Best of Times - Summer 2011 by Jay Tweedie

Best of Times Vol 3 Issue 2, Summer 2011

Active living in later life

Romance with ROVER The truth about

PHAR LAP

IN The Summer issue

Health, Gardening, Nutrition

full of life to the end Growing up in MORRINSVILLE $4.95 | Free to all RVA member village residents

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Editor: alex Staines Advertising: belle hanrahan, Tracy Johnson Art director: barbara la Grange General manager/publisher: (aPn educational media) bronwen wilkins Writers: eion Scarrow, Kieran hughes, meryl Kirkham, Gerry morris, Kathryn warwick, catherine Gollan Stock images: Thinkstock Phone: 04 471 1600 Fax: 04 471 1080 Web: www.apn-ed.co.nz/ page/best-of-times.aspx

Published by aPn educational media, a division of aPn national Publishing nZ Limited. Level 1, Saatchi & Saatchi building, 101-103 courtenay Place, Po box 200, wellington 6140 iSSn: 1179-3252 copyright © 2011. all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. errors and omissions whilst the publishers have attempted to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be accepted by the publishers for any errors or omissions.

terms and conditions 1. entry into our competitions conﬁrms your acceptance of our terms and conditions. 2. entry is open to new Zealand residents only. 3. best of Times takes no responsibility for lost, stolen, misdirected or incomplete entries. The publisher’s decision is ﬁnal and no correspondence will be entered into. 4. by accepting this prize the winner consents to the publisher using his/her details for promotional use. 5. The prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash. 6. all entries become the property of the publisher.

Contents 2 3 4 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 18

Desk duty – rVa’s John collyns

Letters, be ready, ﬁlm peek, aged-care stoush Life & times – Dreams of ﬁelds: growing up in morrinsville Leisurely pace – French games, warm up, sunsmart nutrition & food – Fresh is best health & care – Full of life to the end; stresses and strains book reviews – biographies of people and trees Yesteryear – brief history of bling engine room – The romance with rover cars Taking the reins – The truth about Phar Lap Past lives – Two iconic characters Gardening with the Scarrows – food plants extravaganza Puzzles

From The Editor Alex Staines WELL, IT’S OFFICIAL – over-65s are resilient and energetic in the face of adversity. A university researcher happened to be studying “environmental influences on active ageing” when the major earthquakes struck Christchurch, and more than 350 research ‘subjects’ with an average age of 77 kept diaries during the crisis. The researcher said the diaries revealed that, “Rather than being a post-disaster burden, older people in our communities appeared to be a significant resource in the immediate aftermath and in the weeks following. As a society, we are quick to forget that older adults have a lifetime of experiences, including exposure to previous disasters, which often help them cope much better than younger adults in a crisis.” In this Summer issue, RVA executive director John Collyns examines Code of Practice issues in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes, and we look at what people can do to ready themselves for emergencies. On the healthcare pages, we talk frankly about planning for end of life, we visit a hospice, are amazed by butterflies, and look at a way to soothe body stresses and strains. We want to celebrate life and Summer, so there are stories covering outdoor games, fresh food and mini-greens, gardening, and for those who like speed: old English cars and some interesting home truths about Phar Lap. And we have dreams of Waikato fields. Summer’s also a great time for more sedate pursuits, and we talk books – there’s a page of book reviews, especially one of a brilliant new book on New Zealand trees, that’s subtitled “stories of beauty and character”. Not to mention resilience! The Election’s coming up and the various parties are after your vote. Two major players in the aged-care scene: the New Zealand Aged Care Association and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, faced off in Wellington on 11th November (in shorthand the somewhat freaky 11/11/11) and the results are over the page. Finally, I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and New Year. * Corrigendum: In the Spring issue, the picture of Peter Hanson hurdling on page 16 was taken by Gary Nesbit of Nesport Photography. Vol 3 issue 2, Summer 2011 1

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2 Best of Times

In the last issue of Best of Times I noted that the Retirement Villages Association had commenced a review of sections in the Retirement Villages Code of Practice that appeared deficient following the Christchurch earthquakes. At that time we were in the middle of the consultation period with our members so it wasn’t appropriate to write too much about what we had identified, but since then the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) and the Retirement Commissioner have released their own variation paper on the Code, which includes our suggested wording as part of the consultation. The Association of Residents of Retirement Villages [see their letter on this page – Ed] has also proposed some wording, especially around the repayment of a resident’s capital sum should a village be destroyed and not rebuilt. The RVA decided it was important for the industry to show leadership in this matter, and we stated very publicly that should an unfortunate event occur, residents should be repaid their full capital sum without any deductions. It was important, we felt, to ensure that residents were treated fairly. Repaying the capital sum would be a known amount on which residents could rely. There are a number of other options included in the DBH discussion paper. We are reviewing our response to these, and we encourage everyone with an interest in retirement villages to take part in this discussion. It is also worth noting that the RVA supports residents’ associations, provided they have a mandate from and accountability to their constituents. We have met with the Auckland, Waikato and Wellington associations on several occasions and hope the discussions have been useful for everyone concerned. We certainly don’t have an ‘us and them’ approach, because at heart we all share the same objective – to make sure retirement village living is the best it can be. We were delighted to work with the residents’ associations on a common approach to the Securities Trustees and Statutory Supervisors Bill, for example.

Compliance costs

Also in the last issue of Best of Times I noted that the Minister had announced a reduction in the annual registration fees paid by retirement villages to the Registrar. This was indeed a welcome move and was entirely due to the RVA’s lobbying. Another component of compliance costs lies around the degree of financial reporting villages must make. As all registered retirement villages are deemed to be “issuers”, they must comply with the same level of financial reporting as listed companies, banks and other financial institutions. For villages that are listed companies, this is part of the cost of business, but for all other villages – especially small not-for-profits – the cost of compliance can run to many thousands of dollars. We were pleased, then, to see that the definition of “issuer” as far as retirement villages are concerned will be amended in the Securities Law Reform Bill introduced to Parliament just before the House rises for the Election. Furthermore, the External Reporting Board (XRB) has issued a discussion paper which, if carried through, will see a significant reduction in compliance costs for villages in this area. We are running a forum on this topic in November to reach a consensus on how we should approach the XRB’s discussion paper. And lastly, while on the subject of compliance costs, we have been talking with officials at the Financial Markets Authority, which is responsible for implementing the Securities Trustees and Statutory Supervisors Act, with the objective of minimising potential additional costs for our statutory supervisors resulting from the implementation of this Act. Time will tell how successful we’ve been! – John Collyns, Executive director, Retirement Villages Association www.rva.org.nz

Best of snippets rumble in the (concrete) jungle

Be ready natural disasters can strike at any time. certain areas are more prone to natural disasters than others. new Zealand is particularly prone to earthquakes, floods and storm events including tornadoes. Your retirement village will have plans in place to respond to disasters, and there are things you can do to prepare yourself for an emergency. an informative and practical guide to help you get ready and get through emergency situations has been published by Penguin books: are you ready?, by John Lockyer. The list below is from page 29.

as Joe Frazier, the legendary heavyweight boxing champ, leaves us for the big ring in the Sky, a stoush between two heavyweights of new Zealand aged care was staged in wellington on 11 november at a neutral venue (St andrews on The Terrace). The match-up was refereed by andrew campbell. rob haultain of the new Zealand nurses organisation got in the ring with the ceo of the new Zealand aged care association, martin Taylor, to fight over the issue of quality versus quantity in aged care. with the election just around the corner, both sides were keen to push their political agendas. Taylor used evidence – the lack of complaints – to back his claim that there is no crisis in the quality of aged care. The real crisis, said Taylor, is the lack of beds to accommodate the predicted “grey tsunami” set to overwhelm the sector. more funding would be urgently required. haultain led with an emotive plea for better pay, training and working conditions for healthcare workers in the aged-care sector, though her arguments lacked evidential sting in their punches. The vocal audience was in haultain’s corner, to her benefit. Points decision to Taylor and the nZaca. – from report by Education review editor Jude Barback

Your basic disaster supplies kit » »

» » » »

» » » » » » »

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Three days’ supply of nonperishable food Three days’ supply of water – three litres per person, per day Portable, battery-operated radio with spare batteries Torch with extra batteries First-aid kit Sanitation/hygiene items, such as moist wipes and toilet paper Large, strong rubbish bags (for a temporary toilet) matches in a waterproof container whistle basic kitchen utensils including can opener copies of important documents cash Special needs items, such as medications, eye glasses, contact lens solutions and hearing-aid batteries alternative cooking means Spare bedding and warm clothing, especially if you live in a cold climate.

