Kaitaia couple delighted with their new chairs

Glenn and Jo Buckingham relaxing in their new garden chairs made by Kaitaia MenzShedders including Bob Baucke (left) and John Richardson.

It's been almost a year since 16-year-old Georgia Buckingham died, after a long and bravely-battled illness, but her community continues to show compassion for her family.

It had been a difficult year, Georgia's mother Jo said on Friday evening after her colleagues at the ANZ Kaitaia had presented her and husband Glenn with two garden chairs, beautifully made by members of Kaitaia's MenzShed. And this latest gesture rendered her (almost) speechless.

"This is really, really appreciated," she said.

"It's amazing what people have done for us, and I can assure you they will be used a lot, for watching the fantails."

The bank staff had come up with the pattern (for what one suggested, in the event of more being made, should be known as the 'Georgia model.'

Pukenui man Colin Cox donated the rough-sawn macrocarpa, and Resene in Kaitaia chipped in the oil to treat it.

A few of those who spend time at the MenzShed in North Road had worked on the chairs, John Richardson said, while Jo, who had no hesitation in adopting the classic relaxed garden chair pose, declared them to be very comfortable.

If there was one slight design flaw, one of her colleagues said, it was that the chairs did not have glass/bottle holders. Bob Baucke said that if they made any more they might well be joined together with a table in the middle.

Now that the chairs had been made, turning out more would be much a much quicker process, but that wasn't the current priority.

The Kaitaia MenzShed was "cosy" when four or five members turned up simultaneously, he said, and the immediate need was bigger premises.