+ PUBLISHED FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER, 2012 Established: OCTOBER 1989 – CELEBRATING 23 YEARS OF PUBLISHING HISTORY!
OCTOBER 2012 | www.ponsonbynews.co.nz
THREE LAMPS: Ponsonby’s “High Street”
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WHAT’S INSIDE THIS MONTH 048
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Above: P048 PN readers are everywhere! Grey Lynn residents’ DAWN and JESSIE enjoy a break in Italy; P056 TAYLOR’S debut at NZ Fashion Week; P059 WORLD at the Langham; P104 SIBYL MANDOW and DYLAN at Ponsonby Market Day. Below: P026 the third anniversary of the 40KPH SPEED LIMIT on Ponsonby Road.
008 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 009 FROM THE PUBLISHING TEAM 010 DAVID HARTNELL: ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW
012 SHALE CHAMBERS: WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD
014 PIPPA COOM: GREY LYNN 2030 016 JACINDA ARDERN: LABOUR LIST MP AUCKLAND
019 K’ROAD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 020 JOHN ELLIOTT: SOAPBOX 022 NIKKI KAYE, AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP 029 THREE LAMPS: PONSONBY’S HIGH ST 037 EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
048 PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE
052 JAY PLATT: WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT 054 ANGELA LASSIG: LETTERS FROM MAUDIE 056 FASHION + STYLE 066 LIVING, THINKING + BEING 070 HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY 075 JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH 076 STEPHEN RAINBOW: SUM OF US 078 LANI LOPEZ: ON HEALTHY LIVING 082 SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY 084 FUTURE GENERATION 086 HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS
026 098 THE BOYS BOOK CLUB 103 STREET NAMES 112 FIONNA HILL: PONSONBY GARDENER 118 PONSONBY PEOPLE & THEIR PETS 120 ARTS + CULTURE 130 PONSONBY PINK PAGES COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: Michael McClintock
PONSONBY NEWS+ is published monthly, excluding Januaryy by ALCHEMY AL MEDIA LIMITED P.O. BOX 47-282 Ponsonby, Auckland T: (09) 378 8553 or (09) 361 3356 www.ponsonbynews.co.nzz Editor/Publisher Associate Publisher & Advertising Manager Deputy Editor Operations Manager Contributing Fashion Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor Proof Reader Layout Designer Designer
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MARTIN LEACH; M: 021 771 147; E: martinleach@xtra.co.nz or martin@ponsonbynews.co.nz JO BARRETT; M: 021 324 510; E: joannebarrett@xtra.co.nz JAY PLATT; M: 021 771 146; E: jayplatt@xtra.co.nz or jay@ponsonbynews.co.nz GWYNNE DAVENPORT; M: 021 150 4095; E: ponsonbynews@xtra.co.nz JULIE ROULSTON; M: 027 211 7169; E: julie@ponsonbynews.co.nz DEIRDRE TOHILL; M: 021 261 8439; E: deir@xtra.co.nz PROUDLY PRINTED JOHN ELLIOTT; M: 021 879 054; E: johnelliott@ihug.co.nz BY GEON GROUP, AUCKLAND. RICHARD GRAVENOR ISSN 1177-3987 ANYA VERYASKINA; E: pn4anya@gmail.com MELISSA PAYNTER; E: melissapaynter@orcon.net.nz
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LETTERS + EMAILS
PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO info@ponsonbynews.co.nz
INSTALLATION OF BROADBAND CABLES I write in response to a letter published in the September issue regarding the installation of broadband cables throughout Ponsonby and their apparent threat to our very existence. It was, quite probably the most jaw-droppingly, idiotic waste of space you’ve ever printed! Not only are the contents of the letter complete and utter claptrap, the conclusions drawn are the stuff of 50 year old, B grade sci-fi movies. The installation of this broadband internet infrastructure – ultra fast fibre – bears no relationship whatsoever to the number of wi-fi users in the Ponsonby area…or any area for that matter and the scaremongering drivel from this hand wringing doom and gloom merchant is, in my opinion, just another reason to legalise euthanasia! The fibre network is about quantity of data – so, a lot more content for want of an easier to understand term and speed – instantaneous, like broadcast television only “narrowcast”, just for me and instant - when I decide I want it. It has nothing whatsoever to do with wi-fi. Look at it like this. Currently, if every man, woman and child in Ponsonby… even your correspondent assuming of course, she has a TV – you cop a lot of EMFs from those - decided to watch Avatar in HD on Sunday night at 8.30pm would everyone’s picture go dim? Would the image lag behind the sound or would the broadcast stop every 10 seconds to catch up or “buffer”? It would not. However, if we all thought in unison, let’s watch Avatar in HD online, I’d venture to suggest more than 50% of us would be bitterly disappointed (and I’m not talking about those who did get to see it). Because the current network simply couldn’t deliver that much data – content – to that many users simultaneously. As for wireless, it’s simply a convenience. It’s great for cafés to offer hotspots (cross the street if you come upon one is the advice apparently) for a flat full of students and the corner dairy. But, for years and certainly moving forward, those who desire lots of content that’s available like TV is, won’t be choosing wireless! Finally, what should be concerning to Ponsonby residents is, the council sponsored graffiti in the form of masses of indelible spray paint markings (in a wide range of fashion colours – not) followed after some months, by the destruction of the km’s of new footpaths that this works programme is causing. It’s that kind of short sighted, bureaucratic ineptness that gives me brain damage! GLENN WRIGHT, Herne Bay
CORRECTION: HAKANOA HANDMADE DRINKS ARTICLE I’m writing in regards to an article in your September issue entitled: “A controversial advertisement for Hakanoa Handmade Drinks”. In the article it states that the campaign was created by Saatchi & Saatchi, when it was actually created by M&C Saatchi – a completely separate advertising agency. As this campaign was controversial, we are keen for a correction to be published in your next issue. KIRSTEN MCCONCHIE, Auckland
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LIKE US! www.facebook.com/ponsonbynews FASHION, HAIR AND STYLE IN PONSONBY NEWS Just wanted to say what a great job you did covering the Marr Factory events in your last issue. They were great shows (I made it to Karen Walker and Zambesi), and really did Ponsonby proud. The Golden Dawn was a fantastic venue! Hats off to Stephen Marr - such a stand-out local business. Loved the amazing Zambesi image on the cover - their collection was just beautiful, as was Karen Walker’s. Made me want to go straight up the road and pick out a few new season pieces! I’ve already redeemed my $50 Zambesi voucher (the Karen Walker one is burning a hole in my pocket). Great work. LEANNE PATTERSON, Grey Lynn
THE COMMERCIAL RELEASE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED (GE) CROPS We are two Australian conventional farmers from states which have allowed the commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) crops. We have been touring New Zealand describing our experiences and circumstances since the commercial release of GE crops. We received a very warm welcome from farmers, farmer representatives, scientists, students, urban people and Maori representatives. We saw great interest and concern by the vast majority of those we met about how the release of GE would affect New Zealand’s enviable reputation as a clean green producer of high quality food and fibre. Your nation has a magnificent opportunity to learn from Australia’s lack of foresight. Price penalties, market resistance and questionable agronomic aspects have combined with very high seed and technology costs to disillusion many who adopted and promoted GE. A major issue is the effect on non GE and organic farmers. Coexistence has proven to be a fallacy because the GE material cannot be contained. Contamination by less than 1% GE material exposes non GE growers to significant liability issues, expenses and market issues. While GE free farmers suffer unfair costs and liabilities, the GE industry is financially rewarded for the inevitable contamination. The reason key issues of concern were ignored in Australia is because governments and research sectors plan on profiting from farmers on their public research alliances with multinationals. We urge New Zealand people to take genuine concerns seriously and not let the GE industry take control of the debate and the outcomes. Beware the GE man bearing gifts, in our country he is not a good citizen. We also return to Australia with new information given us by your New Zealand farmers and scientists on viable, effective, and available non GE alternatives relevant to our farms. This alone has made our visit to your beautiful country both pleasurable and beneficial.We thank our many new friends from New Zealand for their warm welcome and hospitality. JULIE NEWMAN AND BOB MACKLEY, by email
MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA A heartfelt apology to Isolde and Brian Cossar for the gross mis-spelling of their surname in the last month’s Ponsonby News. Naming them ‘Crosser’ couldn’t have been more inapt! I have given myself a hard slap on my wrist! DEIRDRE ROELANTS, Ponsonby PN
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FROM THE PUBLISHING TEAM WE’RE 23 YEARS OLD THIS MONTH!
THE MONTH OF OCTOBER IS OUR 23RD YEAR of publication and as we have outgrown working from our home office, the team is about to move into new offices on Richmond Road. This will give the business a new fresh start and we can’t wait. IN THIS ISSUE OUR MAIN FEATURE FOCUSES ON Three Lamps, which we’ve always called Ponsonby’s High Street. Many of the banks are here, NZ Post along with several cafes, restaurants and a range of retail shops.
Local entertainer Truda Chadwick tells us, “It is already turning into a big gig, with the possibility of another concert. Tickets have been selling like hotcakes and this gig has been put together to coincide with the Dragon/Hello Sailor tour which ends the day before. The ghosts of dearly beloved late gluepot stalwarts will be walking the battlements at this gig!” For further details see: www.powerstation.net.nz
MARTIN LEACH, JULIE ROULSTON, JAY PLATT + JO BARRETT
FOR THOSE READERS INTERESTED IN OUR CITY’S HISTORY THE AUCKLAND Heritage Festival is on until 14 October. It is worth checking Auckland Council’s website for the full programme which includes MOTAT’s ‘I am the last tram’ exhibition. Also at Western Springs is a talk at Ponsonby Rugby Club with author Matt Elliott on the early days of Auckland rugby on 10 October at 6.30pm. See www.ponsonbyrugby. co.nz for more details. Also on 10 October, local historian Edward Bennett is at the Leys institute, where he gives a photo lecture on Victorian domestic gardens. That same day local identity Gerry Hill leads a guided walk celebrating Ponsonby’s social history and its colourful characters from Art Station at 1.30pm. Bookings are essential for most of these so look for the numbers to ring on the www.aucklandcouncil.govt. nz/heritagefestival website.
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
photography: Jane Blundell @ kloser
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH TO remember the good old days, there will be a Gluepot Reunion concert on 3 November at the Power Station on Mt Eden Road.
ST MARY’S BAY RESIDENT TONY SKELTON HAS DEVOTED 39 YEARS TO THE area’s Residents Association. He talks to John Elliott this month about several of the major projects including working closely with NZTA on the Victoria Park Tunnel. His other ideas include a cycling proposal using a series of barges set up to accomodate both cyclists and pedestrians. AS IT WAS NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK LAST MONTH, JULIE ROULSTON has included some coverage of the 12 local designers who showed their winter 2013 collections. Next issue we take a fresh look at West Lynn, our new neighbourhood!
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DAVID HARTNELL’S ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH KERI ROPATI Keri-Lee Ropati, Personal Trainer is mother of three teenage sons and owner/director of Keri Ropati Personal Training Centre. She featured in many TV series (Celebrity Treasure Island, Shock Treatment, April’s Fit Club show) and was once married to a professional sportsman. Keri is now working in the professional health and fitness industry as a single mother. TWO THINGS YOU’D TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND? Sunblock and a companion who could do the hunting and gathering. A lady has to look after her skin and she needs to eat. BEST ADVICE EVER RECEIVED? Always go with your gut instinct. It’s the one feeling you must trust. IF LIFE HAD TAUGHT YOU ONE THING WHAT WAS IT? My brother’s favourite quote “THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES”. CHERISHED FASHION ITEM? Taverniti jeans, leather jacket and my new ring that I have just had re-remodeled. IF THE HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE, WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU’D GRAB? My boys and a small suitcase with all my precious letters, photos and memories. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Coxs Bay and born in Ponsonby. My parents were born and schooled in Ponsonby, my boys have grown up around Ponsonby and I have lived in Herne Bay. My heart and roots are in this area, it’s where I am happy and feel I belong. AM OR PM PERSON? Definitely a morning person between Monday and Friday; weekends I seem to come alive at night. FAVOURITE SINGER? Shania Twain, Helen Reddy and Ronan Keating - I love music. I am a hopeless romantic; I love music with lyrics that tell a tale, whether it be about love, passion or strength or dreams. WHAT DO YOU HATE IN PEOPLE? Hate is a strong word. But my biggest dislike is judgmental people. “Never judge a man/woman till you have walked in their shoes” that quote is sooooo true. LAST TIME YOU TURNED OFF YOUR CELL PHONE? On the weekend nights when all the boys are home safe. YOU REALLY DISAPPROVE OF WHAT? Lies and racism. COMFORT FOOD? Cheese on crackers, cheese and olives, cheese and wine... anything with cheese. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? Life motivates me! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE? I would like to think somewhere warm and safe with all our past loved ones around us, whether that is in reincarnation or a place like heaven. FAVOURITE BOOK? In the meantime by Iyanla Vanzant. WHAT ARE YOU INSECURE ABOUT? I learnt at a very young age to keep my insecurities to myself and work on them so as to grow myself. TELL US SOMETHING VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOU? I am the biggest softy you will ever come across; my cousin calls me a mallowpuff, hard on the outside, gooey and soft in the centre. I am an absolute softy. GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE? My BMW convertible. FAVOURITE HERO OF FICTION? John MacLane (Bruce Willis) in the Die Hards – he can rescue me any day.
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CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF WHAT WOULD IT BE? My hayfever ...it drives me mad! YOUR LIFE MOTTO? Do your absolute best, let the universe handle the rest. WHAT CLICHÉ DO YOU MOST ABHOR? What goes around comes around. GREATEST INDULGENCE? WINE! HANDSHAKE, HUG OR CHEEK-KISS KIND OF GAL? Definitely a hugger, I hug people that I truly love, so tight that they cannot breathe. First meeting always a kiss on the cheek. IF YOU WON LOTTO WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Pay off my mortgage; purchase a property for each of my boys in their own name for them to do whatever they choose come the age of 25. Give my brothers a wee handout. Do something for my Mum and Dad whom I owe so much to. Then ...kick back, invest... then carry on as I am today. ANY RECURRING DREAMS? I used to dream I was falling off a massive ship, I always woke up with a real fright before I hit the water. It was horrible. It’s been a while since I have had that dream. WHAT QUALITY DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A MAN? His soul! Strong, but gentle, loyal, and makes me laugh, positive with a big heart. IN A WOMAN? Loyal, non judgmental, fun and positive. WHO DO YOU LUST AFTER? Geez David, this could get me in trouble…can I say that’s a secret? MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? There have been a few; the last however was my pathetic swimming turned into drowning experience when filming on Celebrity Treasure Island. I let my poor team down at the time and my poor boys got teased at school for that for a long time after. FANCY DRESS COSTUME OF CHOICE? Catwoman outfit. WHAT WOULD IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE? I have everything I could possibly want. However, getting my garage door fixed would definitely improve my quality of life. (DAVID HARTNELL) PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
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CHAIR’S WAITEMATA LOCAL BOARD REPORT: SHALE CHAMBERS When all the spring flowers are out in our gardens around Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, and the flowering trees are showering our footpaths in pink and white petals it’s truly time to leave the winter fugue behind and think of hitting the streets to enjoy the rebirth in the plant kingdom. Your Waitemata Local Board is helping us to leave winter behind with support for a smorgasbord of spring events in our neck of the woods to kick off the events season. We are committed to joining our neighbourhoods together and making local arts, cultural, and community events an important part of our calendar. We started with a community fruit tree planting in Grey Lynn Park mid-September and were bowled over by the family groups who brought their spades to help plant the trees. We will be waiting for the first harvest of the new orchard in summer of plums, peaches and figs, and next winter’s harvest of oranges, mandarins and lemons. Waiting for the avocados and walnuts to produce in four to five years will go in no time. The string of annual art and cultural events for October and November are detailed on the page opposite, and the board proudly supports these community initiatives, some of very long standing, with part funding. The Italiano Festival at Freemans Bay School 28 October and the Art in the Dark 9-10 November are two of the more recent local events that have been a hit and we wish to ensure they remain a success. The Auckland Heritage Festival is on until 14 October and we have just had two very successful events locally. Former pupils of the Campbell Free Kindergarten in Freemans Bay related their experiences from the 1940s and 1950s to an interested crowd. Sir John Logan Campbell’s first drive of the electric tram in 1902 was re -enacted at the Wynyard Quarter with the mayor Len Brown and our local Waitemata Councillor Mike Lee taking starring roles. Still to come until 14 October for Ponsonby News readers who want to take part in the festival are MOTAT’s love story ‘I am the last tram’ and ‘Gum, Grit and Gold’. Protest! A Cry for Freedom, and ‘Celebration of Citizens Advice Bureau in Auckland CAB’ are on at central library. The Voyager Maritime Museum has family events ‘A One Way Ticket to NZ’, and ‘The Immigrants’. The Ponsonby Rugby Open Day 6 October is at Western Springs Stadium where historic rugby memorabilia is on display, and Matt Elliott takes you back to the early days of Auckland rugby football 10 October also at Western Springs Stadium. Local historian Edward Bennett is always busy at the festival with lectures, walks and talks in the K Road area. ‘Opium and Optimism’ on 10 and 14 October,
‘The Greatest Bridge in the World’ 13 October, and ‘Fire, Flames and Passion’ on 9 and 12 October. On 10 October at the Leys institute he gives a photo lecture on Victorian domestic gardens. Local identity Gerry Hill leads a guided walk 10 October celebrating Ponsonby’s social history and its colourful characters from Art Station at 1.30pm, and the Rev Mua Strickson-Pua also meets at the Art Station 6 October 11am to give a guided tour. David Verran takes the Symonds Street cemetery tour 11 October. Bookings are essential for most of these so look for the numbers to ring on the www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/heritagefestival website. The Unitary Plan, the proposed unified district plan to implement the new Auckland Plan is very much on the minds of the local board and we had a successful stakeholders meeting early October, with a wider information meeting scheduled for 18 October 2012 intended to view very preliminary draft Plan maps and rules. Just to warm us up to the important heritage issues Allan Matson, as part of the Auckland Heritage Festival, gives his personal view on the future of our architectural heritage within Auckland Council’s plans on 6 October 12.30pm in the Ellen Melville Hall, Freyberg place. I will be writing more on the Unitary Plan in my next column for Ponsonby News as it is so vitally important to our inner city communities and to the whole of Auckland. (SHALE CHAMBERS) PN Contact me: shale.chambers@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
HOW TO BUILD A PROSPEROUS, SUSTAINABLE AND VITAL BUSINESS TUESDAY 30 OCTOBER 5PM TO 8PM The Small Business Expo has been designed to offer local businesses an affordable opportunity to showcase their businesses to a range of other local businesses and people. A common lament we hear is: “wouldn’t it be great if we could find our closest clients i.e. the ones who work and live in our neighbourhood?” That is exactly what the Grey Lynn Business Association (GLBA) Small Business Expo plans to do for you. As well as a showcase and networking opportunity, we would like this to be a sharing and learning forum. With this in mind we have themed the event “How to Build a Prosperous, Sustainable and Vital Business.” The aim is to provide your business with the opportunity to learn from other businesses who will have faced and overcome business challenges that you may be facing – you too will have value to add for others based on your experiences.
PRIZE DRAW There will be prize draws throughout the event and we have prizes donated from our members and exhibitors of over $3,000 value. WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN THIS EXCITING AND FOCUSED VENTURE? Come along and find out about small businesses in your area. Free entry for all visitors, and if you want this great oppotunity to promote your business you can have a table • $95 for members or • $150 for non-members - NB membership is $65 per annum Place: Surrey Hotel, 465 Great North Road, Grey Lynn Cost: Event visitors free GLBA members: Table holders $95, non-members $150 Other: Drinks and nibbles will be served as well.
NB: Visitors to the expo will not pay to enter.
To book a prime spot for your table now or for further information please contact us through email on info@glba.co.nz
We will be promoting the event via Facebook, other social media opportunities, posters in local shops and businesses, as well as through local advertising.
Grey Lynn Business Association is a great place to network, learn from and do business with local fellow business colleagues. PN
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PIPPA COOM GREY LYNN 2030 NEWS
PROTECTING THE SPECIAL CHARACTER OF GREY LYNN Grey Lynn 2030 had an excellent turnout at our call to gather people together to discuss the realities of intensification of our area and the protection of heritage buildings. We have clearly tapped into an issue that people in the area are concerned about. With the help of our guest speaker, architect Joanna Hurst, we started the conversation “What is the special character of Grey Lynn/Westmere we wish to protect?” and there were wide and differing views on what is right for our community. Grey Lynn 2030 is responding to the opportunity to engage meaningfully with Auckland Council on the draft Unitary Plan by setting up an “Urban Environment” Group. OUR VISION FOR THE GROUP IS TO: • protect the unique and special heritage and character of our historic city suburbs (the largest remaining concentration of Edwardian/Victorian wooden houses in the world) • advocate for urban design that promotes sustainable and healthy communities • support urban design plans that positively contribute to our environment and our community If you would like to get involved email greylynn2030@gmail.com BUILDING A PROSPEROUS, SUSTAINABLE AND VITAL BUSINESS The Grey Lynn Business Association is hosting a Small Business Expo ‘Vitality’ designed to showcase local businesses and provide an opportunity for businesses to learn from each other. Admission is free with drinks and nibbles with fabulous prize draws worth $3000 to be held throughout the evening. Vitality is on Tuesday 30 October, 5pm - 8pm at the Surrey Hotel, 465 Great North Road, Grey Lynn.
If you want to learn from, do business and meet other local businesses consider joining the Grey Lynn Business Association www.glba.co.nz SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOCUS FOR THE AECT ELECTIONS From 10 – 26 October, Auckland electricity account holders have the opportunity to vote in the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust election for five trustees. Chris Olson, a Grey Lynn 2030 board member is standing as a community independent on the ‘Your Power Team’ ticket. Chris has the full support of Grey Lynn 2030 because he will bring a focus on community energy needs and international energy industry experience to the trustee role. Chris has been part of the Transition Towns NZ for three years and since starting the Grey Lynn 2030 Energy group has been helping to write submissions on the Auckland Council Energy and Sustainability strategy and organise Energy Talks at the Farmers Market with sustainable industry experts. Chris views local energy resiliency as critical for Auckland and is actively engaged with companies with this focus. For more information about the ‘Your Power Team’ candidates and who is eligible to vote in the AECT election, look up www.yourpowerteam.org.nz (PIPPA COOM) PN
LOCAL NEWS: DEIRDRE TOHILL 9
Above left: NORMA VINCENT KEMBLE; above right: MARGARET JOSEPH CORCORAN, known as SISTER CARMEL MARY
A DOUBLE CELEBRATION
a letter of congratulations from the Vice Chancellor of the University of Auckland who commented that she would be one of their most senior graduates.
THE ELIXIR OF LIFE SEEMS TO BE FLOWING FREELY AROUND ST CATHERINE’S Rest Home in New Street. On Saturday 1 September two of its residents, Norma Vincent Kemble and Margaret Joseph Corcoran turned 100 years old.
Margaret was born in County Galway, Ireland, one of eight children whose father was a farmer. She spent much of her childhood as companion to her married cousin, Josephine Lahiff in Peterswell before training as a nurse in the Mater Hospital in Dublin. She continued to spend her spare time with her cousin and during one visit Josephine went into early labour and Margaret had to deliver twins that their mother had no idea she was carrying!
This unusual event was celebrated in style. A very large gathering of friends, relatives, and fellow residents were treated to a bountiful spread of sandwiches, savouries and delicious cakes. A two tier birthday cake inscribed with both their names held pride of place at the feast. There were speeches, blessings and tributes to both women who had led very worthwhile lives. The Queen, the Governor General, the Prime Minister, Hon John Goodhew, (Minister for Senior Citizens) and Hon Chris Tremain (Minister of Internal Affairs) had all sent congratulation messages. A papal blessing was expected but had not yet arrived. Norma was born in Grey Lynn and had two siblings, a sister and a brother. Her father was an accountant for the Zealandia for many years and managing director of Phoenix Assurance. Norma attended St Mary’s College from 1926 to 1929 where she was the only student in her last year. She graduated from Auckland University in 1936 with a Master of Education and was Deputy Principal of Penrose High School for many years, an exceptional post for a woman back then. A classmate once described her as a “Paragon of Rectitude” and when asked the secret of successfully reaching such a great old age she always said she knew how to look after herself, never rushed and calmly took her time. Norma also received
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In 1954 she accompanied the Mother Superior of Mercy, Mother Genevieve back to New Zealand. Some proselytizing must have occurred during the flight because on arriving here she entered the convent and has been a sister of Mercy for 58 years. Now named Sister Carmel Mary, she worked at the Mater Hospital till 1994, fondly remembered as a kind and gentle nurse much loved and respected. Kitty O’Brien, a fellow Irish centenarian at St Catherine’s, is a year older than Sister Carmel and was quick to remind her she should apply for the Centenarian Bounty the Irish president awards Irish citizens living inside and outside the state when they reach 100 years of age. The award includes a congratulatory letter from the president and the sum of €2,540. What’s more, on a 101st birthday and every subsequent one, the person receives a special commemorative coin in a presentation box. I’m sure a C’ead mile failte will herald the arrival of this gift from the president to one of Erin’s daughters who is living out the last of her years in New Zealand! (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
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JACINDA ARDERN
LABOUR LIST MP AUCKLAND
I GOT ASKED AN ODD QUESTION AT A YOUTH FORUM RECENTLY. Name one thing you dislike about New Zealand? It felt a little like treason to answer something like that, especially when there is so much to celebrate about the place we are all lucky enough to call home, and yet for me the answer was simple. You see one of the things I love about New Zealand, is also one of the things I find shocking. You’ll often hear people talk about this being a great place to bring up kids, but the reality is that for many, it’s not a great place to be a child. There are 270,000 children currently living in poverty. There are an ever increasing number living without the things we would consider the basics, and that is taking its toll. Thousands of children each year find themselves in hospital suffering from illnesses we can prevent, or that are more commonly found in the third world. This is the stuff of other countries, not our own. And yet here we are.
I know that there are those who are working tirelessly on child poverty, who wish for us to show a united front. I share that hope, but I am not willing to wait for it. As a party, we have offered numerous times to work with the Government on issues around vulnerable children. It is an offer that has been rejected. That’s why I make no apologies for continuing to pursue an agenda that is not about politics, but about kids. I know we can do better than we are. I also know that I don’t want to live in a place where poverty is just something we accept, or become desensitised to. That’s why Labour has introduced ideas like food in schools, and recently I introduced a bill on child poverty which would see us tackling this issue head on. I know that with a bit of collective action we can not only be the best place to bring up kids, but the best place to be a child. PN JACINDA ARDERN, Labour List MP based in Auckland Central www.jacinda.co.nz
For me, and for Labour, investing in children has always been a moral issue. Over the past few years we have certainly heard the economic arguments, and they are robust. Infometrics tell us that poor investment in our kids is costing us at least $6bn a year. But for us, this has always been about doing what’s right by the most vulnerable members of our community. Why then has this issue been a political debate, when it should be a political given? Many people do not witness or experience what is a day to day reality for a large number of our kids. They are astounded and shocked to hear that they stay home from school because they don’t have shoes or can’t afford a uniform or even a decent lunch, and rightly so. The reason I highlight this is a simple one, we need to bring people with us in this debate and search for solutions because some of them are going to take a big shift in thinking. We need to move away from the idea that poverty is simply a result of irresponsible choices, and is in many cases the result of an economic system that is putting greater and greater pressure on those on low incomes. This is not to say that there won’t be examples of parents who aren’t doing right by their kids, but they are not the majority, and they should not be used as political fodder when the end result is a group of kids who are still going hungry. This is our collective political challenge. Why then are child poverty issues not treated collectively in Parliament?
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JOHN ELLIOTT ANY COLOUR AS LONG AS IT’S YELLOW I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o’er vales and hills, / When all at once I saw a crowd, / A host of golden daffodils – William Wordsworth 1804.
photography: Gerry Hill
Three dollars a bunch - every cent to the Cancer Society. “I’ll have three bunches please,” says the young mother with two young children in tow. “Take your pick,” I say. “No, you pick for me,” she says, handing me a twenty dollar note. “And keep the change, it’s a good cause.” The generosity on Ponsonby Road was extraordinary for last month’s Saturday Daffodil Day collection. “Come on? Just $3 a bunch.” I say to a handsome young dude going past. “Got some yesterday,” he called out, “and the dog ate them.” Coming back with Il Buco pizza I suggested, “buy him some more, or he’ll eat your pizza.” I’m a bit like a circus barker. “Remember Henry Ford,” I call. “He used to offer any coloured car as long as it was black. We offer daffodils any colour as long as it’s yellow.” “These dafs will just complement your outfit beautifully,” I grovel to a stunning blonde with a Cybèle carry bag. She dutifully buys two bunches, and I place them carefully in a plastic bag so they won’t drip all over her. Harry from Bhana’s comes to the door and I shout out, “all the daffodils are supplied free by Bhana Bros,” and he grins widely as we survey the attractive passing parade together. After a mad flurry around lunch time it quietens down for a while, as I continue to hassle all passersby. “Daffodils three dollars a bunch - two colours - yellow or yellow.”
Bob arrives. “Here’s your coffee John. Sit down and drink it - I’ll hold the fort.” Bob is Bob Hawkswood, long time organiser of Daffodil Day collection in Ponsonby. He deserves a medal. And so it went on. “Three dollars a bunch. Four dollars to you Gerry,” as another local identity goes past, with his dog Hemi. He didn’t buy any either, but he did take my picture. Don’t know what for. He’s not a Hollywood talent scout as far as I know! Hamish was about too, so was Chris (who bought several bunches, maybe to decorate his SPQR office). Stephen Marr went past looking sartorially elegant (his salon just up the road), and then up rode Pippa. She bought some daffodils, and left her bike for me to look after for a little while. How she always manages to look so cool after biking amazes me! Former councillor Glenda was supporting her husband Shale, who had been supervising the cutting of the ribbon to celebrate the new 40kph on Ponsonby Road. Great decision that was!
I had collected for the Cancer Society’s cause on K’Road on Friday afternoon but there was nothing like the generous outpouring of support we had outside Bhanas on that Saturday. “Over here, Janet,” I call to a well known local media identity leading a white westie, behind another local identity, Bill, leading their scottish terrier. “I’ll be back John,” she calls out, but she wasn’t. I’m sure she gave generously somewhere else.
Children too, dug deep. “You better check that, I think it’s three dollars,” a young nine year old said to me as he handed me a pile of coins. “It’ll be exactly right my boy,” I replied, as I threw it into the money bag. “Thank you for your generosity.”
You stood out like a sore toe, or a sore loser, if you didn’t have several yellow flowers poking out of your bag, or tucked under your arm.
The young, the old, the fit and the infirm. Mostly cheerful, some shopping for a Father’s Day present, others out for lunch, others just for a stroll, or to walk the dog. There are dogs everywhere in Ponsonby these days. All these added to the colour and flavour which is Ponsonby Road.
One lovely friendly woman with a quiet pale looking companion approached and ordered five bunches. “I’m a cancer survivor,” her pale husband confided. “Are you all good now?” I asked him. “Yes I have a complete clearance, but I’m one of the lucky ones. Thanks for the job you are doing for such a worthwhile charity.”
The odd, “You’re doing a great job John,” and even the cheeky bugger who shall be nameless who called out “God, the organisers are scraping the bottom of the barrel John,” made me feel wanted and slightly useful.
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Those of us who are fit and well have a lot to be thankful for. Many are not so lucky.
You need that when you get into your seventies! I’ll cheerfully do it again if I get asked. www.cancernz.org.nz (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
MY HOUSE BURNED DOWN WESTMERE RESIDENT JENNY DE LEON’S EARLY training at the South Auckland Ballet Academy and the Wellington National School of Dance had launched her on a stellar career. She worked with the UK Festival Ballet Company and took further training in the United States at the Bill Evans Dance Studio before an horrific motorbike accident left her with such bad injuries, she was told she would never dance again. Not one to accept defeat, for eight long years on and off crutches, she followed a strict regime of swimming, gym workouts, and Bikram Yoga. While physically impaired she undertook university study, gaining first class honours for her Master’s degree in Health Science. Her thesis, Dance and Stillness received international recognition and a German Publishing House released it in book form. Last year she presented a paper at the National Psychotherapists’ Conference in Dunedin. The conference was titled ‘Home is where we start from’ and Jenny presented a paper accompanied by a dance performance. She made a similar presentation at the World Conference on Psychotherapy in Sydney the same year.