Tony barry and John bach in rest for the wicked.

oldies star in new ﬂick “inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.” Locally-made comedy thriller rest for the wicked opens in selected cinemas around the country on 24 november. it’s about a former cop, played by Tony barry, who has to go deep undercover inside a retirement village in a last-ditch attempt to nab the one that got away – his ageing criminal nemesis, Frank, played by John bach. The film also stars a swag of Kiwi screen legends, including ilona rogers, irene wood, elizabeth mcrae, bruce allpress and ian mune.

LEttErS To The eDiTor mrS iVY maY hoLT, a resident at ashwood Park village in Springlands, blenheim, is a fan of best of Times and also of the recently won rugby world cup. ivy may wrote to say she was chatting to a man who dropped into her local hairdresser with his four-month-old baby when she was there for a shampoo and blow wave. They talked about the rugby, and the man lifted the baby’s tee-shirt to reveal a miniature all blacks shirt. Thanks for the letter, ivy may. no doubt you enjoyed the nail-biting final, and the all blacks’ great victory.

About the Association of residents of retirement Villages (ArrV)

with all the ongoing problems with the retirement Villages act covering residents and intending residents of retirement villages, the government of the day were forced to rewrite the code of Practice due to the judicial inquiry (instigated by the rVa) declaring the existing code “invalid”. a report in consumer magazine in 2007 highlighted the need for an organisation to care for the rightful needs of all residents, and during 2008 small residents’ groups tried to contact all retirement villages. From that, in 2008/09, associations were formed in auckland, wellington and christchurch. other areas (waikato, bay of Plenty and hawke’s bay) have followed. The earthquakes in christchurch have highlighted the significance of clause 22.7 in our occupation right agreement, which relates to the termination of contracts. During a rewrite of the code in 2008, this clause was mysteriously removed, and no-one will accept responsibility for the removal. For the past few years, a resident in Kapiti has been diligently studying the law and the retirement Villages act and, after the events in christchurch – which have been described by many, including the operators, as “an unacceptable situation” – has organised a petition advocating a variation to clause 22.7. more than 3700 people signed this petition in support of urgent change and a suggested rewrite of clause 22.7. This petition was accepted by the committee of the arrV. i think the growth of the arrV is important. all villages should appoint a spokesperson and all residents should become paid-up members of our association for a nominal fee – of say $2.00 annually per person – and all regional associations should become affiliated to a national association. Then a professional representative could put our case to appropriate groups in wellington on behalf of thousands of residents and not just a few. collectively, we win. – Brian duncan, rotorua [abridged – ed]

TALK TO US we love letters and give prizes for really good ones! we also welcome ideas, complaints, compliments, images, stories. Go on, get in touch with the editor: by mail to best of Times, Po box 200, wellington 6140; by email to editor@bestoftimes.co.nz; or give him a ring on direct dial, ph: 04 915 9787 aDVerTiSe wiTh uS – ph: 04 915 9793 SubScribe To uS – ph: 04 916 4807 Vol 3 issue 2, Summer 2011 3

LifE & tiMES big events, memorable places, key people

dreams of ﬁelds wellington café owner Kieran huGheS reminisces about growing up in the small waikato town of morrinsville.

’m remembering sprawling dairy farms, cow paddocks, quarter-acre sections, the recreation ground, Campbell Park and St Joseph’s Convent. My dream places as a child. In the middle of the Waikato – 20 miles to everywhere: Cambridge, Hamilton, Matamata, Paeroa. One dream is about polo. The excitement of going to this mysterious and spectacular game at the Morrinsville recreation ground. Four mounted players on each team, going hell for leather on the biggest area of field of any sport. It was played by farmers. There were the Watsons from Cambridge. Tangiteroria, from up north, was made up of four Taylor brothers. Waimai was the Boyds; Kihikihi the Kays. The Saville Cup was awarded to the country’s best polo team, and Morrinsville won it a few times. The team in those days had Kenny Browne, who of course became a legendary trainer of steeplechase horses in partnership with his wife Anne. He always had the fastest polo ponies. Gordon Spence, a lad about town. The Clarkins. Paul Clarkin, like Tony Devich, went to work for Prince Charles – to look after his ponies. There was always a picnic too. We’d sit on a rug under the trees, eating sandwiches. We had binoculars to watch the polo. I’ve still got them. We got to know all about polo. I used to collect the chipped wooden polo balls and broken mallets from the edge of the field. Dad would fix up a mallet and put a strap on it, and I would charge around the garden on my trike, being Gordon Spence. Back in Ireland they wouldn’t know what polo was, although there’s a connection with horses through my father’s people. My father Brendan was born in the Fane Valley, near Dundalk in Ireland in 1923. Two of his brothers and his father were bookies. Brendan came to New Zealand for a new life, for the opportunity. He came out after meeting Phyllis Ward in Oxford and getting married. Phyllis was English, born at Westcliff on Sea, but her mother Katherine was based in Auckland. It was after the war and there was a minimal fare to New Zealand, so they jumped on a boat with their first daughter Geraldine. Brendan’s first job was working at Milne & Choyce department store in Remuera with his brother-in-law Max Kenning. I was born in 1960. Then Dad got a job as manager of Hannahs in Papakura. That’s where my other sister Fiona was born in 1961.

4 Best of Times

Brendan hughes at his shoe stall at the Morrinsville A&p Show, mid-’60s.

“I remember walking to school on a crisp, clear winter’s morning and skidding in the frost on the grass verge. Looking back and seeing the twin tracks dark through the white of the frost.” Then we moved to Morrinsville in 1963. Dad had saved a bit of money, but not enough to buy a business, so Gran helped out. He was able to buy a shop in Morrinsville’s main street. He called it ‘Hughes for Shoes’ and ran it for the rest of his working life. Every year, in the height of summer, the Morrinsville A&P Show was held at the recreation ground. Among all the agricultural activity, Dad had a shoe stall and he was the only retailer there (see photo). The Chamber of Commerce ran a competition for the best float at the show. The winner took part in the Grand Parade through Morrinsville, along with all the prizewinning bulls. And one year Dad won it. He had a giant high-heeled, pink woman’s shoe mounted on the back of a trailer. Around the edges it was thick with hydrangeas. In the heel of the shoe was a seat for Janice Gill, who worked in Brendan’s shop. She was dressed like a princess. The streets were lined with people, waving. Dad also had a giant man’s Hush Puppy

shoe, size 32, which I’ve still got. Every now and then he’d put it in the shop window with a price tag on it. We used to kill ourselves laughing at people’s reactions to it. Another dream is about football. Dad and Martin van der Vorle set up the Morrinsville Football Club’s premises at the recreation ground. Martin’s son Paul was my best mate. Tragically, Paul was killed in a car accident when he was 17. Like every other kid in rural New Zealand, I started off playing rugby. But I just loved soccer for some reason and wanted to play it. I remember reading soccer comics like Billy’s Boots and Roy of the Rovers. A lot of the text was in dialects like Geordie, so you couldn’t really understand it, but you got the gist. I played under-14s and then for the Morrinsville seniors. Later I played in Hamilton, when I went to St John’s College. The other thing was the church. Dad was a devout Roman Catholic. Mum got right into it too. Prayer meetings, people in the house speaking in tongues. She was a musician – she studied at the Royal College of Music in England and played the organ in church. The church and school were joined – St Joseph’s. We lived across the road from the school. Sometimes Dad would say, “I’m going to the six o’clock mass up at the convent tomorrow morning. Want to come?” I’d go along, to this tiny wee chapel. The nuns who were at the mass were my teachers at school. The thing about Mum was she loved helping people. She got involved with all sorts of societies. She taught some Vietnamese immigrant children English and they spoke it with her Oxford accent. Mum and Dad are buried side by side in Morrinsville cemetery. □

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LEiSurELY pACE French games, warm up, be sunsmart

EXErCiSE wArM-upS for SEniorS Personal trainer KaThrYn warwicK gives some hints on how to warm up before games.

Croquet, anyone?

The Game oF croQueT can be genteel and recreational or a fiercely competitive sport, depending on the occasion or the disposition of the participants. it can be played by between two and six players on any stretch of reasonably level terrain. The croquet set consists of two stakes, nine hoops, and a couple of mallets and balls. The object of the game is to pass a ball through all nine hoops. The basic rules are simple. it’s an ideal game to while away a lazy afternoon. croquet has a long history. it began indoors in France in the 14th century, when it was known as “paille-maille”. it crossed the channel and became very popular; charles ii loved paille-maille and played it in St James Park, and a nearby road, Pall mall, was named after it. The name “croquet” – after the crooked stick used to hit the balls – was coined by a French doctor who recommended the game to his patients, and the name stuck. croquet as a sport enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the british empire – not least because the game could be played by both sexes – until it was supplanted by tennis in the late 19th century. The form of the game most people will know and play is association croquet. There is also an increasingly popular shorter version of the game called golf croquet, and gateball is the Japanese team game alternative. There are more than 100 clubs affiliated to 20 associations, representing over 3000 players in new Zealand, according to croquet new Zealand, the national organisation. as well as club-level games, there are regular world championships and international matches between croquet-playing countries. The strongest croquet nations are england, new Zealand, australia and the uS.

