Quilter pieces together connections in gift to Bryant Retreat woman with a family connection A to the Bryant family and Bryant Home has left her own legacy in Raglan.
Marion Manning, whose Great Aunt Dot worked at the Bryant Convalescent Home for Children in the 1930s, has gifted 12 quilts to Bryant Retreat in Cliff St. On Tuesday last week, Marion presented the quilts at a morning tea, and said each one had been made with love and under the supervision of her next-door neighbour’s ginger cat. “Whenever I put a quilt on the table to look at he gets on top of it,” said Marion, who lives in Brisbane. Marion’s quest to make the 12 quilts for Bryant Retreat began in February when she visited Raglan, chasing her roots. Having retired five years ago, the Hamilton-born woman became interested in her genealogy. Great Aunt Dot (Dorothy Ada Smith), who died in 1991 aged 96, was a favourite aunt and Marion wanted to see where she had worked at Bryant Home – which is now Camp Raglan – when she was a matron there from about 1931 until about 1934. Marion’s mum’s sister, Aunty Joy, had also spent time at Bryant Home, aged 9, in 1932, recuperating after an illness.
Marion’s paternal great grandparents – Aunt Dot’s parents – were friends with Daniel (Dan) Vickery Bryant, who in 1921, at the age of 39, announced that he was going to give half of his wealth to set up and run the children’s convalescent home in Raglan. Aunt Dot’s brother, Charles Smith, was a carpenter and also employed by the Bryant trustees as a builder, and Charles’ son, Gillies Steel Smith, was taken under Dan’s wing as a farmer. While in Raglan, Marion also visited Bryant Retreat, a women’s rest home, which offers respite for up to six women at a time in their own rooms for a usual stay of 11 nights. Marion said she had mentioned to manager Robyn Riddle that she enjoyed making quilts for Waikato Hospice. “Robyn had said ‘if you ever wanted to make quilts for us…” Marion started on the quilts in March and made six single bed quilts and six lap quilts for use in the TV room. In that time she also made six quilts for hospice. The quilts, which Marion pieces together on a 30-year-old sewing machine and then hand stitches, are bright and beautiful. “It’s all I do. I just sit and stitch. I start at eight in the morning, stop for lunch, and then keep going until the news.” Marion, who trained as a milliner at
Bryant Retreat manager Robyn Riddle and Marion Manning show off two of the quilts Marion made. Photo: Lindsay Cumberpatch. Betty White Millinery in the P&M Plaza in Hamilton from 1972 to 1975, said she suffered from depression and making quilts
was her form of therapy. “My first quilt was made in the early 70s and I haven’t stopped.” Inger Vos
Meet your mayoral candidates A group of boys and men took part in the Poutama Tane Journey.
The Raglan Chronicle is running a weekly Q&A with the candidates standing for mayor. This week we catch up with Donna Nichols, whose slogan is: “Strength, Vision, Stability. If you work in smart inventive ways things can cost less.”
Name: Donna Nichols Background: I want to make a real difference for you. I’m a mother, and like most people have had my share of life’s moments. For the past 20 years I have worked in strategic, planning and property consultant roles for listed companies, councils and not-for-profit organisations, from leading projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars to helping struggling families into better futures. I have a very wide range of knowledge and experience, from across New Zealand, to bring to the role of mayor. I believe my achievements speak for themselves as I was sought out to take on most of these roles. Why are you running for mayor?: The buck stops here! Enough has been said about the current mayor’s and councillors’ failings. I’m running for mayor because I see our assets are being substantially undersold and our infrastructure significantly degraded which infuriates me and lessens your property’s value. We need strength and new ideas to deal with the tough things like infrastructure provision, population booms, deprivation, environment, farming and tourism issues. Like every town, Raglan has its distinct issues, but everyone needs a clear audacious vision to follow. In this fast-changing world we must think beyond the mundane, the usual and safe. You wouldn’t live in Raglan if you
didn’t already think this way. We must stretch ourselves to imagine the futures we truly want for the places we live. Stability is vitally important to attract investment. We need to know what our rates are really going to be, not fabricated versions that look good on paper but “stink” in reality when pipes fail, roads are potholed and community buildings are unsafe to use, meaning we end up paying more. Fact: Money invested in infrastructure always increases your home’s value. I will support communities every step of the way, leverage all government funds possible, develop even better partnerships with business and ensure we maximise council’s position in everything we do. What a mayor’s paid to do. What would make you a good mayor?: I’m very open, honest and accessible and have the time and energy to listen to you. I don’t have other businesses to run or children at home anymore so I’m completely committed to the role fulltime. Because of my extensive background I’m able to develop a wide range of cost effect, fit-for-purpose solutions. I won’t let developers rape and pillage the land, as has happened in Pokeno. I know from my experience of working for developers that they are perfectly capable of paying for good quality community assets. Our mayor and councillors haven’t pushed hard enough; other councils do and everyone is better off. I am absolutely focused on making the future of Raglan (and all the towns in the district) outstanding for all residents. Yes, we must keep rates affordable but we see the folly of rates that are too low in sewage spills and poorly maintained roads. If your house needed painting would you delay it so long you also had to replace the cladding? I believe this is what the current mayor and councillors are doing. What style of leadership will you bring to council? I bring a visionary style of leadership – great things happen when you truly believe in them. I want to see all our councillors and community board members take a greater lead on issues in their communities and shout about successes in the media. Too many of the decisions and much of the public face of the council has been handed over to council staff.