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Jenny has now heard that her paper has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand. The article is called ‘My House Burned Down’ and is linked with the conference theme which was about relinquishing whatever is causing inner stress. It includes photos and the Journal will be distributed sometime this month. Apparently dance is a kinesthetic art and an audience can experience kinesthetic empathy even to the point of feeling they are participating in the movements. Jenny’s goal is that when she does a performance she will somehow draw in her audience so that they feel as though they are dancing with her. In other words, they will be participating in the creative process. Jenny teaches movement work on a weekly basis to a group of students or fellow dancers. The best students are included in a small dance group called Poyema. On Sunday, 10 September they presented ‘The Mass of St. Cecilia’ at St Peter’s Church in Onehunga which is a 55 minute work. They will also take it down country to Tokoroa this month. The company is working on new material and will be giving six concerts in the near future. Jenny’s classes are open to anybody who is interested in dance and casual visitors are also welcomed. She can be contacted on T: 09 376 1671 or jennydancer@paradise.net.nz (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
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JOHN ELLIOTT FORTY YEARS OF DEDICATION TO THE ST MARY’S BAY COMMUNITY When you hear that someone bought their inner city home in the early 70s, and that they have subsequently given 39 years to the local resident’s association, and you don’t think that is centuries ago, you must be getting old. But talking to Tony Skelton and listening to him tell of his work for St Mary’s Bay Resident’s Association, you hear a passionate, dedicated man, still actively involved and with definite ideas about future development in Auckland, but essentially determined to protect the heritage and history of his suburb.
St Mary’s Bay has a rich colonial history, and the residents have been very anxious to retain that – both the stock of early houses and the Catholic flavour of this part of early Auckland. The Catholic Bishop (Pompallier was the first), could look across the city to Parnell, where the Anglican Bishop was housed. Tony Skelton tells us that his suburb still retains the good mix of people it has always had, and they are an easy group to work for.
TONY SKELTON pictured by the noise walls
Tony Skelton is a yachtie, first sailing in seven footer P class yachts just below St Mary’s Bay, at Westhaven. He still owns a twelve metre yacht, and has a great love of our harbour. When he, and wife Helen, returned from seven years overseas in 1972, they set about looking for an inner city home to buy. They went through an old villa in St Mary’s Bay, and Tony took an interest in the yachting photos on the wall. When he confirmed to owner Harry Gillard that he was a keen yachtie himself, Gillard said “The house is yours. I promised the original owner I would only sell to a yachtie.” Tony Skelton has no intention of selling, but if you are interested when the time comes, you’d better have good yachting credentials. Very quickly Tony chummed up with two other local residents, John Hill and Kim Goldwater and they formed the St Mary’s Bay Residents Association. Their first major task was to redesign the plans for a more desirable Westhaven Marina. They presented plans to the then Harbour Board, under Chairman Bob Lorimer, and their ideas were accepted. This success story established their credibility with local residents, and has ensured a continuing relationship with local government and other ad hoc bodies ever since. The association meets several times a year, and takes on a couple of major projects affecting St Mary’s Bay. They have recently worked very closely with NZTA on the Victoria Park tunnel (which was a St Mary’s Bay Association initiative). Thanks to the association, noise barriers are in place, extensive walkways link the harbour edge with St Mary’s Bay, pollution has been minimised, and the whole area is environmentally enhanced. Tony and team ensured that St Mary’s Bay was zoned Res. 1, and the name was enshrined in stone - no longer was St Mary’s Bay a part of Ponsonby. They kept Dedwood, the original name for Ponsonby. Ponsonby didn’t want it back!
There is plenty of work still to do, and Tony Skelton’s enthusiasm to make his contribution to his local community still burns brightly.
A Southbound tunnel is still on the drawing board, and eventually Tony believes the whole carriageway over Victoria Park will go, further enhancing the community. The parking permit trial just begun in St Mary’s Bay (featured in the July Ponsonby News), is another of the initiatives of Tony’s committee. Other citywide issues are on Tony Skelton’s radar too, including a very interesting cycling proposal. Tony is not popular in cycling circles, but insists he is not anti-cycling. “It’s a sport or recreational activity, not a form of commuter transport,” he maintains, “ as Auckland doesn’t lend itself easily to cycling to work.” Nor does he believe that it makes sense to try to get cycling over the Harbour Bridge. His alternative proposal would be to have a series of barges which were set up to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, and could ply the harbour up to Te Atatu or further, and down to Buckland’s Beach. People could board one of these from, say, 6am till midnight, getting on and off at any one of a large number of slipways. It would be good for tourism and would make better use of our beautiful harbour. Tony Skelton has many other ideas too. Why do we keep digging up our footpaths? We need a conduit which will take all services, which can be poked down each time instead of this ridiculous digging up again and again. Like many older Aucklanders Tony Skelton invokes the spirit of Mayor Robbie, whose foresight and bold plans for Auckland have been ignored for far too long, believes Tony. “Get on with the critical infrastructure development,” he pleads, “ and think 100 year financing loans, not 30 years. If the jobs are properly planned, and they are designed to truly make Auckland one of the world’s most liveable cities, don’t let finance hold you up. It can always be found.” That’s Tony Skelton, a can do man, positive and optimistic. He loves his city, especially his beloved St Mary’s Bay, which I’m sure he will continue to serve as long as he lives. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
‘MEET THE MAKERS’ FUNDRAISER AT ST MARY’S COLLEGE Saturday 27 October The knives will be out at the Meet The Makers food and wine fund-raiser at St Mary’s College this month – but it’s all for a good cause. The school’s annual celebration of all things good features six boutique wineries, delicious local produce and music from one of the school’s renowned groups.
sponsors, parents and people who are donating goods, time and energy to this – especially the members of our parents and friends association.”
There will be cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, auctions and the highlight of the evening, a celebrity cook off featuring some famous parents from the school: Michael Jones, Stacey Jones, Robbie Magasiva and Dave Fane. TV3’s John Campbell will MC the event and together with Master of Wine, Michael Brajkovich, he will be finding out the secrets of the winemakers.
Mrs. Holloway said the school relies on the local community for support and as a newcomer to Auckland (she took over the reins at St Mary’s in October last year) she has been delighted with the support the school has received. “St Mary’s is a special school and it’s been part of the Ponsonby community for over 100 years. We really do appreciate all the help we have received for this and other events. Tickets will include wine tasting and a selection of food. A bar will operate and the wineries will happily help guests stock their cellars as well!
Chef Peter Chaplin will demonstrate one of his signature dishes, and then put our celebrity ‘cooks’ through their paces.
MEET THE MAKERS, St Mary’s College Hall, 11 New Street, Ponsonby (off College Hill) PN
St Mary’s principal Jane Holloway said Meet The Makers was a popular event on the fund-raising calendar. “But we couldn’t have it without the generosity of all the
Tickets are $40 each and can be bought by contacting the school T: 09 376 6568 or online, www.stmaryak.school.nz
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NIKKI KAYE: AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP
EQUALITY AND PRIDE IN OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES Auckland is a city with people of many different cultures and ethnicities. Our diversity is one of the things that makes Auckland and New Zealand, such a great place to live. Part of living in a diverse community is about recognising that, while there are differences between us, there are many things that bind us together such as a legal system that recognises basic rights and freedoms of all New Zealanders.
In my view last month’s vote was a great step forward for our country. Another issue raised in the marriage equality debate has been the need to reform our adoption laws. For several decades politicians have unsuccessfully tried to reform this area of law. I have been working with Green Party MP Kevin Hague over the last two years to develop a comprehensive bill that reforms New Zealand’s adoption and surrogacy laws. The legislation has been a complex piece of work, involving numerous thorny policy decisions and a large number of technical alterations to existing laws. Issues for same sex couples are just one strand of the law reform.
One of the reasons I joined the National Party is because I believe in equality of opportunity. That is why I was pleased to speak and vote in favour of Louisa Wall’s Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill. I have been personally impressed with the way Louisa has worked constructively with MPs right across the house to gain support for this legislation. The bill was a conscience vote and it was pleasing to see two thirds of our Parliament vote for the first reading of the bill.
There are many other issues to be addressed such as consideration of the appropriate age of adoption, recognition of open adoption and issues relating to surrogacy. The bill is likely to be a private members bill in Kevin Hague’s name. While I recognise for some people issues raised in the bill may be controversial. I think it is important to understand that for couples and children involved in adoption or surrogacy arrangements, changes to these laws could make a huge difference to their lives.
I am very proud that our country has a history of leading on issues of equality and freedom. Fundamentally, I believe that this bill is about justice, and the basic right of every New Zealander to have equality before the law.
Last year I called for the return of an event to celebrate the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. The upcoming Pride Parade scheduled for February of next year is a great opportunity to celebrate the LGBT community.
Some people may argue that the Civil Union legislation ensured equality for same-sex couples. It is true that the Civil Union legislation took us a step forward, conferring many rights to New Zealanders who have been deprived of them in the past. However, it did not guarantee every New Zealander the right to marry the person they love and it did not guarantee an equality of status of relationship. I do not accept the argument that marriage is a traditional institution that should be available only to heterosexual couples. As I said in my speech to the house that if we accepted arguments of tradition, then women would not have the right to vote. I voted for the bill because I believe that it helps ensure every New Zealander has equality before the law with respect to their relationships.
The Auckland Pride Festival Trust has done a great job developing a concept distinct from the Hero parades of the past. The new Pride Parade will be held in Ponsonby, Saturday 16 February in the afternoon, with a focus on families and community. According to the Auckland Council the Pride Festival has the potential to provide significant economic benefit to Auckland seven times the amount they have invested. The “One Community” concept for Pride Festival Parade reflects a community that is united by its diversity, and has matured into something that holds a place in the wider fabric of society.
More personally, I want all New Zealanders to have the opportunity to marry the person they love. I intend to use my conscience vote to support the bill through all stages in the house. I am very optimistic that the bill will pass. If this happens, I hope we will see a huge number of weddings next year – now may be a good time for anybody thinking of a career change to consider becoming a wedding planner.
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Auckland already has some wonderful community celebrations with the Diwali Festival of Lights, the Chinese Lantern Festival and Pasifika and I am sure Pride will be a great addition. When I look back on my Parliamentary career, I’d like to think that I will be proud to have worked on and supported policies, laws and initiatives that strengthen the rights and freedoms of all New Zealanders. (NIKKI KAYE, AUCKLAND CENTRAL MP) PN www.nikkikaye.co.nz
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LOCAL NEWS: DEIRDRE TOHILL 9
GENE JOUAVEL and local character WOODY
CHINAMAN’S HILL BAZAAR RESTAURANTS, CAFÉS, BARS AND PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT ARE OFTEN imbued with some aspects of the owner’s personality. The recently opened Chinaman’s Hill Bazaar certainly reflects the organiser’s colourful persona. Gene Jouavel hailed originally from the island of St Lucia in the Caribbean, birthplace of calypso and reggae music which has captivated listeners around the world. His family moved to South East London where he got into the London markets at a very young age. Barrow boys, as they were termed in the old days, would do odd jobs for the stallholders, earning a few bob along the way while getting out and about, giving cheek and having fun. Gene came to New Zealand 23 years ago and continued to be involved in market culture. He helped establish Aotea Square Market and was its ‘Toby’ for four years. He also organised the food stalls for festivals such as Splore, Womad and Rhythm and Vines. When he first arrived in Auckland only a few flea markets were trading during the weekends. Cook Street Market, which had been a stepping stone for many designers had gone but now there were markets everywhere. Gene decided he wanted to try something different and a friend pointed him in the direction of a space in Grey Lynn which had once been known as Chinaman’s Hill. The first wave of Chinese immigration to New Zealand peaked at just over 5000 in 1881. They had come to join the miners who were staking claims along the creeks and rivers in Central Otago and were content to work the ground left abandoned when
alluvial prospecting no longer yielded significant returns. Once the gold rush was over they moved into the wider economy as market gardeners and a significant number came to Auckland and set up in the area that became known as Chinaman’s Hill where their fruit and vegetables were in much demand. Knowing a little of Chinaman’s Hill’s history, Gene was inspired to name his new venture Chinaman’s Hill Bazaar. He wanted to get away from the word ‘market’ and create something that was edgy but inspiring. He has observed people selling, say unusual jewellery, at crafty markets and become disillusioned because they don’t do well, but it’s simply because they are in the wrong market. Gene wants to bring those artisans to his bazaar which will give them a stepping stone to success. After all Vivienne Westwood first displayed her designs in a UK market as did some of our top designers in Cook Street. Gene is sure the colourful characters that live in and around Grey Lynn will give his bazaar a bohemian ambience. Should musicians or bands want to practice there they will be more than welcome. The same will apply to street artists and performers who would provide visual stimulation. He will have half stalls as well as tables and he wants to encourage ‘the blanket on the floor’ where sellers can display bits of pottery or whatever. His vision is to fill all the little crannies so it’s hustling and bustling like a true bazaar and he the ‘Toby’ will reign over it all. Go to 606 Great North Road on a Saturday between 9am and 4pm or search for Chinaman’s Hill Bazaar on Facebook for more information. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN
WELCOMING BACK YOUTHTOWN ALUMNI YOUTHTOWN IS ON THE HUNT FOR OLD BOYS AND GIRLS TO BECOME PART of a new association, Youthtown Alumni, as part of its ’80 Years Young’ celebration. This non-profit organisation that enriches the lives of young New Zealanders had its beginnings in Freemans Bay during the great depression of the thirties. Life was tough then in the poorer suburbs of Auckland. Social welfare of any kind was non-existent and to qualify for government support, unemployed men had to leave their families to do relief scheme work, often in isolated districts. Bill Dervan, proprietor of the Freemans Bay Hotel became concerned about the numbers of disaffected youth, boys in particular wandering aimlessly around the streets, and decided to do something to help them. In 1932 he turned the hotel basement into a boxing club as a way of steering the local youth away from crime. His charity extended to giving food, clothing, shoes, haircuts and hot showers to the impoverished boys. At the time many of the houses they lived in didn’t have running water. He also tried to relieve some of the hardship the boys’ families suffered by paying their fuel bills. A local hero if ever there was one! Soon boys from the richer outer suburbs were drawn by the lively, friendly atmosphere. By 1934 people were coming from miles around to take advantage of his local relief effort, so not rolling in filthy lucre himself, he had to close it down. Nevertheless, he had planted a seed from which Boystown evolved. Another concerned citizen, Nellie Ferner who was a JP with jurisdiction in the Auckland Children’s Court, helped set up the 1928 Community Sunshine Association which ran a school in the spot now occupied by Youthtown’s swimming pool in Nelson Street. Herne Bay resident, Alan Reid, who worked for Youthtown for more than 25 years was a member of the committee that drove the change of name from Boystown to Youthtown in 1986. He says, “It was previously a really male dominated place. We wanted it to be a facility that was accessible for youth Auckland-wide, and eventually nationwide”.
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Alan’s vision has come to fruition with Youthtown branches on Auckland’s North Shore, Auckland Central, Panmure, Papakura, Taupo, Upper Hutt , Oamaru, and Christchurch. Since those early Freemans Bay days in 1932 it has grown into one of New Zealand’s leading youth organisations. Membership to the Youthtown Alumni is free and those who join will be able to participate in a number of functions planned as part of the 80th birthday celebration. To join you need to be 25 years plus and have taken part in activities at either Boystown or Youthtown as a child or teen. As an extra incentive, Youthtown is offering some special gifts to the first 200 who join its Alumni. Thousands of young Kiwis have been through Youthtown over the years and many would have come from, and still live in our locale. The organisation is keen to welcome back its former “youth” and find ways for them to reconnect with old friends. Just visit www.youthtown.org.nz and get in touch. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
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LOCAL NEWS: DEIRDRE TOHILL 9
photography: Gerard Hill
A NOTEWORTHY BIRTHDAY PARTY HAMISH KEITH AND LIVING STREETS AOTEAROA President, Andy Smith have worked hard and long lobbying for a 40K speed limit on Ponsonby Road. The third anniversary of this success was celebrated 1 September at noon on the corner of Franklin and Ponsonby Roads. Hamish cut the first slice of a birthday cake amid cheers from a gathering of members of the Waitemata Local Board and neighbourhood residents. Prior to the lowered speed limit, pedestrian fatalities on this busiest of suburban roads was alarming. Statistics record that each day 29,000 vehicles and 500 buses drive along its length and after two pedestrians were killed and 27 injured, enough was enough. The local community wanted the speed limit reduced and after years of campaigning, officials bowed to the pressure and listened to the voice of the people. The lower speed limit has proved its worth with the number of crashes involving pedestrians dropping from eight between 2006 and 2008, to three between 2009 and 2011. The Albert-Eden Local Board is following this example and has approached the Auckland Council to see if it is possible for all residential streets to have lower speed limits. This is not the first time the power of the people has forced change in our neck of the woods. In 1972 two young boys were killed crossing the Ponsonby and Franklin Road intersection. The Polynesian Panthers lobbied the Auckland City Council to have traffic lights installed but got nowhere so they staged a peaceful demonstration on the site. A procession of these young men walked slowly backwards and forwards across the road causing traffic to back up down the length of Franklin Road. In no time at all traffic lights were installed! (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN
FESTIVAL ITALIANO – 28 OCTOBER ONCE AGAIN ARANTXA ZECCHINI, IS VERY BUSY ORGANISING THE DANTE Alighieri Italian Society of Auckland’s annual Festival Italiano in the grounds of Freemans Bay Primary School. The society is a registered charity based in the Freemans Bay Community Centre where it runs a playgroup for zero to five year olds. The festival originally took place in the centre itself but each succeeding year it just grew like topsy and eventually moved across the road to the school grounds. Now in its seventh year this popular event promises to be bigger and brighter than ever. In fact it’s now the largest Italian Festival in New Zealand. The event is open to the public and entry is free. This year there will be a wide variety of delicious ready to eat food on offer with a choice of Italian wine and beer to wash it down. Italian barbecues in action, pasta making demonstrations, pasta dishes, classic Italian sweets such as gelato and tiramisu are not normal fare at festivals and make a welcome change from hot dogs and chips. Crafts, clothes, and books will be up for sale as well and visitors will be treated to plenty of music, performances and even opera singing. There’ll be plenty of amusement for children with a ferris wheel, merry-go-round and a travelling farm of little animals set up in the field at the back of the school. No fair is complete without a raffle and this year’s top prize is a travel voucher worth $2000.
HAWKE SEA SCOUTS – A LOCAL RESTORATION PROJECT MARCEL DE WITTE WAS ONCE A HAWKE SEA SCOUT AND HE SAYS IT WAS AN invaluable experience for him because the communication, confidence and leadership skills he gained have helped him later in life. He became aware the Scout’s building in Cox’s Bay, ‘The Ship’ was badly in need of repair and if something wasn’t done it would very soon become unusable. He met with the fund-raising committee who agreed and handed him the job of project leader. The Hawke Sea Scout group has been helping young people learn about the sea for 80 years and the Hawke building is one of very few of its kind in the wider Auckland area. Marcel, Penny Whiting (Chairman of the Funding Committee) and the rest of the committee believed the project was most important, not only for the benefit of the scout group, but for future generations and other community users. The project was underway immediately. Philip Jones of Jones Architects produced draft designs enabling the committee to gain cost estimates for the necessary construction. The budget was $950K and the committee worked hard at raising $850K over six years. During this time much has been achieved. The exterior is all but complete and the interior has been completely refurbished from the roof down. This consists of a new kitchen, office, storage, toilets installed on two floors and finishes applied to walls, ceilings and floors. The building has been fitted with state-of-the-art electronics and security. The upkeep will be funded by hosting corporate, private and community functions in a stunning, completely upgraded local facility. The group is working on a final drive in October to raise approximately $100K needed to complete the restoration. The scouts have been using the cold and damp Meola Road building in the last year and are very keen to get back to their home. Once returned to the ‘Ship’ the committee is looking forward to expanding the scout membership. Hawke Sea Scouts is a registered charitable organisation so donations can be used to substantially reduce the amount of tax paid by donors. This important local restoration project is a very worthy cause so come to the party, philanthropists and help towards its completion. Just contact Project Leader, Marcel de Witte on M: 021 920 333 (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN
The festival is an opportunity for the Dante Society to engage with the local community otherwise it just becomes a club for Italians who have settled here and want to keep the language alive for their children. This cultural group welcomes anyone who is interested in Italy and runs language classes for adults as well. Members meet informally the last Saturday of each month and they receive a newsletter that details other events including talks, film screenings, concerts and parties. To join just click on www.dante.org.nz The festival happens to coincide with the Auckland marathon that finishes in Victoria Park and Arantxa hopes the assembled crowd might wander up to eat, drink and make merry the Italian way. The council is sponsoring the event so Waitemata Local Board dignitaries will be out in full force and the Italian Ambassador will also grace the occasion. So it’s ‘hey ho maidens and men’, come to the fair Sunday morning from 11am to 4pm, 28 October. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN
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LOCAL NEWS 9 MORE FAMOUS AUTHOR EVENTS FROM THE WOMEN’S BOOKSHOP THE VARNISHED UNTRUTH – Pamela Stephenson Pamela Stephenson will be in conversation with local Grey Lynn identity Finlay Macdonald on Tuesday 9 October, 7.30pm at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar, in an event being organised by The Women’s Bookshop. “Along with my own personal story, I am going to write down a few things that may amuse you (or even take you down some other emotional path) and I’ll let you in on a few so-far-unrevealed aspects of my life. Don’t be thinking this is easy for me. I’m darn good at getting under other people’s skin, but opening up about my own life is quite another matter. So how shall I portray myself? Wife, mother, psychologist, writer, comedian, actor, dancer, diver, gypsy, dreamer, rich girl, poor girl, beggar girl, thief. I am all of those and more. Tell you what, you decide…”
DORIS DE PONT JACQUELINE FAHEY
In The Varnished Untruth Pamela Stephenson tells her own story - from Takapuna girl, to Not the Nine O’Clock News, to Mrs. Billy Connolly, to therapist, to Strictly Come Dancing - in her own inimitable style. Her conversation with interviewer Finlay Macdonald will be honest, funny, moving – not to be missed! Tickets $18 from THE WOMEN’S BOOKSHOP, 105 Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 4399, books@womensbookshop.co.nz www.womensbookshop.co.nz
LADIES’ LITERA-TEA NUMBER TWO! Food for the body and the mind
STEPHANIE JOHNSON
There are so many brilliant new books by New Zealand women being published this year, that The Women’s Bookshop has had to organise TWO Ladies’ Litera-Teas. A first successful afternoon was held at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls on a Sunday in August. “My tummy is full and my mind is stimulated – inspiring!” A second Litera-Tea, with a decadent afternoon tea and an equally stunning line-up of authors, will be held on Sunday 4 November 1pm – 5.30pm, in the same theatre. The featured authors are: local novelist Stephanie Johnson, Fiona Farrell from Banks Peninsular, Maxine Alterio from Dunedin and Kate De Goldi from Wellington; gardeners Xanthe White and Lynda Hallinan; poets Paula Green and Janet Charman; Elizabeth Lind from La Cigale French Market, Robyn Jones from Mudbrick Café on Waiheke; local artist Jacqueline Fahey and local designer Doris de Pont from the Fashion Museum. PN Tickets $55 (includes a divinely indulgent afternoon tea) on sale now. T: 09 376 4399, books@womensbookshop.co.nz www.womensbookshop.co.nz
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JOHN ELLIOTT
DO IT YOUR WAY - COUNTDOWN’S MOTTO ON SOHO DEVELOPMENT A PUBLIC RELATIONS COUP Layne Kel’s attempt to redevelop the Soho property ended in disaster, at least partly, because his PR was so poor. Countdown are not making the same mistake. They are consulting widely, and getting plenty of plaudits for this. At a meeting with Ponsonby Business people, the Business Association and the Waitemata Local Board, Countdown representative, Brady Nixon outlined plans for the now notorious site. Sure they are planning a large new Countdown supermarket, but they also unveiled innovative plans for a group of privately owned terrace-type homes, where owners can live and work in the same building. The colourful brochure announces “Introducing a bespoke development off Ponsonby Road.” The Oxford definition of bespoke is “made to the customers’ specifications.” That in itself is a major public relations coup for Progressive Enterprises, owner of Countdown Supermarkets. Countdown is offering 30 freehold sites for sale. Situated along an intimate cobblestone lane, each building will be built stand alone. Within very reasonable covenants, owners will be able to choose their own architect, and produce a totally individual design. The resulting diversity will prevent a row of identical units being built with a boring and unimaginative facade. The development will be called Vinegar Lane, a nod to the old smelly vinegar factory which was historically on the site. Of course the overall buildings will be pretty imposing, and may well upset some nearby villa owners, and some heritage campaigners, hell bent on preserving the 1900s look of the Ponsonby - Grey Lynn landscape - at all costs. I prefer to call this positive progress. The council has decreed in its long term plan that approximately 75% of the population growth in the Auckland region over the next 20 years must be within the present boundaries. One of the main aims of that policy is to prevent more urban sprawl.
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I for one don’t want to see huge chunks of Whitford and Kumeu covered up by concrete and new housing, with loss of valuable farmland and all the infrastructure and costs attendant on that type of sprawl. The new development will have height restrictions, which will keep the whole complex well within existing code allowances. Unlike Marlin’s attempts to exceed height, density, and site coverage, it appears that Progressive are not hell-bent on obtaining consents to push the boundaries of intensive development beyond allowable limits. There will be 650 car park spaces, including two floors where people can buy or lease spaces, maybe to free up ground floor space in their house for commercial activities. A tentative date for the supermarket to be open for business is September 2014. Much thought has gone into the planning, particularly to mitigate interference to nearby home owners and business people. This includes an internal loading dock to minimise noise. If we are to embrace the population intensity which the Auckland Council wants, and which as I have already said is eminently desirable, this development will contribute to that policy. Further consultation will be necessary, but given Progressive’s already wide consultation, I’m sure much more will ensue. They want a development of which both Progressive and local people can be proud. It will not be long before the sad joke of the Sohole is a distant memory. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
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THREE LAMPS: PONSONBY’S HIGH STREET RHYTHM RECORDS REVIEW MINISTRY OF SOUND: UNCOVERED 4
Recreating 40 musical moments in an aural exploration of groove, melody and acapella, Uncovered 4 is a lesson in escapism - a truly unique collection of cool covers, stripped-back ballads and electronic compositions. This album is ‘soul food, spread across two discs.’ Carole King, Daft Punk, The xx, Drake and Rihanna, Depeche Mode, Donna Summer, Beastie Boys and Justin Timberlake lend their tracks to Amy Winehouse, James Blake, Feist, Kimbra, LCD Soundsystem, Julia Stone, Soul Clap and Azealia Banks to be recreated in acoustic and electronic works of the soul. It is an irresistibly intelligent masterwork spanning soul, rock, funk, electronica and all genres in between. Uncovered 4 is the essential compilation for your music collection. DISC 1: 1. Julia Stone - Bloodbuzz Ohio [The National] 2. Chet Faker- No Diggity [Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre & Queen Pen] 3. The Bamboos feat. Megan Washington - Wilhelm Scream [James Blake] 4. Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow [Carole King] 5. Bruce Lash - Psycho Killer [Talking Heads] 6. Holly Figueroa O’Reilly - Everybody Knows [Leonard Cohen] 7. Donovan Frankenreiter - Don’t Change [INXS] 8. Katie Noonan - Crazy [Gnarls Barkley] 9. Gazeebo - Walking On The Moon [The Police] 10. James Blake - Limit To Your Love [Feist] 11. Kristina Miltiadou - Take Care [Drake feat. Rihanna] 12. Birdy - Skinny Love [Bon Iver] 13. Space Invadas feat. Dank - Ready Or Not [The Fugees] 14. Oscar Lush - Boys Don’t Cry [The Cure] 15. Firefox AK - Islands [The xx] 16. Corinne Bailey Rae - Is This Love [Bob Marley] 17. Feist - Inside And Out [The Bee Gees] 18. Scenic - Kelly Watch The Stars [Air] 19. Kimbra - Plain Gold Ring [Nina Simone] 20. Eklipse - Cry Me A River [Justin Timberlake] 21. Ashley Macedo - I Love It [Sneaky Sound System] DISC 2: 1. The Dead Leaves - This Must Be The Place [Talking Heads] 2. Azealia Banks - Slow Hands [Interpol] 3. YesYou – Young Folks [Peter, Bjorn & John] 4. Cadillac - Too Long [Daft Punk] 5. Jess Higgs - Chains [Tina Arena] 6. Blonds - Talk Show Host [Radiohead] 7. Tales In Space - White Winter Hymnal [Fleet Foxes] 8. The Penelopes & DJ Morpheus - Sabotage [Beastie Boys] 9. LCD Soundsystem - No Love Lost [Joy Division] 10. Stonefield - Whole Lotta Love [Led Zeppelin] 11. Delilah – Go [Human League] 12. Soul Clap feat. Mel Blatt - Need Your Lovin [Baby D] 13. Frames & Felix Lloyd - Slow [Kylie Minogue] 14. Anna Lunoe & Wordlife - Tom’s Diner [DNA and Suzanne Vega] 15. This Is Living - Enjoy The Silence [Depeche Mode] 16. Little Boots - Smalltown Boy [Bronski Beat] 17. The Knocks feat. Mandy Lee - Midnight City [M83] 18. Telonious & Peaches - Our Love [Donna Summer] 19. Strange Talk - Roxanne [The Police] PN
STANDARD YES/NO BUILDING REPORT CONDITION The latest standard form, Agreement for Sale and Purchase of Real Estate, contains a few key changes that anyone buying or selling property should be aware of. One of the most important relates to the addition of a standard ‘yes/no’ building report condition, found on the front page of the agreement. By circling ‘yes’ or crossing out ‘no’, the purchaser is entitled to obtain a building report on or before the tenth working day after the date of the agreement. The report must be prepared in ‘good faith by a suitably qualified building inspector in accordance with accepted principles and methods’. To satisfy the condition, the report must be satisfactory on an objective assessment. This means that a reasonable person would have to be dissatisfied with the building report, not just the purchaser themselves. The ninth addition has recently been released and is now used for most non -auction sale and purchase transactions. It is useful that the form is so prevalent, as the professionals dealing with property are able to become very familiar with the pages of fine print. You can easily check which agreement is being used as it’s printed in bold letters at the top right hand side of each page. Although the addition of the standard building report condition is a positive step, the standard form wording may not be appropriate in all scenarios. It is important to always get legal advice before entering into a written agreement for the sale and purchase of real estate. PN CLARK & CO, Level 1, 283 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2413 www.clarklawyers.co.nz
RHYTHM RECORDS, 299 Ponsonby Road Three Lamps T: 09 360 0455. E: rhythmponsonby@xtra.co.nz
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THREE LAMPS: PONSONBY’S HIGH STREET THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THREE LAMPS We asked Jeanne Clayton of Ray White Ponsonby what she loved most about Three Lamps and her immediate response was:
CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP REVIEW Kaha the Kea Book and CD by Craig Smith $26.00.
“Three Lamps, fabulous, it’s where my office is and my partner Evan and I are always there.” Some of her favourite places in Three Lamps include:
Kaha the kea tries to make new friends but his cheeky kea ways do not help nor does his Kea laugh as he flies away. But someone can make him behave.
RHYTHM RECORDS: Offer friendly advice on a great range of new and classic music.
Enjoy Craig Smith’s latest story/song along with delightful illustrations from illustrator Bruce Potter. PN
SALTA: Perfect eggs always served with a smile; just the tonic for the day after the night before. SERVILLES: Vanessa cuts Evan’s hair presenting me with a fresh new man every five weeks.
