18 minute read
The history of Titirangi’s own yacht club
Above: French Bay beach on a crowded sailing day.
Below: Club members building the reclamation at French Bay.
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The thriving sailing club at the bottom of Otitori Bay Road in French Bay, Titirangi has a history that reflects how our city, and community, has developed over the last century.
The origins of organised sailing at French Bay hark back to August 1891, when the Manukau Sailing Club was formed in the bay. Boating and sailing was a huge part of the lives of Aucklanders, both for recreation and for transport. On the Manukau, a wide range of vessels criss-crossed the harbour, ferrying goods and people every day, but the idea of enjoying the water for sport and recreation intensified through the first half of the 20th century.
French Bay Yacht Club itself was founded in 1956, in a small building on the western side of the beach, and, as in many other beach communities around Auckland, it became the heart and soul of its local community. “In those days there was no LynnMall, no cinemas or cafés, few overseas holidays and few other recreational opportunities,” says commodore Allan Geddes. “People sailed. They built boats, looked after them, sailed them, and socialised together at the club before and after sailing. The Club was at the centre of everything for many people, whether sailors or not.”
By 1964 membership hadn’t slowed down, and the sandy beach was getting over-crowded with sailing boats – often to the detriment of bathers. It was clear the club needed more space. Plans were drafted not only for a new club house, but for the reclamation area on the western end of the beach, to provide space for boat storage and rigging.
The princely sum of $15,000 was needed to make it happen and a massive fundraising project ensued: carnivals, sausage sizzles, bottle drives and even building P-Class dinghies to raffle off at shopping centres.
In the end, bottle drives raised the majority of funds and convoys of cars and trailers were often seen travelling through the local area, scrounging for stashes of bottles to collect and return. A loan from the Auckland Harbour Board and a Golden Kiwi Grant topped off the budget, albeit at a reduced level of $11,000.
To get the project across the line, most of the manual work for the build of the clubhouse was done by club members, who spent their weekends and evenings for many months undertaking the backbreaking chores of forming concrete foundations and building retaining walls. Since it reopened – with much fanfare including a circus elephant – French Bay Yacht Club has continued to provide decades of sailing opportunities.
The club has been through its ups and downs, the most notable being around 15 years ago when it was down to just a handful of members and nearly defunct. But just as the volunteers put their backs into building the club from the foundations upwards in the 1960s, volunteers once again put a tremendous amount of energy into fundraising, building membership, maintaining and upgrading the heritage clubhouse, and running sailing events, to bring the club back into focus as a sailing club to be taken seriously and one that is contributing to its community.
“Today, the club remains a volunteer-run sailing club that is at the heart of the Titirangi community. It is still a place where the community – sailors and land lubbers alike – congregate for a wide range of reasons, whether that be sailing, yoga, celebrations or food markets,” says Allan Geddes.
In 2010 it was recognised with a special commendation by Yachting New Zealand for such a successful turnaround and the club is still regarded as one of the most successful ‘grassroots’ sailing clubs in the country, giving all ages the opportunity to hit the water, and even producing occasional national champions!
Sailing fever is high right around New Zealand with the 36th America’s Cup due to be raced in less than 12 months and in French Bay, on any sailing day when the tide is high at the right time of day, you’ll see the deck and reclamation scattered with sailing dinghies, and sailors aged from seven through to 77 in a hive of activity getting ready to enjoy the joy of the Manukau Harbour.
“If you’d like a trip down memory lane, you are very welcome to visit us – our sailing calendar is published on www.frenchbay.org.nz. Come down on a sailing day and say hello,” says Allan.
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Festival Hub (outside the hall) The 2020 Titirangi Festival has a great free music programme featuring lots of activities for kids and families, with the focus well and truly on awesome local music. Here are some highlights:
12 noon till 6.30pm: Saturday, April 4.
A huge variety of free music will be showcased on the Main Stage outside the Titirangi War Memorial Hall starting with Mr Roberelli, a Kids Disco with prizes, a Hula demonstration, and Avondale College young musicians from noon until 3pm.
Park Rd
Indie Waves: 3-4.30pm
This new feature is headlined by local sensations Park Rd whose song Surfer boy paradise has racked up well over 300,000 streams on Spotify. They’ll be joined by Lucky Boy surrounded by lush, experimental and fruity soundscapes and Being whose music has been described as “crushingly tender, open-hearted indie pop” with “clear-eyed lyrics. Come and see what the future music of Aotearoa looks like!”
