of everything over the 5,000 years.”

Part three was entitled Traditional Chinese Culture’s Renaissance. Videos and slides were shown of the New York based Shen Yun Performing Arts group, which has visited Auckland. The performances draw upon stories and legends through dance and music that span China’s 5,000 year history.

A few years back U3A member Monika de Man picked up a book written by a German television comedian, the English translation of which is “I’m Off Then.” On reading it she decided that she too was “off then” to do as the writer, Hape Kerkeling, had done : to walk the 780km ancient pilgrim trail El Camino de Santiago - the Way of St James - to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galacia, Spain, where it is said that the remains of the apostle St James are buried.

The book’s author was an overweight 30 year old while Monika is a fit looking former teacher. She was the 10 minute speaker at the July meeting, and in the short time allotted, took us along the trail with her. She said that the walk can be a challenge or a chance to reflect on things that happen in life. Among her reflections was that she had reached the age she had and could still walk the route!

By the time she had finished her talk many of us were wishing that we too had taken the opportunity to undertake this walk dating back 1300 years with its wonderful history, while we could. But, alas, some of us are not quite fit enough any longer, but we enjoy hearing of others’ experiences.

U3A is an organisation for those in the “third age” who want to exercise their minds.

Special interest groups are the lifeblood of U3A - communities of people coming together to learn from one another. Ponsonby U3A has 13 special interest groups with something for everyone, including Antiques and Collectables, Armchair Travellers, Petanque, Ramblers - day trips, Art History, Current Affairs, Classical Studies, Gallery Visits, Green Fingers, Music, New Zealand History, Scrabble and Dining Out. The groups meet in member’s homes, except for the dining out group, which enjoys evenings in various restaurants.

Visitors and new members are welcome at U3A meetings held on the second Friday of the month. Next month will be the AGM, followed by speaker Professor Rob Allen, Dean of AUT Faculty of Applied Humanities, whose talk is entitled “Victorian Scoundrels” - a presentation that will challenge the popular perception of Victorian society as one of strict discipline and morals.

The Barbara Grace window installation at 101 Richmond Road, which says “Refuse plastic carrier bags. BYO bag”

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NEXT MEETING: 9.45 am, Friday 9 August, First Floor Leys Institute, 20 St Mary’s Road.

PN ENQUIRIES: Jane Jones, President, Ponsonby U3A. T: 09 378 7628 (PHILIPPA TAIT) F

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DEIRDRE TOHILL: LOCAL NEWS

NIKI WRIGHT: LEYS INSTITUTE LIBRARY NEWS

Landmark buildings

Family History Month at Auckland Libraries

THE HISTORIC PLACES Trust has registered the Catholic Bishop’s residence in New Street as a building of outstanding historical importance, and not before time, because it has significant architectural claim to fame.

To be fully cognizant of how it came to be designed it’s necessary to take a few steps back in time.

Augustus Pugin was the son of a French draughtsman, Auguste Pugin who arrived in England because of the French Revolution. His mother took him every Sunday to hear the Scottish Presbyterian preacher, Edward Irving, but the boy rejected the ‘cold and sterile forms of the Scotch church’ and turned to catholicism, attracted by the ceremonies and rituals. Pugin trained in his father’s office and soon gained his own commissions. He was a key influence in the Gothic Revival, believing Gothic was Christian and that it was not a style, but a principle and the only type of building possible for a Christian nation. He eventually purchased land at Ramsgate where he built a large house of his own and a church.

His youngest son, Peter Paul Pugin was only one year old when Augustus died. His older brother, Edward kept the Pugin & Pugin practice going and Paul became the junior partner. The practice flourished and Peter succeeded to the firm after Edwin’s death.

His work was prolific, designing a number of buildings, alterations and furnishings for the Catholic Church in Britain and in 1893 Bishop Luck commissioned him to design the imposing building in New Street.

John Luck was born in 1840, one of warehouseman Alfred Luck’s seven children.

It was a deeply religious household and after his wife’s death Alfred shifted his family to Ramsgate and bought Augustus Pugin’s former estate, the Grange, where he built a monastery for the Benedictine community. John entered the order, went to Rome, completed his theological studies, was ordained a priest, after which he spent 15 years at monasteries in England and Ireland and completed two substantial books as well as translating several treatises from Italian originals. John was stationed at Ramsgate when he was appointed Bishop of Auckland and arrived here in 1882.

When the the new Bishop arrived he planned to replace the modest wooden house Bishop Pompallier had built on the site. This was relocated to St Mary’s Road and was registered as a Category 1 historic place last year. Peter Pugin gained the commission because Bishop Luck was keen to capture the Grange’s architectural style and he took a tour of Europe to raise funds for the large brick residence. The foundation stone was laid in May 1893, and Bishop Luck took possession on Easter Sunday almost a year later.

According to Martin Jones, the NZHPT’s Heritage Adviser Registration, one of the most striking features of the Bishop’s House is the high, crenelated tower which provides far reaching stunning views of the surrounding area and the Waitemata Harbour. The Grange had a similar tower, and was incorporated in the Bishop’s House design.

It is Family History Month at Auckland Libraries. We have a series of events that run throughout August on the subject of family history research and genealogy. Check out the different types of events at www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz Here at the Leys Institute Library we will be hosting a series of seminars on how to research your family history. Expert Family History Librarians from the Auckland Research Centre at the Central Library will be running these sessions - Please book early as numbers are limited. To book contact the library.

Beginning your family history - Wednesday 7 August 10am New to family history? Not sure how to start? Come let our specialist staff show you how.

Searching for your family on the internet - Monday 12 August 10am A brief tour through the different websites that can be used to find your family, subscription websites, free websites and social media sites.

FindMyPast UK - Monday 19 August 10 am Findmypast.co.uk is a website dedicated to family history records from the United Kingdom. There are over 550 million individual records available to search.

Ancestry - Wednesday 21 August 2 pm Ancestry Library edition is a great genealogical online resource and has more than four billion names in over 3,400 collections to help searchers trace their family lineage.

Extended opening hours We are excited to let you know that from Monday 2 September the Leys Institute Library will be open until 6 pm Monday to Friday. Pop in and see us on your way home from work! Thanks to the Waitemata Local Board for their support.

Our new hours from Monday 2 September will be: Monday to Friday 9 am - 6 pm Saturday 10 am - 4 pm There is so much going on we recommend checking out our Facebook page, Leys Institute Library Ponsonby, where we will be updating you on new events, displays, and goings on around Auckland Libraries. F PN (NIKI WRIGHT RLIANZA) LEYS INSTITUTE LIBRARY, 20 St Marys Road T: 09 374 1315 www.facebook.com/LeysInstituteLibraryPonsonby

The Bishop’s House has a number of, for the time, innovative features such as gas burners with electrical mechanisms for lighting and extinguishing gas lamps with an attached chain.

Bishop Luck bought the hardware himself when in the United States, the only example of its kind to be seen in Australasia back then. State-of-the art pedestal toilets were another innovation and the building also incorporated the first experimental use of Matamata stone in New Zealand. A Victorian naval telescope, once used by Bishop Luck to keep an eye on daily activity is still part of the house chattels. The house also served later as headquarters for two Catholic publications, ‘The Month’ and ‘The Zealandia’.

Augustus Pugin believed that the test of architectural beauty was that the design should fit the purpose for which it is intended and that this should be immediately apparent to the spectator. Well the Bishop’s House exemplifies this vision and in the words of Martin Jones , “continues to be the centrepiece of an ecclesiastical complex at Mount St Mary in Ponsonby, which has served as headquarters for the Catholic faith in Auckland since PN the 1850’s. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F Leys Institute Opening Day in 1905

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DEIRDRE TOHILL: LOCAL NEWS

JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

Young guns going places

Local mathematician honoured

The judges at the 2013 New Zealand Architecture Awards hailed Aaron Paterson and Dominic Glamuzina as “emerging talent” when two of their projects won awards in the Housing category.

RETIREMENT IS NOT A WORD IN JOHN BUTCHER’S VOCABULARY. THE SPRIGHTLY, charming, octogenarian, Herne Bay resident, can often be seen catching the bus to the University of Auckland, where he was Professor of Mathematics for over 30 years.

That is, when he is not gallivanting around the world speaking at conferences and collaborating with colleagues.

Dominic grew up in West Auckland but when his parents moved to the city, Aaron was the first person he met at his new school, Auckland Grammar. The two forged an immediate friendship, both sharing a passion for skateboarding but they also had a nascent interest in design which inevitably drew them to architecture. They went through university together but there was a whole raft of reasons why they chose architecture. A project can be an arduous process but from designing, drawing to having a lot of people jumping on board to get it built is very exciting. Dominic says that he gets bored easily, one thing architecture doesn’t allow.

Each project has its own set of problems they have to solve, which in turn requires a new approach. They don’t necessarily do what they did previously but they have a basic language of details and design that they use across projects, in other words, a flexible strategy of design. The client’s wishes are paramount and a really good brief is an inspiration to do something interesting, not atypical. This gives them the opportunity to push along paths they don’t normally go, which they describe as taking a sideways step in a project.

As much as they have a flexible strategy, they sometimes get involved in complexities that get bunched up in a corner. The two design in different ways that are complementary and they always find a middle ground that works. With two goalies to get through is a challenge, but this makes their projects stronger. Inherently they are quite critical of what they do so they simply battle it out. They both lecture and teach architectural design at university so are used to putting proposals forward and critiquing them just as they critique students’ work. They are very interested in how people live and work so they tend to lecture on projects that are housing based. Medium density housing is a pet interest.

Aaron and Dominic are very supportive of the unitary plan. They believe a denser city with a focus on transport is really important for Auckland. There may be stumbles along the way because the general populace gets scared of the unknown, but if architects can show them examples of how Auckland could build in a way that allows for a closer community, they may be persuaded this might be a more interesting way to live than in the present typical suburban model.

Of course we have a prime example of successful density housing right here in Freemans Bay. When the motorway system was constructed from 1955 onwards it was an ideal excuse to demolish large areas of Freemans Bay in the name of slum clearance and progress. The City Council drew up a master plan for a council-housing development comprising terrace housing and a block of flats to be set in a parkland with recreational space. The scheme in its entirety was regarded as too ambitious and never built. The residential development that took place during the 1960s and 1970s includes the courtyard houses surrounding Freemans Park, and the former council flats and apartment blocks on the other side of Wellington Street. Well the result may not be as brilliant as the original plan but it’s still pretty impressive, so much so academics have PN described the area as ‘New Zealand’s urban planning crucible’. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F

John Butcher has produced a number of what he calls “Mathematical Miniatures”, which have appeared in the Newsletter of the New Zealand Mathematical Society over many years. Sometimes he includes little problems which he invites the readers to solve.

Grandad John also likes to keep his seven grandchildren up to speed with maths. He often designs birthday cards for them incorporating puzzles related to their ages.

In 2010, the Royal Society of New Zealand awarded the Jones Medal to Professor Emeritus John Butcher. The citation read “Awarded to John Charles Butcher for his exceptional lifetime work on numerical methods for the solution of differential equations and leadership in the development of New Zealand mathematical sciences.”

But it is internationally that John Butcher is best known. His work on numerical methods for differential equations has stood at the forefront of international research for more than 45 years, and he has been honoured in many countries around the world. Professor Butcher is modest about, but nevertheless proud, to have been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year.

John Butcher was born in Auckland but spent most of his primary education years in Dargaville. Later he moved with his family to Taumarunui in the King Country where he did most of his secondary education.

Because of the limited scope of small schools to provide a scientific education at that time, his parents sent him to board in Hamilton so that he could attend Hamilton High School, where he eventually earned a scholarship to Auckland University College. We asked John if he had memories of mentors from his school days. He remembers two special teachers: Mr Gudex who fostered in him an enduring love of English literature and Miss Campbell who was a legendary mathematics teacher. But the mentors were outnumbered by teachers he remembered as anti-mentors. Their condescending and dismissive attitude to students, and a similar attitude by most lecturers in his university days, led him to adopt his own way of dealing with students when he eventually became an academic himself. He wanted every student who ever came to see him about anything to feel that he or she was the most important person in the world.

That is the attitude of not only a world renowned mathematician, but a humanitarian one, too. John is off soon to the International Conference on Scientific Computation and Differential Equations (SciCADE) in Spain, where he will present a paper. A current PhD student of John’s will also present a paper at this meeting. At the end of the meeting John will take part in the presentation of the John Butcher Prize for the best student talk at the conference.

The John Butcher Prize in Numerical Analysis was established to recognise John Butcher’s long and productive career in numerical analysis, and is in keeping with his consistent encouragement of students. John works mostly from his private office, under the auspices of his own research company. He collaborates with colleagues all over the world and he has many visitors who choose to come to New Zealand to work with him. Also, he receives invitations each year, and travels to share his work with other mathematicians (China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa USA, UK).

John Butcher ventured to Ponsonby News that mathematics “increases the richness of intellectual life and culture,” but with his innate modesty he didn’t want that to sound pretentious. It’s just that Professor Emeritus John Butcher is still as much in love with mathematics as he was in his childhood, during his years of formal education and in his research student years at Sydney University where he worked on the very first university-built computer in the Southern Hemisphere, the SILLIAC. It was during his Sydney years that he developed the theory behind his famous 1963 paper which lead to an algebraic structure known as the Butcher Group.

We don’t produce outstanding New Zealanders like John Butcher every day. An ONZM is PN the least we could give him. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F

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LOCAL NEWS JOHN COLEY - COLLAGES 2013 Ponsonby News has been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of John Coley’s second Auckland collage exhibition taking shape in his Grey Lynn apartment.

Last year’s exhibition at Devonport’s Depot Artspace was a huge success and a step in a new direction for this well known New Zealand artist and former director of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Christchurch. John and his wife Fay moved to Auckland to be near family in 2007.

Macular degeneration has changed John’s approach to his art. Previously he painted in oils and water colours, but he can no longer see distant objects with clarity and there are John Coley in his study with two new collage works. distortions, glare, colour mixing has become imprecise, as has drawing and brush handling. John found that the medium for him with his reduced vision is collage. “Close up my vision allows more control of materials. Collage lets me choose colours, cut forms, use found items and arrange elements into compositions that are personal and satisfying to me. I am able to manipulate the shapes I cut or tear with good control, then organise these into forms.”

Lovers of John’s work over the years have been struck by the way he uses colour. “It’s important to my work, which is undeniably decorative in character.” An earlier painting, called “Red Square of the Peoples Republic of Christchurch” is the favourite treasure of Christchurch mayoral front runner MP Lianne Dalziel. It was painted in 2004 and as she explained in a recent article in The Press newspaper, it has all the important buildings, some now gone, like The Press building and the Cathedral.

MOIST, DELICIOUS, SUMPTUOUS, DECADENT - COMPLETE! Should you find yourself adrift in Newton with nowhere to go, there's a perfect little café tucked in next to the bright blue 2Degrees building in Upper Queen Street.

The name says it all - The Little Cake Kitchen. It's the perfect pretty morning or afternoon tea spot with tiered cake stands and counters covered with freshly baked brioche, tarts and delicious sandwiches.

For lunch there is an array of pies, sausage rolls, filled pides, cute club sandwiches, a daily soup special and all are made on site with a range of gluten free options as well.

Enjoy these delights with a flat white made using the Coffee Supreme blend and your life will feel complete. With just two tables inside and two outside, The Little Cake Kitchen is more of a dash in, dash out kind of spot, if you're lucky enough to get a table it's the ideal place for an indulgent treat.

For special occasions, they prepare cakes to order - try their sumptuous red velvet cake, the decadent dark rich chocolate cake or their deliciously moist carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Just place your orders 48 hours before you need your cake.

Owned by Grey Lynn local, Paul Smith, this bakery makes home cooked food like your mum would make - if she was a fantastic cook and baker!

And if you think you’ve seen their delicious baked goods elsewhere - you’d be right! Paul and his team at The Little Cake Kitchen are proud to supply their beautiful handmade products to a selection of the best cafes in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Herne Bay. F PN Hours 7am - 3pm, Monday - Friday.

THE LITTLE CAKE KITCHEN, 46 Upper Queen Street, T: 09 356 3668 www.thelittlecakekitchen.co.nz

John and Fay’s apartment contains many examples of John’s work through the various stages of his practice from university days to the present.

John grew up in Palmerston North starting his working life as a cadet reporter on the Manawatu Evening Standard. He left there for the Christchurch University School of Art. He was a founder of the 20/20 Vision group of artists, which included Pat Hanly, Quentin McFarlane, Hamish Keith, Trevor Moffitt, Dick Frizzell and Gavin Bishop.

Following a time as a high school art teacher, John lectured at the Christchurch Teachers College, before being appointed director of the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Christchurch. He established the McDougall Art Annex for contemporary art at the Christchurch Arts Centre. During his time at the McDougall John relentlessly advocated for a new art gallery to replace the inadequate McDougall building. A new gallery opened in 2003 to John’s immense satisfaction. After 14 years John had retired in 1996 to become a full time painter. His works are included in many public collections in New Zealand and overseas.

For many years, he and Fay travelled extensively, with architect Sir Miles Warren as a travelling companion, making water colours and drawings in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Britain and Turkey. John kept detailed journals of these expeditions, embellished with sketches and water colours, creating priceless keepsakes for his family in years to come. At last year’s exhibition a number of the journals were displayed for the public to read. People sat for hours poring over them.

As well as a long and distinguished career in the art world, John has written biographies of artist Jane Evans and Christchurch builder Charles Luney. He has written numerous articles and been a newspaper and magazine columnist. In 2010 he was a contributor to Loving All Of It, edited by Gordon McLauchlan - eminent New Zealanders writing about growing old. In 1988 John was appointed MBE for his contribution to the visual arts. His exhibition, Collages 2013, will be on show at the Depot Artspace, Devonport in October.

PN (PHILIPPA TAIT) F

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BAKERIES CUPCAKES OF ALL KINDS FOR ALL OCCASIONS CUPCAKE SPECIALISES IN DESIGNER cupcakes and specialty cakes for all occasions. They will work with you to design the perfect cake for your special event. Whether you want something beautiful, dramatic or contemporary, they will combine your ideas with their design skills and create a unique cake to mark your special occasion.

Choose from a variety of delicious cake flavours including popular favourites such as moist chocolate, red velvet, white chocolate and lemon. All cakes are baked fresh in Cupcake’s A grade kitchen, using only the highest quality of ingredients. Dairy-free, eggless and gluten free cakes are available and custom made orders are welcome.

Cupcake hold popular cake decorating classes and parties at their central Grey Lynn location for both adults and children. Have fun learning how to make edible art and then take home your decorated goodies. Cupcake parties are held for birthdays, hen nights, baby showers, corporate teambuilding or friends looking to have fun learning the latest in icing techniques.

Cupcake also stocks a wide range of cake decorating equipment for purchase from specialty icing, decorations, and tools through to boxes, cake stands and party supplies. Cake/ cupcake stands and novelty cake tins can be hired and Cupcake offers premium edible imaging services. Just email your photo file to: rachel@cupcake.co.nz for a unique personalised cake topping and for their latest designs check out their Facebook page. F PN

ROB’S PATISSERIE - BAKING PERFECTION! Rob’s Patisserie is the place to go to for French pastries with a Kiwi twist. Rob and Helena have been on Ponsonby Road for over seven years baking on site croissants and Danishes, plus award winning pies.

The pie that won a gold medal is the famous Caramelised Pork Belly with Coriander. This pie has become so popular it comes with a “Very Addictive” warning. Owner Rob Burns says “it is great to be part of the pie history of Ponsonby Road, to continue to make Ponsonby’s best pies.”

Rob’s have also made specialty cakes for many of the children in the area and you will see some pictures on their Facebook page that capture the expressions on the faces of the children when they see their specially made cake.

The cakes range from Spiderman, Thomas the Tank to dolly cakes. Rob’s Patisserie have also put out a cake decorating book during their time at the bakery, called Kiwiana Party Cakes. As well they have the ability to create, using edible ink, ‘Photo Image’ cakes that capture any image you scan and print out.

But the signature cake they are best known for and made famous by Masterchef, is the croquembouche, also known as the profiterole tower. Constructed from little balls of éclair pastry filled with créme patisserie and coated in dark or white chocolate, this cake takes three days to prepare and put together. It will make a big statement at any event!

“We look forward to seeing you at our patisserie”. F PN ROB'S PATISSERIE, 95 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 361 5154

CUPCAKE, 4 Newton Road (entrance off Abbey Street) T: 09 378 9448 www.cupcake.co.nz www.facebook.com/cakesnz

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BAKING ITALIAN STYLE When you walk down Mackelvie Street you’ll catch a whiff of what smells like heaven and think, oh yeah… il Forno is still baking!

A walnut loaf and a white sourdough

For over 10 years il Forno Specialty Italian Bakery and Café has been filling the air within a two block radius with the absolutely beautiful aroma of freshly baked goods.

Situated at the Ponsonby Road end of Mackelvie Street il Forno is a cosy and inviting place to go for coffee and to enjoy well priced freshly baked fare - the next best thing to actually being in Italy!

il Forno supplies the finest Italian styled bread like the popular ciabatta, schiacciata and a very healthy mixed grain. They also bake a large selection of sourdough breads including scrumptous organic options. il Forno bakes daily and besides their bread they also stock a wide range of freshly baked goods including the cutest ginger people, the best savoury pies, macarons and a variety of pastries and doughnuts - an array that is really overwhelming.

Along with these items Carla is still making a good strong cup of Italian coffee and Mele is still making their famous lasagne, cannelloni gnocchi and ravioli.

Call in to il Forno soon, it is a must for those of you who want to get an Italian fix without having to leave Ponsonby. Let’s just hope they are still there baking bread and other PN delectables for another 10 years! F IL FORNO SPECIALTY ITALIAN BAKERY AND CAFÉ, 55 Mackelvie Street T: 09 378 0264 www.ilforno.co.nz

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BAKERIES WONDERLAND AT ALICE’S CAFÉ Blue gingham, fine china teacups and a secret garden; walk into Alice’s café and you experience the themed surrounds inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland book.

Alice’s café on the Ponsonby end of Karangahape Road is the perfect place for meeting a friend or relaxing in the quiet retreat of the courtyard garden or just grab a quick coffee and a bite to eat on the way to work as they are open from 6.30am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 3 pm on Saturday.

Using Ozone organic fair trade coffee their barista creates “perfect aromatic brews that will take you into your very own wonderland”. Coffee is served in biodegradable, environmentally friendly cups so you can enjoy with no guilt.

Their daily specials include home-made, home style cooking made on site from old fashioned recipes that could be straight from grandma’s kitchen.

Delicious treats include cakes, sandwiches, pies and one of the best “all day” breakfasts in the area. There is sure to be something to tempt your taste buds and their friendly, helpful staff will ensure you enjoy your experience in their own little wonderland. F PN ALICE’S CAFE & COURTYARD WONDERLAND, 498 Karangahape Road T: 09 366 7633

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BAKERIES BEAUTIFUL BISCUITS AT ALLPRESS COFFEE Have you tasted the beautiful hand-made biscuits baked at Allpress Coffee? Of European origin and called Biscotto the small selection of biscuits provide the perfect accompaniment to your coffee purchases.

Made in small batches to ensure they are always fresh, the delicious and distinctive tasting biscuits are baked in the Biscotto Bakery at the back half of Allpress Coffee store.

The biscuit offering includes: • Chocolat, rich, crisp and authentic, made with the finest quality Valrhona cocoa and chocolate.

• Ricciarelli, soft and chewy with almonds, originating from a medieval Tuscan recipe.

• Pepitas, crisp hazelnuts baked with a raspberry centre, of Argentine origin.

• Sicilian Pistachio, fragrant and chewy with honey, lemon and pistachios • Coco, a flaked coconut morsel studded with dried apricots.

Biscotto can be purchased individually to enjoy in-store with your coffee (and great with the kids hot chocolate) or takeaway for an easy morning tea or get together. Alternatively a beautifully presented gift box can be created, making an ideal gift for any occasion.

Next time you are in the neighbourhood stop in at the Allpress Coffee store and discover the great tasting biscuits and coffee. F PN ALLPRESS COFFEE, 266 Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 4726 www.allpressespresso.com

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MATAKANA - JUST UP THE ROAD An easy 40 minute drive north from Auckland city lays this picturesque wine region. Here you can visit local vineyards for wine tastings and experience Matakana Village- the gateway to beautiful east coast beaches, fishing villages and regional parks.

Matakana Village Farmers’ Market is a 'must visit' destination, showcasing artisan food producers, growers and farmers from the region every Saturday 8am-1pm.

The Matakana Indie Market boasts high quality, ethically made and seasonal creations with the accent on vintage and collectible stalls.

Sundays over winter: every third Sunday of the month 9.30am-2.30pm.

Surrounding the market in Matakana Village are fabulous boutique stores offering everything from the latest fashion, shoes, home-wares, book, gift and health shops, beauty salons, bars, restaurants, cafes, art gallery and cinemas.

Matakana Cinemas is a stunning three-theatre boutique cinema complex situated in the heart of Matakana Village, providing cutting edge art-house, family and blockbuster films in a most convivial setting. Marvel at the unique bespoke interiors and settle in for a cinematic treat with state-of-the-art sound systems, spacious and luxurious seating.

Brick Bay Wines and Sculpture Trail showcases contemporary sculpture by New Zealand’s established and emerging artists - Brick Bay is a unique outdoor gallery experience. Set amongst the landscape framed by towering native trees and majestic palms, abundant birdlife, and green pastures, an ever-changing display of around 40 works may be discovered along the two kilometre trail.

Here The Glass House, acting as a gateway to the Sculpture Trail, serves a tempting range of seasonal platters, a delicious assortment of cakes and great coffee, to accompany the memorable range of Brick Bay wines. F PN www.visitmatakana.co.nz www.brickbay.co.nz

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY MORE THAN JUST DELICIOUS Each month my editor Martin Leach and I stop and swap editorial ideas before I go forth and interview for the upcoming issue.

We are usually both racing around like the proverbial decapitated hens and discuss possible subjects over the phone or via email, but this month decided to stop and smell the roses a little over lunch at the legendary Delicious on Richmond Road.

A bit of a Grey Lynn dining institution since opening its doors more than a few years ago, Delicious is famed for its’ tasty, honest Italian meals created in their deliciously fragrant open kitchen. All the pasta, breads and desserts are prepared in house daily, and a raft of consistently great reviews have seen Delicious Italian Cuisine sit firmly within the TOP 50 restaurants in Auckland to visit for quite some years now, with good reason.

New owner Anthea Potter has placed a real emphasis on great food and equally great service with not too many frills on the side, and it was a treat to stop by for lunch and get to try some of their winter menu. For me winter means hearty soul warming comfort food nine times out of ten, and comfort food doesn’t get much better than Italian cuisine.

When we sat down to eat the first thing I did was look at the specials of the day - they are usually where chefs get all creative, and most often involve fresh, seasonal ingredients. One of the options was a chicken risotto with broad beans and provolone, which sounded like exactly what the doctor ordered and was available as an entrée or main size. My dashing dining companion - AKA my dear editor, Martin - was only after the vegetarian options, and couldn’t decide between the ravioli with zucchini, basil, lemon and ricotta with sage butter or the ravioli with beetroot, provolone and sage butter.

Simple solution? two of each thank you very much, as suggested by the lovely Anthea.

I’m a huge fan of the lamb pappardelle - full of braised lamb shanks with tomato, lemon and rosemary - that has been on the menu for years, but have to say that the risotto was also a winner. Martin polished off his ravioli in record time as well, and the fresh baked breads with olive oil that we had served on the side were mouth wateringly good and could have fed a family of four!

Desserts are always a standout from Delicious, with tiramisu - the iconic Italian treat with rich mascarpone, Savoiardi biscuits, chocolate and Marsala - and Diplomatico (a chocolate mousse cake layered with sponge) being amongst my favourites in the past.

This time I opted for the raspberry and ricotta cheesecake, which was light and bursting with flavour, whilst Martin devoured the chef’s signature dessert - a berry-filled Italian trifle - with gusto as well.

It was a little early in the day for a wine - and I was not long into Dry July, sadly! - but the wine list at Delicious is definitely a small but well refined edit. All of the wines on offer are from New Zealand and Italy - including an organic Chianti that is now top of my list to try - and there is a wonderful line up of Italian liqueurs on offer for sipping on after your meal like limoncello, grappa, nocello (walnut), fragoli (wild strawberry), strega and amaretto. When we left we were definitely feeling sated, and ready for the wet, cold afternoon of meetings ahead. If you’re in the mood for something other than usual café fare for lunch then I highly recommend a trip to Delicious - the best little Italian local in PN the hood. (HELENE RAVLICH) F DELICIOUS, 472 Richmond Road T: 09 360 7590 www.delicious.co.nz

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CELIA HAY: NZ SCHOOL OF FOOD & WINE AT THE NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF FOOD AND WINE, WE HAVE been busy teaching how to make artisan breads in our Saturday workshops and with these breads it is always nice to have a delicious soup to complement the crusty, yeasty breads.

It is easy to forget that making soup is not a difficult task. Pumpkin is both abundant and cheap and if you do not have pumpkin, this recipe works extremely well with kumara as well. I also vary the recipe in a number of ways - sometimes with orange, sometimes with cream and when I have time, I like to make a little dumpling using purchased wonton wrappers. These wrappers are so versatile and can be kept in the freezer so that you just need to defrost the quantity that is needed.

The dumpling filling has a base of ricotta which absorbs whatever flavours you introduce so that if you have some fresh herbs, like thyme or basil, they will work equally as well.

For more information about classes at the NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF FOOD & WINE, please look at www.foodandwine.co.nz Our current news is also on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ NewZealandSchoolofFoodandWine

Roasted pumpkin and orange soup with ricotta dumpling Serves 4 - 6 1 small pumpkin or ½ large pumpkin (approx 1kg) to end up with 500g of cooked pumpkin 50g butter 1 onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed Approximately 400ml water Salt and pepper Pinch of nutmeg Juice and zest of one orange 50 - 100ml cream Chopped parsley Method 1. Heat the oven to 200°C. 2. Roast the pumpkin (skin on) in the oven until soft; allow to cool. Stab the pumpkin through the skin to check if it is cooked.

3. Peel and cut the pumpkin in small dice.

4. Fry the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the nutmeg and pumpkin.

Sauté for two - three minutes.

5. Add the water and seasoning, bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Allow to cool for five minutes before blending in a food processor until smooth.

7. Return to a clean pot. Grate the zest of the orange and then squeeze the orange for its juice. Bring to a simmer.

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF FOOD & WINE, Level 3, 104 Customs Street West www.foodandwine.co.nz Email me: celia@foodandwine.co.nz

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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY 8. When you are ready to serve, add the cream to reach the desired consistency. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little stock or water. Check the seasoning. Add the dumplings to poach at this point.

