New Plymouth photographer Helen Wilkin is part of a small group of New Zealand and Australian photographers who are working together to raise funds for the Women’s Cancer Foundation. They are capturing the loving connection between mother and daughter.
“It’s so important to capture these moments while we can. We just don’t know what will happen in the future and if we will ever get this opportunity again,” said Wilkin owner of Helenjoy Photography.
While photographers are donating their talents and time a participation fee of $51is going directly to the Women’s Cancer Foundation.
Art skills: An exhibition aptly named From Pixels to Paint at Inglewood’s Fritz Reuter Gallery has photography by Derek Hughes, paintings by Margaret Bake and images from the Inglewood Photography Group. Photo by: Sharyn Smart
Ironically two of the artists who were part of the first exhibition held at the Fritz Reuter Gallery could also well be the last.
Taranaki photographers Margaret Bake and Derek Hughes were joined by Adam Buckle and Helen Wilkin ten years ago at the official opening of the gallery named after a ship which brought the Polish settlers to Inglewood in 1876.
“If my eyesight hadn’t failed through that shingles attack 25 years ago leading to the demise of my business, we would have never come to Inglewood and possibly the Inglewood photographic group may never have been formed. So you just never know circumstances change,” said Margaret.
Mercy Mission: Steve Bowkett is busy in his workshop at Artesano in Fitzroy, New Plymouth as he saves for his next mission back to Tacloban City. Photo: By Sharyn Smart
Craftsman lends Skills
Steve Bowkett enjoyed working alongside locals helping them to rebuild their homes devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.
A furniture builder by trade and owner of Artesano in Fitzroy, New Plymouth, Mr Bowkett enjoys travelling to disaster areas around the world offering his skills.
“I’m New Plymouth born and bred and I’ve been a traveller for a long time. I have an affinity with other languages and other cultures,” he said.
Recently he returned from his latest mission where he helped after Typhoon Yolanda devastated the Leyte Islands in the Philippines.
“I saw the devastation on the news and straight away my heart went out to them. I started to think about what I could do and when,” said Mr Bowkett.
He always self-funds his own trip and then appeals to the community via his church and Facebook seeking donations to enable him to purchase supplies such as roofing iron, nails and plywood.
Community Focused: Case manager Nic Willis (left) and Senior Constable Paul Lampe (right) are focused on ensuring that young people have a positive role model in their life. Photo : Sharyn Smart
Taranaki volunteers are getting behind the Big Brothers Big Sisters programme making it one of the biggest agencies in the country.
The Taranaki branch has 120 matches in the New Plymouth, Waitara, Inglewood and Hawera areas.
Programme manager Snr Constable Paul Lampe said the focus in Taranaki was on children aged 7 to 10 years who could stay matched until they were 18.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programme is for any child who wants and needs a mentor in their lives,” he said.
The youth mentoring programme focuses on children at an age when they are most likely to bond with the volunteer, creating a good friendship base and potentially life long friendships.
“The whole point about mentoring is for the volunteers to have fun with the young person that they are matched with,” Mr Lampe said.
Volunteers spend time being a big brother or big sister by doing things they already enjoy doing such as kicking a ball around, taking a walk on the beach, going to the movies or just hanging out.
Voluntee Fun: New Plymouth “little sister” Wiki enjoys her ultimate animal experience encounter kindly sponsored by Fiona Carson of Pouakai Zoo. Photo: Supplied
After being a volunteer for 18 months Nic Willis decided that she loved the Big Brother Big Sister programme so much she joined the team.
Miss Willis, of New Plymouth, has been matched with Wiki, 13, since April 2011 and thoroughly enjoys spending time with her “little sister”.
“I just like seeing Wiki grow up and see her confidence grow,” she said.
Some of the things they do together are as simple as walking the dog, doing some baking or heading to the Big Brother Big Sister clubrooms at the Tasman Club where they play darts, cards and board games.
“We just hang out and do everyday stuff,” she said.
Wiki has good supportive parents who wanted something extra for her.
FAST FUN: Charlie Smith, Hawera, smacks the ball into the outfield during an indoor softball game in New Plymouth. Photo: Sharyn Smart
Softball is being revamped in an attempt to attract new players.
The Taranaki Softball Association under the watchful eye of Allan Prestney, Witt’s Kaitakawaenga – Maori and Pasifika support co-ordinator, has shortened the game and moved it indoors to get more people involved.
“With it being mainly a Saturday afternoon sport we are loosing players due to work commitments,” she said.
Mrs Prestney said that too many games get rained off between October and December and moving indoors would enable play regardless of the weather.
She encourages people to have some fun and exercise by joining a team.
“We have mixed composite teams. So it’s just about giving it a go,” she said.
Teams are generally made up of nine players but can play with a minimum of 7.
Stratford Paralympian cyclist Nathan Smith Photo: SuppliedNZ Challenge: Harcourt’s John Christiansen, left, and Halberg disability sports advisor John Sigurdsson are joining forces to raise funds for disabled children in Taranaki. Photo: Sharyn Smart
Stratford paralympian cyclist Nathan Smith is part of the New Zealand team competing in the ANZA Challenge later this month.
