Life in the SPOTLIGHTP4-5

youmagazine

NOVEMBER 2011

MOROCCAN ADVENTUREP19 P23

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An Ashburton Guardian publication

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2 YOU social scene

youWhat’s in

magazineP3 who’s out and about

P4-5 COVER STORY:

life in the spotlight

P6-7 new to town

P8 unsung hero

P9 a passion for running

P12-13 great gardens

P10-11 travel to America

P16-17 couch potato

P19 travel to Morocco

P20 the lowdown on e-books

P21 Nigel Latta

P24 DIY raised gardens

P27 foodies: French inspired

Editorial contactLisa Fenwick • 307-7929lisa.f@theguardian.co.nz

Advertising contactNancye Pitt • 307-7974nancye.p@theguardian.co.nz

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Angela Johnson has reached the pinnacle of her chosen career and is now passing her skills on to others.

Cover photo

The Cancer Society opened its Relay for Life fundraiser officially last week at The Shed. From left are Nikki Craig, Mel Munro, Hayden Marshall and Desme Daniels.

Dave Wilson and Bevan Wilson.Trevor Croy.Gary Casey (left) and Hamish Niles.

Jane Sherriff.

Trevor Addis (left) and John Waugh. Mal Trewavas and Trish Corbett.

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Relay 4 Life

PublisherM

aterial in YOU is copyright to the A

shburton G

uardian and can not be reproduced without the

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ritten permission of the publishers

Creating beautiful homesRedmonds offer a full decorating service for Furnishings Flooring Curtains, Blinds and Bed Linens. Our qualified interior consultants will help you decorate your home beautifully.

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YOU social scene 3

The grand opening of an art exhibition, Figuring the Possibilities, was held at the Methven Heritage Centre. The exhibition features five Mid Canterbury artists and was opened at the end of October.

Above – From left: Debbie Lambert, Sue Simpson, Sarah Harper and Zac Kyle.

Right – Tom Molean (left) and Bill Irwin.

From left: Jo Nicholas, Janet Sy-mons and Susie Millichamp.

From left: Peter Garde, Annette Garde and Kate Totty.

From left: Cian, Nuala, Steve and Finn Taylor and Vashti Johnstone.

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Methven exhibition

YOU cover story 54

‘On stage I become someone else. It’s been my way of showing I’m not a wallflower

Angela Johnson, making it to the top of musical theatre.

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YOU cover story 54

Angela Johnson has seen her name up in lights, she’s received accolades from critics and she’s been the toast of the musical theatre world, but in spite of fame and fortune, she’s never forgotten her Ashburton roots.

By anyone’s reckoning, she’s had an amazing career, but it’s a career that’s been as much about luck and opportunity as it has about planning. She’s done what most could only dream of doing, made it to the top in the in-tensely competitive world of musical theatre, a world where, regardless of talent, without the lucky breaks you might never make it past the back row of the chorus line.

It’s been a long road from her first ballet class in Ashburton to starring roles in produc-tions in Sydney and Melbourne, but it’s been a road that Angela has enjoyed almost every step of the way.

As a child there were no hints that Angela was a star in the making.

“Mum and dad were really musical, so there was always music around the house. Dad played the piano and he certainly had a voice, but he didn’t aspire to be anything other than in a concert band.”

Angela can’t recall why she started singing lessons, but assumed someone thought she had a halfway decent voice and suggested les-sons might be a good idea.

“I guess I was lucky at that time too because it was when the intermediate school was starting to do little musicals. I remember being a flower seller in Around the World in 80 Days but the boy who was Phileas Fogg got sick so I had to step in and do his role.”

And then there were ballet recitals. Angela’s talent ensured she was often the star, rarely the understudy.

At Ashburton College she came into her own.

“I just loved it. There were a lot of us around the same age who were into performing. The college at that stage had very, very strong music and drama departments.”

She lists as her contemporaries, Robyn Malcolm and Simon Barnett.

“None of us would have got where we are today without that encouragement and sup-port. I have no doubt college played a huge part in my career.”

Making a career in musical theatre,

however, was not on the radar for Ashburton students. She did what her peers were doing, headed to university, completing a BA in music. During her time in Christchurch she per-formed regularly with Christchurch Operatic and credits director Robert Young with having a strong hand in guiding her early on-stage development.

She was offered a teacher studentship, but turned it down in the hope that opportunities might open up in the world of theatre. She enrolled in a work scheme and, as it has done throughout her career, an opportunity came along.

“I became part of a group that took Godspell on the road around the South Island. We were billeted in all sorts of crazy places with all sorts of crazy people and we had to do the lighting, cook meals and create sets as well.”

It was a great learning experience, but An-gela wanted more. She applied for a position in the Western Australia Academy of Perform-ing Arts, was accepted and moved to Perth.

The course was good, but she discovered her years in amateur theatre meant she was treading water and again fate stepped in when she won a place with a singing tutor in Sydney.

“This was the best thing I could have done. I did a lot of crazy jobs. At one stage I was mak-ing salads in David Jones’ food hall, making just enough to pay for my singing classes. They were $80 an hour. It was pretty subsistence living and I remember washing my sheets in the bath because I couldn’t afford to go to the laundry.”

With her theatre foundations well laid, Angela auditioned for the musical Cats in Melbourne. She won a role and an understudy role, staying with the show for a year and mak-ing lifelong friends.

“It was an amazing time. A huge learning curve because I was still quite a green Kiwi girl in that world, I still can’t believe how fast that all happened really.”

With eight shows a week and understudy calls, she virtually lived at the theatre.

But, like all good things, the gloss started to dim and it was time for a change. A role in Man of La Mancha came up and she moved from one show into another.

“These were the big, glory days of musical theatre. It was a cool time and there was a lot

of work to go for.”But there were down times. Angela recalls

one patch in the early 1990s when out-of-work actors were trying to make ends meet as telemarketers. She wanted to give up and go home.

“I couldn’t stand the insecurity anymore but that same day I got three jobs – opportunity had come along again and I rolled along again for quite a number of years.”

This included a New Zealand tour with Cats. Her resume includes all the big shows of that era – such as Cats, Phantom of the Opera but there’s one missing, Les Miserables – she was never in the right place at the right time.

Regardless of your talent, regardless of the opportunities there are always tough times in the world of theatre, Angela says.

“But it’s when it’s tough you work out if you really want to do it. Musical theatre is more than just singing and dancing, you have to discover if you have the mental toughness to get through it all. I survived in that world for 20 years before I decided I’d had enough.”