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beFore You VenTure out for a game of croquet or pétanque, try these gentle stretches and exercises to warm up the body and prepare your muscles for activity: » Sitting upright with good posture, start by looking to the left and hold for five to 10 seconds, then look to the right and hold for the same length of time, then back to the starting position. » now drop your chin down to your chest and hold for five to 10 seconds, then turn your head slightly as if you are looking under your armpit, then to the other side and hold for the same length of time, then back to the starting position. » now roll your shoulders backwards in a circular motion five times, then forwards five times. » reach forward with both arms, holding hands, pulling your shoulder blades apart for five to 10 seconds, then reach behind you with both arms, holding hands, and squeeze your shoulders back and down for five to 10 seconds. » while still seated with good posture, extend one leg to full extension and hold for five to 10 seconds, then repeat for the same length of time for the other leg. » now stand up and reach up with both hands and rise up on tip-toes, then back to the seated position and repeat five to 10 times. » after stretching, if you have access to a stationary bike, warm up at a light pace for five to 10 minutes, otherwise – weather permitting! – go for a fast walk around the village or around the block. Then you should be ready for action. » Just a reminder – if you have any concerns about your health connected with undertaking physical activity, check in with your healthcare professional beforehand.

Taking to the piste

Be ‘sunsmart’

it’s great to be outdoors in the fine summer weather, but remember, exposure to the sun can be dangerous. the Cancer Society and SunSmart say skin cancer is largely preventable by being ‘sunsmart’ during the hotter months (between September and April), and especially between 11am and 4pm. the main thing is to avoid getting sunburnt. in the midday summer sun, skin can burn in just 15 minutes, and you can still get sunburnt when it’s cloudy or cool. remember “slip, slop, slap, seek and wrap” when going outdoors. » “Slip” means slip into sun-protective clothing: a shirt with a collar and long sleeves, and trousers or long-legged shorts. » “Slop” means slop on broad spectrum Spf30+ sunscreen lotion 15 minutes before you go outdoors and every two hours thereafter. » “Slap” means slap on a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, head, neck and ears. » “Seek” means seek the shade as often as you can. » “wrap” means wrap on sunglasses that cover your whole eye area; that meet the Australian/new Zealand standard for protecting your eyes. oh, and avoid sunbeds – these can significantly increase the risk of developing skin cancer. for more information, go to: www.sunsmart.org.nz

Many retirement villages have terrains or pistes (courts) on which their residents can enjoy playing another game of French origin, pétanque.The beauty of this game is that it is simple to play, and is very social – it can be an individual or a team game. It involves standing within a circle and throwing hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden jack, called a cochonnet (“piglet”). Points are scored for balls closest to the piglet and the first player to 13 points wins. The modern form of pétanque was developed near Marseille in 1907 by a bowls player who couldn’t run before throwing the ball because of rheumatism. There are world champs and a lively trans-Tasman competition. It’s pleasing to note that the 2011 series against our dear friends from over the ditch resulted in New Zealand retaining both the senior and open trophies. Pétanque New Zealand reports that the open team won “with a clean sweep in the last round”. Superb.

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nutrition & food Eating green and great Christmas cake

Fresh is best

naturopath merYL KirKham writes about the value of eating plenty of fresh, locally-grown, seasonal fruit and vegetables to cleanse, energise and revitalise. meryl has tips on preparing fresh food, and how to grow miniature indoor gardens. hat you put into your body to fuel it w has a significant impact on your physical, mental and emotional health. A diet rich in

buDerim GinGer rich FruiT caKe 230g sultanas 230g raisins, chopped in half 150g currants 250g buderim Glace Ginger 60g finely diced glace cherries 200ml rum (or sherry) 2½ cups plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp mixed spice 250g butter 250g dark brown sugar 6 eggs 60g diced slivered almonds Place the sultanas, raisins, currants, cherries, buderim Glace Ginger and rum (or sherry) in a large container with a lid overnight. Preheat the oven to slow (150°c). carefully grease a deep 19–22cm square cake pan and line with baking paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder and spice. add the flour to the fruit mixture mixing thoroughly until combined thoroughly. in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, and the sugar is dissolved. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gently add the fruit mixture and almonds to the creamed ingredients and mix to combine. Place the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 3 to 3½ hours or until golden brown and cooked through.

fresh foods is the basis of good health. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables helps to increase health, energy and vitality. A diet abundant in these foods has been shown to offer protection against many chronic health problems. The ways we grow, transport, process, store, cook and prepare our food all have an impact on the quality of our food and its health-giving nourishment. Once we would have grown much of our fruit and vegetables ourselves, fresh from the garden and orchard, or grown within our community. We knew where it came from and how it was grown. Our food was mostly fresh, seasonal and organic. In recent times, it has been gratifying to see people embracing the small specialty food outlets and farmers’ markets – valuing the connection with the producers of our foods, buying locally-grown, freshly-produced foods, and sharing food ideas, both old and new. Important nutrients can be destroyed easily through incorrect cooking methods. Boiling destroys many nutrients and minerals, which are lost in the cooking water. Instead, steam, grill or sauté lightly to reduce damage to fresh foods. Use non-aluminium cookware (as aluminium leaches into food). Copper, stainless steel and iron are good, healthy choices. Beware of cooking pots and pans with non-stick coatings such as teflon, as these can generate a harmful chemical compound. Plant enzymes (catalysts for many biochemical reactions happening in our body) and important nutrients are lost during cooking, so remember to eat plenty of raw fruit and vegetables for maximum phytonutrients. If raw produce does not agree with you, then lightly steam or sauté your vegetables. Eating from a spectrum of colours is important to maximise the intake of nutrients. Greens are particularly high in chlorophyll and fibre and contain calcium, betacarotene and vitamin C. Red, white, yellow, orange, blue and purple fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, phytochemicals and antioxidants. These nutrients have a powerful protective action in our bodies, enhancing immune function and disease resistance.

Miniature gardens

The smallest garden, balcony, sunroom or kitchen can provide a space for growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers

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(borage, calendula, nasturtium), and in the tiniest space you can grow microgreens and sprouts. How to grow sprouts. Sprouts are delicious, rich in nutrients and easy to grow. A wide variety of seeds and beans can be sprouted. The most popular ones are mung, alfalfa, adzuki, lentil, chickpea and radish. A delicious, nutritious and colourful combination is mung, adzuki and lentil. Place a tablespoon of seeds in a jar, fill with water and soak overnight. Put gauze or cheese cloth over the top of the jar and secure it with a rubber band (or buy a bean-sprouting jar with lid). Next morning, drain off the water thoroughly, keeping the jar out of direct sunlight. Rinse and drain well, twice daily. Your sprouts will be ready to eat in three to five days, depending on how warm your room is and how mature you like your sprouts. When the sprouts first emerge they are at their sweetest. Put a lid on your jar and your sprouts will keep fresh in the fridge for a week. Microgreens. These are tiny seedlings of vegetables and herbs, larger than sprouts but smaller than salad greens, giving you a mixture of colours, textures and delicate flavours. Nutritionally rich, they contain higher levels of nutrients (as do sprouts) than mature plants. They can be grown on a balcony, window sill, or in a sunlit room. Popular choices are kale, rocket, beetroot, broccoli, radish, snow peas, cress, red cabbage, mustard and clover. To grow: line a tray with 2–3cm of good quality seed-raising soil mix. Sprinkle the seed over the soil and cover with 1cm of additional soil. Keep in a light and well-aired place and moisten the soil daily. Be careful not to overwater. Cut the microgreens when they are about 3–5cm high. Garden greens. A popular salad mix, mesclun gives you a wonderful array of leafy greens. Mesclun takes about four to six weeks to grow from seed to 5–10cm in height, when you can start picking leaves for your salads and sandwiches. Plant a small row or patch in a sunny area with good soil every two months and you will have fresh greens all year round. It is not difficult to make changes to our diet if we take one small step at a time. Don’t make it a burden, but enjoy growing, buying, preparing and eating wonderful, abundant living foods. □ [This is an opinion piece. Anyone with health concerns should consult their healthcare professional.] Vol 3 issue 2, Summer 2011 7

hEALth & CArE end of life care, monarch butterflies, stresses and strains

full of life to the end

it has been said that as a society we worship youth and beauty, but we fail to honour old age, the end of life and bereavement. it’s high time this changed. hospice new Zealand has set itself the goal of starting a public conversation about death and dying. best of Times editor aLeX STaineS went to a hospice in wellington to learn more.