9. Serve in a warmed soup bowl and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Optional For the Dumpling - buy fresh or frozen square wonton wrappers at an Asian supermarket.

Filling 100g ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon parsley - finely chopped Season with salt and pepper 1. Mix the filling together. Season well. Feel free to add more ingredients like fresh herbs or some spices.

2. Take one wonton wrapper and place diagonally on your bench. Place half a teaspoon of filling on one half.

The Chapel relaunch party last month.

L to R Haidee Wallace, Kate Gardham and Ray Urlich

3. Wet your index finger with water and dampen the edge of the whole wonton. Fold diagonally in half. Seal by pressing the wonton edge together.

4. Pinch the two outside ends of the triangle together so they touch. Use a little water to make them stick.

5. When you have made enough for one or two per portion of soup. Place the wontons in the hot soup to poach for two - three minutes before serving. The soup should be lightly simmering and at the final stages of preparation.

(CELIA HAY) F PN

The exterior of Chapel, which show their new stained glass windows showing religious images

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LAURAINE JACOBS: THE SEASONED PALATE

Verona Cafe It is not often I can say I’ve fallen in love with a café. This one is on Karangahape Road, a café where both the atmosphere and the food are highly original.

We’ve seen most things in the very predictable culinary world, and there are far too many restaurants and cafés following the same old threads with their menus. So it is utterly refreshing to stumble across a cook who is totally innovative and dares to be different. And it’s even better when the focus is on healthy delicious food, catering for vegetarians, meat eaters and vegans alike.

The new favourite is Verona. “The old Verona on K Road?” I can hear readers asking puzzledly. Yes. The very same place that was one of the ‘in’ places to go a decade ago, but which lost its way about five years ago after the legendary Hilary Ord sold up and moved on. The hip bohemian atmosphere vanished making Verona a shabby shadow of its former self, with only that sparkly sign out front to remind us of faded glory. K Road is, of course, the place that is currently where the happening cutting-edge young and arty stuff is; almost like Ponsonby Road of a decade or two ago. (That grumpy raver in last month’s PN take note: K Road is where you may be able to relive your memories of old - with not a pony-tailed-lycra-wearing-young-mum in sight!)

When Annabelle Guinness and Phil Randle bought Verona just over a year ago they had to work hard, long hours to restore the cool, the chic and the fun that regulars came to Verona for. They’ve really achieved that, stamping a new identity on the place.

They’d successfully started the legendary Sawmill in Leigh in the nineties and there’s no doubt they have brought a touch of that with them back to the city. Verona’s walls are now softly decorated with silver, adorned with the magical art work of Annabelle’s sister, Nicola Guinness who runs the nearby Front Room where she crafts extraordinary furnishings and fabrics.

There’s even a distinct taste of the Matakana region on Annie Guinness’s menu. She sources free-range organic eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, and even the wonderfully unique Salumeria Fontana sausages (are they the country’s best sausage?) from that region, where the couple have lived for years. In recent years she was known in the Matakana farmers market for her wonderful small plates of food; food that had been inspired by overseas travels. No trip to the market on Saturday morning was complete for me without Annie’s breakfast polenta with freshly poached seasonal fruit, local honey, some lovely thick runny cream and the added touch of freshly picked mint.

Now at Verona, Annie not only offers fresh fare, she has one of the most originally laid out menus in town. If you’re headed there for breakfast (the kitchen opens at 7am and runs throughout the day till 9pm) the menu kicks off with a ‘Rise and Shine’ selection that includes that soft warm polenta. Or take your choice of two hot pressed sandwiches; croque monsieur or a tasty vegetarian version. The star morning dishes for me however, are the ‘Juliet’ and the ‘Romeo’. Both dishes have a beautifully poached free range egg with hollandaise sitting on a base of mash and fresh Matakana watercress: Juliet is garnished with grilled haloumi while Romeo is served with a pork and fennel sausage.

Witty and appropriately named?

Other sections of the menu offer ‘Comfort’ dishes that include smoked fish pie with silverbeet and kumara, tender slow cooked venison with fig cavolo nero, mushroom stroganoff and a superb vegan tamarind flavoured three bean ratatouille with rosemary polenta chips and egg free mayo. ‘Raw & Healthy’ delivers terrific salads that are leafy green, Waldorf, and a lovely dish called Miso Pretty that turns out to be slaw of cabbage, kale, hijiki seaweed and avocado with miso dressing.

Annie Guinness in her kitchen and the Juliet, with whisper and Shiitake Tea soup It’s advisable to eat early in the evening if you want dinner at Verona. Not just because the kitchen closes at 9pm, but also because as the evening progresses the music is turned up and young hip types come to linger over drinks and live entertainment. It’s almost like the Sawmill has come to the city. So the chilled cabinet out front is filled with more Annabelle magic. Choose from a selection of little ‘Verona Jars’ - free range chicken liver and sloe gin parfait, some pickled mussels, preserved bocconcini with olives and sundried tomatoes, pickled mussels or a very tasty garlicky herby hummus.

They are all delicious, and served with toasted bread. Or indulge in lovely desserts like winter fruit crumble, honey and kaffir lime pannacotta, chocolate mouse or baklava.

Nothing is too expensive here with dishes mostly under $20. There’s a fully stocked bar with cocktails, beers including Sawmill, of course and a well selected wine list. Health loving foodies should not miss the two “revitalising Remedies” a red juice with beetroot, carrot, celery, fresh turmeric and ginger, and the green which is a mixture of kale, sorrel, honey, banana and lime. Verona may be the only place on K Road where you are going to walk out a tad healthier than you arrived. (LAURAINE JACOBS MNZM) F PN www.laurainejacobs.co.nz Verona Cafe, 169 Karangahape Road T: 09 307 0508 www.veronacafe.co.nz

There are great snacks to share over a drink, including several superb tortillas wrapped around choices of clalmari and chorizo, coffee marinated beef rump and the three bean ratatouille. I recommend everyone tries Annabelle Guinness’ lovely ‘Whisper’ before they die. For $4 you get this amazing soft ball of smooth kumara and herbs with a buffalo haloumi centre and an outer crisp coating of sesame seeds. I bet you order another one or two!

When Annabelle had her market stall she started a range of soups that were light years ahead of any other packaged fresh soups on the market. Luckily for Verona customers, she still makes her amazing shiitake tea soup, the most heart and body warming soup I have ever eaten; it is savoury and sweet and is such comfort fare that I have been known to drive across town mid afternoon for a cup of it on a chilly day.

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

WHAT’S HOT AT SABATO Jess’s underground kitchen This very new enterprise is a life saver for time challenged young professionals. Jess Daniels fell into it quite by accident. She had recently returned from living in the UK for three years and had been doing some contract work which only took about three hours a week.

One evening a friend joined her for dinner and was ecstatic about the food she was eating. The enthusiastic guest exclaimed she hated cooking and wished she could have one of Jess’s meals every night of the week. Jess’s response, “you can come for dinner whenever you like because I always cook far too much for just the two of us”. The friend was emphatic about paying for such largesse and was sure her flatmates would too. She knew there were many young professionals who would welcome such a service.

Jess is not a trained chef but has always been a ‘foodie’ so thought she might trial the idea as a little sideline that might cover the household food bill. The decision was to offer meals three times a week and see how it panned out. Well what do you know!

The first week she had 15 orders which in no time, thanks to Facebook, grew to a 100. Jess works from a commercial kitchen on the North Shore and given the exceptional growth spurt has employed two helpers in the kitchen, and hopefully a dessert chef will soon be coming aboard.

Jess’s background is in marketing and because she has a passion for food had hoped to maybe write for a food magazine, but Underground Kitchen’s success has put paid to any other career. She offers just one choice a day each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

For instance the day I spoke to her Wednesday’s meal was a chicken, spinach and ricotta lasagna packed in a little foil tin all ready to be re-heated. She does a standard serve for $10 and a hungry serve for $12. The meals are made fresh that day, and people pick them up from her house from 5.00 to 7.00pm. Very soon her partner is going to trial a delivery service when he comes home from his day job. People can order frozen meals if they need them on Thursday and Friday and chances are they will want to cook for themselves in the weekend.

Facebook is working very well for Jess but she will be releasing a website shortly so payments can be done online. Obviously she was targeting young working professionals to begin with, but now there’s a lot of families wanting to take part. She’s considering having the pick-up time earlier to when the school day finishes but it’s a matter of how she can bring her own work day forward. The most amazing thing is the positive feedback she receives and how quickly her business has simply exploded. For instance - ‘Wow Jess that pasta was outstanding. The chorizo was spicy goodness. Thank you!’

- and ‘You have changed my life!! Your lasagna was delish! Can’t wait to see what is on the menu next week’. What’s interesting is the number of people who are following a paleo diet which is based on foods that our hunter- gatherer ancestors ate. Jess has received so many requests for paleo meals she now tries to offer one a week with the result her orders have doubled.

RISOTTO PERFETTO Over the past 20 years Sabato has grown from operating out of our garage at home with a small portfolio of Italian products to a much larger enterprise with a diverse range of products from Europe’s most famous cuisines.

However, even 20 years later, there are still many of the products we started with that continue to grow in popularity.

One such product, a product that has grown to pantry-essential status for anyone who appreciates a quality risotto, is Ferron Rice. The family company near Verona, Italy, still produces Ferron’s Carnaroli and Vialone Nano rice using centuries-old methods, free from chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The result - grains of exceptional quality and flavour. Ferron is on the menus of some of the world’s top restaurants and is used by many of New Zealand’s best eateries.

We have the privilege of hosting Gabriele Ferron, the ‘World Rice Ambassador’, for two days of his Australasian tour on one of which he will be running a cooking class in our showroom. Gabriele will demonstrate how easy it can be to make a great risotto and how delicious it is when made correctly - you will learn from the master how to cook ‘Risotto Perfetto.’

Risotto Perfetto with Gabriele Ferron - Wednesday 14 August, class begins at 6pm.

PN To book call us, go to our website or drop by the showroom. F SABATO Limited, 57 Normanby Road T: 09 630 8751 www.sabato.co.nz

What Jess finds most heartwarming is the way small businesses in New Zealand support one another. Just the other day some one from a small company dropped off a jar of coconut oil for her to try and stayed for a chat. She served chorizo after meeting some lovely people selling them at the French Market. She has discovered it’s really a humming community with everybody keen to help one another out. Jess shops at about five places including Asian outlets because she savoured many exotic cuisines during her travels abroad. She is also working at creating relationships with other small businesses, helping them spread their products and in doing so, foster a wider appreciation of foods PN that are unfamiliar. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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LIZ WHEADON: WINE, GLORIOUS WINE

Understanding Bordeaux TO START THE JOURNEY OF EXPLORING BORDEAUX, YOU NEED TO FIRST START WITH the classification system. In 1855, being lovers of red tape, the French ‘authorities’ created what became known as ‘The Classified Growths of the Medoc’. A five-class classification of 61 of the leading Medoc chateaux (as well as two from Graves). This formalised lists that were already in place, based on each chateaux relative quality as expressed by the prices of each individual estate. These growths, or ‘Crus’ range from first (premier) through to fifth (cinquieme). Over the years that have since past, there has been very little change to the 1855 classification other than Chateau Mouton Rothschild moving from second growth to first in 1973 - Baron Philippe de Rothschild reportedly saying - Mouton I am, second I am not. Chateau Cantamerle added as a fifth growth in 1856 and Chateau Dubignon, a third growth was absorbed into Chateau Malescot St Exupery.

St Emilion added its own classification system in 1955, which has subsequently been frequently amended. Pomerol has never been classified, although the greatest wine from this region, Chateau Petrus, is generally spoken of in the same hushed tones as the five first growths of the Medoc. The Medoc First Growths are: Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac), Chateau Margaux (Margaux), Chateau Latour (Pauillac), Chateau Haut-Brion (Graves), Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac)

SERVINGS FOR ONE If you love good food and like to cook for yourself, then Single Serve is the cookbook that will revive and revolutionise your meal times. This will be your new bench-top bible when it comes to making a recipe for one.

Cooking for one can be something of a chore. It’s all too easy to fall into having the same thing all the time, or resorting to a ready-made or takeaway dinner to give yourself a break.

In Single Serve, award-winning food writer and Westmere resident Penny Oliver shows you how single-serve meals can be stylish, quick and affordable - all you need is a small repertoire of recipes and a little bit of planning and smart buying.

Penny has been delighting New Zealanders with her tasty recipes for more than 25 years. She often cooks for herself at home and has a number of friends who live alone, so she understands all too well the obstacles that can arise when preparing food for one. Single Serve shows that cooking for yourself does not have to be a chore but can instead be a pleasure. F PN

Whilst much of the classification system holds true today, the inherent problem with a system is that some of the chateaux have improved out of sight since it was first introduced, while others are considered to have rested on their laurels, smug in the knowledge that their wines will always fetch high prices, as this was what the classification was based on in the first place. Like anything, it is a good guide as long as one keeps in mind the fact that some of the wines outside its boundaries can still be superb.

Bordeaux itself, is located in the south west of France, and is the wine region that produces more top quality wine than any other. Bordeaux is renowned for its reds, which are often referred to as claret. The reason these wines attract so much interest, and generate such high prices is largely their ability to age with a lot of them not showing their true potential for decades. The main red grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The most famous white region is that of Sauternes, where the world’s most luscious dessert wines come from. The white wines from Bordeaux are made with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and in some cases Muscadelle, the very best white wines, like red wines from Bordeaux are extremely age worthy.

Bordeaux is neatly divided into two groupings of appellations - those on the left bank of the Gironde and those on the right with the Dordogne running through them. In general terms, the left bank is home to Cabernet driven wines and the right bank Merlot dominant expressions. The appellations on the left bank include Margaux, Pauillac, St Julien and St Estephe. The appellations on the right bank include Fronsac, Lalande de Pomerol and the two great appellations of St Emilion and Pomerol.

The city of Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the heart of this unique region. At the centre of all trade here is the Negociant system, a historic route to market that maintains strong today, the chateaux sell their wines to Negociants, who in turn offer them to their partners around the world, essentially an open trading market - with a few exceptions - we are after all in France.

We have an extensive range of Bordeaux right through the range in store, including the exceptional 2009 vintage and the recently landed 2010 - check it out online and in store.

PN www.glengarrywines.co.nz (LIZ WHEADON) F

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

JULIE BONNER: NEWS FROM FROG POND FARM

Winter vege update from frog pond farm Our 7.5-acre property in Waimauku is oddly enough regarded as RD1, surprising really, as it is only 35 minutes off peak from Ponsonby Road. Go figure?

You might say it is undulating, but the honest truth is, it is damned steep in places and if we didn’t have our ATV (Kawasaki Mule), gardening would actually be an absolute nightmare.

View of the pond on Frog Pond Farm

So it is no surprise that my lovely vegetable garden is positioned on a hillside. It boasts macrocarpa-raised beds, which are stuffed with rich organic matter, compost and mulch.

These same beds have been ingeniously built into the land making good use of the topography. The other beds that share this space are quite simply plots of soil edged in macrocarpa. And yes embarrassingly enough, we have a couple of beds in the strangest of places, but more on them later. At times I scratch my head at the location of our garden and its hill positioning, but then, there are its advantages too. Great drainage, shelter from the south-westerly wind and all day sun, got to love that.

I’m a great fan of perma-culture which cleverly suggests that you keep your garden relatively close to your house - this makes loads of sense and trust me, the further away your vegetable patch is from your back door, the less likely you are to visit.

Even though we are in the throes of winter and rain is never far away (groan), there is much growing in our garden. I am a huge fan of heirloom garlic so with this in mind three of our beds have been planted with varieties of rocambole, printanor, kakanui and takahue red, plus a host of home grown pink cloves, the varieties of which have long since been forgotten.

Interestingly enough, the first up through the soil are always the home-grown stuff, something to do with the fact that they are surely acclimatised to our own specific environment. Garlic is a six month crop that enjoys a fertile, friable soil and is usually planted on the shortest day. To avoid masses of greenery, seaweed and fish fertiliser is the best to use and can be liberally splashed about.

Frog Pond Farm homestead with raised vegetable beds

We also have beetroot and lettuce growing happily together - good companion plants, with a host of herbs from parsley and oregano, to slightly more exotic pineapple sage, tarragon and lemon grass, which are used liberally in salads, casseroles and winter soups. Yum! Arriving home the other day I couldn’t believe my eyes when heading up our driveway I spotted my two rather fat sheep standing in my vegetable garden! OMG, terrorist alert - unwanted ruminants in brassica raised bed. Quick, urgent action required. I honestly don’t think I have moved so fast in years. I stopped the car, flung the door open and leapt out screaming like some banshee. I’m certain I left rubber from my gummies on the cement into the bargain. The sheep weren’t hanging around to see what all the fuss was about (I bet they knew!) and had bolted up the hill dragging the electric fence.

Gone forever - two broccolis. All that remained were chomped stalks … And yes there is always a moral to a story; in this case, don’t put the sheep next to the vegetable garden without turning on the electric fence.

Thanks to a very good buddy of mine I now am the proud owner of a cold press Oscar Neo juicer - a wonderful white machine which looks fabulous sitting large as life on our kitchen bench. I made the best juice ever of celery, coriander, lime, green apple, cucumber and lettuce that was just delish. Do I recommend one? You bet!

July is probably the quietest time in the garden, although there is always the obligatory weeding to do. Most of the orchard pruning is complete - although our olives, feijoas, apples and pears are yet to be done. Hmmm...

Next month I should have my summer garden plan finished and with a bit of luck I will have started chitting my spuds. Who knows, I just might have started sowing the odd seed too.

Happy gardening! www.frogpondfarm.co.nz. F PN

A Kereru at Frog Pond Farm The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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PHIL PARKER: WHOSE WINE IS IT ANYWAY?

Villa Maria launches new label FIRST 2013 SAUVIGNON BLANC Auckland’s Villa Maria held a recent function to launch their new label design - combined with the release of the first commercial Sauvignon Blanc out of the gates this year.

The new label is a slightly stylised and simplified version of the old label design with the red Villa V prominent and ‘New Zealand’ featuring twice - once on the capsule, and again on the label directly under the company name. Company founder, Sir George explained that there had been some confusion in the USA where buyers thought it was an Italian wine. And there was a desire to push the New Zealand origins of their wine.

Another milestone was reached last year when Villa Maria marked 50 years since the first vintage of wine was bottled. It is very much a family business, and still privately owned, with George’s daughter Karen chair of the board of directors.

Now to the wine.

Villa Maria Marlborough Private Bin ‘Early Release’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $15.00 Considering that the Marlborough fruit was harvested around March, the ‘Early Release’ Sauvignon Blanc was only about 12 weeks from picking to sitting on the retail shelves. But that is the charm of Sauvignon - it is a fresh and zesty drink-young style. This one is a 50/50 blend of Wairau and Awatere fruit. Aromas of gooseberry and citrus.

In the mouth - very approachable for a young Sav. Medium crisp with herbal, tropical fruit and gooseberry flavours and lengthy palate. Not being a great fan of Sauvignon Blanc in general, I found this wine a refreshing change from the intensely acidic, pungent and over the top style that has dominated the New Zealand scene for many years.

PN (PHIL PARKER) F Read Phil’s blog at nzwineblogger.blogspot.co.nz Phil Parker is a wine writer and operates Fine Wine & Food Tours in Auckland. www.insidertouring.co.nz

LENTIL AND GINGER STEW THIS HEARTY MEAT-FREE MEAL IS NOT ONLY DELICIOUS, IT’S GOT A HIGH AMOUNT OF IRON (good news for vegetarians), and it’s gluten-free, too, if you use a gluten-free soy sauce.

Serves: 4 Time to make: 30 minutes 1 ½ cups brown rice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 2 x 400g cans lentils, drained, rinsed 2 cups salt-reduced vegetable stock 1 cup light coconut milk Large handful baby spinach 1 tablespoon sliced almonds 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander Step 1: Cook rice following packet directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan. Add onion and carrots and cook for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Add ginger and lentils.

Cook for one-two minutes then add stock and coconut milk. Cover and bring to the boil.

Step 2: Remove half the mixture and use a stick blender or food processor to blend.

Return blended mixture to pan then stir in spinach. Divide among four bowls and scatter over almonds and coriander to serve.

Variations • Add crushed garlic to the pan with the ginger.

• Replace coconut milk with the same quantity of trim milk and add an extra spoonful of sliced almonds.

Nutrition profile: no dairy, high fibre, high iron, low sodium, vegetarian Recipe and styling: Jennie Milsom Photography: Joanna Wickham Recipe reprinted from Healthy Food Guide magazine with permission from Healthy Life Media Ltd. Find more easy recipes high in iron in Healthy Food Guide magazine - only $5.90 (or subscribe at www.healthyfood.co.nz), and check out the 101 Gluten-free Recipes Volume Three cookbook, also on sale in supermarkets and bookstores. F PN

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PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE 1

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE 5

FARQUART IS QUITE UNIQUE! TASTE THE DIFFERENCE! THE FARQUART SELECTION OF TEA IS THE FINEST AND FRESHEST THAT CAN BE sourced and offers a traditional proper tea. Farquart Ceylon Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning Tea is a superior full-bodied tea, is rich and flavourful, red in colour and is renowned as the number one premier single sourced plantation tea, suitable for tea drinkers who like it a little stronger.

A selection of teas sourced from the finest tea gardens in Ceylon, these teas are plucked, processed and packed with care and attention to ensure the best quality tea products.

Each leaf is selected and then hand picked in the early morning, thus giving the tea a unique flavour and taste. Farquart Ceylon teas are also renowned for their high antioxidant levels.

This Ceylon tea is rarely offered by other tea merchants due to the extra costs involved in picking the premium high quality leaves. Farquart Ceylon brings you a selected tea from an established and respected company, based in the premier growing area in Sri Lanka. Unlike other brands in New Zealand that have middle men, brokers, agents and distributors, Farquart guarantee and supply direct to the retailers and are thus priced sensitively.

Their tea is not blended, it is a proper 100% single sourced plantation tea, sorted and packaged in silver foil to the highest of standards in Sri Lanka, thus ensuring peak freshness and flavour are captured. Farquart Ceylon Tea pursues a path of excellence and is committed to the standards, ethics and practice as set down under the Imperial Ceylon Planters Code. This includes maintaining stability of the land and offering employment, benefits and facilities in the plantation growing areas. TIP: Let the tea stand PN for a minimum of three minutes allowing the flavour and antioxidant to be released. F info@farquart.com www.farquart.com

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1-2. Grey Lynn resident Fionna Hill reading Ponsonby News in Ponsonby Place, LONDON, SW1. (She must have been off to visit the Tate Gallery, located nearby).

3. Westmere resident Theresa Walsh tells us she had a wonderful time with her family while on holiday in the stunning Hvar in CROATIA. 4. Sinclair Carter sent in this shot of his partner Kathy Crispin in SHANGHAI, with the famous "bottle opener" building, which has the highest observation deck in the world, in the background. The pair had travelled there via Beijing (Great Wall) and Xian (Terracotta Warriors).

5. “Our visitor from Franklin Road sends us a copy of Ponsonby News every month for our customers to enjoy in our reading booth at Florence's Foodstore & Cafe in WANAKA,” writes Sharyn Mathias. L to R: Sharyn Mathias (owner of Florences Foodstore & Cafe), Judith Shea and our visitor from Franklin Rd, Victoria Curlett.

6. Don Mathewson catches up with news outside the largest 600sqm private museum in N.S.W AUSTRALIA. Known as the ‘Pimlico Hilton’, it is stacked to the rafters with everything from hotelware to seashells and was recently shown in the television series, ‘Aussie Pickers’.

Dear readers please keep sending us your holiday snaps reading your favourite magazine, we love getting them! Photos need to be in high resolution (300dpi), so please email them to info@ponsonbynews.co.nz without reducing the size. PN The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY!

CHERRY BLOSSOM JAPAN

by Russell Hoban, World Journeys tour host, and 2013 Waitemata Local Board Candidate

With the springtime Cherry Blossom Festival over for another year, Tokyo returns to its business-like bustle. Cherry trees and their blossoms in Japan go by the name of sakura and carry huge cultural meaning and significance for the Japanese. It is a time for connection, celebration and communal drinking of sake under the trees by a people known for their reserve.

After the first stirrings and opening of blossoms (kaika), full bloom (mankai) is reached around one week after the first delicate flower tips nudge their biological wrappings and test the temperatures! A week later the blooming peak is over and the ground is a dazzling carpet of blossoms.

While New Zealanders associate cherry trees with the fruit, in Japan the fruit is actually associated with another species of the tree. Surprisingly, the Japanese flowering cherry tree or Oriental Cherry (Prunus serrulata), is not native to Japan, and because of their relatively short life span, these trees are actually quite high maintenance and require continual replanting.

Part of the beauty of the flowers is their fragility, akin to masses of pink and white tissue paper. However, this makes them vulnerable to wind and late heavy snowfalls. Some species hang and are pruned and supported to provide lush cascades of blossoms.

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The Japanese see the cyclic blossoming of the cherry blossom tree as a reflection of the very mystery of human life. The blooming of the cherry blossoms occurs as a wave throughout the entire country because the process is completely climate and temperature related, affected by the subtleties of altitude and micro-climates. While exquisite parks and temples provide beautiful backdrops, the most popular areas for viewing and partying are the local parks and streets that have been planted specifically for the blossom.

Some of the world’s most beautiful cities are characterised by their trees; one has to only think of the grand boulevards of Europe. Every spring in New Zealand around late September and early October we have our own flowering of cherry blossom trees at Auckland’s Domain, with wonderful specimens lining the pathway leading from the pedestrian crossing on Pohutukawa Drive up to the Poplar Steps.

Thankfully there is a general awakening to the benefit of trees in cities; not only for their beauty and calming elements within our frantic city lifestyle, but for their ability to provide shade, safety for those eating near busy roads and for their ability to be the lungs of the city.

I was fortunate enough to visit Japan and enjoy the extraordinary experience of the Japanese cherry blossom season, hosting a tour for Ponsonby Road local travel specialists, World Journeys. Travelling the country from Tokyo to the Japanese Alps, the Old Town of Takayama, the Samurai district of Kanazawa, the castles and palaces of Kyoto, and the poignant monuments of Hiroshima, we encountered an incredibly scenic countryside, an enchanting culture, wonderful cuisine, and a gracious people delighting in the joys of spring.

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

ROSS THORBY: SEA FEVER the constant whirl of camera drives was the only noise to break the silence and monotony of the mystical scenery.

Shedding light into shadowland New Zealand and Australia are currently enjoying the advantages of being the world’s biggest growing cruise market and we are now being sent a bigger range of ships, more styles of cruising and more options of ports to visit.

This year Cunard’s QM2 had Fjordland in its sights during her first circumnavigation of New Zealand - I was lucky enough to be on board. Our adventure into the Fjords of the South Island left those on-board incredulous especially those who cynically believed that the best we have to offer the world scenically is the beauty of the Bay of Islands, the sails of Auckland or the mountain peaks of the Alps.

Ata Whenua, (Shadowland) as the Maori call the area is magnificent and certainly lived up to its name. In the wee small hours of the morning, in the mist and light rainfall of early dawn we inched into Dusky Sound, past beautiful green peaks covered in pure native forest glimpsed through low lying cloud cover, the lower reaches bounding in wildlife in the water, seals and dolphins frolicked amongst lobster pots and small fishing craft.

It was pretty hard not to be impressed, the weather gods seemed to be looking out for us as we would enter a Fjord shrouded in mist and then the cloud would raise and we would be greeted by mountainous peaks and dozens of waterfalls falling straight off sharp and threatening cliffs. All the viewing decks were packed with passengers and crew alike and

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The Commodore blew the original Queen Mary whistle which is a feature of the ship.

The long mournful note, two octaves below middle C, reverberated off the bluffs and down the canyons in a long lugubrious echo. As the sound slowly cleared we began our entrance into Milford Sound. This had been planned by Cunard for 12 months and must have taken some planning. We have a 10 metre draught, and we grazed right alongside shear rock faces as a helicopter trailed us with a photographer leaning perilously out pointing various cameras at us. All the cliffs around the canyon were covered in long wispy waterfalls, the most famous being Stirling falls.

Smaller tourist craft here delight in nosing right into the falls which drop 155 meters into the sea. We hung off watching this enviously for a while, sitting with the ship’s bow thrusters keeping us stable and perpendicular to the cliff face. The Commodore had joked earlier in the day that he thought he would like to try it on the QM2. A 155,000 ton, one billion dollar ship, “haha” we thought no way, but here we were hovering closer and closer until four officers went and stood on the bow and the helicopter swooped in for a final shot of us 45 meters from the falls.

Now on a ship 345 meters long, that’s not a great distance and where we were on the viewing platform under the bridge, it looked pretty damn close. One of the officers had a glass which he held out to the falls, when he turned back to us, it was brimming with water. Now I’m not sure if the water in the glass had been filled earlier but as he turned and held it up to the audience we all clapped and cheered. A great trick and well played.

We eventually pulled back and spun 180 degrees until we faced back out to the entrance of the sounds. What a picture, what a day, what a feat. Even the conservationist from the National Park who had spent the day on the ships tannoy keeping us informed seemed pretty impressed. They build our ships officers of stern stuff. We left the area in the fading light and a large number of smaller craft followed us out into the Tasman. The ghost of our farewell whistle was left hanging off the granite walls of the Fjord as we turned to face the next adventure, Australia and whether there would be enough lobster PN for everyone on the menu that night. (ROSS THORBY) F

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TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY!

DISCOVER THE CHATHAM ISLANDS The Chatham Islands is New Zealand’s last frontier. 800 kilometres east of New Zealand mainland, Chatham Islands is the first place in the world to see the sunrise each day. The Chatham Islands consists of approximately 51 islands, only two of which are inhabited - Chatham and Pitt. Chatham, the largest island has an area of around 92,000 hectares. Almost a quarter of the island is covered by lagoons and lakes. The largest is Te Whanga Lagoon, which dominates the eastern side and is intermittently open to the sea.

The descendents of the first settlers on the Chatham Islands were the Moriori who developed a distinctive culture in the islands. The rich history of the islands and its first people still hold a strong presence to this day.

The Moriori name for Chatham Islands is Rekohu, the Maori name Wharekauri.

Walking Tours There is always something to do while staying at Hotel Chatham. Make the most of the outdoors and get back to nature by enjoying one of the great walks on offer. All walks are with a tour guide and vary in time and distance to suit all.

Chatham Islands offer unspoilt beaches, unique fauna, flora, fishing and great food. The weather is typically oceanic with cool, windy conditions. Monthly temperature is ranging from about eight in winter to 18 C in summer.

You have to be ready for all four seasons in one day the weather can change rapidly from warm and sunny to wet, windy and cold. The Chatham Islands are 45 minutes ahead of New Zealand time. Your mobile phone can be left at home as they will not work on the islands.

