Appreciation shown for Central Hawke's Bay piper's Anzac spirit

Waipawa and Districts RSA president Maitland Manning with piper Raewyn King.

Raewyn King is more used to holding a set of bagpipes than large bouquets of flowers, but it was flowers last Friday as the Waipawa and Districts RSA showed its appreciation of her Anzac spirit.

Anzac Day this year was under lockdown due to Covid-19, with commemorations cancelled and veterans, being amongst the community's most vulnerable, unable to leave their homes.

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In Waipawa, WWII veteran Jack McCleary had mentioned to his wife how hollow it seemed with no Anzac Day Dawn service, when suddenly the couple heard the sound of bagpipes being played ... in their driveway.

Longtime piper Raewyn had dressed in full regalia and started her day by piping at the Otane Cenotaph at 7am.

She then went to play outside Jackie McClymont's home and Lesley Selby's, before heading to the Onga Onga War Memorial, The Waipawa Cenotaph, then to play for Wally Malcolm (another WWII veteran and ex POW), before heading back to Waipawa to play Amazing Grace with two other pipers from the hill above Waipawa.

Piper Raewyn King at the Waipawa Cenotaph, Central Hawke's Bay, during Covid-19 Anzac Day lockdown.

Maitland said "This was truly the Anzac spirit, as reflected by a much appreciated Waipawa piper."

Raewyn, who has played her pipes for the Waipawa and Districts RSA Anzac commemorations for 26 years, said "no virus was going to stop us".

"I wasn't going to let Anzac Day go by without marking it by playing," she said.