Being
Lucky Boy
Mango Beach: 4.45 to 5.30pm Legendary musician Phil Toms takes the stage in the Roots/ Latin combo ‘Mango Beach’ . Phil is an inductee into the NZ Music Hall of Fame and former member of classic bands Herbs, Neighbours and Hattie and the Hotshots. In Mango Beach, Phil is joined by top Latin drummer Luis Moreno from Chile and bass player Guy Halpe from Sri Lanka. And for this special show the band will be joined by guest flautist Leonie Clapham. Don’t miss it. Mango Beach
Cat Tunks and her Bona Fide Band: 5.45 to 6.30 To wrap up the afternoon of free entertainment Cat Tunks, a selfdescribed musical gypsy brings her Bona Fide Band to the stage. Cat has performed and recorded in Ireland, Germany, the South Pacific and from Nashville to New York. In the style of big-voiced gals with attitude, one can hear influences from Bonnie Raitt to Etta James and Emmy Lou Harris. Expect country blues wrapped up with a rock’n’roll edge stemming from the band’s thoroughbred West Auckland roots. Yeehah! Cat Tunks
Photo: Giona Bridler
For the kids (of all ages)
There’s a great selection of other things to do around the festival hub:
Food trucks will be serving vegetarian delights, Brooklyn dogs, Gelato ice cream, coffee and more all afternoon.
The Te Uru Art trail will engage young kids and old to make a mask or a musical instrument.
For the first time we have the ‘Hands on Creatures’ team with exotic insects, spiders and animals for an up-close experience with the animal kingdom.
The ‘Silent Disco’ is always a hit and the discs will be spinning all day. Ngaire will offering Face-painting till 4pm and look out for the Kids dance-off on the main stage at 12.45 and maybe you could win a prize! Photo: Giona Bridler
Photo: Giona Bridler
Around the Hub We’re very lucky to have support again from the Playcentre and Community house and the Titirangi Library whigh will again be running a free music programme from 12 till 4pm with a selection of young musicians (Green Bay High School), The Fringe ukes and lots more.
So come and join the party all day before catching one of the evening performances.
Special Workshop with Classical Indian music master Pt Salil Bhatt Titirangi Theatre, Saturday April 4, 11.30am-12.30pm Performing before his concert in the central city the same night, global Indian musician Pt Salil Bhatt presents a workshop as part of our festival. Part performance and part informative discussion Salil will demonstrate his unique instrument the ‘Satvik Veena’ (or Indian slide guitar), discussing how it fits into classical Indian music tradition. Salil (pictured right) is the son of Grammy winner Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and this will be a must for anyone interested in world and Indian music.
Ticket and booking information: www.titirangifestival.co.nz
423 Titirangi Rd Tel: 817 8011
In the heart of the village 402a Titirangi Road,Titirangi Village Ph: 09 817-9937 www.tonicspa.co.nz
PROUD SPONSOR
locals supporting ^ locals more Opening soon in Blockhouse Bay
You might recognise this building in the Bay. We’re happy to give a new lease of life to the old Senior Citizen’s hall on the corner of Blockhouse Bay Road and Exminster Street. Our new office fit out is well underway and we are looking forward to opening next month and helping you with your real estate needs.
In the Theatre Festival Director, David Parker, says the Theatre programme is designed for those who are interested in exploring something new in music, a genre defying mixture of music, theatre and poetry. Expect to be surprised, stimulated, enthralled and entertained.
Sounds interesting! Titirangi Theatre April 3, 8pm-late Featuring Freaky Meat, Sally Stockwell and Kingsley Spargo Freaky Meat – Locally revered, this combo combines the elements of jazz, funk, rock, and a little bit of metal, with beat-speak styles. It’s freaky, it’s meaty, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
Sally Stockwell – weaving songs, poetry, soundscape, story and movement into a dynamic and heartfelt delivery. ‘A thoroughly engaging artist with the spirit of a genuine songwriter,’ writes Graham Reid.
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Proud to be supporting the Titirangi Festival of Music again this year.
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Kingsley Spargo – A top draw band performing sublime, atmospheric music from their recent album Chasing Spirits - featuring Kingsley, Neil Watson, Chris Orange and the incomparable Alan Brown. Their sound palette aims to captivate and confront. Come on the journey!
Ticket and booking information at www.titirangifestival.co.nz
Sounds interesting! Titirangi Theatre April 4, 8pm-late Featuring Andrew Fagan and the People, Bernie Griffin with Kirsten Warner and Snapper and Chips
Fagan’s career spans over 40 years, from his time as frontman of punk rock group The Ambitious Vegetables and new wave group The Mockers to his ongoing solo career. Returning with gleeful lyrical antagonism and emotional insight, one of the pioneers of kiwi new wave presents his new album Act Normal as Andrew Fagan and The People.
