The Page

A generation growing food for the soul FROM PLANT TO PLATE GETTING THE THINKERS TALKING GRANDDAD WAS IN A GRUNGE BAND

the pages Lots of pages make a book. A book can be referred to as a story. This isn’t just one story though. It’s many – and they’re ours.

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CAT NIPS

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COLOURING LIVES WITH MUSIC Jennifer Moss: a musician and a teacher

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LEFT BRAIN RIGHT BRAIN Te Manawa’s Andy Lowe

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A GENERATION GROWING FOOD FOR THE SOUL Plant to Plate: connecting kids with food

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WHOLESOME RURAL RETREAT Robert Hall and Wholegrain Organics

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MEET THE LOCALS Locally grown, locally made

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GETTING THE THINKERS TALKING Mark Ward on collaboration and future-proofing communities

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PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE DEEP END Photographer Paul Gummer: no stranger to thinking on his feet

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PLAYING IT AGAIN Local music veteran James Lissette and a legacy of DIY music

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TICKET TO THE TRACKS Feilding’s Russell Wiseman: a lifetime on and around trains

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KEEN EYE FOR DETAIL Artist Michael Nidd: from the slaughter line to the Spitfire

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BEYOND THE FARM GATE Agricultural journalist Jackie Harrigan on credibility

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ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING Ross Castle and Team Ashhurst Sports Cycling

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PLACE SETTING Behind the plates of six quirky local eateries

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THE ROAD TO CLONTARF Sef Embi and the Red Ravens, ready for battle

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GENESIS OF THE GORGE A dedicated task force for the Manawatū Gorge

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MAKING A STATEMENT AND A DIFFERENCE Artist and teacher Nigel Ward on family and the environment

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RIGHT FOR A CHANGE The Globe Theatre set for a makeover

pagemakers Graeme Beal Published by Destination Manawatu March Poutū-te-rangi 2013

Level One 478 Main Street PALMERSTON NORTH 4410 PO Box 12005 PALMERSTON NORTH 4444 +64 6 350 1811

Graeme hates gardening. He hates everything about it other than having one. He’d never pave paradise to put up a parking lot, but at the same time he loathes getting his hands in the dirt. He did once you see – six hours pulling weeds and moving sticks and things. It wasn’t just mind-numbing, it made him tired, sweaty and sun burnt.

This East Coast boy does burn – though not in the kitchen.

He’s a foodie and a good cook, and quite likes the whole “fresh and sustainable food” buzz – as long as somebody else has grown it.

www.manawatunz.co.nz

Chief Executive: Lance Bickford Project Editor: Graeme Beal Creative Editors: Jemma Cheer Amy Shannon Acknowledgements: Axel de Maupeou d’Ableiges, the Globe Theatre, Margaret Kouvelis, Massey University, Manawatu Standard Ltd, Palmerston North City Council, Square Edge, Te Manawa, Tom Shannon, UCOL

Jemma Cheer While Graeme talks about hating gardening, and others share their love of it, Jemma’s zoned-out thinking of pizza and beer, and surfing on her silvery Apple for cool and epic Internets. That’s how she’s always able to bring the swag – epic swag even. Epic gardening swag is imminent as she’s just now decided she’d like to try growing something – the enthusiasm is catching on.

Printed by: Format Print

Amy Shannon

Some more trees were repurposed to make this magazine. We chose only the ones we knew would be replaced, because we don’t ever want to run out.

Kia ora! Ngā mihi ki ngā tangata me ngā whānau katoa. The publishers wish to thank the individuals and families whose support and enthusiasm have made this publication possible.

ISSN 2253-5705 (Print) ISSN 2253-5713 (Online) © Copyright Destination Manawatū, 2013

Amy loves gardening. Every day she eats something that either she or her brother has grown. Getting her hands dirty and knowing exactly what is in her food make her happy – as well as the great outdoors. She’s a country lass who made stuffed zucchini last night using ingredients she’d grown herself (except for the parmesan) – but it wasn’t very nice. She said it needed meat, sorry Jemma.

Additional Contributors There are a number of people who have tended this plot. Katie Cheer used a computery-pentype-instrument to illustrate things of beauty – and us, and Leah Meacham shot our lovely cover. Tim Hamilton and Warren Jones took their cameras and made the people on these pages look quite nice indeed. Janet Reynolds lent her expertise on all things local and tidied up some of our words so that they made sense to people who aren’t us. Katherine Huynh and Julie Bowe supplied words, even complete sentences, and ran their careful eyes over the details. We were at the pub by that stage.

Purr

That happy, contented sound of our feline friends is infectious. Lately they’ve had a bit of bad press, but there’s research to suggest that cats can help to lower our stress levels. Because stroking a cat can be a calming activity; it can lower heart rate and blood pressure.

Cats are mysterious, and frankly a little smug. But then who wouldn’t be when the world is your playground? They eat food that makes them happy, they have complete free rein over the back yard, roaming free through gardens and lazing in the sun…

Actually, when you look at it like that, we should all be a little smug.

CAT NIPS

THEATRE LED BY CREATIVE GIANT

PARKING FOR PEOPLE The conversion of two car-parks into seating areas in Palmerston North’s trendy George Street provides a colourful space for people to park themselves rather than their vehicles. The “arse-parks” are a retailer-driven initiative as part of the city’s placemaking project, empowering residents to transform their urban environments into more vibrant, creative and colourful spaces.

The wooden decks framed with brightly coloured planter boxes full of fresh herbs and vegetables have provided a talking point and were a placemaking favourite. Other popular creative endeavours include sidewalk hopscotch, beanbags and poet-trees – turning planter frames into a changing canvas for poetic inspiration.

Jeff Kingsford-Brown

Centrepoint’s newest Artistic Director Jeff KingsfordBrown has been working as a theatre professional in New Zealand and overseas for nearly 30 years. Jeff first worked at Centrepoint in 1984, as a fresh-faced graduate of the Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. An actor, director and singer, Jeff has performed and directed works at Court, BATS, Downstage, St James, Circa, The Depot and Fortune theatres.

He was in the cast of the New Zealand tours of The Phantom of the Opera, The Rocky Horror Show, The Secret Garden and Nuncrackers – and is one of Palmerston North’s “Creative Giants”; an extensive alumni of musicians, writers and performers who share an affiliation with the city and whose talents stretch far beyond its limits. www.creativegiants.co.nz

HEALTHY TASTES GOOD Massey University PhD student Zeinab Dehghan-Shoar has devised a snack that offers both taste and nutrition. Zeinab found that not only does adding tomato skin to extruded maize snacks add natural red colour, but the process of creating it unlocks more lycopene, making it much easier for our bodies to digest. Lycopene belongs to the carotenoid family and has high antioxidant properties; it has been suggested that it could even prevent certain cancers.

While other colourful vegetables were looked at for this project, the tomato stood out above the rest with its high fibre content and vibrant colour, which survived the extrusion process.

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CAT NIPS

Calendar class of 2013

CLASS BARES ALL FOR CHARITY

Braving cold weather and perplexed stares from their fourlegged co-stars, the vet students of Massey University have captured international attention for their annual efforts.

For seven years now, they have been getting nude with their classmates for an annual charity calendar. The Barely There calendar, which has become something of a tradition, began as a fundraising drive for the third-year students’ halfway day function – with 10 per cent of proceeds going to

charitable causes. Over the years those causes have included the New Zealand Wildlife Centre, Wellington Zoo and the Canterbury SPCA. The half-year trip is a celebration for all third-years, who are halfway through their five-year course.

The calendars sell for $10 - $15 and can be purchased online and on campus. www.vetcalendar.co.nz

UCOL’s DREAM TEAM ​ COL carpentry students and the Manawatū team of U Habitat for Humanity have made a Congolese refugee family’s dream of owning their own home come true.

BUTTERFLY HAVEN IN CITY PARK A few years ago, Apollo Park in Milson became the home of choice for hundreds of butterflies to overwinter, clustering in the willow trees and feeding on the native plant life to sustain their winter hibernation. Seeing this happen year after year, Paul Vandenberg set about turning the park into a haven for butterflies, centred on a butterfly-shaped garden filled with trees, shrubs and flowers that attract and feed butterflies such as monarchs and red and yellow admirals. Donated plants, equipment and time have helped to shape Apollo Park into a unique feature, and earned it regional runner-up status in the Heritage and the Environment category in the 2012 Trustpower Community Awards.

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After completing UCOL’s pre-apprentice carpentry course last year, 19-year-old Steva Mbani was given the chance to work alongside volunteers to create the house in which his family would come to live. Now it’s complete, Steva’s mother Mathilde is ecstatic to have a home to call her own, having moved to New Zealand seven years ago. The rent for the house will be affordable, based on Mathilde’s earnings from her job, and will go towards the purchase of the house.

The Palmerston North house project allows building trade students to practise their construction skills while giving back to the community.

Image above: Steva , Mathilde, Namory and Ruth Mbani with Darren Birch, Chairman of Manawatū Team, Habitat For Humanity

CAT NIPS

STEAM MACHINES SELECTED FOR INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Feilding documentary-maker Mel Edmon’s short film Steam Machines was selected for the Berlin Independent Film Festival – a prestigious international festival with a history of showcasing low-budget but high-quality films.

difficult to storyboard,” she says. “I just spent a lot of time in the space before shooting and took note of whatever I thought would be a strong image.”

Steam Machines won a Silver Distinction award at last year’s Epson/New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers Iris Professional Photography Awards in the new Fusion category.

A UCOL video lecturer, Mel spent three days taking stills and shooting video at the storage sheds of the Steam Traction Society, using a technique called fusion where still and moving images are blended seamlessly into a short film.

Originally from the United States, Mel has lived in New Zealand for eight years. The short version of Steam Machines can be viewed at vimeo.com/48561196

Editing the four-minute-long film took about six months.

“Steam Machines was quite documentary in style, so it was

EYE SPICE Andy Stewart has worn a lot of different caps. A journalist by trade who spent time with Radio New Zealand, he is now growing saffron to help his mother’s eyesight and has taught himself how to make a tablet from the Internet.

Andy’s mother has developed macular degeneration – a condition that usually affects older adults and results in a loss of vision in the centre of the visual field.

“Watching her endure horrendous injections into her eyes, and the discomfort she went through while she continued to lose her sight, despite the ‘accepted’ treatments these days, I decided to research a different way around it.”