Wharekauri Walk Spectacular views and moderate to hard walking. Walking time is approximately six and a half hours and best suited for fit walkers and trampers.

Getting to Chatham Islands Air travel is provided by Air Chathams to the mainland.

Air Chathams fly to the Chatham Islands four to six times a week depending on the time of year, departing from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Napier utilising twin engine Convair 580s. Air Chathams also operates a Cessna 206 service between Chatham Island and Pitt Island. There is no public transport and no taxis on the Chathams. Hotel Chathams can organise rental car hire ($100 per day plus fuel) or airport transfers ($40 return per person).

Ranga Ika Walk Experience the breathtaking views of the southern coastal cliff, plummeting 200 meters into the sea and across Pitt straight to the islands. Easy to moderate walking. Walking time is approximately three and a half hours.

Building Chatham Islands in to a New Zealand itinerary The easiest way to build Chatham Islands into a New Zealand itinerary is through short stays. Many of our domestic tours stay a week but we are very aware of international visitors’ time constraints. Below are suggested short stay entry and exit locations based on Air Chathams flight time table.

Taia Walk An optional overnight stay at Taia House can be arranged on request. A short excursion can be made from the house out through Taia Reserve to the coastline. This walk has Moriori tree carving at the northern end of Lake Kairae. Total walking time is approximately three hours.

Four nights, five days Ex Wellington, return Christchurch, Ex Auckland, return Auckland. Ex Auckland, return Wellington.

• $150 per person min two / max eight people.

Tour Options Hotel Chatham specialises in tours on Chatham Islands.

Options including: walking tours, fishing & diving tours, botanical tours, geology, history and cultural tours, Chatham Island bird tour, plus Pitt Island.

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Okawa walk Historically a significant part of the Kaingaroa area.

Easy to moderate walking. Walking time is approximately five hours.

Te Awapatiki (the pathway of the flounder) Through this walk you will encounter areas of special significance to the Moriori. This walk is rich in diverse flora and fauna. Total walking time is approximately five hours.

• Full day tour - 6.5 hours walking maximum

• Price includes local tour guide, all land owners concessions, packed lunch and transport.

• The best time for these activities is from November through to April.

ART OF TRAVEL, 17/386 Richmond Road T: 09 360 1456 www.artoftravel.co.nz F PN

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FASHION + STYLE NEW ZEALAND FASHION MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ‘AGE OF AQUARIUS’ The New Zealand Fashion Museum’s has announced its next exhibition will take place from 14 September to 13 October.

Age of Aquarius - a ‘70s Retrospective is being curated to capture the individuality the 1970s, ‘where freedom was the status quo’.

The exhibition will showcase over 60 pieces including menswear, from both established designer labels including Hullabaloo and Miss Deb, as well as small individual makers such as Susan Holmes and Black Sheep.

Expect to see a lithe and languid silhouette clad in an abundance of colour and print. Think peace symbols, ankh pendants and love beads, psychedelic prints, ethnic embroideries, hair, lots of it and the ubiquitous bell bottoms and you have a brief style summation of the era.

The New Zealand Fashion Museum elaborates: “Often referred to as the Age of Aquarius, from the well known song from the musical Hair, the 1970s was the decade of liberation, and an exciting time to be in fashion. Not only were you free to wear what you liked, there were all sorts of new opportunities for designers to make what they wanted and find an audience ready to give it an outing.”

The garments pictured (on longtime Ponsonby residents Mary-Jane and Phil O’Reilly) will feature in the exhibition.

Age of Aquarius will be showcased in the new Geyser building on Parnell Road alongside 1970’s era furniture. Entry is free. F PN www.fashionmuseum.org.nz

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ANGELA LASSIG: LETTERS FROM MAUDIE The monthly jottings of a free-spirited Ponsonby dressmaker of the 1920s, as imagined by Angela Lassig.

VERMONT STREET, PONSONBY 15 AUGUST 1925

Dear Letty

About a month ago, on an afternoon walk with Tiger, as we passed Mr. Clarkson’s second hand store[i], I spied, in a basket on the floor near the door, what appeared to be bits of old silk. Of course the very next day saw me there at opening time, rummaging. What my imagination had decided over the course of the evening must be lengths of 18th century silk, were in fact rotting bits of once lovely brocades, attached however to the most gorgeous frames. They were old handbags…ten of them! Of course I knew immediately that I wanted to combine the frames with some of my fabrics and make new reticules. Old Mr. Clarkson, of whom I am quite fond, took pity on my straitened circumstances and almost gave them to me on the proviso that I make one for Mrs. Clarkson. I happily obliged and concocted a lovely sac of exquisite deep -brown silk velvet that looks very handsome with the bronze-coloured petals of the metal chrysanthemum that forms the frame. Mrs. Clarkson is known locally for her prize-winning flowers, which is of course why Mr. Clarkson chose that particular mount. She grows those large saucer-sized white chrysanthemums with the curling spidery petals that I have tried to grow without success. Do you know the ones I mean? They’re the flowers that you most often see embroidered on Japanese style kimono dressing gowns.

The coincidence occurred two days later. On my way to see George, I stopped in, as is my regular habit now, at the Colonial Drapery Company[ii] for a five-minute browse. Can you imagine my delight at discovering more handbag frames! These are made of celluloid and of mixed quality so I had to spend quite a bit of time sorting through them for the best designs and workmanship. Some were very poorly painted indeed. I purchased some coloured frames in plain lemon, pink, lilac and leaf green as well as ivory coloured with moulded pansies painted in the same pastel colours. For my few more artistically inclined customers I selected two deep green jade and two cinnabar-coloured frames with a moulded dragon each side of the clasps that represented pearls. I also found three handsome dark tortoiseshell effect frames that will prove very handy; as they will suit any fabric they are matched with.

Finding these was perfect timing as I had formed an idea, inspired by my last purchases, to look out for more pretty frames to have on hand in the workroom. My spring promotion will include a free matching handbag for the first ten customers to order their new spring outfits.

Do you remember last time you were here and we went for a stroll in Albert Park after a visit to the Art Gallery? You were very interested in the new university building that was being built facing the park. If you do, you’ll

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be interested to know that last evening George and I attended a wonderful lecture by the very architect of that building - Mr. Lippincott - which was held at the Leys Institute. [iii]His talk was most interesting and was accompanied by a very good set of lantern views. The topic was ‘Everyman’s Dwelling: The Essentials of a Comfortable Home.” We were both quite taken with Mr. Lippincott’s definition of a comfortable house…one that provided a state of quiet enjoyment and one that should be a delight to live in. I’m not sure about quiet with Tiger and Pusskins tearing about the place, but the house and my new workroom are certainly almost delightful!

Our esteemed speaker even touched upon gardens, stating the importance of linking the house with the garden. One idea that George and I thought very charming was to provide lovely views from the rooms that one spends the most time in. George is learning all about gardens and often accompanies me on my visits to our local nursery[iv]. Over the winter he’s built me a darling little glasshouse in the back garden! Aren’t I lucky! It has a raised bed along one side for my tomatoes and a shelf on the other for my seed trays. I have placed a potted lemon tree at the far end. Last weekend we saw some tomatoes advertised locally and paid a visit, coming back with six varieties! The grower had thousands of seedlings of 17 different types!

You would never know looking at his cottage from the street.[v] George and I meet quite regularly at the Leys, it being a good halfway point between our two houses. The library provides us with something to do should one of us be running late! I suppose you can guess who that might be!

I almost completely forgot to ask. Do you still have the framed pair of needlework cockatoos that you were going to give the church for their next bazaar? If so, would you allow me to adopt them? I would of course be happy to make a donation to the church to make up for any loss. Don’t laugh, but I’ve developed a strange fascination with Victorian needlework. All the Ponsonby Road dealers are looking out for them for me now! I’ve decided to create an effect by hanging them very closely together on both sides of the walls of my front hall! Only animals are permitted and to date I have collected several featuring large dogs or striped cats atop bright cushions. The pair of birds would make a colourful addition if you still have them.

Well my dear, enjoy your birthday and do write soon, Your affectionate cousin,

Maudie xx [i] Henry Clarkson, 2nd hand dealer, 38 Ponsonby Road [ii] 256 Ponsonby Road [iii] Lecture by Mr. Roy A Lippincott, Leys Institute, 8 July 1924 [iv] Ponsonby Nursery Depot, 184 Ponsonby Road [v] Home nursery at 23 England Street, Ponsonby

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

illustration: Michael McClintock

Happy Birthday my dear! I do hope that you like the little trifle that I have enclosed for you. I must admit that I’m very pleased with it…so much so that in fact you almost didn’t get it! I must tell you about my current little obsession with handbags. I had two very strange things happen…well one strange thing and another coincidence.

GENUINE LEATHER HANDBAGS FOR HANDBAG LOVERS Benedict & Cole is a new online handbag and accessories store started by local Grey Lynn resident Elisa Jeffrey.

Elisa loves her handbags and has felt for some time that the New Zealand market is lacking in good quality, beautiful handbags in the mid price range. So after a long corporate career she decided to do something about it!

Benedict & Cole’s handbags are in the $200-$400 price range and are all made from 100% genuine leather. If you love quality, but don’t want to pay for expensive designer brands, Benedict & Cole will have something for you.

The majority of the bags are imported from Italy, featuring pure Italian-style design.

The Carbotti brand has been handmade in Martina Franca, Italy since 1950. The great care in each and every Carbotti bag celebrates the “cult” of craftsmanship required of all products that bear the “Made in Italy” name. Another brand, “Bellini” a Florence based leather-goods company who use the same manufacturers as the world’s top 50 brands.

FASHION + STYLE TWO HANDS’ STEFAN FOR LONELY HEARTS Ponsonby tattoo artist Stefan Sinclair has turned his hand to designer fashion, creating a tee shirt design for New Zealand label Lonely Hearts for the label’s Spring/Summer 2013/2014 - ‘Death’s Day Off’.

This is the second season Lonely Hearts has used Stefan’s creations, with the artist developing his own spin on the designers’ inspirations. This season influences include the Caribbean, novel ‘The Rum Diary’, deserted beaches and writer Hunter S Thompson.

Stefan ‘s explanation of the skeleton print: “Reaper at the beach: this is Death’s day off. He’s at the beach with his surfboard watching the waves roll in and the sun set, enjoying ‘life’ before he gets back to reaping souls tomorrow.’

Lonely Hearts is stocked at Black Box PN Boutique in Grey Lynn. F www.lonelyheartslabel.com

The range offered by Benedict & Cole will of course evolve and change with new products and hues for the changing seasons.

All Benedict & Cole handbags come with a 14-day return policy if you are unhappy for any reason. They also offer free shipping on all New Zealand orders.

Visit BENEDICT & COLE at www.benedictandcole.co.nz and join the mailing list today PN and receive 10% off your first purchase! F

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FASHION + STYLE: JULIE ROULSTON

Fathering in style In honour of Fathers’ Day, Ponsonby News asked three of our favourite men to share their thoughts on (stylish) fathering.

Benny Castles is a designer at WORLD and stepdad to Theo and Milan, 16 and 9, going on 29. Jooles Clements is an arts and cultural consultant, and is dad to Wolf (4½). And Chris Rupe is owner of SPQR and dad to Courtney (23) and Jacques (2½).

Please describe your style/look:

Jooles: Roger Sterling Chris: Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren Please name your favourite local style king or queen

Benny: My style can only be described, by me being described as a “WORLDman”!

Benny: Francis Hooper & Denise L’Estrange-Corbet are mythical style lords sent from Krypton to save New Zealand fashion for future generations.

Jooles: A Crane Brothers suit for meetings and presentations; the rest of the time, jeans, t-shirt and a parka if it’s cold. A Crane Brothers three-piece suit for special occasions.

Jooles: Helene Ravlich (of course, I am biased, but she has seriously good taste!)

Chris: For special occasion: well-tailored black suits, Dolce & Gabbana white shirts, black tie, Gucci shoes. Weekdays: generally smart casual, throw in the occasional jacket. Weekend: Casual. Lucchese cowboy boots from the US, V neck tees, Ralph Lauren shirts.

Shorts (weather dependent).

You’re the main character in a film.

What song would be your soundtrack?

Where would be your setting?

Benny: Gustav Mahler’s eighth symphony would be playing and I’d just be sitting around doing very little, but seeming very intellectual, classic cinema deception.

We’d have to get Ingmar Bergman or Peter Greenaway to direct.

Do you shop in greater Ponsonby? Where?

Benny: WORLD and WORLDbeauty obviously, but I also love Douglas and Bec, Masons, and Icing on the Cake... those are stylish cupcakes!

Jooles: Definitely (but mostly for food). I do buy clothes from Superette, Zambesi and Workshop now and again.

Chris: Black Box is where it’s at, really. It’s very rare that I buy clothing in New Zealand, I shop Gucci in Queen Street (I am a Gucci collector) and I shop RaIph Lauren in Newmarket occasionally. I also shop online and overseas.

Tell us about another dad whose style you like

Jooles: ‘Crosstown Traffic’ - Jimi Hendrix. Driving too fast down Lombard Street in San Francisco in a ‘70s American muscle car.

Benny: Shopping with my father at Brioni in Florence as a teenager was a cataclysmic experience! He is a dashing yet classic dresser, with an innate understanding of the personality and humour that fashion should express.

Chris: It’d have to be in the hills of Tositano in the Italian Riviera with Italian beauties, drinking espresso martinis and eating pasta, listening to opera.

Jooles: Love him or hate him, David Beckham is always very well presented.

What influences what you choose to wear?

Chris: I never really look at other men.

Benny: Everything and nothing...but mainly my imagination, I always look better in my mind than I do in any mirror. Final touches often come down to the wisdom of KP my partner... she has to look at me, whereas I don’t.

What’s your advice to those contemplating fatherhood? And/or raising little ones?

And/or raising teens?

Jooles: My wife!

Jooles: Be prepared for the most amazing, most challenging and most frustrating moments of your life...

A life that will never be the same again!

Chris: The day and the season. I read magazines on my iPad - GQ, etc. Pinterest - I have a board called A Man’s Style.

Please name your favourite international style icon

Benny Castles

Chris: Claire Sullivan from Denizen, and the Zambesi team.

Jooles Clement

Benny: They don’t know everything, but neither do you.

Chris: Always look into their eyes and see the love they show you. But always remember you have to be smarter than them. Teens - wow. They have a mind of their own, really. You just have to be totally accommodating and loving - always look for the good side. F PN

Benny: Inspector Clouseau

ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN Chris Rupe

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DAVID HARTNELL’S: SHOW BUSINESS

TWENTY ONE SECRETS ABOUT MARILYN MONROE MARILYN MONROE DIED 5 AUGUST 1962 AT THE AGE of 36. Like the sirens of Greek mythology, Marilyn was an irresistible temptress who captivated powerful men and movie audiences around the world. Some say she was the Hollywood blonde goddess who knew too much, a walking time bomb. She could topple political dynasties and jail Mafia dons, not to mention being one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars. Some called her the mistress of Camelot.

In my estimation the best book ever written on Marilyn Monroe is “Marilyn at Rainbow’s End” by Darwin Porter who gives us this scenario. Imagine it’s today: Marilyn in her mid 80s, with remaining traces of her former beauty. Sitting on the couch beside her is her 25 years old boyfriend, her latest conquest. With champagne, still her favourite drink, they’re watching the latest Monroeinspired movie, television series, or documentary. As the credits role the young man asks, “Marilyn, is that what really happened? I mean, did you really go to bed with President Kennedy?” She giggles as she reaches over to kiss him. “Something like that, sweetie, something like that.” Memory fades as time goes by, but what a hell of a story, from an orphan who nobody wanted.

1. For 20 years, Joe DiMaggio ordered a weekly delivery of six fresh red roses to be placed three times a week in the urn beside her crypt. For reasons known only to himself he cut off the deliveries in August 1982.

2. She started using the name Marilyn Monroe in 1946, but did not legally until 1956.

3. She found it almost impossible to learn lines, and took 60 takes to deliver the line “It’s me, Sugar,’’ in Some like it Hot. 4. She was placed with 11 sets of foster parents after her mother, Gladys, was institutionalised. She also spent almost a year in the Children’s Aid Society Orphanage in Los Angeles.

5. In her late teens Marilyn became a Christian Scientist; later in her life she dabbled in alternative spiritualities, including Anthroposophy, the philosophy espoused

by Rudolf Steiner.

6. Marilyn whitened her skin with hormone cream, one side effect of which was to encourage the growth of blonde down on her face; Marilyn would not remove this peach fuzz, believing that it gave her face a soft glow on camera.

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7. Two men claimed paternity of Marilyn on their deathbeds: C Stanley Gifford, who both Marilyn and her mother believed was her father, but who refused to meet Marilyn when she was alive; and Edward Mortensen, who was married to her mother at the time of her birth, and whose (misspelled) surname appears on her birth certificate.

8. When Marilyn signed her name in the cement at Mann’s Chinese Theatre she put a large fake diamond over the letter i in Marilyn. Two days later someone stole the fake diamond, but the indent is still there today.

9. The murky, mysterious details of Marilyn’s last days have fuelled speculation from the day her death was announced to the world. There have been many books devoted to her murder, contradicting each other, some doing no more than muddying the water. Today in 2013, nearly all the principals have died. However, in a decade after her murder, many witnesses have delivered bombshell revelations, if only on their death beds.

Some of the key witnesses, including Actor Peter Lawford (who was married to Patricia Kennedy) and Eunice Murray (Marilyn’s housekeeper who was there the night she died), repeatedly changed their original stories, which were complete distortions to begin with.

Other witnesses, separately or together, based on different motives and agendas, colluded in a cover-up.

The accounts of what most eyewitnesses established as their “official versions” can, for the most part, be totally dismissed as nothing more than lies. Yet, in several cases, a few people close to the scene actually told the truth, despite the dense fog of deceit surrounding what actually happened sometime during Saturday night 4 August 1962.

13. “Niagara” is the only movie Marilyn made in which her character dies.

14. A bizarre rumour was that Cuban agents murdered Monroe as a reprisal against the Kennedys for the CIA-initiated Mafia contract that was put out on Fidel Castro. Yet another outlandish theory attributes her death to communist conspirators who sought to ruin the Kennedy brothers by linking them to murder.

15. According to Hollywood actress Shelley Winters, during the years she roomed with Marilyn, she used to fantasise about having Albert Einstein’s baby.

16. When Marilyn was a child, she had a pet dog named Tippy. In her final movie, “Something’s got to Give” the dog in the movie was also named Tippy.

17. It was rumoured that Marilyn Monroe had an extra toe. This was an urban myth. She had ten toes, five on each foot. There was a photograph taken of her on the beach before she was famous, and in the photo a piece of sand is stuck to the side of her foot, creating the illusion of a sixth toe. That is where the rumour came from.

18. Marilyn’s grave is the most visited celebrity grave in America, it’s estimated to have approximately 350 visitors every day. Hugh Hefner owns the burial vault next to Marilyn at the Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. He bought it in 1992 for $85,000 (US). The last remaining crypt on the same wall as Marilyn, was recently priced at $125,000 (US) it’s still for sale.

19. Marilyn once said “I’d rather have a president or an attorney general who does it to a woman than to a country.” She was of course referring to President J.F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby Kennedy, she had affairs with both.

10. Marilyn Monroe, on Hollywood: “It’s a place where they’ll pay you $50,000 for a kiss and 50 cents for your soul.”

20. Marilyn very seldom wore panties, she said that she didn’t like the restriction and she hated the panty line they made under her tight skirts.

11. Once when Marilyn was pregnant she told a friend “I know the father of my baby is Prince Philip, and I also know it will be a boy. Do you think that one day he’ll become King of England, if some Irish terrorist blows up the Queen’s family?”

21. There are more souvenir and memorabilia items in Marilyn’s likeness than any other movie star in the history of Hollywood. Second place goes to Elvis PN Presley and Charlie Chaplin. (DAVID HARTNELL) F

12. She signed with Fox in 1946 for $125 per week.

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Photos from the private collection of David Hartnell. 1. Marilyn Monroe’s grave. 2. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 3. The bust of MM is in the apartment she used to rent in the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.

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FASHION + STYLE: JULIE ROULSTON

Retail Superstar of the Month Name: Erin Santoro Works at: Chambers Linens & Gifts and Chambers Home & Living, Ponsonby How did you come to be a retail salesperson?

At the tender age of 13 in the local dairy What brought you to Chambers?

My mother bought the business in 1999 and I came on board a year later What do you love about your brand/store?

I love our fabulous loyal customers and the amazing people I get to meet. I love our stock and the ability to purchase it. Our policy is if we don’t love it we don’t buy it.

What makes a standout retail salesperson?

A salesperson is only as good as his attitude to the job. They must have self motivation and not be afraid of hard work. Customer service is high on our priority list at Chambers.

Tell us about a memorable sale you’ve made this year.

Serving Rachel Hunter in our Home & Living store and her telling me she loved our shop. Big Buzz!

If you could wave your wand and have anyone in the world walk into your store right now, who would it be?

The saleswoman in me says a bus load of women with big fat wallets. Is that bad?

Where do you shop/enjoy shopping?

I don’t get a lot of time to shop with work commitments and two young children but I do my best to try and shop in Ponsonby. Supporting small local business is big on my list of priorities.

Name someone you think is a great greater Ponsonby brand/store/retail salesperson...

It would have to be Gary at One Step Ahead in Three Lamps. Not only does he do a great job re-heeling your boots but he’s always on hand with a hammer or a screwdriver when I can’t find one. He’s also our resident IT technician, a bird catcher, security guard and an all round great guy. F PN CHAMBERS LINENS & GIFTS, 289 Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 6479 CHAMBERS HOME & LIVING, 307 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 5529 www.chambersnz.co.nz

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JAY PLATT: WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT...

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

WMF Grand gourmet chefs knife $299, WMF profi plus meat fork $69 @ Millys Ponsonby www.millyskitchen.co.nz; Sterling Silver rings Ship & Boy $380 each @ Seventy Six Design www.seventysixdesign.co.nz; Sling L leather tan bag by CARGA $449 @ Paco Design www.pacedesign.co.nz; Alessi ‘Scoiattolo’ Nutcracker $249 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Olfactive Studio ‘Chambre Noir’ $189 @ World Beauty www.worldbrand.co.nz; Zebra Head $199 @ Republic www.republichome.com; ‘Owl’ Jumbo chopping board $219.95 @ Millys Ponsonby www.millyskitchen.co.nz

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FATHERS DAY GIFTS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Sea Salt soap $15 @ World Beauty www.worldbrand.co.nz; Billie plana recycled inner tube wallet by CYCLUS $79 @ Paco Design www.pacodesign.co.nz; Alessi ‘Lupita’ Dog bowl $195 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Sterling Silver ‘Robot’ ring $650 @ Seventy Six Design www.seventysixdesign.co.nz; Aesop Coriander body cleaner $59 @ World Beauty www.worldbrand.co.nz; “Be’ Enlightened candle $69 @ Republic www.republichome.com; ‘Triumph & Disaster Men’s grooming kit (created by ex NZ cricketer Dion Nash) $165 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz F PN STYLING: Jay Platt PHOTOGRAPHY: Danilo Santana David, Fisher Santana.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY

Winter skin - what it needs right now When the temperature drops it’s a good idea to bring out the big guns when it comes to skincare - and if you’ve got eczema-prone skin like mine, even boost yourself up with some supplements that can keep your largest organ looking and feeling as hydrated as possible.

Dr. Hauschka is one of the best brands out there, and they also pay clear attention to the seasons and what they mean to your skin. Moisturising Mask is their ultimate winter skin fix, used twice a week. Cleanse early in the evening and apply the mask - around your eye contour too - before leaving it on to absorb all evening, removing with a tepid cloth before bed. If your skin is extremely dry you can also use Moisturising Mask as your 'day cream' for a month or until the condition improves.

And let’s not forget caring for skin from the neck down, which Dr. Hauschka have covered with their brand new Holistic Body Treatment.

It has been designed for people with a busy life style, and is intended as “preventative health care” as well as a way to reset your body’s rhythms.

The treatment is largely based around massage - light and firm - using the brand’s beautiful body oils, and aims to target general wellbeing as well as straight relaxation. It stimulates the flow of the lymph and encourages elimination, and on an emotional level aims to leave you feeling light and perfectly balanced. I’ve sampled it and can honestly say that it was quite the treat - and beautifully hydrated skin was an added bonus!

On the subject of bods, when I started using Lucy Vincent-Marr's hair and body care range Sans many moons ago, the first product I had in my sights was the Activator 7 Body Oil. A beautiful formulation that hydrates and feels gently healing, it helps keep dryness at bay as well as leaving not a trace of grease or residue on my skin post -shower. Ingredients include vitamin A, omega 3, 6, 9 and vitamin E, which means that as well as being a welcome addition to your daily routine it also addresses sun damage, scars and stretch marks. If you’re going to try one body-oil this winter then I highly recommend you give Activator 7 a whirl.

I’m also currently in love with Osmosis skincare’s Quench +, which is formulated with an amazing plumper to reduce fine lines and wrinkles while firming and evening your skin tone. It is delicately scented with white grapefruit and bergamot so smells amazing, and is perfect for under your mineral makeup to leave you with not only a photo finish but silky feel. I blend mine with a BB Cream for flawless weekend skin.

I was lucky enough to also get some winter skin tips from Caroline Parker, Head of Education at Dermalogica, who agreed with me that “in New Zealand the extremes of climate and our love of the outdoors can result in irritated and uncomfortable skin. It’s definitely a good idea to adjust your skincare routine when cold, dry winter weather kicks in to help your skin cope. This will usually involve increasing the moisture and hydration focussed products in your regime and layering products to really insulate your skin.” She says to be super aware of the effect that cold, windy weather has on the lipid barrier our skin is protected by, “as this barrier keeps critical moisture locked in our skin.

Damage to the skin’s barrier means dehydrated skin, which feels tight and uncomfortable, and can become itchy and irritated. Our capillaries also struggle to adjust to the extremes of hot and cold that we encounter through the winter and this can cause an increase in skin redness, reactivity and sensitivity.” She recommends adding the brand’s Skin Hydrating Booster to your regime - a super concentrated hydrating serum that you can layer underneath your moisturiser. “It contains hyaluronic acid, which is a water binding, humectant ingredient that acts like a sponge and holds moisture on the surface of your skin even in really dry, cold weather. It is oil free and super compatible with all skins.” She adds, “skin insulators like shea butter also offer great protection and skin soothing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal and chamomile will soothe irritated skin. Also understanding what may have sensitised your skin will help. Typical winter skin sensitisers include weather, central heating, and showers and baths that are too hot,” so keep the temperature down and PN build your barrier up! (HELENE RAVLICH) F

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING NURTURING WITH AROHA HEALING SIGNATURE MASSAGE “THIS IS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. WONDERFULLY FLOWING, NURTURING AND ENERGISING massage. The techniques that make up Aroha Healing massage are all wonderful in their own right, but when combined are very special.”

Aroha Healing has very good reason to be proud of their signature massage technique; it is unlike anything most people have ever experienced, and keeps them coming back time and time again. This form of intuitive bodywork is a powerful fusion of Hawaiian Ka huna, miri miri, dance, reiki and kundalini massage techniques perfectly blended for each individual. Healing, energising and deeply relaxing, the Aroha Healing signature massage takes your physical, emotional and spiritual being on a journey to self awareness and empowerment.

If you are having challenging times, feel emotional, unbalanced, broken sleep patterns, or you are experiencing higher stress levels than usual, then book yourself in for some nurturing Aroha Healing signature massage. Guaranteed to remove a layer or two and help you to feel more grounded, focused, balanced and at peace.

KOKOMO: A PONSONBY STYLING INSTITUTION PONSONBY SALON KOKOMO HAS SEEN ITS FAIR SHARE OF CHANGES SINCE OPENING ITS doors in 1994. With neighbours coming and going, as well as a move across the road to fresh new premises in 2011 the salon is happier than ever to be part of the constantly evolving Ponsonby strip.

Established in 1994, Kokomo was in upper Ponsonby Road for 17 years before moving to its current larger premises. “We’ve seen a lot of change in our time here but despite the changes we’ve managed to stay true to our quirky salon personality and thrive in a constantly evolving market,” says owner Richelle Gott.

Kokomo is a L’Oreal Professional specialist colouring and cutting salon with only senior stylists. “We believe in working in a creative and relaxed atmosphere, where my stylists will create your new look from application of colour through to cut style and blow wave.”

Kokomo loves change and last year saw the introduction of a dry bar to its existing salon offerings. In a nod towards the international trend for express styling, Richelle saw the demand for a Kokomo Dry Bar.

Aroha Healing has their annual weekend massage retreat booked from the evening of 23 to 25 August at Aio Wira retreat centre near Bethels Beach. They will be teaching their unique signature massage technique. Attendees don’t require any previous massage experience and will learn how to massage with Hawaiian flow, learn in-depth knowledge of the seven chakras, breath work, miri miri, energy healing and kundalini techniques.

Kokomo Dry Bar has a quirky personality and pays homage to the surrounding Ponsonby community by featuring styles named after popular cocktails all presented within a leather bound folder. If you fancy a Manhattan or a Mojito or want to embrace your curls with a Shirley Temple, there’s something to please even the most discerning clients.

For more experienced practitioners of massage, this retreat will greatly enhance your existing skill set. This is a very special experience that will allow you to embrace healing, and the giving of healing to others in caring intuitive way. For more information please PN contact Rosanna Marks directly. F

With styles priced from $40 the menu covers everything from classic looks to the latest trends. The options change out every six months in order to keep the looks fresh and modern. So if you need a quick zhuzh, Kokomo Dry Bar could be just the thing you need.

To book a Kokomo experience, contact the salon. F PN

AROHA HEALING, 3 Maidstone Street, T: 0800 Mindbody info@arohahealing.co.nz www.arohahealing.co.nz

KOKOMO, 51 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 378 9225. kokomo@haircutters.co.nz www.haircutters.co.nz

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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY

Update from the Urban Ashram LAURA MASCELLE AND MIGUEL SANT’ANA In the words of Little Saturday’s Laura Mascelle, “finding the right massage therapist is like finding the right hairdresser, the right yoga teacher… they just get you! You can relax and trust them every time and more importantly feel fantastic when you leave.”

Well I found Laura at Ponsonby’s Urban Ashram in Brown Street - where I visit the ‘right’ yoga teacher for me, the wonderful Nikki Ralston - and absolutely loved her style, her grace and her poise.

And to say she gives a killer massage would be an understatement!

Laura trained at Elite International as a beauty and massage therapist nearly 13 years ago, and says that massage has “long been a love in disguise for me. I didn’t study beauty therapy because I wanted to be a massage therapist, I studied because I loved skincare and was fascinated with how the body worked.