It might look glamourous from the outside, but it’s “bloody hard work”, Angela says.

When the time came to quit it came quickly, making the break was easy.

“I found I just didn’t want to do it anymore. It’s a young person’s game and I needed a change. I just didn’t have the burning desire to get up and do it anymore and you need that to keep going.”

Decision made, Angela cut ties and re-turned to New Zealand, with no prospect of work. She joined the cast of My Fair Lady at Christchurch’s Court Theatre and then headed to Dunedin for the Jungle Book. One phone call and a new career was launched.

The National Academy of Singing and Dra-matic Art (NASDA) was looking for a part-time singing tutor. That was in 2001. She accepted, the position became fulltime and the rest is history.

It was a quantum leap from performer to tutor, but it’s a leap Angela is delighted she made.

“It’s so different from performing in many ways, but I feel like I am still performing every day, I’m performing for the kids because I have to give so much to get them to do what I want and I have to have the drive and passion to

keep them motivated.”It’s exhausting stuff when you’re playing 100

roles each day, including mother, mentor and counsellor.

She still steps on stage occasionally, most often to sing, and said it’s important to demonstrate to her students that she is still a performer and understands what they are striving to achieve, but she knows the time will come when she won’t want to get up on stage again.

Last week she was in Ashburton with the NASDA students, directing the school’s produc-tion, Cats. And that involved more than a little de ja vu for the woman who spent more than two years as a cast member.

“Sometimes I hear the music and I can feel the pain in my body or I find myself singing at the top of my voice.”

She can’t speak highly enough of the smor-gasbord of young talent she sees each year coming through the course.

If NASDA had been around in her day, it would have made a huge difference to her career, Angela says.

Then the only choices were the National Drama School or Theatre Corp, both strong on acting alone.

Over the years and through various incarna-tions, the NASDA bachelor of performing arts in musical theatre was born and its students now readily find jobs both in New Zealand and internationally.

Inevitably there have been people, places and productions that have had a lasting impact on the performer she is today. She credits her time in Jesus Christ Superstar in Christchurch as the most formative experience.

“Nothing has ever been as magical or as wonderful as that time when you weren’t be-ing paid, when you were doing it as a hobby.”

Where the future will take her, she’s not sure, but at 49, she’s determined she won’t still be tutoring tomorrow’s stars when she’s 65.

“In my personal life journey, I needed to do what I did. I was an incredibly shy girl so I needed to find out if I would sink or swim. Without that journey I wouldn’t be the person I am now.

“On stage I become someone else. It’s been my way of showing I’m not a wallflower.”

Her name might be well known in international musical theatre circles, but Ashburton woman Angela Johnson is happy to now be on the other side of the footlights, directing tomorrow’s stars. She was in

Ashburton last week with the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art for their end of year show and caught up with reporter Sue Newman.

is a stageAngela’s life

6 YOU new to town

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Enjoying life in a smaller community, Daria and Andre Glesser and 17-month-old Emily.

YOU new to town 7

By Sue Newman

They might be some of our newest residents, but Daria and Andre Glesser say Ashburton already feels like home.

For the couple the place in which they’ve chosen to raise their 17-month-old daughter Emily, guarantees she will have a very dif-ferent upbringing to her parents. Daria was raised in the Russian city of Krasnodar, near the Black Sea, while Andre grew up in East Germany in the city of Zwickau. Their daugh-ter will grow up a country girl in small-town New Zealand.

Meet the Glessers and it’s hard to believe they have only been in New Zealand since Au-gust. Both are working, they’re happily settled into their home and both speak impeccable, if accented, English. Emily chatters in a mixture of Russian, German and English.

Their coming together reads like a novel. They met in 2004 when Andre was working in Krasnodar for three months. His contract ran out and for five years his work took him to the United States, England, Southern Europe, everywhere but back to Russia.

Fate, however, had other plans for the pair.“I was thinking about him and he was

thinking about me and we found each other again,” Daria said.

That finding in 2009 quickly led to marriage and Daria moved to Germany with Andre.

The couple settled into married life and when Emily was born, Andre took a year off work to spend with his wife and baby. When

he decided to return to work, the financial crisis had Germany firmly in its grips and find-ing a job proved a difficult task.

Disillusioned, Daria and Andrew decided to start a new life in a new country. He called a Kiwi contact in his field of work, agricultural machinery servicing, who suggested Andre tried life in New Zealand for the summer harvest season.

“I must have done a good job because I then got a permanent job. Then I had to tell my wife about the job offer, but she was happy so here we are,” Andre said.

That move meant Daria, a speaker of five languages, had to leave the two jobs she enjoyed in pre-school and tourism.

“But I thought New Zealand would be so wonderful for children so I was happy,” she said.

“Now we are here, we are enjoying life, it is so fantastic. Emily has loved it from the first day in New Zealand. She’s never had a sad day.”

Daria also has secured work, as co-ordi-nator of Ashburton’s Newcomers’ Network, a job where her ability to speak several languages is already proving its worth.

Yes, there are downsides to living in a new country and that’s missing friends and family, but Skype makes the distance seem shorter, Andre said.

“We are an open to the world family, we love to travel and we love to know about new and different cultures. It is a very different life for us, but for me travelling with my work is normal.”

Leaving behind the familiar and striking out in a new country without family support is all part of challenging yourself and understand-ing that you can survive, he said.

Daria admits to shedding the odd tear be-cause she misses her family and knows that Christmas this year will be tough. They plan to use that time to travel around New Zealand, checking out other parts of their new home.

They might be Kiwis in most senses of the word, but Daria and Andre are determined Emily will be an international child. Most of the time they speak to her in German or Rus-sian, knowing she will speak English outside her home.

When they consider the future, they know Ashburton will be home for some time, but they also know a

time may come when they want to explore a new country and a new culture.

“Forever and always are big words. We don’t know about the future. We don’t expect anything, but we enjoy our daily lives. If you come with high expectations to a new country you may not find what you’re looking for and then you’ll be disappointed,” Andre said.

Daria says she is very satisfied with New Zealand.

“It was a very nice inspiration to move here.”

Compared to German people, New Zea-landers are very friendly and they are very calm, Andre said.

“You don’t make stress and you seem to have time. It is a very different lifestyle and

people have the time to listen to you and talk to you. They support you and that’s impor-tant. We are very happy to be here and it’s not just about the work, it’s a whole lifestyle.”

