Maree’s Musings

KISS KISS KISS

As I prepare to write, October is fast approaching; however I’m going completely off the election

fever track for this month’s topic. But kissing?? 

I can assure you it’s not something that has often crossed my mind, or lips, to be honest. And quite probably for you too, we rarely stop mid-smack to reason why, especially with those spontaneous snog moments. Until now, that is.

People kiss goodnight, good morning, hello, and goodbye. It’s the first symbol of welcome – or maybe relief – to the newborn, and the final farewell gesture for the dead. A kiss sometimes lets the recipient know you share their pain. ‘Kiss and make up’ can prove helpful, while the nuptial directive ‘you may kiss the bride’ has long gone out of fashion as it’s bound to have happened before. There’s plenty of good luck examples, and the infamous Judas bad luck one which did not end well. 

Politicians (sorry, it snuck in) used to kiss babies: how that musters votes beats me; and very recently we’ve had a spate of fellow-patting of bald pates. OK, that’s not a kiss, which would be more creepy, but on the same track.

Where that kiss ends up is important as well as why. Todays’ winning sportsmen and women exchange plenty of kisses as well as the usual hugs, but lipsmacking? It seems not, as a recent scandal has shown.  … Continue Reading

Beautiful music – sheer enjoyment

Musicians L to R: Laurence Matheson (piano), Donald Armstrong (violin), Wenhong Luo (viola)
Matthias Balzac (cello). Photo credit Pete Monk Photography.

By Sue McLeary

Having spent last weekend at the Martinborough Music Festival, these are my Top 10 fairly random impressions. But first, a disclaimer. I am not a musician or a music reviewer, but I have been to all six festivals.

1. The festival was sheer enjoyment: from the audience’s enthusiastic applause and excited chatter during intervals, to the obvious interaction and pleasure players took in making wonderful music together. Communication between players is so clear in a small festival group like this, and it was great watching the interactions and supportive smiles between players. Maybe that little nod and or a smile meant they had successfully completed a complicated part of the music? The overall sense was one of co-operation, fun and friendship, as well as sheer professional skills.

2. 10 musicians were involved (in order of appearance, as most played several times): Todd Gibbs-Cornish (Bassoon), Laurence Matheson (Piano), Benjamin Baker, Wilma Smith and Donald Armstrong (Violin), Wenhong Luo, Amanda Verner (Viola), Matthias Balzat and Ashley Brown (Cello) and Robert Orr (Oboe). 

3. By an extremely unscientific measure, I give pianist Laurence Matheson my personal award for ‘hardest working’ player. Playing the beautiful Schimmel piano at the rear of the stage he seemed to appear in more works than anyone else.

4. A total of 15 mostly classical music pieces were played, from well-known ‘names’ like Elgar, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky to the less well-known Jean Françaix and Charles Loeffler plus the addition of modern jazz trumpeter/composer Wynton Marsalis meant the audience reveled in the variety. 

5. Proving that not all classical music is centuries old, two very special pieces were introduced personally by their composers: Salina Fisher’s Mata-Au (for string trio) and the premier of Anthony Ritchie’s Farewell Op 219, for bassoon and string quartet. This was written for and played by Todd Gibson-Cornish – a wonderful and unique musical moment. … Continue Reading

Social Crust Pig

The Social Crust has a “vegetarian pig” quartered by a volunteer in Featherston. 

It is fed on near-expiry salads, bread and milk from the supermarket till slaughter at 65 kg, when it’s processed into products like pork chops and pork loin roast.

“Then we buy another pig and do the whole thing again,” Peter Croft said. 

Volunteers buy extra feed as it’s needed and care for the animal as “their contribution to the food bank.” 

The group also works with WaiWaste. 

“With Waiwaste in Martinborough there is absolutely no waste at all” from food premises.

Martinborough Lions Report

The past couple of months have been buzzing with activity for the Martinborough Lions Club.

A brief recap of what we’ve been up to:

Predator Control Initiative

Our commitment to preserving the local ecosystem has been unwavering. Over the last few months, we’ve continued our predator control efforts, working to protect our native wildlife and maintain the natural balance in our beautiful region.

Movie & Pizza Night at Circus

We recently hosted an enjoyable movie night for members and partners. It was a fantastic opportunity for the club to come together, relax, and enjoy a great film – this time round it was Oppenheimer. We look forward to more movie nights in the future.

Guest Speaker Night

One of the highlights of our recent activities was an engaging speaker night with Kiri and James Elworthy who shared the history and tales of their remarkable venture, the Tora Coastal Walk, one of the longest standing private walks in New Zealand. The stories and insights captivated the audience and left all inspired. … Continue Reading