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life+style The Weekend Sun °
Aspiring for greatness Page 2
THE WEEKEND
John Baxter
Nigel Masters
Arts Lidice successes
Dropping Simon
Leighton Fairlie
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life+style The Weekend Sun ˜°5˝ August, ˜˛°˝ July, 2019 ˜˛°˙
Birthday celebrations at Aspire Four years of a fitter community
They’ve been changing lives and inspiring people to be their best selves for four years, and now Aspire Health and Sports in Bethlehem is giving gifts to those who want to try the facility for themselves. In honour of its fourth birthday, Aspire is offering a $4 joining fee for the first 200 new members, with relevant terms and conditions applying. But why choose Aspire? Aside from the world-class facilities, Aspire Heath and Sports is a warm, welcoming place where people of all skill levels can train. “Aspire is a purpose-built health and fitness club to ensure plenty of space and variety to exercise and revitalise in a fullyair conditioned and non-intimidating environment,” says Aspire’s Tiffany Britz. “We also have a massive natural air flow and plenty of space to train and breathe.” Aspire Health and Sports has a wide variety of state-of-the-art equipment available with separate areas to suit individual needs. There is an extensive weight training floor, coupled with a functional training area for all your strength and toning needs, a separate cardio room where you can work out with a view and a huge group fitness room where a range of Les Mills and freelance classes are free for the members.
“We have the most comprehensive group fitness classes in the Bay with more than 60 group fitness classes running each week,” says Tiffany. There’s also a separate spin studio as well as hydrotherapy facilities that include an indoor, 25m, heated swimming pool, sauna, spa and cold plunge pool. If that’s not enough, Aspire also has a sports med’ department with physiotherapy, podiatry, nutrition, sports massage and a sports physician all in one place. You can also see what you are made of with NZ Body Scans on-site to help you set and track your goals. “We also have Aspire Sports Med with Dr Deb Robertson, the ex All Blacks sports physician on-site,” says Tiffany. “We offer an impressive range of worldclass facilities and professional services to help keep you motivated and inspired.” There’s also a team of fantastic professional personal trainers specialising in a range of areas, from muay thai and martial arts, rehabilitation training for the New Zealand Army, rugby and rugby league, motocross, strength and conditioning and weight management to name a few. There is sure to be a trainer for you, whether you are new to a gym or you’re just looking for something different. If you are looking for somewhere to relax
or refuel after your workout, Aspire Health and Sports also has Quench - an on-site cafe to serve you up a barista-made coffee, delicious and healthy smoothies and yummy bliss balls. Aspire Heath and Sports also now has its own mini supplements store for all of your pre and post-workout supplement needs. And if you need some pampering, About You Medi Spa is the perfect place to sit back and unwind. With a range of beauty therapy treatments available on-site – including IPL, eyelash and brow tints and more – About You Medi Spa is a great place to get your body in tip-top shape. If you’re thinking about signing up to Aspire Health and Sports to take advantage of the fantastic birthday special, or want to see this amazing facility for yourself, come in and talk to their friendly sales team. The facility tour alone may be enough to convince you. They’re located at 253a State Highway 2, Bethlehem, behind the Z Station.
John Baxter Circles and Signs I called in to see John Baxter at his new home studio in Greerton. It was a warm, sunny day, with mandarins heavy on a tree, and Leo the dog peeping out from under the deck. The studio, a rustic, warm and insulated building, had arrived as two packages about nine months ago on the back of a Hiab. Lifted over the garden fence, it was assembled within three hours, and John’s personality is now clearly evident inside. The space conveys a happy and relaxed sense of light airiness. He’s been preparing about 40 pieces for his first solo exhibition. “A lot of my stuff is based around life,” says John. “You may see it or may not see it. Anything from dealing with my mother’s death up to outer space.” He’s captured the patterns of cells and molecules, zeroing in on the essence of life, but then reaching up to the wider concepts of our beings and beyond, infusing a sense of what feels to me like order and peace. “There is that connection between the internal body and the working of the mind,” says John. “So these pieces are reflecting my thinking and dealing with life, through to the wider world.” John has had many years of involvement with the arts, including an immense contribution and commitment to the vision of the Incubator Creative Hub at Tauranga