That led Andy to saffron – the most expensive spice in the world. He started growing the saffron crocus at home, but has since moved his growing to a Manawatū smallholding surrounded by llamas.

His own research found that using saffron as a remedy had been clinically trialled in double-blind, peer-reviewed studies overseas. “The trials discovered the fact that saffron has this wonderful effect on people with macular degeneration, or retinitis pigmentosa.”

Andy says he finds satisfaction in helping people, and believes the quality of saffron grown in Manawatū is the best in the world.

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CAT NIPS

SPLITTING ATOMS When it comes to lyrics, Tadhg Delany says he raps about stuff that is “really light-hearted because it’s just about normal day-to-day life”. Splitting Atoms are an unlikely hip-hop duo, but it’s gaining attention. “We like to keep it Kiwi”, says Cam Wilkes, who makes the chilled-out jazzy beats.

Their debut album Walter White was recorded at Palmerston North-based recording studio The Stomach, and is based on the main character, Walter White, in the TV show Breaking Bad. “It’s mixed between chilled and party.”

Download Splitting Atoms’ album for free from splittingatoms.bandcamp.com

Cam Wilkes and Tadhg Delany

BLACK SHEEP IN THE FAMILY When Christine Morrison arrived at work for her first day with design and marketing agency Blacksheep Design, there was something oddly familiar about the building.

Having themselves just moved in a few weeks earlier, Blacksheep’s Cuba Street building happened to be where Christine’s father once worked as an Auto-electrician.

“He started out mixing the battery acid out the back,” she says. “Mum and Dad have both been to visit since I started at Blacksheep. Dad worked in exactly the same corner of the building that I do now.”

She says her dad was impressed with the original features that had been retained during recent renovations, including the large sliding door that moves between Christine’s office and another.

“This door used to be at the back of the building. It includes another door that Mum used to come through to visit Dad when they first started dating. They celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in February.”

Pictured top: Christine’s father (centre) with staff from Auto-Electrics Limited – 1956; below: the Blacksheep Design team with Christine (third from right) – 2012.

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CAT NIPS

LOCAL RIDER AN OVERNIGHT MILLIONAIRE Palmerston North’s Levi Sherwood became the youngest-ever winner of the Red Bull X-Fighters tour championship last year - and an overnight millionaire.

Levi, who divides his time between Palmerston North and Los Angeles, has been riding since he was five-years-old and says he still has a long way to go before being considered a legend.

Nicknamed “Rubberman”, Levi is now one of New Zealand’s highest-paid sport stars, having trained on his own, selfmade track at his Manawatū farm.

Levi Sherwood

In 2012 he joined fellow local celebrities All Black Aaron Cruden, musician Tiki Taane and Black Sticks captain Kayla Sharland in Student City’s “It’s not OK” campaign to raise awareness of family violence.

PUPIL’S DAIRY ANIMATION A WINNER When a plasticine cow confronted a farmer in a short film about cleaner dairying, a competition winner was born.

Year seven pupil Sarah Ridsdale took top honours in Reel Earth’s inaugural EF FACTOR last year - a short film competition for school students encouraging creativity in environmental story telling.

Films of up to two minutes in length can be made on phones or cameras, with all types of film accepted: from animation to fiction and documentaries.

Eleven-year-old Sarah made the film without any adult assistance, showing how cleaner dairying can be achieved.

To view the film and other entrants online, visit: www.reelearth.org.nz/ category/ef-factor-2/ef-factor-2012winner

Cows and Cleaner Dairying by Sarah Ridsdale

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CAT NIPS

Te Manawa’s Michelle Gould and Aaron Karamaena

WAITANGI DAY WITHOUT WALLS Palmerston North’s Te Manawa, Museum of Art, Science and History, hosted the city’s Waitangi Day celebrations for the first time this year and set a new world record for the largest number of people playing tῑ rakāu, a Māori stick game. A total of 213 people took part in the attempt.

Chief Executive Andy Lowe says that holding such events at Te Manawa is a deliberate strategy. “For us it’s about making this place useful and important to the community and part of their daily lives. This is a museum without walls.” See Pg 16

Te Manawa has also hosted the recent Harvest Festival and International Women’s Day.

www.temanawa.co.nz

HONEST TO GOODNESS AND FREE Rebecca Culver saw potential in putting two and two together for the good of the community. In creating Just Zilch, a free store, she did just that – distributing surplus food to people in need.

The service receives donated food items from supermarkets, restaurants and cafés, as well as fresh produce grown by volunteers on land also donated. Even the space occupied by the store was donated

by Gull, which had no need for it once the petrol pumps outside switched to selfservice.

Around 40 volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that donated and freshly grown goods are re-distributed to those in need – free of charge, and with no questions asked.

Rebecca Culver

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“So many places have set conditions of some kind,” Rebecca says. “The difference with us is that we don’t.”

Jennifer Moss

Colouring lives with music Interview Jemma Cheer Images Tim Hamilton

Jennifer Moss says she was in the right place at the right time, and recognised a need. Now she uses music to meet that need and colour people’s lives.

Jennifer Moss is first and foremost a musician, then a teacher, and by default in a sense, a businesswoman too. She says she’s never had a proper nine-to-five job apart from a full-time stint in Sydney as a singer with The Song Company, and she’s quite comfortable with that.

craving a smaller place to call home that offered a strong sense of community. “We’d done big-city living, and decided on Palmy because my husband was originally from here.

It seemed like a happening town. I didn’t really know anything about it, I’d only ever visited, so I took the plunge.”

“I have it built-in somehow that I can cope without the need for total stability as long as I’m doing what I’m passionate about,” she says. “I’ve been lucky I suppose to have such a supportive husband who’s been my rock in so many ways.“

When Jennifer first arrived in Manawatū she worked as a primary school teacher, having just retrained in Auckland, but soon found that teaching maths and science wasn’t really for her.

Jennifer and her family moved here in 2004 from Auckland, and before that, Sydney,

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“David Reardon shoulder-tapped me for the position of music specialist at Russell Street School, which was brilliant. It’s a grounding

force for me. Working with five-year-olds is very good for my whole being. There are no airs and graces, just lots of freedom, to sing, play instruments and have fun – which is the best way to learn.

“There used to be music advisors supplied for schools by the Government, but there aren’t any more, so a lot of schools struggle with what to do with music,” she says. “I offer professional development for schools to give them a practical idea of how many instruments they need, what to do with them, how to set up a group – all strategies for teaching children.”

She has Tui awards to back up her theories. Jennifer’s House and Jennifer’s Garden have both won Best Children’s Album awards at the New Zealand Music Awards.

“It became really apparent that people out there love music.

They want to make music, but just don’t know how or where to start. From there I started the Manawatū Ukulele Group and had a similar response. Eighty people came along, so we just kept going.”

Despite saying that business really isn’t her forté, Jennifer’s musical passion has evolved into just that. She’s managed to create a bit of a brand: Jennifer Moss – Colouring Lives with Music.

“That came about after talking to one of the ukulele players one night at the end of the year, when we’d often have little heart to hearts,” she says.

“He said to me, ‘You know, without you my life would be grey’.

“Music with freedom is rediscovering joy.”

Starting at Russell Street School coincided with Jennifer’s time spent at a voice camp during the summer. It was from there that she had the idea of starting the Manawatū Community Choir. “A lot of people had been talking about it, yet there wasn’t one here.

“The more I do it, the more I see that it all comes back to the way we’ve been brought up and the contact we’ve had with music. So many people have had negative experiences with music training and tuition. I call it the ‘old school’ method of learning, getting rapped over the knuckles, getting told off – it sets up years of baggage and knocks so many people’s confidence.

“In April 2010 we made it happen and I was hoping that at least 20 people would show up,” Jennifer says. “Literally the night we started I realised ‘wow – there is a real hunger here’ – 85 people came along that night!

“It’s not why I got into what I do, but I’ve discovered it along the way. I have people come to me in tears who haven’t sung in years. Their teachers, or family members, told them when they were 12 that they were horrible singers and shouldn’t do it.

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“In a way, for a lot of people, it’s almost like therapy, although I loathe using that word! Music with freedom is rediscovering joy. I give people the freedom to explore and grow musically in their own time, supporting them with accessible strategies and mega encouragement! At the end of the day you let them find their own space within the group and, if you do that, people grow and improve really quickly. They blossom.”

So why did she get into it?

“Being in the right place at the right time and recognising a need,” she says. “A lot of people have ideas but they don’t action them; I’m a little different in that sense I suppose. Naturally I’ve given some things a go that haven’t really worked out, but you learn from it, and it doesn’t stop you trying something different.”

and youngest son Jack is the drummer in a band called Nausea. “He’s a year ahead in a couple of subjects and he’s also into parkour (free-running) – talk about utilising the city, I love it!”

With the Manawatū Community Choir and Ukulele Group, her own performing band Ukephoria, teaching and consultancy work, and Manawatū African Drumming, it’s no wonder she’s considered one of the region’s “Creative Giants”. She’s recently started singing workshops for women called Swirl – Singing Women in Real Life.

“I’ve officially stopped counting how many ukuleles I own!”

Three ingredients, she says, have made up the essential recipe for the work she enjoys so much. “The timing, the need and having the right skills. Put them all together, add support from family and a wonderful little team, and you have it.”

It makes sense that Jennifer’s family is perhaps her most wonderful little team. Her husband Sam is a former classical musician, now audiologist. Her eldest son Oscar, who has just finished his first year at Massey in engineering, is a guitarist,

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“I can’t fit in enough time for private lessons with people, and some people are intimidated by the idea of a one-on-one session – so Swirl is a safe place to have fun, and learn.”

She now also runs “Colour Your Team” for corporate and business clients – a form of team-building with instruments. “I really like that there is so much happening here. It’s so vibrant and there’s so much here to invigorate us.

“I’ve officially stopped counting how many ukuleles I own!”

“The depth of learning and the commitment to it is really rich here.�

Andy and Aroha Lowe with their sons Aniwaniwa (Niwa) and Tahunuiarangi (Tahu).

LEFT BRAIN RIGHT BRAIN Interview Lance Bickford Image Tim Hamilton

Te Manawa’s new head, Andy Lowe brings different thinking and a diverse background to building a museum without walls.