For a small town, Daria said, Ashburton had everything she needed, everything for a fam-ily and that was a constant surprise.

“A lot of people in Germany don’t want to have children any more. There is no incen-tive, it’s hard to get into pre-schools and the education system is terrible.”

As an East German child, Andre experi-enced a very different life behind the Berlin Wall, but he says there were many good things about that life too.

“In the east we had the perfect school system, but we had to give up everything when the wall came down. It was a good time though because we got our freedom back and we could finally travel everywhere; before 1990 we couldn’t have done this.”

The Russian school system was also not good, Daria said.

“Teachers have a terrible salary and so there are few people who want to be teach-ers and with kindergarten, you have to fight to get a place and it is so expensive and there are many children to one teacher. Here it is fantastic.”

In both countries, there was heavy pres-sure on children from a young age to meet achievement deadlines, the couple said.

“In New Zealand I love it because there is no pressure and everyone is an individual. Here I would love to be a teacher of languag-es to children, it would be a real pleasure.”

feels like homeAshburton

8 YOU unsung hero

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McDonaldscnr Moore & West Streets, AshburtonPhone 03 307 6183Free WiFi

By Amanda Durry

Alasdair Tarry isn’t happy unless he’s out doing something.

Unlike many teenagers, he hardly has time to watch television or relax at home – he’s much happier being busy and helping out where he can.

Whether it’s through his school, Ashbur-ton College, or in the community, he fits his volunteering in around school and likes the challenge of juggling his life.

The 17-year-old is a Base Youth Café com-mittee member, a member of the Ashbur-

ton Youth Council, does rowing through his school, works at a local restaurant, was presented with the AFS award for citizenship and has been elected the student represen-tative to the board of trustees. He is also headed on the Spirit of Adventure over the New Year break.

“I am really busy but I do it because I enjoy it. I would much rather be out doing things than sitting at home watching television and I think being so busy does make me appreci-ate the free time that I do get much more.

“The main reason I do everything that I do is because I get to meet so many neat people and it’s really cool being able to

relate to people,” he said.He got into the Base committee because

of a friend, who had told him about the proj-ect and what they were trying to achieve.

Since then, he’s been involved in helping to ready the youth café for reopening and even used his artistic skills to help create a new logo and business cards for co-ordinator Deb Hay.

Like the Ashburton Youth Council, the role also includes being an advocate for youth in the community.

“There are ways we can make things better for youth in Mid Canterbury and it’s about having some power to change it. It’s

the same with being the board of trustees rep, I can take students’ ideas on how to make the school better and pass those on.

“It’s all about perhaps having the chance to make a difference,” he said.

Like many other volunteers in the community, Alasdair doesn’t do it for the recognition so wasn’t expecting to win the citizenship award at his Year 12 prizegiving last week.

“It is nice to be recognised when you do volunteer stuff but you don’t expect a reward, that’s why you do it. It’s just neat to help out and I don’t think I will ever be able to do just one thing.”

One active teen

Alasdair Tarry is just one of the many young peo-ple driving Base Youth Café and used his artistic skills to help design a new logo.

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YOU and your passion 9

By Sue Newman

For a man whose all consuming passion in life is running, as a kid Joe Ford was tipped as the boy most unlikely to gain sporting success by donning a pair of gym shoes.

By his own admission he was pretty ordinary when it came to speed, worse than ordinary in fact.

“When I was a little kid I was always at the back of the field in running races, but I can clearly remember the day I took an interest in middle and long distance running. I ran in the college prelims on sports day in the 800 metres and for the first time ever I came third and that meant I qualified for the college sports day finals.”

Thirteen-year-old Joe was excited, excited enough to put in what he considered some half way decent training for finals day – he put on his Bata Bullet shoes and jogged around the domain.

That training might not have made much difference to the outcome of the race but Joe didn’t care, he’d made the finals. The seeds of a lifelong passion for running were sown along with the desire to own a pair of running shoes. He spotted a pair and knew they were the real deal – made in Germany, made by Addidas, and with a price tag of $54.95, a huge amount for someone with a $4 a week paper run job.

The following summer he discovered there was an athletics club in the Ashburton Do-main. He turned up in his new trainers, joined in, still ran last most of the time. But he didn’t care, he knew he was getter faster.

His big break came when coach Trevor Co-chrane asked if he wanted to join a week long summer training camp held in Ashburton and attended by the country’s top athletics coaches. He still suspects his invitation was to make up numbers rather than because of any

latent running ability. This camp was big time. Tutor Bruce Milne had trained Peter Snell and in his day held the national schoolboys 800 metre record. His approach to athletics stunned even the best athletes in the class.

“He showed us a 12 monthly training pro-gramme and told us to learn to jog for two hours or more to improve. He said the best book we could read was Run – the Lydiard way. It was mind blowing stuff.”

Joe was hooked, and along with thou-sands of other young teenagers around New Zealand he took to the roads, inspired by the crop of great runners who, at that time, were putting New Zealand on the athletics map.

Every weekend the teenager ran in Christchurch, on the track in the summer and cross country for three hours during the winter months. He hated the mud and the wet but knew it was good strength training. He was still just middle of the road in terms of achievement, but when he looks at his times, he says they were much slicker than those recorded by today’s runners.

Joe had fallen under the running spell. The exhilaration of a good run is easy to explain, he says.

“It’s just about getting out there, feeling your body ticking over and the air going through your lungs.”

Joe thought he was hooked for life; what he hadn’t counted on was his body letting him down. At 27, in peak fitness, he came down with myalgic encephalopathy (ME). He could barely stand and constantly felt he would faint. His immune system was shot. He’d burned out – training too hard, work-ing too hard, renovating a new home. The 150km he regularly ran each week became just a memory; it was a struggle to get out of bed. He had weeks off work and 10 years off running.

“It was a living hell. I used to walk around with my hand in front of my face so I would

know if I was fainting and falling over. All the while I was dreaming every day about run-ning. The awful thing was that people would look at me and I’d look fine, but I felt like I was dying.”

With any little burst of energy he mus-tered, Joe would try to run. Six hundred metres and he’d be exhausted and utterly dejected.

He credits his son Ben for his return to the road.

“He was 10, had school sports and said that because I’d run once, I could show him what to do.”

Joe was daunted, but the request came during a family holiday; he had nothing to lose, no one would know if he failed.

