It was fun and games in the hall at Wharehuia the other night when we presented a couple of challenges to the ICA members to test their brain power. First up was “Quotable Quotes”, a quiz to see who could remember who said what. Quotes and one-liners from famous people and film and TV characters as well. The quiz provided the name of the person making the quote, and the answer was the quote itself. Such as “Rhett Butler”, the answer was “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”. President Trump’s quotes were a case of take your pick, with any answer from Fake News/Stop the Steal/Fight like Hell, and many more. All good fun, and as expected, some couples could recall more than others. The winners were Ashley and Merice with 22 correct, closely followed by the three person team of Buddy, Jeanette, and David M who got 20 correct. Well done all.
Then everyone was given a sheet of newspaper and the challenge was to rip out the shape of an elephant, but to do this with your hands behind your back! Not at all easy, and the expressions on everyone’s face as they did this task was priceless. Some shapes didn’t end up looking like an elephant at all, in fact, Glenys produced something which looked rather like the shape of Australia. David M was declared the eventual winner. Many thanks for everyone for taking part so good naturedly.
Busy concentrating and counting 4 legs, 1 trunk, 1 tail, head, tummy
The following night we had a very entertaining talk from Ashley who regaled us with tales of his work of 40 years as an ambulance officer. Joining Wellington Free Ambulance in 1964 as a volunteer, he became a permanent staff member in 1967. The Lower Hutt Ambulance Service brought the first defibrillators into the country, what a game changer that must have been. Ashley went on to do cardiac arrest training, then did medical training up to intern level, which required recertification every three years.
All ambulances, together with police, army, small boat owners, and civilian volunteers all helped in the rescue efforts on that dreadful day, 10th April 1968, when the Lyttleton–Wellington ferry Wahine floundered on Barret’s Reef. This was New Zealand’s worst modern maritime disaster, and fifty-one people lost their lives that day. Ashley related his memories of working in the atrocious weather during that dreadful day and into the evening, dealing with the injured, and helping to pull the dead from the water, first at Seatoun then around the coast at Eastbourne. The storm had left devastation everywhere, the coast road in particular was in ruins, trees and debris making access so very difficult, together with the lack of equipment and manpower. A day never forgotten, but a few kindness remembered. Ashley gratefully accepted hot soup while chilled to the bone, and petrol stations eagerly refilled the ambulance fuel tanks without looking for payment so they could continue collecting the injured and ferrying them to hospital.
Thank you Ashley
The weather has turned wet and cold, just right to keep warm inside the van and read “Pick and Shovel to Caravans” by Claude Hurst. This was loaned to us by member Val, she and her sister Desma were daughters of Claude, who with his brother Reg were instrumental in caravan production in New Zealand. The brothers started their working lives as roading contractors, and then decided to make a few caravans as a hobby. Then moving on to full time production, becoming NZ’s leading caravan manufacturers at the time, Classic Caravans of Levin.
An interesting read
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