Andy Lowe started as a model-maker at Te Papa in 1994, before the museum as we know it today was built. He was inspired by his mother, father, grandmother and grandfather, who was an artist and model-maker. Andy says creativity has always been strong in his family.

“My partner Aroha is of Ngāti Ruanui descent from Taranaki, so we’re involved with her family there. Te Reo Māori and Kaupapa Māori are big passions of mine. Some parts of my family are from a mixed background, including Spanish among other things, so we kind of have a big mixed view of the world.”

“My grandfather created a model of the HMS Bounty from scratch, including turning the cannons, and making the sails from his grandmother’s britches! He was an amazing artist I think,” Andy says. “My grandmother got home from work one day to find that he had painted roses on her toilet seat, and another day there were suddenly hollyhocks painted up the exterior walls.

Andy’s mother and father met on an immigrant ship called the Southern Cross, coming to New Zealand in 1958 from England. “My father carried Mum’s bags off the boat and they got together not long after that,” he smiles. “They lived in Bunnythorpe for a long time before they moved to Lyall Bay in Wellington. Dad trained as an electrical engineer and a fitter, and was also a volunteer fireman right here in Palmy.

“My mother and father had a leather shop, so we used to make things and help them fix saddles. It was full of friendly, hairy hippies in those days – the early ‘70s, we loved it, helping out bottling dye and making belts, fringed bags and sandals!”

“My grandmother worked at a jeweller’s shop in The Square, so there’s a bit of family heritage for me in this region – and our kids love it here,” he says. “There’s a real wealth of things for kids to do, and people who are so passionate about teaching. The depth of learning and the commitment to it is really rich here.”

Andy says he’s seen so many people with varied backgrounds involved in museums over the years. He loved the scientists at Te Papa, some of whom had been there for quite a few decades.

“They were so passionate and specialised in weta and spiders, had a fantastic wet fish collection in tanks, and drawers of stuffed birds, marine mammals and crustaceans.

There is so much potential for exhibitions with these types of collections, as well as our own fantastic art, history and taonga collections.”

Andy’s career in museums spans 20 years and he says it’s important that museums continue to push boundaries rather than become “bogged down” in process and bureaucracy.

“I’m interested in bringing in different perspectives and involving people in Te Manawa – making it a useful space for all of the community, not just the usual strata of museum goers; one that’s playful and imaginative, but unafraid of presenting fringe or extreme points of view, and taking a stand on things like human rights.

He hopes to bring his own unique mix of backgrounds and passions with him to his new role leading Te Manawa, Palmerston North’s museum of art, science and history.

“I’m a mixture myself, with an engineering background and a degree in the arts,” he says. “I have left brain and right brain going on at any one time and I am also interested in lots of parts of the community, including those flying under the radar.

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“It’s important that we champion the opening of minds, freethinking and wildness – and politics. Museums like Te Manawa have a responsibility to talk about things that are important in the world.”

A generation growing food for the soul Interview Graeme Beal Images Leah Meachem, Ros Powell and Warren Jones

Some might take for granted the ability to grow and prepare their own meals, but when retired school principal Ros Powell plants a seed, she’s passing knowledge to generations of people who are learning, for the first time, how to garden and cook.

“Our mantra is seasonality, thrift and independence.”

Most weeks of the school year, Ros Powell and fellow volunteers take vans with gardening equipment and a mobile kitchen into schools, inspiring young people to be more involved with what they eat.

Established four years ago as a charitable trust, Plant to Plate Aotearoa is a community programme, free to all primary schools across Palmerston North and the Manawatū district. The programme is led by teachers and assisted by experienced, enthusiastic volunteers who enjoy passing on their skills to children and their teachers.

The programme was started by several retirees who saw a need in their local schools. “We began with nothing, purchasing items from our own pockets and catering for several events to cover costs,” Ros says. “People donated goods to us and further assistance came from Awapuni Rotary Club, Palmerston North Inner Wheel, Pioneer New World, the Palmerston North Environmental Trust and the Palmerston North City Council.

“Our first morale boost came early when Awapuni Nurseries donated seedlings to Plant to Plate Aotearoa used in each school we visited. Other highlights were a substantial threeyear grant from The Tindall Foundation and the gift of a vehicle from Awapuni Rotary Club. In 2010 Plant to Plate Aotearoa won the Palmerston North Trustpower Community Award for Volunteerism, which really validated the work we do.”

Plant to Plate volunteers are invited into schools to give a minimum of three gardening and cooking sessions to a class of children. The children build the gardens themselves using simple wooden boxing; they learn how to plant seeds and seedlings, make compost and care for their school gardens.

“Our mantra is seasonality, thrift and independence,” Ros says. “For the cooking side, we use staple ingredients from the home store cupboard and produce that is in season, to create simple, delicious meals together, while having fun.”

Menu items include soups, breads, salads, muffins, miniquiches and potatoes in several forms. The class is divided into two groups during the three-hour session, with one half gardening and the other cooking, before swapping over so that each child participates in both activities.

Ros says that even teachers have been surprised at the response from children, who are so enthusiastic about food growing and cooking – possibly influenced by the proliferation of cooking shows. “The surge in TV cooking shows has certainly been good for us. The kids are excited to get involved and don their aprons – boys equally as much as girls.”

Each session concludes with a sit-down meal. Tables, aprons, tablecloths, cutlery, glassware and dishes are all provided, and the children are taught to lay place settings for the meal a skill that Ros says is surprisingly rare these days.

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“A large number of families no longer eat at the dining table, so this is something new and exciting for some of our kids.

They call it their ‘restaurant’. Plant to Plate sees eating together as a social skill, so we place importance on good manners and friendly conversation at the table.”

To date, Plant to Plate Aotearoa has worked with more than 3500 children from 36 primary schools across the region – sometimes visiting more than one school in the same week.

“We’re thrilled when we’re invited back to a school to see that the programme’s teaching has become ingrained,” Ros says. “Connecting with the Earth keeps children healthy and encourages economic and physical independence.

“What we do isn’t unique, but our mobility and the way that we operate across the schools in Palmerston North and district are,” she says. “Our vision is to teach as many children as we can life skills around the growing and cooking of food, and help them to learn ways to care for the environment and Earth’s resources. It gives us back something as well – a real sense of contribution and achievement.”

Ros says the volunteers range in age from retired people to part-time workers, volunteers from the Multicultural Centre and international students from Massey University.

“It’s so rewarding for us to have such a worthwhile project in which to invest our time and energy. The international volunteers from China, Korea, the United States, South Africa, Russia and Britain have been wonderful and really enjoy the opportunity to integrate with our community – and we learn something from them as well.”

While the programme is a rewarding one, she says that at times it can be confronting. “We do see children for whom food security is an issue, particularly at a time of recession as we have now. There are genuinely hungry children out there, and it’s important that we as a community appreciate the circumstances our children are faced with every day, in order to make a difference.”

Making that difference, she says, is part of a unique privilege that is creating a lasting legacy. “Parents sometimes stop us in the street to tell us they’ve started their own gardens at home, or are using our recipes for their meals.

“We’ve been so grateful to have wide support for something we are so passionate about, in the form of volunteers, grants, donations and sponsorship. This is work that is is good for the soul.” www.planttoplateaotearoa.org.nz • 21 •

“ The kids are excited to get involved.”

RUBY SALAD

(Serves two – multiply ingredients for the whole family)

Plant to Plate’s popular recipe that is fresh and easy to make and uses plants that can be grown at home.

2 carrots 1 beetroot 2 oranges, peeled and segmented 1 tbsp finely sliced red onion 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves 3-4 tbsp finely chopped chives Honey mustard dressing 1 tbsp manuka honey 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp ready-mixed Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Mix veges together, toss in dressing and enjoy.

WHOLESOME RURAL RETREAT Interview Katherine Huynh Images Warren Jones and Katherine Huynh

Far from urban life, 550 metres above sea level on a scenic, rural road surrounded by farmland, Katherine Huynh meets Robert Hall at an organic health food business that is producing tasty, nutritious food and giving something back to the local community.

Robert Hall

Life at Wholegrain Organics is busy but satisfying for Robert Hall and a dedicated team of workers – many of them volunteers – behind the scenes. “It’s like planting a seed, nurturing it and watching it grow,” he says. “The registered kitchen attracts many helpers, including some from overseas.

Rose, from the Solomon Islands, has been helping for six months. Kathleen has recently arrived from America to help out and learn kitchen skills to take back home.”

not only is good for you, but can taste good too. He says that the principle of giving back what they have been given is a fundamental value for the operation. It is therefore a non-profit business that relies on the help of the dedicated work team.

Visitors are welcome at the centre in Kimbolton, where they can watch the food being made, buy wholegrain organic products, and attend cooking and baking classes. They can also visit The Little Ark Christian Enviro Preschool with its emphasis on nature and health, sample the lunches, and tour the property.

What goes into their lunch boxes is important.

Robert spent 18 months learning to bake in Germany. His wife Naomi complements his enthusiasm with her knack for selecting the right ingredient combinations. Their three children are always happy to be taste testers for any new products, and what goes into their lunch boxes is important to their parents.

“Members of the local community also come to help the regular workers, who learn as a team to produce the healthy food that Wholegrain Organics is renowned for,“ he says.

Robert and his team are motivated by the desire to share what they have discovered with others – that healthy food

Robert has a market stall every Tuesday in Church Street, Palmerston North, and on Fridays at the Feilding Farmers’ Market selling a range of hot food, seasonal food, produce, bread and a range of organic items.

The registered kitchen prepares freshly baked bread, pizza, breakfast cereals, biscuits and crackers, including a glutenfree range of products and wholegrain flour year-round. www.wholegrainorganics.co.nz

• 25 •

From our back yard to the basket, these goods are locally grown, locally sourced or just plain locally put together with some local ingenuity. Amy Shannon goes shopping ‛round here...

TUMBLE ROAST

Ebony Coffee Roastery has been roasting coffee in Manawatū since 1996. Starting out just roasting coffee for its owners and their friends and family, Ebony Coffee now supplies cafés, restaurants and home baristas with coffee that has been tumble roasted in its Palmerston North-based factory. It has become a firm favourite both locally and nationally. www.ebonycoffee.co.nz

SPEARMINT CHECKS

Elizabeth Cottrell has lived 25 minutes outside Taihape for 30 years now and says she didn’t know she loved the small-town life until she came to a very small town.