“We did a short run and he wanted to do it again and again. After two weeks I could run three or four kilometers but I wondered what would happen when I went back home and back to work.”

The fear of failure haunted Joe so he ran solo in the dark, with a lamp strapped to his head.

“I was so scared I’d break down again and have to explain what went wrong, but after three months of work and running I hadn’t broken down. I was still hiding from other runners, but a harrier saw me and said he wanted me to come back to run in a relay.”

That was the prod Joe needed. He was 39, had been off the road for 10 years, but was finally feeling fit and healthy again. His challenge was to compete in World Masters Games and to clock good times. He achieved both goals, year after year. His times were in the world top 10 for his age group year after year.

His goal to run in the World Masters as a 50-year-old was stymied by the Canterbury earthquakes destroying the QEII and he’s resigned to that remaining just a dream.

His specialty distances were 1500m and

800m but over the years he’s run his share of half marathon and 10 km races too. He did one marathon three years ago, but admits that distance is a bit extreme for him.

In terms of injury he says he’s been lucky. Other than the 10 years off for ME, he’s had very few running-related problems and puts that down to good pre-run stretching and warm-ups.

He plans to continue running; he loves it too much to give up, but admits there’s a fair bit of dedication involved – 365 days of the year.

“There are runners within two or three seconds of me over 10 km races and on the darkest, coldest, wettest nights you know they’ll be training and trying to beat you in the next race. That’s enough to make sure you get out and do the effort when everyone else is in front of the fire tucking into a roast dinner. Christmas morning I’m out there running when others are having pre-lunch beers.”

Every Sunday for many years, he’s been one of a team of Ashburton runners who head to Geraldine every Sunday to pound the hills, regardless of the weather – snow, frost, pouring rain.

“That two hour, steep hilly block that was Dick Tayler’s training run gives us huge strength all year round.”

Running, Joe says, is for everyone. It doesn’t matter what shape you are, what you have as a goal. He believes he’s proof that anyone can become a runner.

“Everyone has their own dream to aspire to, their own mountain to climb. In our day it was to be another John Walker, but today many would just like to be a bit more healthy. How fast is not important. I see many people jogging and walking around the domain. I try to give them a smile or a word of encourage-ment. Their goals and challenges are no less hard than mine were in my younger days.”

Runnin’ man ...

Joe Ford

photo johnny houston 011111-jh-042

Indulge your body and revive your mind and soul. For the ultimate sensory journey, plan a trip to Revive on Oakview, your relaxation haven just a few minutes south of Ashburton.

The purpose-built villa is nestled on the shores of a tranquil pond, among mighty oaks and weeping willows, the soothing environment melting the stresses of a busy lifestyle, allowing a clear mind for relaxation and rejuvenation.

The serene beauty spa is the passion of renowned beauty therapist Nicky Eddington. Moving Revive from the Manchester Unity building on Havelock Street to the soothing environment on Longbeach Road has allowed Nicky to offer more encompassing packages for those looking for a little more decadence, with services ranging from a quick eyebrow wax through to a

romantic escape weekend for two.The spa villa is instantly soothing as

you walk through the front door with soft lighting and harmonious tunes floating softly in the background. The crisp white and soft grey interior complemented with white floating curtains and intricate white lanterns exudes style and serenity.

Step out on to the wooden deck to gaze upon the lush green lawn and delicate rhododendrons. Enjoy refreshments and a platter of nibbles or your morning breakfast as the paradise ducks gently float across the pond, the wind caresses the oak leaves and the babbling stream eases your thoughts.

For added relaxation, a Lignum wood fired hot tub sits beside the stream. Soak in deliciously hot water, a wood fire crackling beside you, steam and the fragrance of solid cedar wood rising from the surface of the water as you

soak in the panoramic surrounds.To truely enhance your pampering,

indulge in an overnight package to escape stress and slip into serenity. Plunge into relaxation and harmony by yourself, with a close friend or your

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a chic ensuite, flat screen television and a sensationally comfortable super king bed wrapped in luxurious linens.

By: Amanda Niblett

story continues on facing page

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and refreshing. I knew this was only the first step, but I already felt like a new woman.Her hands were gently massaging, in soft, fluid motions that helped my mind to

relax. The warm towel wrapped over my face felt heavenly.A gentle exfoliant was next, followed by a deliciously creamy moisturiser that

was massaged over my face, neck and shoulders. Instantly my work stresses were forgotten, and I could feel tension escape out of my muscles as Nicky massaged my worries away.

When time was up, I didn’t want to leave. In fact if I could have gotten away with it, I would have happily enjoyed a wine while relaxing beside the serenity of the pond.

Six hours later as I write this, my skin is feeling fantastic, soft and glowing.The experience was so enjoyable that I have already booked myself and bridesmaids

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A delicious breakfast awaits as you rise for the day, the pond is your vista as you start the new day among the heavenly surrounds.

Nicky is passionate about delivering luxury with the highest quality in spa treatments and products to guarantee an invigorating experience for the body, and serenity and relaxation for your senses. The Environ skin care range encourages the addition of essential vitamins to keep skin at it’s best for life. Sacred Nature is a unique natural and organic spa skin care range that Nicky incorporates into decadent treatments. This European range successfully combines advanced anti-aging skin care with elements that indulge and tantalise the senses.

Revive’s services range from maintenance to magnificent.

Waxing and electrolysis to keep smooth as silk, followed by tinting for striking features. Manicures and Pedicures to keep nails buffed and polished, hands and feet soft and supple.

For the ultimate in fast tanning Nicky can turn you into a bronzed goddess with a quality all over spray tan. Put your best face forward with a professional

makeover to highlight your beautiful features. Revive use Jane Iredale mineral make-up, for a quality finish. The next best thing is to be air-brushed!

To ease tension and melt the days stress away, Revive has a range of relaxing and invigorating massages, body treatments and facials to choose from. Choose one or treat yourself to an all-inclusive package to leave you feeling fantastic from top to toe.

For a special occasion, Revive on Oakview is the perfect location to offer the serenity you deserve leading up to your special day. Awake to a delicious breakfast and calm your nerves with a soak in the hot tub. Enjoy elegant spa treatments together with your bridal party before your professional make-up application. Invite the mothers for a wine while you put on your finishing touches and invite the hairdresser on site to complete your stunning look. The scenery sets a stunning location for pre-wedding photos.