Historic Village. This week he was leading the poetry group, and is often helping with the music events at The Jam Factory. He hasn’t been able to work full-time since injuring his neck and suffers from related chronic pain. This hasn’t stopped him from constantly trying to push through and grow an expression of his own creativity. “Kristian Lomath came around and said ‘I really like your work but I’d like to see you do bigger stuff ’,” says John. “That was about 18 months ago. He brought me over a large canvas and encouraged me to go for it. That started me off and I’ve been very busy this year.” “I was working with plastics at an engineering place at the Mount,” says John, who comes from a background in cabinetry and furniture making. Made redundant from Design Mobel, John went on to complete a graphic design course, saying that some people describe his art work as being more ‘graphic design oriented’. He has his own unique signature style though that is beyond that, showing a confidence with colour, and reflecting his point of view. I’ve only seen three of his new pieces from this new body of work, and expect that they will surprise and delight others as much as they did for me. John’s exhibition opens at The Incubator, on Friday, July 5, at 5.30 pm, and runs for three weeks. Rosalie Liddle Crawford
life+style The Weekend Sun ˆ Photos: Bruce Barnard
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July, 2019 ˜˛°˙ life+style The Weekend Sun ˜°5˝ August, ˜˛°˝
Nigel Masters Music and ‘The Boatshed’
Photos: Bruce Barnard
At college, Nigel Masters was that very cool guy playing guitar in the rock band. I, on the other hand was a geeky girl on a violin in the college orchestra. Not really doing much of the same music, but still, we were both inspired by the legendary Bob Addison. Kokomo, the band Nigel plays bass for now, has just brought out their new album ‘Sunset Claws’. It’s Kokomo’s first album since their 2016 double CD-boxed set ‘Batten Down The Hatches’, and, for the first time, Nigel is showing his singing talent. His song ‘Don’t Take My Car’ is a brilliant piece of black humour dealing with the misfortune of showing hospitality to someone who then takes your car. Bruce Barnard, our Sun photographer, who coincidentally played trumpet in the Otumoetai College orchestra, came with me to visit Nigel at his studio. Located in Whakamaramara, ‘The Boatshed’ has become a part of the rich tapestry of the music scene in the Bay. “It’s 29 years nearly to the day that I’ve been here,” says Nigel, as we tread across the wet grass to the door of the studio, a converted double garage. “Don’t worry about your boots, you’re on a farm now. Nigel says he bought the property because the garage was already there. “The pool were here too and I thought well obviously I need the pool if I’m going to be a rock and roll star.” We step inside and find not only a recording studio, but nearly 30 years of music history. I start reading
musicians’ signatures on the walls. “Silly buggers,” says Nigel. “They get drunk and sign the walls. Graham Clark - also from Otumoetai College; Maurice Greer - drummer with Human Instinct. Alan Norman who played for the Waratahs. Chris Gunn another piano player. Jan Preston a piano player from Sydney. I tour with Jan quite a bit. She’s famous on three continents. That’s her piano over there. I wish she’d come and get it. I think she’s coming to get it in August, and drag me off around the country again. “Richard O’Brien we see quite a bit of. We’re kind of Richard’s backing band when he does a concert.” There’s a small statue of Richard as he appears in The Rocky Horror Show. And a few Dave Roy paintings. Also side rooms for isolating and recording individual instruments like trumpets and drums, and a piano tucked away against another wall. In the middle of all this is Nigel’s main music workstation. He’s recorded over 60 albums. “We partied heavily for the first ten years then spent the next ten years trying to pay for it all,” he jokes. He’s planning a big party for when the studio turns 30. “When I first came back to Tauranga in 1984 I had the good fortune to be an unemployed guitar player. My best pal from college Stephen Bradley – their family had an orchard up Oliver Road, with a big shed down the bottom of the orchard that they leased out to a boat builder. Stephen and I used to sneak off down there, do music practise and write songs. “The Bradleys called it The Boat Shed, and we
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˝ July, 5 2019 ˜˛°˙ ˜° August, ˜˛°˝
“I decided not to finish the degree because I had an o° er to join a Wellington rock and roll band – The Puppets, and tour the country”
thought that was a great name for the studio so six years later when I moved out here that’s what I did.” On leaving college in 1978, Nigel headed to Victoria University in Wellington to study for a Bachelor of Music degree. “I was very enthusiastic about music back in those days. Bob Addison was a huge influence and made the subject quite fun whereas the people I worked with at Vic had a much more studious approach. “I decided not to finish the degree because I had an offer to join a Wellington rock and roll band – The Puppets, and tour the country. “I was playing guitar. That was back in the days when Midge and Hammond and Dobbyn were touring and we used to follow on around behind then. “The Wellington climate drove me mad though, so I came back to Tauranga so I could lie on the beach and read a book.” He recalls when Kokomo first called on him. “They turned up one day in ’95 and said ‘hey we want to make a record’. That turned out quite well. They had started in ‘91 and I joined in ‘98. “Derek is the musical director of Kokomo to a large degree, although we spend a lot of time arguing about things, which is all part of it. But we’ve been arguing about things for 25 years or more. Usually at the end you compromise somewhere and think ‘okay do whatever the hell you want, I don’t care anymore’,” he laughs. Gazing out the window toward the pool, he pulls his pipe out of his pocket. Oddly the gesture reminds me of Bob Addison’s love of smoking pipes.