When I started working I was always given great feedback from my massage clients and the love has grown from there.”

Kokomo Salon Ponsonby Road She describes her style as “giving the massage I would want to receive!” and doesn’t follow a tried and true technique but evaluates each client’s needs by their energy levels when they enter the room and whatever loves they can share. She says that there are “two types of people who I see - irregular clients who are about to explode from stress and have booked a massage to save themselves, and regular clients who know and feel the benefits of massage and come regularly to maintain a healthy mind and body, I think we all want to be the regular client.”

She created Little Saturday about five months ago now, and at the moment is exploring its possibilities through massage and writing a blog. “My dream is Little Saturday will be a boutique studio/store one day,” she says with a smile, “providing complete wellbeing workshops, massage, nutritionists and be stocked with inspirational health and wellbeing books, skincare, healthy food products. It will glow with what it represents; happiness, health, wellbeing and the little things,” and I know that I for one will be at the door the minute it opens!

The second happening at the Urban Ashram is the arrival of workshops and classes with the charismatic Miguel Sant’ana, AKA The Handstand Man. Brazilian born with a background in capoeira, he came to New Zealand over three years ago but only recently met the Urban Ashram’s Nikki when he started following her yoga posts on Instagram.

“I commented on one of her pictures saying that I’d love to help her out with handstands and she replied straight away,” he says with a smile, “and from there we started to work together and she just opened up a whole new chapter in my life.” That new chapter has included doing one of his effortless handstands on stage at the 300-plus people strong Lululemon Aotearoa Asana event at Auckland Museum in June, and gaining respect amongst the local yoga community as someone who can help them master the elusive handstand with strength, style and - relative - ease.

When he first came to New Zealand he was training in tumbling and with the circus community, but around two years ago he fell in love with doing handstands. The sport of capoeira has taken Miguel all around New Zealand to train and perform, and in 2011 he went to a capoeira event in Wellington where he met a circus professional who introduced him to the world of hand balance. He now trains around three hours a day sometimes six days a week and just can’t get enough of something that comes effortlessly to us as children but is incredibly challenging over the age of 12! “I think it just involves a lot of elements coming together,” he says, “the mind, the body. You need flexibility and strength, as well as confidence - a wish to do it. You need to know a lot about yourself and your own body, which is why what I do works so well with yoga and I’ve started practising yoga as well over the past few months.” He adds that it’s all about “knowing what your body can do and your mind wants to do, and challenging yourself.”

He says one of the funniest moments in his career as The Handstand Man was telling his mother back in his small hometown in Brazil what he was spending his time doing in New Zealand. “When I told her I was doing handstands and teaching other people how to do them she didn’t believe me,” he says with a laugh. “She said, ‘handstands, for a PN living?’ and I was like, ‘yes mum, handstands!” (HELENE RAVLICH) F www.urbanashram.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING PONSONBY ROAD TO MAKE ITS NEW THE EYES HAVE IT ZEALAND FASHION WEEKEND DEBUT September will see the Ponsonby Road Show making its debut on the New Zealand Fashion Weekend schedule for 2013. As Ponsonby News went to press, Andrea Moore and taylor were confirmed for the Saturday 7 September show, with other designers to be announced.

“It’s all very exciting,” says Ponsonby Business Association’s Vivienne Rosenberg.

“Ponsonby will be doing what we do best and showcasing some of our fabulous designers. They will be showing new season summer 2013/14 so it’ll be instant gratification for us all!”

Fashion Weekend tickets went on sale in late July at iticket.co.nz Prices range from $15 entry to VIP packages at $150, with a ticket to a show or seminar and access onsite at the Viaduct Event Centre for a full day. (The Viaduct Event Centre also houses a dynamic Activation Lounge and the Designer Garage Sale)

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT ‘THE EYES ARE THE WINDOWS OF THE SOUL’. UNFORTUNATELY, while the soul may remain youthful, the window frame shows all the accumulated marks of age. Dermatochalasis refers to an excess of skin in the eyelids. This often gives the face a tired, sad or grumpy look. More functionally however, as the eyebrow skin descends onto the upper eyelid, it pushes the eyelid down, thus reducing the visual field.

As more mature people compete for work in a younger workforce, colleagues and clients can and do, form impressions of them based, however unfairly, on their appearance.

A person who appears tired or angry, may be perceived as unable to work to the same standard as a younger, more wide awake looking colleague.

“As a Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon, who has trained and worked in South Africa, the USA and Canada, I have a particular interest in facial aesthetics and surgical restoration of the face.”

Kicking off on Friday 6 September, the event will include a glamorous Friday night Opening Party, followed by two full days of fashion and lifestyle for the public.

Apart from face lifting in all its forms, the surgical centre offer a comprehensive service in restorative procedures for the eyelids and brows. Most cases of dermatochalasis can be dealt with by a combination of a brow lift and upper eyelid blepharoplasty. These procedures can often be claimed under healthcare insurance. They greatly relieve the symptoms of tired droopy eyes, refreshing and enlivening the appearance. They are simple to perform on their own, or as part of a more comprehensive programme of PN facial restoration. Call to arrange a consultation. F

Saturday 7 September will include shows by Annah Stretton (the already infamous ‘Come on Oz, Say I Do’ Show), Raise Up - YMCA and seminars by KMS and Smashbox, in addition to Ponsonby Show.

REES + de CHALAIN, AUCKLAND PLASTIC SURGICAL CENTRE Level 2 OneHealth Building, 122 Remuera Road T: 09 522 0652 www.plassurg.co.nz

The K’ Road show entitled ‘A.OK’ will also take place on the Saturday, featuring Hailwood, Jimmy D, Lela Jacobs and Maaike. The guaranteed-to-be vibrant show is to be produced

by Karangahape Road resident and highly respected stylist Chris Lorimer.

The official New Zealand Fashion Week opens on Monday 2 September, with designer shows for the trade running from Tuesday 3 to Friday 5 September. F PN

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Before and After

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING MOUTH BREATHING, CROOKED TEETH FREEMANS BAY’S BESPOKE AND LONG FACE SYNDROME AND GENTLE DENTISTS Did you know that if your child grows up breathing through their mouth, their face may develop abnormally? Habitual mouth breathing can result in a longer face and bigger - longer nose.

This is because mouth-breathers carry their tongue in the floor of the mouth instead of the roof where its natural function is to act as a brace for the developing jaw and teeth.

Freemans Bay Dental Centre proudly calls itself a bespoke dental practice which means that patients have individual treatment plans to cater for their specific needs.

Mouth breathing can result in a narrower jaw and dental crowding, crooked teeth and in many cases a receding lower jaw. Mouth breathers end up with narrow nasal passages making it even more difficult to breathe through the nose. These children are more likely to need expensive orthodontic work including dental plates and braces.

Patients have often remarked that principal dentist Dr. Sandeep Nagpal is very gentle in his approach. With more than 17 years experience in dentistry, he takes time to listen to his patients and advises them in detail of all the possible treatment options, thus enabling patients to make an informed decision.

Things to look for include frequent blocked or runny nose and mouth breathing even during ‘down time’ - watching TV, reading or at the computer. Symptoms of mouth breathing include; snoring, coughing, dry irritated gums, dry mouth and lips, bad breath, poor sleep, bedwetting, stunted growth, and irritability in the morning. Mouth breathers are more likely to get respiratory infections, enlarged adenoids, glue ear and inflamed tonsils.

Associate dentist, Dr. Isla Melton who works part-time at Freemans Bay Dental, joined the growing practice at the beginning of this year. Dr Isla graduated from the University of Otago in 2008, followed by three years working in Australia.

What can you do? If you think your child might be at risk, phone our clinic to book a consultation or for more information about our programme. We will help correct that mouth breathing habit to help ensure the best outcomes for your child if orthodontic work is necessary and in many, cases with early intervention, avoid the need for braces PN altogether. F Glenn White BSc MSc MBIBH, BUTEYKO BREATHING CLINIC T: 09 360 6291 www.buteykobreathing.co.nz

Enjoying dental treatment in a relaxed and friendly environment is a welcome surprise and many of the patients cannot believe how easy and enjoyable their dental visit has been.

Both dentists keep up-to-date with all the latest research and technology. They continue to enhance their skills and knowledge by reading articles, attending courses and dental conferences regularly.

Dr. Sandeep and his team strive to make your dental experience as pleasant and pain free as possible. All aspects of dental treatments are catered for at Freemans Bay Dental. They range from emergency dental treatment to cosmetic dentistry. Composite white fillings, crowns and bridges, hygiene clean, extractions and teeth whitening are all included in the list of services. Treatment for adolescents from age 13 to 17 years old PN is completely free of any cost. F FREEMANS BAY DENTAL, 40 College Hill T: 09 361 3610 www.freemansbaydental.co.nz

L to R: FREEMANS BAY DENTAL team Dr Isla, Dr Sandeep, Monika, Barbara and Hannah

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LIVING, THINKING + BEING HOLISTIQUE: HEART-CENTRED OFFERING EXCLUSIVE MEDICAL HOLISTIC & THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE TREATMENT FOR HAIR LOSS What type of massage do you offer?

Holistic, therapeutic and remedial massage. All treatments are customised and integrate remedial and therapeutic massage techniques with energy healing and energy resources that work on subtle healing levels..

What injuries or conditions respond well to your touch?

Management of the impact on the body of lifestyle issues, personal and workplace stress, anxiety, grief, loss and depression. Acute and chronic muscular conditions such as RSI, frozen shoulder and headaches respond to treatment. Benefits include relaxation, a sense of well-being, release of muscular tension, reduced pain and feeling balanced. Pre and post sports events conditioning is also offered. The emphasis is placed on the gain rather than the pain usually experienced in deep tissue release. An energy flow massage works on a deeper level than a holistic massage to balance the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual (PEMS) levels of our being and treats the effects of imbalances in these on the body. Children learn about safe therapeutic touch and experience benefits such as grounding, balancing, relaxation, empathy and improved communication. They remain clothed during treatment and a parent or carer is always present.

How long do sessions generally last and what is the cost of a treatment?

A first treatment takes 75 minutes and costs $90. This includes time for a full assessment, massage and treatment plan design. Prices for other treatments start at $45 for 30 minutes and increase by $15 per 15 minute intervals e.g. therapeutic massage treatments range from 30 minutes to 75 minutes, holistic massage treatments are usually 75 and 90 minutes and energy flow massage treatments are between 60 and 120 minutes.

Do you use essential oils and do you offer gift vouchers for clients who wish to spoil a loved one?

Essential oils are used although fragrance-free oils are also available for those with allergies to them e.g. lavender, lemon. Specialised energy resources are also used and gift vouchers are available. The choice is between a holistic, therapeutic or therapeutic relaxation massage, the latter also available to all clients on request.

Ashley & Martin opened its first hair loss treatment centre in 1964.

Its arrival created a revolution in the hair loss treatment industry, forcing others to lift their service standards and treatment offerings in an attempt to match the credible and scientific approach of A&M. On-going research and development into the latest medical and technological breakthroughs resulted in the launch of the Ashley & Martin ‘RealGROWTH’ (medication for hair loss) program in 1995. To complement this exclusive medical treatment, Ashley & Martin ensured every clinic employed a doctor so as to prescribe specific pharmaceutical treatments tailored for every patient’s condition.

Today, Ashley & Martin has grown to become the largest and most trusted hair loss treatment company in the Southern Hemisphere, with clinics in every state and territory of Australia, clinics on both islands of New Zealand, and also now in Singapore. As Ashley & Martin expand, research and development continues with its doctors always looking for new approaches to the medical science of hair loss treatment. This is why A&M is now offering treatment for ‘male pattern baldness’ - a genetic condition that was once considered untreatable.

The RealGROWTH program utilises pharmaceutical compounds that specifically target the hormones affected by the male pattern baldness gene. In addition, Ashley & Martin is the only company that has conducted actual hair count studies that prove a 98% success rate for its treatment. It is this fact, along with a policy of employing a doctor to prescribe tailored treatment programs at every single clinic, that has resulted in ten out of ten independent doctors surveyed recommending you visit Ashley & Martin to treat your hair loss. Call today - your first consultation is free of charge. F PN ASHLEY & MARTIN, Level 6, 115 Queen Street, T: 0800 58 68 78 www.ashleyandmartin.co.nz

Where are you based? Is there parking available?

Can you describe your treatment room?

Holistique is based downstairs at 2/386 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn and entry is through Nails on Richmond, a well known, friendly, stylish and sweet-smelling nails salon. Street parking is available usually within a few minute’s walk of the clinic which is cosy and private.

A fundamental principle at work in Holistique is the quality of relationship built between the client and therapist regardless of age, gender, therapeutic need or treatment style.

(REAH MONET) F PN Reah Monet, Director of Holistique, is a Remedial Massage Therapist, Registered Music Therapist and teacher who has over 25 years of training and practical experience in bodywork, esoteric psychology, counselling, life skills, music, and energy healing.

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SHEENA SHUVANI STARDUST ASTROLOGY

23 July - 21 August ♌ LEO Element of Fire. Symbol: The Lion. Quality: Fixed (stability) Planetary Ruler Sun Character Royal right to rule - autocratic, commanding, sincere, dare I say it; magnificent.

I could sing your praises all day and you’d love that Leo, as you must have an admiring audience to mirror back your greatness and you cannot resist flattery. Great virtues you have; noble, brave (even if inwardly quaking), passionate about life, funny, generous, supremely confident, vivacity, grace, often athletic, naturally high self esteem, popular, dignified, fiery, extravagant, regal, well groomed and immaculate, lots of new clothes, great hair. (Sometimes you blow up problems and roar if provoked but we won’t talk about that). And you love to love it up in great style, so your credit cards are often maxed, but you’re seen all over town dancing, wining, dining, night clubbing and in the best seats in the theatre.

Your lucky number According to Cherio (the worlds most famous seer) the day of your birth is the luckiest of all numbers for you!

Favoured precious stone(s) Diamonds, topaz, amber, neroli Favoured metal(s) Pure gold Favoured colour(s) Gold, orange, scarlett, crimson, yellow Helpful Advice Make sure your hair is being shampooed, cut and groomed by the very best hairdresser in town. Always carry a mirror on you so you can look your best to impress at all public functions. Direct an accountant to assist and control your money expenditure. F PN (SHEENA SHUVANI)

Career You love to give advice and educate people. Leos make excellent teachers, educators, university lecturers, statesmen, psychiatrists, psychologists, instructors, and members of royal families and excel in positions of status and authority. Also can be found as movie directors, producers, principal actors and chairmen of the board. Also writers of self-help books and children’s stories. Off duty Leo can be lazy and indolent, majestically lying around.

Love and Sexuality The chase/the kill. Hot lust/cold shoulder. Leo’s secret desire - to have whomever they want, whenever they want. But if you are “mated” with Leo you will find them protective, kind, generous and also possessive and jealous. Leo will love and lecture you and they have a heart of gold.

Past Direction You have been known to get into the odd right royal paddy, roaring when displeased with the poor efforts of minions. Try not to chew their heads off!

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TRISHA MARTIN: INNER DEVELOPMENT & WELLBEING

Voices of the Food Revolution - You can Heal Your Body & Your World with Food John & Ocean Robbins Paper Back $41.00 Over the course of nine days in mid 2012, John and Ocean Robbins conducted 24 deeply informative and inspiring conversations with some of the world’s leading scientists, doctors, teachers, farmers, economists, and nutritionists; all who are working on food issues faced by the world today.

Broadcast worldwide at The Food Revolution Summit, they attracted more than 30,000 listeners. Voices of the Food Revolution collects the very best of these conversations, with commentary and introductions by John Robbins.

The “food revolutionaries” include: Dean Ornish MD discussing his program for healing heart disease; T. Colin Campbell, PhD, (author of the famed China Study) with the latest research on animal protein and human health; Rory Freedman (author of Skinny Bitch) on how to stop eating misery and start looking fabulous; Raj Patel on building a saner global food policy to address global hunger, plus many more insightful discussions around what we should eat and why it should matter to us as individuals, as the human family, and to our planet.

Each contributor discusses their work in depth, from undercover videotaping at factory farms to getting wholesome food to the poor, to breakthrough research on preventing and reversing obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease through plant-focused diets.

Together they make one rallying cry: for a healthy, sustainable, humane, and delicious revolution in how we and the world are fed. (TRISHA MARTIN) F PN PATHFINDER BOOKSHOP, 182 Jervois Road, T: 09 378 6269, www.pathfinder.co.nz

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JOHN APPLETON: ON HEALTH

Recover faster after surgery - a few thoughts Often we hear talk of hospitals crammed to capacity with patients sleeping in corridors because ‘beds’ are just not available.

Then there is the ongoing problem with waiting lists for surgery.

a high potency multi-vitamin) doubled his daily dose of coenzyme Q10 and ensured that is serum vitamin D was at an optimal level. The patient had talked with the surgeon about this because it’s important to ensure that doctors are aware of what patients are taking prior to any surgery.

I imagine that there is talk around DHB board tables about how they might reduce the time patients are spending in hospital with a view to saving money and also freeing up beds for other patients.

Every day the patient also consumed nutrient dense ‘green smoothies’ made in a blender using filtered water - organic kale - organic spinach and organic apple together with a teaspoon of liquid chlorophyll and a sprinkle of organic ginger powder. A few days out from surgery the patient had intravenous infusions of vitamin C and on the day of the surgery took a special oral form prior to the nil by mouth period. The patient also asked the anaesthetist for an alternative to morphine in the anaesthetic (morphine can cause drowsiness and it takes some time to clear it from the body) because he wanted to wake up and be as ‘with it’ as soon as possible.

I wonder how much talk there has been about how preparing the body properly for surgery and how appropriate post-operative care might achieve these objectives?

I suspect that it’s never been considered seriously because as we so often hear ‘there is no evidence to suggest that it might achieve anything’ and there is an inbuilt reluctance to embrace change especially if those changes are inconsistent with the prevailing medical paradigm.

Is there really no evidence? - How about this. A patient is scheduled to have surgery for a prolapsed lumbar disc which according to the surgeon was likely to be ‘worse’ than it showed on the MRI. The patient had suffered a spinal compression injury some years prior and a disc bulge had progressively got worse resulting in stenosis (from Greek) narrowing of the spinal ‘canal’. Sciatic pain had increased and pain when walking involved a deep ache from the buttocks to the feet together with pins and needles and a strong ‘burning’ sensation.

Two weeks prior to surgery the patient substantially increased his intake of vitamin C - upped his zinc (via

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Following the surgery, the patient woke (in the recovery room) and was fully alert from the time he opened his eyes. The surgeon came in and said the operation had gone very well and he was pleased with what he had been able to achieve. On arrival on the ‘ward’ the patient took more oral vitamin C and was very pleased to discover that no pain medication was required. The patient took more vitamin C overnight and the following morning had a shower and overall felt remarkably well albeit with some discomfort but no pain.

The anticipated hospital stay had been three days but after seeing a somewhat surprised surgeon, the patient walked out of the hospital less than 21 hours after the surgery. The nurses were also a little surprised; the patient had not taken any pain relief medication. Once

out of the hospital, the patient maintained his intake of oral vitamin C and in addition had two intravenous vitamin C infusions. The patient reported soreness at the site of the operation but there was no sciatic pain at all and other than taking curcumin and high potency omega 3 which are powerful natural anti-inflammatories no medications were necessary - not even a paracetamol.

The healing process continued on a daily basis - there was never a hint of infection and the ‘wound’ healed remarkably with daily use of aloe vera gel (to keep it moist) under a dressing. The patient is thrilled with the outcome and he describes his surgeon as a ‘brilliant’ man with a skill level that is truly amazing.

How do I know that this is exactly what happened?

I know, because the patient was me. My experience is not to say that everyone could anticipate exactly the same outcome but with a similar approach to improving overall health, boosting the immune system, strengthening connective tissue and reducing the risk of infection it is likely that hospital stays and the chances of re-admission for complications could be significantly reduced.

All I can say is that the human body has an amazing ability to heal - but it needs key nutrients in order to do this. There is everything to gain and nothing to lose by PN trying. (JOHN APPLETON) F APPLETON ASSOCIATES, T: 09 489 9362 john@johnappleton.co.nz www.johnappleton.co.nz

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CLARE CALDWELL: THE ART OF LIVING IT'S SUCH A SHIFT IN CONSCIOUSNESS BECOMING A MOTHER. NO LONGER are you the centre of your own universe - this position is now shared.

I remember catching sight of my reflection in a window after I gave birth, a little delicate bundle now nestling into my shoulder. It gave me quite a jolt. In that moment I took on another persona - that of Claudie the mother!

Being a mother these days seems to be getting steadily harder and more complicated.

Right from conception we're bombarded with do's and don'ts - eat this supplement to prevent this disease - don't take that it causes this - and so on. Endless books and magazine articles are devoted to the subject and every author is passionate, articulate and persuasive.

Having survived the experience of childbirth, whether you had an at home, underwater or hospital birthing process, and whether you chose to have an epidural, a snort of gas or both, you're then faced with the decision of whether to breast feed or bottle feed or both. A few months down the track, severely sleep-deprived and running out of maternity leave if you're working, you enter the debate over the merits and deficits of early childcare and are you living in the best school zoning for their secondary education?

Nutrition can be another minefield especially if your child has allergies - again there's a library of information and everyone's an expert.

Then there's the debate over pre-school education. Does this really give your child a head start at school or does it just develop more of their left-brained abilities at the expense of the magic of childhood?

And as if all this isn't enough, we're constantly bombarded with projected images of the perfect radiant “celebrity mom” who's worked it all out and who seems to effortlessly balance family and work life while shedding that baby body five minutes after giving birth.

While I support the freedom of choices there are around parenthood now, when did becoming a mother become so complicated? Are we in danger of taking a lot of the simple joy out of this wondrous role with all its new discoveries by overlaying it with anxiety around making the “right” choices?

Maybe we need to just keep it simple and go back to basics. The role of the mother is to provide a safe haven of nurturing, unconditional love, guidance and trust in which her offspring can flourish. The legacy of the mother is her imparting of knowledge and sharing of gifts and wisdom.

Sigh.... Maybe it would be easier to be an emperor penguin mother who just rolls the fertilised egg over to the male to incubate while she goes off on an eating frenzy!

PN (CLARE CALDWELL) F Clare (Claudie) Caldwell is a creative arts therapist who runs a small private practice from home. She is voluntary team leader of creative arts as therapy at Mercy Hospice Auckland, College Hill, where she has worked for the last ten years. She is also a freelance artist.

THE ROPATI/ROULSTON DIARIES Ponsonby News’ Fashion Editor Julie Roulston is aiming to be the team’s biggest loser, with some 8kg to lose over three months.

Fortunately Mackelvie Street Personal Trainer and weight loss specialist Keri Ropati is at her side, pushing her on those scales, flinging that tape measure around her, and ordering up those crunches...

VISIT NO 4: Last time I saw Keri I was stuck at the 2kg loss mark, and had stayed the same. I vowed to make a greater effort to stick exactly to the (very reasonable) eating plan, drink lots of water, and get to the gym twice on top of my session within her, within the week. But - woe is me - as it turned out I hosted two dinner parties in that time.

Even Keri looks a bit discouraged when my weight stays the same for the second week in a row. But we agree that it took me about four years to gain the weight, and that I would have to expect losing it to take a while too. I commit to upping my exercise sessions to four a week including my training with her - still very achievable as I’m allowed to count a 30 minute walk as one session.

VISIT NO 5: I have to park my car in West Lynn and walk to and from Keri’s, to be able to say I have met my exercise commitment. And hooray! I’ve lost that elusive third kilo. To celebrate she ‘invites’ me to work out and includes my nemesis, the lunge. Thanks pal!

In all seriousness though, I’ve learned that although lazy, I’m obedient. I wouldn’t say I rock that freaking gym floor, but I lunge and wobble with gusto.

VISIT NO 6: I have to confess to Keri that I have been hopeless with my eating, for the first time since we started working together. I’ve undereaten because I’ve been too busy, and then I’ve overeaten because I was starving. Worse, a false confidence engendered by the 3kg loss had me eat a little icecream and a little chocolate. Despite all that I’ve lost a little bit more weight. Even taking those slips into account, I’m still eating far less, and far better, than I was prior to commencing this project.

Keri sneakily measures my hips (we’re not due for a formal measure till the halfway point next visit) and smiles a secret smile. I’m off on holiday for a week and all the meals will be catered - it’s a family resort. I intend to eat moderately and exercise as much as I can, in the hope I will maintain my 3+ kg loss. Ever helpful, Keri gives me a set of floor exercises to do - on top of my promised hours’ walk each day - while I’m away.

I wear my bikini on holiday - significant because I hadn’t dared to all last summer. I’m also noticing that the combination of my gym work and sessions with Keri, is making exercises requiring upper body strength a lot easier. I’m secretly waiting/hoping for someone who doesn’t know about ‘The Project’ to comment on my weight loss - then I’ll really feel I’m on my way to my goal. I have a beautiful size 12 Helen Cherry dress that is my compass - when it fits nicely, I’ll know my body is back where I would like it to be.

PN Final report in Ponsonby News September! F KERI ROPATI WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS CENTRE, 37 Mackelvie Street, T: 09 378 1410 www.keriropati.co.nz

Enquiries: T: 09 836 3618; M: 021 293 3171; E: clare.e.caldwell@gmail.com

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JOHN ELLIOTT: LOCAL NEWS

MAKING STEPS TO GREATER HAPPINESS Change it psychology is a clinical psychology practice in Grey Lynn and has focused on individual and couple therapy since 2007.

This thriving practice is pleased to announce the launch of The Mindfulness Project, a series of one-day workshops incorporating mindfulness skills. There are three workshops on offer in coming months: mindful approach to stress, from emotional eating to mindful living, and steps to greater happiness.

They will be run by Dr Mary Grogan, clinical psychologist and her colleagues. “We have taken three areas that people consistently come to our practice for, and designed workshops that build skills in each area,” Mary says. The stress and emotional eating workshops are designed to jump start people experiencing distress in these areas and give them evidence based strategies without the usual therapy or coaching fees. “Our usual rate per hour is $170, but the workshops are $245 for the whole day. We want to give people a skill set for working with their negative thoughts and emotions, but in a fun way.”

The steps to building happiness workshop takes the best of the positive psychology movement and asks people to reflect on which strategies would work for them. “Building better well-being is not a one size fits all solution, so it’s important to get the right fit between person and strategy” Mary adds.

The workshops will be run monthly from 9am-4.30 on Saturdays from August 2013.

There will be a maximum of 30 people so learning can be individualised. To book online go to www.changeitpsychology.co.nz F PN

National Government feeds poor kids breakfast A recent poll showed 76% of those asked said the Government should feed breakfast to hungry kids, especially in lower decile schools. Even 66% of National Party voters supported the initiative.

Presumably, the 20% who were opposed (probably 4% didn’t know) believed it was up to parents to feed their kids breakfast. I predict this Government policy could rebound badly on National, and could be an important nail in their coffin at the next election. Why would such a generous act be seen as bad for National’s re-election prospects you may very well ask?

At the launch of the scheme on national TV, Paula Bennett acknowledged that there were indeed something like 240,000 children in New Zealand living in poverty, and she said this food would nourish any Decile 1-4 children who wanted it. It will be extended next year to all primary schools.

So, here was an admission that, in God’s own country, there were several hundred thousand children living in poverty. What an admission for a Government to have to make! And now the Government will contribute a miserly $2 million a year (less than 0.1% of the social welfare budget), instead of tackling the real problem of widening inequality in New Zealand.

Hasn’t Paula Bennett read “The Spirit Level”, by British pair Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, comparing inequality and it’s consequences in a group of rich countries, including New Zealand?

New Zealand should be ashamed of its record. The income gap between the richest 20% and the poorest 20% is worse in New Zealand, and growing, than in all but five comparable rich countries. We used to be a proudly egalitarian society, eschewing class, and wide wealth disparity. No longer!

Wilkinson and Pickett emphasise that it’s the gap within a country which is most important, not the gap between countries. And that gap causes all sorts of social and economic problems. It places New Zealand’s health and social problems, including child well-being, among the worst in the Western world.

Infant mortality, children’s educational performance (especially if hungry), teenage birth rates, mental illness, index of drug use, obesity-in all these areas New Zealand is among the worst in the rich world.

If politicians don’t agree with The Spirit Level, perhaps they would read “The Price of Inequality”, by American Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz. He sets out in great detail the social and economic ills of the rampant neo-liberal governments in the last 30 years, especially the United States.

Stiglitz says, “we are paying a high price for our growing and outsize inequality, and we are paying other prices: a weakened democracy, a diminished sense of fairness and justice.” Stiglitz too, pooh poohs the old Milton Friedman trickle down theory. “It just doesn’t work.”

In case you think Stiglitz is some left wing crank his bio includes: Chief Economist at the World Bank, Professor of the Columbia Business School, and the 2001 winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics.

It’s not in the interests of right wing governments like our National Government, to see the unfairness and the injustices resulting from an increasingly unequal society.

Perhaps politicians lose touch with the average Kiwi after being in parliament too long, and spend so much time in the company of fellow affluent friends, listening to their wish lists, that their political philosophies become badly distorted.

Whatever the reasons, we have seen a shift from the centre of the political spectrum in New Zealand over the last 30 years, to the right, and those right wing views are now in the ascendant in Aotearoa.

WTF is now, not only a naughty teenage acronym, but one which all New Zealanders should be asking of the current Government’s arrogance when dismissing anyone who dares to question their divine right to rule - wtf is going on and how do we stop it.

PN (JOHN ELLIOTT) F

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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS ANIMALOSOPHY: DR MEGAN ALDERSON

Make life perfect for them WHY IS THE SIGHT OF A LAME OR THREE-LEGGED DOG SO HARD TO BEAR, A BLIND OR deaf cat seen to be suffering or that elderly pet ‘needing to be put down for its own sake’ just so we don’t have to watch the poor old thing bumbling along. Unfortunately, the human heart bleeds for imperfection, in direct contrast to the animal heart which accepts a disability and moves on.

In youth we don’t ask for much, we expect it. The perfect partner, the perfect home, the perfect life and of course the perfect healthy pet. Totally achievable, right? It’s a bitter pill to swallow when prince charming turns amphibian, financial success remains an enigma, the average 2.5 kids never eventuate and the canine or feline companion end up with early onset osteoarthritis, a dickey ticker, diabetes, cancer or even worse. So what happened to ‘perfect’?

Perfect just got more interesting that’s all. With age comes knowledge that the scars and disabilities either born with or collected over the years, known as life’s little imperfections, can lead to an extra-ordinary and prolonged existence not just for humans but now for our pets. The illusion of perfect (having all the required or desirable elements) is overshadowed by the fabulous reality of imperfection-otherwise known as ‘character’.

Improvements in health care and nutrition have crossed over into the animal field.