Don’t wait for that special occasion to treat yourself to a little luxury, Revive on Oakview is waiting for you to experience the serenity and relaxation now.

Revive on Oakview is located at 707 Longbeach Road, Ashburton.Phone for appointments: 03 307 7100 or 027 678 8230

Visit their website for a full service list: www.revivebeauty.co.nzRevive on Oakview are open 5 days per week, including late nights and

Saturday’s by appointment only.

Revive on Oakview provides a relaxing environment to enjoy a range of pampering treatments, from an invigorating facial to a hot stone massage.

The accommodation offers the luxurious comfort of a super king-size bed enveloped in decadent linen.

A delicious breakfast after a romantic evening or nibbles before a special day can be enjoyed on the deck overlooking the tranquil pond.

12 YOU great gardens

photos kirsty graham 311011-kg-024

YOU great gardens 13

By Sue Newman

The perfect garden doesn’t have to be large and it doesn’t have to be old, it just has to be created with love.

And the garden surrounding Mary Mc-Cosker’s town house is proof of that.

Her small town plot is relatively new, but it contains flowing garden beds that give little hint that just two years ago they were made up of hard clay, scrubby plants and were deeply covered in bark chips. Over those months, she’s carted away trailer after trailer of bark and shingle, made return trips with bag after bag of manure, has dug new flower beds and planted countless plants.

The McCosker garden is a work in progress, although to the casual visitor it appears a work completed.

Nothing is safe in Mary’s garden. She’s out there all hours of the day, all weathers, pottering, weeding and quite often, mov-ing plants. “Things grow, things get replaced and often they get shifted. Everything in my garden has wheels.”

For her, gardening is a passion and one that she’s carried with her from farm to large urban garden and now to small town house section. When she’s not pottering, she’s dreaming and planning. For her, winter is not time off, it’s the time she uses to plan next year’s plantings.

“Most nights I go to bed thinking about what I’m going to be doing in my garden the next day,” she says.

Mary’s a life long gardener. On the farm she created gardens that were a riot of colour – she says that was to hide the ordinariness of the old family homestead. When the couple moved to town, she carved a new garden around an established house and over the years that property earned her many accolades in garden competitions, at garden clubs and from passersby.

And now in her third garden, she’s created something that has eye appeal year round and from every room in her home.

The McCosker garden is an eclectic mix of plants – small specimen trees, roses, annuals and just about everything in between. For Mary, both colour and form are important

and she strives to create a happy mix where foliage is complemented by dashes of sharp colour.

In her first town garden, Mary had 300 roses, but that number has dropped dramati-cally. Her favourites are floribunda for the good crops of flowers they produce. She doesn’t play favourites, but admits to cur-rently liking White Romance and the climber Warm Welcome.

By layering her plants, Mary has created the illusion that her garden is larger. Her fences have climbing roses and in summer are covered by many pots of colourful flow-ers, other climbers are trained up frames and topiary trees add height without bulk.

Initially these are shaped with clippers, but as they mature and perfection is sought, scis-sors ensure their shape is perfect.

Achieving that perfect garden is all about balance, Mary says.

“And because it’s a small garden, I need every plant to give a lot of value, that’s why I’ll grow things like oriental lilies and delphini-ums.”

Like most passionate gardeners, she can

name every plant and knows what’s hiding beneath the soil hibernating. Every day is a new day in her garden, there’s always some-thing about to burst into leaf or flower, some new treasure.

There’s no real secret to her garden apart from plenty of manure and plenty of love.

Last year she unloaded 35 large bags of sheep manure around her beds, supple-menting that with cow manure and liquid seaweed fertiliser.

Like all good gardens, Mary’s is matched by a very good lawn.

It’s immaculate, dense and weed free. The secret, she says, is regular dethatching and regular fertilising.

There’s even space for a mini vegetable garden. And while it might be a far cry from the large farm garden she once worked, Mary still manages to grow a good range of vegetables.

Her farm garden boasted 100 strawberry plants, but today’s version has just a handful.

Not content with her own lush patch, Mary helps others out in their own gardens too, particularly vegetable gardens.

Mary’s gardencreated with love ...

Above – If you’re short on space, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a great vege patch.

Top left – Mary McCosker enjoying her garden.

Right – Maximum impact from a small garden bed.

311011-kg-005

311011-kg-006

Story: Amanda Niblett

25 Years of Success

14 YOU methven summer schooladvertising feature

Methven Summer School 2012

The year was 1987 and the All Blacks won the very first World Cup on home soil. That same year, Methven hosted its very first Summer School and from humble beginnings the school has grown from strength to strength. The primary objective has always been to attract visitors to Methven in the summer months and the school has been delivering that for 25 years!

This years’ offering boasts the broadest curriculum in its history. 36 unique courses in interesting categories such as the Arts, Body & Mind, Crafts, Floral Art &

Gardening, Food & Drink, Sport, Performing Arts and Writing & Photography.

One of the old favourites to return is Kevin Smith, who has been coaching Summer School golfers for 25 years. Katherine Mowbray is another returning with her ever popular cheese making courses.

The committee has introduced an exciting new course category for 2012, ‘Body & Mind’. Locals Vashti Johnstone and Rosemary Eady will take participants through a spiritual journey using the medium of Yoga and Christchurch Psychologist Alison Ogier-Price’s course will offer an insight into what science has found makes us happy. Aptly named ‘The Science and Art of

Happiness’.Registrations are now open and course brochures

have already been distributed around Methven, surrounding districts and many parts of the country. Courses are offered on a first come, first served basis with

an ‘early bird’ offer until the 25th November 2011, most class sizes are limited so don’t delay in registering!

Some courses have already created much interest and are filling up fast.

Evening courses, Boutique Beer Sampling and A Cheesey Evening, are making popular Christmas Gifts!

NZ Alpine & Agriculture EncounterCanterbury’s newest visitor attraction!

Adults $17.50, Children $10, Families $48.00, SC & Students $14.00Open daily 10am - 5pm

Contact:160 Main Street, Methven. P: (03) 302-9666E: info@methvenheritagecentre.co.nz

What’s on at Methven Heritage Centre

Art Exhibition!Figuring the possibilities"

Artists: Vashti Johnstone Cheryl Irwin, Sarah Harper & Methven Summer School

Tutors for 2012 - Bill Irwin & Susie Millichamp.

Open daily - free entry.

Heritage CafeEnjoy Weekends specials & relax in the sun on the patio!