Mr Smith has focused on his career after last year’s London Paralympics, working fulltime as charge pharmacist at McKay Pharmacy in Stratford.
“When they asked me to do it (the ANZA Challenge) I said it will give me a reason to get back on my bike and train for something. I was dead keen,” Mr Smith said.
The charitable event will pit two celebrity teams, representing New Zealand and Australia, against each other as they compete for national pride and raise money for their nominated charities.
Mr Christiansen, New Plymouth spokesperson for Harcourts, said it was a great honour to be principal sponsors of the ANZA Challenge.
The New Zealand race of the ANZA Challenge will begin in Wellington on October 15 and move through Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Hamilton, with their charity being the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation.
TARANAKI SUCCESS: Representing North Taranaki the Huntaways team of C Herbert (left), V Berrie, A Spurway, S Megchelse, S Henderson, O Thompson-Booth, M Henderson, P Grayling and Coaches: H Marshall and L Quay won second place at the North Island Show Hunter championships. PHOTO: Supplied
Riders, ponies and horse-floats took over Foxton earlier this month.
Pony clubs from around the North Island competed for the Show Hunter Championship title.
Representing the North Taranaki Pony Club, the Huntaways finished a close 2nd in the team event at the annual Manawatu Pony Club run event.
Wellington Gold was first and Carlyle (Waverley) was placed third out of 23 teams from the North Island.
Joint coach Holli Marshall said the event had been held since 2007 and the level of competition had grown and improved every year.
“Riders have been training, trialling and working hard with their horses and ponies. Many people made this event a success,” she said.
Huntaways team captain Cassie Herbert said it was a successful end to a great event.
“Everyone in the team rode really well and we all had some real good individual results which made the team come out on top,” she said.
Wedding masterpiece: Alison Lythgow, owner of Cake Alicious in Bell Block, returned from Fashion Week after being named as runner-up for the North Island in the cake decorating section. Photo: Sharyn Smart
Being handpicked to take part in New Zealand Fashion Week was a proud moment for New Plymouth business owner Alison Lythgow.
“I was so excited, what an amazing experience,” she said.
Mrs Lythgow owns a cake decorating business aptly named Cake Alicious, which she operates from her Bell Block home.
Her reputation for perfection and high quality work has resulted in Mrs Lythgow being picked along with eight other cake decorators from the North Island.
“It’s a great honour to be named one of North Island’s best cake decorator’s,” she said.
ANIMAL FUN: Ruby Hosking, 11, takes her furry friend Monty for a paddleboard ride during a public give it a go session in New Plymouth’s Breakwater Bay. Photo: Supplied
Kevin Hosking of Shorebreak Paddleboards is inviting the public to come and have a go.
“Come on down, enjoy the fun and get fit for summer,” he said.
Fortnightly races will be held starting Wednesday October 9 at Ngamotu Beach in New Plymouth.
For newbies there will be a fun short course race of 1km and a longer course of 3km for the more adventurous.
Mr Hosking will have some boards available for hire at a cost of $10 per race or bring your own.
Contact him at Shorebreak Paddleboards 0800 2782 6387.
This article was published in the North Taranaki Midweek on Wednesday October 9, 2013.
Love and respect: Rex and Fay Walker’s love for each other has spanned 60 years as they celebrated their wedding anniversary last week. Photo: Sharyn Smart
For Rex and Fay Walker it was love at first sight.
Still deeply in love the New Plymouth couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at a party with family and friends last week.
“I think we admired one another right from the start,” Mr Walker said looking at his wife for confirmation.
“Right from the beginning,” Mrs Walker (nee Sattler) said.
“It was pretty quick. The connection was there straight away,” Mr Walker said.
The couple speak as they treat life – with deep respect for each other and genuine love.
They first met at a dance held in the Inglewood Trade Hall during the square dance era.
Mrs Walker was a fantastic dancer and very much in demand while Mr Walker was not.
“Rex had never danced in his life before but proved a quick learner. He was special I thought,” Mrs Walker said.
Married in the Inglewood Presbyterian Church on October 3 the couple ran the family farm at Lepperton where they raised their four children.
They retired to New Plymouth nine years ago and now enjoy spending time with their eight grandchildren.
Mrs Walker says it’s important to “cherish” each other and that’s a word that involves a lot of thinking – to ensure a successful marriage.
“We had our own interests and were interested in each others,” she said.
Mr Walker said communication is the key to a successful marriage.
“I think that a big thing in life is to be able to communicate with people. If you can talk to people about the good and the bad – whatever you are discussing – if you can communicate you are away laughing,” he said.
Over the years it hasn’t all been plain sailing with the couple saying there has been a lot of give and take.
“Take the good with bad when you have to and work your way through it,” Mr Walker said.
“It’s important to let each other be themselves,” Mrs Walker said.
This article was published in the North Taranaki Midweek on Wednesday October 9, 2013.