Accessible and innovative treatment modalities now help to maintain comfortable and long lives for those lucky enough to have ‘character’ (with the help of readily accessible pet insurance to pay for it). The non-judgemental heart and soul of an animal just keeps getting better while bits are failing or falling off. They live fully in the moment, loving owners being all that is required to make life ‘perfect’ for them.

Trust us to give your animal companion a wellness check, especially if a little less than ‘perfect’. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart (Helen Keller).

Check out our tailor made Wellness Packages on our website for details, or join us on The Strand Vet Facebook for fun dental facts and a chance to win a new smile for your pet.

(DR MEGAN ALDERSON) F PN THE STRAND VETERINARIAN, 114 The Strand T: 09 377 6667 www.thestrandvet.co.nz

SARAH HEWITT AND HER DOGS DOTT AND FRANKIE Estee Lauder Companies PR Sarah Hewitt lives in Herne Bay with her husband Mike and two dogs: Dott, a miniature Schnauzer and Frankie, a French Bulldog.

Sarah loves living and hanging out with her family and friends in the ‘hood’. “In the weekends you will probably see me at one of my favourite cafes, Zus and Zo, or pounding the pavements with Mike and the pups,” Sarah tells Ponsonby News.

The couple have had the dogs since they were puppies. Dott is now 4 and a half and Frankie is four. Sarah recounts “Mike and I had always wanted a dog and one day I came home from work and found Dott in the hallway with a massive red bow around her neck.

Mike gave me the best surprise ever! Frankie came about because good friends of ours had a French Bulldog who was super chilled and a bit of a clown. Mike fell in love with it and decided Dott really needed a friend. I’m so glad we did get Frankie, I couldn’t imagine life without the two bandits.”

Dott (or Dorothy when she is naughty) was thus named because she is a mini ‘mini’ schnauzer and was literally a dot when Sarah and Mike first got her. Frankie the Frenchie, Sarah says, has a nice ring about it and suits the dog’s personality.

Dott and Frankie eat everything... Sarah tells us that Dott especially likes mashed potatoes and peas, whereas Frankie is particularly fond of peanut butter toast!

The two dogs love to play fetch with their toy champagne bottle. Dott loves to go on long walks - Sarah says she is truly an energiser bunny - and Frankie likes to dip her toes in the water at one of the beaches by the couple’s home, as she tends to overheat on long walks.

18 month old DUDLEY quite the Ponsonby personality

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Dott and Frankie both go to Barkley Manor and have a nice group of ‘little buds’ there.

As well as that, friends of Sarah and Mike’s have one of Frankie's puppies, Harlow, and PN the two like to hang out in the weekend for family time. F

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS ASK ALEX Each month Dr Alex Melrose answers readers’ pet related issues. email yours to: alex@vetcare.net.nz I have been reading lots of information online from one of your colleagues, Dr. Google. So a few hours ago, I decided that my cat probably has the dreaded kidney disease, with possibly only 35% of the kidneys working properly. She also has dental problems, and some swelling which I’m suspicious is a nasty infection on one side of her jaw. Is it too risky for “Freckles” to be given an antibiotic course and can she be given any anaesthetic for the purpose of working on her teeth, with some type of prior relieving of her kidney? Or is it just too risky and damaging to the kidney function she has remaining, especially at the age of 14 years? I would appreciate if you could reply promptly, Thanks. Lana. Ponsonby.

photography: Wellington SPCA

Q: FIGHT ANIMAL CRUELTY WITH CUPCAKES! WHAT DO DELICIOUS CUPCAKES AND NEGLECTED ANIMALS HAVE IN COMMON? SPCA Cupcake Day! Join SPCA Auckland as we bake up a storm for New Zealand’s sweetest fundraiser. Monday 26 August is SPCA Cupcake Day, and we want you to dust off your chef’s hat and put your best baking foot forward to help protect Auckland’s animals in need. Cupcake Day is a fun way to bring Auckland communities, schools and businesses together to raise money to help care for the more than 18,000 animals that SPCA Auckland sees each year. You can bake by yourself, in a team with your friends or work colleagues, or even as a school!

How do I get involved?

Step One: Register yourself or your team Step Two: Bake and decorate enough cupcakes to feed a small army Step Three: Have fun selling to friends, family or work colleagues There are some great prizes up for grabs and however you choose to get involved, you will be helping to make a difference to the life of an animal in need. Last year cupcake bakers, admirers and just plain eaters alike raised over $120,000 for SPCA Auckland.

This year we’re aiming even higher to help animals in need - but we need your help!

Hi Lana, sorry to hear about your cat’s likely illness. Dr. Google can be quite useful in some cases and has raised some good questions in regards to Freckles potential health care from this point on. Obviously we need to check her over ourselves. A physical exam will give us a lot more information about what is happening in her mouth and we can check for potential signs of kidney problems.

You are totally correct in thinking that well over half her kidney function needs to be compromised before any signs will show up at home however veterinary performed urine and blood tests can detect renal issues much earlier, allowing better treatment.

Antibiotics for dental disease can be used safely, choosing the right drug and ensuring Freckles continues to eat and drink while on medication is important. Techniques like providing i.v. fluids for 24 hours prior to anaesthesia, and altering our chosen premeds and G.A. cocktail, are also valuable when needing to perform dental work on all older, fragile pets. We always weigh up the risk versus benefit and often the need to remove sources of pain and infection from the mouth far outstrips the very small risk of a carefully planned and tailored anaesthesia. We’ll see Freckles and yourself shortly and work through juggling her multiple health concerns step by step. F PN (DR ALEX MELROSE, BVSC MRCVS)

A:

VETCARE GREY LYNN, 408 Great North Road T: 09 361 3500 www.vetcare.net.nz

Register as a cupcake chef NOW at www.spcacupcakeday.co.nz, or call Mike on T: 09 256 7317 for more information. F PN

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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS

HARRY & ME In the beginning you start with all the right ideas, so I made Harry’s bed up in the laundry and there he would sleep during the night.

That was until I received several messages from neighbours asking if I was subjecting him to some sort of nightly torture as the noise was so bad. So into the bedroom he went - the first cave in.

I was one of the first amongst my friends to get a dog, and of course believing he could do no wrong, I subjected these people to some terrible behaviour; chewing sunglasses, throwing up in cars, terrorising cats, and the worst being, his ability to do an incredible leap through the air to grab sandwiches out of unsuspecting hands.

Early every morning we would get up and trek over to Western Park to meet up with the “dog club”, where we would do our circuits up and down the hills. This was a whole new world, as I discovered that you see and talk to your dog mates more regularly than you do to your very best friends. It’s quite a strange new relationship, and to this day I remember some of the extraordinary conversations we covered in those early mornings, while in the meantime the dogs were belting up and down the hills and finding every mud pond in the vicinity.

CAR SEAT INSERT ENHANCES SAFETY FOR INFANTS Research into an infant car safety seat insert has highlighted the importance of not leaving infants to sleep in their car safety seat.

It’s already known that in the first few months of life, even full term infants restrained in their car safety seats often have brief periods of low oxygen saturation, says lead researcher, Dr Christine McIntosh, from the Department of Physiology at The University of Auckland.

“Babies’ heads usually slump forward when they fall asleep in their seats. We wanted to find out whether an insert that allows the infant head to rest upright in sleep could improve safety by reducing periods of low oxygen,” she says.

In a paper just published in the journal, Paediatrics, a randomized controlled study showed that the infant car seat insert reduced the number of stop breathing episodes due to obstruction (blocking the airway) and reduced the fall in oxygen levels during these episodes.

But it did not significantly reduce the overall rate of moderate low oxygen events, says Dr McIntosh.

“Even reducing severity of the fall in oxygen levels is important and is a good indicator that the insert did help make babies safer,” she says. “This study also highlights the importance of not using car seats as a place of sleep for infants. Sudden unexpected deaths in infants (SUDI) can occasionally occur in car seats/ capsules.”

The foam plastic insert is already available commercially and is designed to allow the infant head to rest in a neutral position in sleep. The study tested whether this prevented obstruction of the infant’s upper airway and thus reduced episodes of low oxygen. F PN

Over the years we have walked and walked and walked through the streets of Freeman’s Bay, over and over, far and wide across the city. We’ve visited many cafes, made many friends. The area is now full of dogs, and society is more accepting that we mad dog parents will do almost anything for our babies, because the reward of the fun and devoted love that you get back gives you so much purpose and happiness in your life.

Harry is no longer with me. He passed away as I was writing this and at nearly 16 years of age he was deaf, partially blind, and had arthritis. I look back on our days together fondly and wish I could get a bit of that energetic behaviour back. He was there every night when I came home, ready to greet me, and I’d feel the little nudge of the wet nose on the back of my leg to remind me that it’s dinner time. RIP Harry.

PN (FIONA MACKENZIE) F

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FUTURE GENERATION ST PAUL’S COLLEGE PROGRESS REPORT Ponsonby News reported to readers the progress at St Paul’s College under new Principal Mark Rice in our June 2012 issue.

This is an update because much has happened in just over a year and the college is looking for local community feedback. A new board of trustees has been elected, under the chairmanship of new proprietors’ representative Denis Wood, who brings significant corporate experience to the board.

A solid core of local students is desirable to move the school forward, and there is a need to remove wrong impressions about St Paul’s. For example - It is not a “school just for Pasifica boys.” The small roll doesn’t mean fewer options either - it means much smaller classes and more personal attention.

Two new deputy principals, Jan Waelen (curriculum, and ex St Kentigens) and Laurence Caltaux (pastoral care, ex Pompallier and Sacred Heart Colleges), now have their feet firmly under their desks, and the school is finding even more academic success each year.

It is not just a feeder school for the Warriors Rugby League team either although they are very strong in League. St Paul’s believes sport is important for teenage boys, and encourages participation in a wide number of sports, but not at the expense of academic achievement.

In fact, sporting success has led boys to greater academic success as self esteem and a hard work ethic is built on the sport’s field.

Denis Wood explained that there is a clear desire from the proprietors, the Marist Brothers, to accelerate a review of the college’s future direction, and its relationship with the local community. The school is determined to grow the roll from about 250 to near 400, and whilst there has been a steady 15% growth over the last three years with a 60% increase in year 7-9 numbers, the college is wanting to instigate a dialogue with local families to find out their needs for their son’s education, and to persuade them that St Paul’s can provide the spiritual, academic, sporting and pastoral care that their boys need.

Denis Wood admitted St Paul’s had fallen off the pace a little in the past, but they are determined to find out “what the school should do and how it can respond to what the community wants.”

The board and the school will make the changes necessary to accommodate these local needs.

An energetic and skilled group of Old Boys is putting their commercial and business weight behind a comprehensive programme plan to upgrade the grounds and the gymnasium, followed by other building programmes. The gym is currently being repainted and the floor resurfaced.

I have been impressed on my several visits to St Paul’s at the impeccable manners of students, and the nice tone in the classrooms. Students want to be there-97% attendance confirms that.

Chairman Denis Wood pointed out how the term pastoral care had become more than just a religious word, and now encompasses the holistic care of boys, right across all school activities. However, because of its

special character, pastoral care has a special place in a Catholic, Christian College like St Paul’s, underpinned by the school values faith, perseverance, passion, courage and brotherhood.

In the immediate future, St Paul’s have an open day on 6 August, work with local contributing schools principals, to recommend St Paul’s to parents who might otherwise send their boys outside the local community schools. City Catholic schools are under roll pressure and cannot take all students who wish to go to them. And so, St Paul’s says to parents of local boys looking at alternatives to Western Springs College, “come and talk to us, tell us what you would want for your boy, and we will do our utmost to accommodate your needs.” Keep an eye out for upcoming community consultation or contact the college directly by email admin@stpaulscollege.co.nz As Lawrence Caltaux puts it, “we want to be a real part of the local community - that is a community school rather than a local school.”

I’m confident that there has been a major change in the culture of St Paul’s in recent years, and a new and greater emphasis placed on academic success. Sport is still a big part of St Paul’s too. “As it should be in all boys schools,” says Principal Mark Rice. I’d urge parents to go and have a look. St Paul’s College is very likely to exceed PN your expectations. (JOHN ELLIOTT) F St Pauls College, 183 Richmond Road T: 09 376 1287 www.stpaulscollege.co.nz

The blue lines show the tremendous progress St Paul’s has made between 2004 and 2012 .

JAN WAELEN

LAURENCE CALTAUX

Teaching history: Six years at McAuley High School and one year at Marist College as Head of Department Mathematics, followed by six years at St Kentigern College as Staff Development Officer.

Three years - St Paul’s-DP-Pastoral Care and Administration. Previously three years - Post Bank/Kiwibank and BNZ - development and training manager. Two years - Pompallier College-DP/ Acting Principal. Seven years - Sacred Heart College - Director of Pastoral care/Assistant Principal.

Qualifications: MEdMgt (Masters of Education Management) (Honours) from Auckland University, BSc majoring in Chemistry from Canterbury University and Grad Dip Religious Education from Australia Catholic University.

Background: I hail from Christchurch and have lived in Auckland for 21 years. I have six children that have gone through a mixture of schooling types - Catholic, State and Private, with three having now graduated from Auckland University and two more currently students there.

Pastoral Care - Linked to special character of the school - principles, respect, responsibility.

97% attendance rate - Boys want to be there - parents strongly support the school.

Safety is hugely important - Senior boys ensure there is a gentle environment.

Philosophy: Having high expectations that every student will achieve to the best of their ability. Education of the whole person is vital-academically, sporting, culturally, morally and spiritually.

Supportive parents - School in partnership with families reinforcing home standards.

St Paul’s is a fantastic school with wonderful students who embrace learning and everything else on offer. The students are a delight to be among every day and watching them graduate annually from St Paul’s as successful young men, equipped for bright futures and excited about life makes it an easy place to be part of.

Exposure to wider community - Ski for life, Duke of Edinburgh.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

Leadership through actions - Prefects lead assembly-older students role models.

Self responsibility - Part of learning and improvement - comments welcome.

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BILLY HARRIS: KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY

MUCH ADO ABOUT EMMA HUCH It sounds like a classic underdog Hollywood movie, starring Whoopi Goldberg and a cast of adorable kids.

An all-girl, all-cousin hip hop crew called the Lil Saintz win the New Zealand junior crew championships and make the massive decision to attend the world champs in Las Vegas. Mountains have to be moved to raise the funds. They put on barbeques, a corporate dinner, hip hop shows, school tours, and breakfasts, and with the support of parents, friends and supporters, the team overcome insurmountable odds (a little creative licence here) to get the cash together to make the trip.

The girls practise like crazy, and are hoping for big things.

On the way to Las Vegas they stop off at Disneyland and Universal Studios for the most fun it’s possible for a kid to have, and then it’s back down to business as they head to their accommodation at the famous MGM Hotel on The Strip.

In Vegas, as in the movies, events conspire against the unheard of, unheralded Lil Saintz. The more experienced, better resourced opponents know the ropes and have organised and paid for venues to rehearse in, while the Kiwis have nowhere to practise. The snooty hotel manager turns down the Kiwis’ pleas for somewhere, anywhere to practise. The Saintz are forced to rehearse in the corridor but are told to pack it in. They try to practise by the swimming pool but security forces them to stop.

All appears lost.

At the last moment, a relative who lives 10 kilometres out of Vegas finds a church hall for the Lil Saintz to practise in, and suddenly the show is back on the road. The girls pump it up with renewed vigour. The church members get behind the victimised Kiwis, supplying lunch and cheering the girls on.

Now the MGM hotel manager starts to soften and allows the team to use one of the conference rooms at no cost and it’s looking like the Lil Saintz could do some damage in the competition.

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But there’s another spoke in the wheel. The team is told they don’t have the “right look”, and the day before the competition, the Lil Saintz have to rush around to find new uniforms.

Going to script, and on day one of the championships, the girls get a rude awakening. The competition, gathered from ten countries, is seriously good. With only four teams qualifying for the finals, the Saintz are ranked sixth out of ten and are in danger of elimination. On the second day, and after a stirring pep talk, the Kiwis shake their stuff like their lives depend on it, and they squeak into fourth place.

On Finals Day, the tension threatens to get the better of some of the girls, but once the music starts the nerves melt away and the family team of Emma Huch, Moanekah Vaai, Karissa Tapu, Anastasia Fa’aui, Monique Motion, Symone Tafunai and Semira Mariner do themselves, their supporters and their country proud by winning the silver medal, missing gold by just half a point.

If that’s not enough to get the audience of this real life movie sniffling into their hankies, the crowd of 12,000 people at the hip hop finals complete the magical day and pile on more emotion by singing happy birthday to birthday girl Emma Huch.

This year, in Brisbane, Lil Saintz went one better, taking top honours at the House of Champions International Comp.

You’d think that with all that hip hop, Emma’s life would be full enough. But a quick squiz at her weekly time table shows there’s a lot more to Emma than a few shuffles and slides.

Sunday - church at 10am and hip hop at 4pm. Monday - boot camp at 6pm. Tuesday - netball at 8am, hip hop at 5pm. Wednesday - boot camp 6pm. Thursday - piano lesson at 4.30pm. Friday - practice with Musos Church Band at Mt Albert Methodist church at 7.30pm. Saturday - netball game in the morning, hip hop 3pm. Added to that are the hip hop gigs she performs at, which are mainly in the weekends.

But back up a moment. Boot-camp? It was the brainchild of Emma’s dad and cousin Vaimoana Vaai to help keep the family active, fit and healthy, and keep them together.

So at the appointed time, you’ll find Emma, mum, dad, brother, sisters, nephews, aunties, uncles and any friends who feel like jump starting their heart running up and down the stairs at Western Springs stadium, or the cruel slopes of Bullock Track, or doing press ups, burpees and beep tests somewhere in the neighbourhood.

Looks like she’ll be in tip top condition for the touch rugby, tag rugby and netball seasons. She plays touch in the Coxs Bay and Grey Lynn comps, tag at Western Springs, and netball for her school team, Marist Herne Bay. Rather well as you’d suspect - she was netball player of the year in both 2011 and 2012.

Emma also sings in the school choir, is an accomplished Irish dancer, and does anything else that time allows, but it’s hip hop which gets most of her focus. Her group is due to perform at community group events, as well as learn new routines for up coming competitions, including events in Hawaii and China, funding permitting.

Then there’s the small matter of next year’s World Champs in the gambling capital of the world Las Vegas.

You can bet your life the Lil Saintz will be doing everything in their power to qualify for another crack at the title of best crew in the world.

Epilogue: Perhaps they’d partied too hard, but the Lil Saintz tour group missed the flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, which necessitated a race against time on the road to get to LA for their flight back home. Stress levels were through the roof as the vans screeched into the airport. The group thought they’d missed their flight and most of the girls were in tears. But they made it through the gate just as it was closing. Just as well. There was a huge welcoming party, including the TV cameras, awaiting them at Auckland Airport. (BILLY HARRIS) F PN

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW Henry’s Map by David Elliot - Random House NZ, $19.99 A fun picture book about an adorable pig called Henry; it also serves as a delightful introduction to maps that teachers and parents will love!

Henry is a very particular sort of pig, who believes there’s ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’. But when he looks out the window, he’s troubled. The farm is a mess! So he decides to draw a map to show everyone exactly where they belong.

He takes a journey through the farm with his friends as he draws the map: sheep in the woolshed; chickens in the coop; horse in the stable. Award-winning writer and illustrator David Elliot crafts a lovely comic ending which children will work out long before Henry does. F PN DOROTHY BUTLER CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP, 1 Jervois Road T: 09 376 7283 www.childrensbookshop.co.nz

FUTURE GENERATION THE BABY SHOW CELEBRATES ITS TWENTIETH YEAR ASB Showgrounds from 23 - 25 August Twenty years ago, New Zealand’s most successful and popular parenting exhibition was born. The Baby Show is in the mood to celebrate with a bumper display of the latest products, great show-only deals and plenty of free advice at the three-day event starting 23 August at the ASB Showgrounds.

A new addition to The Baby Show is the LEGO® DUPLO® Brick Pit - an interactive play area to let kid’s imaginations come to life playing with the full LEGO DUPLO range, and giving mum and dad time to rest on the comfy couches.

Playing and having fun is how children learn and develop creativity, fine motor skills and social skills, as well as learning spatial awareness, numbers, colours and objects. LEGO DUPLO bricks are twice the size of ordinary LEGO bricks making them perfect for small hands and growing imaginations.

Partnering with The Baby Show in 2013 is a new and exciting opportunity for LEGO New Zealand. “The LEGO Group is strongly committed to children’s development through play,”says NZ Country Manager Hugh Campbell. “The DUPLO brand is often children’s, and even parent’s, first experience with LEGO bricks, offering a range of educational toys to start the journey of imagination and construction building.” “We want to offer parents an area to relax while the little ones get some time during a busy day to play and build with the full LEGO DUPLO range in the Brick Pit.” There will also be entertainment from Sticky TV, Baby Loves Disco, Toddler Toes, Funky Feet, Sports4Tots, Story time with Zappolina and fashion shows from Egg Maternity and Tiny Turtles, as well as the famous show-only specials.The Baby Show gives parents and parents-to-be the chance to be tactile with products, discover new products, save money, find answers and all in the one place.

Tickets cost $15. For more information visit www.babyshow.co.nz F PN

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MEET THE TEACHER Canaan Quinlivan Ponsonby Montessori Kindergarten How did you come to be an early childhood teacher?

I came to teaching as an adult, bringing to my teaching a variety of life and work experiences. I decided to re-train as an early childhood teacher so that when I had my own children I could work and teach with them. They are now seven and five years of age and love going to school!

Where did you train?

I am a qualified, fully registered teacher. I trained at the University of Auckland’s School of Education and hold a Graduate Diploma of Education (ECE). I also hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree, specialising in Indonesian Studies and Asian History, and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Business (Human Resource Management). I am currently studying towards a teaching qualification specialising in Montessori Education.

What brought you to Ponsonby Montessori Kindergarten?

My parents purchased the centre business in December of 2012. My mother, Shelley, is the onsite owner/operator and brings to the centre a wealth of experience from her many years as a primary teacher and her deputy principal management experience. When my parents purchased the business, I joined them as we had complementary skills and ideas.

As a team the staff here is committed to providing a high quality programme aligned with both the Montessori philosophy and the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum.

What has been the highlight of your teaching career?

Regularly catching up in the community with children I have taught in years past and being delighted to hear how successful they are at school, academically and socially.

Participation in quality early childhood programmes supports later success at school and in life.

And the low point?

Seeing the impact of doing away with the 100% qualified teachers funding tier for early childhood centres and replacing it with a maximum funding tier of 80% qualified teachers.

How would your Centre Manager describe you?

I checked! Team player, committed and passionate about quality early childhood education, a clear communicator who values the partnership between the centre and families, knowledgeable about ages, stages, developmental readiness and potential of pre-schoolers - and has a strong commitment to Montessori Education.

How would other teachers describe you?

Funnily enough we have just had our peer evaluations and this is what they said: dedicated, always willing to share ideas, a team player, leads by example, always sees the potential in every child, knowledgeable about how children learn and what each child needs as a ‘next step’ in learning.

How would your students describe you?

Our tamariki are young but they would probably say I am excited about their learning and always keen to listen to their ideas. Our teachers actually asked this question recently and one of our children said, “She always reads me stories” while another said “She shows me interesting things”.

If you could wave a magic wand in your classroom: Every child would be enrolled in a quality preschool education programme, with well trained, committed teachers.

Five tips for mums and dads of preschool kids: 1. Read, read, read, to them from babyhood. Research tells us that being read to from an early age is linked to later literacy success.

2. Talk, talk, talk as much as possible. Engage in conversations and dialogue. Talking develops children’s language skills and provides them with a wide ranging vocabulary.

3. Help them to develop their own independence and self-care skills. Try not to do anything for them that they can do for themselves. Sometimes this is hard because it can take so much longer but experiential learning is so important in developing independence.

4. Be consistent in your approach and have clear boundaries around behaviour. Do what you say you are going to do and follow through, as your responses help guide their reactions. Children appreciate it just as much as adults do.

5. Have fun with and enjoy your children! They are only young for a short period of time.

DEIRDRE TOHILL: LOCAL NEWS

Spirited ageing WITH FOLK LIVING WELL BEYOND THEIR THREE SCORES and ten, there’s much concern about an ageing population and how society should deal with this unprecedented state of affairs.

Juliet Batten is a psychotherapist who has written many books and her latest, Spirited Ageing is particularly relevant given there’s a dearth of advice out there on how to cope with the vicissitudes of great old age. When treating older clients she became aware that a number of them were anxious about ageing and were afraid of dying. By researching the subject she found psychologists and therapists were declaring that we have to prepare for old age so she decided to write a self help book for those in need.

Juliet was alone in Paris when she gave birth to her first child. With no family support, and few friends who could speak English, she bought a book on childbirth to guide her through a significant life change. Her own way of dealing with an event outside her experience has motivated her to write a book on how to deal with the transition into old age. She first wrote ‘Growing into Wisdom’, which explores important questions regarding midlife and the prospect of ageing. All the books in circulation aimed at the middle-aged just seemed to be full of advice on how to stay young, which is totally unhelpful. This was a forerunner to ‘Spirited Ageing’ which takes a step further, teaching people how to embrace ageing and be lifted into a whole new stage of growth.

Both titles have a wide readership because they complement one another. Juliet’s oldest fan is a woman of 92 in a rest home. Her son gave her a copy of Spirited Ageing and she just loved it, claiming, as many others have, that reading it made her feel energised.

An important message is not to become preoccupied with negatives otherwise our lives become more and more narrow. This applies to the body as well because in Juliet’s words, ‘it’s like watching a sinking ship!’ She says we should concentrate on our passions, our

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creativity, the things that spark our inner fire. We need to focus on quality relationships, the love of our children, grandchildren and friends, giving them more attention than we give our ailments.

Later in life people tend to have a sense of loss because they are running out of the things that once gave them pleasure. Then there’s coping with the loss of parents, maybe partners, friends, jobs which often induces a fear of what’s ahead in the looming future. There’s warnings too of what not to do. It’s important not to lapse into the habit of complaint because if one adopts a ‘poor me’ attitude people will eventually turn away and the resulting danger is a miserable and lonely old age. Juliet asked 20 people from throughout New Zealand and overseas to respond to three questions about each of the main themes in the book. She has included their answers to show a variety of ways we can practice spirited ageing.

Three of the strategies Juliet suggests are, converting negative thoughts into positive ones, taking care of the body without getting over preoccupied with it, learning to travel lightly without emotional baggage. She also advises the elderly that it’s important to foster friendships with younger people and to work at keeping such relationships alive. It’s well known that grandparents and grandchildren are each other’s treasures. Staying connected within one’s own community is a must and taking on new challenges can be revitalising.

Juliet herself joined a local choir three years ago even though she had never sung professionally. She devotes a whole chapter to attitude because while routines and familiarity are comforting if too deeply adhered to, a life can become dull and stagnant.

Instead, one should try doing something different as often as possible even if it’s cooking a new recipe, or taking another path on a walk. Spirited Ageing: cultivating the art of renewal costs $37 and is available from independent bookshops or www.julietbatten.co.nz Finally, ‘You’ve gotta accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative’ to have mental health, spiritual wealth and a happy old age. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

FUTURE GENERATION RECIPES FOR PLAY One of the hardest things about having a child under five is the sheer amount of time you spend planning how to well, actually spend time!

When you’ve got a little person with the attention span of a gnat things get even trickier, and in this age of very conspicuous over consumption many of us can’t afford - or want to rely on - an endless stream of new toys.

Enter the wonderful new book ‘Recipes for Play’ by Ponsonby-raised sisters Rachel Sumner and Ruth Mitchener, which has most certainly been like an extra pair of hands for me over the kindy holidays. It is chock full of fun activities especially designed for pre-schoolers, in particular easy, non-toxic ideas that encourage tactile play. It talks about all of the awesome activities that are possible with ingredients found in kitchen cupboards or the back garden, and the favourite thing with kids out there. It’s all about making a mess! Little ones love to be messy and get their hands and fingers into all sorts of colourful, sticky substances, which is also important for childhood development since it teaches little people so much about the world around them.

Rachel came up with the idea for Recipes for Play when she was living in Blenheim and looking for creative play ideas for her daughters, “As there just weren’t that many options of things to do there with small children”. She was writing a “mummy blog” about her daily innovations with Margaux at the time, and was inspired by others she was reading that had cool and unique ideas for kids’ play that didn’t involve spending a lot of money. Initial plans for the book came out of her early experimentation, “then I was actively writing it for about 12 months after that.”

She wanted to write a book that would let parents and children share simple, tactile activities and the end result looks absolutely beautiful. Her sister, Ruth Mitchener, is the designer and photographer behind the book’s super colourful, vibrant look, and Rachel’s daughters (Margaux, 4 and a half and Frankie, almost three) were roped in as the stars along with the children of various friends and family members. Many of the recipes were tested by friends and family with children too as the months wore on, “As that way we would know if they were actually intelligible,” says Rachel with a laugh, “and whether or not they really worked!” As she and Ruth were living in different cities when they first started collaborating, a lot of test runs went on in Ruth’s house too, “and then we started brainstorming the looks that would work with each one,” says Ruth.

The idea that became the recipes in the book, came from a variety of sources, including Rachel and Ruth’s own childhood activities, “as we did a lot of papier mache… we still love the smell, it’s the best.” There are all manner of great ideas to play with in the book - safe, edible paint can be made from yoghurt; eggs that can be hollowed out and filled with jelly - all of which Rachel knew worked as she’d spent so many hours actually doing them, but the challenge was translating them into recipes. “I had to get really specific and think about each step,” says Rachel, “and then Ruth would receive them for interpretation at her end.”

I have to ask Rachel, does she think that most parents are scared of mess? “I think they are scared of their children making a mess, but really by its very nature parenting is a really messy thing,” she says. “The idea is to work in clean up time, and make that part of the play - or to guide them into exactly the kind of mess you’d like them to make!”

RECIPES FOR PLAY by Rachel Sumner and Ruth Mitchener is out now, RRP $30.00.

PN (HELENE RAVLICH) F

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FUTURE GENERATION Herney Bay Hustler Bachelor of the month Again we’ve been shocked and humbled by the response to last month’s bachelor Andy Bowman. Too early to say love, but Andy hasn’t been walking the same way since. All the lads are hopeful we will be introduced to this new girl before the season is over. F PN Slight twist this month, this one’s for the boys...

THE HERNE BAY HUSTLERS

Name: Tim Kerr Cellphone: 021 985 454 Age: 26 Occupation: Receiver Ideal Man: Rough face, soft hands Favourite bar: Family bar Hobby: Horse-riding (bareback only) Favourite beer: Cider Ideal date: Candles, spa, romantic comedy and bubbles

The Herne Bay Hustlers have hit their straps at the right end of the season. They remain unbeaten in pool play with only one game to go in the regular season.