Book your OfÞce Christmas Party at the Heritage Centre!

YOU methven summer school 15advertising feature

2012 courses available

For course registriation and information visit:Website: www.methvensummerschool.co.nz Email: info@methvensummerschool.co.nzFreephone: 0800 12 46 36

Contact us now to here about our Earlybird prices, which you will need to register and pay by Friday 25th November 2011. Registrations after this date are accepted at full price up to the start of the course, if maximum class numbers have not been reached. In the unlikely event that class numbers do not reach their minimum requirement by mid December they will be cancelled and course fees refunded or transferred to another class if you so choose.

“On behalf of the committee, we’re delighted to be celebrating our 25th year and bring you such an exciting array of courses. We are very excited about our Variety Gala and would love to see many past and present students and tutors attend plus we invite the whole district to celebrate this fantastic milestone with us. We look forward to welcoming you to the 25th Summer School running from 9th to 13th January 2012.” Sharryn Bree (Chairperson)

ArtsCreative Pastel Painting with Maxine BurneyDates: Monday 9th to Tuesday 10th January (2 days)

Engaging Water Colours with Sue SimpsonDates: Tuesday 10th to Wednesday 11th January 2011.

Figure Painting with Susie MillichampDates: Wednesday 11th to Thursday 12th January

Oils in the High Country with Debbie LambertDates: Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th January

Painting Pastels with Mike GloverDates: Thursday 12th to Friday 13th January (2 days)

Body & MindThe Science and Art of Happiness with Alison Ogier-PriceDates: Thursday 12th January 9.00am - 4.00pm

Treasures of Joyous Spirit with Rosemary & VashtiDates: Wednesday 11th January or Thursday 12th January, 9.00am - 4.00pm (2 Courses)

CraftsBe Upholstered with Brendan PatrickDates: Thursday 12th - Friday 13th January (2 Days)

Designer Nuno Felt Scarf with Nicola BotaDates: Monday 9th January, 1pm to 4pm.

Create a Hand-Knitted Cable Scarf with Nicola BotaDates: Monday 9th & Tuesday 10th January. 9.00am - 12.00pm

Create a Tie Dyed Scarf with Nicola BotaDates: Tuesday 10th January 1.00pm - 4.00pm.

Iron Work with Shodie MilneDates: Friday 13th January 9.00am - 4.00pm

Secrets of Interior Design with Joan McLeanDates: Tuesday 10th to Wednesday 11th January (2 days)

Floral Art & GardeningFabulous Flowers with Annette WallerDates: Thursday 12th January 9.00am - 4.00pm

Home Vegetable Gardening with Mary RalstonDates: Monday 9th January 9.00am to 4.00pm.

Food & beverageA Cheesey Evening with Katherine MowbrayDates: Wednesday 11th January, 7pm

Boutique Beer Sampling with Dick FifeDates: Wednesday 11th January 7.00pm to 9.00pm

Coffee Complete with Pauline BlundenDates: Thursday 12th to Friday 13th January 9.00am to 12.00pm (2 X 1/2 days)

Culinary Art with Philip NordtDates: Monday 9th January 9.00am - 3.30pm

Glorious Ganache with Stephanie HershDates: Monday 9th January. 7pm

Food & DrinkHome Cheesemaking with Katherine MowbrayDates: Thursday 12th or Friday 13th January

Made By Hand with Emily CrossDates: Wednesday 11th January

Pastry Building Blocks with Stephanie HershDates: Tuesday 10th January.

SportBeginners/Intermediate Fly Fishing with Allan KircherDates: Monday 9th - Tuesday 10th January

Intermediate - Advanced Fly Fishing with Allan KircherDates: Thursday 12th - Friday 13th January

Cycle Maintenance with Richie OwenDate: Monday 9th January

Golfing with Aiden Berry (beginner)Dates: Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th January (4 days)Golfing with Jason Tilley (experienced)Dates: Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th January (4 days)

Golfing with Kevin Smith (advanced)Dates: Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th January (3 Days)

Performing ArtsIntroduction to Acting with Jackie HeffernanDates: Wednesday 11th (10am - 3pm)

Discover the Ukulele with Stephen WightmanDates: Wednesday 11th January 9am-4pm

Camera Skills and Composition with Bill IrwinDates: Friday 13th January 9am---4pm

Photography, How To See More with Bill IrwinDates: Wednesday 11th January 9.00am - 4.00pm

How to Write a Non Fiction eBook with Brian MorrisDates: Monday 9th January 1.00pm - 4.00pmVenue: Mt Hutt College

How to put your ebook on Amazon Kindle with Brian MorrisDates: Tuesday 10th January 1.00pm - 4.00pm

How to be a Travel Writer with Brian MorrisDates: Wednesday 11th January 1.00pm - 4.00pm

140 Forest Drive, MethvenPhone 302 8062

Hours Mon-Fri 10am-4pm

Country by DesignChristmas is set!We will have 3 beautiful Christmas settings on display in our store on Thursday 1st December.A great opportunity to be inspired.

We will have extended hours to allow you to shop – open until 7 pm.

16 YOU couch potato

*Offer based on first visit enrolment, minimum 12 months direct debit programme. Service fee paid at time of enrolment.

Does not include Smart Activation Fee. Not valid with any other offer. New members only. Valid only at participating locations.

Offer valid until December 31st 2011. CurvesSmart. Powered by MYTRAK. © 2011 Curves International, Inc.

Curves Ashburton222 Havelock Street - Telephone 308 4085

curves.co.nzStrengthening Women.tm

It’s never too early for resolutions.

Join, Rest of Year FREE!*

Shed kilograms & centimetres in no time with encouraging coaches and real-time feedback and progress reports from CurvesSmart™ technology.

54 Cass Street AshburtonPhone 03 308 5900

LIMITED TIME ONLYBUY A 6 or 12 MONTH GYM

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20% OFF*Includes: All fitness assessments and exercise programmes.

*Expires 31/12/11 - Some conditions apply.

Make a changethat starts

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per week.

NO JOINING FEE

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED & SUPPORTING HEALTH AND FITNESS SINCE 1997

Couch potatoesstand up

The Ashburton Guardian Couch Potato chal-lenge has recently surpassed its first month, with all competitors still enthusiastically pounding the pave-ment and experiencing the benefits of a more active lifestyle.

In this issue, they share their own personal experi-ences of the journey, and give you an insight into what they have been doing to achieve their successes.