“I’m going to be broke after I rebuild the garage and redo the pool. Bankruptcy heading my way.” His birthday is on Armistice Day. He’ll be 60 next year. “I supposed that’s going to be another celebration. I keep ending up overseas on my birthday which keeps annoying the band. “I’m getting to the age now where I will have to get some teeth installed, some time. They’ve come to the end of their life.” He poses for a photo with Bruce. “Ahh yes that looks friendly. Doesn’t look like I’m an axe murderer’, he says of Bruce’s photo. Rosalie Liddle Crawford
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July, 2019 ˜˛°˙ life+style The Weekend Sun ˜°5˝August, ˜˛°˝
Sienna and Ella Remembering the children of war Sienna Olsen,7 and Ella Mitchell, 14, have both received unique international arts recognition due in part to the benevolence of Paul Horak and Angela Howard.
Sienna Olsen, ˜
Both of the local students have received an Honorable Mention in the International Children’s Exhibition of Fine Arts Lidice 2019 ICEFA Lidice - held in the Czech Republic. “We have relatives living in the Czech Republic,” says Angela and Paul. “We were visiting them and went to see the Arts Lidice exhibition.” They were not prepared for how poignant the artwork was going to be. The ICEFA Lidice, established in 1967, commemorates the child victims from the Czech village of Lidice murdered by German Nazis, as well as all other children who have died in wars. “What is shocking about the Lidice massacre was that the Nazis were very proud of it,” says Paul. “During the Second World War when they massacred the township off the map they proudly announced it, shocking the rest of the world including New Zealand”. “It became a rallying call. Mostly just women survived the concentration camps but they didn’t know what to do with the children so they gassed them. They shot all the men. “A handful of children were placed into German families and returned after the war but most of
them were killed.” “After the war, Lidice was an odd village, as it was mostly women living there who had lost their families.” A large memorial was built to commemorate the terrible tragedy. Then an exhibition was held, which has grown annually. Initially national, this exhibition became an international one in 1973 and since then it has become well-known among children and teachers all over the world. In recent years, more than 25,000 very good works of art have come from children, age 4-16 from 60-70 countries, including China, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe. And now, in 2019, from New Zealand, thanks to Angela and Paul. “There were pieces from all over the world but nothing from New Zealand, which we were surprised by,” says Paul. They approached the team at the Incubator Hub, who were keen to be involved. “We sent a call out for artwork at the beginning of the year in collaboration with Angela and Paul who offered to sponsor the sending of the work to the international children’s exhibition,” says Lynette Fisher. “We sent 14 entries in February, and we are sure glad we didn’t have to select any as they were all so awesome. “Seventy countries registered a total of 15,336 artworks. 1179 pieces received an award and have been put on display in Lidice.” Sienna and Ella were two of those who received
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˝August, July, 2019 ˜˛°˙ ˜°5 ˜˛°˝
life+style The Weekend Sun 7
“Seventy countries registered a total of 15,336 artworks. 1179 pieces received an award and have been put on display in Lidice”
recognition and had their work included in the display. The works are awarded Honourable Mentions and the best of them obtain “Rose of Lidice” medals. The main exhibition runs in the Lidice Gallery from June to November each year. Works can be made by various techniques such as painting, drawing, print making, mixed media, photography, film and animation, ceramics and art objects. Every year a theme is announced following the recommendation of the UNESCO, such as happiness in 2005, Planet Earth in 2006, light in 2015, and for this year, the theme was chemistry. “My mum saw the competition online and suggested I enter, as I’d been taking photos during the school holidays,” says Ella. “The theme they gave us was chemistry. “I’d actually taken my photo about a week before I found out about the competition because I was just having a bit of a fiddle around and see what I could do. And I thought eyes have chemistry.” Ella had taken a photo of her friend’s sister Renee Opie and decided to enter it. She’s been doing photography for nearly two years, and has a Nikon D40, which she bought via TradeMe. This is the first time she has entered a competition. She was walking home when she received a text from her mother Kerry to let her know that her work had been recognised.