The last three games have all been very physical encounters, with wins over the Pakuranga Rattlers 22-17, Ardmore Marist 31-20 and Pakuranga Cobras 17-6. These three wins have secured top spot on the ladder and home advantage for the semi-finals.

As mentioned in previous articles, the holder of the Speight’s plate at the end of the competition, receives 100 dozen cans of Speight’s from the infamous Dunedin Brewery.

All going to plan the final should be at 1pm on 11 August at Cox’s Bay - we’d love to see you there.

Injury/unavailability update: • Tobias Buller (Unknown): Undisclosed outbreak has worsened • Tim Hall (Season): Relocated to Waiheke to chase love • James Oliver (two - three weeks): Unable to make 85kgs • George ‘John Hopoate’ Going (one week): Broken finger

KING’S SCHOOL BUILDING THE FUTURE… ONE BOY AT A TIME King’s School has been a leading independent boys’ primary school in the heart of Auckland for nearly 100 years. It is renowned for its traditional academic discipline balanced with a personalized teaching approach.

With a roll of 680 boys, from the Early Learning Centre to Year 8 (four to 13 years), King’s strong focus is on how to bring out the best in boys; to recognise every boy as an individual and offer the opportunities to discover and explore his full potential.

“Each student at King’s is given a sense of belonging and the opportunity to grow in a global world. Our job is to ensure every boy who is part of the King’s school family feels valued and is proud of the work he achieves”, says Tony.

It is the school’s mission that each boy who passes through the school is given a solid foundation of learning, has a sense of self-confidence and self-belief, is motivated, flexible and resilient.

“Boys are provided with the tools to be able to express themselves clearly and to share their ideas; to be creative, innovative and enterprising thinkers and to be curious, inquiring and open-minded. To know how to gather and analyse information and make informed decisions. These are the tools they will need for tomorrow’s world.” F PN

Students are encouraged to be self-motivated, to strive to do their best in everything they do and to have the confidence to take risks. Headmaster Tony Sissons is passionate about the school’s responsibility to ensure each boy reaches his full potential.

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KINGS SCHOOL, 258 Remuera Road, T: 09 520 7770 www.kings.school.nz

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY

Letter to JK Dear Sir John Kirwan, Please, please, please give up the notion of Benji Marshall playing for the Blues. If you learnt anything from the Ma’a Nonu situation, then please employ those same learnings to this situation.

It may seem like an opportunity of a lifetime at face value, but when you scratch deeper than just the surface, you’ll quickly come to realise that there are far better canvases for you to create your Picasso.

Take it from someone who toured on a number of occasions with the Kiwi Rugby League team which included Marshall, this situation could be likened to one involving a wolf and some sheep’s clothing.

Soft and fluffy from appearances alone, but with the potential to bite and bite hard.

For sure Marshall has talent, perhaps best measured in truck loads rather than buckets. He knows the game of rugby union having played it up until the age of 16 and his latest speech about not wanting to play for another NRL club on West Tigers TV sounded of a very loyal man, and loyalty deserves every ounce of respect. But don’t be fooled by those rose tinted Prada sunglasses you’re considering wearing. This is not the best opportunity for you, or the Blues.

And to top that off, your show of interest in him publicly may well be scaring off one of the brightest talents around right now and who is right under your nose, current All Black Beauden Barrett.

Marshall’s inabilities on defence have been covered up over the past couple of seasons, partly by design and partly through managing his body better. His shoulders caused him significant problems for a couple of seasons, but I’m sure you’re already aware of that. He seems to have them fixed now, and staying behind at Kiwis training and having Ruben Wiki run at him until he got it right has also seen an improvement in that area. However he is still a long way from the top of the leader board for tackles made during a game.

But the biggest concern for me and a number of others I’ve spoken to has to do with his mental toughness.

Something the Blues suffered from in the depths of the season, so I’m unsure why you’d want to add to that problem, especially given the loss of the senior players Ali Williams, Anthony Boric and Rene Ranger.

When his sides have been down during the past couple of seasons, it’s no longer been Benji to the rescue. Not like it was between 2006 and 2011. When the going got tough, Benji used to put his hand up for the ball, and at least try to create some magic, but over the past two seasons that spark has disappeared.

During the 2011 Kiwis Four Nations title defence in England, where New Zealand were favourites to beat England and face the Kangaroos in the final, they were instead crushed 28 points to 6. On the pitch Benji went missing, both on attack and defence, before coming off the pitch to front a media conference like a spoiled four year old boy rather than the leader of a team who were simply out played by a better side.

Sitting there with his hood pulled over his head, arms crossed and a sulky look on his face, when asked to explain the mood in the camp, he snapped back with “Are you serious, am I expected to answer that, yeah! It’s F#@&ing awesome.”

There’s no doubt there would have been plenty of disappointment, not least that of the Kiwi travelling fans who’d booked an extra week in the UK, expecting the Kiwis to be in the final. But for a captain of a national side to behave like that was beyond comprehension for me. Imagine if Richie McCaw had fronted the press in the same manner in Cardiff in 2008.

Taking a step back further I can see the issues with Benji weren’t confined to a one off loss. In the week building up to that must win game, he was questioned by the British press, that given the All Blacks recent win at the rugby world cup just three weeks earlier, would his side take any confidence from that uplifting result that bound a nation, his response was, “Good on Richie and the boys, but that result has nothing to do with us, it’s a totally different sport,” bringing the press conference to an end.

So please Sir John, keep the money and go have coffee with Beauden instead. Marshall may be a marketing dream and help with bums on seats, but as we both know, if the Blues aren’t winning, bums on seats are a very PN scarce commodity. (GEORGE BERRY) F

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SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY

What you can find online Marketing your sports team can be one of the hardest tasks a club is faced with. The days of a weekly newsletter are well and truly dead and buried, so connecting with both your current members and garnering any sort of traction with perspective members can feel like one steep hill to conquer.

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can look simple enough, but getting the maximum benefits out of them can also be a mammoth task.

Magic move by the Mystics The Northern Mystics performance during this year’s ANZ Championship never really inspired me to watch many of their games let alone write too much about them, but the signing of Silver Fern vice-captain Laura Langman from the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic had my uncoordinated index figures screaming to once again be lobbed upon the keyboard in joy.

Sportsground.co.nz

Since the retirement of Temapara George the Mystics have struggled for cohesion. That link between defence and attack has been lacking, which left the international calibre side exposed like a ship without a rudder. From second in 2011 and third in 2012, to dead last in 2013 one can only believe the holes in the sinking ship have been plugged with the incoming services of Langman.

Easy doesn’t really do this site justice. Designed for both sports clubs and schools, you can edit your page, add blogs, photos, videos, you name it. You can add a sponsor’s logo, and even have your own unique web address. The fact that it’s free will probably put a smile on the club treasurer’s face too.

Langman is not only tough, but her skill level is second to none. Since her debut for the country’s national side in 2005, there’s hardly been a game gone by that didn’t see her take the court, and often in a different position to the last. Either centre, wing defence or wing attack.

Whether you’re the West End Lawn Tennis Club, Auckland Rugby Union or a budding Mahe Drysdale, you’re bound to find loads of benefits, and keeping things updated won’t encroach too much on your limited time. By no means will you be forced to employ a full or even part time web editor. The ease of adding sponsors credits and advertising could even increase your potential to fill your coffers, allowing your club to springboard to the next level.

It must be said that at 27 years of age her now former club the Magic got it wrong by letting their skipper go. Or maybe, just maybe this is the one thing that the Mystics got right this season.

So when I recently stumbled across a company who makes all of the above seem like child’s play I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I’ve looked at loads and loads of websites who all claim to offer something similar since stumbling across sportsground, but there’s nothing that comes within a bulls roar. There are pitfalls in nearly every one I found or they cost an arm and a leg, pushing them well out of reach of most sporting clubs.

I don’t personally know anyone involved with the site other than to now know some people (with uncompromising standards) who are using it for themselves, and the fact that they’re using it speaks volumes in my book. (GEORGE BERRY) F PN

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It’s one thing to make way to develop new talent but how you go about it is just as important, and at 27 years of age Langman’s hardly passed her use by date. It can take time to refill the shelves after the cupboard has been stripped bare, and I’m sure the Magic will suffer as a result.

With Langman joining up with fellow Silver Ferns Maria Tutaia, at one end and Kayla Cullen and Anna Harrison at the other, the Mystics will be worth a bob or two to at least get back to title contending form, if not challenge the Aussie franchises for their maiden title.

Her influence will be felt immediately, she’s not one to do things by halves and her professionalism both on and off the court will add the steel that has been missing.

And with it being a Commonwealth games year, there will be plenty of motivation for her to shut the door on any newcomers vying for her position in the black dress.

(GEORGE BERRY) F PN

PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS: LOGAN GRANGER

Are you a business owner? Looking to buy a new motor vehicle but not sure which entity to buy it in? Here are some of your options: 1. Private Ownership.

Where a private vehicle is used for business purposes and that business is a sole trader, a company or a trust, then you as the owner of that vehicle are entitled to be reimbursed for the costs you have incurred when using the vehicle for business. There are three ways in which these can be calculated.

The first is to keep track of the total kilometres travelled throughout the year for business purposes, you then provide these to your accountant when you prepare your end of year accounts. They will recognise a claim of 77c per km (as at June 2013) as a tax deduction.

The value of 77c per km is the amount the IRD use to take into account petrol costs, maintenance, and general wear and tear. If you are a sole trader or trust, then the deduction is limited to travel of 5,000 km per year. If you are an employee or shareholder-employee of a company receiving regular salary payments throughout the year, there is no limit. No GST can be claimed on the purchase of the vehicle and no GST can be claimed on the on-going expenses in the business.

The second option is to keep receipts incurred during business-related use, then present these as proof for reimbursement.

The third option is to calculate a percentage of costs that relate to business/investment usage by maintaining a vehicle log book for a period of three months to track business use versus private use. This sets the benchmark percent which you then apply to future costs incurred.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

All receipts will need to be kept so your accountant can claim the calculated percentage of the total expenses.

This does not apply to a company situation, only trusts and sole traders.

With the second and third options no GST can be claimed on the purchase of the vehicle, but GST can be claimed on the expenses in the business.

2. Company Ownership Where a company owns a vehicle and the vehicle is “available” for private use, fringe benefit tax (FBT) will apply. “Available” is reference to the fact that the car could be used, rather than when it actually is used.

The vehicle can be considered “unavailable” when, for example, the car is at the mechanics or when you are travelling overseas.

Fringe benefit tax is then paid quarterly, yearly or by way of an entry by the accountant at year end in the accounts for a shareholder-employee. All costs of the vehicle are paid by the company. GST can be claimed on the purchase of the vehicle and on all on-going expenses. For this option to be worthwhile the FBT on the vehicle needs to be less than the expenses associated with the vehicle.

Note FBT will not apply where the vehicle is classed as a work related vehicle, but in general this will only apply to trade vehicles such as trucks, some utilities, and vans.

3. Sole Trader, Trust Ownership The fringe benefit tax (FBT) regime does not apply to trusts (unless there is a PAYE employee) or sole traders. Instead where such an entity owns the vehicle, apportionment between business and private use is required. This is very similar to option 1 above except in this instance the ownership is within a trading activity rather than personally. Therefore GST can be claimed on the initial purchase of the vehicle.

In this scenario you must estimate what the business versus private use will be and then review that usage based on maintaining a log book. If actual usage deviates from intended usage then complex calculations are required to reflect the initial over/under claim of GST on the purchase of the vehicle.

If you have any further questions or would like to discuss this matter please do not hesitate to contact Logan Granger lgranger@jacal.co.nz.

Disclaimer - While all care has been take, Johnston Associates Chartered Accountants Ltd and its staff accept no liability for the content of this article; always see your professional advisor before taking any action that you are unsure about.

JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, 202 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 6701 www.jacal.co.nz F PN

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PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS: METROLAW GOT A LEGAL QUESTION? ASK MICHAEL@METROLAW.CO.NZ

Email Michael with your question and include PONSONBY NEWS in the subject line. Michael Hemphill, a partner of the firm will answer one topical question each month.

Q:

My wife and I have separated. The major asset is our house which is owned in a family trust. We have agreed that we will sell the house and distribute the proceeds equally. What will happen when we divide the proceeds of sale? Will the protection that having the property in trust provides be affected by the sale?

If you have owned your home in trust it is because you have an asset protection and estate management plan in place. If the proceeds of the sale of the home are transferred to you personally, even for only a short period of time, this may affect that protection. You may have spent a number of years and some amount of money in transferring assets to the trust and then completing a gifting programme but if the funds are paid out into your personal name then you may have to start this process all over again. If it is possible for you to keep the funds in trust then you may be able to maintain the protection of the assets.

A:

A trust with a completed gifting programme gives you better asset protection as there is no debt owed back to you that may provide an angle of attack for claims against you personally.

Does your wife want to keep her interest in the property in trust? If she does not then it may be possible for you to simply take over the trust. You will need to review the trust deed carefully to see whether this may be effected through the existing trust. This is usually done by one party surrendering or assigning the rights that they have under the trust deed. Most trust deeds contain a power of resettlement to allow the trust fund to be resettled upon other trusts. Some trust deeds specifically allow for resettlement and may even contemplate a split between husband and wife settlors of the trust.

An alternative way of effecting the distribution of assets without losing the advantage of the trust structure is for the family trust to make a capital distribution to a new trust that is settled by you. In this way the fund would not be transferred to you personally and the trust protection of your assets could be maintained. Again you would need to check the existing trust to see if the new trust would be a beneficiary of the old trust or whether it would be capable of being made a beneficiary.

When a trust fund is resettled or if there is a significant distribution it is usually prudent to take tax advice on the transaction. An agreement should always be entered into when a marriage, civil union or de facto relationship ends. When drafted properly it can provide clarity with how the settlement of both personal and trust assets will take place.

It is important to keep on top of your trust assets and how your trusts are operating. If you do have any questions or any major changes to your trust you should consult your PN solicitor as soon as possible. (MICHAEL HEMPHILL) F Disclaimer - This article is for general information purposes only. If you have a legal problem you should seek advice from a lawyer. Metro Law does not accept any liability other than to its clients and then only when advice is sought on specific matters.

METROLAW, Level 2, 36 Williamson Avenue T: 09 929 0800 www.metrolaw.co.nz

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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)

LOOK... WHO IS IN THE ZOO!

THE HEIGHT OF COOL The giraffe is the world’s tallest land animal, and one of Africa’s most charismatic and ecologically and economically important species.

This walking skyscraper pumps blood around its body at twice the pressure of you or I, has double our heart rate, and in short bursts, can gallop across the African savannah at up to 56km per hour!

It’s also one cool customer in the African heat. Under a giraffe’s uniquely patterned skin ‘patches’ are sophisticated branches of blood vessel systems. A giraffe can send blood through these small branches to patches to enable each patch to act as a thermal window to release body heat.

These graceful giants can grow to over five metres tall, enabling them to browse on the leaves and buds of Africa’s acacia trees that other animals can’t reach. Height is also a distinct advantage when it comes to looking out for predators. Lions are really the only predator for adult giraffes, but young calves and sub-adults can be taken out by leopards, hyenas or wild dogs. Giraffes can also be vulnerable to crocodiles when bending down to drink from streams.

Helping giraffe in trouble However, humans pose the greatest threat to giraffe - through human population growth, encroaching onto and fragmenting giraffe habitat (savannah, scrub and open acacia woodlands of sub-saharan Africa) and by poaching.

In 1998, giraffe numbers in Africa exceeded 140,000. Due to habitat loss and poaching (for meat and body parts), there are now estimated to be less than 80,000 wild giraffe remaining. Alarmingly, Africa’s giraffe population is currently less than a third of the current estimate of African elephants.

The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund helps financially support the research and conservation work of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF). We also recently had a staff member join a Namibian expedition to assist GCF in obtaining genetic tissue samples from wild giraffe. Results from this sampling could help provide vital information about southern African giraffe genetics, and in turn, assist in their conservation management.

Giraffe baby on the way Auckland Zoo’s giraffe herd is part of an Australasian breeding programme for the species, and plays an important advocacy role for giraffe in the wild. While we said goodbye to our young female Nakuru earlier this year when she moved to Australia to assist this zoo-based breeding programme, we’re about to welcome a fourth addition back to the herd.

Our 12-year-old female, Rukiya, is due to give birth anytime in the coming weeks. Dad is 15-year old Zabulu. Be sure to keep an eye on Auckland Zoo’s Facebook and twitter for updates and announcements! www.aucklandzoo.co.nz FAST FACTS • Giraffe give birth standing up, and a calf is 6ft (1.8m) tall when born; so it can reach up to suckle from its mother • Giraffe gestation is about 15 months (453 - 464 days) • There is just one giraffe species, but nine sub-species

Auckland Zoo giraffe Rukiya is due to give birth very soon

photography: Brian Cairns

RED PANDA WEEKEND AT AUCKLAND ZOO 24 - 25 August 10am - 3pm Come in to Auckland Zoo and join us in celebrating the Nepalese red panda. We’ll have special red panda encounters, face-painting and the kids can get their photo taken with our friendly red panda character, Rufus.

Normal Zoo admission prices apply. Friends of the Zoo, free.

AUCKLAND ZOO, Motions Road, T: 09 360 4700 www.aucklandzoo.co.nz F PN

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

OUR BACH IN GREY LYNN What has brought a former North Shore mayor to Grey Lynn? Paul Titchener comes from a long-established North Shore family and he made his mark on the area as a businessman, councillor and mayor.

All the while he wrote on local history and maritime topics. You could say he was embedded on the Shore. However, Paul says that coming to live in Grey Lynn is one of the better decisions that he and wife Prue have ever made. “When we retired we decided that we wanted a complete change, something new and different.”

Paul spent many years in the family exporting business, before he and Prue ran the busiest bookshop and the only Lotto outlet in Devonport. They sold the first winning Lotto ticket in New Zealand. Then followed many years in local body politics; the Auckland Harbour Board, Auckland Regional Council and a term as mayor of the then new North Shore City, making Prue the first mayoress of North Shore City. After leaving public life they ran a luxury bed and breakfast in Bayswater. “It was the heyday of tourism in Auckland and we were as busy as we’d ever been.”

When retirement beckoned the couple’s desire for a different way of life took them to the Coromandel. They bought a large house with an acre of garden in Tairua. However, they often returned to Auckland to visit their son and family in Wilton Street to help with grandchildren. Out walking one day they spied the Surrey apartments being built. “By days’ end we had bought one. We called it our bach in Grey Lynn. We used it often and came to love the area.” Eventually they decided to move permanently back to Auckland.

“Lack of medical facilities was one of the reasons that brought us back.

We know many people who have left Auckland and do return. We are no different and are pleased to be here.” When construction started on the new Isaac apartments on the old laundry site in Surrey Crescent they leapt at the opportunity to choose a top floor apartment. “We’re here to stay,” says Paul. Grey Lynn village has a vibrant multicultural feel to it. We love our local Urban Jungle café owned by Eric, who is Chinese then Eunice from Korea carries out clothing alterations next door, an Indian family owns and runs the chemist shop we patronise and the very wonderful Grey Lynn Butchery is run by a family from Goa - and that’s just the beginning.”

Until now Paul has said that his writing days are behind him. But as he takes his daily four to five km walk around Grey Lynn, the historian in him studies the surrounds and he talks to people. “There is just so much about this area that’s yet to be documented,” says Paul He’s not saying that he is about to start researching and writing again, but if a suitable collaborator stepped forward he could possibly be tempted. It has been noted that the new apartment will have a library study and Paul believes that he will spend PN most of his time in that room, looking out across Grey Lynn village. (PHILIPPA TAIT) F

photography: Philippa Tait

Paul’s great interest was local history. Over a period of 20 years he researched and wrote a series of articles for the North Shore Times Advertiser, as well as books on maritime topics, and freelance magazine articles. He and Prue formed a publishing company and gathered the newspaper articles into the popular “Beginnings” series of books, seven in all from 1976 to 1984. They are still sought after today, as are his books. Sea Classics of New Zealand includes stories of New Zealand yachting pioneers, while Little Ships of New Zealand updated the original classsic Little Ships by Ronald Carter. It picks up where Carter left off in 1948 chronicling New Zealand yachting until 1978. In 1981 Paul won the coveted Cowan Memorial Award for historical journalism.

Paul Titchener with some of his publications

COUNCIL CONTINUES REVIEW OF DRAFT PLANNING RULES Auckland councillors early last month continued the task of reviewing potential changes to building heights and housing zones in the draft Unitary Plan based on community feedback.

At a public meeting of the Auckland Plan Committee, councillors agreed to refer a set of nine directions on heights and housing zones to local boards for their consideration, guidance and feedback.

The principles may be used to guide changes to the draft plan in response to public feedback. Council staff will undertake further work on changes that have been outlined following the first two workshops.

“Final decisions will not be made until the end of August,” said Auckland Plan Committee chair and Deputy Mayor Councillor Penny Hulse. “We have a lot of work to do to ensure the notified version of the plan reflects as best as we can what the public has told us.”

Councillors were also assured that public feedback will be available on the council’s website allowing people to search for the comments of individuals and organisations.

The interim directions (outlined in the report) relate to: • Principles for building heights in centre zones • Principles for building heights around centres in the Terrace Housing and Apartment Building zone • Principles for notification for height infringements in centres and the Terrace Housing and Apartment Building zone • Principles for volcanic viewshafts and blanket height sensitive areas • Approach to design quality • Provisions in the Mixed Housing zone PN • Notification of development control infringements. F

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THE HISTORICAL BOROUGH OF PONSONBY AND GREY LYNN: STREET NAMES

COOPER STREET ACCORDING TO THE EDEN COUNTY MAP COOPER STREET WAS SHOWN AS RUSSELL Street so Sir Theophilus Cooper’s distinguished career must have influenced the name change. He was was born in Surrey, 1850, the son of Theophilus Cooper, a mercantile clerk. In 1862 The family sailed to New Zealand as members of an organised group on the ‘Gertrude’ under the Albertland settlement scheme, named after Queen Victoria’s husband, Albert. Most were English nonconformist farm labourers and tradespeople who were members of a Protestant Church that disagreed with the Church of England.

Between 1862 and 1865 three thousand arrived here aboard a number of ships hoping to start a nonconformist community north of Auckland. The new settlers had to make their own way to an area eight miles north of Wellsford to the proposed Albertland settlement now known as Port Albert. This was the site of the last organised immigration from Britain.

Initially the plan was to use an Auckland Provincial Council scheme which provided 40 acres each for a man and his wife and 20 acres for each child between 5 and 18 years old, provided they paid their own fare, stayed on the land for five years, and began farming. More immigrant ships followed but isolation and difficulty of access hindered progress and the original concept for a town at Port Albert never came to fruition.

The Coopers had taken up an allotment but by 1865, attempts to farm the infertile land forced them to leave and settle in Auckland. During his time at Port Albert, young Theo picked up his first job as a printer’s devil for the ‘Albertland Gazette’ performing a number of tasks, such as mixing tubs of ink and fetching type. Back then a printer apprentice’s skin was unavoidably stained black, hence the term, devil.

Once in Auckland this experience helped him gain a position on the ‘Daily Southern Cross’ as the reader-boy, the lad who held copy for the proof reader. He quickly rose in the ranks, becoming chief compositor and the fastest typesetter on the staff. In 1869, despite a limited formal education, he managed to gain employment at the J.B. Russell legal office as a bookkeeper. Russell, noticing the young employee had a quick and incisive mind articled Theo to himself. By 1878 Theo was admitted to the bar, secure in his profession, and married Bessie Alexander the same year at the Pitt Street Wesleyan Church.

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Theo was nothing if not ambitious and imbued with the Free Church ethos of self help he studied logic at night school and joined a debating society which later helped him perform well in court. So much so that once qualified he took over the practice’s common law work and in 1882 was invited to be a partner in the firm.

A year later he left to set up a practice with Albert Devore but never forgot what he owed Russell, who ‘from the time I entered his office, took me by the hand, fostered and encouraged my desire to succeed in my profession’.

Indeed, Theo went from strength to strength in his profession. His flair for argument and grasp of the intricacies pertaining to the application of law to facts saw him figure in the first New Zealand Law Reports. His reputation led to briefs in a number of landmark cases. Notably his astuteness as counsel for the Bank of New Zealand during a parliamentary inquiry into the bank’s affairs, received wide publicity. His advice to bank officers that they could not be compelled, even under oath, to divulge private accounts information was upheld, much to the vexation of a hostile government. In 1904, by now a Judge, he presided over the inquiry into the state purchase of the Flaxbourne estate in Marlborough, one of the most important land law cases ever held in New Zealand.

Theophilus Cooper was knighted in 1921, the year he retired from the bench. He died 18 May 1925 and a commemorative history of Albertland, published shortly after, acclaimed him as ‘probably the most distinguished son’ of the settlement. He certainly goes down in our history as the colonial ideal of a self-made man. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F PN

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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL GEORGE DAMIRIS

George Damiris is now into his second year at Barfoot & Thompson’s Ponsonby branch. With a background in landscaping and building, a sudden change of circumstances led him to make an unexpected decision to try his hand at real estate. Now fully immersed in the industry, George says the decision has proved to be a good one.

Who do you live with?

My wife’s name is Megan, she has her hands pretty full at the moment with our daughter Sofia, three months. We live in Lincoln Street in Ponsonby. We don’t have any pets yet, I’m angling for a Staffie though.

How do you keep fit?

With great difficulty; I’ve recently made a very poor attempt at taking up boxing.

Your best friend would say of you: Stop working all the time.

Your mother would say of you: He finally grew up.

What are your virtues?

I’m hard working and straight up, with a sense of humour.

What are your vices?

Sneakers.

Who’s your ultimate rock icon?

Elvis Presley – The king of rock’n’roll . Apparently he died on the toilet eating a cheeseburger which isn’t very rock’n’roll but he was still incredibly influential.

What’s your secret passion Fireworks.

Where do you spend your holidays?

Preferably on an island called Corfu in Greece where I grew up; failing that our friend has a place in Opoutere just north of Whangamata, the perfect place to relax.

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What’s your perfect Sunday?

Sleep in - I can’t sleep in but I’d really like to, followed by a sail on my dad’s yacht (something else I never get to do).

What were you going to be when you grew up?

The next Michael Jordan.

How did you come to be in real estate?

A series of operations on my knees meant I couldn’t build any more.

If you weren’t in real estate you’d be...

The next Michael Jordan - dreams are free!

What’s your favourite Ponsonby cafe?

Fred’s - try the yaki dog.

Your favourite Ponsonby restaurant?

Prego.

Favourite Ponsonby store?

Clothesline.

And your best kept Ponsonby secret?

Ask for the ‘Tin Barca’ at the Tin Soldier, care of Alex and Amanda.

Your house is on fire and your family is safe.

The one thing you save..?

My grandfather’s cufflinks.

‘I’d be lost without my...”

I hate to say it … my phone.

One thing you have learned about life is?

Get involved, it’s boring on the sidelines.

What’s your standout sale of the last 12 months?

103 Jervois Road, an amazing home designed by Gerrad Hall Architects.

Your advice to Ponsonby home sellers?

With the lowest number of listings available in years, supply and demand is heavily in the sellers’ favour.

Buyers are keen to secure the low interest rates currently on offer making it a perfect time to capitalise on the market conditions before the traditional influx of listings in spring.

And to Ponsonby home buyers?

Stick with it, as mentioned above stock numbers are low meaning more buyers are competing for the same property. You might need to stretch the budget a little to get the home you want, you won’t regret it! F PN

What’s inspired you recently?

My daughter.

Name your desert island distractions...

Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones - I can’t get enough.

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photography: Michael McClintock

MY FAVOURITE ROOM

VIV ROSENBERG Vivienne Rosenberg and her husband Brian say they swapped one beautiful city (Cape Town) for another when they made Auckland their home more than 20 years ago.

Viv works for the Ponsonby Business Association and says “I really do get to eat, sleep and breathe Ponsonby, 24/7.”

Viv and Brian live in St Mary’s Bay with their children Justin, Alexa and Basil, “our dog -child.” They say their three years here in Ponsonby have been the best of their lives.

The lounge gets used by Viv for good chats with friends and ‘veg’ time with her iPad. The reason it’s her favourite room is that it posed the biggest challenge when they started renovating the house! “It was cold, dark, uninviting and just plain beige and boring - I’ve been into hospital waiting rooms with more personality!” says Viv. And her favourite things in the room? Art that tells the family’s African story, next to art that tells of Maori legends. F PN

Viv’s favourite room - her lounge - is what she describes as a room full of Ponsonby!

There’s a cowhide ottoman from Republic, a French horn from Pure Provence on Jervois Road, ceramics from Masterworks, an urn from Bashford Antiques and bespoke Deborah Bowness wallpaper from the PaperRoom on Jervois Road.

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE: KAREN SPIRES

Different strokes for different folks I was taking a cab to Northcote Point recently to have dinner at a friend’s house. I got chatting to the driver, a young Indian man living in Papakura, and when he learnt I was a real estate salesperson he asked me was now a good time to buy property and whether it was expensive.

I asked him why he wanted to buy a house and he said he wanted a home for his family, to raise his two children in. I gave him the following analogy.

Bayleys has a beautiful mansion on Waiheke Island with a price tag in the region of $20 million. To me, living in Herne Bay, that house in Waiheke is beyond my financial reach.

As we were driving, I then looked across at Herne Bay to where I live and houses there are selling for about $2m. I said to the taxi driver ‘’people living in Northcote have houses worth $1m. To them, Herne Bay at $2m is unaffordable”.

I then looked back to Hillsborough where people have houses worth $600,000. For them, living in Northcote with its $1m price tag is unaffordable.

I then looked down to Manurewa, where someone in a $300,000 house looks at Hillsborough and says ‘’that’s unaffordable’’.

While my vision doesn’t extend this far, I thought about someone in Moerewa in Northland or Bluff in Southland and I thought, for them looking at a $300,000 house in Manurewa, that residence is out of their reach.

The point is this; a house is not affordable or unaffordable for everyone. It simply depends on the different price bracket and therefore the perspective of those wanting to buy it. The best time to buy is as soon as you can, and a property is only expensive if you can’t afford it.

Consider why you want to buy a house and the ‘must have’ features on your list then work out which areas you can afford to buy in. Often the key to buying your dream home is simply to alter your expectations. (KAREN SPIRES) F PN Karen Spires is a Bayleys Real Estate ‘Top Achiever’ - placing her sales data among the top five percent of salespeople within the company.

PAINTING YOUR WORLD INSIDE AND OUT EXPERIENCED PROJECT MANAGER PETER SMITH, OWNER OF RUTHERFORD PAINTING and Decorating, says that whilst we are in the middle of winter, spring is just around the corner which means it’s that time of year to think about renovating and refreshing your biggest asset, your home.