Hard times and deviations were expected and met, but an understanding that getting back on track would help them succeed, not just for this challenge

but for life, is what has kept them going.Emotionally and physically our contestants have

started this rollercoaster ride, full of highs, lows and unexpected turns. Like any rollercoaster ride some turns are scary, some rushes are exhilarating and some parts can be disappointing, but inevitably it will finish. The difference between a rollercoaster and this challenge is that the contestants have full control over how this journey will end.

A few weeks ago the Couch Potatoes faced their first monitored challenge, a timed 1km walk. This will

be used as an indication of progress as the challenge continues over the following months.

Coming up in early December, the contestants will be required to complete a one-hour continuous walk.

This will be a group challenge, and will present the opportunity for a sense of achievement as well as a great benchmark to see how far they have pro-gressed.

Give our contestants encouragement and support as they take each day step by step along the journey of the Couch Potato Challenge.

So you’ve tried a few diets, counted some calories, maybe joined a gym or sports team, bought a book and watched a few reality TV shows on weight loss.

Yet, here we are New Zealand: Fat. A report recently released by the Ministry of Health on the NZ Health Survey found that 1 in 3 adults are overweight and, you might be shocked to hear, 1 in 5 children are overweight. The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes the prevalence of obesity as epidemic.

Even though we think of ourselves as 100% PURE – the tramping, out-doorsy types, following the footsteps of Ed Hillary, we’re not.

Let’s face the fact: New Zealand now ranks 3rd in the WHO global obesity rankings. This is one contest we don’t want to win. New Zea-land didn’t get fat overnight, and it appears even with all the books, diet, private and public health programmes, talk TV shows, exercise

equipment infomercials and nutri-tional guidance we are not dropping the weight. So, it must be time for a reality check – if you are up for it – The “reasons” we are still overweight:1. You hate exercise. Of course you

do, think about it, if you’re carrying around an extra 20kg sack of pota-toes and/or a tractor tyre of course you hate exercise. The strain this is putting on your body is immense, however, if you were fitter you would learn to love it. It may be tough going to start with but once you start dropping a few kilograms it will be lots more fun! When you REALLY want to lose weight you’ll stop focusing on “hating exercise”, and be ready do the yards.

2. I’ve lost weight before and I put it on again plus some. So what did you learn? This time, once you’ve lost weight, burn/sell/trade your fat clothes and if you start to put weight back on refuse to buy the next size up. This way you’ll get

sick of trying to squeeze into your jeans and be motivated to lose the weight again. This is the secret to staying in one dress size!

3.Idon’thavetime.Ok that’s fine, stay overweight and at risk of serious chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke and several common cancers. Lack of time is not a reason it’s another excuse. There are 168 hours in your week, when you REALLY want to lose weight you’ll find three hours a week to exercise.

4. I won’t be able to eat the food I love. Not true, you just don’t need to eat the quantities of a sumo wrestler. Let’s be honest, our por-tion sizes are way out of control, and we consume simple carbohy-drates (sugar and flour) like addicts. Don’t upsize anything, get some help from a nutrition coach and learn to love your protein! Well if you’ve read all this and you

fall into the overweight or obese category, I’ve either offended or mo-tivated you. The “Reasons” We Are Still Fat are just Excuses which we’ve invented to rationalise our current lifestyle and behaviour. The bottom life is if you really don’t want to lose weight that is fine, just know the risks and quit kidding yourself. When you decide that you really want to, find yourself the resources you need, maybe a nutritionist, personal or gym trainer, sports team, dance class, walking group, whatever support it takes for you.

Good luck and let’s forge a better road for the 1 in 5 overweight and obese kids. For more information on the New Zealand obesity epidemic visit www.moh.govt.nz/obesity.

NOTE: If you are overweight or obese and/or suffer from any of the related illnesses or are unsure about your physical condition please consult medical advice prior to beginning exercise.

The ‘reasons’ why you are still overweight

RACHEAL RICKARDRacheal is helping

contestants with their fitness needs on the

six-month CouchPotatoes challenge

YOU couch potato 17

Become a shadow of your

former self

Sally Rossiterlifechanges@hotmail.co.nz

021 383 412

Sally Rossiter is now available for appointments in Ashburton

and Methven!Learn how to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life.

Sally can offer an individualised plan that includes support, a customised eating plan,

motivation, education, recipes,cooking classes, tips and tricks,

and more!

This is not a diet you go ‘on’ and ‘off’ it is normal eating

habits for life that keep your weight steady.

Geoff Laird

Well we are now into our fourth week of the Couch Potato challenge, and already I can feel the benefit.

When we first began I struggled to walk for 10 minutes without getting puffed, but now I can stride with confidence for more than 30 minutes.

This is quite an achievement for me.My focus now is to increase the speed a bit.I have just completed my second session at The

Gym Company. At my first session Frank was pretty gentle with me, but my second session with Josh was much more challenging. I left feeling absolutely knackered, but at the same time I felt great about what I had achieved.

Thanks guys!

Cathie Withington

Well, I’ve gone from “couch” to “ouch” and then, (oops) to “grouch”. Although I was expecting to hurt, I didn’t expect to actually injure myself … twice in one month! So this month hasn’t been the best for sticking to the cardio fitness training plan.

The walking has been hard work, but I knew that when I signed up for the challenge. The first weekend we were on the West Coast and went for a lovely long walk. It would have been shorter but we got lost!

I’ve really appreciated the support from Rachael and Sally, as well as the encouragement of friends and family. Getting out on the bike has been lots of fun – and some-thing I could manage even when my foot and then my calf muscle were healing. My time for the 1km walk was pitiful but I guess it can only get better.

Managing the nutrition hasn’t been a big issue; al-though eating six times a day has … I was always told that one should eat three times a day and no in-betweens. Seems the in-betweens keep the body fuelled. As long as they are the right in-betweens!

Several people have asked after my diet – well, this isn’t a diet as such, it’s eating for life. Now that I feel more confident managing that, I need to work on the exercise.

And that sixth grandchild has arrived, an 8 pound 5 ounce boy called Matthew. Jeff and I are off to visit next weekend. What better incentive to stick to the plan?

Jeff Withington

I didn’t realise just how quickly the month had flown by. This is a time of change for me, and the changes have been rewarding. At the start of the challenge I was tempted one night at Toastmasters with chocolate bars being handed out as prizes. I found I had the strength of character to give mine back. I can certainly tell you that was a change from what would have happened the week before!!!!