“I have always found my dose of city life in Palmerston North!”

Elizabeth started saving vintage woollen blankets years ago because she fell in love with the bright colours and patterns. “We didn’t have anything like that in my native Atlanta, Georgia, where it was so hot. I wasn’t always into retro, but now love the simple, slick lines of a retro chair.” Elizabeth finds chairs all over the place, scouting for chairs, ottomans, sofas and blankets. The result is a new lease of life for retrostyle furniture upholstered with brightly patterned vintage wool blankets. Elizabeth makes custom chairs for clients after particular colour blankets, and makes beanbags and floor pillows. www.revivalfurniture.co.nz • 26 •

THE GOOD DOUGH

GROW YOUR OWN

There will never be an Awapuni seedling in a plastic container – they’re all made from recycled newspapers to plant straight into the ground. Dutch immigrant Ton Ham bought an existing nursery and transformed it into a sustainable, thriving family-run business that employs more than 50 team members, each with a passion for gardening and growing. www.awapuni.co.nz

In early 2000 Hamish and Jayne Waite set about creating a unique local business, making artisan bread from natural ingredients. Breadworks was born and, like good dough, it has grown. Located on The Square in Palmerston North, Breadworks also ships fresh-baked bundles of goodness around the country. www.breadworks.co.nz

PREPARE FOR THE WINTER

Coming to the Pohangina Valley in 1981, Bev Swanson brought with her a burgeoning interest in soap making, which developed into a love affair with all things good and natural. Junk free, Kereru’s products have no synthetic perfumes, additives or other nasties; just pure, simple goodness from Mother Nature and Bev. For the cooler months Kereru Cold Balm helps nurse colds and flu the natural way. www.kereru.co.nz

MUNCHKINS DECADENCE

Oleene Wells has a passion for all things sweet, and it’s not hard to share that passion when you step through the doors of Munchkins. After purchasing a candy store on a whim more than 20 years ago, Oleene set about creating a unique business that would woo even the most savoury of palates, with its decadent fudges and handcrafted chocolate delights. www.munchkinsonline.co.nz

LOCAL PORT AGED WITH NEW ZEALAND WOOD

Ruahine Wines is the creation and dream of young couple Damon Pratt and Alisha Phelps.

Ruahine Wines won first and second prizes for its plum and boysenberry port at the Fruit Wine and Cider Makers of New Zealand competition last year. Ruahine Wines also sells hand-blown glass port sippers and decanter sets for a unique port drinking experience. www.ruahinewines.biz

• 27 •

NOT YOUR AVERAGE SNARLER

The Feilding Bratwurst made by Edelweiss Continental Butchery in Feilding has become a favourite among locals and visitors due to not only its name but its quality and delicious taste. Created to celebrate the opening of Feilding’s only retail and home-kill butchery four years ago, the Feilding Bratwurst is one of more than 15 varieties of sausage available, including Boerewors, pictured above. They use only quality New Zealand meats with international flavours. www.edelweiss.co.nz

A LITTLE LOCAL SECRET

Tucked away at the base of the picturesque Pohangina Valley, this small, boutique vineyard and olive grove is a true family affair, run by Nick and Bronwyn Dymock, and Bronwyn’s sister Fiona McMorran. As well as award-winning wine, Pohangina Valley Estate produces extra virgin olive oil with olives that are hand-picked and sorted, then transported to Otaki for pressing. www.pohanginavalleyestate.co.nz

HONEY GOODNESS

Certified organic since 1986, BioFarm is the second-oldest commercial organic farm still operating, and unique in the fact that it is still run by its original owners. Directors Jamie and Cathy Tait-Jamieson first adopted biodynamic methods on the farm in 1980, and BioFarm Products Limited became the first company in New Zealand to supply organic dairy products to mainstream supermarkets. BioFarm’s popular product range is available nation-wide, including delicious bush honey yoghurt. www.biofarm.com

DOING IT DUTCH

GOING POTTY

Opened in 2003, De Molen is a replica 17th-century Dutch windmill in Foxton that was the dream of two Dutch immigrants, Jan Langen and Cor Slobbe. The stone grinding process produces little heat, giving a natural highquality flour. Windmill tours give an insight into this Dutch tradition.

www.finearts.co.nz

facebook.com/DeMolen.Windmill.Foxton

Nigel Ward’s artwork is displayed in the strangest places, from galleries in New York and Britian, or establishments like the Whitehouse in Washington DC, more recently The Chinese embassy in Wellington and an inner-city flat.

He’s not your typical New Zealand-based artist.

This pot was cast from meat trays.

See Pg 58. Enquire via Taylor Jensen Fine Arts.

• 28 •

HOMEGROWN

Mother and daughter duo Lynn Kirkland and Sarah Cowan are committed to having a sustainable business that has minimum impacts on the environment. From humble beginnings in 1993, the herb farm is now an internationally recognised brand that offers 100 per cent natural skincare and healthcare products to treat the body and soul. The Mens Moisturiser soothes and protects, while keeping skin healthy and manly, while the Rose Face Cream is ideal for keeping skin nourished and pampered all year round. www.herbfarm.co.nz

SLIGHTLY NUTTY

Smooth with a slightly nutty flavour, Wholegrain Organics’ handcrafted wholegrain vegan pasta is healthy and delicious – even without sauce. www.wholegrainorganics.co.nz

ANNEAR-MISS

SCULLYS

In 1992 Judy and Gerry Scully couldn’t have foreseen the popularity of their humble brand, which, like a good fairytale, was inspired by the lavender fields they saw while travelling the world.

Twenty years on, Scullys is a household name, and not just in New Zealand. Scullys Gardener’s Hand Cream is one of the original products and is still a firm favourite, as one of the top five winners of New Zealand Woman’s Weekly Beauty Awards 2012. www.scullys.net.nz

Spinning lead into gold is Brian Annear’s speciality, taking old bikes and giving them a new life. “I like to take something rusty, and make it something lovely.” Sourcing a lot of ideas and parts from the Internet, Brian’s bicycle renovations are a unique mix of history and improv.

Enquire via Central Bicycle Studio. www.centralbicyclestudio.com

WARM AND WOOLLY Run by owners Anna and Colin Gratton, Anna Gratton Limited is one of New Zealand’s last boutique mills that processes New Zealand wools on a fully worsted line. It offers a unique experience in natural fibre, from farm to gate to shop. www.annagratton.co.nz

• 29 •

Mark Ward

GETTING THE

THINKERS TALKING Interview Graeme Beal Image Tim Hamilton

The Riddet Institute’s Mark Ward surrounds himself with thinkers and people who make a difference. His day job gives Kiwi companies a competitive edge, and his extra curricular leadership is helping to future-proof an entire community through free food.

Having another bite at the cherry is something that Mark Ward jokingly refers to, having found himself in Palmerston North for a third time.

“It was one of the most successful branches of Glaxo corporate in the world. New Zealand was held up as a real model, so that’s what brought me to Palmerston North the first time.”

“Maybe I’ll get it right this time,” he smiles. He and wife Cynthia are both accustomed to travelling – for Cynthia this is her second time in the city, where she is a planner for the Palmerston North City Council.

Mark started out on the technical side of operations, examining dossiers of products looking to register in New Zealand for manufacture. At that time some of the most sophisticated products in the world were being manufactured in Botanical Road, including the new, innovative dry powder inhalers. Mark was involved in the technology development.

Born in Wellington, Mark lived in Asia for 15 years, spending his childhood and going to school in Singapore. Returning to New Zealand he spent six years completing a Master of Science degree at the University of Auckland.

“My first real job here was with Glaxo, which at the time was the number one pharmaceutical company in the world,” he says. “Glaxo started in Bunnythorpe, but by the time I was working there it had moved to a fabulous facility on Botanical Road.

• 31 •

After manufacturing moved offshore, Glaxo moved to Auckland before mergers resulted in Glaxo Wellcome and, later, GlaxoSmithKline.

“I ended up in Taranaki and it was to be my introduction to the New Zealand Dairy Board, selling lactose around the world,” Mark says. “Lactose is milk sugar that goes into

“If two people have the same idea, they should work together.”

tablets and capsules as well as food products, and I found myself selling lactose to global pharmaceutical companies because of my background in technology development.”

With that work came travel that he says broadened his horizons about the world. “I learnt that the distinguishing factor of a New Zealand product is not just the clean, green image of our systems, our country, our environment and our policy, but actually technology.

“The way we were going to keep a competitive advantage in the lactose game was to produce better high-tech lactose, so I strove to be more involved in product development.

That led to the development of, believe it or not, an inhalergrade lactose for Glaxo Wellcome, so the whole thing came full circle. We were able to produce a superior lactose product and there is now a $25 million plant in Taranaki that churns it out.”

to roll. Aggressive things were going on and I realised it was also quite a risky job.”

Back in Palmerston North he is now General Manager at the Riddet Institute, a world-class centre of research excellence at Massey University. The institute brings together leading researchers from around the country to expand New Zealand’s scientific knowledge of foods and digestive processes.

“Riddet is an organisation about deep knowledge,” he says.

“We’re bringing different organisations and disciplines together so that intellectual property, new knowledge and new literature that industry can use are created quickly.

“Ours is a central organisation to New Zealand’s food strategy because of its culture and how it works. It helps companies to see way beyond themselves and, I hope, gives New Zealand companies an advantage in seeing what the future holds.”

Mark says it was this realisation that drove him into a career in technology and science. “I wanted to see New Zealand products much higher valued.”

Mark says that New Zealand can be very proud of its institutions and regional strengths, but should be mindful to collaborate, share knowledge and keep competition healthy.

Mark and Cynthia have three children, Alex, Sophie and Otto, and it was the need for a balanced and stable family life that put travel on the back-burner.

“Riddet is an integrator of strength and capability, so rather than having some kind of ‘capability arms race’ going on at our eight universities and seven Crown research institutes, we bring things together. On top of that you’ve got the regions, which are strong at various things, so regional development agencies are important to keep our regions learning from each other.

“As soon as Alex, our first-born, came along I realised that travel was going to be too much of a drain, particularly as Cynthia was working too,” he says. “At that time one of my portfolios was the Middle East and the tanks were starting

• 32 •

“It’s a better way of working.

Manawatū, for example, has a really strong science hub for food innovation.

“Reality causes us to stop and think of how fortunate we are, and that is so important.”