Exterior painting protects your home and can give your property a new lease on life, adding to its value. Interior painting allows you to change your décor quickly and whether you prefer traditional, minimalist or retro, Rutherford Painting and Decorating have a colour just for you.

Rutherford Painting and Decorating are a little different from other painters. Not only do they have skilled and conscientious, experienced, painters they are happy to be booked for both small jobs and challenging larger jobs. For the big jobs they employ painter managers who work on site to ensure the project is running to plan throughout all stages.

Whether you are building new or renovating to spruce up an older property you will not be disappointed with Rutherford’s, their personal service ensures total respect and care PN of your property. F RUTHERFORD PROJECT MANAGEMENT LTD, T: 09 267 3774 M: 027 663 4533 peter@rutherfordpm.co.nz

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LOCAL NEWS NEWS FROM THE GREY LYNN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION It’s been a very busy first few months for the GLRA committee.

While Liz Hancock laboured away on our incredibly impressive submission on the Draft Unitary Plan, ably assisted by the DUP subcommittee of Tania Mace, Graeme Dunster and Richard Dunbar, we requested a series of meetings with people who we felt needed to hear our concerns.

First up was addressing the Waitemata Local Board via its public open-forum session, and then a meeting with the MP for Auckland Central Nikki Kaye. That was followed a couple of weeks later with a meeting with Labour list MP Jacinda Adern. Both Nikki and Jacinda were very attentive to our concerns about the negative impact of intensification on our neighbourhood if it’s carried out with a one-size-fits-all approach that damages Grey Lynn’s heritage fabric and our village way of life. Both could see the need to have meaningful local input into the future face of Grey Lynn.

We learned that Mayor Len Brown would be at the Grey Lynn Community Centre for one of his famous ‘Mayor in the Chair’ sessions, so we nipped up there to invite him to meet us for afternoon tea and a walk around the hood to see where apartments and terrace housing would really damage the fabric of the community.

We were delighted that he agreed. A few weekends ago he gave us an hour and a half of his time to hear our concerns and take a wander round the streets of Grey Lynn. He was joined by Councillor Mike Lee, Waitemata Local Board chair Shale Chambers and Auckland Council planning manager Megan Tyler.

There was an amusing moment up at the West Lynn shops when we saw Ike Finau’s latest sign: ‘Len Brown R U A LIAR’. And no, we hadn’t told Ike that Len was coming! It would have been very embarrassing if we had a less-comfortable-in-his skin mayor.

The meeting was really worthwhile. We felt well listened to, and were able to articulate our message very clearly: we want to work with Auckland Council to achieve an intensification in our neighbourhood that’s appropriate to the sort of community this is, and that protects the things we all hold dear.

Importantly, at all these meetings, we were recognised as a go-to group for Grey Lynn that had a role to play beyond the unitary plan debate. Both MPs and the mayor expressed an interest in working with us in the future.

Aside from the unitary plan, the GLRA has been busy supporting other local community issues. We submitted a letter in support of the Arch Hill residents vs the proposed Bunnings on Great North Road, and also an objection to the liquor licence application for 515 Great North Road, both of which we feel would be detrimental to Grey Lynn and local residents. A few weeks ago, three GLRA committee members attended a pan -Grey Lynn-community-group strategy afternoon hosted by Grey Lynn 2030 at the Grey Lynn RSC to develop a vision for our neighbourhood. Attendees were representatives from The Grey Lynn Business Association, Grey Lynn 2030, the Wilton Street Community Garden, Grey Lynn Wasteaway Trust, the Grey Lynn Community Centre, Grey Lynn Festival and ourselves. Each group offered to take on a key task. The GLRA agreed to conduct a thorough-going needs assessment of the wider Grey Lynn community. After all, if the Waitemata Local Board and Auckland Council are going to spend money here, it might as well be on things people actually need and want! Stand by for more on this survey soon.

In the spirit of community collegiality, we will shortly begin work on a memorandum of understanding with the Grey Lynn Business Association. And in the spirit of celebration, we’re planning a party to salute all the hard work that went into the DUP submission and to thank everyone who knocked on doors, talked to their neighbours and sent in individual submissions. We’ll be letting GLRA members know about that very soon, so if you’re not already a member, visit GreyLynnResidents.org.nz to sign up.

Thanks to the Grey Lynn - and wider Western Bays - community for your support in our first few months, and please feel welcome to let us know your views and suggestions via PN the Facebook page. F

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE

THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT REAL ESTATE It is well known that Ponsonby people love real estate - we are astute and generally market savvy when it comes to buying or selling!

Likewise those looking to rent in this very popular part of town are equally as discerning. Whether selling, buying or looking to rent we look for good presentation and we know that supply and demand can be instrumental in achieving good prices. We know that interest rates are still low, for now at least and the rental market is not without its challenges... but we have asked some of our local real estate agents to give us an update on things that we may not know about real estate and property management!

CHRIS BATCHELOR The sale price of 19 Lincoln Street, Ponsonby came as surprise to most of us. It was a great result for the vendors, and a good return for the work, stress and effort invested on part of the agent.

My PA is privy to the behind-the-scenes aspect of the real estate industry and says “There is a perception that being a real estate agent must be one of the easiest jobs in world; be your own boss, work to your own schedule and make lots of money.”

The first two points certainly feature in the day to day. However, selling real estate can be difficult to do successfully and consistently. To do this job well it requires a seven-day per week commitment, ideally an iPhone for round-the-clock contact, and plenty of drive.

The client will always take precedence, so last-minute dinner cancellations can become the norm. For those starting out, it can take months before you get your first pay cheque, and after that there are still no guarantees.

It’s not surprising that many agents don’t make it through the first couple of years.

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

This is without a doubt a stressful and emotional time for clients. For the agent, being personable, having the ability to build relationships is a given expectation.

Agents also need to be prepared to play confidant, devil’s advocate, best friend and doormat.

The rewards for hard work in this industry have been well documented. It does need to be said, however, that the most successful agents are so because they put their clients first and give 110%.

BARFOOT & THOMPSON PONSONBY www.barfoot.co.nz/ponsonby PENE MILNE We are frequently asked what agency size is best and why, and if more salespeople means more buyers to the door. The quality of the person you appoint and the brand that has the best aligned values to you are key to a successful partnership and result.

You are selling a substantial asset so things to consider: How will your salesperson report to you? Do you meet

at least weekly to discuss strategy and progress? How is the integrity of the publicly shared information about you and your home communicated and managed? What is the agents list to sell ratio? Everyone talks about their database so what is their true percentage of sales to that network? What price records do they hold? Who are their raving fans?

It has always been our aim to be the best not the biggest and achieving results because we care. It’s not a numbers game and every sale matters. It’s about personal service which local home owners don’t just demand - it’s what they deserve.

MILNE & CO www.milne&co.co.nz JOHN WILLS Where are all of the buyers coming from and who is driving the price increases? This is what we are seeing every weekend: New buyers (serious, highly motivated buyers) are coming into our market from Melbourne, Sydney, London, Wellington and Christchurch (and other places too.) These buyers are generally Kiwis who have returned home from an extended period working

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE overseas and they are bringing their beefed-up buying power and sense of urgency with them.

I have seen and experienced this personally during two recent campaigns. These buyers are often 35 to 45 years of age, in a relationship with zero - two children and they see the western city-fringe as offering convenience, buzz, excitement and future capital gain.

The western city fringe also often wins the hearts of these buyers by default, for the simple reason that this is the area where all of their friends and networks have chosen to call home too, so this is where the new batch of buyers are choosing to settle down.

We are also seeing financially established down-sizers 50 to 65 years of age, playing a role in the local market.

These people are looking for a high-quality apartment / townhouse option or a smaller renovated home that has easy lock and leave characteristics. This group of buyers are active as we speak.

So when we combine the two distinct categories of buyers mentioned above with two of the more traditional categories: i.e. buy - and - hold investment buyers and the traditional local Kiwi who just wants to buy a home in the area... we have four very active groups of buyers scouting out homes to buy. In addition to all of this, let’s not forget that Auckland was one of the very few cities in the world to go into the GFC of 2008 with an already existing shortage of housing.

CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL www.customresidential.co.nz

STEVEN GLUCINA “The times they are a-changin’”... Bob Dylan. Real estate marketing has changed significantly in recent times and having your daily newspaper delivered with the milk to the gate in the morning is a thing of the past in most cases. Most of us read the news on line, or maybe a quick browse through at the cafe when they are sipping their latte at lunch time. Unfortunately the major newspapers aren’t publishing the property section online, perhaps in fear of falling revenues.

It’s a given fact that over 70% of all home buyers are seeing property first advertised on the likes of trademe, realestate.co.nz or are receiving alerts from their preferred agents directly to their cell phones. Perhaps the exception might be the Ponsonby News!

It really does surprise me that many agents are still recommending that home sellers invest heavily ($2,000 per advert and more) on print media each week knowing full well that this form of marketing is simply not working any longer.

In the United States 95% of marketing is being spent on electronic marketing and it’s not far behind in many cities in Australia. Be aware of agencies who are recommending you spend your hard earned cash on promoting the agency and their brand instead of the benefits and features of your home.

A modern cost effective marketing campaign should consist of professional photography; good signage, smart handout material to the buyers and intelligent marketing in both print and internet media. For a three

week auction campaign you should budget on spending around 3% of the home’s value in marketing and no more in my opinion.

LJ HOOKER, PONSONBY www.ponsonby.ljhooker.co.nz BERNADETTE MORRISON Things will never be the same again. The media is awash with hype and excitement around residential property in Auckland at the moment. In fact, property has been ‘flavour of the month’ for most of this year. There’s a saying within the media… ‘Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.’

In real estate though, we say the facts speak for themselves - whether the market is trending up or drifting down. So, in looking back over eight years of residential sales statistics for the Greater Ponsonby market, here are some interesting facts: The average days a house in Greater Ponsonby is currently on the market for sale is 36 days.

Nearing the peak of the last boom, in June 2007, the average days a house in Greater Ponsonby was on the market for sale was 35 days.

Interestingly, the longest number of days a house in Greater Ponsonby was on the market for sale was September 2008, then the average was 58 days.

So the simple fact is demand for homes in Greater Ponsonby is now reflecting a market operating at full pace. continued pg 108

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS KELLANDS: 3/22 Prosford Street SOLD under the hammer for $1.4 million

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE Now some facts on values…

At the peak of the last boom, the median sale price of a dwelling in Greater Ponsonby was $751,500.

The bottom of the recession and the subsequent bottom of the residential property market, was March 2009, when the median sale price of a dwelling in Greater Ponsonby was $623,000.

Since then, the median price of homes in Greater Ponsonby has consistently undulated higher - going forward for two or three calendar quarters, and then sliding back for one quarter, before relentlessly raising higher.

In the June 2013 quarter, the median sale price for a house in Greater Ponsonby was $1.042 million.

BAYLEYS www.bayleys.co.nz WAYNE BULOG Selling real estate in these areas continues to be incredibly rewarding and enjoyable.

People we deal with are very knowledgeable about real estate and the goings on in their area.

In the following I have tried to just give a brief overview of the activity in the areas we deal in. Within Freemans Bay there are approximately 1,800 homes with approximately 100 sales per year. Grey Lynn has 4,500 (approx.) homes and about 250 sell annually.

Herne Bay has 1,500 (approx.) homes and around 100 sell annually. Point Chevalier has a little fewer than 3,000 homes with an annual turnover of about 150 homes. St. Marys Bay has approximately 720 homes with annual sales numbering around 100 and finally Westmere has around 1,750 homes of which approximately 100 sell each year.

The selling ranges for the previous 12 months are: Freemans Bay - $110,000 to $3,600,000; Grey Lynn - $138,000 to $2,782,000; Herne Bay - $272,500 to $7,350,000; Ponsonby - $215,000 to $2,750,000; Pt. Chevalier - $290,000 to $3,550,000; St. Marys Bay - $120,000 to $4,350,000 and Westmere - $468,000 to $2,350,000.

HARCOURT’S: 4/27 Warnock Street, SOLD for $857,000

continued pg 110

LJ HOOKER: 115 Crummer Road, Grey Lynn SOLD for $1,455,000

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE As you can see there are about 1,000 sales made every 12 months and these suburbs support somewhere in excess of 130 salespeople.

auction, with the sale price of $895,000 far exceeding both the CV and the vendor’s expectations.

buyers. These have resulted in up to 220 groups visiting each property during the auction campaign period and all but one home selling on auction day so far in 2013.

Auction really is the best way to determine market value.

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL www.uprealty.co.nz PHIL HORROBIN Ray White Real Estates Auckland CBD office markets and sells predominantly central and city fringe apartments.

Since becoming the principal of this business in 2006 we are now considered the market leaders in apartment sales across the city, the majority of which are sold under the hammer using the auction process. Most CBD apartments offered for sale go to the market through the auction marketing process.

The diversity of the CBD apartment market is best exemplified with two recent sales. The first, a 38m2 one bedroom apartment in Gore Street’s, Harbour City complex sold at our weekly Thursday auctions. Strong and spirited bidding achieved a result $29,100 over the recent market statistics and netted the vendor an additional 12% over their expectations. The other was a large warehouse style loft apartment taken to auction by Carla Pedersen, who specialises in fringe city apartment sales and marketing. This was a unique property located in St Benedict Street, Newton. There was a high degree of public interest in this property having been the location for several prominent television advertisements and numerous music videos. Feature articles and other high profile media marketing resulted in over 250 groups attending the open homes during the campaign, creating competitive and active bidding, leading to an exciting

So it looks like digital marketing is the way of the future.

RAY WHITE CITY APARTMENTS www.rwcityapartments.co.nz

PROFESSIONALS www.professionals.co.nz

ROSS BRADER One thing that many potential sellers may not be aware of when marketing their home is that the cost of running a real estate advertising campaign has reduced substantially, particularly in the case of auction marketed properties.

SIMON DEW It’s been a fascinating time to be in the business of real estate, particularly in the inner west. For those currently on the hunt for a property it will come as no surprise that listings are short and this has created quite a lot of competition come auction day.

It is no longer necessary to spend $5,000 or more on a large format newspaper marketing campaign in order to achieve a successful auction outcome. To maximise the impact online it is crucial that a professional photographer be used and a detailed interactive floor plan is particularly important for offshore buyers. When asking our vendors “where do you look for real estate?” the unanimous answer is “online” so that is where we now place the majority of our marketing focus. We are also noting a large number of our purchasers using smartphone apps from realestate.co.nz and trademe. co.nz with alerts from these sites often the first place that they find out about our latest listings.

A classic example was the auction we held at 4/27 Warnock Street a week or so back. An unusual property for the area it was to all intents and purposes a one bedroom town house, over four levels, a little reminiscent of lighthouse living. There was potential to convert one of the two living spaces into an additional bedroom, but as it was this 1980s built property was a perfect double income no kids home and had an added bonus of a superb outlook from the upper two levels.

Our Professionals real estate offices at 483 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn and 338 Pt Chevalier Road have enjoyed amazing success with our auction marketed properties, with campaigns using online, email, Facebook, Twitter and search engine optimised marketing to attract

Angela Olsen and Anna Scarborough were the marketing agents and they obviously did a great job because the place was chock-a-block when I arrived to call the auction. Bidding started low with a clever clogs calling out a really low opening bid (possibly so he could say he’d been bidding on Grey Lynn property over drinks later in the evening). Despite this it soon became a real contest between two groups and after a brief consultation with the owner the property was put on the market at continued pg 112

BAYLEYS: 28B Shelly Beach Road, SOLD under the hammer for $2,555,000

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS BARFOOT & THOMPSON GREY LYNN: 37 Stanmore Road SOLD for $1,200,000 The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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REAL ESTATE UPDATE $780,000. A new bidder then came into play (as is often the case in this market) and we eventually sold after numerous increments of one and two thousand dollars at $857,000.

I defy anyone to have predicted that result from the sales statistics before the auction and that is why I remain a devotee of the auction method. It’s a completely transparent process that allows the owners to see the very best offer on the day and gives all parties a chance to buy.

HARCOURTS TEAM PONSONBY www.harcourts.co.nz NICOLA KELLAND Is the family home bubble going to burst? We all know that the demand for good family homes has been in hot demand for several years now in and around the desirable suburbs such as Ponsonby, Freemans Bay, Herne Bay and St Mary's Bay, but is this likely to continue?

There has been some interesting editorial around the future of this market in the coming years as more and more baby boomers sell the big family home to downsize and either reduce or remove debt or save for their retirement. Some real estate commentators are predicting that the supply of family homes available to the market will increase in the coming years and potentially this market may see a downturn in pricing, while demand for apartments, terrace houses and the like will become the new hot market.

Over the past few years with the recession there have been very few apartment and multi unit developments created, this lack of supply has already affected the current market with multiple purchasers for good quality stock. But if we see more purchasers seeking the lifestyle choice that these apartments provide, the pressure on stock levels will increase. If large numbers of baby boomers start downsizing out of their family homes it will provide purchasers with more opportunities and

increased stock levels created may result in lower pricing due to effect of supply versus demand. While none of us have a crystal ball to view into the future, this change in desirability of product may see some interesting changes in the coming years.

When you list your property for sale, it’s important your representative is highly skilled at answering these and other buyer’s questions to ensure you have competitive interest in your property resulting in the best possible price.

KELLANDS REAL ESTATE www.kellands.co.nz

BARFOOT & THOMPSON GREY LYNN www.barfoot.co.nz

ANDREW COSGROVE Many people are not aware that purchasers almost always buy a property through a process of elimination. i.e. they look for a reason not to buy your property (rather than the other way around) - so they can ‘cross it off their list’.

Buyers will typically ask four common questions of your real estate salesperson, and the way in which these questions are answered can make the difference between a buyer presenting an offer (or coming to the auction), or looking elsewhere. Your salesperson needs to be skilled at handling these questions.

The four questions are: 1. How much is the property? As most properties in our area are sold by Auction, this can be a challenging question to answer.

2. Why are the vendors selling? If the vendors are ‘just testing the market’ a purchaser will likely look elsewhere.

3. How long has it been on the market?

If the property has been poorly marketed, and as a result, has been on the market for a long period of time, a buyer will wonder ‘what’s wrong with it?’.

4. Is there much interest in the property? This question is typically asked when a buyer has become quite interested in purchasing the property, and can get nervous if there are too many, or indeed too few other interested parties.

GOWER BUCHANAN If you’re looking for proof that the Grey Lynn market place is buoyant, then look no further than the sale of 14 Maxwell Avenue, Grey Lynn.

With loads of potential, this quaint character home positioned on 379m2 of land in central Grey Lynn reached a whopping $1,135,000 in our Grey Lynn auction rooms.

With two bedrooms and one bathroom and on the elevated side of the road, this Westmere School zoned property created lots of interest throughout the community with over 80 groups visiting the home over the three week campaign.

With nine registered bidders and an auction room packed to the brim, the auction started with an opening bid of $700,000 (the CV). A number of neighbours came along to watch, keen to see how the sale may affect the potential value of their homes. 65 bids later, the hammer finally fell at $1,135,000 making for such an exciting and memorable auction.

Congratulations to our agents for their exceptional work in getting the best possible price for this home, and congratulations and best wishes to the purchaser.

RAY WHITE DAMERELL EARWAKER GROUP www.rwponsonby.co.nz

MILNE & CO: 7B Seymour Street, St Marys Bay SOLD for $2,350,000.00

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS UNLIMITED POTENTIAL: 22 Kingsley Street, Westmere - SOLD at auction $1,445,000

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ASK AN ARCHITECT: PAUL LEUSCHKE Each month Grey Lynn resident and architect Paul Leuschke of Leuschke Kahn answers readers’ property related questions.

Email yours to jane@leuschkekahn.co.nz

Q: A:

Why do architects want to demolish all the old buildings, our heritage?

I don’t think all architects do. Architects love buildings of historic value or aesthetic quality. We have even been known to fight vigorously to save worthwhile buildings. But I personally don’t want to save every building just because it’s there. The average older inner city building, be it housing or commercial, is actually substandard and needs demolition or a costly renovation.

In fact there are many new buildings I would like to demolish. The real question to ask is why do people want to keep old buildings? We buy new cars, new technology, new seasons clothing, in fact everything new except buildings. We even have new gardens and garden plants. So why do we have this fascination with old buildings?

Do people want to live in the past? Do they want to walk to work regardless of weather, have no insulation, no running water, no indoor flushing toilet, and no electricity? The answer of course is no! So why this fascination? Is it just that we are afraid of change?

We certainly leap at the chance for change with everything else. Is it nostalgia? We certainly don’t want old technology, cars or fashion. Do we want to maintain the same life style? Nobody seems to mind the street café replacing the 6.00pm closing inward looking pub.

There seems to be a vocal minority who want things to stay the same. If they could explain what they want to save maybe I could understand or even help.

Another issue is the building owner’s rights. After all they do own the building and don’t just enjoy it in passing. A few years ago I spoke to a man who had bought a civic building because the council didn’t want to renovate it. After spending a considerable amount of money and accepting a compromised design, they renovated it under the costly guidance of council. The owner had saved the historic building loved by the community and as a reward he was presented with a huge rates hike. He will never buy another old building, which is a great shame! (PAUL LEUSCHKE) www.leuschkekahn.co.nz F PN

WHERE HAVE ALL THE QUEUES GONE? There are no longer queues of people waiting for us at our open homes and trying to out-bid each other for the property, no, that only happens in the annual January/February frenzy.

Winter is inherently the quietest time for renting properties. The tenants that don’t want to spend another winter in their cold villa have made the move to a warmer house, and the remainder hunker down and brave the cold.

Over the last few months we have noticed rents have been staying the same, due to the fact that there are less people out there looking.

The tenants who are looking are becoming ever more demanding of a warm, dry home.

The older villas with little work done to them over the last 10 or 15 years are becoming less desirable. Landlords are having to ensure their properties are insulated and if possible install a heat pump, to attract the tenants.

These quieter months we take the opportunity to organise outside maintenance jobs on our properties, the leaves have all fallen so it’s time to have the gutters cleaned out and the slippery paths water blasted to prevent any accidents. Trees and shrubs should be trimmed back from the house to allow as much of the winter sun in as possible.

If you are thinking of making some improvements to your rental property we are happy to meet with you to go through the property and discuss what can be done to ensure a higher rent and a happy long term tenant. Call Phillipa Gordon anytime to arrange PN a management appraisal. (PHILLIPA GORDON) F HOT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & RENTALS, 1/1 Franklin Road, M: 0274 746 507 www.hotproperty.co.nz

ANY PAGE IN PONSONBY NEWS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE SEEN

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS RAY WHITE: 14 Maxwell Avenue SOLD at auction for $1,135,000

THE PROFESSIONALS: 16 De Luen Street, Pt Chevalier, SOLD for $680,000

BARFOOT & THOMPSON: 19 Lincoln Street, Ponsonby SOLD for $945,000

CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL: 53 Ardmore Road, Herne Bay SOLD for $1,300,000

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

A FOCUS ON SUCCESS AND REAL SERVICE MEET BLAIR HADDOW, PONSONBY RESIDENT, REAL ESTATE AGENT AND ALL ROUND NICE guy. A 22 year resident of Grey Lynn and Ponsonby, Blair can often be found in the many cafes, bars and shops that dot the area. “With all my travels I have always come back to Ponsonby. It’s my ‘hood’, I belong here and I can’t see myself living anywhere else.”

Supporting his local community, particularly the business community, is something Blair takes seriously. “Its part of my personal philosophy really and I think it’s important to help each other build and succeed.”

And success is something Blair knows about too. Blair consistently ranks amongst Bayleys top residential agents nationwide. Yet Blair is laid back about his success.

“I don’t know if my clientele are impressed by that stuff? What’s important to them is I get their house sold, for the best price and I make it easy. That's what people want.”

A long career in customer service, with experience renovating properties, means Blair has a strong understanding of what real service is, and the ‘end result’ focus that his clients come to the selling process with. “It’s only natural to want your property to over-achieve.

Selling can be emotional so there is a certain empathy agents need to have.”

This knowledge is what stands Blair apart from his counterparts. Or as one of his clients said “Blair has a rare combination of skills and total professionalism, underpinned by warmth, charm and a great sense of humour. I was so relieved to work with Blair, selling PN my house.” F BLAIR HADDOW, M: 021 544 555 www.bayleys.co.nz

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DEIRDRE TOHILL: LOCAL NEWS

Local hero sleeps rough Lifewise is an Auckland-based community organisation that looks at new ways to solve social problems to do with families in need and the homeless in particular.

TAKING CARE OF BATHROOM RENOVATIONS A visit to Home Trends tile and bathroom showroom is a must if you are looking to renovate your home.

There is nothing else like it. This year will see 16 tiled bathrooms on display at Home Trends, along with extensive tile ranges from nine major tile importers. With so many fully fitted bathroom displays your new bathroom is easy to visualise.

The small but cohesive, experienced team at Home Trends really know their stuff and provide great service, from their free in-home consultation service to their 10 year guarantee on their full installation service.

Their showroom displays offer ideas and solutions for big or small bathroom projects whether you are looking for a one-off purchase like a shower or vanity, multiple complete bathrooms or a house lot of tiles.

They select from the best brands and also manufacture to order. Home Trends staff are happy to discuss the merits of factory versus custom-made furniture. It’s good to have such knowledgeable staff around to help you through the selection of all your products.

Home Trends offer a fully installed bathroom renovation service. Project manager, Jamie, heads a dedicated team of highly skilled, qualified tradesmen who take utmost care in your home to create the perfect bathroom for you.

Four years ago it initiated the Big Sleepout which is an annual event that raises funds to bring about an an end to homelessness in our city. Well known local personality, Gerry Hill was aware of the Big Sleepout, thinking it was more celebrity focussed, but this year he became involved through the Ponsonby Business Association of which he is a member. He was asked to volunteer and on 3 July joined 83 others in the central city AUT Quad to sleep rough with only a piece of cardboard, a pillow and a sleeping bag for bedding. Labour List MP, Jacinda Ardern was there along with other politicians, business people, community leaders, celebrities and a sprinkling of the homeless as well.

Right now Home Trends have several attractive deals to help you with your bathroom and/or tile project: Monthly specials on Heritage tiles and 20% off tile orders over 20 square metres (delivery charges apply). Up to 20% off selected New Zealand manufacturers’. F PN Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm. Saturday 9am to 3pm.

HOME TRENDS, 732 Beach Road, Browns Bay T: 09 478 9788 www.hometrends.co.nz

Gerry found ‘sleeping rough‘ was not the most comfortable way to spend the night but he had a transistor radio so listened to the cricket before finally falling asleep with his earphones still in place. Two women slept on either side, one a lawyer and the other manager of a large company. The next morning over coffee they joked about who snored the loudest, but they all found the sleep-out experience empowering and had a deeper understanding of what it must be like to live on the streets.

Lifewise asked each participant to raise a minimum of $1,000 with all moneys used to fund the organisation’s services for the homeless. Gerry and Sally used Facebook and personal contacts to raise over $2,000, which was a splendid effort, most of which came from Ponsonby, and they were surprised at how easy it was to exceed the set goal.

Overall, the event brought in more than $152,000, clearly demonstrating that we are, after all, a caring society.

The big thing for Gerry on the night were the lectures, particularly one given by an Australian, ‘Elaine’, who once ran a sizable company here, married an Englishman, bought a house and was living the good life. Then her husband developed cancer, his income stopped, she became his carer, neither had extended family support, inevitably they got into financial trouble, lost their house and Elaine ended up living in the James Liston Hostel. She is an example of someone who spiralled downwards through no fault of her own. Now she has employment and is rebuilding her life.

Many homeless people suffer a mental illness, economic misfortune, a tragic life circumstance, or physical and emotional abuse that’s caused them to live a life on the streets. Gerry believes the absence of boarding houses is a contributing factor. There are simply no places to house the unfortunates who have fallen through the cracks. He is sure that all those who spent just one night sleeping rough, but in comparative safety, will have learnt something of inestimable value during the exercise.

PN (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F

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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

NEW DEVELOPMENT SAFEGUARDS HISTORY Things are happening on the corner of Jervois and Hamilton Roads. The site is being prepared for construction of the Vert apartments.

But architect Kerry Avery says the new three-level development isn’t being built at the expense of the area’s heritage.

Avery’s connection to Herne Bay goes back decades. As an architecture student, he flatted in Curran Street and Sentinel Road, and his first major project was the original Gables Tavern. Now he’s relishing the chance to again contribute to the area’s architectural flavour while preserving a historic amenity.

“This project is providing residential space in a hugely sought-after area, and it’s also revitalising the Ponsonby Bowling Club, Auckland’s second oldest sports club. The new greens and the clubrooms are being built to international standards and the residents of Vert will enjoy a unique outlook.”

The old clubhouse was recently dismantled and Avery says care was taken to recycle all the original kauri joists, weatherboards and windows.“It’ll probably end up as timber floors in one of our villa renovations,” he says. Original advertising signage for Walker & Company Auctioneers found on the site has also been saved after it was bought by Aaron Carson who works in Freemans Bay. “The entire wall was taken down carefully, plank by kauri plank, and transported to our garage where we’ve started restoring it,” says Carson. “We’re not sure what we’ll do with it yet, but we just love it and wanted it preserved. We also managed to get the ‘expel the French diplomats’ graffiti that was on tin sheets covering the old sign. The tin must have been covered by a third layer in 1985 as the graffiti obviously relates to the Rainbow Warrior. It’s a real piece of history too.”

Vert apartments and the new Ponsonby Bowling Club are due for completion in July 2014. F PN AVERY TEAM ARCHITECTS LTD, www.averyarchitects.co.nz

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LOCAL NEWS DOES GREY LYNN NEED ANOTHER LIQUOR STORE? Grey Lynn residents and business owners are battling to stop a liquor store from opening in the Surrey Crescent shops.

The proposed location for the new liquor store is close to two schools, two churches, two retirement villages and a bus stop.

GL Wines and Spirits plans to sell alcohol between 10am and 11pm, seven days a week from 515 Great North Road.

Those against the proposal believe the area is already well-served by liquor stores.

Three liquor outlets are located nearby: Countdown, Mak’s Liquor and Perry’s Wine & Ales. “The community has been working hard to improve these shops, which have a reputation for being seedy,” says Grey Lynn resident of 20 years, Leanne Moore. “We like the grunginess of Grey Lynn, we don’t want to sanitise the area, but we want the shopping centre to be more family-friendly.

“Some parents don’t feel comfortable bringing their children here because of the seediness and we believe another liquor store will not help this situation.”

Grey Lynn Business Association member Soala Wilson says residents and retailers are heartened by the refusal of a liquor licence application in Mt Albert recently.