planning for the overseas trip

The ability of modern medicine to diagnose and treat disease has increased dramatically, but our preparedness for death has not. Many doctors encounter death in tragic circumstances, and the public perception of death as violent and messy is influenced by movies and television. More commonly, though, it’s peaceful and very well managed. Most people die after a chronic illness, not suddenly. Perhaps the biggest step we can take is to acknowledge that we need to have the conversation about the end of our lives. Having a good death, like travelling overseas, requires some planning. This should take

place before we reach the stage where we are not able to make decisions for ourselves. Our final destination is certain – depending on our spiritual beliefs – but we can exercise our power of choice over some aspects of how we get there. There is a process called Advance Care Planning, in use in the UK and Australia, which allows people to do just this. It might be described as the travel insurance part of the overseas trip. It is voluntary, and involves setting on record preferences about care and treatment, including an advance decision to refuse treatment in certain circumstances. The plan might name someone to make care decisions in the event that the

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ability to do this one’s self is lost. The plan, which can be revisited and changed by the individual making it, might include funeral arrangements and assign a power of attorney. I spoke with Chris Murphy about Advance Care Planning. Chris works for a hospice, liaising with the community around palliative services. Advance Care Planning can encompass a range of personal care preferences. Chris said, “It’s an advance plan about what you want your care to look like: who you want to be there, who you want to care for you, what you wouldn’t want. It includes the softer questions, like: at the end of your life, what would you like to be happening for you? At the end of your life, where would you like to die? It’s a document in the person’s language. It’s held by the person and in strategic places like with a person’s GP. It’s very good for people with long-term conditions. “Advance Care Planning makes death part of life – makes

it more normal. It helps people avoid ‘crisis planning’,” said Chris. And many of the things people wish for are not major ‘bucket list’ items, but might be small personal touches. People’s expectations can be very achievable. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health has been looking at introducing Advance Care Planning as a standard part of healthcare management at a number of district health boards. “If you have any concerns about your future – not just about health and disability – ask. Don’t be afraid to ask your GP, practice nurse or your village manager for help,” said Chris.

dying easy

The World Health Organization defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment

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mary harmer, who works for Patient and Family Support at Te omanga hospice in Lower hutt, says monarch butterflies winter over in several of the large trees gracing the grounds of the hospice. The reason they cluster together in the same trees year after year is not known. The largest monarch migration in the world arrives in mexico every year on all Souls’ Day and is believed to be the souls of loved ones returning home. – photos copyright Brian harmer

and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual”. One of Chris Murphy’s roles is educating and supporting aged-care facilities, healthcare professionals, nurses and home-based carers so they are competent to help people end their days as comfortably as possible. She has been involved in palliative care for 30 years. Most of her work has been in the community. Chris said professional boundaries should not preclude genuine compassion. “There’s a relationship I can have with someone who is dying that makes a difference to them. People might say ‘it’s not professional to cry’. Dying shouldn’t be normalised to the point where the sadness is taken out of it, because that’s putting up another barrier. How can I not be touched by another person’s sadness or loss?” Hospices have generated a lot of publicity about palliative care, and this has helped reduce people’s fear about how they are going to die. A very high percentage of

people who responded to a recent New Zealand survey about death and dying believed palliative care to be an essential health service. The Liverpool Care Pathway is used widely in New Zealand to focus on the needs of the dying person in the last days or hours of life. This provides best practice guidance for healthcare professionals across all settings on all aspects of care for the person and their family.

Making the most of life

Mary Potter Hospice in Wellington states that their mission is “making the most of life”, to provide the best quality care possible to people living with a terminal illness, and to give their family and friends the support they need. Its approach to terminal illness encompasses physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. Their services are free and available to everyone wherever they may be – home, the 18-bed inpatient facility in Newtown, day units and outpatient clinics. The hospice is partially government funded.

Central to the hospice’s community programme are the specialist medical consultants, palliative care coordinators, district nurses and GPs, who provide care and support enabling people to remain at home for as long as possible. A wider team of health professionals, including counsellors, social workers, occupational therapists and volunteers is available to help people deal with the many issues that arise as a consequence of terminal illness. Hospices are professional caring communities where everyone is supported.

Continuing the conversation

What do we need to talk about to change our attitude to death and dying? The people I spoke with at the hospice said we need to be open to having discussions about this subject; and that we should have an Advance Care Plan, especially if a long-term health condition is involved or, at the very least, have a power of attorney and a funeral plan in place, just in case. And try not to have regrets about life – think about now. Enjoy the ride. □

Stresses &

strains

We talk with CATHERINE GOLLAN, Wellington osteopath. Ageing well is a goal for all, but annoyingly for many of us it is often accompanied by gradually increasing aches, pains and stiffness. The most common problems people experience as they age are either degenerative – resulting from old injuries and trauma or from more recent falls – or from active arthritic conditions. Osteopathy is a form of treatment aimed at releasing these strains and stresses and improving circulation to all parts of the body to augment the way it functions. Osteopaths are trained to assess the mechanics of the whole body. We use detailed knowledge of anatomy and physiology, careful clinical investigations, and our highly trained sense of touch so that we can also use our hands to identify and correct restrictions and tensions. In my practice I am often asked to treat problems, for example, back pain, arthritis in hips and knees, or neck pain and headaches that are steadily worsening to the extent that they are affecting the person’s ability to do what they like doing. Obviously we cannot change any structural degeneration that has occurred, but this is often made worse by soft tissue tension around the joints that have been affected. When we release off these muscles and surrounding tissues, the pressure on the damaged areas is greatly lessened. This can significantly reduce pain, increase mobility and slow down further degeneration. If, however, joint replacement is ultimately needed, post-operative recovery is often quicker because the soft tissues are in better health, and can support the new joint much more quickly and effectively. Our treatment techniques vary considerably from very gentle and subtle soft tissue releases to more robust stretching and mobilising techniques. We can also offer advice on many self-help measures, for example, how to get mobile again, how to strengthen weakened areas, and any food supplements that might be helpful (as not all are!). Most patients enjoy coming for treatment, and it is been a highly satisfying occupation for me over the last 30 years. As osteopaths, we see ourselves as a useful part of the primary care community, and many GPs send us their patients for treatment so they can avoid excessive use of drugs to manage pain. Equally, we refer patients back to their GPs or on for further investigations when we are no longer able to be helpful. □ Vol 3 Issue 2, Summer 2011 9

BooK rEViEwS the Modfather – the Life and times of a rock ’n’ roll pioneer by ray columbus

Published by Penguin books rrP $42.00 reviewed by ian billing The only time I’ve seen Ray Columbus live was as pre-match entertainment for a Super 12 rugby game at Athletic Park. It was a very tidy performance and it piqued my interest in the legendary artist. I got hold of a live recording of ‘She’s a Mod’ from Sydney, taped in 1964, and was dumbfounded: the screaming of the women in the audience was astonishing; the energy amazing. I hadn’t – and still haven’t – heard a crowd reaction like it outside of the Beatles’ live shows from the same era. How the youngster from New Zealand became the focus for that delirium, and how Columbus achieved crossTasman pop success (well deserved, though short-lived) forms the heart of this book. I’m certainly not detracting from his achievements in other areas, including a notable television career, but the blitzkrieg of oestrogen-soaked stardom in the mid1960s across the ditch is too remarkable to be anything other than the main focus. How he got there, how he handled it, and what happened next make for entertaining reading. Hard work, good timing and business nous all played their part. We learn about his early heroes and inspirations – most importantly, his mother – as well as his regrets. Vignettes of life on the road with the Rolling Stones, observing their new manager shape their image, the sometimes-murky workings of the early popular music industry and the lives of the international stars of the day are a bonus. The presentation of Columbus’ career as a series of anecdotes – some in the present tense, some in the past – detracts slightly from the overall enjoyment, but the book is worth the effort. ★★★

Jack duckworth and Me by bill Tarmey

rrP $26.00 Published by Simon & Schuster reviewed by margaret maisie Most readers can be divided into two camps: those who like non-fiction and those who don’t. Similarly, television viewers can be divided by those who watch Coronation Street religiously, and those who haven’t watched since the hairnet days of Minnie Caldwell and Elsie Tanner. I fall into the latter category as both reader and viewer, so reading this book was a leap into unexplored territory. 10 Best of Times

The story of Bill Tarmey’s life, both as a boy and a young man working as an asphalter by day and a singer/compère by night, provoke a rush of memories. Indeed, for those of us born in any English-speaking country during the war years, the scenes have a familiarity which prompts a lazy trip down memory lane. Bill writes about his fellow actors with real warmth and affection. He tells many stories about Coro moments and reminisces about famous actors who have crossed his path. He seems to have maintained a firm grip on real life without becoming egotistical and gives credit to his beloved family and friends for this. Behind-the-scenes revelations are described without a trace of nastiness – just humour and light-hearted fun. Bill takes the reader through Jack Duckworth’s time in Coronation Street along with every character and the actors who played them. I have always wondered what the effects of a long-term character role have on the real person, the actor. Bill and his friend and ghostwriter, Alan Hart, touch on this from time to time during the book. This book is written in an easy, chatty style and has much to recommend it for those who love Coronation Street. True fans will no doubt find it engaging, but you will need to be true devotee to become really absorbed in this account of life on and off the Street. ★★★

trees of new Zealand – Stories of Beauty and Character by Peter Janssen, photographs by mike hollman