Bernie Griffen, the godfather of roughhouse folk, never steps far from the blues. Kirsten Warner is a member of Bernie’s swinging, groovy, bluesy, swamp-folk, psychedelic, country band The Thin Men. They perform together here as a duo, singing their own songs and some classic folk-country covers, expressing the music with the wonder of a close musical partnership. Snapper and Chips – a local legend comes in from out-back Laingholm to present his new incarnation as a banjo-thrashing captain, together with compadres Sandy on guitar, Shelley on Bass, Darryn on guitar and Mandy on vocals. Anyone who has witnessed Snapper’s performances with the Nukes and elsewhere will know to expect the unexpected.
Ticket and booking information at www. titirangifestival.co.nz
Proudly Supporting our Local Community
The merged practices of Thomas & Co Lawyers Ltd and Titirangi Law Centre are proud to continue their sponsorship of the Titirangi Festival of Music. Ray Ganda and Don Thomas have years of experience working in the Titirangi and New Lynn areas and are committed to the community. We can help you with: PROPERTY: Residential Property, Commercial Property, Leases, Subdivisions BUSINESS: Business Sales, Purchase, Company Incorporation, Partnerships, Leases, Employment PERSONAL: Trusts, Wills, Matrimonial, Relationship Property, Family, Parenting, Custody, Powers of Attorney
2nd Floor, 3 Totara Avenue, New Lynn (09) 827 5907 www.thomas.co.nz
Event organisers: Do you have an upcoming event you’d like listed in The Fringe? Send the details, including a contact person and number, to info@fringemedia.co.nz. Readers: While we take care to ensure listings are correct, errors may occur. Check with the contact person wherever possible.
w – 1, The Future of our Kids – nuclear testing is too often interpreted through a historic lens: this exhibition re-orients our focus towards present and future actions; Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road, Phone 817 8087. w – 15, Recent paintings by Zeke Wolf; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha. Phone 812 8029, www. westcoastgallery.co.nz. w – April 5, Paint etc., a group show featuring the work of artists who challenge the notion of traditional painting. Corban Estate Arts Centre. Phone 838 4455. w – April 5, In The Flesh, succulent photo-montages by Megan Archer depicting human bodies digitally manipulated into near-abstract forms; Corban Estate Arts Centre. Phone 838 4455. w – May 17, Listening, twitching. Nicola Farquhar’s work examines what it is to be human in a time of ecological crisis; Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi. Phone 817 8087. w – May 17, 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, a series of performances by New York-based artist Sarah Cameron Sunde. It is a radical call to reconsider our relationship with water; Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi; Phone 817 8087. w 1, Pony Rides, Huia Road Horse Club; 436B Huia march
Road, Laingholm; 3-4pm; $5 per child per ride. Phone 027 499 1732. w 4 and 18, PowerTalk Waitâkere can help you speak publicly with confidence: New Lynn Community Centre, 45 Totara Avenue, New Lynn; 7.30pm. Phone Sheridan on 828 7999 or 027 282 8799. w 5, Flicks presents SEAWEEK SPECIAL: The Shark Feeders and Aotearoa – Land of Ice and Fire, plus shorts in a 75-minute programme, with a Q&A presented by film-maker Robin Kewell; Seminar Room, 1st floor, Lopdell House; 10.30am, 1.30pm, 4pm and 6pm. Free. Full details at flickscinema.weebly.com w 6, West Auckland Men’s Rebus Club, guest speaker and morning tea; Kelston Community Centre, Corner Great North and Awaroa Roads; 9.30-11.30am. Phone Roger 834 7945. w 6, Art Spark presents Painting Abstractions, an artist talk featuring Philippa Blair, Nicola Farquhar and Stella Corkery; Green Bay Community House, Barron Drive, Green Bay; 7pm; Free. w 7 – May 31, Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand art, the first comprehensive Theo Schoon exhibition in decades; Te Uru, 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi; Phone 817 8087. w 8, Flicks presents an International Women’s Day special: The Women's Adventure Film Tour; Seminar Room, 1st floor, Lopdell House; 6pm through to 8pm; Tickets $20, including refreshments, from eventfinda. co.nz. Early booking advised as tickets are limited. Text bookings to 0210 222 5558. Full details at flickscinema. weebly.com. w 10, West Auckland Historical Society Family History Group meeting; Henderson Central Library West Auckland Research Centre; 10-11.30am. Phone Gary Snow 832 5098, 021 618 434 or email gary@snofam.co.nz. w 13, Ladies’ Probus Club, fellowship, fun, speakers, and a monthly day trip; St John’s Hall, Te Atatū South; 9.45am-Noon. Phone Betty 09 832 0484. w 14, Titirangi Folk Music Club presents Martin Pearson, floor singers in first half; Titirangi Beach Hall, bottom of Titirangi Beach Road; 8pm; $12 or $8 for members; www.titirangilivemusic.co.nz. w 17, SeniorNet West Auckland, speaker, morning tea and chatting about computers; Kelston Community Centre; 10am. Phone June 021 179 3635. w 19, Waitakere Grey Power General Meeting with guest speakers from Ryman Healthcare; Te Atatu South Community Centre, 247 Edmonton Rd, Te Atatu South; 1.30pm. Phone Mate Marinovich 838 5207. w 19, Waitakere Forest & Bird Lecture Series with Professor Roger Davies, Professor of Climate Physics at the University of Auckland provides an overview of the science behind climate change; Kelston Community Centre, corner Awaroa and Great North Roads; 7:30pm; Koha appreciated. Phone Liz 027 476 2732 or email lizanstey@hotmail.com. w 20, Art Spark presents Repeating Cycles, an artist talk featuring Kathy Barry, Tracey Tawhiao and Sarah Munro; Green Bay Community House, Barron Drive, Green Bay; 7pm; Free. w 21, Lions Club Book Club Hall, 3063 Great North Road, New Lynn; 8am-4pm. Sale; New Lynn Friendship Phone Mary 027 487 0639. w 21 – April 19, Rita Konig – sculpture; West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha. Phone 812 8029, www. westcoastgallery.co.nz.
