Citizens, Choppers, Colours, Chuckles and Cakes

Our friends Andre and Exelda Kruger invited us to be their guests at their Citizenship Ceremony - (they are seated front right on the picture). Having pledged allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of New Zealand, they await their new passports with the flash silver fern on the front! Now all they need to do is teach the kiwis how to pronounce their surname - incidentally Andre dabbles a bit in home brewed beer, the name of which is Kreer Beer! Now that's how to say the name- so it CAN be done!
 

This is a picture of the Godley Head Lighthouse down Christchurch way - beside the sea, the mountainside supporting the whole structure has fallen away with the huge quake of February last year and all the thousands of aftershocks since. The whole caboodle is threatening to plunge hundreds of feet into the sea! Last week, the 6 o'clock news had footage of a helicopter trying unsuccessfully to lift the 'light' part of the structure with it's copper dome. The helly was just not able to and the glass has now been removed in an effort to lighten the load - this too proved beyond the capabilities of the chopper, so now the plan is to remove the dome and get the whole thing off the cliffside a piece at a time. Since the lighthouse is of historical value and importance, every effort is being made to save the building and the big light - but nobody can get near the structure for fear of falling to their death - quite a challenge!!

New Zealand, being part of the commonwealth, is watching and waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the newest royal addition.
And here they are, no doubt would be Princess Diana's pride and total joy!
 

 

Civic buildings, bridges, clock towers and fountains in New Zealand are to be lit up in pink or blue to celebrate the arrival of the newest addition to the British royal family.
The royalist organisation Monarchy New Zealand has come up with the idea to mark the birth of the baby of William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, expected in mid July.

Chairman Sean Palmer says the sites involved will light up in the appropriate colour at dusk on the evening of the day following the royal birth.

He has signed up 20 sites to the plan, including the airport in the South Island city of Christchurch, and a quirky metal sheep dog shaped building which acts as the headquarters for the Tirau visitor centre in the central North Island.

"That should be a very interesting feature, particularly if it is a girl."

The gesture was made possible by modern lighting technology, Palmer said.

"Hundreds of years ago they would have lit bonfires from one side of the country to the other, but here we have the modern equivalent of that and it is a lot easier."

He said New Zealanders were keen to acknowledge the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's baby, who would grow up to be the King or Queen of New Zealand one day."

"This is a big deal, not just to Britain. This family really does belong as much to New Zealand as it does to Britain or Canada or Australia and while most of the focus is going to be on Britain it will not go unnoticed in any of these other countries and it's fantastic to see this international sharing of this particular moment.

ANDY MURRAY IS THE FIRST BRITISH WIMBLEDON CHAMPION IN SEVENTY SEVEN YEARS??

 Virginia Wade: a Wimbledon champion

Age: 67.

Appearance: Airbrushed. Out of history.

Who or what is Virginia Wade? Until last Sunday, the last British tennis player to win Wimbledon.

Huh? When? 36 years ago. Back in 1977.

Then how come I've never heard of her? Because journalists have forgotten she exists.

Really? Really. Wade has been written out of the headlines in several major newspapers.

Such as? On the front page of the Times today: "Murray ends 77-year wait for British win."

Ouch. And, on the front page of the Telegraph: "After 77 years, the wait is over."

Oof. And, on the front page of the Daily Mail: "Andy Murray ends 77 years of waiting for a British champion."

Jeez. Even the Daily Mail forgot about her win? Yep. Which is especially unforgivable, since they also published an interview with her, in which she told the paper: "You never forget how it feels to win Wimbledon."

Incredible. So where does the 77-year figure come from? That's the figure for the men's championships. The last British man to win before Murray was Fred Perry in 1936.

Meaning the real wait was actually just 41 years? No, in reality, British tennis fans were never made to wait at all. Dorothy Round Little won the women's singles – for the second time in her career – one year later, in 1937.

So there have been two British winners since? No, actually there have been four.

Four British women have won Wimbledon since Fred Perry? Yep. Partially deaf player Angela Mortimer won the championship in 1961, and underdog Ann Haydon-Jones beat legend of the sport Billie Jean King to win again in 1969.

This is a dark day for sports journalism, isn't it? Afraid so. But a good day for feminist writer Chloe Angyal, whose comment "Murray is indeed the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years unless you think women are people" has been re-tweeted, at time of writing, 9,425 times.

That's a lot, right? It is. But it only really counts when men re-tweet it.

Do say: "If Murray wins, he's British. If he loses, he's Scottish." (NOW ISN'T THAT JUST TYPICAL)

 

Don't say: "If Wade wins, she's forgotten."


mmmmm......... ENOUGH SAID!

And last, but not least, here is the cake that I shall request for my upcoming birthday! Any volunteers to create it for me??