“If two people have the same idea, they should work together to take on the world, not take on each other,” he says. “The system in New Zealand can be slow, and funding can be difficult to obtain and highly competitive, so I think we need to work smarter in that regard. The reality is that other countries are thinking smarter and more quickly than us.”

With so many natural resources in New Zealand, he says, collaboration will help to address limited time, knowledge and money. “So that’s what really inspires Riddet. That inspiring leadership comes from our two co-directors, Professors Paul Moughan and Harjinder Singh, and also the fact that they surround themselves with thinkers and people who want to make a difference.”

Mark is no stranger to collaboration or surrounding himself with thinkers and people making a difference. When he’s not immersed in science and technology at work, he’s active in a number of churches and a choir, plays piano, and has recently become involved in a free food store run by a charitable organisation trading as Just Zilch.

“Just Zilch is a unique model and brings real benefits to people,” he says. “I offer a bit of leadership as its chairman.”

Open every business day, Just Zilch is first and foremost about the redistribution of food that otherwise would not be

• 33 •

consumed. With 18 suppliers, including supermarkets and cafés, the free store gives away fresh food and grocery items, just on expiry, to those in need – no questions asked.

“Well the only question asked might be ‘How are you?’,” Mark says. “The answer isn’t always great, but that reality causes us to stop and think of how fortunate we are, and that is so important.

“We have a board and a day-to-day operations manager, Rebecca Culver. Just Zilch was her idea in the region. She set it all up from scratch, so my job is to look after her and ensure that she is sustainable, because if she is sustainable, hopefully the organisation will be.”

Mark says the free food is tasty, nutritious and of high quality, including vegetables that are grown at Longburn on a hectare of land gifted by the Allan family. A Massey University horticultural student is in charge of setting up the plots, making sure they’re fertile and managing pest control.

It is now an organisation of around 40 people who work on a volunteer basis.

“With work, the choir, Just Zilch and the kids, my days are pretty full,” he says. “But that’s the game I’m in, and I want to stay in it for as long as people will have me.”

Perhaps the third time really is the charm.

San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy

Photography

IN THE DEEP END A celebrated photographer who has received countless gold and silver awards on both the national and international stages, and has had work published globally, Paul Gummer is no stranger to being thrown in the deep end.

Interview Lance Bickford Images Paul Gummer

Paul Gummer is accustomed to being thrown in the deep end. While working as a freelance landscape photographer in Britain, he found himself tasked with photographing the Queen as she opened houses built on Sandringham Estate.

“I’d never done photojournalism before,” Paul says. “It was one of those situations I found myself thrown in, where I had to think on my feet.”

And it wasn’t the first time. Having recently returned to Britain for freelance work, Paul and his wife Floss, a Kiwi, lived near an art college in Oxfordshire.

“I looked into its part-time courses, thinking that teaching was something I could do a few years down the track when I’d had enough of freelancing. I was thinking maybe 10 or 15 years away.

“But only a year later a call came out of the blue. They said they needed me and asked if I could come tomorrow,” he says. “I’d never taught, I had no resources and suddenly I faced two days of teaching a week.”

Paul took a collection of photographs, camera gear and books into the classroom with trepidation. His teaching career evolved from there.

When Paul was 26 he left London to go to Australia, where he studied and worked in landscape and architecture photography. He exhibited at the Australian National Gallery in Canberra, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, before returning to Britain to freelance again.

“ They said they needed me and asked if I could come tomorrow.”

“I went to work for a magazine called Country Life, primarily featuring landscapes, country scenes, aristocratic homes – the sort of thing that people like me would read in a dentist’s waiting room. I did a number of jobs for it up and down the country.

“The first one was a stately home, the kind that serves sherry on silver trays,” he laughs.

After meeting Floss in London, and eventually marrying and starting a family, juggling both part-time teaching and parttime photography became hard.

Allium - Garlic

“So we moved to New Zealand for a better quality of life.

When I used to travel to work in London it took an hour and a half to commute, so the decision wasn’t rocket science.”

The family lived on Waiheke Island for a year in a family bach there, with Paul commuting by ferry to Auckland each day.

Waiheke was isolating and it wasn’t long before UCOL came calling. The family relocated to Palmerston North.

“We bought an old villa that my neighbour affectionately called ‘polyfilla villa’. It was the house that no-one wanted at the time, but I love a project and spent 10 years renovating it,” he says. “I know every nail in the floor, know every stud.”

Floss works as a nurse, having completed a return-to-nursing course at UCOL, daughter Annie is at Freyberg High School – enjoying the strengths of its music department, while son John was at Palmerston North Boys’ High.

“New Zealand in general is just ideal. Because everything is small and low-key, the opportunities are so much greater.”

A celebrated photographer, Paul holds the accolade of New Zealand Photographer of the Year alongside numerous gold and silver awards on both the national and international stages. With work published globally, Paul is now helping to create opportunities for others.

Today he lectures in UCOL’s Bachelor of Applied Visual Imagery programme. One of the few commercially based photography programmes available in New Zealand, it encompasses photography, design, web, illustration and animation.

“There’s a strong theoretical component as well,” he says.

“It ties back to the ability to think on your feet, but also to generate strong ideas with the technical skills to achieve them.”

Paul says the programme receives strong industry support, and the students are already clocking up achievements of their own.

“Entry to the Arts Foundation’s Icon Awards is compulsory for our students and we’ve won first and second prizes every year – until last year when we only won first place,” he smiles.

“Achievements like that have given the programme and the students real credibility. I can’t imagine a better job,” he says.

“I’m paid to photograph, to learn more about photography and to pass it on to other people who in turn give me ideas – so I’m here for the long haul.”

Apples & Pears - Series

• 37 •

PLAYING IT AGAIN

Local music veteran James Lissette has cracked open a vault of decades of

local sound. His mammoth task is keeping intact Palmerston North’s legacy of DIY music.

Interview Jemma Cheer Images Tim Hamilton

As a veteran of the local music scene, James Lissette has seen and heard a lot of different things over the years. The former manager of The Stomach recording studio, and Radio Control (formerly Radio Massey) in Palmerston North, James spends his spare time archiving the radio station’s extensive collection of local music and live-to-air recordings.

“There was Jack Black who was known as ‘Mechanic’ and various other names in Palmy, who did this brilliant live-to-air show at The Stomach, which was broadcast to the radio station,” he says. “He built all these machines out of cake mixers and sewing machines, and hopped around and hit things – and made noise.

“It’s one of the most astounding things I’ve ever seen in my life. Jack gave himself about 40 electric shocks on the way to building it. It was just incredible. It really was completely different – and afterwards Jack just kind of smashed everything up and that was the end of that – moved on to the next project. I think the music and cultural scene has changed – but it’s still prolific. It’s still very much in its own right.”

“... ‘Bring your own piss, we’ll all get hammered and have a great time, it’s all over by nine!’...”

James moved to Palmerston North more than 20 years ago, stayed for its music scene and culture, owned a sound company, and now runs The Rock Shop.

“When I first hit town I recorded at The Stomach with Paul Woods and I thought, man this is cool and he was like, ‘you should shift here and be involved’ – so I did.”

He became an “accidental tourist” in archiving Radio Control’s local collection. So far, more than 300 bands and 140 tapes of material from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s have been digitally archived.

But he says it isn’t just about archiving for posterity. It’s also about giving the music back in a format that can be played again.

“For me, an important outcome of the project is that Radio Control will have a really awesome resource of local music to play. At 130 albums so far it’s a major undertaking, but the radio station’s kept everything. It’s all there – it’s been stored really well.

“For instance, there’s a bunch of ad-reels from the ‘80s. Some of those tapes are deteriorating, but there’s history in them – like an ad for the first Stomach AGM. These ads also show how local culture has changed over the years too, for example the Champagne Breakfast in

The Square, held during graduation. ‘Bring your own piss, we’ll all get hammered and have a great time, it’s all over by nine am!’ This of course was after you went to last night’s all-nighter at a club across the other side of The Square.

“We don’t do things like that any more, so these tapes are a part of our history – stories that a lot of people have never heard.

“Stuff in old tape format didn’t get played. We’d know what was on them and shift them to new carts for airplay, but as times progressed those tapes have sat there, and carts stopped being used. Nobody else knows what’s on them, what the bands are like, what they sound like, or anything like that.

basically answer that question they have in themselves – ‘can I do this thing?’.

“I’ve never seen anybody here get up on stage and be rubbished at any gig – people will encourage you. That’s not saying they’re not crap or anything like that – but there’s encouragement for giving it a go.

“People made amazing music and performance art, and they’ve gone on to do other things. When I first came to Palmy, Jono Naylor was the guy who had the keys to the lock-up for the sound gear, you know. So he was one of the first people I met. He was really into it, played guitar in a band for church, and now he’s the mayor – and still plays in a band; it’s classic.”

“Granddad was in a grunge band!”

“One of the offshoots of the project has been that musicians have come forward and told me they played live to air and never heard it for themselves. Now they’ll have a chance.”

James says that although he hates the phrase, there’s some truth to being “world-famous in Palmerston North”.

“Great bands have happened but they’ve never gone on tour, they never played anywhere apart from local bars, The Stomach, a few gigs in the park, or live-to-airs. In another city you might be encouraged to tour and make it – but you’ve already made it in Palmy.

“Back when The Stomach used to do five bands for five bucks, you played a gig and you got five hours’ free recording time if you were a new band, so you could record a song and take it up to the radio station and the radio station would playlist it – and there you go.

“Next step would be to get all your mates to ring up the radio station and get yourself in the Top 10 – suddenly, you know, you’re famous. That’s just the way it is - and certainly some bands managed to achieve that in a matter of weeks and milk it really, really well.

“One of the coolest things for me is the way the culture here works about forming bands, and that anybody via The Stomach can form a band, play in it, build from there and

James says his primary goal for the archive is for it to serve as a resource for DJs, for the radio station and for the national archives, and he says he’s hoping to see a week of local music in May. On top of that, he’s “hooking people up” with their own material.

“People contact me and say, ‘Look, I played in this band way back when…’, and I’m like – ‘Dude I’ve got it’.

“Radio Control is still very much the way it was 25 years ago, which is a cool thing. You can still bowl in there, do a show, they’ll play your music, they’ll give you air time, and that to me is an awesome thing when every other student radio station has changed into more of a business entity.

