Mike Preece, AKA Vintage Vinyl, returns to the Turner Centre with his turntables in June to play nostalgia from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Photo/ flashgordon.co.nz
Mike Preece, AKA Vintage Vinyl, returns to the Turner Centre with his turntables in June to play nostalgia from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Photo/ flashgordon.co.nz
Ralph Hotere Studio a Category 1 historic place
The Kōpūtai/Port Chalmers studio of Northland-born artist Ralph Hotere has been entered into the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero as a Category 1 historic place.
Hone Papita Rakura "Ralph" Hotere was born in 1931 at Taikarawa near Mitimitim north Hokianga and hadtribal affiliations to Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Whatua ki Kaipara. He was appointed to the Order of New Zealand (ONZ) in the 2012 New Year Honours and died in 2013.
The exterior of the Ralph Hotere cottage in Port Chalmers. Photo / Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
The Hotere whanau have supported the listing process and are thrilled with the outcome.
"We are really happy that the studio will be recognised and preserved," says Ralph's legally adopted daughter, Andrea Hotere.
Built in 1876 as a simple four-room cottage by New Zealand Shipping Company engineer William Putnam on Oputae/Observation Point in Port Chalmers, the building was the first studio Hotere owned. He purchased the property in 1970 after completing the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship at the University of Otago.
Ralph Hotere, widely considered New Zealand's greatest living artist, was the first artist of Māori descent to be written into a Pākeha history of New Zealand Art. Awarded many honours in his lifetime, he used his creative gifts to confront issues such as social and political justice for New Zealanders, environmental issues, nuclear war, apartheid and racism.
In 1984, Hotere's studio was purchased by his friend Naomi Wilson, who has been a respectful guardian of the space making any additions within Hotere's aesthetic tradition. She has been a strong supporter of the listing.
The Kawakawa Steam Festival and Open Day is being held on Friday, April 29.
It's a community celebration starting with a dawn blessing at 6am for the newly built Te Hurihanga Training and Service Centre.
The vintage steam locomotive Gabriel will be on display at the Kawakawa Steam Festival Photo / Peter de Graaf
From 11am to 3pm on display will be Gabriel, the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust's steam engine that was built in Bristol, UK, in 1927. It's back from the engineer's workshop after a substantial refurbishment.
There's a Steam Punk competition for the best-dressed conductor. There are workshops, tours, face painting, and jigger rides. In hot demand, literally, will be steam kai (hangi) dumplings and mussels and a steamed hot dog eating competition.
Kerikeri Cricket Club growing
The Kerikeri Cricket Club was established in 1896, making it the oldest cricket club in Northland. The City Cricket Club in Whangarei makes the same claim, according to its website, but it wasn't established until 1946. The oldest cricket club in New Zealand is believed to be Motueka, which was established in 1838.
Year 1 and 2 Friday-night Super Smash players enjoy their end-of-season prizegiving. Photo / Supplied
Over the past few years the Kerikeri club has seen significant growth in player numbers to the extent it is now officially the largest cricket club north of Auckland, and is the only Northland club with an all-girls team, the Kerikeri Ravens.
The club has over 60 juniors (Year 1 to 6) playing the new Super Smash format on Friday nights. They have three junior and youth teams playing on Saturday mornings against Whangarei teams and a men's team playing in the Senior Reserve grade.
The depth of numbers puts pressure on the two wickets the club uses for training and home games at Kerikeri High School. The 1st XV also played in the Northland Collegiate grade over the summer.
The Ravens (back row from left), coach Simon Hart, Sunny Perry (Player's Player of the Year), Ebonie Bobich, Kirsty Coyle, Lucy Clent and Layla Molloy (Bowler of the Year); (front) Annalise Moody (Batter of the Year and Player of the Year), Gabby Smythe, Avalon Hart, Lilli Voakes and Abby McNulty. Absent: Lizzie Woodhead. Photo / Supplied
Club president Simon Hart said it had been a successful season.
"Exciting developments in Kerikeri include the launch of the new club logo designed by former Kerikeri High School head girl Leah Dawson, the opening of the new training nets at Kerikeri High School and the imminent installation of a new concrete wicket and mat, to replace the outdated older surface."
The club will now take its place at the new Te Puawaitanga sports complex at Waipapa. The regular concrete wickets and the traditional grass wicket will allow the club to enter the Senior Premier grade for the first time.
Paihia opens up Sewing Space
In a Paihia initiative, a sewing space has opened at the Ecohive, 195 Puketona Rd, Paihia.
Initially, it will be open every second Saturday of the month from 1pm to 4pm. It offers four sewing machines, which will soon become six.
The Paihia Sewing Space now open every second Saturday of the month at 195 Puketona Road, Paihia
They are available for use by anyone in the community who might wish to upcycle clothing, to repair or mend and who perhaps don't have the equipment at home. Or there could be groups who prefer to work alongside someone else or together with others doing the same thing.
The machines were donated by residents together with "an abundance" of sewing materials.
The Sewing Space is operated purely from kohā or by using time credits through Timebank. Tea and coffee are available.
Vintage Vinyl is back
When Mike Preece took his turntables to the Turner Centre to play 60s, 70s and 80s dance music, little did he realise it would be a year before he'd be back, thanks to Covid. Now under the orange setting, he's returning even if the audience is capped at 100.
That audience certainly appreciated what he does. The Turner Centre ran a customer survey on the show that revealed about 85 per cent would return for more shows. On the back of those encouraging responses, it was decided to run the programme for a further six months, until Covid intervened.
There aren't any major changes to the programme.
"It's difficult to please everyone when it comes to the choice of records but I never play a finite set, the mood and demographic of the audience always dictates the direction of the vinyl being played," he said.
If there is anything new, it's his ambition. He's keen to tour Whangarei and possibly Auckland, but not to the detriment of his regular scene in Kerikeri, and the patrons at the retirement village where he plays from time to time.
"It's a real blast to see some of our oldest Northland citizens rocking and rolling to Elvis and Buddy with their afternoon tea."
Vintage Vinyl, Friday, June 3, Turner Centre. More info at turnercentre.co.nz