DOROTHY BUTLER CHILDREN’S BOOKSHOP, 1 Jervois Road T: 09 376 7283 www.childrensbookshop.co.nz
NATIONAL BANK: Helpful advice and super friendly – extend my plastic when needed – thank you. ENCORE: Shoes, shoes, shoes – a girl can never have too many. RAY WHITE PONSONBY: My favourite workplace this century – you guys rock! PN
photography: Martin Leach
JEANNE CLAYTON at SALTA CAFÉ, Three Lamps
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THREE LAMPS: PONSONBY’S HIGH STREET
SHOWING AT LETHAM GALLERY KAMELIA PURWO - BRIGHT EYES, BUSHY TAILS. Until 14 October Cute critters inhabit a naturalistic environment in this vibrant new series of paintings. Children and their larger than life imaginations and curiosity are what inspire Purwo. Her artworks often portray children with an animal sidekick. Every child needs a partner in crime, and when friends aren’t available, who better to turn to than Paul the Octopus, Penny the Penguin, or Phil the Seal. She has focused on the animals she has because they are fascinating to her, but it is also to raise awareness of the staggering amount of waste that goes into our oceans each year, and the destruction of land animal’s natural habitats. “I hope that by painting animals out of their natural context and juxtaposing them with children, people will view them as a bit cuddlier, and perhaps be more inclined to protect them.” Purwo graduated with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Otago in 2008, enjoying the mental challenge that law offers, but using painting and printmaking as her retreats. She’s happiest with a paintbrush or woodcutting knife in hand. PN LETHAM GALLERY 35 Jervois Road T: 09 360 5217 www.lethamgallery.co.nz
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LAURAINE JACOBS: THE WELL SEASONED PALATE
DINNER AT SIDART If ever there was a perfect meal, this was it. Sid Sahrawat (pictured below) has been cooking a Tuesday test kitchen all year at Sidart. Diners graze on eight experimental courses for $80, so that’s about 170 dishes he’s cooked to date. The clever girls from gather&hunt.co.nz asked Sid to choose his top eight dishes for their Tasting Club and that’s where I headed one recent cold windy spring night. Sidart restaurant is a little gem, dark and intimate with great views of the city from the Ponsonby Road ridge. It’s hidden from the street, but it’s an ideal setting for a wonderful meal. A keepsake booklet with the menu was commissioned. There were lovely hand drawings, a listing of each dish, yet there were well kept secrets that were revealed as the dishes arrived. Each course was perfect; Sid produces innovative, sometimes daring, and perfectly balanced dishes with flavours and textures that play out to create a feast for eyes and mouth. The first course, ‘cucumber olive and buttermilk’ was a brilliant start. Paper thin slices of crisp apple, cucumber ribbons, buttermilk sorbet and ever so slightly crunchy olive dust. With eight courses stretching ahead, every little mouthful refreshed and surprised. A tiny mound of ‘mushrooms, sago and almonds’ followed. Sago chips (!), shaved and pureed Jerusalem artichokes, crunchy almond and almond skin, three mushrooms (enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms) topped with truffle foam. What a terrific sensation of taste and texture.
At this point my husband declared Sid is the Tetsuya of New Zealand, and he also thought the meal better than the degustation we’d had several years ago at El Bulli. He’s not often wrong, my husband. ‘Salmon, butternut and octopus’ came next; salmon skin chips, aloe vera foam, beet sprouts, pinenuts, crème fraiche, a tiny mound of grated fresh butternut and salmon confit. Everything was so intensely flavoured and so amazingly delicious. ‘Free range pork, walnut and leek’ was a knockout dish; the pork and walnut sauce had me wondering if all those prize pigs in Spain that eat acorns might be better off munching on walnuts. Imagine that! The final savoury course, ‘milk fed veal, oxtail and celeriac’ was a brilliant combination of puree of smoked celeriac, urenika potato chips, some hearty braised oxtail, tender veal and coriander puree. How does Sid think of all this? With every course we had thoughtfully matched wines, and took a wine trail around the world to Italy, France, Marlborough, Portugal, South Africa , Waipara and Perigord in southern France. What a trip. To conclude, two refreshing but never cloying desserts. Sid’s ‘White chocolate and raspberry’ is a divine experience, a white chocolate bavarois, orange segments drenched in sauternes, freeze dried raspberries and a little coil of snap frozen raspberry puree. We were still eager eaters at this stage as it was all perfectly portioned, so we devoured the finale, ‘licorice, chamomile and five spice’ which saw the licorice in a frozen parfait with freeze dried rhubarb, Italian meringue, five spice marshmallow, and ta-daa, some amazing chamomile ‘spaghetti’. One of the best meals of my life. Sid Sahrawat is one exceptional chef, innovative with a sense of amazing balance in every dish. Everything on those plates made perfect sense, making for magical and totally enchanting eating. I can’t wait to return. (LAURAINE JACOBS) www.laurainejacobs.co.nz PN SIDART, Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2122 www.sidart.co.nz
photography: Michael McClintock
Then a little preserving arrived. ‘Snapper, lychee and nim jam.’ Coconut puree underneath, a chunk of nim jam marinated ocean fresh snapper in tempura, a tangle
of bean sprouts and spring onion, all topped with a bright flavoured coriander and chilli sorbet. Who ever thought of putting snapper in a jar? This was a veritable masterpiece, and for me, the absolute standout dish of the night.
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WHAT’S HOT AT SABATO SABATO’S “FROM OUR KITCHEN” RANGE IS INSPIRED BY OUR FAVOURITE corner of the world, and the source of most of our superb ingredients – Europe. From gourmet pies to biscuits and heat-and-eat finger food, this entire range of sweet and savoury treats is crafted with love in the Sabato kitchen, and made in small batches with our own high-quality artisan products and selected locally sourced ingredients. The latest additions to our selection include… EMPANADAS – Create tapas in ten minutes with these bake from frozen, stuffed Spanish pastries. Packed with either prawns in a buttery garlic sauce lightly spiced with Espelette pepper, or free range chicken and mushrooms with truffle paste. Serve piping hot, with Julie Le Clerc smoked paprika tomato sauce on the side to dip. LASAGNE – We’ve given this Italian classic an update with some delicious flavour combinations, enveloped between layers of organic pasta. Choose from veal and porcini in a rich tomato sugo, or free range chicken and truffle paste in a creamy béchamel sauce. Serve with a peppery rocket salad, or some lightly sautéed baby vegetables on the side. You’ll find both these new creations, as well as the other items in the “From our Kitchen” range, ready to take home from the Sabato freezer. Buon Appetito! PN SABATO, 57 Normanby Road T: 09 630 8751 www.sabato.co.nz
KIWI WINE BRAND FINDS ITS USA MOJO Soho celebrates huge win in the United States. Boutique New Zealand winery SOHO WINE CO is toasting their success as the first three 40 foot containers, filled with 4000 cases of SOHO wine, leave our shores, bound for the USA. The independently owned winery has just signed a deal with Chuck Squires from Vici Wines and Spirits, a specialist US-based wine importer. The agreement, along with other exports and domestic sales, will see SOHO’s production increase by 253% over the next two years. Vici alone will import half of the expected 60,000 cases to be produced in 2014. “We’ve long considered adding a premium New Zealand winery to our Southern Hemisphere portfolio (which until now has focused on South American wines) but until we came across SOHO we hadn’t found one that met our brief,” says Chuck Squires. “Not only is the wine award-winning and distinctive, but the whole essence of the brand is appealing – from the fashion inspiration to being named after the entertainment capital of the world.” SOHO, already known for its risqué and contemporary approach, is going from strength to strength during a tough time for many others in the wine industry. In the last year alone SOHO has signed export deals with two key distributors: Vranken Pommery, Australia and Bibendum Wines, UK, adding to an extensive list of export destinations including China, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Fiji. Rachael Carter, founder of SOHO, adds, “It’s been a very busy year for us, and we have many more exciting things in the pipeline. For us it has been all about embracing our passion for life, fashion and entertainment so that we can produce remarkable wine that tastes great and meets a need in the market.
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“Growing our own grapes on family-owned vineyards, and having three award-winning winemakers in the best New Zealand wine regions, is part of our successful business model. This also means we have the grape capacity to the meet the increased demand for our wine.” The SOHO range will be sold through Vici Wine distributers in 50 states across the US from 1 September 2012. An extensive range will be sold, consisting of Soho White Collection Sauvignon Blanc, Soho White Collection Pinot Noir, Soho Stella Sauvignon Blanc, Soho Jagger Pinot Gris, Soho Havana Pinot Noir and Soho McQueen Pinot Noir. More varietals will be added next year. PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
LIZ WHEADON: WINE, GLORIOUS WINE
ISABEL ESTATE – A MARLBOROUGH GEM OUR FEATURED WINERY IN OCTOBER IS ISABEL ESTATE. THE HISTORY OF Isabel Estate goes back a few years and starts with Michael Tiller. Michael was born into a farming family and studied to become a pilot. His first introduction to the Marlborough region was when he was positioned there with Air New Zealand Cargo. Michael spent 10 years flying freight planes for Air New Zealand while dreaming of his own vineyard. In 1980 the dream started to come true with the planting of his first Chardonnay vines. Michael needed little encouragement but was shown a great amount of support in the early years from Danny Schuster and Daniel le Brun.
MICHAEL and ROBYN TILLER with their children BRAD, CAITLIN, JANE and LUKE
For many years Michael grew outstanding grapes and was a grower for top wineries, including Cloudy Bay. But it was in 1995 that this all changed. Michael and wife Robyn decided to add winemaking to their successful repertoire and Isabel Estate was born, so named after Michael’s mother, Isabel. In 1995 they exported their first shipment to the UK and from there they have grown to a middle-sized winery in Marlborough, one that is still family owned. Working with the family is winemaker Carlos Orgiles Ortega. Carlos is from a winemaking family in Spain and has fond memories of his grandfather in the vineyards. Born in Alicante, he arrived in New Zealand in 2006 intending to do vintage and explore the country; he did exactly that, fell in love with it and returned to stay in 2007. I caught up with Carlos earlier this year and talked to him about Marlborough and working at Isabel Estate. In particular, it is the family culture, vision, quality and the organic focus at Isabel Estate that Carlos loves. When I interviewed him for our monthly Wineletter we discussed whether organics make the wines better. A tricky subject; Carlos believes the fruit is better at Isabel Estate, which shows through in the wines, but notes there are some great fine wines made in the world that are not organic. Being from Spain, the grape varieties he is working with here are mostly foreign. His favourite varietal is Pinot Noir (“it’s a sensitive variety”), closely followed by Sauvignon Blanc. His favourite wines are Vega Sicilia Unico and Pingus - a man after my own heart. Of course the thing he misses most: his mother’s cooking. Until recently you would have needed to hop on a plane to try Isabel Estate wines (if flying Emirates you can try it onboard) as most of their production was being exported and still is. Fortunately, a new relationship means we have been able to secure these wines for our shelves. (LIZ WHEADON) www.glengarry.co.nz PN
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PHIL PARKER: WHOSE WINE IS IT ANYWAY?
DRINK VNO! CONSTELLATION NZ HAS JUST LAUNCHED A NEW LABEL – VNO AIMED AT THE Y generation (also known as Millennials), with a bold, minimal label design and a name inspired by text speak. The promo suggests that they are ‘wines to log off with’. Local Ponsonby marketing agency The Business were tasked with producing the brand from scratch, and have exceeded Constellation’s expectations, putting VNO on the shelf within four months, and over 40% of yearly sales targets met in the first six weeks. The range has identical Bordeaux bottle shapes for its range of four wines – ‘Sav Blanc’, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and an Aussie Shiraz. And they all retail for $23.00 a bottle. Each bottle has a brief description of the flavours on the front label, plus a QR code that links to their very cool website http://vnowines.com/wines. The website features young winemaker Jess McCone giving a brief rundown on the wines and winemaking process. VNO SAV BLANC MARLBOROUGH 2011 $23.00 A very approachable 2011 Sauvignon. Not at all the wildly acidic melt-your -fillings aggressive style, but with soft acidity and clean gooseberry, apple and passion fruit flavours. VNO PINOT GRIS HAWKES BAY 2011 $23.00 Full and fruity off-dry style with clean rounded flavours of lemon squash and green pineapple and an ever so slightly crisp finish. VNO MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2010 $23.00 A lighter style Pinot with sweet ripe dark fruit flavours, soft silky tannins and a hint of savoury bacon and spice. VNO BAROSSA SHIRAZ 2012 $23.00 A good reliable Aus Shiraz that hits all the buttons without being overpowering. Medium tannins and ripe blackberry flavours with spicy oak. (PHIL PARKER) PN Phil Parker is a wine writer and operates Fine Wine Tours in Auckland. www.insidertouring.co.nz
A COMMUNITY GEM IN THE HEART OF WEST LYNN If you’re at a bit of a loose end on a Friday night or a little strapped for cash; maybe you want a good meal, some entertainment or a bit of dancing; or perhaps a bet on the horses or a game of pool is more to your liking. There’s a place you can go that has community at its heart encouraging all walks of life to enjoy their hospitality and it’s right in the centre of West Lynn. Sit quietly in the corner long enough and the true colours of a place start to show themselves. The Grey Lynn RSC is an unassuming place, it‘s been a part of our community since 1937 supporting our returned soldiers. But it’s more than a meeting place for returned soldiers. Over the years, it has developed into a favourite place for the people of our community to meet and fulfils the needs of its patrons that more mainstream bars are unable to. One Friday night recently I met some friends there. I had been meaning to go for some time having heard of the great food and entertainment on offer and I wasn’t disappointed. We managed to get seats at a table with another couple and quickly made friends with them. There was so much going on. Men in their work gear having a few quiet ones; students playing pool; old salts with rheumy eyes; couples on a date; old and young, men and women, all walks of life. As the night wore on the demographic started to change with the young and the restless arriving when the band was due to play. The workmen had gone home and some of the older men had been picked up by friends and family or taken home by the clubs driver. This is a super service created out of a need to keep members actively involved with their friends and mates and keeping them in the community rather than being forgotten. There is a large smoking room in the back. High tables have water filled glass jars screwed into place for the butts. The room is covered and heated and has television playing sports. If you’re in the main part in the front you won’t see anyone from this
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room, they are the diehard hardcore smokers. It’s not a pretty sight or smell for a non -smoker, but if that’s what they want to do at least they’re amongst friends. Blue collars rub with white, all friends around a game of pool or snooker. The TAB in the corner gives punters their scores and a small games room in another corner keeps the gamblers happy. Large screen TVs show the game of the moment, there’s a jukebox with modern tunes and every Friday a band plays. The RSC is very supportive of live music and some of the recent bands that have played are Dr. Rhythm and Mr Blues; Rebel without Applause; Kiwi Express and most recently The Alibis. The food is delicious and tastes like Mum and Grandma used to make. Shrimp cocktail in a great big glass with heaps of big shrimp for $7. Fish pie with mashed potato and crispy cheese top $15. A slice of bread and butter $1. You get the drift. This is a place for a hungry tummy to be satisfied. Good food, no fuss and at a small price. Not to encourage excessive drinking, but the young ones, students and the like have figured out this is a great place to have a few without breaking the bank balance and they bring a breath of freshness to the place. It’s great to see so many different people rubbing shoulders. We’re all the same really, and I think the RSC is playing a central role in maintaining a sense of community in our neighbourhood. I’m impressed and as much as I would like to stay and dance my socks off, I have other commitments but stay for the first few songs from the band. They’re good and with a few people bopping as we leave I can see it will be a loud and fun night for those who remain. (REBECCA JONES) PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY: REBECCA JONES LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL AND PROSPER ALONG THE WAY Dona White has been nominated for the Next Magazine Woman of the year award. She is one of five finalists in the Business category and the winner will be announced on 11 October. Dona and her company, North Port Events, have helped influence our lifestyles in a positive and caring way. She is a woman with a zest for life, health and happiness and she is passionate about encouraging and improving the lives of small businesses. In 1993 Dona started a little business based around something she was interested in, her babies. The Parent and Child Show, now rebranded as The Baby Show, arrived on our scene at a time when CER opened up trade with Australia and the U.S.A. Suddenly, there were options. Where there hadn’t been any choice, now there was plenty and Dona saw the potential for showcasing products and services to people who wanted them. By the late 1990s, New Zealander’s habits were changing and many of us had experienced overseas travel, and food and wine were influencing aspects of how we socialised. The Food Show grew out of the need for a consumer exhibition based around eating, drinking, cooking and entertaining. Dona says “I thought The Food Show would be a small event but it has continued to grow and now 70,000 people are attracted to it each year across all the shows. We hold one in Auckland, one in Christchurch and one in Wellington. One of the main attractions for the public is that The Food Show is a truly regional show with small to medium businesses and artisan producers displaying the products they have handcrafted with love.”
Ponsonby resident DONA WHITE of NORTH PORT EVENTS
The success of Dona’s business is founded on the premise that our senses have more ability to influence us than static display, so marketing in a three dimensional way has more chance of finding its mark. People love to wander around, see and compare and be wooed and encouraged to try new things. It’s easier to participate when it is right in front of you and that is why these shows work so well. This year, Dona is launching The Healthy Living Show which kicks off at the new Viaduct Events Centre from 2 – 4 November. Some of the world’s most recognised inspirational speakers will be there along with teachers, practitioners and innovative products and services that support healthy living. People like Bob Proctor, regarded as a living master of the law of attraction and who featured in The Secret, will host two presentations. Dr. Libby, a leading New Zealand health nutritionist, will be holding seminars along with many other unique businesses and people related to healthy living and wellbeing. Dona says “many people are searching for ways to live a more prosperous life; how to think in a more healthy way; how to live their lives as well as they can and this is their chance to listen to some really smart people who are coming here to share their experience and talent. I choose the speakers and exhibitors based on what I would like to do and see if I go to a show and my hope is this will ensure the people and businesses we attract all have something of value to share. When we put on events, we’re giving the exhibiting companies a leg up and have changed the fortunes of many of them. Some businesses have gone on to forge export deals from Dubai to New York; land contracts with airlines or get their products on shelves in stores as a direct result of being part of our show. We live, breathe, eat and sleep it to make sure it’s a great event and expect the stall holders to work the event too. We train them and offer online tools, which can give profound benefits to their business as a result. I want my company to be great and to celebrate its success with my staff. I want to be the best in New Zealand but never too big so I lose sight of our vision. It’s all in the details - we keep an eye on everything, visitors, exhibitors and sponsors. There has to be a cohesive mix or it won’t be successful. I do get scared before a show opens and wonder if it’s going to work. It’s a big responsibility with all those people relying on me, but I never do anything I’m not seriously into myself. Hopefully that ensures it’s always a success”. www.healthylivingshow.co.nz (REBECCA JONES) PN
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY: REBECCA JONES SAKE IN THE LIMELIGHT AT COCORO OVER THE YEARS I’VE CONSUMED A LOT OF SAKE AND MOST OF IT HAS BEEN hot. In my misspent youth it was trendy to drink it as a depth charge in a glass of beer. It must have seemed awfully uncultured to the Japanese serving me and considering what I know now I wonder why it was ever served hot in the first place. Because sake is like wine; it’s made from rice rather than grapes and is best enjoyed like wine, with food. It’s also best served cold. Hiro Kawahara is the sommelier at Cocoro and he explained why I may have been misguided into drinking it hot. “There are places in Japan that are very cold and the sake is served warm to keep the people warm. But here in Auckland the weather is mild and in a warm restaurant with good friends, I recommend drinking it cold. Also, cheaper and less interesting sake, which often comes in bulk, is served hot because it masks that you’re not drinking quality.” When Hiro lived in Japan he was more interested in old world wines than sake and arriving in Auckland three years ago he began to study new world wines. While working at Soto with Ricky Lee, he became interested in sake and realised there was much more to know and now he is studying to be a master sake kikzakeshi or sommelier. “I realised my identity was Japanese and that sake can be on the same stage as wine. Here at Cocoro, we can pair sake or wine with our whole degustation menu.” Cocoro offer over 30 different sakes and all have their own individual flavour and style reflecting the areas they come from and brewing techniques of individual brewers. In Japan, there are areas that grow rice specifically for sake which takes on the characteristics of the terroir. As with wine, different grapes produce different wine, so it is with sake; different rice produces different kinds of sake. And the processing of the rice has a large effect on the end product too. Rice is polished to remove protein and
the more polished, the more pure the sake will become. Modern and less expensive methods of making sake require only two weeks and less polished rice. These types of sake mature in stainless steel tanks, can end up in bulk cardboard casks and then find their way to our table as hot sake. Hiro says “Many people have travelled to Japan, have become more discerning and know what to ask for. Eventually, most Japanese restaurants will serve the better quality sake because customers will ask for it”. Special sake is matured in untoasted oak barrels. Fermented, pressed and turned three times a day for one month, the yeast breaks down the rice and ‘melts it’. From here it is either filtered or bottled as cloudy sake. Some special sake is made with yeast from flowers which can impart the flower flavour into the sake. The Amabuki brewery is a specialist with flower yeast and they also use the labour intensive cold method which brings out the acidity and makes their sake a more full bodied premium product. Premium sake is made from very polished rice, the more polished, the more rice is needed, there is less protein and the sake is purer but it is therefore more expensive. It gives the sake more attractive characters that work well with food. Several times a year Cocoro holds a degustation dinner with sake matches. Sometimes there will be a master sake brewer from Japan to talk about sake’s beauty and intricacies. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about this often misused and little understood beverage. Although with Hiro on hand every lunch and dinner to pair any wine or sake to your food, why wait. Cocoro means heart and soul and Chef Makoto definitely puts his into everything he makes, his food is sensational. It’s Japanese new style cuisine at its very finest. (REBECCA JONES) PN COCORO, 56 Brown Street T: 09 360 0927 www.cocoro.co.nz
COCORO - CELEBRATING THEIR SECOND BIRTHDAY This month will see Cocoro open for two years and the team want to take this opportunity to do something special. As owner Ricky Lee says, “The focus of Cocoro is our Degustation menu, at only $85 for eight courses, we take pride in this and therefore only take bookings with this degustation (ie we have á la carte but we don’t take bookings). We believe this is the best way to enjoy the experience at Cocoro and it is of great value for money, too. However, there are some customers that want to come and try us, who are able to choose from the á la carte menu.
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“Therefore, for our second birthday, we would like to do something special to give our customers more reasons to try out the degustation menu. We are hoping to convert them to the idea that trusting the chef can be very rewarding in our restaurant. “So during the two weeks from 30 October to 10 November, we will be offering a special degustation course menu for dinner at only $65, to thank those who have supported us since we opened, or for those who needed an extra reason to give us a try.” PN COCORO, 56 Brown Street T: 09 360 0927 www.cocoro.co.nz PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
WHY VOTE ABOUT OUR POWER LINES? David Shand, former Auckland Royal Commissioner, Ponsonby resident and YOUR POWER TEAM candidate for the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust, asks that question. Every household and business receiving a power bill will soon receive voting papers for the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust (AECT) election. Sadly, it is the invisible election. Three years ago only 16 per cent of eligible voters exercised their democratic right to vote. The trust controls the power lines company Vector and you get to vote on who runs the trust. As long as Vector remains in public ownership you will continue to receive an annual dividend – the $320 cheque we get from AECT every year. Vector is a community asset and belongs to all of us. A C&R controlled AECT previously sold 25% of Vector. C&R can’t be trusted not to sell more of the family silver. You can make sure of retaining Vector and keeping your dividend by voting for YOUR POWER
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
TEAM candidates. Over the past three years, C&R trustees have paid themselves over $1 million and spent some $4.8 million on consultancy expenses. YOUR POWER TEAM will cut these costs. YOUR POWER TEAM ticket is former Auckland City Councillor Glenda Fryer, electricity industry engineer Chris Olson, renewable energy expert Richard Leckinger, financial manager and company director Tim McMains, David Shand T: 09 378 6268. Voting papers will be in letterboxes from 10 October. Make sure you exercise your democratic right, vote and post it back before 24 October. www.yourpowerteam.org.nz Authorised by Vernon Tava, 3F/5 Parliament Street, Auckland. PN
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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY MARCELLO’S - ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF COLLEGE HILL Located in the Perspective apartment complex, Marcello’s Caffe’s outdoor area is a sun-trap all winter and you’ll be welcomed by friendly staff and Marcello, the host, is not shy with hugs and kisses. They offer a mixed style of cuisine and have the best omelettes in the city with a wide choice of fillings. All their food, sweet and savoury, is made by Marcello and the chefs. This time of year they have customers who bring them citrus fruit so they’ve been making beautiful lemon, lime, and orange flavoured goodies, including a good range of gluten free items. Their full bodied coffee (Toasted Espresso) comes standard as a double shot or a single by request. If you’re after something a little different from the menu, their barrista can usually accommodate. The machine is the first thing on in the morning so if you’re passing before 6am, you might be able to get a coffee.
The team at MARCELLO’S CAFE in College Hill: left to right LISA HAWKINS, BRIALLEN MCCABE, MARCELLO MANRIQUE, SUNNY SINGH, NIC LIND and KRISTIE YORSTON
Marcello’s also do catering and can provide anything from a cake or cupcakes to canapés, or a full dinner for a small or large number of guests. They can provide staff to serve and will also arrange for dinnerware and glassware to save you all the hassle. Prices can be discussed with Marcello.
photography: Jo Barrett
Marcello’s have just installed a mobile phone wallet system, one of the first cafes in Auckland to do so. You can register free, load up your phone with cash and ‘tap to pay’. They’re also just about to expand their indoor seating space as well as the kitchen space. Soon they will be offering a dinner menu to complement the daytime fare. PN MARCELLO’S CAFFE, 28 College Hill T: 09 361 2600 E: marcellomanrique@hotmail.com
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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY HOSPITALITY HOT DOG RETURNS TO PONSONBY AN AUCKLAND GRAMMAR BOY IN THE 1980S, JUSTIN CLARK (PICTURED LEFT) was a good sportsman who excelled at soccer and basketball, but was also keen on, and good at, art. Brought up as a child in the Onehunga High School zone, Justin’s parents were ambitious for their son, and secured a place at Grammar for him. Justin says Grammar was good for him, and it opened up a world he would otherwise have known nothing about. And so, Justin Clark left Grammar for the big wide world of art. He considered Whitecliff, but strangely told Ponsonby News he “was not hippy enough.” He joined Saatchi, a reputable design agency, and became a graphic artist. Justin made rapid progress and says he was good at his work, but it just didn’t feel right for him. He thought about his drama and acting work at Grammar and knew he was a good show off. He yearned for the hospitality world, so he phoned his father one day (an old-school father, he called him), and told him he was off to Queenstown. What for, asked his father? I’m not enjoying my work here he told him. I want to try hospitality. Get a piece of paper, son, his father counselled. Put ‘pros’ on one side and ‘cons’ on the other and weigh it up carefully. This was a decision of the heart - there weren’t too many cons, but Justin’s mind was made up. He followed his heart.
photography: Martin Leach
It turned out to be a momentous decision. After stints as a barman at various Queenstown bars and eateries, where he met young people from all over the world, he began his OE. Unlike most young people, who flee the nest and go overseas for a year or so, Justin Clark has been managing and setting up bars in most continents for the better part of 18 years. The last half dozen were spent in Sydney, where he managed several high profile restaurants, but a Kiwi girlfriend has enticed him home again. Of his overseas work, Justin is particularly proud of his time managing the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, where at the tender age of 21, he inveigled his way into the manager’s role when the club general manager took a punt and hired this confident and cocky young Kiwi. But, Justin assures us, the cockiness was on the outside only, and he had serious reservation that he could actually deliver. Deliver he did, even to the extent that he could feel confident enough to eject a famous musician or a Member of Parliament if they became drunk and disorderly. Other highlights of his time overseas were bars he set up for Bass Breweries in Edinburgh, Tokyo, Osaka and Capetown. He was often able to indulge in his favourite pastime of snowboarding. “Hospitality has taken me across the world,” says Justin, “it’s life acted out, like a play, behind the bar. You get a degree in Psychology seeing people as they are. I’ll always have itchy feet, but I’m excited to be back and excited to be managing The Franklin.” Justin Clark came back to New Zealand managing new establishments in North Wharf for six months and then when he met the new owners of Sponge was being offered the general manager’s job with a brand new venture in the works, he grabbed it. He’s pleased with the name (“there are too many gimmicky names that just don’t last the test of time,” he says), and he has created a space that he hopes will attract locals who will call it their local. The Franklin owners are new to hospitality, and Justin is thrilled they chose Ponsonby. The Franklin is a place where you don’t have to shout at the top of your voice. It’s a place to come and have drinks with friends, and then decide to stay for a meal. And Justin is proud of the food they are producing. He is critical of some restaurants whose food he believes is not up to the prices they are charging. Upstairs is a large function room. Get a booking in now - it’ll quickly fill up before Christmas - no charge for the room itself - separate entry - etc. Justin is looking forward to summer at The Franklin. “The caterpillar will turn into a butterfly”, with great indoor/outdoor flow and summer BBQs in the creation. He has a small dedicated staff - he believes strongly in training - who are committed to customer services. Justin Clark likes the flow of creative juices. He’s a bit of a change agent too, but looks very settled in for the long haul at The Franklin, and his New Zealand girlfriend is in no mood to take off out of New Zealand in the foreseeable future. Sometimes the good ones come home, and with Justin, Ponsonby is the better for it. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN THE FRANKLIN, 198 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 0098 www.thefranklinbar.co.nz
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EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY RED HATS, PURPLE COATS AND NOSTALGIA NOSTALGIA Restaurant in Ponsonby, was ablaze with colour and more character, when about 50 ladies from the Red Hat Society dressed up to the nines, swooped in on a Saturday afternoon last month for the restaurant’s famous High Tea. “Queen” Anne White of the Blockhouse Bay chapter decided to celebrate her birthday with her “sisterhood” at NOSTALGIA Restaurant and in the organising process with restaurant manager, Mariette Roodt, it was decided to host the event as a fund-raising exercise for Hospice. The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humour and élan. “We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next.” Mariette Roodt chose Dove House (Eastern Bays Hospice) where she had previously worked as a volunteer, as the recipients of the money collected on the day. Owner of NOSTALGIA, Colin Gardner, went one step further and met the amount which the ladies pooled together. Colin feels very strongly about giving back to the community and supporting an organisation like Hospice. It was decided to have a second fund-raising event and to challenge other restaurants in Auckland to equal or better the monies raised. Marilyn Nething the Manager of Volunteer Services was invited to say hello during the day. Should you wish to find out more about Dove House please visit their website www.easternbayshospice.org.nz, see them on Facebook, and if you would like to volunteer ring Marilyn T: 09 575 4555 or m.nething@ebhospice.org.nzhuse PN
photography: Neil Satori
NOSTALGIA RESTAURANT, 108 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 5858 www.nostalgia.net.nz
IT’S ALL SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC AND PROST AT THE LANGHAM! TWO DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT SPECIAL OFFERINGS ARE AVAILABLE AT the Langham this October. With the arrival of smash hit musical ‘Mary Poppins’ to Auckland, The Langham’s Executive Chef Volker Marecek has created a special Supercalifragilistic Tiffin Afternoon Tea for children during the school holiday period.
journey takes a detour to celebrate the unique tastes of Germany. Eight’s kitchens will prepare a range of German dishes, including braised knuckle of pork, juicy goulash, apple strudel and Rote Gruetze. The bar will also tempt you with a beer tasting (available for an additional cost).
The enchanting afternoon tea is guaranteed to delight both adults and children alike. The menu includes specially created “Strike Me Pink” sandwiches, M&M scones, Nutella mousse cones, and - of course – a spoonful of sugar. A selection of children's drinks will be served, with beverages additional for adults. There’s only one criteria: you must ensure that there is one adult for every four children.
To complete the Oktoberfest theme, expect to see the Langham’s own native German, Executive Chef Volker Marecek, resplendent in traditional Bavarian costumes. Wunderbar!
The Supercalifragilistic Tiffin Afternoon Tea is available from 1 – 12 October, weekdays only from 12 – 4pm, and it’s priced at $26 per person. Bookings are essential. Meanwhile, over at Eight, for two weeks from 8 October, the culinary
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Oktoberfest will be served with lunch from noon to 2.30pm and dinner from 6pm to 10.30pm, Monday 8 October to Sunday 21 October. PN THE LANGHAM AUCKLAND, bookings T: 09 300 2924, email tlakl.winery@langhamhotels.com PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY GLUTEN FREE LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE INGREDIENTS: 200g butter 200g caster sugar 4 eggs 175g ground almonds 250g mashed potato 2 tsp baking powder Zest of 3 lemons.
INTRODUCING KAPITI KITCHEN FRUIT SYRUPS – MADE WITH LOVE FROM SCRATCH! Meet Sue Graafland; Cordial Designer, Bottle Washer, and proud Mum of three! It was becoming a mum that actually inspired Sue to create Kapiti Kitchen; creating delicious fruit syrups from fresh, locally sourced New Zealand ingredients. How it all started… Like most parents, Sue wasn’t happy for her children to drink ‘fizzy pop’ or sugar laden ‘fruit’ juices. Instead, Sue made her own delicious fruit concoctions for her children to enjoy: “My journey into the world of creating luscious natural fruit syrups all began with a humble lemonade stand at the children’s school fair. It was after rave reviews and a moment of madness that I realised I had something pretty special going on. And so, a school fair suddenly became a family affair as I devoted my home to brewing, bottling and bringing mouth-watering elixirs to the world.” From small beginnings in 2005, the creative juices really began flowing and inspired flavour choices ensued … now in 2012, Kapiti Kitchen offers a stunning range of creative combinations that are truly divine and proudly 100% natural! Hand zested, grated and squeezed, every batch is made by hand, ensuring the characteristic textures and tastes of each unique combination are preserved. Low in sugar but high in quality and taste, each flavour is harmoniously balanced, honest and a true taste of nature.