Angela Howard and Paul Horak
“I couldn’t believe it, I was really surprised. I wasn’t expecting to get an honour out of all those people. “I will definitely keep doing photography as a hobby, because I really enjoy it and love to capture things for other people and for my own enjoyment.” Sienna’s school Te Akau Ki Papamoa Primary School encourages digital learning and innovation. Sienna used her iPad to look up what chemistry is and to go to the website sciencekids.co.nz and research chemistryinspired ideas to draw. “I chose fire because it sounded really interesting, and because I love drawing nature in my art. On hearing the news, at first Sienna couldn’t believe it. “My teachers thought it was really neat to have a student at school who won an honourable mention award.” The Incubator team were thrilled by the news. “What blows me away is we only entered 14 artworks and got two selected!” says Lynette Fisher. “Australia only got one, just saying!”
Ella Mitchell, °˛
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July, 2019 ˜˛°˙ life+style The Weekend Sun ˜°5˝August, ˜˛°˝
Dropping Simon Beaton Like a boss! In early 2019 Simon Beaton decided to jump 10,000 feet. He told me this on a sunny Friday morning from the fifth floor of the Devonport Towers. We sipped our coffee, looking out across the harbour towards the airport. Simon is one of those Clark Kent-type, mild mannered individuals who you don’t suspect is, in reality, an intrepid adventurer who happily throws himself into exploring places like Archipiélago de Colon and Africa. I thought about all the questions I could ask – what was it like seeing Galápagos tortoises, iguanas and a blue-footed booby? When did ‘Drop your boss’ change from abseiling off the side of a building to leaping out of a Michele’s jump last year
Simon about to take the leap
plane? How much would it cost? “I didn’t know you are a boss?” I asked, fortunately only silently in my head. I realise I harbour the flawed perspective that bosses create fear and affix blame, whereas leaders create confidence. Simon is a leader. “Why are you doing this?” I asked instead. “Well last year Dan Allen-Gordon from Graeme Dingle Foundation who organised it, persuaded my wife Michele to do it, which she did,” says Simon. “I have done it before, about ten years ago for a different charity. “This year Dan phoned up the office and talked with my daughter who is the office manager, and asked if I would like to do it. She said ‘well you can always ask’, so he phoned me up, and I said ‘well I’m not that keen’. “And he said ‘well it’s your turn’, so I said ‘oh okay’. And also it’s a worthy cause.” I suspected this ‘not that keen’ was probably the start of many of his adventures, which perhaps is a great way to keep expectations lowered and then be pleasantly surprised by the wonder of new discoveries? Simon and Michele run Learning Journeys, a tour operator company that caters mostly to high school and university students. “And we do a mixture of curriculum-linked courses, two weeks long, sometimes one day. Both NZ and international students.” It was a busy week. Michele was away with Rotorua’s Western Heights High School for two days, and they were expecting a Hong Kong group to
BEFORE
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“At the Graeme Dingle Foundation they believe ‘what you have on the inside is greater than any obstacle you may face’,” says Simon. “In the spirit of that ethos, I am making the leap, 10,000 feet out of a plane, to help raise money towards the incredible work the foundation does here in our own community”
arrive in about two weeks’ time. “They’re doing education and science,” says Simon. “We’ve had schools from the United States, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and lots from Australia. And we have Appalachian State University coming out. They come every two years. This will be their third visit.” “We have one German school coming out next March. This will be their eighth visit – they come over every two years. So we have a lot of repeat visits. Locally Otumoetai College is one of our oldest customers and Michele used to teach there.” He’s known Dan for some time, as both of them and Michele are members of the same Sunrise Rotary Club. “At the Graeme Dingle Foundation they believe ‘what you have on the inside is greater than any obstacle you may face’,” says Simon. “In the spirit of that ethos, I am making the leap, 10,000 feet out of a plane, to help raise money towards the incredible work the foundation does here in our own community.” The Graeme Dingle Foundation run Project K, Kiwi Can, and Stars; reaching over 3,500 young people in the Bay of Plenty. These are all proven and successful school-based programmes that aim to inspire young people to reach their full potential by helping to build their self-esteem, promote good values and teach valuable life, education and health skills. The ‘Drop Your Boss’ challenge is an annual fundraising event for the Graeme Dingle Foundation. The organisation asks ‘Bosses’ to put