Published by hodder moa rrP $69.99 reviewed by alex Staines This large, gorgeous, coffeetable book is a biography of outstanding New Zealand trees. I say “biography” because all the trees in this volume have fascinating life stories, often because of their association with important events and local communities. I spoke with author Peter Janssen, who grew up in Huntly and has spent heaps of time in the bush; he said that he “interviewed the trees”. Peter said his inspiration for the book was a volume written 50 years ago in the UK, called Meetings with Remarkable Trees. Peter

wanted to do a book covering both native and exotic specimens. “New Zealanders really like trees,” said Peter. Tree books tend to outsell bird books by five to one. Ma‒ori didn’t tend to plant trees, but they named the significant ones. Nineteenth century European collectors brought some crazy trees out here because they loved them. Introduced trees tend to grow much faster here than in their native lands. Eventually redwoods here will grow bigger than in California. Peter researched the trees through the Notable Trees Register. And the real gems were local council arborists. “They were really helpful,” said Peter. Many of the trees surrounded old homesteads which have since disappeared. In the Hutt Valley there are remnant specimens from a nursery established in the 1840s, now scattered among suburban properties. They are some of the rarest trees in New Zealand. The individuals represented are the oldest and largest trees – Tane Mahuta, the giant kauri, for example – and also those with histories linked to our own. Janssen and Hollman have done a wonderful job of presenting their portraits. Many of the most famous trees can easily be seen by the public. There’s the 800-year-old pohutukawa, Te Aroha, standing at the place where spirits leap from Cape Reinga on their journey to the underworld; and the Aleppo pine at Taradale Cemetery, grown as a memorial from the seeds of pine trees at Gallipoli. A titoki near Tuamarina is special “for being the centrepiece of tragic and deadly confrontations between Ma-ori and European”. My two personal favourites are the English oak in the grounds of Timaru Boys’ High School, which was presented as a sapling to Jack Lovelock when he won the gold medal for the 1500 metres at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Lovelock gifted the oak to his high school. It is one of only a few of the 129 “Olympic” trees from 1936 to survive. And there’s the Radiata pine near Cromwell that locals saved from the chainsaw because it was associated with generations of romance, marriage proposals and even conceptions. The new owners preserved the tree; and also named their new vineyard “The Wooing Tree”. ★★★★

THE FUTURE OF AGED CARE?

THE FUTURE OF AGED CARE? In the next decade, residential aged care is set to grow at an alarming rate. Some have called it the grey tsunami and, chances are, you will be part of it. Future government funding will determine whether our aged care industry will be able to provide the basic dignity of a single-bed room â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for an old soldier, an ex-teacher, a much loved kaumatua, your mum, your dad and, eventually, you. Unless something is done now, our old people will be sharing three or four to a room â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with little privacy. Is this what you want? We have asked our political parties where they stand on this issue. With an election in November, you should go to www.whocares.org.nz to find their response.

VOTE FOR THE PARTY THAT CARES Authorised by the New Zealand Aged Care Association, Level 8 Petherick Building, 38-42 Waring Taylor Street, Wellington.

Yesteryear The family jewels

People have been making statements of all kinds with jewels since ancient times. Gold, diamonds, rubies and pearls are personal treasures with sentimental as well as wealth value. Here’s a quirky look at the subject...

A brief history of the 19th century and diamond rings only became popular in the US in the 1930s, when breach of promise laws began to be repealed. The first well-documented case of a diamond engagement ring was the betrothal of Archduke Maximilian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.

bling

Keepsake and heirloom

ewellery as a form of personal adornment – from hairpins to toe rings – has been worn by people since prehistoric times. The earliest known items of jewellery are 100,000-year-old sea-snail shell beads, found in Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel in Israel. Jewellery has a number of functions: »» Form of currency or display of wealth. »» Functional use (clasps, pins and buckles). »» Symbolism (Christian crucifixes and wedding rings). »» Protection from evil and disease (amulets, such as the hand-shaped hamsa from Arabic culture, and certain precious stones have been attributed with talismanic powers. For example, topaz cured madness and increased wisdom). »» Artistic display (in the 19th century, the artistic aspect of jewellery began to surpass function and wealth, with the work of masters such as Fabergé and Lalique).

Betrothal rings

The custom of betrothal rings goes back to Roman times, but was not much seen in Europe until the 13th century. Engagement rings weren’t common in the West until 12 Best of Times

Keepsake jewellery is usually highly personal and commemorates life’s special memories, including the death of a loved one. Modern examples are memorial lockets and cremation jewellery. This has a long tradition in the West; mourning or memento jewellery goes back to the Middle Ages and was often quite macabre, incorporating skulls, worms and coffins. Queen Victoria wore a great deal of black jet jewellery after the death of Prince Albert. Items of antique or vintage heirloom jewellery have usually been passed down through generations of family members.

A Kiwi story

During the Great Depression, many working men lost their livelihoods. One family near Alexandra was reduced to living in tents. Their plight was eased by their large cat, which had the ability to tickle trout. A young man from this family went gold panning until he had enough gold to make a wedding band for his fiancée.

Jewellery restoration

Antique jewellery can be repaired and brought back to life. It is advisable to seek professional help with this, as an inferior repair won’t last. Worn rings can be restored or resized, and gemstones, including diamonds, repaired and reset or remounted if they are loose in their settings. This includes repairing or replacing any weak clasps and pins. Gemstones damaged beyond repair can be matched and replaced. Old pieces of jewellery that are no longer worn can even be remodelled into a different style. □

cars, boats & planes that made this country great EnGinE rooM Left: at the annual ‘classic and collectable’ show day, nelson. Photo courtesy of adrian chandler, rover car club of nelson, inc. below: 1950 rover ‘cyclops’ in the wairarapa. Photo: edmund Sheridan.

the romance with rover Rover cars (known to some as “the poor man’s Rolls Royce”) went into production in England in 1904. Before that, Rover made bicycles. Rover, like many other British car makes, experienced a dramatic decline in the latter decades of the 20th century. They hadn’t changed with the times. Britain’s car industry was nationalised in 1975. Rover survived the disastrous Leyland amalgamation, which saw the end of many famous British marques. This was followed by an alliance with Honda, sale to British Aerospace, then takeover by BMW in the early ‘90s, splitting Rover and Land Rover (including Range Rover). Eventually losing its US$6 billion investment in Rover, BMW finally sold the company to the Phoenix Consortium for £10. Then the Chinese got involved, and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation ended up with MG and Rover in a messy deal. MG and Rover cars are now mostly Chinese-built, with a token English operation employing a couple of hundred people. The cars were very popular in New Zealand, especially from the 1950s onwards. Their ‘best of British’ reputation was rewarded with several ‘Car of the Year’ titles in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The iconic, rugged Land Rovers remained a Kiwi rural favourite. Until quite recently, a vehicle in New Zealand might have been driven and maintained – dismantled and rebuilt! – by several generations of one family. Car clubs are for people who love these vehicles and the memories associated with them. For around 100 people across nine collectors’ clubs in New Zealand, Rover cars press all the right, appealing buttons. Each Easter the nine New Zealand Rover clubs attend a national rally at one of their venues throughout New Zealand. Usually around 50 cars arrive for a weekend of

friendly competition in navigation, driving skills, car presentation and of course to enjoy friends’ company. Ernest Clapp feels privileged to have been a member of the Wellington Rover Club for a number of years. During this time he has enjoyed dismantling old Rovers for parts and gaining knowledge of their workings. “Each year we go as a group to the Trentham British Car Day, which is a petrolhead’s paradise,” said Ernest. “We have runs around the lower North Island, visiting private car collections and at the end of the day have a meal together – and you can guess the topic of conversation.” Another enthusiast is retired professor Edmund Sheridan, from Carterton, who has a fine collection of vehicles. He is particularly fond of Rover 75s. The original 148 P3 model retained the pre-war running-boards, large free-standing chromed headlights and sun-roof. In 1950, a new body shape was introduced with recessed headlights, square dials, and a single pass light in the centre of the radiator grille. It was known as ‘Cyclops’. The last ‘75’ appeared some 50 years later as a luxury car with full electronics, heated seats and mirrors and a BMW V6 engine. The Nelson Rover Car Club was formed by 16 enthusiasts in 1978. Its clubrooms, in the grounds of the Pigeon Valley Steam Museum at Wakefield (30km from Nelson), are modelled to be a replica of an early garage, complete with a range of restored, historic petrol pumps and a small museum of early motoring items. Every September the club invites the 35 car clubs from around Nelson to gather at their grounds for a display and social meeting. Around 300 vehicles attend. For more information on Rover car clubs in New Zealand, visit www.rovercars.org.nz □

nelson rover car club clubrooms at wakefield. Photo courtesy of adrian chandler, rover car club of nelson, inc.