 

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Visit from Johann, Barbara and Henri

 When the updates on the blog have not been a priority for the longest time, it's really difficult to 'pick up where we left off' as it were. So with the choice being either an attempt at something interesting, which fills in some of the gaps, or doing nothing at all and concentrating ones' efforts on other things creative....
Our visit with the children and grandson was just fabulous - touring and sightseeing in a new country can not be quite the same as it would be without an almost-two year old, but nevertheless, we managed to get to visit many places of interest and give our visitors a real feel for life in New Zealand.

Personally, us grandparents would no doubt have enjoyed the three weeks anywhere - it was about getting to know this little fellow and spending 'ordinary' time with him that made the time so special!
Almost (by a matter of days to make the airways' special ) two, Henri is the epitome of energy, enthusiasm, fascination with everything and cuteness personified. Even without the bias of grandparent's rose-coloured glasses, we could see a little fellow with the face of an angel and here and there, touched with a glint in the eye of a little wickedness, which delighted us completely!

There is very little in the way of 'ride on's' that won't appeal to him - this bike was really too small for him, but since we hadn't yet fetched a 'motorbike' from the Wanganui Toy Library, he made it work for him - flying down the slope on the Wanganui river walkway.

This 'ride in' was not going to be left at the toy library - when he thought we weren't going to take one of them home, he kicked and screamed, (literally) like the proverbial two year old - although nobody at the toy library took the slightest bit of notice - I guess they see tantrums of all varieties there all the time! We realised later, that the appeal was not so much the little car itself, or even zooming around in it, it was the DOOR - opening it, jumping in and then banging it shut with a 'DWAH' that was the huge attraction!!

Bathtime is the BEST time of day - bar nothing - this is a little water baby - note the waves in the bathtub! Pre-bath it's fun to hare around the house in the altogether and get grandad to chase him while he shrieks with delight! In fact, water, anyplace, anytime will be the very best.

Soaked to the skin on a cool, cloudy day at the beach - (first time in the sea, ever - and literally squealed with delight and splashed about like a little otter)

The 'terrible two tantrum' at the water area of Kowhai park - (a huge playpark for kids) when Mummy and Nana thought it was perhaps too cold and windy for splashing in the water. Distracted for a good long while with all the other marvellous fantasy things to play on, climb on and slide down or swing on, we had to pass the water feature en-route to the car to go home. We didn't win the second tantrum and Henri got his shoes off and we left him to 'wade and paddle' --HA HA - the little bugger did the paddle for about a minute flat and then swallow dived into the water and was totally sodden - nappy, thick corduroy pants and zip up windbreaker! We changed the nappy in the car, draped mummy's jersey over the bottom half and nana's cardigan over the top half and headed home! Happy little boy - didn't care a jot about being cold and wet - mum and nana sorted it all out!!

 

En-route to visit with great grandmother in Hawkes bay, we stopped for a bite to eat and a leg stretch - Henri's black motorbike in the boot, was soon 'activated' and the lad found the only puddle for 50 square miles deep enough to soak him completely! Another complete change of clothes before we could continue the journey  - wet through, Henri had a little something and then we bundled him, - dry - into the carseat before he did any further dunking! And boy, the laddie can move!!! (There is a reason why grandparents don't generally have babies of their own - we can't move fast enough anymore!)

But truly, the best times of all, were the times with grandad - peas in a pod, wicked sense of humour and cheeky grins in duplicate. Was the best time ever - and having dad and son and grandad all together for a while was just perfect! Dis al!

 

 

 

Our first family visit in NZ

Although these two gorgeous kids have been married for a while now, we have been in New Zealand pretty much all of their married life. Except for a skype here and there and a fleeting visit to South Africa for Melinda's wedding, we haven't had much time with them at all.

With the birth of their first child in May of 2011, we were thrilled to have a grandson and namesake for Jo, but of course, living on the other side of the world has meant that we haven't even met the little guy yet!

All that is about to change with the visit which will be commencing this Monday! Boetie, Barbara and Henri arrive at almost midnight on 29th and will spend three weeks with us here in Wanganui. To say that we are looking forward to it, is an understatement of massive proportions!

Here is the most recent picture of Johann Henri Botha II in his Kiwi jersey, almost packed and ready to leave for a visit with Oupa and Nana. There have been loads of fun preparations from hunting out the Disney duvet cover for his bed to taking out a 'grandparent' subscription at the Wanganui toy library so that he has something 'new' to play with while he is here. Friends and acquaintances have chipped in with a tricycle, more toys and a car seat, so we are pretty organised on the two-year-old front!! The parents of the aforementioned boy will be no less of an excitement and marvel to have with us, but hey - we done met them before!! and they are all grow'd up!

Here is a picture of the rules that will be in effect while Henri is with us and we include them here for the other children and grandchildren to take note of so that they can plan to visit and have an idea of what to expect!

