News from a Kiwi Prime Minister!

David Verrall - Now living in New Zealand

 

Hello Colin

As we leave the warmth of summer, with Easter out of the way
and ANZAC Day over, it’s time to sit at the infernal email
machine and try to send a couple of photographs for the Old
Boys to look at.

This one was taken in March at the Wild Foods Festival,
which is one of a kind, where you can try anything from huhu
grubs to lambs testicles, plus anything that can be termed
roadkill, and I had just finished work at the Hokitika
Museum so was dressed up in my work clothes. So how come I’m
looking like a 19th century banker?

It is a long story.

I trained as a psychiatric nurse in Perth WA (1975-78)
before moving to NZ where I have lived since 1979.  More
training and nursing registrations lead to a Nuffield
Scholarship in 1990, when I studied the effect of HIV/AIDS
on communities in the UK and USA. I left the AIDS Project in
the mid 90s with a touch of burnout; it was difficult
watching friends pass away with the effects of this dreadful
disease, and there weren’t the medicines around that there
are now. A few years later I moved to Haast having returned
to core nursing and enjoying the acuteness of the Emergency
Department. I lived in Haast (and Google it to see the
remoteness of the place!) and after several years moved up
the Coast to Hokitika where I still live.

I retired 18 months ago, enjoyed 2011 in retirement, and
towards the end of the year got a phone call from the
Hokitika Museum asking if I would like to work there
part-time as weekend receptionist as I had been doing some
research there and they thought I might be quite good. Hence
the get-up in the photo, as I also run guided walking tours
of Hokitika and dress up as Richard John Seddon, NZ’s
longest-serving Prime Minister.

For someone who got lost at school with the Corn Laws and
the Industrial Revolution, I can now spout profusely about
the Industrial Revolution (the second one, actually!), gold
rushes, migration patterns and much much more…enough now,
perhaps, to wobble through an history O Level, if one still
exists. And I love it to bits. And I still play in the
Kokatahi Band ‘tho I am no longer President.

And there’s the other part-time job as executive relieving
under-manager (casual) at the local garden centre where I am
the other staff member apart from the two owners, and it is
another job that isn’t a job really. Not when I look forward
to going to work, get there early and stay late, and get
paid for it as well! I am applying for a staff car park now,
and may have to get on the digger/loader and create it
myself.

Anyway, health continues to be A1. I just bought a rowing
machine and am slowly getting used to it. With winter
getting closer it will be a great boost to the exercise
regime when I can’t get out with the dogs for a walk, and I
ain’t no gym bunny, that’s for sure.

I really enjoy the stirring-up of old memories, which are
mostly good, and I still have a love of sponge puddings. And
I can recall the 1959 register of 1S…

Boyens (Mick), Bridges, Broomfield (tony), Charlick, Clarke,
Conway (John), Court (David), Donner, Douglas, Dyer,
Hitchcock (John), Howard (Paul), Innes (Bill), McCarthy,
Morrish (Roger), Murdoch, Payne, Pierce, Price, Punchard
(Steve), Spurgeon (Dave), Storey, Turnbull (Nick), me, Webb
(Paul), Wicks….if my memory serves me?

Anyway, keep up the good work,

Best regards for a good summer

David Verrall

What no Spunj?

From: Anthony F Carder CVTHS 1955-1960

Do you remember “SPUNJ”?

 

I have always been very fond of puddings (desserts if you are posh!).

So, when I started at Cray Valley Tech in 1955, I looked forward to lunch in the canteen to sample the “pudding of the day”. But not for long!

 

On Monday we had Jam Sponge.

On Tuesday they served up Lemon Curd Sponge.

On Wednesday we had Pineapple Upside-down Sponge.

On Thursday we had Chocolate Sponge

And on Friday (yes you’ve guessed it) for a change we had :-

Apple Sponge

 

This menu continued for what seemed like weeks and a new name was coined by us boys for our most unfavourite pudding: “SPUNJ”

 

Then one day, imagine our surprise when we saw that on the menu that day was —–  RICE PUDDING !

So on that cold winter day as we were queuing up the steps to the canteen from the corridor, to our great amusement, some wag had drawn a picture of  “Chad” in the condensation on the window with his nose overhanging a wall with the words “Wot No SPUNJ?”!

This became our slogan and, after that, Spunj was off the canteen menu!

 

So, I don’t know whom you are who wrote on the window but your graffiti worked and I will be eternally grateful for the bread pudding, apple pie and plum crumble that followed but I am not so sure about the tapioca, it was more like frogs-spawn!

 

P.S.

For those who were not born during or shortly after the 2^nd World War, “Chad” was a cartoon character popularised during rationing when lots of common foods were in short supply and prompted the “Wot No” slogan with this picture of “Chad”.