FOR THE DRIZZLE: Kapiti Kitchen Lemon, Manuka Honey & Ginger Syrup. METHOD: Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C. Butter and line a deep 20cm round cake tin. Cream sugar and butter together, add the eggs gradually and beat after each addition. Fold in almonds, cold mash, lemon zest and baking powder. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until golden. Turn onto wire rack after 10mins cooling in tin. Pour 1 – 2 tablespoons of Kapiti Kitchen Manuka Honey and Ginger Syrup. Best served cold. KAPITI KITCHEN SYRUPS: RRP: $6.50 (300 mls depending where purchased) RRP: $11.99 (750 mls depending where purchased) All natural, with no artificial flavours or colours and using only 100% natural extracts, Kapiti Kitchens is the refreshing natural choice! STOCKISTS: Kapiti Kitchen fruit syrups are available at leading specialty stores nationwide, as well as selected New Worlds, Pak n Saves, and selected cafes nationwide. PN For further stockist information, or to buy directly online, visit www.kapitikitchen.co.nz
THE KAPITI KITCHEN RANGE OF FRUIT SYRUPS INCLUDES:
RHUBARB AND GINGER Synonymous with spring, stewed and strained rhubarb offers a beautiful spectrum of flavours. This refreshing and tart taste is delicately infused with ginger to add some heat. Delicious served generously over apple crumble or ice cream – or for an adult treat, decadent when added to sparkling wine! ELDERFLOWER After trying elderflower for the first time in 2011, Sue was inspired by its flavours and decided to make a syrup out of it! Delicate elderflowers are soaked and infused with orange and lemon zest, before being blended with the finest extract to give it rounded floral notes. A delicate, honey-sweet aroma is balanced by citrus seasoning. This Elderflower Syrup is exquisite in pancakes, tantalising in icing, and captivating with champagne when celebrating a special occasion. FOR A REFRESHING SUMMER DESSERT, TRY THIS RECIPE: Elderflower sorbet: So easy… so delicious! Simply mix up Elderflower Syrup to your taste preference before popping in the freezer. Beat with a fork every hour or so, as it begins to freeze. Fresh and light – this is the perfect dessert on a hot summers evening. LEMON, MANUKA HONEY AND GINGER With natural healing and antibacterial qualities, this Lemon, Manuka Honey and Ginger syrup is perfect when you’re feeling under the weather… but so delicious, you’ll want to enjoy it when you’re at the peak of health! Honey harvested from Manuka flowers, freshly squeezed lemons and ginger grated across the grain, make this fruit syrup an infusion of nature’s finest remedies. Sour, sweet and strong, this is a beautiful union of opposing flavours. Soothing in winter, a winner with whisky, and addictive in Asian cooking… there’s no shortage of inspiration in which to use this fruit syrup! Makes a lovely winter hot toddy… or try a dash in Asian stirfry cooking to add a rich layer of flavour. The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE 1
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1. Ponsonby locals DON, DORRIE, ANTONIA FLETCHER, RAINY OLD and TIM SHAND, Top of the Rock, NEW YORK CITY - 6 September. “Rainy Old lives in London now but she used to be a local resident.” 2. ANNA HILL emailed this shot, “It was a hot summer days day a couple of years back, and our dear friend David invited us over for a summer BBQ and a workout in the pool! Not quite the workout we expected, but we were happy to see that some of us could relax in the pool with their feet up whilst reading the Ponsonby News!” 3. Our favourite Naturopath LANI LOPEZ and her cousin MELISSA DERBY in FIJI enjoying Ponsonby News everywhere they go.
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4. HELEN and MIKE PEARCE explained, “We relocated to Auckland last year and just love the Ponsonby News. We forward copies to family in Wellington, so they can appreciate our new “hood”. My brother and sister-in-law (Ian and Dale) from Wellington are in the UNITED KINGDOM at the moment, and look what they packed! Far more organised than us, still haven’t downloaded our Raro photos from January!” 5. MEGAN JARRETT told us, “This issue of Ponsonby News has just completed a trip to Kuching in Borneo, MELAKA (mainland Malaysia), and KUALA LUMPUR. It also made a visit to see the rescued Orangutan and rare proboscis monkeys although they weren’t very interested! I am standing across the Kuching river from the new local government building. The photo was taken by Craig Batty.”
PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE DEAR READERS Please keep sending us your holiday snaps reading your favourite magazine, we love getting them! Photos need to be in high resolution (300dpi), so please email them to info@ponsonbynews.co.nz without reducing the size.
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PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
TRAVEL BREAKS: THE NEW THERAPY! M BAREFOOT IN ALASKA! by Judith Wesley, World Journeys Waking at 5am to the words “Orcas like I’ve never seen them before!” had me out on deck in my pyjamas and down jacket in under a minute. Such was ‘Day 1’ of my small ship cruise in the wilds of Alaska. Four or five orca were leaping and diving in the waters literally right in front of our ship, so close I felt I could have reached out and touched them. Breathtaking doesn’t even cover it. It was only when I returned to my cabin I realised I’d had no shoes on. Summer in Alaska can mean beautifully clear and sunny days, but it’s not tropical; my toes froze! Being an outdoorsy kind of girl, I’d chosen an expedition -style cruise with American Safari Cruises. My ship catered for up to 86 guests, and the whole point of being a smaller vessel was that we could get in amongst the small coves, fjords and channels that reach inland from the rugged Alaskan coastline. The only large cruise ships we saw were way out, quite a distance from the shore. Alaska is all about the wilderness. As well as my day 1 orcas, we also saw numerous hump-back whales, and even saw them lunge-feeding, an extraordinary sight. Spotting hump-backs from the on-deck hot tub, cocktail in hand, was a favourite ‘end of the day’ activity. We enjoyed the antics of the delightful sea otters, spotted puffins and bald eagles, and the highlight of my kayaking experience was the playful seal who kept me company as we explored the small bays. A hike through the forest was made all the more exciting by the need to call out occasionally to warn bears of our presence. You don’t want to startle them apparently... Later, back on board, spotting a bear coming out onto the meadow to forage topped it all off.
landscapes, we savoured the moment with hot chocolate served with a warming glug of mint schnapps. Magic!
Other excursions were in inflatable Zodiac craft, with our expedition leader expertly dodging the “bergy bits” as we sidled up to glaciers. I loved the towering waterfalls of the charmingly named Fords Terror fjords. From below they seemed to soar into the sky with no apparent top, disappearing into the mist. All rugged up amongst these surreal
But for me, Alaska is all about the remote wilderness, the amazing wildlife, those magic moments when footwear is the last thing on your mind! Those memories will stay with me forever.
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
On a week-long trip the only civilisation we encountered was in Juneau, the start and end point of our cruise. A bustling tourist town in the cruise season months from May to September, Juneau is the capital of Alaska, with colourful weatherboard houses that reminded me of Wellington. Alaska has a fascinating ‘Gold Rush’ history, which can be explored on other cruise itineraries that combine wildlife experiences with visits to the small towns which dot the coast.
Judith
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PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE 6
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6. SCOTTY BAULCOMB wrote and attached his photo from CAMBODIA with JEREMY, SCOTTY and MAUMAU.
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7. MAREE RUSSELL-PORTER emailed and told us, “I always enjoy reading Ponsonby News and always check the people who have taken a copy on their travels so I thought I would do the same. I am outside the famous Tiffany and Co, Fifth Avenue, NEW YORK.” 8. This is YANGSI LIU, a student in Auckland Uni. This photo was taken at Onaruto Bridge, Tokushima, JAPAN, below which is one of the biggest whirlpools in the world. 9. Ponsonby Intermediate School pupil AARON CORDES, right, enjoyed a relaxing time in the horizon pool at FIJI’S Mana Island Resort along with sister JESSICA, and dad SCOTT, during their recent mid-winter break in the sun-drenched Pacific isles. In between reading Ponsonby News, the family enjoyed scuba diving and snorkelling trips where they spotted a turtle, sharks, and numerous rays. 10. Westmere resident KYM AIKIN posing beside the reclining Buddah in BANGKOK.
PONSONBY NEWS READERS ARE EVERYWHERE DEAR READERS Please keep sending us your holiday snaps reading your favourite magazine, we love getting them! Photos need to be in high resolution (300dpi), so please email them to info@ponsonbynews.co.nz without reducing the size.
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11-14. TAMARIN GARSIDE and DAVID GALL overlooking the water at Vanuatu’s largest city island - PORT VILA. Tamarin and David at Victoria Falls, ZAMBIA, AFRICA. The couple spent time looking at the amazing formations in Cango Caves, OUDTSHOORN. The final shot is of Tamarin at Addo Elephant Park, PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA with a buffalo in the background. PN
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JAY PLATT
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Lodge ‘Sportsmans grill’ $457.95 @ Millys kitchen www.millyskitchen.co.nz; Glasseye Creek wild meat sauce $11.95 and Lowry Peaks tomato sauce $12.90 @ Millys Kitchen www.millyskitchen.co.nz; Adler ‘Dashcund’ $295 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Alessi ‘Paradis’ salt and pepper $131 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Thomas Paul ‘Giraffe’ melamine plates $149 set of 3 @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Ceramic stool $699 @ Republic www.republichome.com; Acacia wood calabash bowl $44.90 and Acacia wood salad servers $12.90 @ ecostore www.ecostore.co.nz
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WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ‘Cape West’ woven indoor/outdoor chair by Driade $980 @ Indice www.indice.co.nz; Annabel Langbein ‘Simple Pleasures’ The Free Range Cook $54.99 @ Paper Plus www. paperplus.co.nz; Outdoor candles $24.90 each @ Chambers Ponsonby; Solar powered flower lights $55 @ Garden Party www.gardenparty.co.nz; Thomas Paul ‘Animal plates’ (melamine) $35 each @ Askew www.askew.co.nz; Corten steel ‘Keruru’ metal bird $70 @ The Garden Party www.thegardenparty.co.nz. STYLING: Jay Platt PHOTOGRAPHY: Danilo Santana David, Fisher Santana PN
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ANGELA LASSIG: LETTERS FROM MAUDIE
The monthly jottings of a free-spirited Ponsonby dressmaker of the 1920s, as imagined by Angela Lassig.
VERMONT STREET, PONSONBY 15 OCTOBER 1925
Dear Clarissa
If you were still here I would have taken you along with me to a marvellous g Street last night. g Have yyou little cello concert at the Q Queen’s Hall in Paget been there? The acoustics are delightful. The soloist was Olive Lloyd. Have eard of her before? She’s the daughter of the Auckland Weekly you perhaps heard ist Trevor Lloyd. You must know of his work? I’ve known Olive News cartoonist for a number of years but this is the first concert of hers that I’ve attended. oved the Concerto in A minor by Goltermann which she played I particularly loved he is the most talented fashion illustrator as well! She works at exquisitely. She yce and does all their fashion illustrations you know. Milne & Choyce I am thinkingg of asking her to make some little sketches of my original gowns that I could use in a notice in the Ladies’ Mirror. I’ve never placed ment with the Mirror before, although I once had a gown an advertisement featured in thee social pages, photographed on one of my Remuera customers who wore it to the Boxing Day cup races at ummer. Ellerslie last summer. sited Olive at Milne & Choyce, When I last visited I had a few minutes spare which I used to inspect some of the new model gowns that had just arrived from Paris. Att least two of the evening dresses I examined could only be described as skimpy - no neck, no sleeves, slit at the sides and with trains like bits of ribbon or wisps of tulle! And re petrifying!! I felt like leaving a pile of my trade the prices were cards in the dressing room offering my own wearable versions at half the price! n swamped with summer orders yet? I am awash with Have you been them and can barely move in my workroom for fabric. I’ve cut out five garments today that must be ready for a customer and her rs by the end of the month. Thank the stars they four daughters are relatively simple affairs, using a most beautiful lace insertion mbroideries to set them off. rather than embroideries I’ve enclosed a tiny snippet of the lace and the different orgette that will make up each of the colours of georgette vourite is the ecru as gowns. My favourite ost perfectly with the it blends almost colour of the lace. The overall effect will prove most subtle and willll set off the young lady’s complexion he family is beautifully. The attending a wedding of some ative in Wanganui well-to-do relative next month. I tell you, livingg in Ponsonby is not as quiet as it used to be! The traffic is kes no account of terrible and takes
+ 2012 54 PONSONBY PONSONBY PARISH NEWS+NEWS October
the horse and carts that still use the roads. I was feeding Prince Jack a carrot (he’s the sweet old nag who pulls the Little Sisters of the Poor’s van) while it was being loaded up with provisions, when a car suddenly braked right beside us! Not only was I startled but also Jack, who reared after chomping down hard, almost taking off two of my fingers! Just what would I have done if that had happened, I ask you! At least my doctor was only a block away. By the way, did you know that Charlie was in hospital? He was unloading rolls of fabric in the cart dock of the Cambridge Shirt Factory[ii] in Brown Street when he tripped over a block of wood, fell in the path of a backing truck and had his legg crushed! It is broken in two places and he has had an operation to mend the bones back together. When he leaves hospital he will be using crutches for at least six weeks! Luckily he still lives with his mother. Oh dear, I need to talk about som something more cheerful! How about parties! You must tell me all about your outings of late. I suspect that Gladys has to told you about the afternoon social that we both recently att attended in Epsom - the one where the host’s three excitable d dachshunds tore about the garden and upset the tea tabl tables spilling all the food, the breakin most of her Wedgwood vases of flowers and breaking wasn’ enough, the three little service! And if that wasn’t terrors caught hold of the end of one of the guest’s stoles and ran off with it, ri ripping it to shreds in front w of our eyes. I didn’t know where to look! My favourite party of late however was the Smith & Caughey ball ball, which I attended in mid -September. I went with the very handsome Tom, one of the ta tailors. Don’t get any ideas - he’s ‘taken’. The ‘taker’ is a secret from the world so I help him out now and again as his date. It’s all very com complicated. Anyway, the decorations wer were quite unique, especially the lighting effects. In the centre of the hall was a three-tier electrolier fitted with scarlet and purple bulbs. Festoons of ivy radiated from tthe electrolier to the walls that were obscured with nikau palms that were lit from D within with tiny blinking bulbs. During the course of the evening coloured lights were played upon us as we danced, to splendid effect. Well dearest, I must be off. With three d days of constant rain Tiger hasn’t had a decent walk and is extrem extremely impatient. Just as soon as I lick this envelope I shall take th the pooch for a walk to the Post Office and get this on its way to you. With fondest wishes,
Maudie x [i] Hellaby Ltd butcher shop, Ponson Road. In 1925 126 Ponsonby Albert H E Elmsley was the Manager [ii] Cambr Cambridge Shirt Factory, S 48 Brown Street, Ponsonby (in 1925)
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
illustration: 99designs
I’m so sorry that I missed you when you were visiting your sister last weekend. I was picking up some chops for my tea at Hellaby’s[i] last evening and I ran into Gladys who told me how busy you are at the moment. I do hope that next visit you can spare more than a mere weekend in Auckland! I actually thought that I had glimpsed you through the crowds at the St. Mary’s Convent spring fete last weekend but didn’t dare leave my queue at the fudge stall for fear of missing out. You know how I love my fudge! I hoped that I would find you again but alas I did not.
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON STOLEN GIRLFRIENDS CLUB
JULIETTE HOGAN
STOLEN GIRLFRIENDS CLUB
JULIETTE HOGAN
CYBÈLE
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HAILWOOD
ZAMBESI
ANNAH STRETTON
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON
PONSONBY DESIGNERS DOMINATE NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK
INGRID STARNES
ANDREA MOORE
12 Ponsonby designers showed their Winter 2013 collections on the New Zealand Fashion Week runway at the Viaduct Events Centre in early September. Ignore any bitchy press - there was plenty of great fashion on display - and all power to NZFW Limited for pulling off a highly professional, worthwhile event in a tough post-GFC environment. Seriousness aside, and in the spirit of the delicious superficiality of fashion, here’s your dinner party guide to Fashion Week:
IMAGE CREDITS Left page / clockwise: Stolen Girlfriends Club: Giana Patel, thealist.co.nz
ANDREA MOORE: ‘The Hunt’ – the designer’s best NZFW show yet. HAIR: ghd. MAKEUP: Napoleon Perdis.
Juliette Hogan: Sam Lee
ANNAH STRETTON: ‘Crush on You’ – post-WWII inspiration and a 20 year retrospective which included the infamous boar’s head. MAKEUP: Phoenix.
Annah Stretton: Giana Patel thealist.co.nz
CYBÈLE: ‘Nocturne’ – a welcome and assured return from this much loved designer following her Fashion Week ‘11 hiatus. HAIR: Stephen Marr. MAKEUP: M.A.C.
Zambesi: Giana Patel thealist.co.nz Hailwood: Norrie Montgomery, thealist.co.nz
HAILWOOD: ‘Winter State’ – a signature horse head graphic was the star of this big show, at its best on cool sportswear. Models wore new Hailwood for Mi Piaci shoes. HAIR: Stephen Marr. MAKEUP: M.A.C.
Cybèle: Norrie Montgomery, thealist.co.nz
INGRID STARNES: ‘Hunt’s End’ – One half of the fabulous BlueSky breakfast show (which also featured Wellington label twenty seven names). Pretty clothing for grown up women, with sharp tailoring and beautiful detailing. HAIR: ghd. MAKEUP: M.A.C.
Stolen Girlfriends Club: Giana Patel, thealist.co.nz Right page / clockwise:
JULIET HOGAN: ‘Don’t Look Back’ – a pitch perfect collection. Classic shapes refashioned with taste and sass. HAIR: Stephen Marr. MAKEUP: M.A.C.
Ingrid Starnes: Michael Ng Andrea Moore: Giana Patel, thealist.co.nz
LIAM/RUBY: ‘A New Power’/‘Mister Destiny’ – took out the coveted Fashion Week opening spot. Lots of pretty, dressy dresses and fresh tailored pieces from Liam; knockout separates with signature lolly-coloured possum pieces from Ruby. HAIR: ghd. MAKEUP: M.A.C.
Ruby: Giana Patel / thealist.co.nz taylor: Giana Patel / thealist.co.nz
RUBY
TAYLOR
STOLEN GIRLFRIENDS CLUB: ‘Dead End’ – THE rock ‘n’ roll offsite ‘haute street’ show of the week, with a new double headed snake signature graphic. HAIR: Ryder. MAKEUP: M.A.C. TAYLOR: A deft blend of current styles with upcoming Winter, featuring all the perfect tailoring, impeccable taste and artistic styling we expect from ‘our’ Vicki. HAIR: ghd. MAKEUP: Smashbox. ZAMBESI: autumn/winter 2013 – A seasoned tour de force which Vice Fashion Editor Annette Lamothe-Ramos described as “so absolutely perfect I cried.” Local press were particularly enthusiastic about the menswear. HAIR: Stephen Marr. MAKEUP: M.A.C. Special mention must go to expat stylist Zara Mirkin, who worked her magic on three labels including Hailwood and Stolen Girlfriends, and turned Tauranga-based Riddle Me This into one of the shows of the week. ANNA SCHIMMEL and SERA LILLY: (New Zealand Weddings Magazine show) both showed as part of the New Zealand Weddings Magazine show. (JULIE ROULSTON)
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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FASHION + STYLE RETAIL SUPERSTAR OF THE MONTH MAT REW 428 Richmond Road (Crane Brothers/Gubb & Mackie Outlet Store) HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A RETAIL SALESPERSON? My great-grandfather, Robert Rew, had a large Emporium in Queen Street in the early 1900s. By all accounts he was a “hard case salesman” so I’ve been told it’s in the blood. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO 428 RICHMOND ROAD? I worked as a sales rep/manager for a streetwear label for four years when I was employed by Murray Crane to work for his label Little Brother. We had three Little Brother stores in Auckland but my heart was always with the Grey Lynn Store! I have been running the show up here since 2004. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR STORE? I love the fact that my customers always leave here satisfied and they return to the store because of this. It is great to have new faces walk in and say “my friend told me to come here.” The clothes we stock are unique, seasonal and made to last. For me it’s a pleasure to put a customer in our garments as I know they are of fantastic quality. The store has a very personal feel to it. My regulars will know what I mean! WHAT MAKES A STANDOUT RETAIL SALESPERSON? For me personally, patience, humour, manners, honesty and knowledge of your product. TELL US ABOUT A MEMORABLE SALE YOU’VE MADE THIS YEAR... This is the hardest question, this is Grey Lynn! I never know who’s gonna come through the door. Famous or crazy they’ve all been in. I could tell you some stories but I’m not one to gossip. IF YOU COULD WAVE YOUR WAND AND HAVE ANYONE IN THE WORLD WALK INTO YOUR STORE RIGHT NOW WHO WOULD IT BE? Frank Black (from The Pixies). I think we’d get on, plus I’d say he’s a 108 chest and I’ve got plenty of shirts in his size I need to flick! IF YOU COULD WAVE YOUR WAND AND HAVE ANYONE IN GREATER PONSONBY WALK INTO YOUR STORE RIGHT NOW WHO WOULD IT BE... My son Vinnie, he’s still crawling and I can’t wait to run around with him. WHERE DO YOU SHOP? I love music, sport, cooking and gardening – so that is where I spend my spare change. NAME SOMEONE YOU THINK IS A GREAT GREATER PONSONBY RETAIL SALESPERSON... I’m sorry, there’re a few: Troy at Dizengoff – friendly and professional. Andrea at Presentz (the gift shop next to my store - helpful, genuinely friendly!) Hoane at West Lynn Meats - a retail veteran who only knows how to smile. Paul and Mira at Monterey cafe – great coffee, cool staff, very efficient. (JULIE ROULSTON) PN
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FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON
BLACK TIE WHITE NOISE The WORLD Summer 2013 show at The Langham was the delight we’ve come to expect: luxury (Lanvin Champagne and makeup touch-ups by Shiseido), gracious hospitality (table seating in The Grand Room, with plentiful canapés and Man O’ War wines), and an exceptionally well-styled, sizzling summer collection on the runway. www.worldbrand.co.nz
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ACCESSORIES: MORE IS MORE? We’ve said it before: accessories maketh the outfit - and especially in these streetstyle obsessed times. Any one of these Greater Ponsonby pieces will tell everyone you know it’s summer, and you know your fashion.
1. HOUSE OF HOLLAND ‘Cagefighter’ sunglasses RR $349; 2. WORLD knitted ties RR $129; 3. LOOBIE’S STORY scarf RR $125; 4. WORKING STYLE floral retro cufflinks RR $229; 5. NUDE ‘Jezebel’ RR $210; 6. CHAOS AND HARMONY ‘Starlet’ RR $329; 7. KATHRYN WILSON ‘Tara Wedge’ RR $399 8. KATE OF ARCADIA ‘Fender’ bag exclusively at CYBÈLE RR $510; 9. I LOVE UGLY ‘Cap’ RR $75; 10. KAREN WALKER ‘Filigree Anchor’ jewellery $1589; 11. KSUBI EYEWEAR ‘Tejat’ sunglasses RR $349; 12. DEADLY PONIES ‘Mr. Cabana Tote’ RR $240. PN
WHERE TO BUY CHAOS & HARMONY: HEAVENLY SOLES, 14 Jervois Road T: 09 360 0225 www.heavenlysoles.co.nz; KINGAN JONES, 124 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2684 www.kinganjones. co.nz | DEADLY PONIES: SUPERETTE, Shop 8, 282 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2360 www.superette.co.nz | HOUSE OF HOLLAND: 0508 EYEWEAR or email enquiries @sunshadeseyewear.co.nz | I LOVE UGLY: SUPERETTE, Shop 8, 282 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 2360 www.superette.co.nz | KAREN WALKER: 2/171 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 361 6723 www.karenwalker.com | KATHRYN WILSON: RUBY, 95 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 8674 www.rubynz.com | KATE OF ARCADIA: CYBELE, 62 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 5009 www.cybele.co.nz | KSUBI EYEWEAR: Black Box, 35B Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn T: 09 378 0073 www.blackboxboutique.co.nz | LOOBIE’S STORY: HARTLEY’S, 100 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 3243 | NUDE: HEAVENLY SOLES, 14 Jervois Road T: 09 360 0225 www.heavenlysoles.co.nz | WORKING STYLE: 186a Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 3840 www.workingstyle.co.nz | WORLD: 97 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 378 0897 www.worldbrand.co.nz.
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The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON MICHAEL BEEL for ANDREA MOORE
NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK 2012 – HAIR
photography: Jeanine Tan
It’s a fine balance. Do you want your audience to remember the clothing, or the hair? Two of the New Zealand hair industry’s foremost Creative Directors were responsible for standout hair that made the show without stealing it, this September - Micheal Beel (Buoy, Wellington) for ghd, and the inimitable Lauren Gunn for Stephen Marr - with the added benefit of Chong Li at the Stephen Marr helm for Zambesi.
TAYLOR The taylor silhouette was strong, long, and pillar-like, diffused by light angles which make lines bend, wrap and curve around the body. MICHAEL BEEL (GHD) for TAYLOR
The talented ghd team created a clean and simplistic look to complement this, with an international feel. Hair was taken into a smooth, even ponytail at the crown and braided into a classic braid, secured with a hair tie. Ends were left with some extra length to them so that the braid was long enough to move across the lower back when walking. ghd Final Shine Spray was applied liberally over the braid and sides of the hair, to add shine and a great finish.
ANDREA MOORE Andrea Moore's winter 2013 collection evoked the adrenaline of the chase; bold colour, equestrian detailing and tailored silhouettes. The ghd hair look was kept clean and structured, with texture on the ends of the hair the focus of the look. A very high pony tail had its base wrapped about 2 inches up the hair shaft, allowing for the pony tail to stand upright and the ends of the hair to fall forward onto the face. ghd Final Fix Hairspray was used on the ends of the hair to give a bristly texture.
MORTIMER HIRST - OVER 60 YEARS ON HIGH There are few practices in New Zealand that would have as formidable a history as Mortimer Hirst, which celebrated their 60th year in business in 2011. The late Douglas (Doug) Mortimer and Eugene (Gene) Hirst formed the partnership and with their individual expertise, proved to be very unique in the world of optometry. In 1943 Gene Hirst (OBE) accepted, with great success, a challenge made by an Auckland ophthalmologist to make the first contact lens in New Zealand for a keratoconic patient. This was done by taking an impression of the eye using dental material and moulding a lens over a stone cast. There were no lathes available at the time so the optics were fashioned by hand using small brass laps. In partnership with optometrist Doug Mortimer they started Hirst Contact lenses – a contact lens manufacturing laboratory – in 1943, and the optometric practice, Mortimer and Hirst in 1951. The practice is located in the same premises as when it first opened in High Street, in the CBD. Current owners Grant Watter and Naomi Bicheno, continue Mortimer Hirst’s specialised contact lens business as well as expanding their own areas of expertise in complex contact lens fitting and management, premarket evaluations and clinical trials for leading manufacturers plus clinical troubleshooting on referral. Mortimer Hirst has earned a solid reputation for providing expert clinical care and advice and continues the tradition of being a leading independent practice in New Zealand specialising in expert clinical eye care, contact lenses and handpicked eyewear collections.
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Mortimer Hirst maintains an onsite contact lens laboratory, to modify, re-power and polish rigid gas permeable contact lenses, an eyewear laboratory for repairs or replacement of prescription lenses and an extensive in house stock of contact lenses. The Mortimer Hirst clinical team are some of the few remaining practitioners who are able to modify, re-power and polish rigid gas permeable lenses in house, often in the course of an annual contact lens consultation. When it comes to the very latest fashion eyewear, the Mortimer Hirst team is constantly sourcing the most innovative and exciting new collections to work with. Their eyewear and sunglass collections now include Zambesi, Dunhill, Barton Perreira, anne et valentine, Kate Sylvester and Persol along with our other handpicked collections Oliver Goldsmith, Theo, Mykita, ic! berlin, Dita, Oliver Peoples, Paul Smith and Lindberg amongst others, some of which are exclusive to Mortimer Hirst. They believe selecting eyewear is similar to bespoke tailoring; it incorporates a great deal of detail such as shape, colour, size, fit, style, material, ensuring it complements hair and skin tones and most importantly, represents the patient’s personality and the look they are after. PN MORTIMER HIRST, 9 High Street CBD T: 09 379 8950, 3 St Helier’s Bay Road T: 09 575 8650 www.mortimerhirst.co.nz
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON STEPHEN MARR for JULIETTE HOGAN
JULIETTE HOGAN
The hair look for Juliette Hogan’s show was ingénue ‘60s style, a perfect match for the sweet sophistication of her 17th collection. With sheer lace skater dresses, vermillion blazers and signature print silk scarves, the models took to the runway trailing a wall of shimmering hair behind them. Lauren Gunn says, “This is a look that projects confident sexuality, it’s a mashup of Brigitte Bardot’s supercharged femininity and Jackie O’s cool foxlike charm.”
CYBÈLE
The Cybèle hair look combines a strong silhouette with quirky detail. Much like her collection for Winter 2013, the lines of the hair are clean and fluid without the stiffness of retro references.
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
STEPHEN MARR for CYBÈLE
STEPHEN MARR for ZAMBESI
The real bang of this hair look comes in profile, with hair swept up and away from the cheekbones into a double loop and falling into a ponytail down the nape. “We tried to create a style that reflects both the otherworldly, haunting nature of Cybèle’s signature print and the modernity of her collection as a whole,” says Lauren Gunn.
ZAMBESI Zambesi’s hair look was a blur of texture amongst a clash of snakeskin, checks and studded collars. Putting a twist in the mix, a short choppy fringe acted as a foil for the gnarled wisps of hair that snaked their way down the shoulders ending in trailer-trash rat’s tails. Hair Director Chong Li says, “The Zambesi girl is cool, quirky and punky… in an expensive way! I was all about doing good-looking bad hair.”
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STOLEN GIRLFRIENDS CLUB… Key Makeup Artist: Kiekie Stanners; Inspiration: Beautiful alienesque, cartoon-like girls.
INGRID STARNES… Key Makeup Artist: Amber D; Inspiration: Classic clean beauty, Judy Garland in her youth.
TAYLOR… Key Makeup Artist: Helen Luo; Inspiration: beautiful warm bronzes and soft peach-stained lips to reflect in-season colours
NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK 2012: MAKEUP M.A.C created and applied the makeup for a dizzying 17 labels this NZFW, including the Ponsonby designers on this page, and more. Ponsonby’s Smashbox - lead by Helen Luo - did makeup for taylor (pictured) as well as Australian label Charlie Brown. CYBÈLE… Key Makeup Artist: Olivia Russell; Inspiration: Spacey, beautiful, dramatic edge
RUBY… Key Makeup Artist: Amber D; Inspiration: English Rose who is inspired by grunge & early Amy Winehouse.
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JULIETTE HOGAN… Key Makeup Artist: Josie Wignall; Inspiration: The Girl of this collection is a bit of a traveler. But this is no road trip . . . it is a first class train carriage.
LIAM… Key Makeup Artist: Amber D; Inspiration: Youthful but structured.
ZAMBESI… Key Makeup Artist: Amber D; Inspiration: Sculptural with bold shapes and strength.