Coming up in
ANNUAL MARCH CLEARANCE SALE
Our April issue will be the last opportunity for sponsors and supporters of the Titirangi Festival of Music to promote their commitment to our community ... April will also see the first hint of autumn and many local residents and readers will be thinking about how they will warm their homes this winter ...
To be part of these features and be seen by up to 70,000 people, contact The Fringe at 817 8024 or 027 494 0700 or email info@fringemedia.co.nz.
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Your Local MPs
Hon Carmel Sepuloni MP for Kelston
Kelston Electorate Office
200C West Coast Road, Glen Eden 09 818 4131 kelston.eo@parliament.govt.nz /CarmelSepuloniLabour @CarmelSepuloni
Dr Deborah Russell MP for New Lynn
New Lynn Electorate Office 1885 Great North Rd, Avondale 09 820 6245 newlynnmp@parliament.govt.nz /DeborahRussellLabour @beefaerie
w 24, Titirangi U3A – meet interesting people 60-years and older; West Lynn Garden, 73 Parker Avenue, New Lynn; 1pm; gold coin. Contact 818 8890, 027 699 5480 or heathertanguay@slingshot.co.nz. w 25, Flicks presents PAVAROTTI, a special screening of this wonderful tribute to a remarkable man; Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell House; Doors/bar open 7pm, film starts 7.30pm; Tickets $15 / $12 from eventfinda.co.nz and on door (if not sold out), text bookings to 0210 222 5558. Full details at flickscinema.weebly.com. w 27, The Combined Probus Club of Glen Eden, fellowship, speakers, monthly trips; Ceramco Park Function Centre, 120 Glendale Road, Kaurilands; 10-11.30am. Phone Brian Holt 838 5857. w 27, Titirangi Folk Music Club presents Friday Folk and Jam, an informal singaround; Titirangi Beach Hall, bottom of Titirangi Beach Road; 7.30pm; $5. www. titirangilivemusic.co.nz or text Cathy on 021 207 7289. w 28, Kids Art and Writers Festival with art and writing activities, a story corner, cake stall, sausage sizzle; Green Bay Community House, Barron Drive, Green Bay; 11am – 3 pm; Free. Email Melanie on greenbaywriters@gmail. com. w 29, Titirangi Village Market: art, craft, produce and music; Titirangi War Memorial Hall; 10am-2pm. Contact Tess on tvm.manager@gmail.com or phone 022 631 9436.
There is so much happening in and around our community, including many weekly events, that we can’t fit everything into these listings. To find out more about whatever you are interested in, visit: www.fringemedia.co.nz/ourplace
• Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mount Lebanon Lane, Henderson; 10am–4.30pm daily. 838 4455. • EcoMatters Environment Trust, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn; Wednesday – Sunday 10am-2pm. 826 4276, info@ecomatters. org.nz. • Flicks cinema, Lopdell House Theatre. 818 2489, www.flickscinema.weebly.com. • Kelston Community Centre, corner of Awaroa and Great North Roads, Kelston. • McCahon House Museum, 67 Otitori Bay Rd; Wednesday – Sunday, 1-4pm, except public holidays. 817 6148, mccahon@ mccahonhouse.org.nz. • Playhouse Theatre, 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden. 818 5751. • Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery, 420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi; 10am–4.30pm daily. 817 8087, info@ teuru.org.nz. • Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell House Theatre; Titirangi. 817 5812, infoline 817 5951, www.titirangitheatre.co.nz. • Upstairs Gallery, Level 1, Lopdell House; 10am–4.30pm daily. 817 4278, www. upstairs.org.nz. • West Coast Gallery, Seaview Road, Piha; Wednesday – Sunday, 10am–4pm. 812 8029, www. westcoastgallery.co.nz.