Mike Murphy, from Kokako Café and Roastery in the former Grey Lynn Post Office, says social problems already exist in the area. “One of the things that attracted me to set up in Grey Lynn is the neighbourhood’s diversity, but in saying that, I’m not convinced that PN a low-grade liquor store will add value to the community.” F

L to R: Will ‘llolahia, Theo Stephenson from Tart Bakery, and John Minto protesting with ‘protest cupcakes’ at the Grey Lynn shops on Monday, 22 July

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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT TOI ORA LOUISE WILLIAMS - POLAR Painting, Recycled Sculpture, Music 20 August - 6 September Opening: 20 August 5pm Polar is an expression of the artist’s deep concern for the Arctic environment. Inspired by the plight of the many magnificent animals that live there, animals in danger of being lost forever, Louise employs the power of ‘the gaze’ to engage the viewer. “The animals are looking to us to save them, the way a child looks to a mother.”

Children are also featured in ‘Polar’ but not in a way you might expect. The children are a part of the exhibition to communicate the connection between all living things and to show that nothing is separate. Louise is a performing, visual and multimedia artist and she has written music especially for ‘Polar’. She will be performing live in the gallery PN space on opening night. F TOI ORA LIVE ART, 6 Putiki Street. T: 09 360 4171 www.toiora.org.nz

SHOWING AT TOI ORA THE ART OF PAUL NOFFKE Dedicated to my friend Barb Until 16 August I create art to establish a sense of inner peace. Making art brings me enjoyment, however while it evokes feelings of serenity/tranquillity it also challenges and excites me to improve myself. Art is my way of coping with life in a positive and imaginative way.

I have always made art. At school art-related subjects were my passion and I undertook further studies after school. It wasn’t until 2009 that I returned to making art full time.

My art style has changed over this time; earlier I painted mostly abstracts, but now my work could be classified as outsider art.

My art involves the revisiting of themes and media. I work intensely and repetitively, producing a large number of works. I predominantly use oil pastel and crayon as they mix well and have a textual quality that is very organic and grainy. The difference between each medium can be obvious; however at times it can be very subtle.

The current focus of my art is the human form and these figures are a natural progression from my earlier work and training. I like to play around with different styles of figurative work and enjoy juxtaposing colour and challenging the viewer with confrontational imagery. My figures initially appear simple, but on closer inspection they PN are complex in expression and in the execution of colour and style. F TOI ORA LIVE ART, 6 Putiki Street. T: 09 360 4171 www.toiora.org.nz

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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT OREXART ANDREW CURTIS Until 24 August Orexart presents Andrew Curtis’ ‘Moonlight Mile’, a series of large-scale monochrome photographs first shown at Melbourne’s Block projects in February 2013 to critical review. The silver light, regolithic quality of the earth, and long shadows cast by these topographies are suggestive of lunar landscapes, but further inspection engenders doubt.

Lighting is a key element of Curtis’ photography; his signature technique of ‘painting with light’ by tracing over an object with a handheld lamp during exposure, produces an PN unearthly glow appropriate to a world that is secret, staged and strange. F OREXART, 1/15 Putiki Street Arch Hill T: 09 378 0588 For more info visit www.orexart.co.nz

UPTOWN ART SCENE

A gloomy winter’s evening was instantly brightened in a blaze of yellows and greens - no, it wasn’t the sunset but the latest exhibition of Saskia Leek’s paintings at Ivan Anthony.

Brilliantly coloured, deceptively simple, hovering between the figurative and abstract, and completely over-shadowing the Bill Hammonds in the next room. Art can have that effect, suddenly changing our day.

Billowing clouds of blue, grey, and a yellow so bright it’s difficult to believe its coloured pencil, but Scott Gardiner’s show at Whitespace pushes the medium to new heights and to an unusually large scale for the humble pencil. These clouds usher us away from the criss-cross barriers in front of them and into the heavens.

Transcendence is a personal and diverse concept that is explored in The Religious Experience at OREXART. Sculpture, painting, photography, video and glasswork by 16 artists, including locals Richard McWhannell, Dean Tercel and Evan Woodruffe, tell stories of love, death, our searching and our revelations.

A space that’s converted from darkness to the light is the old Police cells at the back of Artstation. These have made a popular and challenging project space for many artists (especially the padded cell!) and are currently occupied by Imogen Taylor and Ahilapalapa Rands’ show Scraps.

Good art takes us out of ourselves, a rhapsody in the real world, and in the grey damp of an Auckland winter that’s something worth seeking out often! F PN WILL PAYNT/STUDIO ART SUPPLIES

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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT MOMENTUM GALLERY SHANE HANSEN Momentum Gallery are ecstatic to have one of their long time favourites, Shane Hansen, back on board - with some stunning new works from his Native Aotearoa collection.

Shane’s creations spring from a world of bold colours and optimistic clarity, a pop-art invitation to a feel-good New Zealand celebration. Shane is of Maori, Chinese, Danish and Scottish descent, which is reflected in his art as he navigates his way on a journey of cultural discovery and self-acceptance.

He describes his work as his therapy, kai for the mind and soul. Shane started his career as a self-taught fashion designer, setting up his own label at the age of 19, then going on to work for labels such as Canterbury International and Town & Country Surf Designs.

His flair for fashion is evident in his work, through beautiful flowing lines and the use of tactile textures. ‘I want people to engage with my work in more than one way. I want them to touch it and smell it, as well as view it. By doing this they feel more connected to the piece and feel a sense of familiarity with it.’ www.shanehansen.co.nz www.nativeaotearoa.co.nz F PN MOMENTUM GALLERY, 1/182 Jervois Road T: 09 376 4749 www.momentumgallery.co.nz/facebook.com/MomentumGallery

SPACESHIP LAMPS STOLEN FROM PONSONBY CENTRAL POPUP EXHIBITION THESE TWO SPACESHIP LAMPS WERE STOLEN IN A SMASH AND GRAB RAID ON ANDREW Palace’s exhibition at Ponsonby Central in the early hours of Thursday 4 July; the glass front door was kicked in and the two lamps were selected and stolen. Andrew as you can imagine is devastated by the loss of his work especially as one was sold dealing a double blow as the buyer was also extremely upset by the loss of his chosen lamp. Any information that would be helpful to the recovery of these lamps would be much appreciated and rewarded. Anyone having information concerning Andrew’s lamps please contact him on M: 021 592 296, email metal. as.anything@mac.com or Andy Palace Facebook. F PN

SHOWING AT NOOK GALLERY WHIMSICAL WISHES 5 - 24 September Preview: 4 September, 6pm ARTISTS: Alicia Warden, Ashleigh Quayle, Georgia Clark, Jo Holsted, Jessie Green, and Reina Sutton.

Whimsical Wishes is a show, which captures illustration in a girly whimsical way but at the same time does it?

Whimsical Wishes is entirely up to interpretation of the viewer this show is made up of amazingly talented woman who each bring something quite fragile and beautiful to the table. The detail and effort in these works is moving. F PN NOOK GALLERY, 54 Ponsonby Road M: 027 522 7710 www.nookgallery.co.nz

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FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT RADIO PONSONBY - OUR LOCAL STATION How many people reading this didn’t realise that Ponsonby had its very own radio station? If you didn’t then tune in to 107.7 immediately!

MALVINA DOMAR - SINGING HER WAY FROM PARIS TO PONSONBY I’ve never had a singing lesson before, no vocal coaching of any sort and it’s something my friends are quick to point out.

My band mates refuse to allow me to sing backing vocals, although this doesn’t stop me from trying. So it was an interesting experience for me to attend one of Malvina Domar’s sessions. Her student Garry was gracious enough to allow me to sit in as they went through the stages of a lesson. Although it was a truncated version it has certainly made me consider that vocal lessons would be an exciting and beneficial project.

Malvina moved to New Zealand only two years ago from France, and a position and degree from the Conservatoire in Paris. She intended to just take a year off but fell in love with the country, as so many do, and has remained here since. She moved to Grey Lynn more recently and was quick to tell me she adores the Ponsonby area.

Back in Paris she was stuck between two worlds of music, having a career on the horizon in opera singing and a passion for jazz and folk music. She performed in a band, and when the time came to choose between jazz/folk and opera she decided to take some time off, opting to keep both worlds open. This has left her the space and time to teach any singers, of all styles.

She came from a musical family, her father played saxophone, and loved rock and jazz from an early age. She decided to give opera a go and soon found herself immersed and in love with the drama of singing and performing. Watching her work with her student I saw many aspects of an operatic performance in action, from the way she moves herself when she sings to how she insisted upon bold movements to accompany the voice from Garry.

“Voice is the best instrument”, she casually remarks to me at one point during the lesson. She goes on to say that, “Two players can play one guitar and make similar sounds from it, but each person’s voice is unique and different.” While I don’t agree entirely with this statement, being a guitarist myself I am well aware of the unique tones and styles each musician can get from an instrument, the voice is unique. Mimicking or copying someone’s voice is never going to be as easy as creating the same tone and style on another instrument.

Malvina is happy to teach all ages, ranging from teenagers to adults. She informed me that of course each lesson is extremely different from the last because each person has a different voice and style of learning, and I do not doubt that she would be able to tap in to anyone and bring out the slumbering Pavarotti, Freddie Mercury or Etta James. If you are interested in contacting Malvina for lessons, feel free to email me and I will pass on her details.

On a slightly different note, The Civil Wars are releasing their second, self-titled album.

It hits the shelves on August 6th. The Civil Wars are a folk/country duo made up of Joy Williams and John Paul White. They have won a string of awards for their debut album Barton Hollow, which quickly became one of my favourite albums of all time. If you have never heard The Civil Wars, get online and have a listen. For all of you who love them like I do, get along to your local store and buy the new album. Rhythm in Three Lamps will be stocking The Civil Wars and I’ll be making sure I stop in to buy it on release day.

PN (FINN MCLELLAN-ELLIOTT) F

Located in the heart of Ponsonby Central, Radio Ponsonby provides music for the local area, and with over 50 different shows each week there is a wide range of music being played.

I met up with two of the brains behind the station hoping to find out more about how the station came to be and how it has managed to remain local and individualistic. It was born partly as a result of George FM commercialising, and becoming inaccessible to the everyman of Ponsonby. With all the personalities and characters in the area that create a very unique Ponsonby vibe, it felt like a crime not to create an outlet for their music to be shared.

There is a regular weekly schedule of shows, which covers an exciting range of music. From Japanese pop, with the young and enthusiastic Miho Wada to a comedic scientific show, The Cryptic Factor, with Rhys Darby, David Farrier, and Buttons. From the established Sweetpants on Breakfast, Darrell Aardvark on Sunday mornings to Dave Hull/Nyntee at weekday lunchtimes there is almost certainly something for everyone.

The shows are two hours long, in general, and there is no enforcement on the type of music played. Although Mike Marshall, the station manager, joked that there would be no Top 40 played under his watch. In my opinion, the lack of restrictions is the main factor about Radio Ponsonby that endears it to its listeners. People tune in to the particular DJs they have got to know and appreciate the music they play. While someone may only tune in to a few shows a week, they will make certain they don’t miss those slots. With very few advertisement breaks, it is a station made up of music, all day long.

Both Mike and Murray Sweetpants, the station’s program director, commented on how some of the slots are people who just want to show off the record collection they have from home and others spin a theme to each show, changing things up every week.

Everyone involved has a love for music and wants to share it beyond their circle of friends and family. The aim is to provide a soundtrack to Ponsonby, from a cross section of personalities.

The frequency of the station is small, due to cost restrictions and feasibility and so Radio Ponsonby focuses on spreading the music in different ways. There are phone apps as well as a live video stream that people can tune in and watch the show while they listen.

With the recent move to Ponsonby Central, they became the first radio station to have a permanent open air studio, as close to the public as possible.

The video stream captures the proximity between Ponsonby Central users and the person choosing the music to play. This has given the radio a very visible front of house, and a presence in the daily workings of ground floor Ponsonby. While the station survives on volunteer DJs, they also rely on the wonderful support of some local Ponsonby institutions and businesses and if you are interested in becoming involved in this side of things, send an email to dave@ponsonbyradio.co.nz I managed to find myself filling in on a Thursday morning doing a two hour show myself, an experience I enjoyed immensely. They even allowed a rookie such as me to play what music I wanted. And as Murray says, they are at heart a community radio station and their door, or booth, is literally always open when the radio is airing. Stop by in Ponsonby Central and say hello, hang around and have a watch of the ridiculous videos that play behind the DJs. You might have the next big idea for a show, want to shine some light on a local event or activity or if you just want to get involved, don’t hesitate to contact the station or talk to the DJ in the booth - he’ll be right there. www.radioponsonby.co.nz sweetpants@radioponsonby.co.nz 107.7FM PN (FINN MCLENNAN-ELLIOTT) F

Finn McLennan-Elliott is studing for a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree, specialising in human geography at Auckland University. In his spare time, Finn plays the clarinet and guitar.

He has a great appreciation of all types of music. E: finn.huia@gmail.com www.mihowada.com The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT WHITESPACE BING DAWE Until 17 August

TONE LANE - SOL Y LUNA 5 - 14 AUGUST The scale and form of Tony Lane’s work is more closely related to contemporary painting yet the treatment of the painting itself, with the borders of gold leaf and schlagmetal, hints at the sacred and recalls the tradition of early Gothic and Renaissance painting. As art historian Lara Strongman states, there are ‘simultaneous conversations’ in Lane’s work that bridge half a millennium.

Dawe has rightly been described as one of New Zealand’s most prominent sculptors for his distinctive style of art which engages with pressing environmental issues in a way that inspires contemplation and open dialogue.

Since graduating from the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Arts in the mid 1970s he has participated in numerous solo exhibitions including a major retrospective at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery in 1999. He is the recipient of many awards including the highly prestigious Wallace Art Award in the same year.

SHOWING AT BLACK ASTERISK

Simultaneous conversations are happening between places too. In Black Hills for instance, the burnt ground could at once recall volcanic New Zealand vistas or the arid landscape of southern Spain, an environment that has influenced Lane.

PAUL BLANCHARD - TRAUM UNTIL 28 AUGUST Black Stilt. Blackened Oak, Rimu Steel and Copper (1650mm high)

His work can be found in significant public and private collections both in New Zealand and overseas including public commissions in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Rotorua. Bing Dawe’s upbringing in Glenavy, South Canterbury, alongside the Waitaki River was a formative experience that has fed into both his personal and artistic lives.

It has sustained a life-long interest and respect for the environment; its biodiversity and eco systems and the ways in which human beings interact with these delicate and self -sufficient series of relationships.

EMMA PRATT - WITNESS 20 August - 7 September

There is a heavy textural and painterly quality to these works seen in the diversity of brushstrokes and tones. In Helen Vaughan a deep smooth background forms an abyss from which the faceless head emerges, wrestled from darkness, in a swirl of white paint, as if to suck the viewer into a void. To break this suction paint drips down from above - reminding the viewer of the materiality of the painting. Despite dark content the results are lyrical paintings of haunting resonance and beauty.

Emma is interested in an altered sense of time and space. She sees her paintings as personal maps. They are images constructed of people echoes, movement of foliage and the addition of a bird larger than life, suggestive of its sound. These elements are indicated by isolated colour and paint on the move in what appears to be a landscape ‘snapshot’, overtaken by organic paint.

The overgrown vacant lot she visits in Serville now depicted in her painting takes her and us back across time and place to a New Zealand wilderness that allowed for exploring and hut building.

Emma Pratt was born in Taihape and graduated with a BFA from Ilam School of Fine Art at the University of Canterbury in 1994. Her paintings are historically informed landscapes interwoven with her own and other human activities, she now lives in PN Serville. F WHITESPACE, 12 Crummer Road , T: 09 361 6331 www.whitespace.co.nz

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ARTS + CULTURE LEX BENSON-COOPER - SMALL TALK 15 - 28 AUGUST Benson-Cooper’s works jump from, and incorporate, different elements of expressionism, abstraction, and surrealism yet are grounded by a consistent figurative presence.

Rendered in oil, with a textural and glossy surface, the works often act as wry social and political commentary. They are experimental, playful, and witty, drawing inspiration from mediums such as television, poetry and cinema. His approach to painting is somewhat intuitive; each piece evolves through a process of experimentation that retains this feeling of immediacy. F PN BLACK ASTERISK GALLERY, 10 Ponsonby Road T: 09 378 1020 www.blackasterisk.co.nz

PLAYING AT TAPAC 12- 29 September - Gwen in Purgatory Twist Productions proudly presents the New Zealand Premiere of Gwen in Purgatory at TAPAC from September 11-29. The production stars the iconic Elizabeth McRae, beloved as Marj from Shortland Street, alongside Michele Hine, Bruce Phillips, Ryan Richards & Tawanda Manyimo.

We all have family members we love but struggle with. Maybe it’s their age and stubbornness. Maybe it’s their youth and idiotic life choices. Maybe it’s just their exasperating personalities. Whatever the reason, there is a tipping point where the struggle starts to win and things have to change.

What do you do with family when you just can’t take it anymore? Gwen in Purgatory is a bittersweet comedy exploring this dilemma with a rich tapestry of characters: A feisty 90 year-old losing her fight for independence. The bossy son who sold her house. Her stoic daughter they take for granted. Her orphaned grandson raised by his aunt. A lonely Nigerian priest isolated from his family.

In one afternoon in the suburban wilderness these characters gather and face their tipping points with all the conflict, awkwardness and humour you’d expect from your own family.

Gwen in Purgatory is written by acclaimed Australian playwright Tommy Murphy. He is best known for Holding the Man, which was a smash hit for Silo Theatre in 2009. Director Katherine McRae (daughter of Elizabeth) has won multiple Chapman Tripp Awards for theatre and now directs Shortland Street, Nothing Trivial and Go Girls. Says Katherine: “I’ve wanted to direct my mother for years and finally found the right project. Gwen is such a funny and wily character for her to play. The beautiful script exposes the strength and vulnerability of family. This deeply resonated with us both and, we hope, with audiences too.” The production received funding from Auckland Council and The PN James Wallace Arts Trust. F TAPAC, 100 Motions Road, Western Springs T: 09 845 0295 www.tapac.org.nz

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ARTS + CULTURE BIG ‘A’ AWARDS 2013 CELEBRATE ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS A GIFTED MUSICIAN, A COMMUNITY CIRCUS, A THEATRE catering for blind patrons, an organisation offering innovative art programmes and leadership in using the arts as a rehabilitative tool in prisons were recognised on 30 July at the Big ‘A’ Awards 2013, presented at Parliament by Arts Access Aotearoa.

The Big ‘A’ Awards 2013 were hosted by the Hon. Christopher Finlayson, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, in the Banquet Hall of Parliament. The six recipients are: •

•

Andrew McMillan, North Shore, Auckland, awarded the Big ‘A’ Artistic Achievement Award 2013, recognising the outstanding achievements and contribution of a disabled artist

•

its outstanding contribution in working with the Department of Corrections and using the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners

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New Zealand Opera, Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award 2013, for its audio described performances and touch tours of The Bartered Bride in Auckland and Wellington.

Ann Byford, prison art tutor, Waikeria Prison, Waikato, awarded the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award 2013 for her outstanding contribution in using the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitation of prisoners.

•

Artsenta, Dunedin, Big ‘A’ Creative Space Award 2013, for its valuable role in the local arts community, the city itself and wider Otago region.

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Community Art Works, Nelson, Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award 2013, for its partnership with Nelson Community Probation.

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Shut-in Stitchers, Wellington, Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award 2013, for sharing its quilting skills over 20 years with women in Arohata Prison.

The annual Big ‘A’ Awards are the key national awards in New Zealand celebrating the achievements of individuals and organisations providing opportunities for people with limited access to engage with the arts as artists and audience members. They also recognise the achievements of a disabled artist.

Circability Trust, Toi Ora Live Art Trust and Giant Leap Foundation, Auckland, awarded the Big ‘A’ Community Partnership Award 2013, recognising its outstanding partnership and community circus project that promoted diversity, enabled inclusion and created opportunities

Richard Benge, Executive Director of Arts Access Aotearoa, said it was important to acknowledge leaders in the community and professional arts sectors who help break down the barriers for people with limited access to engage in the arts.

•

Fortune Theatre, Dunedin, awarded the Big ‘A’ Creative New Zealand Arts For All Award 2013, recognising its commitment to developing its audiences by being accessible to the disabled community

“The arts connect us to our communities and can cross cultures, faiths, generations and languages,” he said. “Tonight’s Big ‘A’ Awards celebrate the individuals and institutions who are making the arts accessible to everyone in New Zealand.

•

Spark Centre of Creative Development, St Lukes, Auckland, awarded the Big ‘A’ Creative Space Award 2013 for its outstanding contribution and impact in providing opportunities for people with limited access to make art

“I also want to applaud the achievements of Andrew McMillan, recipient of the Big ‘A’ Artistic Achievement Award. Andrew is hugely talented and constantly pushing the boundaries as a musician, composer, sound designer, musical director and improviser.”

Waihopai Runaka, Invercargill, awarded the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award 2013, recognising

Highly Commended certificates were also presented in several of the award categories. These were:

•

Performances The evening also featured music by The Real Timeliners and kapa haka, performed by Ngati Poneke. Award recipient Andrew McMillan performed with saxophonist Jeff Henderson.

Arts Access Aotearoa advocates for people in New Zealand who experience barriers to participation in the arts, as both creators and audience members. Its key stakeholders are people with physical, sensory or intellectual impairments; individuals and organisations in the community and professional arts sectors; and mental health service users. It is also the key organisation in New Zealand facilitating the arts as a tool to support the rehabilitative process of prisoners.

Arts Access Aotearoa receives core funding from Creative New Zealand and has a contract with the Department of Corrections to support and advise on its arts activities and programmes. F PN

REMEMBERING THE GLUEPOT 9 October Do you recognise these words? “Long Ago was so long ago.

Close your eyes, imagine all those memories in your mind”.

Those were the opening lyrics to the song ‘Long Ago’ by Herbs. Herbs is one of New Zealand’s most successful bands that commenced its remarkable career at the much loved and missed Gluepot tavern in Ponsonby. Indeed, it was long ago that the Gluepot became a launch pad for some of the country’s finest rock and pop musicians.

Memories will be in the air when The Auckland Heritage Festival remembers the fabled tavern with a special event in Ponsonby.

Chaired by Gerry Hill, the evening will provide an opportunity for former customers to share their personal stories, photos or memorabilia about the legendary venue.

Several notable guests are expected to attend, including ex-venue managers, promoters and band members.

As a build up to the event, past customers are invited to post their favourite memories and photos on a Facebook page dedicated to the Gluepot: www.facebook.com/GluepotPonsonby For those people interested in attending the free Gluepot event, bookings can be made by sending an email to heritage@iloveponsonby.co.nz F PN

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BECOMING HER

#@*! MOAN OF THE MONTH AIR YOUR GRIEVANCE

Rozana Lee sadly lost her mother in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and this short piece, “Becoming Her” was published in “New Beginnings”. Some readers may have seen her recent exhibition which was held in the cells at Artstation, Ponsonby.

Cell phone owners take heed! Someone out there finds the way many of you use them with a total disregard for the people around you really irritating.

For the longest time, for as long as she could remember, she did not want to be her. Born in a country where her grandfather and her father had to change their names; a country where they had to delete their family history and any traits. It sounded like hell to her.

Down through the ages people have used various ways of communicating with each other over great distances. There have been smoke signals, beacons, drum beating, pigeon post then along came Alexander Bell who gave us the telephone.

Born in a remote town, a place not many people had heard of, until the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami destroyed the majority of it, left her and her three brothers motherless, her father wifeless and homeless. She definitely did not wish to be born in a place where Mother Nature was so angry and took her dearest mother away, suddenly, abruptly. Her body was never recovered.

Over many years of study the telephone seems to have been perfected, but the etiquette that should be used in conjunction with these devices is sadly lacking.

Many cellphone users are totally unaware that their behaviour, in many instances, is very discourteous.

As a little girl, she did not want to remember how she was mimicked and mocked when she spoke in her mother language. She did not want to remember that one day, as she was about to hop on to her blue rusty bike, on the way to school, she heard her father shouting at the top of his lungs, “Quickly, get back inside the house!” She did not want to believe her eyes, seeing people running in her direction and start stoning her, her family, her home, her neighbours - any minority Chinese. At the time, she did not understand. She wondered what she had done wrong. She was terrified of them. She was scared of who or what she was. She remembered countless nights, she dreamt of a long free fall and woke up just before she hit the bottom.

Throughout her life, wherever she went, she needed copies and copies of her parents’ birth certificate, their marriage certificate, their change name certificate, their proof of identity and citizenship, then her birth certificate, her proof of identity and her citizenship. Both her parents, in fact, were born and raised there and so was she.

She became a legalised copy-papers collector, moving from town to town, boarding house to boarding house, job to job, chasing her dream, carrying a white big plastic folder filled with legalised proof, justifying her very existence in this world. She wondered: if she lost all these papers, would she disappear into thin air? Many nights, she dreamt of her whole body being twisted like paper until breaking point. She tried calling out for help but no voice came. Her throat was dry and she would wake up gasping for breath just before being torn apart.

Growing up she tried to un-become herself. Uncomfortable in her own skin, she wanted to be like water but she felt toxic. Fearful of human nature and Mother Nature, she was mostly a lost child, an unwanted citizen. She wished to express how she felt and what was in her mind but time and again, it was just a vacuum, words bent and aired to please everyone, a society, a school, a nation. She wondered why. As an adult, at nights, now she dreamed of living in a movie world where anyone could say anything, everything.

Fleeing the country with a small brown suitcase, she escaped another Chinese ethnic riot in May 1998. Street fights, windows smashed, cars destroyed, houses burnt, men robbed, stripped naked and beaten, uncounted girls mass-raped, many in front of their parents, wives in front of their husbands. When they resisted, some were stabbed and left to die. She ran, took her chances despite being told all roads to the airport were blocked. She succeeded, hopped into the plane and never looked back. She loved her country, until her last breath, but she could not live there, not like this.

She landed in a place, she called it Lion City, as perfect a country as she could wish for; she looked like one of them, spoke like one of them, behaved like one of them. She was becoming them, yet she knew she was not exactly one of them.

Twelve years afterwards, the husband she married from the New Land wanted to come home. Arriving there, both at 40 with two young kids in tow, they had no families, no relatives, no friends. Missing home, she was growing older, softer, lonelier, sadder. Her dear husband was as much a stranger as she was to the New Land. At times, she needed an invisible cloak, a familiar voice, a hum from a far away land to span the distance

The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied

She, who remains nameless, objects to being forced to listen to your one-sided conversations against her will. While lauding the advances in cell phone technology that make talking to anyone in the world without the use of wires as an incredible achievement, there are negative aspects to it that simply get on her nerves.

Whether it’s in a book shop, a library, on a bus, at the theatre, at a wedding or even, God forbid, a funeral, these are places and occasions other people don’t want to hear what your conversation is about. It’s a peculiar mindset to think talking on your phone is more important than what’s going on around you and using your phone, which many do, during a face to face conversation is damn well insulting.

Smart phones seem to have exacerbated the problem. With the introduction of apps people have become too reliant on these devices. Can you not enjoy a meal in a restaurant, or even watch a movie without checking out your twitter feed or Facebook on your phone? Also when asked to hang out with a friend then proceed to be checking your phone all the time is a strange way to behave. Can they be helpful?

Yes but only when used by people who follow certain rules.

• When driving always pull over to the side of the road before answering.

• Leave your phone set to “vibrate” so it doesn’t disrupt with an obnoxious noise.

• Promptly walk to a remote location before speaking so you minimize disturbing others.

• If necessary sit at the back of a room so you can leave quietly.

• Keep your voice down as much as possible when talking in a public place and keep the conversation to a minimum.

We agree that mobile phones when used responsibly are capable of saving time, money, and even lives. Used irresponsibly they distract, disrupt and annoy. Until the majority of owners follow the above rules they remain a real nuisance and potential danger. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) F PN

between her and the land where her father, members of her family and many friends had chosen to remain.

At 43, she realised, she had been hiding all her life. She kept seeking the meaning of life, yet not living it. For the longest time, she tried unbecoming her. She carried herself like a Rafflesia Arnoldii, the corpse flower, inside she was just a lost paper kite.

For once, she realised nobody but her, could be her, at best.

She is not turning her head away anymore. Finally, she has found her words, her voice.

She is thrilled to share her thoughts, write her stories, paint her dreams and many of her nightmares, sing her songs, dance to her own rhythm and live her life.

For once, she is becoming her. (ROZANA LEE) F PN

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THE PONSONBY PINK PAGES

PONSONBY NEWS OUTLETS FREEMANS BAY

Studio Italia, 96 Carlton Gore Road Taylor Boutique, 1 Teed Street

Glengarry, Corner Sale and Wellesley Streets Kellands Real Estate, 4 Drake Street New World, Victoria Park Sale St, 7 Sale Street

NEWTON

GREY LYNN

NORTH SHORE

Barfoot & Thompson, 533 Great North Road Barkley Manor, 400 - 402 Great North Road Grey Lynn Community Centre, 520 Richmond Road Grey Lynn Community Library, 474 Great North Road Raw Essentials, 401B Richmond Road Ripe, 172 Richmond Road Sliced,104 Richmond Road Tapac, 100 Motions Road Vetcare, 408 Great North Road

HERNE BAY

Herne Bay Post & Stationers, 240 Jervois Road Five Loaves & 2 Fish, 206 Jervois Road Icing on the Cake, 188 Jervois Road Momentum, 182 Jervois Road

KINGSLAND

Atomic, 420c New North Road

MT EDEN

Citta Outlet Store, Corner Enfield & Normanby Road Sabato, 57 Normanby Road

NEWMARKET

Benediction Café, 30 St Benedicts Street Design 55, 55 Upper Queen Street

Rug Direct, Wairau Park Dawson’s Furniture, Mairangi Bay Nose To Tail Dog Wash, Albany

Ponsonby News is published on the first Friday of each month excluding January.

Copies go quickly so be quick to collect yours from any of the following outlets. The issue is also published on our website www.ponsonbynews.co.nz

PARNELL

Jane Daniels, 2 Birdwood Cresent Parnell Community Centre, 545 Parnell Road

PONSONBY

Artstation, 1 Ponsonby Road Barfoot & Thompson, 184 Ponsonby Road Chapel Bar, 147 Ponsonby Road Fitness Trainer, 36 Jervois Road Harcourts, 89 Ponsonby Road Leys Institute, 20 St Mary’s Road The Longroom, 114 Ponsonby Road Mag Nation, 123 Ponsonby Road Ponsonby Community Centre, 20 Ponsonby Terrace Spa Ayurda, 213 Ponsonby Road Whitespace, 12 Crummer Road WORLD, 97 Ponsonby Road

WESTMERE

Glengarry, 164 Garnet Road

Planet Ayurveda, 41 Gillies Avenue

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