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FASHION + STYLE
JULIE ROULSTON
SANDRA HARDEN’S GAP YEAR WHEN I OPENED MY SHOP 25 YEARS AGO, I MADE A PACT WITH MYSELF THAT if I was still in business at 50, I would take an entire year off. I started planning for this six months before my 50th. I’d virtually never had time off work with the children, and wanted to experience that before they left home! My shop closed on 1 May 2011. Up to the last day, lots of wonderful customers wished us well with many cards, emails and flowers – totally unexpected and very emotional after 25 years and 50 ranges. I had sublet the shop for that year so there was no looking back. I spent the first month with my trusty production assistant Shirley, having a massive spring clean of the workroom. Two large skips were filled to the brim. The studio was left immaculate when I locked up and left, knowing that now my “gap year” could begin. I joined the gym and tramped most Sundays with my old flatmates from my 20s in preparation for the Routeburn and Chapel’s - a highlight of the year which will be an annual event from now on. The house and garden got the big clear-out. Having Mystery Movie Wednesdays with my mother and lunching with friends midweek felt like a guilty treat at first. It was fantastic being available for the children after school and during the holidays. I even got to go on school camp with my daughter Lydia. Home baking for the children negated the fitness programme somewhat! It all seems very Martha Stewart looking back, but in hindsight the gap year was about doing the things that I had always struggled to - or crammed in when possible - before. The busy year passed incredibly quickly. I enjoyed every moment but, refreshed and re-energised, I am thrilled to reopen my lovely shop on 13 October, with our new summer 12/13 range. We look forward to seeing all our wonderfully loyal customers again. (as told to JULIE ROULSTON) PN WALLACE ROSE, 186 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 0578
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY WENDYL’S GREEN GODDESS – THE STORE FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS GREY LYNN RESIDENT WENDYL NISSEN WAS a key figure on the New Zealand media landscape and an inspiration to many, first as a newspaper journalist, then as the influential editor of a string of high-profile women’s magazines like Woman’s Day, NZ Woman’s Weekly and Cleo. Her next move was into the world of television, where she also excelled – as the producer of some well watched documentaries and the panel advice show How’s Life. Fast forward to 2012 and she files the weekly popular Wendyl Wants to Know column for the Weekend Herald, which analyses popular processed foods and is a real eye -opener to put it mildly. She also writes an Agony Aunt column and a Nana’s Pantry column for the NZ Woman’s Weekly and is a weekly commentator on current affairs and the media on Newstalk ZB. To say the woman is pretty damn busy would be the understatement of the century, but amazingly, she’s also found time to open a shop! Called Wendyl’s Green Goddess, you’ll find it on Great North Road (opposite the petrol station) and it really is a little slice of eco and family-friendly heaven. It’s named after the company she and her husband – and fellow journalist – Paul Little established around three years ago manufacturing natural cleaning and baby products from their garage.
The store stocks her repertoire of popular products as well as the legendary Dr. Bronner’s soaps, along with her books. She is looking at introducing a range of essential oils into stock as well, “but they won’t be my own.” She’s also in the process of developing five more products to add to her range, the inspiration for which comes mainly from the amazing old recipe and natural remedy books that she is often sent by her readers. “Usually someone’s mother or grandmother may have passed away and they have decided to send their books to me,” she explains, “and I’ll look through them and find something that sounds really worth making up.” The end result is then trialled by family and friends and if it meets their standards, “we pop it up on our website for sale and see how it goes.” You can now drop by this wonderful little shop to stock up on old favourites and new, including her best selling Peppermint Paste. “The recipe for that came from an 1845 cookbook,” she tells me, “and it really does do it all.”
A family business: WENDYL NISSEN with her two daughters, HANNAH (left) and PEARL (right). Alex Little produced the artworks on the shop walls.
In sticking with the ethos behind her writing and her business the store will be staffed by family and friends, “even my parents are on the list of people who will be manning the shop!” The premises smells amazing, mainly due to the heavenly scent of her products and the “smelling jars” of laundry powders for people to stop by and have a whiff of before making their choice (there are also samples to take away). “It was a scooter shop before we moved in so had quite a masculine feel,” she says, “as well as being between a battery shop and a panelbeater. We’ve certainly changed all that!” (HELENE RAVLICH) PN WENDYL’S GREEN GODDESS, 356 Great North Road T: 09 550 6432 www.wendylsgreengoddess.co.nz
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photography: Martin Leach
“Basically we had got to the point where we were living in a factory,” she explains to me with a laugh, “and our home was no longer our own. We started looking for an industrial-type storage space to shift everything to that was close to home, and we found this.” As the space had street frontage it seemed natural that it could also make for a tidy little retail operation, “and although that definitely wasn’t in our business plan it made sense. Why not give it a go?”
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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THE HARD TOOTH THIS MONTH FROM NATALIE THE AMERICAN ONE | PONSONBY DENTIST
DENTISTS AND WRINKLE TREATMENTS? As our 30 somethings roll around we look in the mirror and notice that our “smile lines” are still smiling even if we’re not! While you might not be quite ready to undertake drastic measures to take a few years off (insert Hollywood starlet here) and since total head replacement is still not medically possible... we have a whole new option at a price you can afford. 99.9% probably need a little extra incentive to get themselves to the dentist chair, a major detraction being perceived cost. Nobody wants to take out a second mortgage so they can afford to look their best. In 2012 dentistry has evolved from a knuckle dragging cave where you get told off, and feel a little ashamed for not flossing. It’s now a fully upright and ambulatory clinical spa of sorts where you can not only fix what needs fixing but positively reinforce mind and body. You may embrace caring for your lovely smile and get a little boost for your visage where nature dropped the ball! Ponsonby Dentist, always on the cusp of greatness is now offering anti-wrinkle treatments that are safe, effective, and affordable. Did we mention you can get it done over your lunch break? So forget the multiple cat adoption, put down the knitting needles...you’re not dead yet. Just give us a ring – we’ll make you look better! PN PONSONBY DENTIST, 114 Ponsonby Road, Level 1 (upstairs from The Long Room) T: 09 361 2060 www.ponsonbydentist.co.nz
PROSTATE CANCER KILLS TOO MANY NEW ZEALAND MEN We have just had Blue September, a fun way to deliver a serious message about “facing up to prostate cancer.” Why blue? Blue is for men and one in 10 New Zealand men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. About 2,500 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year. Most of these are men over 65, but it does occur in younger men. Men should have regular prostate checks from their GP, and seek help if they have difficulty urinating with a good flow. A young photographer, Dion Rowe, has lost family to cancer, and so decided he wanted to do something to make a difference. He has produced a stunning calendar, featuring 12 young men, 11 of whom are Aucklanders. “This is my personal way of doing something,” he told Ponsonby News. “This year I decided to use my photography as a vehicle to help raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand. All models gave up their time and posed free.” Calendars are $20 and are available at Gina’s Italian Kitchen, Hopetoun Dairy and Urge Bar in the Central Auckland area. You can also buy calendars online at dreamonix@hotmail.com At a time of rampant individualism and materialism, it’s great to see a young local man using his talent to help his fellow man. Well done Dion. (JOHN ELLIOTT)
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The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY
FEELING A LITTLE BIT SENSITIVE? YOU’RE NOT ALONE! IN A RECENT STUDY COMMISSIONED BY A MAINSTREAM beauty brand, over half of the female respondents classed their skin as ‘sensitive’, and I bet that figure may actually be even more. It’s definitely a skincare state that effects most of us at some point in our lives, and can be the result of everything from extreme changes in the weather to diet, pollution, medication and even stress. In a nutshell, it could be something in the air or in the high-intensity products we slather on ourselves, but skin sensitivity is most definitely on the rise. Specialty products for sensitive skin now fill our supermarket aisles and luxury cosmetic counters, with some more effective than others. So what, technically, is the dermatological definition of “sensitive” skin? Simply put, it means skin that gets red, itchy, and inflamed easily, and it comes in many forms. Those who suffer from skin disorders like rosacea or eczema can have a reaction to almost anything, while others, who may have gone decades without ‘feeling sensitive’, can suddenly experience a flare up if they overdo it with a pricey new serum, extra time in the sun, or a too-hot shower. And sometimes the culprit is even invisible — like the high iron and calcium content in hard water. Beauty brand Murad have created a beautiful Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum to help with the problem, and it can be used to ease irritation caused by everything from waxing to professional skincare treatments, sunburn and allergens. Hyaluronic acid and glycolipids in this weightless serum improve hydration, calm irritated skin and reduce sensitivity, whilst the likes of chamomile extract and arnica soothe and improve suppleness. It packs quite a punch, and you can find it in Ponsonby at the CACI Clinic. Former beauty director of UK Vogue, beauty author and current beauty director for Condé Nast international, Kathy Phillips launched her own product line called This Works several years ago, and the aromatherapy-based brand has a great moisturiser for sensitive skin that I love. Simply called This Works No Wrinkles Sensitive Moisturiser (I love it when a beauty brand calls a spade, a spade!) it is a dermatologically tested, mild but powerful moisturiser designed to soothe sensitised skin and minimise wrinkles. Incredibly gentle, its powerful ingredient list includes time-release retinyl palmitate (an
MUSLIM HISTORY IN PONSONBY IN A REMOTE REGION OF THE EARTH - ARABIA - ISLAM EMERGED SOME 1400 years ago and now has 1.2 billion adherents. Fewer than 40,000 of those are in New Zealand - mostly in Auckland. Most are from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Fiji, but increasing numbers were born in New Zealand. Ponsonby became the early New Zealand headquarters of followers of Islam, who built the first New Zealand Mosque in Vermont Street in 1979, having bought an old house which had been their first home. Today, the Vermont Street Masjid (Mosque), is a local landmark, and the property in Vermont Street also includes a home for the Iman, or Priest, and other learning facilities. When Ponsonby News visited, Sunday prayers were about to begin. Muslims pray five times a day, as often as possible at the mosque under the direction of the iman, or on their own at work or at home. I couldn’t escape the feeling that, unlike some other religions who worship on Sunday alone, or Saturday in the case of Seventh Day Adventists, our local Muslims pray every day, and expect that their religious beliefs and practices will flow over into their everyday activities and life. Friday is, however, their most holy day - they have a 45 minute service in the afternoon and small sins are forgiven. There was a big group of local Muslims in for Sunday prayers when we visited, and a friendly, open, but nevertheless serious approach to their religious obligations was obvious. A dozen or so children had just finished a lesson, reading the Koran with the iman in Arabic, and they joined in the prayers with the adult men. Women and girls were behind curtains in another room, for decorum reasons.
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effective anti-wrinkle ingredient for sensitised skin), hyaluronic acid, cupuacu butter, organic linseed and soothing allantoin to tackle the ageing process without irritating or causing redness. I love the fact that it’s easy on the skin but also high performance in the anti-ageing arena, and you can find it on the shelves at Mecca Cosmetica. The dermalogica UltraCalming range is another good choice for sensitive types, and is available from the wonderful women at Louise Gray Skin Care. The one product in the line that I really can’t do without is the UltraCalming relief masque, which was created for sensitized, reactive and recently resurfaced skin. A powerful, ultra-calming treatment masque enriched with colloidal oatmeal to soothe enraged skin and provide lasting relief from sensitized skin flare-ups, redness and rosacea, it is the ideal thing to apply post-flight, post-sun or just when the weather is wreaking havoc on your skin. It is also super easy to use, just apply a layer generously to a cleansed face and throat as well as key areas with - or prone to - sensitivity (e.g.; cheeks or eye area) and leave to process for at least ten minutes to fully activate. You can follow it up with dermalogica’s UltraCalming Mist and UltraCalming Serum Concentrate when skin requires an even more intense soothing remedy. And lastly, nature has plenty of remedies for sensitivity that some of the beauty world’s most awarded dermatologists heartily recommend. Rose and lavender work wonders in calming inflammation, according to Michele VanLandingham, ingredient information specialist for Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, whilst New York dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross (whose own eponymous line is available at Mecca Cosmetic too) suggests seeking out soothing chamomile derivatives, natural toners like witch hazel, and gentle exfoliators like blueberry seeds. And for extreme inflammation, it doesn’t come much simpler than a compress of milk, water, and ice to combat itching and burning. (HELENE RAVLICH)
I was struck by the youth of many of those there to pray. One might expect in a Christian Church to find a large percentage of adherents, especially at a prayer session, to be older people. Not at the Vermont Street Mosque. There was a collection of the very young, the young, and the older, but not too many of the last category. I had a long talk to Firoz Patel. By day he works at the NZ Herald, where most of his work colleagues are not Muslim. He has a juice at staff parties while his mates guzzle their beers or wines. Muslims don’t drink alcohol. Firoz is the Vermont Community’s Secretary, and is clearly highly respected. Church members come past and show their respect by shaking hands and clearly acknowledging Firoz’s seniority in the Vermont congregation. One father approaches me to say hello. His son, a Year 13 student at Western Springs College, is among the young prayer group. This boy comes up to me after prayers and asks after my son who played cricket with him in the same team for several years. Muslims are an integral part of our community and believe in inclusiveness. They have no alien political agenda. Theirs is a religion of love. So, it is disappointing to them to see their religion so often politicised, as in the case of the movie which is blasphemous of the prophet Mohammed, or linked to religious intolerance in fragile political parts of the world such as Iraq and Afghanistan. There are five important parts to a practice of Islam – belief in the oneness of Allah, prayer five times a day, fasting (one month a year known as Ramadan – the blessed month), charity for the poor, and finally a pilgrimage to Mecca if funds allow. There was a sense of humility amongst the congregation when I visited – incredibly hospitable, modest and unassuming. That humility is a disappearing personal quality in our individualistic society today. This community of worshippers forms a vibrant part of the cultural, racial, and religious diversity of our city. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
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Muslim leader FIROZ PATEL outside the VERMONT STREET MOSQUE
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY
LOUISE PILKINGTON’S DRY & TEA “Not a style, a tea, a wave or a wash – but a moment. A moment of the utmost attention. A moment of sensual stimulation, of taste-bud tantalisation, of a style defined. Inspiring inner beauty, confidence, elation and delight.” This is a quote taken from the website for boutique grooming bar Dry & Tea, which I can now acknowledge as my new Happy Place. That is not a title I bestow on a location lightly - and certainly not usually after just one visit! – but this serene, feel good spot quite literally blew me away from the minute I arrived for a blow wave a few weeks ago. As soon as you set foot into its tranquil Newmarket, Auckland premises you feel welcome, as well as lulled into a sense of peace by its wonderful shades, luxurious smells and furnishings (a lush fur rug gets me EVERY time!). Dry & Tea is the brainchild of Westmere-resident Louise Pilkington, former owner of Servilles Ponsonby and designer and co-founder of Loumina jewellery, and is described as “a boutique blow wave bar and teahouse.” The other fabulous partners in this business are Nicki, ohn Kelly and Phil Pilkington. The Dry & Tea team includes some of their favourite local stylists, including Louise’s old Ponsonby colleague, Marcus, who she says gave her one hell of a big, bouncy blow wave! It’s the ideal place to spend a few hours of quality ‘me’ time, or just to drop in for a professional ‘up do’ or nail paint. They also apparently apply stellar false lashes for you with a true expert’s touch, and offer vouchers for that special someone who needs a treat. Pureology and Redken hair products grace the shelves along with Dry & Tea’s aforementioned very own nail colours, as well as Butter London Lippy Gloss, Davines and Evo hair products and Cloud 9 irons. On the tea side of things, they serve the highly respected – and delicious - T2 range of organic teas and tisanes, which are free of anything artificial. If you haven’t tried them before then I highly recommend that you do as they’ve carefully sourced outstanding raw ingredients from certified growers who uphold the most rigorous set of organic standards through every stage of production, including growing storage and processing. And they taste bloody amazing! When I catch up with Louise again a few good weeks after opening she says that the reaction from both locals and loyal customers to the premises has been overwhelmingly positive, “and although I was a little scared to be moving from Ponsonby to Newmarket it has just been like shifting from one great community to another. We feel really welcome here, which is nice!”
Above: LOUISE PILKINGTON: Dry & Tea Creative Director Below: Dry & Tea courtyard by Second Nature
She says that a blow wave is definitely the most asked for service, “although people have been really surprised by what we can do when they pop in for a Dry Style.” This involves arriving with clean, dry hair and allowing the Dry & Tea team to move in and work their magic. “Even in just 10 or 15 minutes we can make a major difference to someone’s hair,” she says with a smile, “and we can really get a lot done in a short amount of time and make a person feel really fabulous.” She adds that the ability to create a space where people can “feel fabulous” is what she really missed when she sold her previous salon, and the super stylist gets a real buzz from seeing a woman leave “feeling like she can take on the world. Working every day in a place that makes people happy is just such a privilege.” So if you think you need a little extra spring in your step, get yourself down to Dry & Tea ASAP. You’ll find it located on Kent Street in Newmarket, and I promise you won’t regret it! www.dryandtea.com (HELENE RAVLICH) PN
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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY LOCAL BEAUTIES: SALLY AND JAIME RIDGE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY WERE REGULARS front row at the recent New Zealand Fashion Week sporting a myriad of hair and makeup looks, I’ve always found mother daughter duo Sally and Jaime Ridge to be insanely low maintenance when it comes to beauty. Sally has gone on record as being a fan of Nivea – as opposed to say, La Mer – and I put a lot of this down to being a working, single mum of four, who just happens to have some seriously good genes and needs minimal interference from beauty experts to look damn good. They are both onscreen now in The Ridges, a six part reality series from the producers of Secret Lives of Dancers. As “the most talked about mother and daughter duo in New Zealand” the two have been tabloid fodder and twitter targets for some time now, but the series has seen them open up the doors to their Herne Bay home and given them the chance to tell their story, their way. “Our whole beauty regime has changed since we’ve been doing the show,” Sally tells me with a laugh, “we go to the hairdresser all the time, we go to Smashbox on Ponsonby Road to get our makeup done. It’s a whole new world for us.” When I ask her if was a bit horrifying getting used to having a face full of slap she says “absolutely not, it’s so much fun and for the first time I felt really glamorous. Just wearing false lashes was a big novelty for me, they are so good!” Jaime laughs as she tells me that neither she or her mum are “exactly crash hot at putting our own makeup on”, but now the two are firm Smashbox devotees, especially of the LA-based brand’s foundation formulas, “which make your skin feel seriously like silk.”
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
Both women shy away from wearing makeup apart from a little mascara and the odd slick of lipgloss during the day, and now that filming is over the opportunities to have their hair and makeup professionally done will be a little few and far between, “sadly!” They have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way however, and Sally has even splashed out on a kit of beauty therapy brand Aspect Skincare. “It’s full of vitamins and I was told because I’m old I need to use it,” she laughs, and the Australian made and owned condition specific cosmeceutical range is apparently one of the most effective out there. Jaime has always used a baby moisturiser on her face in favour of anything richer, but is a fan of the Lancome brand, in particular their self tanner for the face. “We both use it instead of foundation,” she explains, and with skin as flawless as hers you can see why. When I first met Sally she had a dark brown, pixie crop, but she’s best known these days for her mop of long, blonde, naturally curly hair. It’s the type of hair that can seriously get out of control – and fast – and almost blocks out the sun in the trailer for their show! “Oh my god, it was terrible,” she says howling with laughter, “I just look like a drag queen full stop in that, and not in a good way.” She says that despite the attack of hairspray depicted in that ad her hair has been totally transformed since she’s submitted to the talents of the team at Peter Dutton Hairdressing – or PDH as it’s known – who have a beautiful salon on Centre Street in Freeman’s Bay. “I’ve done my own hair my entire life but since I met Peter five months ago I am seriously hooked,” she says, “and will never colour my own hair again, it has never felt healthier.” The two love the whole experience of getting pampered in the salon and the chance to take some serious time out, with Sally adding that “I wish I’d started actually going ten years ago… I can’t help but think of all of the fun things we’ve been missing out on!” (HELENE RAVLICH) PN
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LIVING, THINKING + BEING
G2 PERSONAL TRAINING HELPING TO RAISE MONEY FOR KIDSCAN! G2 PERSONAL TRAINING DIRECTORS, GRAEME AND MEGAN HAVE a combined 20 years industry experience. “A rewarding part of working with our clients is we see first-hand the positive results that come from following simple healthy food habits with a consistent exercise plan,” says Megan. “Research has shown that these lifestyle choices contribute to better health, a happier family life, career success, and personal achievement.” Megan and Graeme are extremely passionate about promoting these benefits within their community and especially to New Zealand kids. 270,000 Kiwi kids are living in poverty, they are missing out on the basics in life, food, shoes, and clothing. Through their chosen Charitable Trust, KidsCan, they want to help New Zealand kids meet their physical and nutritional needs, so they can be more engaged in their education and reach their potential. As active volunteers and by making monthly donations they’re encouraging New Zealanders to do the same and support a Kiwi child in our own backyard. By choosing to work with G2 Personal Training, you can also support this fantastic charity! When you train with one of the team at G2 Personal Training, they will donate $15 of your total monthly bill and ask if you would like to match it. $15 per month supports one New Zealand child. All the money received will go towards KidsCan. G2 PERSONAL TRAINING, 45 Sale Street M: 021 885 855 www.g2personaltraining.com
THE SCIENCE OF MYSTICISM MENTION THE WORD ‘MYSTIC’ AND MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK OF A WHITE robed figure like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mysticism is in fact a science concerned with the study of the natural and spiritual laws of the Universe, particularly as they pertain to individual and collective evolution. Mysticism does not deal in speculation and theories but proven techniques and knowledge which have practical application in the ‘here and now’. A mystic then is interested in expanding his or her horizon beyond a purely mundane existence. While an open mind is a prerequisite, the student of mysticism takes nothing on face value, questioning everything but with a sincere desire to know the
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truth about life. Yes, mysticism will challenge you to change your thinking but what is growth without change? The price for ultimate wisdom is merely the sacrifice of erroneous understanding. An ancient and venerated school of Mysticism known as the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC, promises results and it can do this because its material has been verified effective. Sure, you will need to work at personal unfoldment but the techniques AMORC uses are time tested, safe, without dogma and the environment in which you learn is both supportive and inspirational. True human evolution is in fact a voluntary process. We choose our destiny; it is not made for us. PN If you are interested to know more go to www.amorc.org.au
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JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH
NUTRITIONAL OPTIONS FOR THE HEART LAST MONTH I ATTENDED THE AUSTRALASIAN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (AIMA) Conference in Melbourne (I was involved as a minor sponsor of the event). AIMA www.aima.net.au is an independent not for profit organisation of individual medical practitioners seeking to provide whole person medical care by integrating evidence based complementary medicine into mainstream practice. Former AIMA president Prof Marc Cohen who is a medical doctor with two PhDs says “Ultimately, medicine has a single aim: to relieve human suffering. When measured against this benchmark, different therapies can be seen as either effective or ineffective rather than `orthodox’ or `unorthodox’. No single professional group has ownership of health, and the best healthcare requires a multidisciplinary approach. Thus there is an imperative for all healthcare professionals to work together for the benefit of their patients and the wider community.” Of particular interest for me at the conference was a very enlightening presentation by Australian Cardiologist Dr Ross Walker. It’s clear that more and more doctors are now looking for new ways to improve outcomes for their patients and are using nutritional interventions with considerable success. When one really looks around, it’s surprising how many options there are for supporting normal cardiovascular function. Objectives are to: maintain the integrity of our blood vessels – reduce the potential for chronic inflammation – maintain normal blood pressure – support the normal rhythm of the heart and to ensure that the energy requirements of this vital organ are being met. In the world of nutrition, for me, the key plank when it comes to a healthy heart is a sharp focus on a plant based diet. However in the highly ‘toxic’ world we live in today it’s all but impossible to obtain optimal levels of key nutrients from our diet alone and supplementation can be important when it comes to achieving the objectives as above. In his book ‘Stop America’s Number 1 Killer’, American Cardiologist Dr Thomas Levy provides 650 references from the medical literature to ‘show’ how vitamin C is essential for the health of our blood vessels. Our blood vessels rely on collagen (the most abundant protein in the body) for their integrity. No vitamin C – no collagen. vitamin C is at the top of my list. Chronic inflammation is something we need to be very mindful of when it comes to preventing heart disease. Nature’s anti-inflammatories are omega 3 (from Fish Oils) Curcumin (an extract from turmeric) and magnesium (most New Zealanders have less then optimal levels of magnesium). An important but simple blood test can assess inflammation – HSCRP (high sensitivity C reactive protein).
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
Nutrients that can be used to support normal blood pressure are: coenzyme Q10 (the ‘active’ - ubiquinol form is more readily absorbed) – magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Vitamin C would also be on my list. An amino acid L-Arginine provides an additional option if required. Many of us from time to time are aware of missed heart beats – a racing heart or other problems with normal rhythm such as atrial fibrillation. All of these are known as arrhythmias. Nutrients that can be used to support normal heart rhythm are magnesium – coenzyme Q10 and omega 3 (fish oil). Heart failure is a serious condition that develops over time as the heart is less able to function normally. Symptoms such as shortness of breath and build-up of fluid in the legs and lungs require on-going treatment. Metabolic Cardiology is a relatively new term which looks at heart failure as an energy crisis and with specific nutrients addressing the energy needs of the heart this approach has a lot to offer. Dr Stephen Sinatra (American Cardiologist) talks about the ‘awesome foursome’ using coenzyme Q10 – D-ribose – L-carnitine and magnesium as nutrients to ‘recharge’ the cellular ‘batteries’ in the heart known as mitochondria. His well referenced book ‘The Sinatra Solution’ is excellent. In heart cells, approximately 75% of the volume is occupied by mitochondria which is indicative of the energy requirements of the heart. Coenzyme Q10 has vital role in ‘sparking’ the production of the fuel (ATP) which is used by the cell for energy. L-carnitine (an amino acid) is responsible for shuttling fats into the mitochondria where they can be burned for energy and D-ribose is a simple ‘sugar’ which has a primary role of rebuilding the energy ‘pool’ in the cell. Magnesium is an essential mineral that’s critical for energy requiring processes. Unless we have adequate levels of magnesium in our cells, the cellular processes of energy metabolism cannot function. Each member of the “awesome foursome” is fundamental to cellular energy metabolism in its own right and each plays a unique and vital role in supplying the heart with the energy it needs to preserve its contractile force. When it comes to the heart, Metabolic Cardiology surely is the future of medicine. It’s important however not to stop taking any medication without consulting with your doctor. For anyone interested in the integrative approach to medicine – the head of the Auckland chapter of AIMA is Dr Bernard Willis “The Optimal Wellness Centre” 475a, Manukau Road, Epsom T: 09 623 6234 (JOHN APPLETON) PN APPLETON ASSOCIATES, T: 09 489 9362 john@johnappleton.co.nz www.johnappleton.co.nz
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STEPHEN RAINBOW: SUM OF US
FIFTY SHADES OF GAY One of the things I love most about holidays is that they are one of the few times I get to indulge my passion for reading. And what a lot of reading I was able to do on a recent stint to Sydney and Thailand, not to mention the movies I got to watch during the flights there and back! Thank you Qantas for showing the remarkable doco ‘The Strange History of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ , about the US military’s policy regarding gay members of the armed forces. How many people know that as a result of the dismissal for being gay of around a dozen Arab linguists from the armed forces prior to 2001 that it was not until several days after 9/11 that the messages that were sent by the terrorists that clearly showed some kind of attack was imminent were interpreted?! This was just one of the revelations in a doco that was both informative, but also deeply moving on a personal level. I also took the time to watch Edgar, the movie starring Leonardo de Caprio, about J Edgar Hoover, the infamous – and ostensibly gay – director of the FBI for nearly 50 years. One of the memorable lines from that movie was Hoover’s mother saying to Edgar, “I’d rather have a dead son than a daffodil for a son” (referring to gay man, ‘Daffy’ Pinchus). But the clear implication of the movie was that Hoover - who never married - had a male partner, Clyde Tolson, for decades. Tolson inherited Hoover’s estate when he died, and moved into his house. His grave is a few yards from Hoover’s in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington. A more contemporary story that I read was Benjamin Law’s ‘Gaysia’, an account of the ethnically Asian Australian Law’s travels in gay Asia. Law’s book is a light read about observations in several Asian countries one of which was India where he attended his first-ever gay pride parade. His reflections on that are worth quoting given the recent decision that the Pride Festival here in Auckland will include a parade down Ponsonby Road: “I remember watching footage of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on TV as a teenager... Part of me was fascinated, but mainly I was cringing inside. These parades were all about flaunting muscles, leather, speedos, glitter and waxed arses in chaps, shoulders draped in feather boas; whereas my thing was more about staying indoors, reading quietly in bed and not marching in public. I clearly remembered thinking at the time that, if this is what it means to be gay, kill me now.” (p.265) Do I have to confess that I, too, have never attended the Sydney Mardi Gras? I just hope that the parade here will be only one part of a pride festival that will recognise that there are as many ways of being gay as there are gay people. Another Asian gay writer that I read was Filipino Raymond Alikpala, who has written a deeply personal account of ‘A Life in the Closet’, and his journey to living an openly gay life even though coming from a conservative Catholic family. Alikpala’s conclusion that “Homosexual behaviour is not ‘unnatural’ and is not against the will of God, but is just another aspect of God’s creation, just another way of being human” is the kind of message that many involved in the church everywhere need to read. But it’s also a message that more Asian people need to hear, including here where the Asian MPs in the NZ Parliament were the single least supportive group of the same sex marriage legislation that was considered last month.
SURVEY REVEALS HOT BEDROOM ANTICS FOR THE OVER-FIFTIES 50+ practicing unsafe sex Clearly sex isn’t dead for the over-fifties, but they could be putting their sexual health at risk by having unsafe sex, reveals a survey commissioned by leading 50+ community website, GrownUps.co.nz. More than 730 50+ Kiwis participated in the 2012 GrownUps Saucy Sex Survey that quizzed them on everything from how often they have sex, to whether they use condoms when having sex, and if they rate themselves in the sack. Unbelievably, 78.5% admitted they never use condoms when having sex, and 17.9% say they sometimes do, suggesting their health could be at risk by having unsafe sex. Richard Poole, GrownUps.co.nz co-founder says it’s good to see that age is no barrier when it comes to spicing things up in the bedroom; however safe sex should always be practiced, no matter what age. “Over recent years there have been many reports about the increase in STIs in the 50+ community. This could be due to the rising divorce rate and therefore increased incidences of casual sex; however it’s no reason to not use condoms. It’s quite obvious that the over-fifties are having a lot of sex, but it’s important to make sure you know your partner has had a ‘Sexual Warrant of Fitness’,” says Mr Poole. The survey also revealed that the over-fifties are the most sexually active during the early morning, with over a third (31.7%) of respondents admitting that this is their favourite time of day to have sex, and over half (51.6%) confessing to having sex at least once, or more than once a week. Surprisingly, 4.1% have sex at least once a day. Sadly, some are completely missing out all together, with 11.5% of respondents admitting to never having sex, and 14.3% saving the special occasion for only a few times a year. The saucy statistics also revealed that 46.2% thought they were good in the sack, and that sex toys are also favoured for extra va-va-voom in the bedroom, with the majority (51.1%) of the over-fifties saying they use them. Most of the 50+ go au naturale with only 38% admitting they have used supplements designed to enhance sexual performance or support sexual health. Visit GrownUps.co.nz for further results from the 2012 GrownUps Saucy Sex Survey. PN www.grownups.co.nz
Same sex marriage is also a hot issue in Australia at present, and how wonderful to see at the Surry Hills Library in Sydney an exhibition called ‘Rainbow Parents in Australia’, intimate photographs of family life in gay families. Perhaps it was because so many people now have openly gay members of their families or their workplaces that the same sex legislation here generated relatively little opposition compared to similar campaigns of the past. The battle is not yet won, but the 80-40 vote in favour of the first reading was hopefully a reflection of the fact that most MPs know gay people now, and that we are just as likely to be the couple next door with a pleasant garden and a couple of dogs – or children - as the flamboyant stereotypes of the past. We may even be members of the armed forces, senior public servants or active members of the church. There are more than fifty shades of gay, and while legislative progress is being made the challenge of demonstrating just how diverse gay people and our stories are remains. (STEPHEN RAINBOW) PN
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LANI LOPEZ: HEALTHY LIVING SIX WEEKS TO WELLBEING Television can be very educational. It has certainly taught me a lot recently. I return to the small screen this saturday at 7pm in a series on Maori Television called Ka Life. In my small part of the programme I work with Ponsonby’s own Dr Garsing Wong to turn around the health of nine everyday kiwis. My challenge was, in just six weeks to share some lifestyle lessons and inspire them into taking on healthy habits that would take them from being unwell to wellbeing. SIX WEEKS TO WELLBEING We got there and what a great experience. Together we turned around issues of weight management, heart risk, allergies, fatigue and lethargy, anxiety, post-natal problems, the risk of smoking and what I see as our urban epidemic; stress. I’d like to share with you how we did it and what I uncovered on the route to take a six week walk of wellness, so you can step out on that walk yourself. SICK THOUGHTS Listening to the health issues it became clear that we have a perspective problem with wellbeing; we have sick thoughts. We don’t think health, we think sickness. All our focus goes on the problems and symptoms. Now we wouldn’t accept this in any other area of our life, we’d call it whinging and it would be. Step one on our six week wellbeing walk is to look from our current health state towards the solution. Here’s how: Name your health issue and problem. Detail what life would be like if you were on top of this problem. Identify steps along the way there. Take the first step. YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE Maybe you can walk alone, but it’s a lot easier and more fun with company. One of the reasons we succeeded in Ka Life, is that WE did the walk. Getting a friend to join you for exercise helps get you out the door. When your partner or kids join you on a healthy food mission, your best-friend stops smoking with you or cuts down on drinking, your chance of making a healthy habit increases. Temptation is removed, loneliness disappears. And when you need motivation, as any bootcamp attendee will tell you, a friend waiting for you is all the drive you need. Sharing the journey is powerful, you will notice changes and a friend on the walk is the perfect partner to celebrate these with. For Maori Television I worked with Dr Garsing Wong and I urge you to start your journey with a full check up. Garsing did a number of tests so each person knew exactly where they were and together, we could chart the path for six weeks from there. Doing this also means you have a baseline to measure your progress, whether it’s blood pressure, body-fat, heart rate, cholesterol. This is important for two things, you can adapt your walk to suit your needs and just as vital, you can celebrate success as you go. WHAT WORKED In the last two issues of Ponsonby News I’ve detailed the steps that really saw our participants improve their wellbeing. But I was able to do it individually. So after your check-up, have a session with a naturopath. Not only are naturopaths qualified in natural health they are also clinical nutritionists with extensive knowledge in what foods and nutrients you need to avoid and choose for happiness and health. This may involve supplements it will involve better quality of life I can guarantee that from the inspiring outcomes of our six week wellbeing walk. We saw great results; participants lost weight, gained energy, overcame anxiety, slept better and most importantly perhaps felt better about themselves and happier in their life. See Lani in Ka Life Saturdays 7pm from October 13 on Maori Television. (LANI LOPEZ) Our favourite Naturopath Lani Lopez, a Westmere Resident, is the founder of Lanilopez.com where she sells her own naturopathic supplements Pez-Rez Resveratrol and OLE-Up Immune and Stress Support. Talk health with Lani on facebook/lanilopez.com PN
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HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY
HERE COMES SUMMER – AND NEW CLASSES AT RE:AB I’ve been a member of boutique fitness and wellbeing studio re:ab on Selbourne for a couple of years now, and I’m still a raving fan. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve actually joined a “gym” of sorts and not just treated my monthly membership as a donation – I’ve been there on an almost daily basis since I joined, and the place just keeps getting better and better. For those of you that don’t know it, re:ab is nestled in the heart of Grey Lynn on Selbourne Street and offers all those who enter through its doors a one-stop shop for a plethora of health and wellbeing needs. You’ll find everything from pilates and spin classes to physiotherapy, massage and beauty therapy, alongside specialists like Breathing Works and Handworks. A beautifully serene space that was once home to an old picture theatre, it is the brainchild of owner Kirsty Wilkinson, who saw a gap in the market for a place that offered her clients not only physiotherapy and pilates but also other health and wellbeing services. To say that many people are time poor is an understatement, and when it comes to health and wellbeing they tend to run from one place to the next fulfilling appointments... not really conducive to a quiet mind! At re:ab they can see their physio, do a class, have a massage and a consultation on breathing all in the one place, which is a godsend, really. The new premises have been purpose built and there is an immediate feeling of something special and unique when walking in - bright natural sunlight fills the two storey space, with a high studded ceiling with scalloped roof - a beautifully vintage touch in an otherwise super modern environment. The studio space – where I’ve been taking pilates reformer and mat classes for the past two years – is spacious and serene, whilst upstairs a number of private consultation rooms surround the studio floor, and the spin room. As well as pilates classes I’ve been hitting re:ab’s Express Conditioning circuit-type classes two lunchtimes a week, which were tough to begin with but are destined to become an addiction. A full body workout with cardio thrown in, they clock in at 45 minutes, making them the perfect choice if your lunchtime is your preferred time to hit the gym.