What is your vision for the Waikato District, and where does Raglan fit in this? The district is one of the richest in New Zealand, but its council report card to date would definitely read “could do better”. My plan is to take it to “bloody brilliant”. Raglan could lead in the areas of lower cost green infrastructure, high-value food production and manufacturing clusters and low-impact adventure and cultural tourism while also pushing forward the likes of Xtreme. Raglan Naturally needs updating – lets dream big! What do you think the role of community boards should be in local government? As your local representatives, they should be properly resourced and truly reflect your views on how rates are set and money spent. What will you do about Raglan’s ailing sewage system? I certainly won’t blame you or continue to support old, poor quality, costly methods. This must be addressed comprehensively to avoid visitors being driven away. I will ensure you are fully informed about all options and costs. The mayor is blaming you for an issue every council faces. Don’t be fooled, too often mayors and councillors vote to delay work or do patch-ups so they can keep rates down in the short term, rather than seek new affordable solutions. It’s a bit like ignoring a toothache: if addressed early its cheap; if left to fester it’s very painful and expensive. How will you help Raglan to grow, and at the same time ensure that growth does not put extra pressure on the town's infrastructure and residents? Growth is a double-edged sword. To reduce infrastructure costs we can increase stormwater retention, new technologies in energy production and wastewater treatment, and make our buildings highly efficient. Local job growth is also vital. All these reduce the load on community infrastructure and make you and Raglan better off financially, more resilient to climate and other shocks. The current review of the District Plan can include these. Environmental protection is paramount. Raglan is a tourist town, and numbers are swelling exponentially every summer. What would your council do to help relieve the pressure on our town’s infrastructure? One option: a “visitor potty tax”. Most of the people visiting Raglan have to stay and/or
eat somewhere. Accommodation providers, including book-a-bach, eateries, tourist businesses and food markets could charge a per customer fee to provide funds to alleviate the issues. Campervans could be issued with stickers to show they have paid. Locals would have an exemption card. This is a fair use policy providing the funds to address the problems rather than increasing rates. Raglan rates. Any comments? It appears the current mayor and councillors have minimised rates at the expense of properly maintaining infrastructure. Note the number of times they have breached their consents. A well-run council doesn’t breach consents. Proper maintenance and building of infrastructure saves money over time and avoids disasters like sewage spills. What do you see as the other main issues for Raglan? More severe storm events, eroding coasts and sea water inundation. Another million Aucklanders escaping for the weekend. Lower income people being pushed out. Farmers under financial duress. Lack of rental properties for workers. Anything else you would like to add? As they make up a third of the population, I would hui with Māori to address their specific opportunities and threats. Smaller self-sufficient blocks allowed around the likes of existing highly subdivided areas such as Te Uku and Waitetuna, etc. These would come with greater building controls to ensure the overall qualities of the communities are retained. I will lobby strongly for more lifesaving funding from government. It should be the same as that spent on road safety. A life lost through ANY accidental death costs the country $4 million dollars. Last election only 31 per cent of Raglan people voted. In Whanganui it was 59 per cent. The current mayor received about 10 per cent of castable votes, in other words 90 per cent of you did not vote for him. If you truly want a better Raglan, you ALL have to vote for change. Councils are a reflection of your voting or lack of it. Voting is simple, takes few minutes, a few ticks and drop it back to the library. You’ll thank yourself in years to come. I implore you to vote.
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