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Thatcher Street Wanganui

With the passing of Maggie Thatcher this past week, it was interesting to note that our little town in New Zealand claims some 'fame-connection' with the Thatchers. Not to Maggie, but to her husband Denis (by the way, spelled 'Dennis' on his birth certificate! )

Denis's grandfather Thomas, born in 1848, had emigrated to New Zealand in the 1870s


 

The name Thatcher is in the news again but few would be aware of the late Iron Lady's link to Wanganui.

Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first and only female Prime Minister, died in London yesterday (NZ time). Although Baroness Thatcher visited New Zealand only twice, she had a strong link with the country through her husband.

Denis Thatcher, who died in 2003, was the grandson of early Wanganui resident Thomas Thatcher, who was born in the UK in 1848 and emigrated to Wanganui in 1878. He was chairman of the Wanganui County Council in 1882 and 1883 and a board member until 1895. He served as chair again from 1891 to 1895.

Thatcher married twice - his English wife Elizabeth died of tuberculosis in 1881, and he later remarried to a Wanganui woman with Northern Irish parents, Margaret Ann Reid.

In 1885, he and Margaret had a son named Thomas Herbert, known as Jack, who would later spend three years boarding at Wanganui Collegiate School. In 1897, the family returned to the UK and Thatcher set up a branch of his company Atlas Preservatives at Deptford. In 1911, Wanganui-born Jack took over as managing director there. Jack Thatcher married Kathleen Bird, a secretary at Atlas, and three years after their marriage, Denis was born. Denis served in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War and despite seeing no combat, was twice mentioned in dispatches and made an MBE. In 1942, he married Margaret Kempson, however, they later divorced. He married a second time in 1951 to Margaret Roberts, a chemist who two years before was selected as a parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party.

Wanganui resident Diana Beaglehole met the newly-wed couple in London in 1961 and wrote of her memories in the Chronicle late last year.

"What I remember most about that night was my meeting with Denis Thatcher. We sat next to each other at the same table throughout the meal. He was very pleasant and had lots to say on a variety of topics. After some time, he suddenly turned to me and asked, 'Now where are you from in New Zealand?"'

"'Well,' I said, 'you've probably never heard of the place; it's called Wanganui.'

"'Oh yes,' he said, 'my father was born there and went to Wanganui Collegiate.'

She said although the national press seemed unaware of the New Zealand link when Mrs Thatcher visited in 1972, when she visited again, with her husband in 1976, locals were on the ball.

"[The Wanganui Herald] noted various comments Denis Thatcher made to reporters in London before leaving for New Zealand. Thatcher said he'd never been to New Zealand but regarded it as a second home. He spoke, too, about his strong links with Wanganui and said one of his major regrets was that he wouldn't have a chance to visit the city during his wife's visit," she wrote.

"He also said that as a true New Zealand descendant, rugby was his religion and among the clothes he was taking was a New Zealand Rugby Union tie. 'I wear it with pride,"' he told the reporters."

In his 1978 book Streets Of Wanganui , local historian Athol Kirk wrote of the Thatcher family in Wanganui, with mention of Denis and his wife Margaret.

"His grandson is still a director and his wife is well known as Margaret Thatcher, leader of the conservatives. The name lives on in Thatcher St."

In 1979, Mrs Thatcher became Prime Minister and held the office until 1990. In 1982 she won widespread popular support for her leadership during the Falklands War with Argentina, however, she would become a divisive figure in British politics due to her privatisation policies and trade union disputes.

In December 1990, Denis was made Sir Denis, 1st Baronet of Scotney, the last hereditary honour to be given outside the Royal Family. He died on June 26, 2003 from pancreatic cancer at age 88.

Baroness Thatcher died on April 9 in London aged 87 after a stroke.

 

Baroness Maggie and her husband Sir Denis Thatcher.                Dis al!

Coastlines, challenges and cows

 

 

Once in a while we add a scenic picture for you to enjoy! Here is one of those that is waiting in the wings and being considered for a  painting!

This scene was taken at one of the little beaches very near to Wellington - (known collectively as the Kapiti Coast) at the bottom end of the North Island. On a pretty day with not too much wind, plenty of driftwood around and not many folks braving the waves for a swim.  

There are four fellows who work alongside Jo at MWH who take golf quite seriously. (Incidentally, if you play golf for your firm's team, and [one would assume] in regular office hours, are you paid at the usual rate or is there a special 'leisure for work' rate?) Just curious! Apparently, a four-ball is arranged regularly for these players and they fearlessly take on opposition players from other branches of MWH. This activity clearly required a trophy to be designed, created and played for! Enter the Botha/van der Spuy team - result - the splendid trophy made from spectacular rimu wood, with a polished to mirror-like gleam plaque - engraved with MWH inter-office golf challenge. It was admittedly a nerve shattering experience engraving the plaque, but we thought it turned out better than we'd hoped it would.

