Forty Years On

"Forty years on, when afar and asunder,
Parted are those who are singing today.
When you look back, and forgetfully wonder,
What you were like in your work and your play.
Then it may be, it will often come o'er you,
Glimpses of notes like the catch of a song. . .
Visions of boyhood will carry them along."

That's an old song that our long-suffering music teacher, Mrs. Mulligan, used to instill into groups of spotty teenagers. I may not be the brightest spark in the flame, but i do have a good - an exceptionally good - memory. I thought.

Yesterday's visitors included Mrs. Campbell from Reefton and one of her daughters. I did know the face, but could not remember her name! I made a couple of attempts and then she had to tell me. Sheesh - Embarrassing! I went to school with Vivianne for 11 years - primer 1 to Form 6 (yrs.1 to 12).

How could i forget her name? What was worse, my Girl, Tracey, arrived 1/2 an hour later and i told her that, "this was an old school-friend, Yvonne." IDIOT!

(Funny I don'r remember being forgetful).

Could this be a senior moment? DAMM!

Anyway, apart from that, it was really great to see you, VIVIANNE.

The others in the pic are Callum, who came back & spent the day with me - which was cool. His dad's standing behind him and that's my Girl - i hope i never forget her name.

cheers

People Everywhere!

We had a bus-load from Christchurch - lotsafun! Well, except for the bit where they made me stand up the front of the bus and talk on the PA system, that is. That was SO not me!



cheers

Look Who Came to See Us!

Two of my favourite visitors - Jarrod and Callum.




cheers

Not Much 2 say

Try this :


Be nice to others because . .
Time will make a difference!



One day, you may not be the 'BIG DOG'!

Yesterday's Visitors

These are the people we saw yesterday.

1. A young couple from Korea, who took an hour to take 1000 photos!

2. A couple from Sydney, but i don't think that they're my Girls' neighbours.

3. A Christchurch family with connections to Waiuta and Reefton.

4. A Westport couple who know my Uncle Tom & Aunty Barb (d.)

It really is a privilege and a joy to meet with & talk to people from all over the world. Everybody's interesting and everyone has their own story.

I love the way they always agree when i point the camera at them & say, "I want to take your photo." Me? - I'd run a mile!






cheers

Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon

New residents in the village. No, it is NOT the Women's Institute!



cheers

Mitchell's Speech

Little Earth Model Village.



As a kid my Uncle Allan was always interested in models, he liked trains, planes and small toys. When he left school he worked for New Zealand Railways as a train controller.



About 16 years ago his job finished so he went to England to visit his daughters Ada and Tracey. While he was there he visited some model villages and he loved them.



When he came back to the West Coast he decided to build his own village. He started first with an English village and then built Waiuta, a West Coast gold mining ghost town. Then he built Reefton which is his home town.



The village took 15 years to build, and last year he finally opened it, but Uncle Allan says it is still far from finished. It takes up nearly three acres of land. .



The buildings, people, cars, animals and scenery are made out of whatever he can find. He reuses all sorts of things to build new scenes. He uses treated timber to make weather boards that are 3mm thick, pretty tiny aye?? Windows and door frames for buildings are made out of old road markers he finds on the side of roads. Whenever he sees a broken road marker he jumps out of his car and gets it.



Every day Uncle Allan always has something to do, because the village always needs maintenance and he is still building new stuff. Visitors come every day, the most he has had is 100 in one day. He likes to talk to them all and show them round the place. He goes home exhausted but he says it is really exciting meeting people from all round the world and hearing their stories.



So next time you visit the west Coast make sure you visit “Little earth model Village”, it’s on the way to Punakaiki and the Blowholes”.



Make sure you tell Him you heard about the village from Mitchell ……






cheers Mitty.

On A Fine Day

Brilliant sunshine today, which often brings some visitors out.

This lot were from the Cobden School. I've learnt to shudder when large groups of kids are coming up the hill, but - not this time. Great bunch of kids (& parents).




cheers

Benji's First Building

This is the first complete building that Ben has made for the village - a group of English cottages. He did the whole thing himself from planning to completion - didn't he do well!

(Round about 499 more and he'll catch-up to me.)



cheers