themselves in the shoes of young people and to step out of their own comfort zone and do something very challenging. In 2015, 20 Tauranga community leaders abseiled down the Regional House building. Since 2017, about 20 Bay bosses and business leaders, each year, have been pushed out of a plane in a tandem sky dive. “I’m not sure how I’m ending up being dropped because I’m not really the boss,” says Simon. “We don’t really have a boss in our organisation.” Their business has four full-time staff members including Simon and Michele, and two part-time staff. Simon and Michele both have an integrative style of leadership, and Learning Journeys is heavily involved in supporting the local community. They provide transport for the local Alzheimers’ volunteer group, their operations manager is involved in mentoring a student for Project K, and they help support the TECT Rescue helicopter and St John. Leaping out of a plane to raise funds for the Drop your Boss challenge is just par for the course with both Simon and Michele. “I have done it before,” says Simon. “It’s a bit scary.” “I believe the idea is that you earn enough sponsorship so it covers the cost of jumping plus more, but $350 is our contribution from our business. That’s what we did last year with Michele and that’s what we’re doing again this year.” To learn more about the Graeme Dingle Foundation go to www.dinglefoundation.org.nz Rosalie Liddle Crawford
life+style The Weekend Sun ˙
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July, 2019 ˜˛°˙ life+style The Weekend Sun ˜°5˝ August, ˜˛°˝
Fresh fish in silverbeet and parmesan blanket with caper sauce Ingredients
Four chunks of fresh hapuka fillets, about 150g each 2 large (or 4 medium heads) of finely chopped silverbeet 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese Juice of 1 lemon 3 eggs Salt and pepper Cornflour or fine polenta for dusting fish Sauce: 300ml cream 1/2 glass white wine Zest and juice from 1 lemon 1 Tbsp chopped parsley 2 Tbsp of capers 30g butter (optional) Method
Whisk up lemon juice and eggs, add chopped silverbeet and parmesan. Dust fish chunks in cornflour then in egg mix, wrapping around some of the silverbeet mix. Heat a non-stick pan heated to a medium heat and carefully place in the coated fish, allowing each piece to seal in pan on each side. Sometimes it helps to add a little oil. Place whole pan, if possible, or transfer to an oven dish and cook in a medium oven (about 200 degrees celsius) for about 10-15 minutes. This is of course determined by the size of fish. Give it a poke – it should be firm. For the sauce, reduce the wine with the zest until almost gone, add capers, parsley and cream. Reduce again until thick then add the lemon juice. While off the heat whisk in softened butter for those who need to give the sauce extra lift. Serve with the tender chunks of fish and micro greens or salad. Serves four. Gluten-free.
˜° ˝August, ˜˛°˝ July, ˜˛°˙
Leighton Fairlie Son of the Mount returns Leighton Fairlie is coming home to the Mount. This time with a seven-piece band, celebrating the release of his debut EP ‘Distant’. “This is the first time I won’t be using the loop pedal, but having a band to do what I do,” says Leighton. We were having a coffee at Luca when it occurred to me that either a loop artist is trying to avoid the conflicts that can arise when working with a band, or they must have a highly complex brain, as looping live is possibly the most extreme and skilled type of multitasking. It’s basically one musician replicating what would normally be played by a full band. “Now I have other musicians coming in to play live. They’re like ‘are we a band or not a band or are we all clones of Leighton Fairlie?’” He jokes that the band members have been renamed ‘Leigh’, ‘Ton’, ‘Fair’, and ‘Lie’. “I have told a female friend that looping does prove that males can multi-task,” says Leighton. He decided to start his solo project about two years ago in 2017, stepping away from playing in a band to writing his own arrangements and songs, and going solo. As soon as he had a half hour set ready, Tauranga-based music promoter Pato Alvarez had him open for Katchafire, followed by opening for Salmonella Dub Sound
System a few months later. “At that stage it was the highlight of my whole musical career. I had listened to Salmonella Dub since I was a kid and they were the ones that inspired me.” His day job in Auckland is up in the air, literally. “Years ago I shifted from building to industrial abseiling and rigging. I subcontract to different companies.” He spends his work day abseiling off sides of buildings, carrying out inspections and doing anchor point installations. “I check out the structure of the Sky Tower, making sure it’s safe. Also the wind turbines in Wellington.” The top of the Sky Tower is probably one of the best places to compose new songs. He’s certainly exciting his fans with what’s ahead, hand-picking a group of master musicians that will delight local fans of dub, drum and bass, and reggae. DJ’s Sambora (from The Peacekeepers & Shapeshifter), Sulu (from The Black Seeds) plus Izzy Bones and Copper Feel will be joining the line up at Totara Street on Saturday July 19. Leighton Fairlie’s debut 5 track EP ‘Distant’ is available now on all digital music retailing platforms. For tickets visit www.undertheradar.co.nz
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