Day three of the 25th Variety Trillian Bash started with a round of school visits in Wellington that kicked off at Lyall School, before the convoy split, two groups reaching four schools to donate Canon printers, and entertain kids and teachers, and the third cheering children in hospital.
The NZ Herald joined the Elders crew aboard their 1964 Ford Fairlane, with flamed paint, water pistols hidden within the rear spoiler, roof-bar lights "And an in-car water pistol filled via a tank in the boot," says Hawera's Andy Carlton. He and Dargaville's Mike Lyford and Brian Jackson have been Bashing for a few years now. "It's so much fun, the team camaraderie, the chance to see parts of the country you don't get to see, and we become rather like a Bash family." Plus there's the kids. "Deep down we're all kids, we can turn up, make lots of noise, and it's neat getting into back-country communities, forgotten places and forgotten schools that miss out on lots of stuff. Last year we visited an East Cape School and even the principal had no shoes, these two kids with amazing voices got up and sang to us, then dropped to their knees and the guys pulled a haka, it was a powerful moment. These kids had nothing, but they had raw talent."
Elders, a national stock and station agent, got involved with the Bash after managing director Stu Chapman enjoyed being part of the Ford team so much he bought a car.
We swapped to Bash Bakers and discovered David Drake's boss ordered him into Bashing, when "I was at Quality Bakers, a division of Goodman Fielder." He enjoyed the concept and bought this Trentham-assembled 1965 Ford Fairlane. Now retired, he still has contacts - Coupland's Bakery supports the fund-raising team.