REBECCA IS BACK! Some of you have missed Rebecca Kingan’s talented hands attending to your hair. Now, after devoting time to her small son, she’s ready to devote her time to you! In response to popular demand, Rebecca has increased her hours to include late nights Thursday and Friday as well as her regular Saturdays, knowing you love looking great for the weekend social whirl. Rebecca’s insistence on the best condition, style and colour for her discerning clientele is well known. However, what they tell her they really love, is being looked after exclusively. That means from the initial consultation to the luxurious massage, expert colour application and the bespoke cut and style, all are undertaken by Rebecca; making paying senior prices for work performed by juniors, a thing of the past. Rebecca works with natural light allowing a precise colour diagnosis, teamed with quality long lasting colour that keeps its integrity. Add to this a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, professional expertise and over 18 years experience (mostly in the Ponsonby area) and you have a winning formula. So if you want a haircut, colour or style that makes others sit up and take notice, get in touch with Rebecca. PN DAVID SHIELDS HAIRDRESSING, 246A Jervois Road (Opposite Speight’s Ale House on the corner of Kelmarna Avenue) T: 09 360 2462
Another one of the reasons that I’m still a major fan of re:ab is the fact that their class offerings are always growing, the latest additions being spin:lates, Powerplate, Yoga and Zumba. Kirsty tells me that she thought long and hard before adding a Powerplate to re:ab’s repertoire, “I really wanted my physios to do some research and thoroughly check it out. What they came back with was that it was a really good tool for rehabilitation and for fitness, and clients are absolutely loving it for both.” They offer an integrated program for people who are keen to give it a go, which includes a couple of one-on-one training sessions with their stellar trainers Monique and Jo so that they can really learn the ropes. They have also introduced yoga to the studio, “which I firmly believe totally complements pilates and circuit classes,” says Kirsty. “Our classes will be focused on strengthening, toning and stretching and I think people will really enjoy adding it to their regular exercise timetable.” Last but not least, David Brown is taking a regular Zumba class there, and reports thus far point to it being one hell of a lot of fun and a great workout to boot. www.reab.co.nz (HELENE RAVLICH) PN
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SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY
PARALYMPIANS MASTER MIND AND BODY IN LONDON For the past couple of years I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to attend many different sporting events all over the world. I’m often told I have the perfect job, with many men envious of my role. So much so that when I’m with my wife and we get introduced to new people I have to insist she explains her role in finance first, before I say what I do. Otherwise the initial conversation is predominantly dominated with what stadium I’ve been at lately or what was the last game that I sat pitch side. She says I have the fun job and hers the boring one that makes the money. To answer that standard question the last event I attended was the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Where for 10 straight days I witnessed first-hand what our Kiwi athletes go through just to call themselves the best. Coming off the back of New Zealand’s equal best Olympic Games performance ever I thought there was going to be very little that could top that effort. How wrong I was. But not for the obvious reasons of the athletes physical struggles, but because of their ability to master their minds and focus on what they wanted, and on how they manipulated want they wanted into an unequivocal belief of deserved reward. Paralympics New Zealand set a goal of 18 medals and achieved 17. Some would suggest that 18 was a highly ambitious target in the first place considering they only took twelve home from Beijing. However, that determination to set the bar at the very tip of their reach gave the athletes the sort of confidence to dive into the pool, hop onto a bike, or pull the trigger on a rifle with the knowledge that their bosses believe they could be the best in the world. Christchurch’s Sophie Pascoe is the only current full time athlete in the New Zealand team, the other 25 athletes who attended the games support themselves with at least a part or full time job at the same time training to the level required to compete on the international stage. Most completed their goals and walked away with their rewards, for some it was a feeling of jubilation with a sense of achievement they’d never felt before, for others it was an emotion they clung to like an addict wanting just one more fix of what it felt like when standing atop that dais. What it did display to the many who got to witness the events was the courage, determination and athleticism that they tackled their challenges with head on, no matter what the obstacle was, all the athletes displayed the belief that the quickest way to move forward is to turn any obstacle from an ‘is’ to a ‘was’. 19 year old Mary Fisher who clinched a gold, two silvers and a bronze medal in her debut games was at the forefront of this. Less than 12 months ago, although legally blind, the Wellington swimmer still had a limited amount of sight, but by the time the
SOPHIE PASCOE and GEORGE BERRY competition started she was unable to see a thing. However the past 12 months has also seen her move out of home, train up to twice a day and study at the same time. Proving no matter the size of the challenge, the rewards are there following the effort to reach out and grab them. And after two games of trying Waipu cyclist Fiona Southorn, who is missing a hand, proved that never giving up also equals rewards when she claimed the bronze medal in the C5 individual pursuit. The 44 year old real estate agent said “I’m getting better with age, maybe I’d better go to Rio and then I might get silver! Or even a gold.” (GEORGE BERRY) PN
DOES AUCKLAND NEED ANOTHER SPORTING FRANCHISE? THE LATEST SPORTING CRAZE TO HIT THE COUNTRY WITH ANY REAL OOMPH has to be baseball. While it has in fact been around for years, over the past three it’s really begun to find its feet, especially in Auckland. But is it enough to consider putting together a franchise to compete in the ABL [Australian Baseball League] just because someone in America would like to see their game develop outside of the United States? The Australian Baseball League are singing from the same hymn sheet as their American allies, but possibly because they’ve reached a critical mass of interest in their league across the Tasman long before they thought they would. We’ve seen other sporting franchises set down roots in Auckland and fall flat on their face and, as everyone knows, when you’re not winning the residents of the city of sails can top the leader board as fair weather flag wavers. There are plenty of possible venues for the City Council to make available for an organisation to base itself out of. We’re all well aware of how many half used stadiums there are scattered about the region. But the biggest worry is, where does the type of money that’s needed to run a franchise like this come from? Most sponsors are already tapped out, while there’s still plenty of sports with their hands out, ones with far greater pull than a sport that’s only played in a small number of countries around the world. There are only so many Owen G Glens waiting in the wings to prop up a New Zealand sporting franchise. High Performance Sport New Zealand, formally known as SPARC
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are charged with dividing up the main pool of government funding that filters into our sporting coffers. However, a sport like baseball that will never see the inside of an Olympic Games venue will in turn never see a dollar from HPNZ. Meaning every cent that the organisation would need to operate has to come from either a wealthy owner, a broadcasting rights deal, sponsorship or a combination of these. The New Zealand softball team used to be one of the highest regarded in the world and look at how much publicity and interest that got. It’s taken the Breakers half a decade to sell out the North Shore Events Centre and a fair portion of that must be attributed to the fact they’re now two time ANBL Champions. And if it wasn’t for the support of some very generous and understanding owners they too would never have made it to their first title. I’m aware of what the interest levels are in the sport, how much it’s grown and the fact a couple of Kiwi youngsters have been drafted into the big time Major League Baseball, but who’s to say another major sporting franchise in Auckland would see that number increase? Basketball in New Zealand has had a pretty good development system for the past 20 years and yet how many Kiwis have been embraced by the NBA? I am a lover of sport, and not one sport more than any other, but I can only hope the Auckland City Council and the supporters of the idea to bring a professional baseball franchise to our city think twice about the consequences on all sport. (GEORGE BERRY) PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
SIDELINE WITH GEORGE BERRY THE NEW AND IMPROVED WEST END CUP THERE SEEMS TO BE ALL KINDS OF SPECULATION CIRCULATING THAT THE new WTA tournament in China will be the death of this country’s premier tennis events, the ASB Classic and Heineken Open. Whether you believe it to be true or not, maybe the organisers of the Auckland tournaments should take a look a little closer to home to see how a local tennis event continues to reinvent itself and become more popular with everyone concerned year after year. Last year the West End Cup was better than the year before and two months out from the 2012 edition this year’s competition is lining up to be something on a whole new scale all together. The organisers have attracted high end sponsors including the new naming rights sponsor Wither Hills. But the advent of a new “Super Ten” competition has even the rustiest of weekend backyard tennis players contemplating digging the old “Wilson Pro” out from the back of the closet. The competition is designed for everyone and comes with a carrot of over $1500 worth of prizes. With the emphasis on participation, every entry includes both a glass of Wither Hills or Lindauer Special Reserve and a meal on Saturday night after the finals. While the competition might not be the easiest [if you draw one of the country’s top ranked pros] the format is easy enough to work out. Just like any other Super – Tiebreaker competition the first to 10 points by a margin of two claims the spoils and moves on to the next round. Both a Championship and Plate round will be played in this fast and ferocious men‘s and women’s tournament which will run from Thursday to Saturday. Organisers say “anything can happen, so chance your luck. You may find yourself up against one of the pros or a hard hitting local.” The other part of the weekend that has evolved since the tournaments inception five years ago is the establishment of the Junior West End Cup, this tournament sits in pride of place alongside the senior competition and is perfectly timed, being just one weekend prior to the New Zealand Junior Championships. This is open to anyone under the age of 16 and has already proven to be a catalyst to Kiwi protégés getting recognised (2011 champs Elliot Darling of Christchurch and Auckland’s Rosie Cheng). This sort of tournament is the kind of hype and competition our youngsters need to be exposed to in order to improve their capabilities at the high end of competitive tennis. The more events they can play of a similar calibre can only improve their mental capacity to deal with tough situations in front of larger crowds, which they will face at national and international tournaments. It’s great to see the oldest lawn tennis club in the country leading the way with this initiative. Just because they’re old, doesn’t mean they’re not up with the times. By no means does the inclusion of a junior competition diminish the quality of the overall event. In fact some of the fearless, uncompromised play by these youngsters is often just as inspiring to watch as you will find at tournaments with ticket prices touching triple figures. The newly-named Wither Hills West End Cup is scheduled to take place at the Club’s Westmere grounds from 6 – 9 December 2012. (GEORGE BERRY) PN
PONSONBY INTERMEDIATE IS COOKING UP A STORM MATT BAKER IS A COOK BY NAME AND COOKING TEACHER by nature. Under his tuition at Ponsonby Intermediate, the term Home Economics takes on a whole new meaning. He’s not a qualified chef, but food is his passion for which he gives thanks to his mother who let him hang about with her in the kitchen. Before coming to New Zealand he taught mainstream subjects in the UK but has always had the ambition to focus on the nutrition aspect of education. With all the food exposure we are subjected to on television, there’s no way of avoiding it, and Matt firmly believes that if a child eats the right stuff the mind and body will perform better at school. The school entered a nationwide competition called Let’s Cook with Parmco and one of Matt’s students, Aaron Cordes worked alongside Master Chef, Brett McGregor at the launch of the programme. Prizes were secured by online voting which closed on 23 September. Ponsonby Intermediate was competing against schools with much larger roles so it was punching above it’s weight as far as community voting went and understandably missed out on winning. Something else on the school’s cooking agenda is an association with Ponsonby Central. This much awaited market will have a state
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-of-the-art kitchen and Ponsonby Intermediate has been invited to the launch. Matt hopes the school will be able to go there on a weekly basis for work programmes. The day I called groups of four year eight students had just prepared a three course meal with a $20 budget. They designed the recipe, listed the equipment needed, allocated jobs, and had to deliver it in 90 minutes, which was hard work. They were able to base the menu on food already done in class, or conduct their own independent research. When class ended a speedy cleaning up left the kitchen spotless. Matt says some of the kids have quite refined palates and have made dishes such as pad thai, sushi or tuna pasta. They’ve even used the kitchen’s machine to make their own pasta. Matt has devised different challenges, boys versus girls and mystery boxes being the most popular. Another weekly option is a study hour when students concentrate on one aspect of a foodstuff and the most commonly requested is, surprise, surprise, chocolate. At the start of the year they looked at meat first, then milk, and this term hooray, hooray, chocolate, to be followed by bananas. They learn about the food’s history and then run a competition based around the selected ingredient. Matt doesn’t want the kids to go home, open the cupboard and complain there’s nothing to eat. Rather he wants them to look and say, we’ve got this and that and okay, we’ve got a few ingredients for a meal. It’s all about creativity directed towards cooking combined with health and hygiene right through to a nutritional plate of food. Judging by the buoyant mood in the kitchen during the big cleanup, my guess is that Matt’s cooking classes are the most popular on the school’s curriculum. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN DEADLINE – 20TH OF THE MONTH October 2012 PONSONBY NEWS+
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MEET THE TEACHER
NAME: JAMES CULLEN SCHOOL: St Paul’s College, Ponsonby CURRENTLY TEACHING: 23 amazing and talented Year 7 boys. HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER? I spent five years working with young people who had dropped out of school. Their experiences of school were not positive and they had disengaged themselves from learning altogether. I felt I could do more at the primary level to help young people out, so became a primary teacher. WHERE DID YOU TRAIN? I trained through the University of Auckland programme based at Manukau Institute of Technology. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO ST PAUL’S COLLEGE? I am an Old Boy of the College. My years there as a student it really set me up for life. When I graduated, it was one of my goals to come back here as a teacher. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A TEACHER? You never stop learning. It is amazing how much we as adults can learn from our kids. HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? Last year a group of students in my class asked what the school was going to do for Tongan Language Week. My response was “whatever you have planned for us.” From there they planned a series of lessons for every class in the school, organised a cultural show and developed resources. It was a very successful week of learning for the whole school. LOW POINT OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? About six months into my teaching career a colleague and I were working late when a mother came in about 5pm saying her child hadn’t returned home. We notified the police and began searching around the neighbourhood. Just after 7pm, we saw the girl in a van with her aunty. There had been miscommunication between the mother and the aunty. Thankfully, the situation had a happy ending. HOW WOULD YOUR PRINCIPAL DESCRIBE YOU? I would like to think that he would describe me as innovative and as a model of the St Paul’s values (St Paul’s College values are: Faith, Perseverance, Passion, Courage and Brotherhood). HOW WOULD OTHER TEACHERS DESCRIBE YOU? Collegial, passionate and involved in all areas of school life. HOW WOULD YOUR STUDENTS DESCRIBE YOU? I hope they see me as caring, flexible and inclusive of their needs in the programmes we deliver. IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND IN YOUR CLASSROOM... I would love to see a wider range of e-learning technologies available in the classroom and help the kids to unleash their full potential as 21st century learners. FIVE TIPS FOR MUMS AND DADS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS 1. Spend at least 20 minutes a day reading with or to your children. Talk about what you have read. 2. Auckland has great regional parks and facilities. Plan trips and explore them, talk about what you see and hear. Consider your children keeping a diary, taking photos etc as a record they can build upon. Best of all, it’s free. 3. When your child has a question, write it down on a Post-It and stick it to the fridge. Work with your children to research the answers. Post their answers on the fridge. 4. Everything you do with your child is an opportunity for learning to happen - from shopping to the family holiday. 5. Always remember, parents are the first and best teachers the children will ever have. PN
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ST CUTHBERT’S COLLEGE PRINCIPAL THE INAUGURAL EDUCATE PLUS INSTITUTIONAL LEADER LAST MONTH ST CUTHBERT’S COLLEGE PRINCIPAL AND PONSONBY RESIDENT Lynda Reid will be celebrated as the first Educate Plus (formerly ADAPE) Institutional Leader. Lynda has been the principal of St Cuthbert’s for 16 years and during that time has worked tirelessly with the Development Office to establish a culture of philanthropy that the college family accepts and supports. Development and college staff feel she has always led by example; donating herself to every campaign, annual giving, countless breakfasts, lunches, dinners and presentations and is sure to attend every fundraising event. Lynda also mentors staff members on the importance of supporting the Development Office and always encourages development and philanthropy by endorsing it in her speeches, at assemblies, through college communications and during one on one opportunities where possible. Along with all of this, Lynda is a patron of the Alumnae Organisation, in which she works closely with the president and committee, and also the Development Office in organising and hosting alumnae events and reunions around New Zealand and the world. Her involvement and commitment in what has been known as ADAPE until it recently Educate Plus, is huge. She presented at the Christchurch ADAPE conference on ‘the role of Principal in development’ and at the Independent Schools of New Zealand conference on ‘development and an economic crisis’ and hosted ADAPE New Zealand at St Cuthbert’s last year. Lynda has done all this amongst the enormous tasks involved in being the Principal of the leading independent school that is St Cuthbert’s College. She is simultaneously a principal, a businesswoman and a valued leader, who Educate Plus has recognised with the Institutional Leadership Award. “Lynda Reid is an institutional leader that we at Educate Plus need to applaud and, if only it were possible - clone. St Cuthbert’s is indeed fortunate to have a leader with such an understanding of how her role can not only support her own organisation but encourage her staff to achieve and be a fine example to her peers to lead in this manner.” College Director of Development and recent Chair of Educate Plus - Deb Cook. This now means that the College has received two fantastic awards from this organisation with Deb Cook, being awarded the Fellowship for Service to ADAPE and Members of the Profession in 2008. www.stcuthberts.school.nz PN PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS CUSTOM’S REAL ESTATE CAREERS EVENING LAST MONTH, CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL RAN THEIR FIRST REAL ESTATE Careers Evening at St Columba Centre in Ponsonby. It was a fantastic evening - they were really impressed by the people who attended that were genuinely interested in launching a career in real estate. They presented straight up advice on becoming a real estate sales person including the good, the bad and the ugly plus lots of hot tips for beginners. Their very own REINZ Rookie of the year 2012, Robyn Ellson also told her own story, and she was included on the front cover of The Hub (see below). Following the event, they are really pleased to have already recruited one superstar in the making, Jamie Oliver (yes, seriously) who will be joining them on 8 October. they’re looking forward to him coming on board. They would like to thank those that came along for all your great feedback. And yes, they will be running another event, currently planned for mid November. Look out for the details on the Custom Residential facebook page or subscribe to their weekly newsletter (check out the subscribe button on our homepage) for the latest news. Here’s a few of the comments, post event: “Thanks Kate and the rest of the team for a really enjoyable and informative evening. I’m looking forward to reading John’s books this weekend and will see you all next Wednesday night.” JAMES
THE PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO PLUMBING PLUMBING 360 IS AN EXPERT BUSINESS SPECIALISING IN RESIDENTIAL AND commercial plumbing and gas fitting, with a personalised service tailored to suit their clients’ specific needs and requirements. The team understands that every customer is different and it works within all budgets and time restraints ensuring appointment times are convenient for each client. Plumbing 360 takes pride in offering same day consultancy by professional and qualified plumbers at a time that works around clients’ own busy schedules. The plumbers onboard all understand the necessity of providing second to none customer service and are uniformed and courteous in the Plumbing 360 manner. Full quotes can be provided up front, so there are no nasty surprises and job sites are always left clean if not cleaner than at the beginning of the job. The business completely guarantees 100% satisfaction in all work. Additionally, Plumbing 360 offers a full consultancy service to provide guidance and planning throughout every step of your project. The team’s experience covers high-end refurbishments and new builds to commercial maintenance and fit outs. Each member of Plumbing 360 team has been specifically hand-picked to ensure all areas of the plumbing industry are covered.
“Thanks for last night’s careers evening it was good to hear what I’m about to dive into.” :-) MATTHEW
Plumbing 360’s range of services include: Drain clearing, toilets, tap-ware, water pressure, electric water heaters, gas water heaters, garbage disposals, kitchen and bathroom repairs, leaking pipes, sewer and drain replacement, clogged and plugged toilets, sinks and bathtubs, backed up floor drains, hydro jetting, video inspections, gas and gas hobs.
“Congratulations on building a wonderful brand and business and thank you for the book. I look forward to reading it.” ANGELA PN
Plumbing 360 has an extensive list of clients within the Ponsonby area, both residential and within the hospitality industry. PN
www.customresidential.co.nz
PLUMBING 360, T: 0800 776 360 www.plumbing360.co.nz
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS MR MOD EXHIBITION AND SALE 18 - 31 October Ross Morrison and Monica Beaumont invite mid century design enthusiasts to the mr mod exhibition and sale to be held at 13 Rose Road Grey Lynn. This two-week exhibition showcases outstanding pieces by some of the world’s most influential mid century furniture designers. Exhibition highlights include furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Jens Risom, Finn Juhl, Bruno Mathsson and Alberto Rosselli. As well as an impressive range of mid century furniture the exhibition will also include vintage industrial and collectable designer objects. Smaller items include mid century and industrial lamps, wall sculptures, paintings, glass, ceramics, wood ware, jewellery and coffee paraphernalia. mr mod is based in Christchurch and specialises in the sourcing, restoration and sale of imported vintage design from Europe and America. Ross and Monica select from eras of design excellence, with emphasis on Scandinavian and American mid century pieces from the 1950s to 1970s. All mr mod mid century furniture is fully restored before sale and is ready to go straight into the home. mr mod sells nationally and can arrange delivering of furniture throughout New Zealand and abroad. PN
Ross Morrison is New Zealand’s leading specialist in mid century design, and has over 30 years of antique restoration and buying experience. He will be on site daily to offer his expertise on exhibition items for sale. For further enquires please call Ross Morrison on M: 021 588 130 or info@mrmod.co.nz www.mrmod.co.nz MR MOD mid century showroom Christchurch pre-earthquake
MR MOD PH 5 Pendant Light by Danish Designer POUL HENNINGSEN for Louis Poulsen The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS HOT PROPERTY RENTAL LISTINGS WESTMERE $600 Spacious sunny bungalow opposite Westmere Primary School. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Separate lounge and spacious dining/kitchen area. Two off street parks. Larchwood Avenue. PONSONBY $400 Rumpty bungalow, split in two flats. Short term rental until 31 January 2013. Two double bedrooms, one with a sunroom. Spacious living area. One off street parking. Arthur Street. FREEMANS BAY $450 Sunny spacious flat in a large block in Hayden Street. Two double bedrooms upstairs and spacious living and dining area downstairs. Sunny balcony overlooking trees in Howe Street. One off street park. Available mid October. LANDLORDS We have plenty of tenants looking for properties at the moment and not many to offer them, give us a call if you have a place you are trying to rent or would like us to manage for you. PN Call Phillipa Gordon M: 027 474 6507 or Cath Williams M: 027 272 2136 HOT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND RENTALS, 1/1 Franklin Road T: 09 378 9560 www.hotpropertyrentals.co.nz
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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: HANNAH SKINNER Hannah Skinner helps run Indice furniture showroom and Skinner Design(interior design consultancy) - two intertwined facets of a family run business. “My parents have been involved in manufacturing, an art gallery, soft furnishings and interior design for as long as I can remember.” says Hannah, “I grew up in a very creative environment.” Hannah has been working in the family business on and off for the last 20 years, with a few stints living overseas, in Milan, London and New York. While in Milan she worked for the business’ main furniture supplier, Driade; she was in production in London and advertising in New York, learning different things from each job. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? I live alone in Herne Bay. I have had flatmates over the years but now I like to keep the spare room free for visiting friends and family. I seem to have a steady stream, which is fun. Particularly last year during the Rugby World Cup! DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Unfortunately my lovely cat, Moko, met her maker a few years ago. I live on a busy road and have been reluctant to get another pet since. I was upset for weeks! Now she is pushing up daises, well, daffodils actually, in the front yard. HOW DO YOU KEEP FIT? I seem to be in a cycle of not exercising enough over winter so I start spring with a bang and boot camp. I’m into my second week. Loving it, feeling better already! YOUR BEST FRIEND WOULD SAY OF YOU... I hope she would know that I am always there for her no matter what. YOUR MOTHER WOULD SAY OF YOU... that I am sensible and rational, most of the time. I call her ‘the oracle’. My sister calls me Mum’s BFF. VIRTUES? I like to be organised and tidy. Makes it easier to think straight.
FAVOURITE PONSONBY RESTAURANT? Prego, always reliable, always good.
VICES? I can be a bit stubborn and bossy, apparently! WHO’S YOUR ULTIMATE ROCK ICON? Prince. I was visiting my sister in LA for New Year’s about five years ago. We went to a great party. Was having a dance and turned to see Prince sitting in a booth right next to us. New Years Eve with Prince, hard to beat! ...AND YOUR SECRET PASSION? Shoes. I’m not as indulgent as I used to be but still manage to buy a pair every now and again. Pretty heels, which I spent more time looking at than wearing! WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAYS? If travelling to Milan for the furniture fair, I like to add on a bit of holiday time. When you’ve travelled that far, it would be silly not to! I spent a bit of time in Brighton and London this year catching up with friends. I would like to get back to Venice and I’ve never had an island holiday. HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK IN INTERIOR DESIGN? I don’t know that I made a conscious decision to enter in to the family business, I guess it just made sense. With the upbringing I’ve had, I think I would always want to do something creative. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PONSONBY CAFE? Catroux in Westmere is just up the road from me. Good food, fresh juices and interesting choices of hot drinks for a person who doesn’t drink coffee.
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FAVOURITE PONSONBY FASHION LABEL? Scotties. I worked there while I was at university. Marilyn Sainty made beautiful clothes for real women. YOUR BEST KEPT PONSONBY SECRET? There are some great walks around Westmere and Pt Chev I don’t get out there and make use of them enough. WHAT’S INSPIRED YOU RECENTLY? My trainer Maree at Les Mills is great. She keeps our group of girls on track! NAME YOUR DESERT ISLAND DISTRACTIONS... I could re-read a Jane Austen book or listen to a Crowded House song any time. ONE THING YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE IS..? Keep it simple if you can. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO PONSONBY HOME OWNERS? Don’t be afraid of design, have fun with it. Not everything has to be expensive and it can make your world a little more beautiful. PN INDICE, 4 Rose Road T: 09 376 9167 www.indice.co.nz
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS JOSHUA FACHE - ROOKIE DREAMING HIGH The AUT Rookie fashion show next month will feature the spectacular creations of the university’s final-year fashion students. Among those putting the finishing stitches on their work is adult fashion student, Joshua Fache, who will this year complete his Bachelor of Design. Joshua has already stood out from his peers, receiving an Art and Design Excellence Scholarship in 2011, making finalist in Westfield Style Pacifika, and with one of his garments featured in an ‘Art is Fashion’ exhibition and used as part of a student showcase at the opening of the Auckland Art Gallery. Juggling the demands of university work along with a job at leading New Zealand fashion label, WORLD, has at times been challenging, but the experience and industry knowledge he has gained will prove invaluable in his quest for a career in the glamorous world of fashion. In fact, Joshua has his sights set pretty high; in high fashion that is, with a goal of working in “the pinnacle of the fashion industry” - Haute Couture - in Paris, after continuing his education there, “the creative heart of the world”, next year. At the time of writing Josh was in the running for an AMP scholarship for $10,000 to help towards his education in the City of Light.
And while New Zealand may seem a far cry from the couture-adorned streets of the fashion capital, Joshua reckons we aren’t doing too badly. “Things are starting to change, there are more diverse looks around and people are starting to have more confidence in fashion. I love some of the outfits I see AUT students wear... it’s the ones that have put a little of their personality into their outfit.”
“Fashion to me, has always been about Haute Couture,” says Josh. “It is in this facet of fashion that designers can be their most creative, unbridled by viability, practicality or cost. Haute Couture is about telling a story... and it’s this expression that separates and elevates fashion from merely making clothes.”
See some of this creativity for yourself at the AUT Rookie Fashion Show on Thursday 8 November at Shed 15. PN Ttickets available through eventfinder.co.nz
DON’T MISS THE NOVEMBER PONSONBY NEWS+ DEADLINE COPY DEADLINE: Saturday 20 October PUBLISHED: Friday 2 November (Please be on time, as any material arriving after deadline may incur a 20% surcharge)
SPECIAL FEATURES: WEST LYNN + FASHION / JEWELLERY + CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO BOOK ADVERTISING: ask about our special positions!
Jo Barrett on 021 324 510 or T: 09 361 3356 or 09 378 8553 E: joannebarrett@xtra.co.nz W: www.ponsonbynews.co.nz
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS WESTERN SPRINGS COLLEGE ANNUAL QUIZ NIGHT The high academic standard of Western Springs College is a matter of public record – it’s the country’s top-performing Decile 8 school. However once a year the proud mums and dads of all those bright students willingly sit an ‘adults only’ test, a stern three-hour examination of their own knowledge. Topics include politics, music, local knowledge, literature and sport along with a handful of rather obscure subjects, all part of the immensely popular Western Springs College Annual Quiz Night. This year’s event took place on 31 August. As always it was a fantastic night, hilarity mixed with a beer or a glass of wine and a box of homemade curry, and the barely -disguised tone of fierce competition between the 33 eight-strong teams all eager to grab the title of Western Springs Best and Brightest . In between quiz rounds there were raffles, spot prizes and an auction, and entertainment from student Eden Roberts, who’s just won Best Solo Instrumental at the Stand Up! Stand Out! Auckland Secondary Schools Performing Arts Awards.
THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS DONATED GOODS FOR QUIZ NIGHT: Raewyn Walsh; Michael Goldwater; Goldwater Estate; Nikki Mandow; Motor Science; Mechanix; Wainamu Luxury Tents; Stacy Gregg; Phil Walters; West Lynn Organic Meats; Harvest Wholefoods; Presentz; The Specimen Tree Company; Montage; The Bridgeway; Dear Reader; rethink; Eco Store; Metro magazine; Bagel Love; Meola Kitchen; Hakanoa Hand-made Dry Ginger Beer; The Little Grocer; Konica Minolta; Farro Fresh; Sally Barclay; Jody Phillips; Fruitworld gave us all the veges in the curries!; La Madu; Glengarry; New World Victoria Park; Positive Systems and Spyglass. PN
But the grand prize? $18,700 was raised for the school coffers. “It was a fantastic evening,” said Gordon Ikin, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “As always at Quiz Night, it was great to see the support from the community and all the participants having such a good time.” “But we couldn’t do it without our sponsors. We want to send a special thank you to our very generous Gold Sponsors: Harcourts Team Ponsonby; Tropex Exports; and Styles Project Management. Please support their businesses, as well as those of our Silver sponsors and people who donated goods.” QUIZ NIGHT SILVER SPONSORS: B&M Associates; John Butters and Associates; The Specimen Tree Company; C G Hudson Consulting; Auckland Actors; the Faculty of Science, Auckland University; Raw Essentials; Investors in People; Suzanne Timpson, Psychotherapist; Covet Consignment; Motor Science; Grey Lynn Tyreworx; 8com; Bagel Love; Rees Tapsell & Robyn Gray; Al & Andrea Monro; Pip Sheehan and Michael Newell.
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KOHLER TAPS INTO RUNWAY SYTLE AT NEW ZEALAND FASHION WEEK Kohler and Mico Bathrooms had a fantastic turn out from the Architectural and Interior Design Community for the New Zealand Fashion Week launch of their 2013 new product lines, the Toobi & Stance tapware ranges. Internationally renowned bathroom and kitchen designer, Mal Corboy, direct from Milan, gave an insightful presentation on global bathroom trends while one lucky guest – Architect Caroline Farnan of Pacific Environments NZ Ltd – took home the lucky ‘door’ prize of a Kohler Fountainhead Cast Iron Basin with Purist basin mixer valued at more than $2000. And in a case of design meets style meets fashion, BMW partnered with Kohler in the custom decoration of the beautiful BMW 6 Series Convertible pictured below with Mal. Emergent local artist Erno Hajos was responsible for the art work of New Zealands very first ‘BMW Art Car’ which also showcased the new Toobi and Stance ranges to dramatic effect. For more images and to read the full story go to http://au.kohler.comDesignIdeas/ 2012/09/kohler-taps-into-runway-style-at-new-zealand-fashion-week/
MAL CORBOY with the KOHLER BWM ART CAR
Ph. 09 3361389 www.kohler.co.nz
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS
SURELY THE COUNTRY’S BEST CAFE IS IN PONSONBY?! Public voting has opened in the inaugural New Zealand Café of the Year competition, to determine which deserves the title of the country’s best. Hundreds of cafés nationwide have already entered the competition, and in our area Blake St Espresso, Little 107 and Five Loaves are in the running. Cafés can enter the competition up until October 18, and to be eligible need to feature a quintessentially Kiwi dish on their menu incorporating both baked beans and bacon. Customers who vote for their favourite café go in the draw to win a share of $10,000 worth of prizes, including a Grand Prize of $5,000 to spend in their favourite café. The public can vote in several ways. Text your favoured café’s unique code to 4249, scan the QR code inside the café, or vote online via the Facebook page www.facebook. com/nzcafeoftheyear or the website www.nzcafeoftheyear.co.nz. Public voting via text, online and Facebook closes on October 28. Once the votes are counted the top three cafés from five key regions go through for judging. They will be scored by an expert panel (including some of New Zealand’s top food critics and chefs) based on appearance, atmosphere, service, meals and overall experience. The winning café will be announced in November and its baked beans and bacon dish will feature for a week on Wattie’s Food in a Minute. The New Zealand Café of the Year is supported by Kiwi Bacon, Wattie’s and the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. PN
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ASK AN ARCHITECT: PAUL LEUSCHKE Each month Grey Lynn resident and architect Paul Leuschke of Leuschke Kahn answers readers’ property related questions. Email yours to jane@leuschkekahn.co.nz
Q: A:
We are in the middle of designing an alteration to our villa. What we want to do will break the building height in relation to the boundary rule, i.e. be over height. What is the advice on approaching neighbours? The first advice I give my clients is don’t ask the neighbours for permission to break or exceed any of the town planning rules, unless the neighbour affected is your mother and even then don’t.
The first reason for this is nobody likes change, be it good or bad change. It frightens people. The second reason is by asking neighbours permission people think they have control over you, they will then start to interfere with the renovation project. Unfortunately council may require you to get the neighbour’s approval and in the case of being over height, they will require the neighbour on that boundary to give permission, or lower the alteration height to conform.
A good neighbour will tell you straight off, yes or no, but a bad neighbour will give you excuses until a year has passed and you realise their answer is no. Of course there are good neighbours who will verbally agree but don’t be surprised if that good neighbour changes their mind when you ask for their permission in writing. The problem I have found with proposed villa alterations is the villas usually don’t comply with today’s town planning rules, let alone any extensions which try to continue the original villas roofline or wall line. What I have found successful however is to show the neighbours what you can do as of right and what you want to do if they sign off, suggesting that your breach of rules would give them a better house to look at from their backyard or windows. Once they understand they have no control over your alteration but can look at a nicer house they act reasonably! www.leuschkekahn.co.nz PN
ANYA BRIGHOUSE: UPCYCLING...THE HEART I RECENTLY GOT ASKED FOR INTERIORS ADVICE FOR A magazine article. One of my tips was to buy classic pieces or antiques. The word antiques conjures up thoughts of fusty boring things that aren’t very useful. This isn’t the case of course – the reason pieces have survived so long is that they are well made and useful. I have an old Irish pine cupboard which serves as my linen cupboard and an old scullery table from a stately home in Eastern Europe which seats 12 and has been the focus of many a dinner and a whole heap of homework and board game playing by my children. That said, the majority of the things in my home are either mid-century antiques, or quite simply pieces of used furniture that have been upcycled. Ratty old chairs that have been recovered, old soda boxes that have become bedside storage, kitchen stools that have been repainted and are now coffee tables. Old shoe lasts have become paperweights and vintage magazines have become both interesting (doctors recommend smoking!) and beautifully stacked objects. Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming when you walk into one of the three shops I am going to feature this month – as ALL of that vintage in one space can be a bit intimidating if you are not used to vintage store shopping. Try and tune it all out and look at one thing at a time. Ask the Lovely People that run the stores for their advice
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– they will happily give it. Most of them will let you try their pieces in your home first if you ask very nicely. I love all of these stores and the charming people that run them. (ANYA BRIGHOUSE) www.beautifulbedlam.co.nz FLOTSAM & JETSAM: Cameron Woodcock is the charming owner, and he has just had an American container full of fabulousness arrive. 86 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 3831 www.flotsamandjetsam.co.nz THE VITRINE: Amanda and Julien (and baby Claude) get five to six containers a year of raw original European antiques and industrial furniture and lighting. I love their cupboards and lockers. 1A Grosvenor Street, Grey Lynn T: 021 450 457 www.inthevitrine.com THE BOILER ROOM: Gary Willis and Sue Haldane re-interpret salvaged New Zealand classics. They are currently having a combined exhibition with Wunderkammer. 486 New North Road, Kingsland T: 027 665 8084 www.boiler-room.co.nz PN
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS THINGS I LOVE ABOUT PONSONBY
She has since won many accolades and awards in the time that she has been marketing and selling top end property. More recently she has joined Barfoot & Thompson on Ponsonby Road. Originally from Berlin, Leila Morris initially started her working life as a nurse which taught her patience and people skills. As Leila moved up the ranks becoming Director of Nursing she learnt time management and negotiation skills which gave her the confidence to become an event manager and she organised many international events throughout Europe in the 1990s. But these days she now well and truly settled in Auckland spending a great deal of her time in and around Ponsonby. We asked Leila what she loves about Ponsonby.
LEILA MORRIS, pictured at SPQR with daughter ZOE-LOU MORRIS and MONA LISA, her english sheepdog
For shopping I’ve discovered DECJUBA where I bought myself a leopard print blazer for summer which makes a change from wearing black. It’s a real shame SPQR stopped serving breakfast as their eggs benedict was one of the best. However, we are spoilt for choice in and around Ponsonby with great cafes and restaurants. I especially like DIDAS on Jervois Road. They serve great coffee, the prices are good for such well-prepared food… it’s also not too noisy if you want to talk to friends. Nearer my office and right beside THE WOMEN’S BOOKSHOP, I also enjoy LITTLE 107 CAFÉ, which has only been there for a year or so. Everything here is so beautifully presented. I also have always enjoyed PREGO – their service is outstanding and I believe they were one of the first places to offer customers a blanket on chilly evenings. PN
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SINCE LEILA MORRIS AND HER DAUGHTER MADE NEW ZEALAND THEIR HOME in 1998, Leila’s passion for people and property led her to successfully enter the real estate industry. Leila quickly became a sales agent of note receiving the Rookie of the year award in her first year in the business.
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THE BOYS’ BOOK CLUB WHAT WE’RE READING Books us blokes on the Ponsonby News team are reading, or have recently enjoyed. We LOVE reading in the bath, or in bed. A real stress buster!
MARTIN LEACH ALAN SUGAR: WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET By Alan Sugar (Pan MacMillan) I was in London during the late 80s when Alan Sugar’s company Amstrad launched one of the first computers… the PCW 9512 and most people I knew back then owned one, including myself. Born in 1947 and brought up on a council estate, as a kid Alan Sugar watched his dad struggle to support the family, never knowing from one week to the next if he’d have a job. It had a huge impact on him, fuelling a drive to succeed that was to earn him a sizeable personal fortune. Here he describes his amazing journey, from schoolboy enterprises like making and selling his own ginger beer to setting up his own company at 19; from Amstrad’s groundbreaking ventures in hi-fi and computers, which made him the darling of the stock exchange, to the dark days when he nearly lost it all; from his pioneering deal with Rupert Murdoch to his boardroom battles at Tottenham Hotspur FC. He takes us into the world of The Apprentice – including how he is responsible for Piers Morgan winning the U.S version – and describes his appointment as advisor to the government and elevation to the peerage. Like the man himself, this autobiography is forthright, funny, and sometimes controversial.
JAY PLATT THE SOULS By Damien Hirst (Other Criteria & Paul Stolper)
TAKING CONCRETE TO ANOTHER LEVEL Dean Lawson loves concrete. Dean’s passion for working with concrete started on Sydney’s northern beaches in 1990 when he decided to throw in his butchering career to lay concrete. Dean has not looked back once. Since returning home and establishing a family and living on Auckland’s North Shore, Dean has continued to hone and perfect his craft. Not too many years ago concrete was pretty much a stock standard practical nondescript material used to predominantly make driveways, footpaths and floor slabs. The evolution of concrete applications today has seen it transform into the product of choice in today’s competitive environment. It was a natural extension for Dean to introduce concrete products into his suite ware of services and as a result he has dedicated the past 12 years to developing skills in this area. Competently crafting hearths, outdoor tables, bench seats and BBQ bench tops Dean thoroughly enjoys the two very different aspects of his concrete business. It is not often you will find concreters who can lay a coloured concrete patio with expert professionalism and manufacture a concrete outdoor setting to match! Concrete’s new found versatility blends extremely well in contemporary environments yet will complement rustic and classic settings too. Its durability ensures a long life -span making it ideal in commercial settings and/or exposed areas. And just as an added bonus it is theft-proof making it ideal for holiday properties. PN For further information visit www.customconcrete.co.nz or call Dean M: 0274 889 950 for obligation free advice.
I gave this beautiful limited edition to Martin for his birthday. The book is based on Damien Hirst’s exhibition in late 2010. With over 300 pages, this is a lepidopterist’s fantasy. Within each frame is a print of a butterfly, in one of four different shapes and a multitude of different colour combinations. The butterflies shimmer when the light hits them. The subject of the butterfly is synonymous with Damien Hirst and ‘Souls’ envelops several of the artist’s well-known concerns: life and death, brutality and beauty, and, indeed, the beauty of dead butterflies. The editions of his exhibition were produced using a print technique called foil blocking. Each butterfly is done in three stages: the bottom, base colour print is then accentuated by two more sparkling layers that pick out details on the patterned wings or the shape of the thoraxes. With few words of explanation, the beautiful images speak a thousand words. PN
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REAL ESTATE UPDATE: KAREN SPIRES CBD-FRINGE PROPERTY MARKET EMERGES FROM HIBERNATION IN TIME FOR THE SPRINT TO CHRISTMAS THE PAST MONTH HAS SEEN A CONTINUATION OF THE ‘STEADY AS SHE GOES’ sales activity across the Herne Bay and Ponsonby residential real estate markets – in line with what normally permeates in August and well into September - as the Kiwi population emerges from its fiscal hibernation and prepares for the traditional arrival of spring. In the local residential property sector, we have now seen three months of upwardly creeping levels in prices, underpinned by the now widely-acknowledged shortage of property. This pricing trend has been most evident in Auckland’s city fringe suburbs like Herne Bay and Ponsonby. Expect the scenario of rising values to spread further out into suburban Auckland over the coming months leading into Christmas, although the pace may diminish as more vendors thaw out and bring their properties to market. This is already eventuating – as the ANZ’s latest Property Focus report notes, with the supply/demand curve inching closer to a balanced equilibrium as supply increases faster than demand. The ANZ data also notes that housing affordability has been “dented” with house prices moving up faster than household incomes. Countering that somewhat, interest rates are still at historical lows - with little indication of any rises until well into 2013 at the earliest, and some economists predicting no changes to the base rate until 2014.
That bodes well for borrowers, and ultimately positions them to be solidly based and ready to buy confidently when listing volumes trend higher and more choice of housing stock comes onto the market. Economists continue to watch the Auckland CBD fringe residential property market for ongoing indications of what will eventuate elsewhere in New Zealand. The Herne Bay/Ponsonby/Parnell/Remuera suburbs were the first to head into recession in 2008, while the rest of New Zealand followed suit up to six months later. Based on the same rationale, what happens with prices and volumes in Herne Bay/ Ponsonby/Parnell/Remuera over the coming months will spotlight where the rest of the country is likely to follow. So strap in and hold on as the spring selling season kicks in once again across Herne Bay and Ponsonby. The buyers are definitely out there, and are prepared to move on the right home when it comes up for sale. (KAREN SPIRES) PN Karen Spires is a leading sales person for Bayleys Real Estate – specialising in the marketing of high-end homes in the St Mary’s Bay, Ponsonby and Herne Bay areas. www.karenspires.bayleys.co.nz
photography: Michael McClintock
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OUT + ABOUT: PONSONBY MARKET DAY Saturday 22 September The day started off well, however, then the sky clouded over but nothing was going to stop the locals from having one of the best Market Days we can remember. Joined for the first time by Andy Davies and his team at Ponsonby Central, due to open next month. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day. 1. Mary’s College Junior Chamber Orchestra; 2. Jitterbugs dancers; 3. Francis Hooper of World Beauty
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OUT + ABOUT: PONSONBY MARKET DAY
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4. Fruit and vege stall, Ponsonby Central; 5. Andy Davies; 6. Albert, Angie, Rachelle and Mayur Chauhan of Auckland Transport; 7. French Toast perform.
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THE HISTORICAL BOROUGH OF PONSONBY AND GREY LYNN
STREET NAMES: MILLAIS STREET
The Victorian era is noted for its rigid adherence to decorum so it’s no wonder London Society was all agog at the collapse of John Ruskin’s marriage to Effie Gray. Millais had great admiration for Ruskin and asked if Effie might be the model for a work which depicted a Scottish soldier’s wife freeing her husband from jail. When exhibited, “The Order of Release” was a great success and established Millais’s reputation as a painter. Ruskin subsequently invited him to holiday with them both in the Scottish Highlands. Now Ruskin’s marriage wasn’t what you’d call idyllic. In fact it had never been consummated due to his abhorrence of Effie’s naked body which was different from the romanticised female form portrayed in paintings and sculptures. It’s been speculated he was unaware women had pubic hair! The marriage lasted five miserable years during which time Ruskin treated Effie abominably. During the holiday in Scotland with Millais, she caught a glimpse of what happiness could be. He had started painting Ruskin’s portrait but rain slowed its progress so he began to give Effie drawing lessons. She soon confided in him the state of her marriage and he found himself falling in love with her. Ruskin realised what was going on but he was used to men fancying his vivacious, attractive wife and presumed Effie would let this latest swain down gently, having no idea she might be similarly smitten. Meanwhile Millais was wracked with guilt and grief not realising Effie returned his feelings. Effie on the other hand, confronted Ruskin about their miserable marriage and in no uncertain terms, told him she wanted out. Overcoming her shame and embarrassment, she finally spilled the beans to her parents who immediately sought legal advice. Divorce in those times was complicated and costly so Effie decided to pursue an
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
photography: Martin Leach
SIR JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS SHOWED PRODIGIOUS ARTISTIC TALENT AT a very early age, so much so he was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools at the the tender age of eleven, the Institution’s youngest ever student. While there he met William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti with whom he formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as a reaction against the then common practice of idealising the imperfect. His realist approach received wide opprobrium until his work gained support from art critic, John Ruskin, whereupon public opinion started to change. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1963 by which time he had become an extremely popular artist. In 1885 he was created a baronet, and elected President of the Royal Academy in 1896 just a few months before his death.
annulment on the grounds of Ruskin’s “incurable impotency”. Even that had a catch because she was obliged to undergo the indignity of a physical examination to confirm her virginity. Ruskin disputed this in court claiming she was mentally unbalanced and he abstained from sex with her because their children might inherit her illness. He also insisted that Millais finish the portrait of him that was started in Scotland, a task that Millais found excruciating. The decree of nullity was granted in June 1854, but Effie made Millais wait seven months before she consented to see him again, mainly to test his constancy. They were finally married in July 1855 and the supposedly ‘physically repugnant’ woman obviously aroused plenty of passion in Millais because over the next fourteen years they had eight children, none of whom had mental problems. Throughout their marriage Effie continued to be a model for Millais, serving as his artistic muse and he grew rich and well respected as a famous painter. On the other hand, because Queen Victoria regarded annulment the same as divorce she refused to see Effie who became a pariah in aristocratic circles. When her daughters were old enough to be presented, Millais was their chaperone instead of their mother. This was a great sadness for Millais that was rectified when he lay dying. The Queen sent him a message asking him if there was anything she could do for him. He wrote back asking her to receive his wife. The next day a Court official escorted Effie to Windsor where the Queen received her in a private audience. Effie outlived Millais by only a year, which is often the case when a devoted couple lose their other half. (DEIRDRE TOHILL) PN
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OUT + ABOUT: PONSONBY MARKET DAY
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OUT + ABOUT: PONSONBY MARKET DAY
13. Jacinda Ardern, Labour List MP; 14. The Fairy Shop; 15. Radio Ponsonby’s DJ’s Uncle Phil and Pommy Nic; 16. Nicholas Khoo and Vikki Cheng of Violent Cratchit.
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TOM LAWSON - MY FAVOURITE ROOM TOM LAWSON IS THE SALES MANAGER FOR NEW ZEALAND MENSWEAR label I Love Ugly. He recently graduated from Auckland University in Commerce /Marketing and this is his first job. Tom is also a music collector and plays tennis and soccer, and he’s lived in Ponsonby for the last five years (while he’s been at university). “My parents live two streets over” Tom tells Ponsonby News. “I live here with my girlfriend Anna-Lise and two other flatmates, we’re all in the media and fashion industries. My favourite room is my bedroom, because it’s where I can go to get away from everything else, and I love the sun - it gets all day sun. Up until recently I used to study in here, and I listen to music on my little studio setup.” “My favourite thing in the room is my charcoal portrait of a skull done by Liam Gerard, he’s a really good charcoal portrait artist. Anna-Lise commissioned it for my birthday; I wanted to get one of those Mexican clown skulls but she said, ‘No, I’ll get you this instead.’ It’s definitely satisfied the need for a tattoo for the now. It’s the first piece of art I’ve ever owned..I think I’ll have it forever.” (AS TOLD TO JULIE ROULSTON) PN
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FIONNA HILL
THE PONSONBY GARDENER
SALAD SPIKERS This is the time for planting salad greens – both seeds and seedlings and there are many that can give plain lettuce a lift. These are some of my Ponsonby favourites and some newbies. • American upland cress Barbarea verna – I have grown upland cress from seedlings and seeds for years and it motors on through all seasons and almost never bolts. Kings Seeds describe it as “Very similar to watercress but much easier to grow”. It grows in an attractive dark green rosette shape and the flavour is hot and peppery. • Blood-veined sorrel Rumex sanguineus – this sorrel has leaves with dark red veins and red stalks. The tender centre leaves give rich colour to leaf salads – the flavour is bland with a bitter hint. It’s a perennial. It doesn’t seem to be common as a plant or seeds to buy. I’ve got some potted up for the trading table at the Grey Lynn Farmers market in late October to raise some dosh for our community gardens. Some online plant sellers may have it too. • Chicory – chicory fancy, cichorium intybus – from Kings Seeds is a medium/early red radicchio. A promise on the packet says “Has the distinctive tangy taste without getting bitter or bolting.” I’m going to direct sow it as instructed. • Endive – endive just pops up in my garden and it’s a little bitter so this year I’m going to grow it from Yates Endive Green Curled seed and see what I end up with. A slight bitter edge is good in salads and the curly leaves add another shape and texture. • Komatsuna – komatsuna may be referred to as mustard spinach but is neither mustard nor spinach. It’s a good spring green; it can’t take extreme heat, is very easy to grow and the leaves may be eaten at any stage of their growth. Its flavour is cabbagey with a hint of mustard. In a mature plant leaves are dark green with slender light green stalks. • Lemon balm Melissa officinalis – is easy to grow and prolific from spring to autumn - I like it in salads or to stuff a chicken. I occasionally make a refreshing tea with it too.
• Miner’s lettuce Claytonia perfoliata – I’ve grown miner’s lettuce both from seed and seedlings. The leaves are lovely for salads; they’re slightly succulent, crunchy, fresh green and spinach tasting; they’re so loaded with vitamins they will cure scurvy if that’s of interest - the American Gold Rush miners ate it to stave off the disease. Take care when picking leaves as the plant is shallow rooted and it’s possible to accidently pull the whole lot out. As one of the first spring greens to emerge, it’s a useful salad green just when it’s needed most. It likes cooler spring temperatures so will probably not motor on through the hot summer. It can be cooked too. • Misome Brassica narinosa – I’m growing misome for the first time this year. It’s hot weather resistant, good for all seasons and is described as a vigorous grower. A type of Japanese all-season hybrid green resulting from a cross between komatsuna and tatsoi it has gorgeous small glossy dark green curled and wrinkled leaves. Leaves apparently intensify in flavour as they mature. • Mitsuba Cryptotaenia – I bought a plant of mitsuba in a farmers market and it has flourished – a little alarmingly maybe? It is Japanese parsley and has attractive light green three part leaves. A Japanese friend said the tiny leaves were used as a fine garnish, but I use the large leaves too and chop them up into salads. It tastes like a strong parsley / celery leaf. I’ll pot some up to sell at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market in late October. • Mustard lettuce Brassica juncea – this has giant frilly leaves. Pick the young tender 10cm leaves for a super mustard spike but later summer heat makes the leaves bitter and tough. • Mustard streaks Brassica juncea – I grow these spicy, wiry greens as a microgreen, then as a baby salad leaf and what’s left goes into the garden and keeps on growing to be chopped into salads. • Watercress Nasturtium officinale – I have success with this in a shaded, moist garden bed and have enough to cut once a week. (FIONNA HILL) PN SUPPLIERS: Kings Seeds www.kingsseeds.co.nz Organic Herbs and Seedlings at Grey Lynn Farmers Market.
MUSTARD STREAKS and MINERS LETTUCE
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HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS
RENOVATING YOUR OUTDOORS FOR SUMMER With summer not too far away, now is the time to think about renovating, particularly your outdoor area where you’re likely to be spending more time in the coming warmer months. Heritage Tiles has several exciting new outdoor tiles. Hot picks include the new Quartzite Bianca from Italy – a new colour to the popular Stone D range. With the infinite shades and variability of genuine quartzite stone, this porcelain tile offers contemporary style while being tough, durable and easy to clean. You’ll also want to check out the new Blue Mountain range, which offers outdoor tiles in an extra large tile size. Using large tiles makes your outdoor space look bigger and wider due to less grout lines (and hence visual clutter) when laid. The result is a sophisticated, clean contemporary look. Both the Stone D and Blue Mountain ranges have matching interior tile options, so you can create a smooth design flow throughout your home. If you are putting in a pool, you might want to consider Bisazza mosaics. These beautiful Italian glass mosaics will add that extra sparkle to your pool and come in a wide variety of colours. You could even create a custom pattern for your pool, sure to wow your summer BBQ guests. As Heritage Tiles knows how hard it can sometimes be to get the look you are after, each Heritage Tile store has qualified designers who can help you select the best tile from the 1000 plus different styles they have in store. They can work with you on custom tiling projects and help bring your ideas to life. So why wait? PN Drop into HERITAGE TILES today. Six stores Auckland wide. www.tiles.co.nz
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PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS LOGAN GRANGER
COMPANY DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECORD KEEPING DIRECTORS ARE LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE maintenance of accurate records. The Companies Act 1993 and the Tax Administration Act 1994, set some of these requirements and rules out formally. If a director or the board of the company fail to comply they are liable for a fine of up to $10,000. We have seen an increasing level of director accountability in failed companies where undue risk has been forced upon creditors and customers. The court when reviewing events and charges will consider the following for a company that is in liquidation, if the lack of records contributed to the company’s poor financial position, if the assets and liabilities could not accurately be accounted for, they result in the obstruction of the liquidation. If the court finds that the lack of records contributed to the detrimental position set out above then the court can find the director or directors personally liable. Therefore the maintenance and good governance of records needs to be taken seriously by all company directors regardless of company size. It is noted that the records must be kept in a format that is easily retrievable, accessible and understandable. There have been recent cases where liquidators have sought and been awarded substantial costs against directors. The critical point is that directors must have enough information to hand at all times to ensure the company is trading profitably and not creating undue risk to others. For smaller business the record keeping may be quite simple, and if there are not a great deal of creditors or customer risk the task may be quite simple, for larger businesses it may be more complex. As a company director you should assess what is required for your company. The Tax Administration Act states a company’s accounting records must be retained for seven years from the end of the tax year they relate to. You should be able to access all past copies (seven years worth at least) of your annual financial statements, company minutes and resolutions. A copy of the company constitution should be on hand. If the company has issued certificates of solvency for dividends or directors remuneration then these also should be kept. In summary directors should be able to demonstrate they have acted prudently in this regard and done the best they can to protect and maintain records and financial information to mitigate risk and also their personal liability. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss the matter please do not hesitate to contact Joel Ram, Rupit Kshatriya or Logan Granger. Disclaimer – While all care has been taken, Johnston Associates Chartered Accountants Ltd and its staff accept no liability for the content of this article; always see your professional advisor before taking any action that you are unsure about. PN JOHNSTON ASSOCIATES, 202 Ponsonby Road T: 09 361 6701 www.jacal.co.nz
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9 PONSONBY U3A: SEPTEMBER 2012 Ponsonby U3A has been active since 1994. It exists to provide education, discussion and stimulation for those of us in the third age. It meets monthly at the Leys Institute, 20 St Marys Road. Each meeting has two speakers – a 10 minute talk, usually from the club membership and a guest speaker. The essential ingredient of U3A is the 12 interest groups, which meet monthly or fortnightly, covering topics from art history to classical studies, green fingers to petanque. The September meeting commenced with a tribute to immediate past president Alex Lanning, by member Beverley Morris. Alex and his late wife Lucy, were founder members of Ponsonby U3A in 1994. Since then Alex has held every position in U3A. He has been president and secretary twice, treasurer, newsletter editor three times, member of the charitable trust and convened special interest groups. He currently produces the monthly newsletter and convenes the current affairs group. Grey Lynn Primary School deputy principal Sepora Mauigoa was the 10 minute speaker. For the past 10 years Ponsonby U3A members have been among the voluntary reading tutors at the school, helping children with reading difficulties. Sepora talked about the importance of encouraging children to engage with books to help with their reading. She mentioned the positive feedback from children taking part in the programme. Volunteer tutors find it equally rewarding and anyone who has some time to spare on a weekly basis is encouraged to join the team. Training is given by the school. Roy Clare, Director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, along with executive assistant Jessa Cochrane, gave the main address, taking us through the history of the museum from its beginnings in a two room farm cottage in Grafton Road in 1852, to the internationally significant museum it is today. It is 160 years since the museum was established. Collections are at the core of the museum and the first collections began in 1852. One of the major collections - the bird collection - contains 14,000 specimens.
BE A KEEPER AT AUCKLAND ZOO THESE HOLIDAYS Auckland Zoo is offering youngsters a unique opportunity to role-play being a zookeeper, vet and other zoo workers, by taking part in its ‘Replay The Zoo’ programme these October holidays until 14 October. “All those kids out there who love watching The Zoo show on television can come and experience a little of what we do, find out why we love it so much, and hopefully be inspired to get involved in animal conservation themselves,” says senior primate keeper, Christine Tintinger, a regular on The Zoo. At the Zoo’s Conservation Centre in Te Wao Nui and its orangutan viewing platform, participants will be able to role-play doing field conservation in New Zealand and Sumatra. At the vet centre, there’ll be the opportunity to dress as a vet and have a go at diagnosing what’s ailing one of the zoo’s red pandas. In addition, kids will be able to chat to keepers, vets and other zoo staff at regular Q & A sessions, try their hand at solving behavioural enrichment puzzles zoo volunteers make for the animals, and be a horticulturist by taking part in ‘Project Munch’ at KidZone. There will also be a fun craft activity themed around one of the zoo’s exotic breeding programmes and, at the Old Elephant House, the opportunity to take a break from zoo work, and sit back and enjoy watching past episodes of The Zoo show. PN ‘Replay The Zoo’ offers an adventurous action-packed day for all the family – everyday until Sunday 14 October 9.30am – 5.30pm. Normal zoo admission prices apply. www.aucklandzoo.co.nz
The museum is internationally significant as a repository of both social history and natural science, whereas many major museums tend to specialise in one or the other. Mr Clare explained its role as: • a repository for artefects and history; • a place of expertise and scholarship; • a civic space; • a community hub; • and a safe place for dangerous ideas, i.e. the Late at the Museum programme. He spoke about important future events for the museum including: 2013 - the 150th anniversary of the Waikato Wars; 2014 – 100 years since beginning of WW1, 200 years since first Anglican sermon preached; 2015 – 175 years since signing of Treaty of Waitangi, 175 years since Captain William Hobson stepped ashore in Auckland; 2019 – Captain Cook 250 year commemoration. As well as its expert staff the museum has a group of 200 volunteers in a number of roles (new volunteers always welcome). The museum is one of the most visited attractions in Auckland. During term time over 400 school children visit the museum each day. It was surprising to learn that there is no public bus transport to the museum, but it is hoped that Auckland Transport will take this into account in its future planning. Next month’s guest speaker will be Professor Greg Whittred, Dean of Teaching and Learning, University of Auckland Business School. His topic will be “The Facebook Generation: can they build a prosperous New Zealand?” The 10 minute speaker will be U3A member Winifred Lamb who will take a nostalgic look at the Girl Guide movement. Visitors and new members are welcome to U3A monthly meetings, held on the second Friday of the month at 1st floor, Leys Institute, 20 St Marys Road. Next meeting: Friday 12 October at 9.45 am. Enquiries: Jane Jones, President Ponsonby U3A T: 09 378 7628. (PHILIPPA TAIT) PN
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GOT A LEGAL QUESTION? ASK MICHAEL@METROLAW.CO.NZ
PONSONBY PROFESSIONALS
Email Michael with your question and include PONSONBY NEWS in the subject line. Michael Hemphill, a partner of the firm will answer one topical question each month.
this to themselves meaning that they have ultimate control over the trust and the trust’s assets.
I set up a trust some years ago with a solicitor to protect my home and I haven’t heard from him since. Should I be worried? What do I need to check?
• Does your trust deed allow you to pass on the power of appointment in your will and if so have you completed a will that includes this provision?
Q: A:
Yes, you probably do need to worry. Although you may have transferred your home into the trust it is likely that there would have been a large debt owed back to you by the trust. It is usual to enter into a gifting programme to forgive this debt over time. Before the recent changes to the Estate and Gift Duties Act 1968 the maximum gift that you could make to your trust was $27,000.00 a year, anything above that incurred gift duty. Trusts give the best protection when any gifting programme has been completed. The debt owed to you by the trust is an asset that you own. If you get sued then the debt owed to you may allow a creditor to demand this money back from the trust which would put your home at risk. The recent changes to the Estate and Gift Duties Act 1968 mean that there is no gift duty charged on gifts and it may be possible to complete the settlement of all the outstanding debt to the trust. It is important that you check this out immediately.
