Museum News

Summer Opening Hours

The museum’s normally opens from 1.30 until 3.30pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.  

From Christmas until the end of January these hours are extended and the museum will be open every day from 11.30am until 3.30pm.

Old Town Hall Display

To tie in with the opening of the refurbished Town Hall, we have put together a display about the Hall’s early days.   Pop in and see it any time from 8 December, (see opening hours above). 

New Acquisition

Long time Martinborough resident Ray Lind has gifted the museum a “Troughton & Simms” surveyor’s level.  It was made in London and used in the Wairarapa in the 20’s and 30’s.  Ray was given it when he retired from the Featherston County Council (later SWDC) in 1989. Like many of these old instruments it was made to last, with hardwood legs and brass fittings.  … Continue Reading

Martinborough Golf Report 

As we move out of spring into summer, we can only hope that we might get more use of our umbrellas as shade from the sun rather than the incessant rain we’ve endured over the past couple of weeks.  

Tournaments: A few weeks ago we hosted the “Baahaahaa Trophy” with Eketahuna.  Men’s: 1^st Steven Croft, 2^nd Trevor Petersen & Michael Wyeth (Eke.).  Ladies – 1^st Jane Terpstra, 2^nd Karen Stephens, 3^rd Mariana McDermott.  Martinborough beat Eketahuna (by the skin of their teeth!).  Seventeen couples entered the 36 hole mixed foursomes; Gross:- 1^st Nuki Gordon & Sereana Phillips, 2^nd Mr & Mrs DRIP.  Nett:- 1^st Mr & Mrs Gumboot (who also won the Sunday stableford challenge with a brilliant 48 points AND put the winnings on the bar – Cheers guys!) 2^nd Rick Hargreaves & Elaine Howe. Stableford:- 1^st Ro & Lyle Griffiths, 2^nd Mr & Mrs RD2. Thanks to sponsors Pain & Kershaw.  On 25^th November, Martinborough hosted Royal Wellington at the home to contest the Bidwill Cup.   This golf match between Martinborough and Royal Wellington has been played every year for about 60 years.  Last year we played at Heretaunga and lost the cup pretty decisively.  This year on our home course we managed to win (by a narrow margin – but who’s counting?!). … Continue Reading

Book reviews

To offer a choice for holiday reading  here are a couple of very different books for consideration: ‘A change of key’ and ‘James Comey – a higher loyalty’.

A change of key

The characters in A change of key by Adrienne Jansen are a number of refugees living in a Wellington city council high rise set of flats. Each lives in their own isolation having  their own back story which, for various reasons they do not want to talk about. 

The city council’s decision to raise the rent gradually brings them together to fight a common cause. In doing so  barriers are gradually broken down as ethnicity suspicions and rumours are proven groundless. Music  proves to be the one thing several have in common and the basis of eventual friendships.

Having worked with refugees in New Zealand Adrienne Jansen can portray an authentic background for her story giving the reader an insight to the problems that these people face as they integrate  into their new way of life. 

A nice undemanding holiday read, I find having a book set in a town I’m familiar with somehow always adds to the story . Anybody who has earlier read Marina Lewycka’s novel the Lubetkin legacy will no doubt notice the similar setting and plot; a group of immigrants living in  London council flats bought together by a common fight with their council landlord.  … Continue Reading

Budding Clarinet Player at Martinborough School

The smile on Dion Liumaihetau’s face is nearly as wide as the clarinet he is learning to play is long. 

Dion is benefitting from the generosity of clarinet player and internationally recognised music teacher, Mark Walton. Mark was one of the musicians playing during the Martinborough Music Festival. While he was here, Mark visited Martinborough School and spent time telling a fascinated audience about his clarinet and playing it for them. 

Because the basic structure of the clarinet is similar to a recorder, Mark used this instrument to demonstrate how the clarinet is constructed.  He needed an assistant. Dion offered to help. At the end of this demonstration, Mark asked Dion, who was learning the recorder, to play for him. Dion played a perfect scale – no squeaks! When asked if he would like to learn to play the clarinet one day, Dion nodded “yes”. … Continue Reading