Fire Brigade Report

By Chief Fire Officer Jake Hawkins

What a year it has been for our Brigade. I am so proud of the dedication shown by our fantastic Firefighters and Medical Responders.

In 2023 we attended a TOTAL of 325 calls. 

A massive 251 Medical Responses was included in that total, making us the busiest First Response unit in New Zealand!

I cannot say how lucky our community is to have all these people so generously give their time to train and be there any hour of the day or night to help in your hour of need. Already this year we have completed 25 Medical calls as part of 32 calls in total, and it’s just the end of the month.

We were able to celebrate this service during our Honours Night late last year, which provides a little recognition to our members and included another 25 Year Gold Star awarded in our Brigade, to Station Officer Chris Hooson.

During the year we have lost three members who have moved out of the district and we thank Station Officer Justin Hudepohl, QFF Callam Tannant, and QFF Tamara Hudepohl for all their time and service. 

I know they are being snapped up on transfer by their local Brigades.

The loss of these members to other towns means we are on the lookout for both Firefighters and Medical Responders, especially during the weekdays. 

If you want to know more please contact me or come down on a Tuesday night for a chat, we start our years training on Tuesday 13 February.

On the training front, congratulations to Dylan Ross for completing his Qualified Firefighter Course, the first course completed in 2024 by the Brigade. 

The District is in a TOTAL FIRE BAN currently and we have already attended several large vegetation fires,\. Please be vigilant operating machinery, and if you are not sure check www.checkitsalright.nz which has all the up-to-date information and advice around fires.

The much-travelled Booktown Road

By Denver Grenell, Featherston Booktown

Ngā mihi o te tau hou – Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a restful summer break and read some good books in the downtime.

It’s all systems go at Featherston Booktown with both the International Organisation of Booktowns visiting for The Global Conference (14-18 March), the Young Readers Programme (8-10 May) and the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival (10-12 May).

The International Organisation of Book Towns was started in 1961 in the West England town of Hay–on–Wye. The concept involves small rural towns or villages in which second–hand and antiquarian bookshops are concentrated. 

A Booktown offers an exemplary model of sustainable rural development and tourism as we have seen during the previous Karukatea Festivals, with people coming from far and wide to attend and enjoy the local hospitality and shops during their visit _ including our seven bookstores.

The March event will see delegates from Booktowns around the globe in Featherston for a slice of good old Kiwi hospitality and we will be showcasing our beautiful region to them. We hope you will help welcome our international guests in mid-March, which is also when we launch the Karukatea Festival programme. Tickets go on sale to our Friends, supporters and the local community at 9:00 p.m. on 15 March. Tickets for the general public will then go on sale on Monday 18 March.

If you would like to become a Friend of Featherston Booktown and support our book voucher scheme – where we give book vouchers to every South Wairarapa primary school student – please sign up:  https://www.booktown.. 

We would value your support!

Speaking of which, the line-up for the Karukatea Festival is shaping up very nicely, including the Reader’s Choice event, where we asked you to tell us who you’d like to see at the Festival. We can’t tell you who is coming just yet, all will be revealed on March 15.

Did you take advantage of the Booklover’s Trail – Te Ara Kai Pukapuka audio app over the summer break? The free app gives you a guided tour throughout the Wairarapa through our many fabulous bookshops, 13 to be exact. 

Hear the stories of the booksellers as you travel the region, taking in the literary sites of interest along the way. The app is available now in the Apple & Google Play stores. Look for the Booklover’s Trail – Te Ara Kai Pukapuka and happy trails!

Community Hub – aka the Town Library

Find the Miniature Library.

When was the last time you visited the library in Martinborough (or in Carterton, Featherston and Greytown)? If it’s been a few years, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

We are now part of a large network of lower North Island libraries that includes Masterton, Hutt City, Porirua and Kapiti Coast libraries. This means a greatly enlarged collection with more than a million items to borrow. 

If we don’t hold a book you want, chances are we’ll be able to borrow a copy for you from one of our partner libraries. Best of all, it now doesn’t cost anything to reserve and borrow books, and there are no charges for overdue items. 

Your library also offers more than just books. Did you know you can use our computers for free? Check your email, browse the Internet, and perform other online activities such as banking? We also offer printing and scanning services: you can even print directly from your mobile device if you wish.  

And it’s a great place for little ones too, where imagination, fun and learning come alive! We hold weekly story-time sessions for pre-schoolers as well as after-school activities for older children. Our holiday programmes are always a hit, with boredom-busting activities to engage young minds and bodies. 

As a community hub, you can find all kinds of support at regular clinics held by Digital Seniors, Justices of the Peace and Wairarapa Community Law … Continue Reading

Seaweedy Tales from Wales

All are welcome to an afternoon with illustrator & folklorist Peter Stevenson.

Peter lives in a “seaweedy town” on the west coast of Wales. He studied illustration at Manchester Art College and then Dialect and Folklife Studies at Leeds University.

He publishes and performs around the world and has illustrated for Margaret Mahy, Gavin Bishop, Joy Cowley and others.

Wairarapa Word and Wairarapa Library Service are happy to welcome Peter to Wairarapa, where is staying with Te Ao O Te Pūkeko to write about the liminal space between earth and water.

All are welcome to “Tales from Wales” on Saturday, 24 February, at the Community Courthouse, 60 Holloway Street, Carterton, Wairarapa. 

At 2 p.m, Peter presents folktales for all ages from his newest books, Illustrated Welsh Folk Tales for Young and Old and Boggarts, Trolls & Twlwyth Teg.  A very favourite tale of Peter’s is The Green Man, a Welsh Roman story.

At 4 p.m, he will run a free Visual Storytelling Workshop for adults: Where do stories come from? How can oral stories be made into books? 

This workshop explores migration stories – from Wales and the world. Bring along a story to tell, real or fantasy, on migration. Limited spaces. Sign up with madeleine@wls.org.nz.  

“Tales from Wales” is part of a free monthly public programme brought to you by Wairarapa Word and Wairarapa Library Service. Follow on Facebook, or sign up to receive news in your inbox:   events.waiword@gmail..

For more about Peter Stevenson visit https://www.peterstevensonarts.co.uk/  – or follow him on Facebook – look for the Green Man!

Free entry, but Koha is appreciated. Peter’s books will be available for sale and signing.