• Your will should also forgive any remaining debt that is outstanding from your trust to you. Many people think that their will provides for what will happen with trust property when they die. This is not the case, the trust property is not part of your estate so your will does not affect this property directly. A Memorandum of Wishes is a document that can give your trustees guidance on how they should deal with trust property. If you do not have one then you should consider drafting one or at the least have discussions with your trustees about how you would want them to manage the trust property in the event that something happened to you. A Memorandum of Wishes is not binding on your trustees, so it is important that your trustees are people that you can rely upon and it usually makes sense to ensure that there is a professional independent trustee who does not have a beneficial interest in the trust. Like government if you have checks and balances on the powers of your trustees this will help avoid abuse of power. You should consider reviewing the trust deed and any associated documents. It may be time to ensure that your trust operates as you want it to and check that it is sound.
It is usually worthwhile to have a regular review of the trust to consider what assets the trust is holding, whether these are sensible investments and whether you have made any further advances to the trust. Recording minutes of these reviews helps demonstrate that the trust is independent of you.
If there is anything that you are unsure about with your trust, you should talk to a lawyer who is experienced in dealing with trusts. (MICHAEL HEMPHILL) PN
Given that the solicitor who set up the trust has not followed through with the right advice about how to run your trust properly here are a few other things that you might want to check with your trust documentation:
Disclaimer - This article is for general information purposes only. If you have a legal problem you should seek advice from a lawyer. Metro Law does not accept any liability other than to its clients and then only when advice is sought on specific matters.
• Who holds the power of appointment to hire and fire trustees? I have seen some trust deeds where the solicitor or accountant that set up the trust has reserved
METROLAW, Level 2, 36 Williamson Avenue T: 09 929 0800 www.metrolaw.co.nz
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PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS
CHRISTINE KALIN AND FRIEDA
photography: Jo Barrett
FRIEDA WAS RESCUED IN WEST AUCKLAND AS A YOUNG KITTEN BY AN SPCA Inspector. She was very unwell and spent considerable time at the SPCA Animal Village and then in foster care. Once her health issues were sorted staff took her on a mobile adoption event in the hope of finding her ‘forever home’. At the end of the event dear Frieda was still in her cage looking very sad. Christine Kalin, CEO of SPCA Auckland, looked at her and knew immediately that she was to come home with her! “Frieda is now one of the family and a real delight – it was the right decision.” PN
THE (PET) CARING PROFESSION Chances are you will be greeted by a veterinary nurse when you arrive at the Animal Emergency Centre. Whereas the veterinarian holds the mantle of responsibility, the veterinary nurse is the facilitator of the care package. Exactly how these roles mesh together varies in individual clinics, but at the Animal Emergency Centre the nurse has wide ranging responsibilities. When the veterinarian requests a constant rate pain relief infusion, a blood transfusion, a set of radiographs or a nutrition plan it will be the veterinary nurse who implements these requests. With a myriad of skills, the veterinary nurse is responsible for performing laboratory tests, maintaining patients under anaesthesia, preparing for, and assisting during surgical procedures as well as assessing patients as they arrive. They are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the veterinarian, watching for subtle changes as they monitor and minister to our critically ill patients. They are the animal’s advocate and often the front line in providing updates to worried owners. In some countries the term ‘nurse’ is so closely guarded by the human nursing profession that veterinary nurses must be called technicians, a title which, while it clearly reflects the technical aspect of the role, somehow ignores the most important facet of veterinary nursing - patient care. Nursing Manager Fiona Marmont, pictured here with her dog, Louie, is passionate about veterinary nursing. She confirms that, while the technical aspects of veterinary nursing are compelling, it is the hands on patient care which provide the greatest rewards in this demanding job. PN ANIMAL EMERGENCY CENTRE, 97 Carrington Road, Mt Albert, T: 09 849 2121 www.animalemergency.co.nz
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ASK ALEX SPCA PAWS APPEAL WEEK NEEDS YOUR HELP THE 2012 ANNUAL PAWS APPEAL IS QUICKLY APPROACHING AND SPCA Auckland needs your help to make it a success! They would like to invite Ponsonby residents and businesses to join hundreds of other volunteers across Auckland and become a street collector. “Ponsonby has always been a great area of support for the SPCA” says SPCA Auckland CEO Christine Kalin, “we have previously held adoption drives here and Ponsonby businesses have been very supportive of our Cupcake Day event. So we are hopeful we will see that support and more for our Annual Paws Appeal.” Street collections are a great way to raise awareness of the SPCA in your community and an opportunity to have fun with your friends and family while supporting a great cause. You can volunteer for as little as two hours or as much as three days, in an area that is convenient for you. Paws Appeal Week runs from 5 to 9 November and the street collection is held on the final three days from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 November. Marketing and Fundraising Manager, Rona Booth says “This year we have set our targets really high and hope to get 2,000 bucket rattlers out onto the streets of Auckland to raise much needed funds.” “We would love to see as many collectors inside malls, outside grocery stores, or standing on busy street corners as possible.” Alternatively, if you can’t be a street collector, you can still support the SPCA by getting your school, club or business to hold a fund-raising activity during the Paws Appeal Week. PN In Auckland, the SPCA receives more than 20,000 animals into its care every year and receives no automatic government funding so they really need your help. Find out more or register as a collector at www.spca.org.nz or call on T: 09 256 2520.
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Each month Dr Alex Melrose answers readers’ pet related issues. email yours to: alex@vetcare.net.nz My dog Claude is in your care today. When I dropped him in this morning I was a little rushed, and to be honest a little stressed about him, so I didn’t ask you all the things I had been meaning to. He is in with you for a variety of tests, feeling very subdued and depressed, with his bowels not working and that’s made me very worried. You guys are running blood tests, and x-rays. Can you please run through how these can help Claude get well again? Kind regards, Joan.
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I totally understand that it’s often not until after leaving the clinic all these questions come flooding back. The first thing we’ll do is collect a blood sample from him, for analysis with our in-house blood lab. The results give us some very useful information very quickly. This will hopefully allow us to rule out many diseases that could be causing his symptoms of whimpering and being depressed such as: kidney, liver or pancreatic disease, severe anaemia from an unexpected bleed internally, internal infection, autoimmune disorders and major electrolyte imbalances. If these tests rule out all of these problems our next step will be to focus on the gastrointestinal system. A rectal exam and x-rays are part of this.
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His abdominal x-ray could show delayed stomach emptying, obstructions (e.g. from bones or toys), constipation and reveal potentially altered organ shape and sizes. If we do the above procedures on him, and all are clear we would be much more comfortable that he is not suffering from any really sinister condition. Very often in Veterinary medicine we must make a professional judgment as to the most likely reasons for an illness. We narrow possibilities, rule out danger signs, and often give them supportive treatment to relieve symptoms while the patient gets better. I hope we can do this and get Claude back to his usual happy bouncy self very quickly. I will phone you after his tests and also book a discharge appointment to sit down and go over things in detail this afternoon when he goes home. (DR ALEX MELROSE, BVSC MRCVS) PN VETCARE GREY LYNN, 408 Great North Road T: 09 361 3500 www.vetcare.net.nz
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ARTS + CULTURE
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JO BARRETT’S EXHIBITION OPENING, NKB GALLERY Thursday 20 September
There was a good turnout for Jo Barrett’s ‘Fabric of the land’ and Anna Perry’s ‘Place’ exhibition. 1. Cait McLennan-Whyte and Sonja Hall; 2. Jo Barrett and John Elliott; 3. Gwynne Davenport, Melissa Paynter and Angie McBride; 4. Joanna Woolcott, Georgie Malyon and Angie McBride; 5. Evan Woodruffe, Gwynne Davenport and Jeanne Clayton.
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ARTS + CULTURE
FRAMING AT ITS BEST The Framing Studio owner Daryl Taylor-Edwards involves the client in the creative decision making process when choosing the right frame. He likens it to icing a cake together or dressing up to go out to a party; it should be a fun. He enjoys helping and advising people and seeing the smile on their faces when they view the end result.
FROM HERE TO THERE AND BACK AGAIN
Daryl frames anything from family photos to fine art and believes both should be treated with the same care and respect. The skills he developed from his days as an award winning chef, making things look and taste good and offering the ultimate in customer service, are carried through to his framing business.
TURKEY: An unexpected invitation came from Kiwi friends Christine and Derek to join them sailing in Turkey. I graciously accepted, seeking inspiration and sunshine before my next workshop in September. We set off from the coastal town of Marmaris, sailed and motored on the Aegean sea, swimming off the boat in exquisite coves to cool from the unbelievable heat and berthing at night beside local eateries.
“I look at each individual piece for what it is; its colour, its texture, the subject matter and the feeling it gives off, placing various frames around a work. The frame should complement the piece and bring attention to it.” Having trained with some of New Zealand’s best framers, Daryl has gone on to frame paintings by many top New Zealand artists as well as key heritage pieces. “Getting to hold a Goldie in your hands is scary, yet a great privilege, says Daryl. Two of the most recent projects he is particularly proud of include the framing of works exhibited by Evan Woodruffe at OREXART and Joanne Barrett at nkb Gallery. Testimonial: “Daryl from The Framing Studio is awesome. Went all out to try to help my artist sister Raewyn Graham frame her works and very generous with his time and space. If you want a good framer with a point of difference, going the extra mile and striking the best deal’ - go see Daryl.” Charlotte Graham PN THE FRAMING STUDIO, 145 Nelson Street M: 021 272 7761 daryl@theframingstudio.co.nz www.theframingstudio.co.nz
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
MONTH FOUR: TURKEY AND FRANCE
The Turks are charming and hospitable. Men are flirtatious hosts, while women work at the back baking bread in their clay ovens. Mezze, fresh fish and local tipple raki went down well. Cafe Arora at Selimiye amused us by playing our National Anthem, broadcast across the harbour on departure. I returned via Istanbul and was treated to a night tour of the city and Mosques ablaze with light celebrating Ramadan. I visited the Bazaars and found the coppersmiths at their work. FRANCE: ‘Chateau le Risdoux’ was the setting for a week’s gathering with a group of friends from the UK. My daughter Rose and I motored via Dover and Calais to this magnificent place set on the banks of the river Meuse. Dating back to 1789 and one time home to the mistress of Belgian King Leopold II, the main building and outhouses have been beautifully restored. It was a fun time, warm weather allowed us to swim in the river, take long walks and for me some time to do sketching with friends. Our evenings were spent gathering around the long table with shared contributions of local food and wine, chatting and laughter into the night. (CARLINA GOFFE) PN DEADLINE – 20TH OF THE MONTH October 2012 PONSONBY NEWS+
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A NIGHT-IN WITH TIM WAKELY This month at Civic Video Ponsonby the British are abroad; while the Yanks stay at home to defend planet earth. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN Salmon fishing in the Yemen is a beautifully crafted film with an equally exquisite storyline. From the start I was pulled in hook, line and sinker, as the realistic feeling of the film entranced me, and I couldn’t help but get sucked into it. Traditionally, I have always been on the fence when it came to Ewan McGregor but I was surprised to like the film as much as I did. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that fly-fishing would actually interest me; I have never been interested in fishing and the virtues of fishing had never crossed my mind. McGregor plays Dr Alfred Jones who is forced by the British Government, who are in dire need of a good story to put in the press, to help a wealthy Yemeni Sheikh to bring salmon to the wadis of the Yemen. The storyline has an overall feel good inspirational vibe to it, which doesn’t feel silly or overplayed. The simplistic colour palette, and the easy mysticism embedded into the film gives it a sense of calmness. The acting is top notch; Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor give realism to their characters’ balanced sensitivity. Now don’t get me wrong, the characters aren’t boring, they are relatable with banal flaws. I recommend that you make any excuse to see this film; rain, hail or shine this film is a must see.
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is an inoffensive flick about a group of retirees who travel to India to stay at a retirement retreat. However, after the group of strangers get over their initial frustrations of the hotel most of them begin to seek out what they originally intended to do in the country. Overall, I am in two minds about this film as I am unsure of whether I liked it or not. The westernised portrayal of India didn’t really excite me as I felt that I was watching an advertorial of the country. Every time Judi Dench spoke all I could think of was ‘ASB commercial, ASB commercial’. What I liked about the film was that it wasn’t entirely unpredictable and the hidden storylines and the vast array of colourful characters made it enjoyable. The veteran cast is what makes this film pleasurable. However, my favourite character would be Muriel Donnelly, played by Maggie Smith. I loved this character, as her old-fashioned misguided offensive views seem somewhat comedic. Plus, I have this theory that Maggie Smith was born old, because every film I have ever seen her in, she has always played an uptight old maid. This film is worth a watch, as its light-hearted humour and wonder is good for the soul.
THE AVENGERS Marvel you’ve done it again. If you liked Ironman, Thor and Captain America then this is for you. Packed full of all the original casts of these movies, The Avengers takes all of these movies and merges them successfully into one film. What is great about it is that you don’t have to question, the film makes you believe all these superheros existed at the same time. If you’re a sucker for those over the top, loud, spandex loving, super hero movies, then The Avengers is the right movie for you. Nick Fury, director of the espionage agency S H I E L D must re-activate The Avengers initiative to help save the world. This movie is a fast and jam-packed adrenaline ride with special effects and larger than life characters hypnotising your gaze as you watch the film. Everything in this film is out of this world; the characters, the storylines and some of the back-stories are gripping. The movie is packed full of A-list Hollywood babes, so if you’re into a bit of soft eye candy then by all means rent this film. Everyone should watch this film, as it’s just so damn cool. (TIM WAKELY) PN
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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT INDEPENDENT SAINTS
SHOWING AT WHITESPACE Grant Whibley “The Elements” Until 20 October
Until 30 October
“As science gets closer to working out how the universe began and as other scientific conclusions are forming that we are in one way nothing more than certain frequencies in atomic motion, it’s evidence to me that there is some form of pure science that keeps us alive and is the cornerstone of why we are also creative within its intent. “HELIUM” 2012 oil on canvas 1040 x 840mm
“To get below appearances and to find the true essence of forms is aspirational for me in my art, which is generally caught up in appearances. However, this show attempts to draw together the relationship of basic atomic structures as metaphors for creativity which creates life and is life in its self. From selected atomic elements which are the basic ‘building blocks’ for matter to exist; I want to open out the ideas of how beauty could exist in numerous dimensions. “In addition the works also allude to the elements of this culture and what are the elements for a culture to exist? Within our visual culture, what and who are the artists we look to as defining a view of ourselves and why? In the work ‘Sulphur’ for example, the yellow bucket with the Lion on it is a metaphor for the identity of the artist Dick Frizzell. He is a Leo and has often depicted his astrological sign as a portrait of himself. The yellow sand bucket could easily be one of his numerous catalogue paintings of everyday items. Aside from this content, is what stands visually and it is where I am as an artist. My direction in this show is to reveal something of the beauty in flowers. JOCELYN MILLS LIVES IN WELLINGTON. SHE IS A SCULPTOR OF THE domestic milieu and the myriad of material objects that constitute an abode. Due to their constant presence and habitual use, domestic objects are usually overlooked. The slip casting process used by Jocelyn enables an indexical representation of such banal objects. Seductive in its salience, timeless and fragile, the material qualities of unglazed white porcelain emerge in the firing process. The alchemical deviations to composition of the porcelain slip and the heat of the kiln has subtlety altered these overtly recognisable forms to create unique shapes.
“The artists I want to acknowledge in this show which are symbolised in their creativity by the various ‘vases’ are Shruti Yatri, Reuben Paterson, Dick Frizzell, Michael Shepherd, Gregor Kregar, Colin McCahon, Shane Cotton and Francis Hodgkins.” Grant Whibley Grant won the Premier Award in the Norsewear Art Awards in 2003; he was the Overall Winner of the Molly Morperth Canaday Awards 2004 and won the Emerging Artist Award at the James Wallace Awards in 2002.
The Silence 23 October - 10 November
These shapes are reminiscent of and allude to objects within the repository of the every day. While referring to the everyday, the porcelain objects function as a quiescent from, inviting viewers to consider the complex narratives that are embodied within the things in our world.
“This sculptural installation is a continuation of my interest in human ecology and contemporary responses to environmental and social challenges.
Jocelyn’s photographic reproduction of these unique forms further dislodges the original form of the everyday object from its context and like the porcelain sculpture relocates the object closer to the viewer but further from reality. Jocelyn wishes to acknowledge the assistance of Bonny Stewart-MacDonald photographer and friend for her expertise. PN
My latest work has evolved from research trips with scientists and ecologists to the coastal rainforests of Fiordland National Park and recent encounters in the museums and galleries of the UK and parts of Europe.
Open Tuesday - Saturday 10.30am-4.30pm with private viewings by appointment. INDEPENDENT SAINTS GALLERY, 56 Brown Street www.independentsaints.org
NIC MOON is the artist whitespace is featuring for Artweek on Saturday 27 October from 10am - 4pm. Nic will be facilitating a large interactive painting on the windows of Whitespace. Everyone (great for families) is welcome to come along and participate in making this work and check out her exhibition.
Egyptian mummified animals, bog-bodies, the contemplative simplicity of Millet and Vermeer’s paintings, and Giacometti’s 1950 work The Forest have provided technical and visual inspiration. While in London I found an affinity with sculpture from the 1960s Japanese Mono Ha (School of Things) at the Tate Modern. A focus on the essential properties of materials, and the combination of organic and industrial objects and processes underpin this work. Memories and mythologies from my farm-and-forest-exploring childhood have provided the seed ideas and materiality.”
Nic has been awarded several prestigious residencies including the William Hodges Fellowship in Southland (2009) and Auckland Regional Council Artist in Residence. She exhibits throughout New Zealand in solo and group shows. Nic received a BFA from Ilam School of Fine Arts, Canterbury University and an MFA from RMIT in Melbourne. PN WHITESPACE, 12 Crummer Road T: 09 361 6331 www.whitespace.co.nz The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT DEPOT ARTSPACE Teri Parat - ‘Embracing Faces’ 17 - 25 November Westmere artist Teri Parat will be exhibiting her latest works, ‘Embracing Faces’ at Depot Artspace Gallery this November. This latest exhibition follows her very successful show at the same gallery last year. Working in oils, Teri’s latest series of portraits are a combination of classic realism with an element of surrealism. Fans of Teri’s work will know that each new painting is embellished with Teri’s confident hand and brushstoke which convey a command of her materials resulting in meticulous detail with the primary focus of expression in the eyes of each piece. A great opportunity to also check out the Devonport Art Festival which commences on Saturday 17 November and runs to 25 November, enjoy a huge host of local art, literature and music-related events. PN Depot Artspace, 28 Clarence Street, Devonport T: 09 963 2331 www.depotartspace.co.nz
ARTWEEK AUCKLAND IS BACK 26 October – 4 November Presented by the NZ contemporary Art Trust and Auckland’s BIG little city Now in its third year, Artweek Auckland will bring together over 60 galleries; public and private, an artist run initiative under the Artweek Auckland umbrella. The 2012 program will include exhibitions, competitions, art talks, artist performances, art cycle and walking tours and panel discussions as well as the popular after-hours gallery openings and special events. All events are free, go to the website below for more information and to register for events. GO ON A DATE WITH 10 ART PROFESSIONALS IN ONE NIGHT Back by popular demand, the Auckland Artweek Speed Dating event provides opportunities for you to spend three minutes, one to one, with 10 Arts Professionals. Your chance to ask all the art-world questions you have ever wanted answered.
Artweek Auckland is currently accepting submissions for: 2012 ARTWEEK SPEED DATING 6-8pm, Wednesday 31 October Allelulya Café, St Kevins arcade, K’ Road, Auckland See the website below for registration Get on a bike or take a hike! Auckland Transport have partnered with Next Bikes to provide guided bike tours, bring your bike or use one provided. Discover galleries along the way and meet the professionals behind the scenes. Artweek provides free, guided walking tours of art, culture and heritage in all precincts, or download the phone app Art in Auckland and take a self-guided tour of galleries. THE PONSONBY ART MILE Redefining everything we ever thought about window-shopping. A mixture of art, fashion and design to grab our attention. 10 shops provide windows on Jervois and Ponsonby Road for 10 exciting visual artists to showcase new work. Supporting businesses include: Askew, Republic Home, Jaime Boutique, Fifth Avenue Menswear, Sunday Painters, Anna Stretton, Masons Menswear, WORLD Beauty, Ponsonby Central and Kokomo. LOOK AT K’ ROAD The Uptown Arts Trust presents 10 installations in 10 K’ Road shop windows. K’ Road businesses supporting their artists include: Iko Iko, Hard Luck Café, BNZ, Buana Satu, K’ Road Business Association, Bridge Gallery, The Grinder, The Barbers, Foodini’s and Alleluya Café. PN For more information on Artweek in Auckland’s Big Little City, visit www.artweekauckland.co.nz
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ARTS + CULTURE
JACQUELINE FAHEY
WORDS ON A SMALL ISLAND THE WAIHEKE BOOK FESTIVAL – 26, 27 and 28 October Book lovers, wordsmiths and poetry people, don’t miss… • Sam Hunt at the Owhanake Barn on Saturday 27 October 4pm • Homage to Hone Tuwhare at Morra Hall Saturday 27 October 2pm, with biographer Janet Hunt, son Rob Tuwhare, Pita Rikys and Selina Tusitala-Marsh • Gala Mudbrick Lunch with Jacqueline Fahey Sunday 28 October 11am Food and wine lovers don’t miss… • Celebrate the launch of ‘A Life at Mudbrick’ by Robyn Jones Free events • Gil Hanly at the Waiheke Art Gallery • Launch of ‘I Love Lemonade’ by Mark and Rowan Sommerset For more information www.WaihekeBookFestival.co.nz Book through Eventfinda or door sales (if available) PN
SAM HUNT
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ARTS + CULTURE AUCKLAND FESTIVAL OF QUILTS 2012 ART CALENDAR FEATURES ART WORKS Since 1984 Auckland’s OF STROKE-AFFECTED ADULTS biggest quilt show has been held every year in November and until this year was called Calico Christmas. The name change to 'Auckland Festival of Quilts' reflects the changes that have occurred over the years in both fabrics and style of quilts. The quilts on show are made by the members of the Auckland Patch Workers and Quilters Guild and range from very large bed quilts to small challenge quilts under a metre square. The number of quilts changes each year but on average there are around 200 entries and they make a wonderful display of colour and craftsmanship. The show has 48 merchants who make a wonderful addition to the show with their stands full of colourful fabric, books, threads and sewing machines. There will also be two raffle quilts, a large bed quilt and a child's quilt on display and the proceeds will go to the Motor Neuron Association. The large bed quilt is contemporary and the child’s quilt is every little girls dream, including a castle, dragon and two princesses. The AUCKLAND FESTIVAL OF QUILTS is held at North Harbour Stadium, Oteha Valley Road, Albany on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 November from 10am – 5pm and Sunday 4 November from 10am – 4pm. PN For more information email info@apqg.co.nz
A NEW ART CALENDAR FEATURING THE ART WORKS OF ADULTS WHO HAVE been affected by stroke has been produced to raise funds towards the continuation of a vitally important programme. When Craig Banton first attended the art therapy programme for stroke affected people he had not made art before. A truck driver by trade he was skeptical and uncertain of what art could offer him – let alone the challenge of sharing his experience of stroke affect with a group of strangers. Months later he is a regular and enthusiastic participant in the stroke visual arts open studio programme – he has become a dedicated artist exploring the plasticity of paint in large abstract compositions. He said of his experience within art therapy: “I have become more compassionate and more willing to lend a hand...” This is one of many extraordinary stories that people with stroke affect can tell about their metamorphosis to becoming artists! Since 2010 the Stroke Foundation Northern Region Inc and Spark Centre of creative development have worked collaboratively to provide an arts-centred rehabilitative, therapeutic service for adults who have been affected by stroke. In this time Spark Centre has delivered three in-depth art therapy programmes and a range of visual arts learning programmes; the Stroke Foundation Northern Region has provided funding and participants. Spark also secured additional funding from Auckland Council - and a collaborative proposal to Sky City Auckland Community Trust (to continue the programmes into 2013) was successful. Now, the two organisations have produced a stunning art calendar of exceptional quality that features artwork created by stroke participants from both the art therapy and visual arts learning programmes. The 2013 wall calendar is a visual treat and holds real significance and meaning for people with the disability of stroke affect. Director of Spark Centre, Suzanne Vesty said: “Participants have taken part in a significant and challenging process – they have learnt and benefited from the experience. The calendar is a way to grow public awareness to both the circumstance of stroke – and to gain financial support for the continuance and further development of this valuable, collaborative work.” Stroke Foundation Northern Region General Manager Don Scandrett says that the art therapy programmes have played a vital part in the rehabilitation of a number of stroke survivors and that the foundation has been pleased with the results that the programme has delivered. “This high quality calendar is a wonderful way to not only highlight the work that these people have been doing but at the same time generate funding to be able to ensure that more people who have been affected by stroke have the opportunity to participate in the future”. The printing of the calendar is kindly sponsored by Colorite and the graphic design undertaken by Lea France. B & F Papers have donated the paper and On Time the packaging. Their combined generosity has made this fund-raising venture possible. All proceeds will go to further art therapy and visual arts programmes for the stroke affected. The calendar is on sale now for $20 plus postage and packaging. PN To purchase your copy of the 2013 Calendar please visit www.stroke.org.nz or phone the Stroke Foundation on T: 09 475 0070 or contact Donna at Spark Centre on T: 09 845 5361 or email donna@sparkcentre.org.nz
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SHOWING AT OREXART SARAH DOLBY - SPINDLE 23 October – 10 November With her distinctive Gothic sensibility and animator’s hyperrealism, Dunedin-based artist Sarah Dolby explores fairy tale archetypes in her upcoming exhibition ‘Spindle.’ With the arrival of her son and the ensuing bedtime books and Disney movies, the fairy tale characters of Dolby’s childhood began to seep into her work. “I can’t remember a time when magic and fairy tales weren’t a part of my own life.” From the damsel-in-distress to the wicked witch, the fairy godmother and the evil stepmother, Dolby captures the essence of the roles within the genre. Using the luminal space afforded by these fables, she explores the human condition through themes of morality, beauty, fear, death, power, friendship and magic. Dolby’s characters are immediately dazzling in their power and beauty, but on closer inspection reveal hands rubbed raw, flushed complexions and above all else, unnerving expressions. Set against stark, yet luminous backgrounds, the focus of each work is firmly on the character, and the depth and complexity of emotions barely contained behind their gaze. Unlike their Fairytale archetypes, they are neither good nor evil, and will not live with the certainty of a happily ever after. PN OREXART, Upper Khartoum Place, Kitchener Street T: 09 379 0588 www.orexgallery.co.nz Top left: THE FOX AND THE MAIDEN - 85 cm x 65 unframed, 2012 Top right: SNOW GOOSE - 100 cm x 80 cm unframed, 2011 Below: SPINDLE - 100 cm x 80 cm unframed, 2012
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ARTS + CULTURE CHILDHOOD TALE SCOOPS TOP KATHERINE MANSFIELD AWARD PONSONBY RESIDENT JULIE HELEAN HAS BEEN NAMED THIS YEAR’S WINNER of the Katherine Mansfield Award, for short story submissions, at the BNZ Literary Awards ceremony held in Wellington last month. Her short story Misjudged follows a child’s struggle to meet an expectation she is not sufficiently grown up for. This is based on Julie’s own childhood experiences, working after school in her father’s shop. Julie’s father was a tailor and kilt maker in Dunedin and taught her about being a craftsperson, a family legacy that has clearly paid off. Julie, a health planner for the Auckland District Health Board, has been writing for a number of years but it was her Masters in Creative Writing from Auckland University, and her mentor Witi Ihimaera, that really gave her the springboard to launch into serious writing. “I always loved writing, especially bringing the imaginary world to life,” says Julie. In her job with the ADHB, Julie is immersed in writing though she describes this as deeply bureaucratic. “I write reports, strategy and planning documents by day and by night I flip into creative overdrive,” she explains. And, while the two disciplines are markedly different, they do complement each other. Just being used to writing all day, every day is a big help. “There’s some dexterity needed to get large documents through to completion. You need a certain fluidity in writing, perseverance and staying relaxed around chaos,” says Julie. The $10,000 prize is an enormous help to an author like Julie who says that every bit of extra cash goes towards her creative writing. She has her second novel in development, a costly process for someone who describes herself as a relative beginner. “It’s an expensive process to get a manuscript reviewed by a mentor, assessed and then edited,” she says.
BNZ Director of Retail Andy Symons says, “Julie is an example of the wealth of writing talent we have in New Zealand. She’s an accomplished writer who just keeps getting better. Many authors who have won an award here have gone onto to great things. “BNZ is proud to support these awards and to celebrate the wealth of writing talent this country has.” Julie has also been published in Landfall magazine and in 2012, received a Highly Commended from the New Zealand Society of Authors in their short story competition. Her Central Otago novel, The Open Accounts of an Honest Box, was published in 2011 and is being produced for radio. Established in 1959, the BNZ Literary Awards formerly known as the Katherine Mansfield Awards aim to foster literature in New Zealand and are the country’s longest -running short story awards. BNZ has been part of the New Zealand landscape for 150 years and holds close ties to Katherine Mansfield. Her father, Sir Harold Beauchamp, was a director of BNZ, a position he held for 38 years. He was also the chairman of the board for 17 years. THE BNZ LITERARY AWARDS OFFER FOUR LEVELS OF ENTRY: • BNZ Katherine Mansfield Award, for published writers - $10,000 prize money • BNZ Novice Writer, for unpublished writers - $1500 prize money • BNZ Young Writer, for writers who are at secondary school - $1500 for the student and $2000 for the winner’s school. • BNZ Short Story Writer, for a short story of a maximum of 150 words submitted via Facebook - $500 prize money PN
SHOWING AT MOMENTUM GALLERY Momentum Gallery is proud to present this month seasoned painter, screen-printer and designer, Tony Ogle. Tony began his art career in the early ‘80s after a brief stint in commercial advertising. He pursued his dream to work at becoming a fine artist and formed a partnership with a fellow artist, focusing on the Northland coastal landscape. After a sailing trip around the world in the mid 80s, Tony returned to New Zealand fully inspired by his travels and set to work on his creative endeavours. He took residence in 2000 and began creating many works of the inspirational West Coast. He continued supplying several galleries around New Zealand and contributing to group and solo exhibitions. After nine years on the rugged west side, in 2009 a new chapter began along with his young family in the eastern region of Gisborne, in his new home and studio overlooking Wainui Beach. Tony’s work is a celebration of all that is the New Zealand coastline; vibrancy, colour and authenticity in bundles from a kiwi that is in touch, in synch and fully entrenched in the lifestyle and beach life of New Zealand. PN MOMENTUM GALLERY, 1/182 Jervois Road T: 09 376 4749 www.momentumgallery.co.nz
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ARTS + CULTURE SHOWING AT BLACK ASTERISK KARLEY FEAVER - CREATURELY WONDERS 26 October - 14 November Preview - 25 October 6.30pm Artist’s talk - 27 October 12.30pm From the boiler room of human imagination rises a myriad of fascinating new creatures. Karley Feaver’s new exhibition challenges the common aversion towards taxidermy in the home by introducing abstract forms that blur the lines between traditional taxidermy and modern sculpture. The works intend to break morbid perceptions of taxidermy and replace them with more life-affirming connections. Some of the works are purely animal, while others are the possible results of crossbreeding between animal and flora. In Feaver’s previous works the themes have focused mainly on death. It is difficult not to think about death when looking at taxidermied animals but, in this case, the morbid is transformed into something beautiful. Feaver’s current interests arise from the boundary between what we call natural and artificial and nature’s ability to survive in different forms by adapting, adjusting and mutating into its new urban setting. Feaver’s use of animals and taxidermy highlights the domestication of nature (taming and bringing it indoors) and accentuates its value as an aesthetic object. “I am fascinated by how bringing nature indoors, along with an anthropomorphic idea, changes the way people view these forms. I am exploring how each could exist in a domestic setting by adapting to their surroundings. Through this, my investigations of the animals have also developed into sculpture by morphing animals and other various objects into newly formed creations.” PN BLACK ASTERISK GALLERY, 10 Ponsonby Road M: 021 040 1168 www.blackasterisk.co.nz
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