UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: MICHAEL TURNER Michael Turner has owned El Framo Picture Framing for two years and the business has traded in Ponsonby for almost 15 years. Alongside custom picture framing, the business specialises in mirrors, both ready-made and built to order. El Framo has one of the largest frame selections in the country and offers exclusive options imported from Europe. Michael says “I worked as a picture framer after I left high-school. I moved in to the printing industry and worked on publications for the Auckland Art Gallery including their landmark Monet exhibition in the ‘80s; the Te Maori exhibition, tours of works by Picasso, Paul Klee, Edvard Munch, Milan Mrkusich and others. After a period working for corporates in publishing and printing, the attraction of running one’s own business was too much to pass by.” WHO IS YOUR PARTNER? WHAT DO THEY DO? I celebrate my 21st wedding anniversary on Anzac Day. Tane works at El Framo and also as an accountant so this is very convenient! DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN? Suddenly I have two almost grown up kids. Charlotte has just started at Uni (Auckland) and Samuel is at Auckland Grammar. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Two dogs and two cats share our house. El Framo is a dog-friendly shop too – we welcome and enjoy canine visitors. WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? Guitar player for Led Zeppelin. Oh, wait…that job was taken. YOUR BEST FRIEND WOULD SAY OF YOU... ”Take a break”. YOUR MOTHER WOULD SAY OF YOU... “There’s no rest for the wicked.” WHAT’S YOUR PERFECT SUNDAY? Sailing my dinghy on the Manukau Harbour. HOW DO YOU KEEP FIT? I’m on my feet at work 10 hours a day, what more do you want? WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAYS? One of Auckland’s secret areas at the Awhitu Peninsula, which forms the western side of the Manukau Harbour. We have a caravan on a quarter acre section and camp out there whenever we can. WHAT ARE YOUR VICES? Endless inquisitiveness about music from any genre. WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TALENT? I can make stuff and fix stuff. I have a 50 year old car in the garage that is almost (promise!) ready to drive to work. WHAT’S YOUR SECRET PASSION? Listening to jazz and playing guitar (badly). Football (proper football with a round ball). Ornithology (true!) Listening to the rain on the roof in the middle of the night. WHO’S YOUR ULTIMATE ROCK ICON? I listen to anything but rock mostly (jazz, alt-country, soul, funk, dance music, you name it) but you can’t go past Jimi Hendrix. Inventive, original, no-one plays rock guitar like Hendrix did. YOUR DESERT ISLAND DISTRACTIONS? Jack Kerouac – “On the Road”. The only book I’ve read more than five times. And a guitar. WHAT’S INSPIRED YOU RECENTLY? Wilco at the Auckland Town Hall with Mavis Staples. I confess to have not heard live gospel previously (Mavis, that is, not Wilco who are at the rock end of the alt-country genre). Septuagenarian Mavis has history with the Staple Sisters and association with the civil rights movement of ‘mid 60s USA and Martin Luther King. Wilco were (predictably) great too. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PONSONBY CAFE? Oh!So. FAVOURITE PONSONBY RESTAURANT? Prego – an oldie but a goodie. FAVOURITE PONSONBY STORE? Studio Art Supplies – great staff, hidden away on Crummer Road near Oh!So. THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE AND YOUR FAMILY IS SAFE - WHAT DO YOU SAVE? I’d be in trouble here. Can’t rescue my books and CD as I’d get fried. Martin Dreadnought guitar? Might come down to paintings by (NZ artists) Ross Ritchie and John Weeks. ONE THING YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE IS... Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten (have you got a crappy can opener / grater / garlic crusher in your kitchen? Shame on you! Go to Milly’s and get yourself sorted). PN EL FRAMO, 16 Pollen Street, T: 09 378 6774 www.elframo.co.nz
110 PONSONBY NEWS+ May 2013
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)