Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Snippet 17

We were always fishing when we were kids. We'd collect some pipis on the beach and get heaps of sprats and piper for the cat. Only thing was, the friend who owned the jetty, her cat would come down and take the damn things off without us being able to get the hook off first!! Don't now how many times she had to take him to the vet, and that was a long drive!

we had whitebait from a friend who got it in Mokoia - my Mum was so happy.. used to get them by the bucket, not by the egg cup like today! whitebait fritters. Mum also used to cook us lovely paua..

My dad was called up for world war 2 and was at Trentham training when it finished. I was in NZ army for 9 years and was in Singapore when Vietnam came to a halt so we both just missed out. Who remembers their 1st car or memories of their parents cars. 1st one I can remember my dad having was a baby Austin in 1952-3 My 1st one was a Austin A30, early 50's model.

My parents never had a car so the first one I remember having a ride in was my uncle's black Hillman around 1951. I was the first in my family to learn to drive and then bought my own Morris Minor in 1961. It was the first of the new side valve models (1953) and I loved that car. I taught a couple of my flatmates to drive too. You had to thump it on the side to get the indicator to go out, the rubber knob on the gear column gave off if you weren't careful....it actually happened to one of the flatmates while she was doing her test and she said to the inspector "Oh that happens all the time" and she passed!...

One of my cousins and her husband won Lotto many years ago, the prize would look very small now but was big in its day. How many of you remember the cars you have had over the years. I learnt to drive at age 15 and the first car I had was a 1947 Morris Minor, it went and went and went. Had a lot of fun with that car. It finally died at the MOT testing station, husband had to drive it and slam on the brakes for testing and the suspension gave way and collapsed onto the ground. Very red faced exit.

Just remembered a camping trip we made to New Plymouth in it one easter, stayed at a camping grpound, remember all the beer bottles lined up round the tent next to us. On the way home, heavily laden we were coming down a steep hill and noticed smoke pouring out behind us, had the tent tied on the back and it was resting partly on the exhaust pipe and had caught fire. Hade to make a very hurried stop.

Remember ca6mping at Mt Maunganui as a child and riding on the donkeys on the beach.

Oh me too!!! I have a photo of me on the donkies, lead by my dad. And you could hire lilo-type things to swim with. As well as our holidays we did live at the Mount for nearly 3 years, before returning to Hamilton. I still love the place and return often.

do you remember the trampolines they used have up by the bottom of the Mount? They were built into the ground. By the hotpools which we also frequented!! I remember being there one day and this guy was bouncing so high he went out away from the tramp and landed in a sitting position on the fence, breaking it, but not hurting himself. I was only a little girl, but to this day I can quite clearly remember my mother, in absolute, uncontrollable hysterics.

And what about the wharf...Dad used to take us down there all the time, before the days when it was all fenced off. We would be taken on tours of visiting boats. I remember going over a Russian boat, and the captain and another crew member came to our house for dinner.

used to go regularly for the day over the summer from Waikato. Dad would milk cows early and away we would go with our fresh made pikelets and scones and sandwiches. Surf side till lunch then Pilot Bay over lunch time then back to surf for a swim or two before going home to milk in afternoon. There were boards or tyres to hire in the surf and canoes on the Pilot Bay side

I remember going to the "seaside" on day trips from London. We wore woollen bathing costumes (before the shirred elastic ones) and sat on deck chairs. My parents were fully clothed and Dad wore his sandals over his socks, and knotted the corners of his handkerchief for protection on his head. Nobody ever got burned or tanned anyway. Once we arrived in Wellington we used to go to Raumati to stay in a bach belonging to friends.

That sounds like a typical English seaside scene Brish. My dad used to knot a hanky when he sat out in the sun.

23-5-06

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