And by the way - the four intrepid golfers from MWH Wanganui promptly lost the trophy on its debut outing to another branch - now that's just not cricket!!!

 

 

Fonterra (the dairy giant in New Zealand) has just launched a whole new concept in their advertising campaigns - evidently, milk should be stored in the dark! Who knew?? And so now, at a price of course, one can buy one's milk in 'triple layered' bottles guaranteed to keep the light out and one's milk as fresh as the moment before it left the cow!!! The ad's feature these transparent moo-cows frolicking around green pastures with milk sloshing about inside them! Clever advertising we thought, but is this really what we need for our milk - especially since it's more expensive than regular (by the same company) milk?? We don't actually give a fig, since we get our milk 'straight from the farm gate', pay half what the shops ask and have to skim off the cream since the milk is so rich! (it comes in clear glass lidded jars - no three layers of plastic in use at all!) I guess it comes down to the old adage of 'you pays your money and takes your choice'!!!

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THE GREAT COMPLAINERS

This article was published in the Wanganui Chronicle this past week. We thought it should go up on the blog - so here it is.

I read the news today,oh boy, and immediately felt a song coming on (with a nod to The Platters). Oh yes - we're the great complainers,
We do the whingeing so well,
We complain as such,
Over nothing much,
As long as there's someone to tell.
We are a nation of grumblers and whingers. there's always too much of this or too little of that. We mutter if people earn too little and we mutter even more darkly when people are seen to be earning too much. We moan about the rubbish on TV but watch a lot of it to give ourselves something to whinge about rather than turning it off. We plant tall poppies then cut them down when they start to flower and bloom.
We like a bit of schadenfreude. No, this is not a German strudel, but a Teutonic word that means "enjoying the misfortunes of others". If schadenfreude was an Olympic event, NZ would get the silver every time just behind the world champions, Britain.  Perhaps the loss of the Empire knocked their equilibrium but what is our excuse? We complain when it rains, we complain when it's hot, windy or too dry - it all turns the whingers weathervane. A friend was unhappy with the weather forecast and went looking for a better one. He was joking, but nevertheless it illustrates our reluctance to accept things as they are and just get on with it.
I have even heard people complain that north is no longer where it should be. We complain because we only have tacky little celebrities but gleefully watch as their attempts to live life in the limelight come disastrously unglued. If the cat sat on the mat, we'd complain about that and be calling for a commission of inquiry to investigate how the cat got there, check if there is a mat sitting regulation and if not, write a cat and mat policy document that would run to 2000 pages - with references.
The cat and the mat would be found to have overseas owners and we would crank out a tune on the xenophobe just to check it was still in tune. A minister bungles the portfolio - that was somebody else's fault - we must find out who it was and get rid of them, it means paying them huge sums of money to go away. Solid Energy's coal all going up in smoke - that was somebody else's fault - I think they tried to blame the weather, or was that the cricket?
There is always another spin of the sorry-go-round or a turn on the blame-ethon machine to divert attention away from some massive errors of judgement. NZ has been a nuclear free zone - why not declare the nation a whinge-free zone (WFZ) and find that piece of number eight wire people are always going on about and use it to prod people into action. I do worry that as a nation perhaps we have become so good at complaining and whingeing that we have become victims of our own success.
Terry Sarten is a writer, musician and social worker who has just realised this column has been one long complaint. Feedback email: tgs@inspire.net.nz

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Kiwi favourites!

 When we re-introduced our blog a little while ago, I mentioned that you might well find a recipe or two put up from time to time!
Found this one just recently and am dying to try it - thought I should pass it along to all our devoted blog readers, since it looks like it could just be 'flop proof'
Let me know how yours turn out!



Lemonade Scones     

 

(This blurb by the author of the recipe, not the author of the blog!)

 

I make these easy never fail scones each year while we are camping. We have a friendly baking competition where we all bring our ”entry” to be judged so to up the ante just a bit, I make my scones AT camp. I like to serve them warm off the BBQ with homemade jam and freshly whipped cream. They never fail to impress.

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Ingredients

1 cup chilled lemonade
1 cup Meadow Fresh Cream
3 cups Edmonds Self Raising Flour
1 egg
Jam of your choice and whipped Meadow Fresh Cream to serve

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Method

Preheat oven to 200°C, or if you are camping crank up the barbie.
Mix the lemonade, flour, and cream together to form a soft dough.
Knead on a floured surface, rolling to 2cm thickness. Cut the dough into squares, and place close together on a baking tray.
Brush the top of the scone dough with the beaten egg to give them a golden top.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
Best served warm with butter, jam and whipped cream.


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