“We still have a radio station that runs on a shoe string, relies on volunteers and survived Voluntary Student Membership, which seriously threatened its funding. This archive will help it to survive and celebrate one of its greatest resources, our local music database.

“There’s that chance that some day, in 100 years’ time, your great, great grandchildren will be laughing; ‘Granddad was in a grunge band!’.”

Anyone who has played in a band in Palmerston North and has recordings they want included, or doesn’t have copies of their recordings, can get in touch with James at lissette@inspire.net.nz

• 41 •

Russell Wiseman

TICKET TO THE TRACKS During a lifetime on and around trains, Russell Wiseman’s seen a few things. He recalls some tall tales about the troop trains and a high-speed trip to Wellington.

Interview Julie Bowe Images Warren Jones and Daniel Garland

Russell Wiseman admits that when he joined the railway in 1944, he was probably favoured a little bit. His “old man” was the foreman, and Russell soon had a job in Wellington as a platform porter.

He says his family have long been involved with rail. In addition to his father in Wellington, his grandfather was first yardmaster in Lyttelton and then in Auckland – and his wife’s father was a guard in Palmerston North.

“We’d have to help dispatch the trains if the foreman got busy, so they all got out on time,” he says.” Sometimes the guard wouldn’t show up and the train couldn’t go without a guard – so the foreman would say, ‘grab your bag and bugger off’. You had no time to do anything but go straight to the driver. A few times I ended up being the guard.”

Russell transferred to Manawatū in 1952 and stayed for a number of years. “I transferred to Feilding to get a house – and stayed about eight or nine years, but every second week was night shift night, so I chucked it in.

Travelling the lines – if at times unexpectedly – Russell ended up in Masterton or Manawatū, and a changeover with the goods train at the latter would get him back to the Capital.

• 43 •

“During the latter part of the Second World War I did troop trains for months on end – one troop train a day to Mackays Crossing with marines,” he says. “We’d take them out in the morning and stay there for an hour, let them all get off, and then we’d get a fresh lot and take them back to Wellington.

“They were only young chaps – from a big camp on both sides of the tracks. I was only young, and enjoyed it too. Going back the next morning they only had tickets for the day of issue, and I thought, ‘Bugger this’, they’d paid for the fare, so I just grabbed them and threw all the tickets out in the tunnel.

“One day the ticket inspector, he called me laddie, said, ‘You sit down laddie. There’s something not right about these trains. We’re not getting much revenue on the date of the overnighters!’ I was the culprit. He’d worked it out!”

Russell says it was a full day back then, one that he’d repeat five or six times per week for months on end.

and they’d slip a couple of cartons in the coal-bunker. Later we’d take it away and dish it out – a few tins of pink salmon – beautiful.”

Train travel was important to New Zealand back then. Russell says that everyone would travel by train. At Christmas time there’d be up to five express services running to Auckland.

Twelve cars was the maximum, and they were “chocka-block”.

“I thought, ‘Bugger this’, they’d paid for the fare, so I just grabbed and threw all the tickets out in the tunnel.”

“Times have changed. I believe the Government is trying to kill passenger travel. They don’t want it, it’s too much of a hassle when they could just concentrate on goods transport.

“As a rail society, that’s where we’re feeling it nowadays. They knock us back and put all the obstacles in our way, telling us they can’t supply enough drivers for us.”

“We always had military police with us, in case there was any trouble. They’d protect you, and they used to keep me in lollies and lots of things – cartons of salmon too.

The Feilding and District Steam Rail Society was formed with the intention of rebuilding a New Zealand steam locomotive.

“They’d get out where the shed is now at the Paekakariki railway yards; that was a store where they kept a lot of stuff Russell’s the General Manager, and restores engines and old all freighted into there. They’d get us to back the engines up rail cars with a team of volunteers. Some of the trains have sat

• 44 •

Feilding Steam Rail’s WAB794 on an excursion trip to Taihape

neglected, some were even turned into themed restaurants and all will eventually have a new lease on life.

Russell got to know Isobel at dances they attended at Milson hall. One day, a half-hour late leaving Napier, he and the train driver sped back to Palmerston North, making up lost minutes in order to get to the dance on time.

He owns the Feilding Hotel. At one stage he owned both a Lion and a DB pub at the same time – “it caused a bit of a fight”. He still lives in Feilding with his wife Isobel.

“The driver told me to check where all the passengers were going.

We only had four or five carriages. ‘If there’s nobody sitting at the His daughter Shirley works at the hotel, son Paul is part owner station we won’t stop. We’ll pick up all this time; I want to go to of a rural aviation top-dressing company, and his other son the dance and you do too.’ We got them to Palmerston North on David is a panel-beater. time, at quarter to eight and off to the dance.

“He took over the hotel from

“We got them to Palmerston North on time, at quarter to eight and off to the dance.”

me, but when he went to “When I started here I still had the get his manager’s licence hotel and I thought there was an so he could help me, the opening to have a steam depot in hotel association opposed it Manawatū,” he says. “I called a because it wasn’t his trade, meeting in a local pub and about so I had to go to court. Previous Governor-General Sir Anand 70 turned up. Some of the volunteers go back to that first Satyanand was the judge I came up in front of at the time, and meeting, and it just took off.” The society now has about 30 he granted it. volunteers and can always take more.

“Three or four years ago I went down to Wellington to receive an award for community work, and he recognised me! I went up and shook hands and he said, ‘I’ve met you before haven’t I?’. I said yes. ‘I know, your son’s licence!’ He had a bit of a chat to me.”

• 45 •

“I spend about 30 hours a week in the workshop. Feilding’s a good place and we’re happy here. The grandchildren are closeby, always popping in and it’s central,” he says. “It’s only a couple of hours away from Wellington or a hop on the train to Auckland – well, you used to be able to hop on a train to Auckland.”

Michael Nidd’s painting of Brendan Deere’s restored Spitfire fighter plane

KEEN EYE FOR DETAIL Interview Julie Bowe

Michael Nidd knew as soon as he left school exactly what he didn’t want to be, decisively ruling out any career in law, teaching or accountancy. An aspiring artist at the time, he got a job on a slaughter line during a vacation and quite liked it.

His painting of Brendan Deere’s restored Spitfire fighter plane gained a lot of interest, surprising him. It was part of an exhibition held last year to help commemorate the 75 years of the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Ohakea.

“I loved it actually,” Michael says. “I absolutely loved it, and one day I was approached by the Government inspectors and they said, ‘We hear you’re a pretty smart guy – how’d you like to become a meat inspector?’. So I became a meat inspector, got my qualification and three months later got a call from a meat company. I’ve been in the meat industry ever since.”

“I said to him, ‘Brendan, one day I want to paint the Spitfire on a specific angle.’ He said he would push it out of the hangar especially for me. To me that’s just typical of the ‘can do’ attitude around here. You have to look out for opportunities not just for yourself, but for other people as well.”

Michael came to live in Feilding because his employer’s intention was to move the head office, processing and engineers out of Wellington. He and a former colleague later set up their own business, Proand, which over time has become an international market leader in the design and operation of efficient and hygienic meat processing plants.

“We sent 30 New Zealanders to Iceland to work among their regular workers to raise skills, hygiene and capacity, and were very successful. The client’s output nearly doubled in six years – so he’s over the moon.”

Michael used to be the chairman of the local art society and is a self-taught painter, having started in 1969, “just mucking around”. He specialises in motorsport artwork, and has completed works for magazines, commissioned works and calendars that sold for “embarrassingly high sums”.

An opportunity for Michael came when a friend introduced him to Pauline – the woman who would become his wife.

“We were at a ball in Wellington. I used to play rugby back then and happened to be out with this girl I didn’t fancy much you see. So I said to this chap, ‘Oh you’re going out with the girl in the flat that’s got all the birds in it. How about organising one for me?’. He did, so it’s funny how things work out sometimes by chance. Amazing.”

Pauline is a lawyer in town and graduated on the same day as their eldest daughter – also a lawyer. Another daughter based in Auckland recently had twins and worked for a legal firm in Britain, while the couple’s third is a probation officer engaged to a policeman.

“I’m surrounded by the law,” he says. “I can’t even outrun a parking ticket!”

His style is carefully matched to his subjects with a keen eye for detail, working primarily in gouache, a medium ideal for highlighting the technical detail required for his paintings.

• 46 •

Jackie Harrigan

BEYOND THE FARM GATE Interview Julie Bowe Image Warren Jones

Agricultural journalist Jackie Harrigan firmly believes that credibility comes from being a part of the community for which you publish. A writer for NZX Agri publications Young Country, for which she is also the editor, Country Wide and Farmers Weekly, she says it makes sense that NZX Agri’s global headquarters are based in Feilding.

“This is a proud rural community that’s also home to the largest saleyards in the Southern Hemisphere,” she says.

“That’s a real draw card for the town.”

About 40 full-time and part-time staff are based in the company, which provides market analysis and regular reports for farmers on overseas markets, stock prices and forecasts alongside the weekly newspaper and three monthly magazines.

“As the agricultural arm of NZX, we’re crunching data all the time on different sectors, which really does make us the home of farming intelligence.”

Originally from Taranaki, Jackie studied agricultural science at Massey; she says that after completing her degree she never quite managed to leave the region. She met her • 47 •

husband Gerard, originally from Dannevirke, who was in the Air Force at the time and who later worked for Massey as an electronics engineer.

The couple has four children now, aged 17, 14, 12 and 10.

When the youngest, Scotty, started school, Jackie returned to working school hours on NZX Agri publications after having worked as a freelance writer from home.

The family spends its spare time enjoying the outdoors: swimming in the Oroua River, walking and cycling, and cooking sausages on a campfire.

“All the things a normal family gets up to,” she says. “We have a couple of acres, a big garden, a few animals and an old house we’re renovating. We’re pretty involved here in Feilding; we’ve lived here for 17 years.

“We’ve got a bit of land in the country, yet it takes me six minutes to get from home to work – and I’ve got a beehive now, that’s my new interest,” she smiles. “We’ve got three honey boxes on top and these lovely little bees that have not even stung me yet!”

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING Interview Lance Bickford Images Warren Jones

Ross Castle has a shed full of bikes. He teaches cycling skills to children in Ashhurst through Tasc Force – Team Ashhurst Sports Cycling – and believes that success starts with the right attitude.