 

Wot No SPUNJ?

Class of ’54 – Speak No, Hear No, See No……

Sam Weller, Bob Kingsland and Andrew Baxter

 

Hi Colin,

Hope you are well down there. Class of 1954-1961 met up at Bob Kingland’s on Sunday.  That’s Bob Kingsland, Brian Weller and me. We were well looked after by Dee, Bob’s wife.

Plenty to talk about, including how we got into the bad books of Mr Walmsley and Mr Beasley. We missed that last year was the 50th anniversary of our leaving the Tech.

Here’s a photo taken on Bob’s patio. He has a lovely place in the Cotswolds.

All the best,

Andrew Baxter

John Greig’s Progress & Mixed bag

John Greig

John sent us this email today with good news of his continued recovery:

Hi Everyone,

A quick health up-date. I saw my stroke consultant this morning and she was very pleased with my recovery. Although I still have a weakness in my left arm and hand, I can’t hold a fork properly. I am to have a proper, in depth eye test to exactly determine the range of my periphal vision.

If that is OK I should be driving again by August. Because of the stroke surgery to replace my left knee has been put back to December but all being well I shall be “fighting fit” for the 2013 campaigns.

Enjoy Spring Everyone

John

Tele:       01832 732362

Mobile:  07727 236052

 

The following is a mixed bag of bits and pieces which comes into the in-box from time to time but are not quite lengthy or important enough to make an individual post. I don’t want you to miss out these as they may well contain useful information.

Barry Jackson

……Most importantly I appreciate how much work you put in to the site, and how you have to juggle this between work, Jan, beer and sanity. Never rush any of my work, just an acknowledgement that you have received my notes would be fine.

Glad to hear the local inns are doing well, we only have one in the village now and it only opens part time to allow the drug dealers to trade. Brenda and I can usually be found, at least on Saturday evenings, in The Barley Mow at Birtley (about 5 miles from here) – free live music, no juke box and always 13 real ales of which 9 are changed every week. In addition there is a mini Music/Beer festival in February and August – not bad for a good old fashioned urban/town Pub.

I am starting to collect my thoughts about the ‘S is for Sport’ article. I will then re-track to the letter R, then on to S, T,U and V. I will finish the trek through the alphabet with an attempt at W to Z.

Cheers for now, Please please don’t worry about my contributions- no ego here – well you can’t afford one when you’re married and suddenly realise that you are only second in command, even when you’re in the house alone!

Gan canny bonny lad.

Alan Medley

I had forgotten the photo, and everything I ever knew about hockey, which wasn’t that much. I recognise all the faces, but sadly have forgotten all the names (including Jon Wilson) except three. I still see Pete regularly and we both live in Sidcup, but I think Dave emigrated to Calgary in 1964 with his family.

Regards. Alan Medley

Peter Hobcraft passes away.

 Stan Bond brings us this sad news from the States

I just learned of the death of Peter Hobcraft, an old CVTHS student. Since I’m living in the United States, I don’t know much more, but believe the funeral is this Wed, if anyone wishes to search the internet for details. I was in the first class at Cray Valley and he was a student at the same time but joined the school at age 15 I think. I don’t see him on the register, but some of our folks will remember him I’m sure

He recently lived in Bolebroke Castle and I found an interesting link to the paranormal….oooooh!

Maybe he will contact us himself!

Peter Hobcraft used to date my sister in the 60′s, when we knew him from a church group. He was a little odd, & a bit eccentric, but like most people…interesting. He was a bit of an entrepreneur. As part of the old church group, he would arrange  camping trips to Europe each summer. This evolved into an adventure tour business, which he ran for many years. I think he was one of the first in this business and put together groups with a driver/courier for travel all over the world. That business subsequently evolved into a coach hire business I recall. As for the castle, my sister takes credit for spotting the real estate listing as they were waiting at a bus stop (the Rolls had to have been in the shop…no kidding). He bought the half of the castle being sold and this evolved into a medieval feasting, B&B operation, which I think he was running until his death. Just so you won’t be disappointed, the castle isn’t the fairy book kind, but was one of the first built without turrets etc, after they proved a poor defense from cannon balls. I call it more of a manor house, but impressive non-the-less. Peter showed me around it soon after he had bought it and I recall it having the second largest fireplace in the UK, big enough for trees, or a full set of sitting room furniture.

He apparently died of lung cancer only diagnosed in the last month.  Here is the announcement in the Telegraph.

A note from my sister: Henry VIII used the castle when he went hunting for wild boar and venison in the nearby Ashdown Forest. Anne Boleyn, who lived at Hever Castle 5 miles away was courted by Henry VIII from there.

Stan Bond