Their ‘best of British’ reputation was rewarded with several ‘Car of the Year’ titles in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The iconic, rugged Land Rovers remained a Kiwi rural favourite.

Three generations of rover 75, spanning 50 years. Photo: edmund Sheridan. Vol 3 issue 2, Summer 2011 13

Taking the reins Great horses, horse people

Big Red’s legacy lives on In the shadow of the 2011 Melbourne Cup, Best of Times got together with trustee of the Phar Lap Charitable Trust, GERRY MORRIS, to pay homage to the enduring legend of Phar Lap, New Zealand’s greatest ever racehorse.

Above: Phar Lap departing Queen’s Wharf for San Francisco, December 1931. Below: Sir Patrick Hogan and Des Coppins at the Phar Lap statue unveiling, December 2009. Photos courtesy Gerry Morris, Phar Lap Trust.

14 Best of Times

There is a saying in racing that a racehorse can take several thousand people for a ride at the same time. In Phar Lap’s case, he is still running his race after 80 years. He has taken millions along for the ride in that time, with no sign of the winning post any time soon. Phar Lap, whose name is Sinhalese and means lightning, was the misfit from the backblocks who became champion of the world. Phar Lap was born in 1926 at Seadown near Timaru, a gangly chestnut colt with great promise. But he failed to impress buyers at his first public appearance at the Trentham sales on 24 January, 1928. However, one man wanted him. The instincts of Australian trainer Harry Telford were aroused after he read the colt’s pedigree four generations back from his parentage: Night Raid out of Entreaty. Telford, who was battling financial ruin during the Depression, persuaded his client David Davis to put up 160 guineas ($336) to buy him. Phar Lap left Trentham and was shipped to Australia. Davis was so unimpressed with his looks that he leased him to Telford for three years. Phar Lap went on to gain fame in the Telford Stables colours, recording 37 wins out of 51 starts. These included the 1930 Melbourne Cup and the world’s richest race of its time, the 1932 Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana, Mexico. Other major wins were the Victoria and AJC Derbies and the WS Cox Plate (twice). Drama and controversy surrounded Phar Lap’s career. Criminals tried to shoot him the Saturday before his 1930 Melbourne Cup win. His strapper Tommy Woodcock, Telford, and regular jockey Jim Pike were each offered substantial bribes to ensure he didn’t win. They all refused. The greatness of Phar Lap can be shown in the difficulties he overcame to win the Agua

Caliente. He spent several weeks on board ship to San Francisco. He was then taken 900km by road to Tijuana – described as “boiling hot” – arriving a month before the race. Ten days before the race, he split his hoof and, after treatment, he was fitted with heavy bar shoes for the first time. He was the top-weighted horse, carrying 58.5kg, conceding 4kg and more to some of the best horses in America, and he was racing on dirt for the first time. He had not had a preparatory race. Yet Phar Lap went on to win the Agua Caliente, coming from behind as was his usual practice to win easily by two lengths in a track record time of 2:2.8. Less than three weeks later he was struck down in a San Francisco stable by a mystery illness and died an agonising death from a ruptured stomach on 6 April, 1932. The claim is that the autopsy was badly bungled and the real story about his death has never been told. The present day value of Phar Lap’s earnings has been assessed at AU$15.7 million. Three-time Melbourne Cup winner and leading Australasian stakes winner Maykbe Diva earned AU$14.5 million and Sunline AU$11.3 million on a comparative basis. The champion’s breeder, Alec Roberts, born at Akaroa in 1860, who later married into the famous Moorhouse family of Christchurch, has been a shadowy figure in Phar Lap’s story. The authors of a book published in 2009, Phar Lap: the Untold Story, Graeme Putt and Pat McCord, bring him into the light for readers for the first time. Roberts’ business interests across the South Island brought their own pressures and contributed to a spell in the Seacliff Mental Hospital, where author Janet Frame was another famous patient. In 1919, Roberts purchased the 300 acres at Seadown where the

PAST LIVEs Interesting and iconic characters

champ was born in 1926, as well as a stately home in Park Lane in Timaru. The book has a fuller and more sympathetic image of the trainer, Harry Telford, establishing him as the preeminent figure in producing Phar Lap as the racehorse supreme, rather than strapper Tommy Woodcock or American owner David Davis. Most importantly, the book answers the lingering question of why Telford never accompanied the horse on the fateful American trip, leaving it to his young strapper Woodcock instead. Telford’s daughter took ill in Australia just prior to the horse’s departure from Sydney to Wellington and she died the day after the champ left Wellington for San Francisco. Telford’s family was his bigger need at that time. There has always been contention between New Zealand and Australia as to who has the greater claim on the gentle-natured, bighearted horse who won the affections of two nations. We New Zealanders will always claim the high moral ground because ours is the country of his birth. The champion’s New Zealand heritage played a very important part in his success. Parts of Phar Lap’s dead body are divided between this country and Australia: his skeleton is in Te Papa National Museum, Wellington; his massive heart in a jar in the Australian National Museum, Canberra; and his hide on a model of his body in the Victoria Museum, Melbourne. The rest of him was buried in California, the place of his death. A life-sized bronze statue of the champ with Jim Pike up was unveiled near his birthplace in Timaru in November 2009, and a charitable trust established to recognise this outstanding thoroughbred. □

years later, he was inducted into New Zealand’s Business Hall of Fame. Chong was known to be a generous man, who had a great sense of humour and was outspoken about the need for all children to be educated. “Many people came to love this little Chinese man,” Don Drabble says. The Chew Chong story is one of an array of intriguing past and present Taranaki stories that can be explored on the Puke Ariki website: www.pukeariki.com

James Ashbury

Chew Chong (circa 1903), collection of Puke Ariki, New Plymouth (PHO2004-292).

Chew Chong

One of New Zealand’s most extraordinary characters, Chew Chong was born in 1828 in the village of Hoi Ping in China. After various travels, he moved to New Zealand in 1866, basing himself in Dunedin where he collected scrap metal for export to China. Everything changed for Chew Chong when he discovered an edible fungus, Auricularia polytricha. In 1870, he moved to New Plymouth and began his fungus trade. Eltham historian Don Drabble says Chong travelled the countryside to find the living treasure. “He had a horse and cart, and went from farm to farm selling goods and purchasing fungus.” The fungus, also known as Egmont Gold, was sent to Dunedin. A shipping agent then forwarded it to buyers in California, Australia and China. Among Chinese people the fungus was highly prized for its health-giving properties. It gave many impoverished Taranaki farmers a lifeline too. By the late 1800s, while Chinese gold miners were being vilified in Otago, Chong was a highly successful businessman in Taranaki. He had general stores, butcher shops and fungus depots dotted around the mountain. He was skilled at acupuncture, and offered his services free to the sick during the 1890 influenza epidemic. Also a key figure in helping to develop Taranaki’s dairy industry, he was responsible for producing one of New Zealand’s most enduring food items – the pound of butter – and used refrigerated shipping when sending butter to overseas markets. In 1890, he won a silver cup for producing the best export butter in New Zealand. He was lauded during his lifetime. In 1911, he received a handwritten, illuminated address, signed by 85 of his contemporaries. He was also a family man. In 1875, when he was 48, he married 22year-old Elizabeth Whatton. They had 11 children, though five died in the first few months of their lives. Chong died in 1920, at the age of 92. Nearly 70

Ashbury led a very strange and colourful life. Some of the stories about his existence are apocryphal. For example, was it really true that he gatecrashed the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 by sailing ahead of the royal barge? The son of a powerful Manchester railway and foundry owner, James inherited a fortune that he set about losing. He challenged twice (unsuccessfully) for the America’s Cup in the early 1870s in his yachts Cambria and Livonia. Embittered (he accused the New York Yacht Club of “unfair and unsportsmanlike proceedings”), James emigrated to New Zealand around 1885 and bought Merrivale Station near Otautau in Southland. His farming ventures ran into difficulties, and there were drawn-out court proceedings. James eventually faced bankruptcy and disappeared into obscurity in England. The Taranaki Herald of 6 November 1895 reported that “Mr James Ashbury, a gentleman who a quarter of a century ago was one of the most talked-of men in England and America and also well known throughout New Zealand … died from an overdose of chlorodyne, which he was in the habit of taking as a remedy for sleeplessness.” The story concluded: “A very generous and amiable man, he experienced in a singularly severe manner the contemptible fickleness of the London world.” James Ashbury is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in London. □

Vol 3 Issue 2, Summer 2011 15

GArdEninG with the Scarrows

Food plants

among the trees and shrubs

here will you place your w food plants? Food plants grow best in full sun, in well-

drained soil that contains plenty of humic material, compost and animal manures. Make up your mind right now that that this will be an organic garden. There will be no heavy fertilisers such as superphosphate, and definitely no insecticides that are poisonous to animals and humans. If your site is not as good as it should be, then you can change it to one that will grow everything you desire. First, check your soil. The following little test will confirm whether your soil is badly drained: dig a hole 20cm x 20cm x 20cm deep. Fill it with water and time how long the water takes to drain away. If it takes longer than one minute, you have a drainage problem.