Ross Castle is a guy who doesn’t like mediocrity. He strives for excellence; his family and faith come first, and cycling after that – despite only picking up the sport at 40.

“So he said to take up cycling and I did. I took up mountainbiking, which was really good until I hit a tree and did my other knee.”

“I had a snowboarding accident and smashed my knee up,” Ross says. “I asked the orthopaedic surgeon what I could do, or rather, what I couldn’t do. He said, ‘Well you probably can’t play rugby any more’, but I did, quite a few years later.

Originally from Te Awamutu, Ross moved to Pahiatua in 1984.

He had always been involved in sport and was completing a Certificate in Recreational Sport by correspondence while also playing rugby and teaching aerobics four times a week.

“He said, ‘Go to the gym’, but I’d had enough of gyms after 20 years of teaching aerobics and various things. I wasn’t interested in going there any more.

He also ran fitness training for local rugby clubs – at that stage there were three.

Ross Castle with “Tasc Force” riders

“In one class I met this girl, and the next thing you know she’s knocking on my door to visit my flatmate, who had been to Germany on Rotary exchange, because she was heading to Germany and Europe herself.

“She was into horses and had sold one to fund the trip. When she flew out of Palmerston North Airport, I thought, ‘Stuff this – I’m outta here. That’s where I want to be’ and three months later I packed up and went to join her.

“One thing led to another and Penny and I ended up getting married a few years later,” he says.

The family now has 4.5 hectares for six horses, a few cattle, a couple of sheep, 600 feijoa trees, 200 walnuts and about 100 chestnut trees. “It’s fantastic.”

Ross says cycling really is his preferred sport; he’s active in the wider cycling community, runs the local school cycling programme and coaches “Tasc Force”, Team Ashhurst Sports Cycling.

“We have a pretty good relationship with all the kids; we fall off and we get covered in mud.”

“We’ve created a buzz in the school down here I’ll tell you.

My focus is on making it fun and, if we win, that’s really good too. You can’t be 23 or 43 or 53 with kids; You’ve got to be 13. There’s a fine line between leadership, authority and engagement. We have a pretty good relationship with all the kids, we fall off and we get covered in mud together.”

Ross says he teaches “skills and only skills” with the kids, and those who like it enough work on their fitness and performance training in their own time. “We teach them wheelies, skids, going downhill faster than some adults – it’s about giving them confidence in being on a bike.”

It was by default that he got his own son into road cycling.

“He was lucky. He had a road bike – my previous road bike I gave to him, which was a little bit bigger than his. We decided we’d put a team in the New Zealand secondary schools champs a number of years ago, so he got a couple of boys from the rugby team to join. They didn’t have road bikes, so I got on Trade Me and bought a couple. Those two bikes that I bought back then have grown to about 35 in my shed now.”

Ross provides the shoes, pedals, and bikes that kids rent for a minimal fee, but they must bring their own helmets. The rental fee goes to help maintain the bikes – which costs about $4000 per year.

• 49 •

“There’s a lot of second-hand gear as well. As they get better and like it more, they go out and buy their own. We’ve got a uniform too, made by one of the local designers here, and it’s cheaper than what you’d buy in town. They get a whole kit, tops and bibs, for next to nothing.”

Ross’s son Jordan is the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Under-17 Champion, New Zealand Road Club Champion and a previous New Zealand Mountain Bike Champion. “He’s down in Invercargill right now,” Ross says. “He medalled last year down there, but this year in the under-19s he should come back with a stack of medals. He’s been just unbeatable the past few months – just outstanding.

“Our daughter Gracie was in the gold medal team for New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Cycling. She’s a strong, competitive rider and she recently swapped her saddles,” he says. “ It’s always been Penny’s dream that at least one of the kids would follow her horses, so a year ago Gracie decided she’d ride the pony a bit more often and she’s done really well.

“We bought our place for horses. We’ve got a stable of horses and a stable of bikes. Penny is even more into excellence than I am. She’s a highly accurate, very calculating competitor, and a very gentle, encouraging and tactful coach. She’s been incredibly supportive over the years and gives me a great amount of freedom, as I do her.

“In all aspects of life, attitude is everything irrespective of ability.”

Place setting Amy Shannon meets the people behind six local eateries that dish up the right attitude and philosophy with a dash of something different.

TOMATO

KAINGAHOU ESTATE

“I’ve wanted an excuse to have a giant tomato of my own since I was a child; this was my chance, so I took it and made one myself from scratch.”

“He loved dessert, so the family threw him a party that was pure dessert.”

Unique in its private gourmet dining experience, Kaingahou Estate is a reservation-only restaurant catering for small groups dining together.

Tomato Café is about feeling good to be a Kiwi. Fond memories of the George Street Deli, which originally occupied the corner of George Sreet, prompted James Pettengil to buy it and establish Tomato as soon as the opportunity arose.

James began work in the local hospitality business when he was just 19, establishing Congo Burgers in Albert Street. He also established Flying Fish Pacific Sushi in the Regent Arcade (now The Fish Cocktail and Wine Bar), and is “back on the knives” again.

Tomato’s kitsch décor, Kiwiana style and fresh menu have already attracted a strong following.

Alison and Jason Kinghorn are the current owners of this gorgeous property, built in 1903 by the Monrad family.

Their guests are able to reserve the dining room in which to relax, and enjoy a private dining experience.

“One booking for a grandfather’s 80th birthday celebration was a strictly dessert affair,” Alison says. “It was a lot of fun, and something really special! Every menu is designed and customised to suit each client to create a special and unique occasion.”

642 Pioneer Highway, Palmerston North By reservations only: (06) 353-8255

Corner of George and Main Streets opposite the Convention Centre, Palmerston North

• 51 •

PICNIC DAZE “The Big Boy sammies are always a hit with the lads.”

Creating personalised picnics for the summer season is all in a day’s work for Anita Funnel.

Her picnics are a complete experience rather than just a meal.

She’s based the business close to her family roots in Opiki.

“We break the convention of ‘hampers’ as our picnics are made fresh every day,” she says. “They are as beautifully presented as they taste.” Having worked in hospitality for more than 10 years, Anita says Picnic Daze really is a dream come true.

The company held a “Picnic on the pond” event on Waitangi Day, encouraging picnic-goers to meet new people.

“It’s fabulous to see people come together to enjoy each other’s company and be nice to each other.” Picnic Daze operates from November to May and caters for people from Palmerston North to Wellington. www.picnicdaze.co.nz

JOSEPH STREET KITCHEN “Currently I am crazy about mint and I always add double the lemon or garlic to give thrump and cause trouble.”

Michael Hills loves good food and coffee, and wanted to provide a place that reflected his own style of hospitality, away from the bustle of the high street – a friendly and inviting spot for eating out.

“I have always been captivated by eating, cooking and socialising. That stuff is in me,” he says. “I worked in building for a long time. Building, designing, reification is what I enjoy.” When the time for action came, Michael tidied up his joinery workshop for the dining room, spruced up the 1970’s chocolate-making kitchen and opened.

In summer, an outdoor courtyard is framed with green vines, while a log fire burns during winter. An eclectic mix of furniture provides a rustic ambience that locals have adopted as their offbeat alternative.

55 Joseph Street, Palmerston North

• 52 •

THE BEE’S KNEES

THE WOOLSHED CAFE

“Anything that is fresh and delicious and looks amazing!”

“A break for the kids to let off some steam during a long car journey is also a break for Mum and Dad!”

Robyn Nicholls and Ali Borlase chose their sunny suburban location because the space was right for the café concept that they wanted to create. Situated in the Hokowhitu Shopping Centre, The Bee’s Knees is a European/French-style café that serves delicious homemade food and a selection of beverages, all spelled out on vintage mirrors.

“We named it The Bee’s Knees because it seemed to fit the concept and the space,” Ali says. “Our customers come from all walks of life and from all over; from children to elderly folk who find the café enchanting and friendly.”

The café’s easy-going atmosphere and attention to its quirky details complements the fresh food made daily.

352 Albert Street, Palmerston North

After farming in Hawke’s Bay for many years, Frances and Alan Parker decided to return home to Manawatū and create something new.

Inspired by the social gatherings and occasions enjoyed by “rural folk in the local woolshed”, the building of The Woolshed Cafe was completed in September last year.

It all started with an idea to set up a heritage park of contemporary New Zealand housing for public display, with a café to accompany and complement the experience.

“Because of our location we’re able to offer a unique country feel and a genuine Kiwi experience along with great food and coffee,” Frances says. “We are always adding to our customer experience - the next thing we’re setting up is a children’s outdoor playground; that’ll be great for families stopping in on their way between Wellington and Taupo and also for locals meeting with friends.”

State Highway 1, Sanson

• 53 •

The road to Clontarf Celina and Sef Embi with their children

When the Irish meet the Vikings, it’s all-out war. Ready for battle is Sef Embi, captain of the Red Ravens and wielder of swords.

Interview Graeme Beal Image Tim Hamilton

Almost 1000 years have passed since the Irish King Brian Boru fell in a bloody battle that shattered a unified Ireland. Next year, at Camp Rangi Woods in the Pohangina Valley, up to 200 enthusiasts from the National Association of Ancient and Medieval Arts (NAAMA) will be commemorating the event during 14 days of festivity, battle, brews and craft.

“The battle of Clontarf is the battle where Boru died. So it’s a commemoration of a huge battle of Irish vs Vikings,” says Sef Embi, captain of local medieval re-enactment group, the Red Ravens.

“The Irish are exactly what you’d imagine. You have a picture in your head of drunken, long-haired, beardy type fellows – that’s them,” he laughs.

Originally from Britain, Sef is in his second term as captain – a position elected annually. He’s spent the past decade in New Zealand, living in Palmerston North for seven years.

“I had the chance to do a one-year OE, so I thought, ‘Yep – sweet, where am I going to go? Let’s go half way around the world! Oz? – No! Lord of the Rings? Let’s go to New Zealand’, and that’s how I ended up here. I met ‘the Missus’ and haven’t been home yet.”

Sef met his wife, Celina, at a cowboys and angels party in Wellington. Both are now Ravens and meet every Sunday with the other members of the group.

“I’ve always been into martial arts – usually an Eastern martial art. Then the chance came along to give this a go and I thought – ‘Yeah, a Western martial art!’ and I actually really liked it,” he says.

