Linda Hall: In search of a hospital car park

Linda Hall

Now I understand the frustration behind all the texts and letters to the editor we get about parking at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

But first I want to say a huge thank you to all the doctors, nurses and orderlies who work their butts off at the hospital. You are all fantastic.

Last Monday night saw my sister and me in the Emergency Department with Mum. We were seen to almost immediately by cheerful and caring nurses.

Admittedly it wasn't busy but I was really impressed with the way Mum was treated. Like most people, she wasn't keen on staying the night and was sure she would be allowed home. However, she ended up being admitted for three nights.

The next day when I went to visit her at about 1.30pm I drove around and around the parking lot, along with about 10 other drivers, searching for a park. I drove out, went right around the block, back into the park and the same cars were still circling like vultures, waiting for those park lights to come on, indicating that someone was leaving.

It was so frustrating. While I was searching for a park I recalled some of the texts Hawke's Bay Today had received about this. One I vividly remember was someone saying they had missed their appointment because they couldn't get a park.

I'm not surprised. Finally, after about 20 minutes of searching, I did something naughty. I parked out on the road in a 15-minute park. It took me five minutes to get to where I needed to be and I stayed for about half an hour.

I know I shouldn't have but in the end I thought, if I get a ticket it will most likely cost me less than what it would have cost me in petrol driving around for another 20 minutes.

The next day wasn't so bad, maybe because I went a bit later in the afternoon.

I had to laugh at this visit when Mum was telling me what she had for lunch. She said she had ticked the box for roast pork and thought she was going to get a nice roast meal. What she got was roast pork in her sandwiches.

When she was told she would have to stay in hospital for a few nights she was really disappointed that she would miss a "private concert" by her nephew, Glen Moffatt.

I'd heard that this second cousin of mine was a pretty good country music singer and songwriter. He was brought up in Hawke's Bay and worked as a reporter for the Daily Telegraph before moving to Auckland in 1991, then to Australia in 2002.

He has released albums and been nominated for and won a number of awards over the years. In 2014 his song Somewhere In New Zealand Tonight was included on Sony Music NZ's Godzone Country: The Very Best of New Zealand Country Music double CD.

Last year he won the CRS Australian Independent Rising Star Male section of the Southern Stars for the recording Superman Lunch Box.

I'd never met him or heard him sing, so was going to go with Mum to my aunt's (Glen's nana) home on Wednesday for the "concert".

I went anyway, along with seven others. I can't sing to save myself so was absolutely blown away that a person related to me could sing so damn fine.

He was excellent. We tapped our toes, swung our feet and applauded every song.

Hopefully he'll be back in the Bay soon.

-Well, it's been a busy and hot weekend with Relay for Life and Horse of the Year.

Both places were packed when I went along on Saturday.

It was great to see Relay for Life organisers had plenty of water and sunscreen stations.

I think every tree at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds had someone sitting underneath it.

After a bit of a wet start to the event, Hawke's Bay showed the thousands of visitors exactly why we love living here.