16 Best of Times

I suggest that one way to get around bad drainage is to build beds above the ground, with sides made from railway sleepers or small tree trunks. If their basic needs are met, food plants can be grown anywhere in your garden. Fruit and nut trees can be used as shade trees, and some, such as feijoas or guavas, can be trained into hedges. Use gooseberries or blueberries as low hedges and foundation plantings, or to share border space with ornamental shrubs. Grapes, loganberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, passionfruit, climbing beans, cucumbers and tomatoes can be trained on fences or trellises to provide privacy and shade. Strawberries and creeping herbs can serve as ground cover. Tall vegetables such as sweetcorn, sunflowers and Jerusalem artichoke can form temporary hedges. Small vegetables and

herbs can cluster around shrubs, and move into flower borders. Annual vegetables should be planted around deeper-rooted shrubs that will not be disturbed by temporary plantings. Plants with fibrous, surface-feeding roots cannot tolerate much disturbance. These include azaleas, and planting other plants close around these may put them under stress. Give them room. If you have special areas where food plants are dominant, you can plant annuals and perennials in separate parts of these areas, or, root systems permitting, mix them up.Vegetables and herbs can share their beds with annual and perennial flowers and spring flowering bulbs. If your soil is in good heart, then every time you remove any vegetables, add several handfuls of compost and a few grams of blood and bone. Some shrubs can be clipped as edging plants for geometric beds of food plants. Shrubs that colour in the autumn can back showy autumn vegetables or grow in the shade of fruit trees with vivid autumn leaves. Herbaceous perennials can be grown around fruit trees. Those that tolerate shade – ferns, for example – thrive beneath the branches of fruit and nut trees. Perennial flowers can be mixed with perennial or annual vegetables and herbs. Some perennials have long flowering seasons, which makes them easy to combine with other plants. Spring-flowering bulbs thrive beneath fruit trees, as well as at the base of fruit bushes, fruiting vines and espalier-trained plants. Parsley,

curly kale and leek leaves are a great setting for early snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils and grape hyacinths. Late spring bulbs – irises, lilies and ornamental alliums – are in cheerful contrast to fresh, green-leaf vegetables sown in spring. After spring-flowering bulbs die down in summer, seeds of annual food plants can be sown in the same soil. Try these combinations: strawberries and irises, plum trees and daffodils, sweet cherry and tulips, cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) and crocuses. Annual flowers are extremely versatile. They fill temporary gaps between slow-growing fruit trees and perennial herbs. Many thrive in poor soils and create bright spots of colour in parts of the garden where little else will grow. Annual flowers can be sown at the same time as annual vegetables and herbs and are looked after the same way. Many annual flowers, such as cosmos, godetia, marigold, pansy, salvia, scabiosa, antirrhinum, zinnia and many others, have a long flowering season. Those that bloom in spring and autumn lend bright contrast to cool-weather vegetables. Tall flowers like tithonia and cleome (watch for prickles) grow fast and have a real presence in the garden. Annual-flowering climbing plants can be grown vertically with climbing food plants. Many food plants have abundant foliage, and are useful for hiding the wispy or ugly leaves of some large-flowered annuals. Try these: zucchini squash and zinnia, corn and cleome, parsley and pansies, currant/gooseberry bushes with marigolds. □

WE’RE ALL GOING DIGITAL. What does that mean for you?

Going digital means more channels, better pictures, and new services such as an onscreen programme guide. Digital TV is available from Freeview or Sky, either from a satellite dish or from a UHF aerial. (If you live in Wellington or Christchurch, you can also get digital cable TV from TelstraClear). You don’t need a fancy new telly to go digital, as almost any television can receive digital TV. Going digital means that there will be no more ghosting, snowy pictures or bad sound. It will also mean you can see what’s coming up on the TV at the touch of a button on your remote. So, no matter where you live in New Zealand, you will have great pictures and more channels to choose from. If you have Freeview or Sky, you have already gone digital, so when the old analogue system is switched off in your region, you’ll be fine. If not, you’ll need either a set-top box or a TV with Freeview built-in and the right aerial or satellite dish.

Every TV you want to keep watching, from the one in the spare room to the one in the shed, caravan or holiday home, will have to go digital. It’s the same if you want to keep recording on your video or DVD recorder – it will need its own set-top box to go digital. If recording programmes is important to you, you might want to consider a digital personal video recorder such as MyFreeview or My Sky which are set-top boxes and recorders in one. So, by December 2013, we’ll all be watching digital TV, so ask around with family and friends to make sure everyone knows what’s going on and how they can get the benefits of going digital.

When is your region going digital? 1 DECEMBER 2013 Rest of North Island

30 SEPTEMBER 2012 Hawke’s Bay

30 SEPTEMBER 2012 West Coast

29 SEPTEMBER 2013

Lower North Island and East Coast

28 APRIL 2013

For more information, phone 0800 838 800 or visit www.goingdigital.co.nz

MCH0136BOT

Rest of South Island

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ACROSS 8. Real sad but loyal (4-4) Breeze S 9. Scoop! Give Libyan leader the push! (6) 10. I’m in crash in small car (4) 11. Former school teachers were great painters (3,7) 12. Poachers don’t like a plucky goalie (10) 15. Good man has Leigh providing Safe | Smooth | Functional adroitness of hand for magicians Comfortable & Stylish Features (7) Lockable Storage 17. Stuck around redhead (7) Accessories Available include dual seat 18. Pastime involving Genesis (10) and wide wheels suitable for golf 22. Angus tries modifying autographs (10) 24. Heard to seize bodies of water (4) 25. Noisily chews a pick (6) www.elitescooters.co.nz 26. Lingerie that is exchanged, for news boss who hung around (8) APN Educational Media DOWN 1. Rail-biter can become easily Cryptic 061 blank grid

RIDE A WINNER Safe Mobile Lifestyle

0800 4663 8646

18 Best of Times

• • • •

Media 5 e545.pdf tions - 17/02/2011

R E N O V A T E D

DOWN 1. Star of The Graduate in 1968, Anne ... (8) 2. Entertainer, Rolf ... (6) 3. Alistair MacLean thriller, The Guns Of ... (8) 4. The People’s Republic of Yugoslavia was led by Marshal ... (4) 5. In the Imperial system this equals 66 feet (5) 6. 18-year-old Ken ... won the Australian championships on January 19, 1953 (8) 7. Noel Coward promised, “I’ll ... again; Whenever spring breaks through again” (3,3) 14. According to the proverb, many hands make ... work (5) 17. Popular bedtime drink from 1906 (8) 18. Love and this go together like a horse and carriage (8) 19. February 1914 saw the inauguration of the 900 mile railway line from Lake Tanganyika to Zanzibar’s Dar ... (2,6) 21. Ellery Queen, Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes or Jane Marple (6) 23. Addams Family character, Uncle ... (6) 24. Are You Being Served?’s Mrs Slocombe observed, “There’s my ... to consider” (5) 26. Garden of Creation (4)

oter H summ !

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P E L A R S L

ACROSS 8. Greta Garbo played this WWI spy in the 1931 movie (4,4) 9. “It beats as it sweeps as it cleans” (6) 10. In Sullivan’s Travels, Joel ... plays a movie director (6) 11. Popeye the Sailor’s girlfriend (5,3) 12. Bob Hope sang Buttons And ... (4) 13. The name of Norway’s capital from 1924 (4) 15. Dorothy Parker commented, “Katharine Hepburn runs the ... of emotions from A to B” (5) 16. With the discotheque came this flashing light (6) 18. Controversial Tropic Of Cancer novelist, Henry ... (6) 20. Nickname, officially used after 1939, for the prized Academy Award statuette (5) 22. Popular TV sci-fi series, ... Trek (4) 23. TV’s Daniel Boone star, ... Parker (4) 25. “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, is a rose,” wrote ... Stein (8) 27. Engelbert Humperdinck sang, “Many a tear has to fall; But ... in the game” (2’1,3) 28. My Favourite Things were remembered, “When the dog bites; When the bee ...” (6) 29. Moon touchdown announcement, “Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The ... landed” (5,3)

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 13. 14. 16. 19. 20. 21. 23.

annoyed (9) Cooking instructions: “Pierce and shake” (6) Totally naked when in this? (10) Parody dispatch, to higher place (4-2) Was I actually involving whole continent? (4) Spooner wrote Base Regatta (4,4) Get up early to ﬁnd oyster’s jewel inside (5) Rectifying the situation by putting clothes back on! (10) Restored eggs found in rented premises (9) In ﬂue or creator? (8) Cleric revolution (6) Qantas seldom holds loose threads in a tuft (6) Detective Inspector bashful but handsome (5) Bound to be moderate diet (4)

Get free stuff!