“It’s good fun with a bit of tradition to go along. You learn, you get better, you win fights, but you also learn how to craft - how to make stuff. It’s not just about the battle and the competition – there are a lot of people who like the living history.

• 55 •

“Sometimes we just have a workday. I’ve got a whole bunch of wooden benches that we all built. They come with us to camps so that we have seating.”

The knowledge is handed down through members. “My wife has learnt a hell of a lot about sewing recently, but she doesn’t want to have to do it all herself, so she teaches people. You do get some who treat their skills as a closely guarded secret, but we both feel an obligation to pass them on.”

The Red Ravens is an open group to join – and comes with an initial six-week training period for newbies.

“We do fight at different levels of combat – starting with NAAMA fighting. The NAAMA has a very specific ‘tappy-tap’ style of fighting where people don’t get hurt. There are no headshots, no joint shots, just a clean shot to the bicep, shoulder, chest, belly and thigh.

“It’s very restrictive to begin with, but as you get used to it you move on to your normal Ravens style,” he says.

The re-enactments are physical but come with strict safety considerations and conditions. “You get a few bumps and bruises, but the weapons are blunt and heavier than the real thing – and you do pad up!”

The Clontarf commemoration next year will also host the National Association’s gathering – a homecoming of sorts for the event.

“Each year a different group hosts,” Sef says. “We use the campsite at Rangi Woods and have a really good rapport with them. I believe it was the site for the first national gathering.”

And The Lord of The Rings?

“No, I didn’t make it into the film. I’d have liked to. A few of the old Ravens were in it and we have a sword made by one of the armourers who worked on the film.”

Crossing a stream on the Manawat큰 Gorge walking track

GENESIS OF THE GORGE Interview Janet Reynolds Image Atom Images

A dedicated task force has already had a noticeable effect on the Manawatū Gorge. Six thousand seedlings are propagated and planted each year to restore degraded areas, a strong volunteer base has given up weekends to setting stoat and rodent traps, and the control of invasive plant species is already proving positive.

More than 1000 hectares of forest covers the Manawatū Gorge area, which is home to a large range of native birds. Various stakeholders, locals, businesses and councils have come together to protect it as part of the Manawatū Gorge Biodiversity Project.

The newly upgraded track through the Manawatū Gorge, which crosses the Tararua Range high above the gorge, is more accessible than ever before, and the addition of several more viewing points along the way gives walkers stunning views of the gorge itself, and up onto the Te Āpiti wind farm. January 2012 saw 2000 walkers use the track. Only a year later, that number had dramatically increased to 7000.

A new 4.1-kilometre loop track, the Tawa Track provides a shorter return walk and had more than 750 walkers in its first few weeks of opening.

Tom Shannon, who has lived at the western entrance of the Manawatū Gorge for more than 20 years, is highly involved in the biodiversity project. “As the project unfolds, so does our appreciation and respect for the place,” Tom says. “Protecting and enhancing the environment of the gorge and making it accessible to the public is creating a significant regional asset.”

With a revamped Ferry Reserve on the Tararua side offering an idyllic picnicking, swimming and camping spot, Tararua Tiki Tours offering affordable return transport through the gorge for the “one-way” walkers, and the booming success of Rebecca Algie’s Bridge Café on Balance Road, it’s clear that the Manawatū Gorge is on its way to becoming a New Zealand icon.

• 57 •

Tray Bon, by Nigel Ward

Making a

STATEMENT and a difference Interview Jemma Cheer Images Tim Hamilton

Artist and teacher Nigel Ward made the move from Britain to New Zealand in search of a better lifestyle for his family. He found it, along with a strong motivation to make a statement on social and environmental issues.

Sitting in his small garden, surrounded by two-metre-high walls with the bustle of the road nearby, artist and teacher Nigel Ward was yearning for somewhere greener to settle – a wide-open space in which the family could play and relax.

Somewhere clean, friendly and safe. As it turns out, he wasn’t the only one.

“Brits traditionally love the country and country fairs with that sense of community,” he says.

“That’s why the Pohangina Valley is sometimes referred to as the ‘Pom Pom Valley’. So many British people have settled there.”

with a limited amount of land. “A walled garden, literally just a road between you and the houses opposite – basically looking all around you into your nextdoor neighbours,” Nigel says.

“I guess you want to improve your lifestyle. Having the opportunity to

“My father as a 12-year-old boy used to work for a pig farmer, and has been interested in pigs his whole life. He sort of introduced us to pigs, and the character that pigs have is absolutely amazing.

“We opted for kunekune pigs, wanting something that would graze the land rather than rely on scraps and that sort of thing,” he says.

“The character that pigs have is absolutely amazing.”

Nigel, his wife and young daughter had come from living in inner-city housing – a four-storey Victorian townhouse

buy a lifestyle plot, having a few sheep, some cows, or pigs like we have, is really appealing. We’ve been able to bring up our daughter surrounded by things she otherwise would not have been aware of.

• 59 •

Nigel’s hometown in Britain was near the Ironbridge Gorge, the site of the world’s first iron bridge of its kind, and a monument to the industrial revolution. Its similarity with the Manawatū Gorge held a particular appeal for the family.

“Knowing we were making this huge step to come somewhere else, having

that slight similarity was going to make the transition easier,” Nigel says.

“We’ve travelled the North Island - I genuinely like the variety we have here with the landscape.”

The landscape, however, is at risk according to Nigel, who is starting to see its decline. He had heard that New Zealand was the place to come. It was considered to reflect the best of what Britain had been 30 years ago.

“People were more social and more tolerant. It was more relaxed and a safe place to raise a child with greater opportunities,” he says. “But I suppose I worry at times that New Zealand is catching up. In 30 years’ time, will this resemble the country we left behind?

“Kids in the UK are becoming desensitised to environmental harm because they’re growing up with it.

They’re used to seeing litter. Take a walk on the beach for example; it’s covered in it – it’s the norm.

“In the seven years we’ve been here, we’ve started to see that increase. It isn’t by much, but it’s enough to notice.”

A specialist teacher at Freyberg High School, Nigel’s intention on immigrating to New Zealand was to focus on his artwork again. His first

“There’s freedom to make a statement and a difference here.” exhibition drew similarities between the culture and heritage that he had known in Britain, and the culture and heritage his family encountered down under. His latest exhibition focuses on the environment, inspired by his own experiences and those of Canadian filmmakers Grant Baldwin and Jen Rustemeyer, whom he met in Palmerston North during the annual Reel Earth environmental film festival.

“The emphasis for this exhibition was going to be all about the human body.

I had been thinking about the different people I was going to use to create this whole body.”

Nigel invited the filmmakers who had produced a documentary about the clean bin project, (which collects organic household waste for compost) to have their faces cast for a piece that would have been the conscience of the body.”

He was motivated to make his own statement about the things he had seen

and heard. “The whole nature of the exhibition progressed. Now it’s hardly anything to do with the body, but more concerned with the environment.

“The year before we immigrated here, our central city streets were repaved because over decades people had spat their chewing gum out, and there were marks of chewing gum all over the pavement,” he says. “It had become so marked you could hardly see the pavers any more. I’d hate to see that this is where this country might end up.

“We’ve been here for seven years and every night, as we watch the morning sun rising like a brand new canvas, we think of how lucky we are. There’s freedom to make a statement and a difference here. It’s something I love about being in this country.

“Even if you’ve never had a go at something before, the sky’s the limit here for you – just try it.”

Nigel Ward at work

Right for a

CHANGE Interview Graeme Beal

Like any community theatre, if the Globe’s walls could talk they’d have some colourful stories to tell. Bruce Warwick has been with the Globe Theatre in Palmerston North for a decade and has seen the community theatre host a range of events – from bands to burlesque, even a wedding.

Now, the Globe is a place poised for change. On the cusp of the most significant renovation it has had since opening in 1982, it’s ready to begin a new chapter as the date for construction draws near.

“After 30 years we’re right for a change,” Bruce says. “We’ll be bigger, brighter and bolder when we re-open –

and part of a precinct that really creates a buzz.”

That precinct, adjacent to The Square, is home to the city’s Convention Centre, Te Manawa and the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

The Globe, with its 200-seat theatre, will be expanded with a new foyer and box office, 100-seat flat-floor auditorium and a theatre café.

“The café really is the precinct’s café,” Bruce says. “It will serve the Te Manawa and Rugby Museum complex and have space for musicians and open mic performances. In the evenings it will be licensed and cater for patrons at shows and events.”

• 62 •

The flat-floor auditorium, Bruce says, will be useful for small shows, group bookings and rehearsals – freeing up the availability of the main auditorium.

“We are a theatre for hire, and will remain so,” he says. “That has always been key to keeping the Globe at the centre of the arts and cultural community, and ensuring that we stay accessible to amateur groups.

“We’re more than just a theatre. We’ve held two weddings here, previously hosted bodybuilding championships and blue-light discos – a whole range of things can happen.

“We’ve had burlesque, an alpine film festival and children’s shows, and of

An artist’s impression of the Globe as it will appear after renovation – courtesy Palmerston North City Council

course one of our great allies is the Manawatū Jazz Club, which holds its festivals here.”

Bruce says he’d much rather be at the Globe than being retired and gardening, and while the Globe renovations are afoot, he will keep busy working with a friend as a tour manager to bring COROnation Street On Stage to Auckland, Wellington, Timaru and Christchurch.

“I have a background in touring with professional shows and in the ‘70s and ‘80s was regularly at the former Opera House in Church Street. Some of those productions featured Richard Sullivan from Man About the House, John Inman

from Are You Being Served?, Sue Pollard from Hi De Hi and Arthur Lowe from Dad’s Army. These were well written comedies and I was the company manager.

“We’ll be bigger, brighter and bolder when we re-open”

“A number of wonderful performers have played in this city, from New Zealand and around the world,” he says. “With the Regent on Broadway, The Abbey, the Globe and Centrepoint Theatre, we’re very lucky here to have top-notch productions all year round.

“The Globe recently hosted The Woman in Black, which was a huge hit in Britain. Damian Thorne, a member • 63 •

of the Manawatū Theatre Society who also runs his own theatre company, has staged some very good productions, including The History Boys and Equus.

“There is always a lot going on, and with brighter paint and a new café and box office, the Globe’s makeover makes this entire precinct unique provincially.”