Letters

The Spirit of Martinborough

On the Thursday before Christmas we were dining at E10 at the Pukemanu. When we went to pay the bill to our surprise we were told it had been taken care of! The staff had been told not to say who had paid and they were true to their word. So, this letter is an open thank you to whoever it was, but more than that it is a thank you to the community of Martinborough. We are all lucky to live in this wonderful town, yes there may be times when things divide us but when the chips are down we are all there for everyone. We moved to Martinborough in 2002 and could not have made a better choice of place to live.

Thank you to whoever paid, you ended our day on a magnificent high and we wish you and your family a fantastic 2019.

Derek & Karen Stephens

Bill & Mavis Jones

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Library News

Hi there book lovers, once again I am writing my missive to Mike Beckett but this time from within the beautifully air conditioned interior of the Waihinga Centre.  Remembering the alternatively boiling and freezing old library complete with extra fans and heaters, I do feel very privileged.  

Lots of news this month.  We had 53 children finish the reading programme, earning prizes on the way and keeping their reading level up in the long holiday away from school.  As libraries are all about literacy we find that quite an important time to keep kids interested in reading.  Otherwise when they go back to school in February their reading level can have dropped substantially.  

If they then lose interest in reading you are really struggling to get them back on track.  We haven’t had the high levels of children coming into the library because our public computers are still not up and running yet.  We are waiting for the cabling to be installed and at the moment I can’t give you a date when that will be done but we are hoping it won’t be too far away.

 If you do need to print something off then just email it to us or bring it in on a USB stick.  Scanning is no problem.   Sorting and organising the books is still on-going as it was a bit of a struggle to move and get set up within the timeframe we had but it will all sort itself out in due course – if you can’t find what you want, just let us know.   … Continue Reading

Maree’s musings

CHANGING TIMES …

Having been laid up recently with (self-inflicted) injuries, I’ve been indulging in some daytime TV watching, including a programme called ‘Mysteries at the Museum’. (This is not a free advert, by the way). Of course we have a lovely museum here in town, so I paid it a visit.

High up on a shelf containing some ancient books, three large tomes looked interesting.Two were textbooks on a medical theme; both nearly 1500 pages; so weighty on both counts. The third was titled ‘Dr Chase’s Combination Receipt Book’, which is not as boring as it sounds; it actually  contains a myriad of recipes from the 1800’s. 

Hiding amongst these I discovered a very stern section entitled ‘LIQUOR – a cure for the love of it’. I’m not at all enthusiastic about this advice right now (see above re health issues). Apparently Dr Chase had been talking to a gentleman who had attended ‘a reformatory institution’ and offered the following: ‘Simply take an orange every morning half an hour before breakfast, and you will want neither liquor nor medicine.’ Interesting, I thought. I’ve been eating half a grapefruit every day for years with no success on the abstinence front. And right now I need all the pain-killing medications I can lay my hand on. … Continue Reading

Martinborough Community Choir 2019

The choir is now in its 7th year!

Our first practice for the year will be on Tuesday February 12, starting at 7.15pm and finishing at 9pm, in the First Church Hall, Weld St.

As usual we’ll be singing a wide variety of music, in four part harmony, both a cappella and accompanied.

We welcome any prospective new choir members, whether you have any previous experience of group singing or not, and whether you’re able to read music or not.

The choir is un-auditioned, all inclusive, and the only pre-requisite is an enjoyment of group singing!

If anyone would like more info please contact Vicki Jones: vicbjones@gmail.com