Write your preferred giveaway, your name and address on the back of an envelope and post to: Best of Times Giveaways, PO Box 200, Wellington 6140. Or email: prizes@bestoftimes.co.nz Closing date: January 9th, 2011.

tELL thE tiME in StYLE

Krone pocket watches each worth $220! “It’s the right time with Darell Lea.” Giveaway includes product and supermarket voucher worth $20.

thE MorriSon CoLLECtion

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Buderim Ginger prize pack: $20.00 MTA voucher, plus three each of Naked Ginger, Crystalised Ginger and three bottles of Ginger Refresher.

The late Sir Howard Morrison’s Deﬁnitive Collection contains all of his biggest and best-loved tracks.To mark the second anniversary of Sir Howard’s passing, this 2-CD, 50-song-plus tribute is the first ever complete overview of his recording career, which spanned more than 30 years. It begins in 1958 with Sir Howard singing in his mother’s lounge with The Quartet and his portable tape recorder, through to his last album Live in Concert from 1989, recorded at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre.

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AMAZin SunSwEEt XMAS

This fabulous gift pack includes coffee frother, pizza stone, pizza tray, golf pack, electronic scales, electronic labeller and supermarket voucher, plus Amazin Sunsweet products.

MotorhoMinG

Both guidebook and souvenir, The Great Guide, Kiwi Motorhome Guide by Jill Malcolm and Bill Savidan, gives travellers practical advice on how to get the most from a motorhome, plus lots of gorgeous photos from around the country. The authors have been travelling for several years, making their way from one end of New Zealand to the other and back again, and are well placed to pass on their extensive personal knowledge and experience of motorhomes and campsites.

Trees of New Zealand – this gorgeous coffeetable book offers portraits of New Zealand trees which inspire us with their beauty and character. Each tree has a story to tell. The stories by Peter Janssen are accompanied by stunning colour photos taken by Mike Hollman.

toM CLAnCY!

The master of international intrigue and explosive action introduces a new hero for a new era of warfare, against a new kind of threat. In a story that races from the remote, warscarred landscapes of the Middle East to the blood-soaked chaos of the US-Mexico border, Tom Clancy’s number one bestseller Against All Enemies delivers a heart-stopping thriller that is frighteningly close to reality.

rEd SEAL fEStiVitY

Red Seal festive box full of health products, including herbal toothpastes with no added fluoride, and a range of supplements to help you get through the Christmas period. This range includes vitamins and minerals to help alleviate stress and tiredness, to help with sleep and to boost immunity.

AdVEnturE in prAGuE

Conspiracies rule history. But what if, behind all of these conspiracies both real and imagined, lay one lone man? What if that evil genius created the most infamous document of all? Eco takes his readers on an unforgettable journey through the underbelly of worldshattering events. The Prague Cemetery is Umberto Eco at his most exciting, a novel immediately hailed as his masterpiece.

GrEAt for thE GrAndKidS

When Harry refuses to brush his hair, it’s not long before a family of birds moves in – then a couple of chinchillas, some lizards and who

knows what else? Harry’s Hair, written by Jane Buxton and illustrated by Jenny Cooper, is a fun tale for young children. Vol 3 issue 2, Summer 2011 19

best of Times Market Place Highlands & Islands of Scotland 27 Aug-18 Sep 2012

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Highlights include Orkney Island and 7nts on board ‘MV Lord of the Glen’ sailing to Isle of Skye and Mull, and through the magnificent Caledonian Canal. Fully escorted from NZ, includes flights and tips for crew and local guides. Request your copy of the itinerary or visit us online: www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz Freephone: 0800 853 276

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Supporting you to make the best choices!

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Value your jewellery for the future A passionate and qualified gemmologist I value jewellery, and am available for group talks and presentations regarding gemmology and gemstones. ✦ Modern & Estate Jewellery ✦ Confidential and Discreet ✦ Mobile Service - 7 Days ✦ Gold Card Rates

TREAT YOURSELF! 29 Day LEISURELY UK TOUR

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2012 tour start date is 23rd April.

Ph +64 (09) 5755955 www.nzjvl.co.nz

2013 tour will be June/July.

Chatham Islands

You may choose to also join our (optional) post tour to Ireland (10 days.)

Discover the diverse landscape, history, heritage and culture on this escorted adventure to these remote and unique islands. 8 days departs 26th January 2012

Catlins & Stewart Island Explore the ‘Wild South’ from the Dunedin to Stewart Island via the Catlins. Includes 3 nights on Stewart Island. 9 days departs 28th February 2012

East Cape & Pacific Coast Get off the beaten track and discover the East Cape. Stay at Hicks Bay, see the lighthouse on NZ’s most easterly point and explore Gisborne and Napier. 8 days departs 21st March 2012

Minimum numbers apply. Ask about a private tour for clubs, friends, family etc. Please call 0800 276312 within New Zealand (64) 3 312 6635 outside New Zealand Or visit

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Festive Tours Gardens of Holland & England with Floriade 2012 02 – 25 May 2012

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5 nts Amsterdam (including a full day at Floriade 2012) + 2 nts Tunbridge Wells + 1 nt Lyme Regis + 2 nts Plymouth + 4nts Bath + 3 nts London+Singapore Stopovers Fully escorted from NZ, includes flights and tips for local guides. Request your copy of the itinerary or visit us online: www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz Freephone: 0800 853 276

20 Best of Times

Christmas in Wellington – 23rd December 2011 Travelling by the Overlander Train. New Year Festival of Lights – 29th December 2011 Taranaki Festival of Lights. Tours include escort and home pick up from Auckland, all breakfasts, dinners and admissions. Phone Shavourn for further information.

Twilight Travel & Tours 0800 999 887 www.twilighttravel.co.nz

A division of Travel Managers Group - IATA Accredited and TAANZ Bonded

                  



Market Place To advertise here call 04 471 1600 or email ads@bestoftimes.co.nz

Ph:

0800 356 728

Email: info@travcorp.co.nz Web: www.FloraTours.co.nz

“(Before moving in) we hadn’t heard much about Gracelands, but I did hear that should you later need care this was the place to buy a villa” Gracelands offers independent living plus rest home and hospital care. Last year, we asked residents for their thoughts on life here and why they chose Gracelands in the first place.

Construction will start soon on The Summerhouse, the first of several community facilities at Pacific Coast Village. Pacific Coast Village is resort style retirement living across from the beach between Mt Maunganui and Papamoa.

The quote above is from one resident, here’s what others said: “Well spoken of in Hastings and near to where I lived” ‘People we knew at Gracelands seemed happy” “Before moving in, I stayed here for two nights with a friend of mine. I moved here because of the peaceful atmosphere and the people.” “I am happy and contented – people can see that and that’s a recommendation in itself” “Everybody is friendly and the staff are always obliging”

So why not act now and arrange a visit? Talk to Louise Gibbs on (06) 872 6179 or 027 660 5801.

Gracelands Lifestyle Care & Village 730 Pakowhai Road Hastings

Tel 07 572 3029 | www.PacificCoastVillage.co.nz

Enjoy the Good Life at Acacia Cove A New Zealand-owned and operated lifestyle village situated on the beautiful Wattle Downs Peninsula.

Some say the finest village in Christchurch

We currently have a 102sqm, 2-bedroom apartment available with a large deck overlooking our full-size bowling green. The apartment has 2 WCs, a separate computer area and an amazing top-of-the-range kitchen.

Limited new unit construction is about to start: be quick. Contact Nola Lamb on 03 982 8280 www.russleyvillage.co.nz

Contact: Bruce Cullington Ph: 09 268 8522 email: bruce@kirkade.co.nz www.acaciacovevillage.co.nz

ViLLaGeS dirECtorY

We have 60-plus villas in total, but they are popular: only a couple are usually available at any given time.

More Swift. More fun.

Watch the Swift video at youtube.com/AllNewSwift

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The dynamic new Suzuki Swift. Totally new from the ground up, with a newly developed engine and improved suspension for more spirited handling and ride comfort with outstanding fuel economy. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll love the head-turning sporty design and sleek new interior, with the added safety of seven airbags, ABS and ESP, and a new music-on-demand audio system with USB iPodÂŽ connectivity (GLX and LTD). More of all the things you love. The all new Suzuki Swift. More Swift, more fun, and priced from just $19,990 even more value.

The Suzuki Real Value price is the full driveaway price including 12 months registration, warrant of fitness, 3 year / 100,000 km warranty, 5 year Suzuki roadside assistance and a full tank of fuel. www.suzuki.co.nz