Then there is the fuel savings in the car. I am walk-ing to places that I would have normally driven to. Walking a kilometre now is easy, whereas at the be-ginning of the month, I could do it; but be exhausted at the end of it.

Even one Friday morning when Rachael got us all out at the same time as the sparrows were waking to power walk a kilometre in the domain, I did it; but was sore for a good while afterward. So comfortably walking a kilometre now ... that’s a change.

I still find that some people are confusing the fit-ness of the Couch Potato challenge, with the weight loss of the Biggest Loser challenge, the Guardian ran at the beginning of the year. I am asked how the diet is going for instance. Well with Sally’s advice on nutrition the groceries have changed for the better ... but it’s not a diet. However, for me to fit snacks in between meals is a change and if I get into old habits and skip them I feel terrible for having done that. But snacks (even healthy ones) is something I hardly ever did because so much else was happening.

Which reminds me of possibly one of the biggest challenges for me so far. Eating cottage cheese, instead of my beloved cheddar!!! mmm ... well ... Finding the right words to describe the thought of my eating something as disgusting looking as cottage cheese is possibly something the paper wouldn’t want to publish anyway. But that’s a mind over matter thing. Now that I’ve tried it, there’s noth-ing wrong with it. I still keep some Edam cheddar in the fridge; but for me, that change was a biggie. Roll

on month 2 for it’s challenges.

photos kirsty graham

Wayne Rodgers

It doesn’t seem like a month ago we started.

Back in week one every day seemed to take forever to finish and I wondered what was I doing? In between food times the stom-ach definitely liked to rumble. The second week got worse as I spent the week away, watching the under-14 basketball nationals.

I really had to think ahead to plan meals so as not to eat takeaways, which I normally do when away.

Heading back home seemed easier but then there was the pantry, with the choco-late biscuits and chips.

The kids have helped out with continuing to eat these while I haven’t.

Back into a routine for the next couple of

weeks made things happen better.The body is now used to eating smaller

meals and more often, and yes I have to say I am making healthy choices now.

The body is also adjusting to the walking I do most evenings. And for anyone that I haven’t waved back at, I am sorry but I was probably trying to get some air into my lungs.

Rachel Robertson

The start of this challenge for me was the hardest thing to do, but it has been the best thing I have ever done as well. I now realise that to lose weight I have to eat in a balanced way.

For the first day it was hard as I did not know what to expect. Then by day three it was easy to get the hang of. But that was just the food, the exercise is different altogether. I thought that I was somewhat fit, no I wasn’t.

I just got on with the walking and set up a route I could do for either walking or biking to start with. Now I am doing

it all the time, except for rainy days, then I do my workout at home.

I have had a lot of feedback from people I know, who think it is brave of me to do this, but also good for me ....

Week two also had a few ups and downs, but I worked though them.

The highlight for me was when I went to the Waimate 50 motorsport weekend. I found that I could walk all over the place and not have to stop all the time for a breather which was great.

Now we are at the end of week three and all is well so far, roll on the rest and we can only get better from here ...

wedded bliss18 YOU collecting

Margaret Wilson Selling homes just like yours

Margaret was recently awarded Salesperson of the month for September in New Zealand for First National Real Estate Group for most exclusive listings!When you are buying or selling your property, talk to Margaret about how she can give you top service and results!

Mid Canterbury(A member of the First National Group)

Licensed Sales Person (REAA 2008)

What puts Margaret on top in Real Estate?

M: 021 221 2544 P: 03 307 8317 W: www.margaretwilson.co.nz

Gilbert Donaldson with some of his sewing machine collection. photo tetsuro mitomo 041111-tm-076

Gilbert’s got collecting

all sewn upby Daniel Henderson

Behind the doors of Gilbert Donaldson’s shed lie many antiques and collectables, including 12 sewing machines from the 1860s to the 1940s.

“I call it Grandma’s kitchen this end with all sorts of household stuff. Some of these sewing machines are toys for children but they still work.”

Mr Donaldson’s grandchildren love to play on an old ma-chine – minus the sewing needle of course.

“This Ballantyne’s one is a 1940s treadle machine and they love treadling on it.”

Treadle machines are foot powered and so well balanced they require minimal foot pumping, Mr Gilbert said.

The smallest one he owns is a 76-year-old Wertherm Rhenia which he bought off TradeMe for $70 but, “it’s worth £300 now.”

Sharing space with large tractors in the shed represents a mellowing over the years for Gilbert.

“As I’ve got older I’ve moved down to smaller household goods.”

His interest harks back to his up-bringing and the machinery around the house.

“I grew up on a farm and we didn’t get electricity until after the war. Everything was hand-held, even the water-pump for the house was by hand.”

Half the sewing machines are from the United States and The other from England. The brands are Wertherm, Singer, New Home, Ballantynes and Vulcan.

“I don’t do any sewing myself, but I’ve got a sister, and sister-in-law who’ve sewed on them to check that they work.”

Mr Donaldson has the odd group tour his shed.“It’s not an official museum or anything, but I invite people

to have a look. Sewing machines are just part of the collec-tion.”

photos supplied

Jamin Robertson and Robyn (nee Nepean) were married in Toronto, Canada, on Septem-ber 23. The wedding party (below) pictured Ja-min and Robyn, the Canadian bridesmaids and Kiwi groomsmen. Matt Smith, Nathan Campbell (bestman), Dean Robertson, Ivan Sumner and Todd Robertson’.

YOU travel 19

The security of travellers cheques with the convenience of plastic.

» 304-312 East Street, Ashburton» 03 308 0635» bnz_ashburton@bnz.co.nz

Key bene�ts:Card securityAbility to lock in the exchange rate prior to travelling34 Million merchant facilities available worldwide with Master CardUnparalleled global emergency assistanceAvailable in 5 currencies: EU, GB, US, AU, NZReloadable via internet banking

The Cash Passport is the secure and convenient way to manage your budget when travelling overseas.

by Erin Tasker

Bruce Ellis wanted to get out of his comfort zone, and in Morocco, he did just that.

He and wife Marilyn travelled to Morocco earlier this year, spending nine days travelling the country before heading to Vienna, Aus-tria, and travelling down the Dalmatia Coast.

Morocco was the reason for the trip though. The country in northern Africa, situ-ated just below Spain, where the primary lan-guage is Moroccan, and the second is French, was at the top of Bruce’s list of places to see despite not knowing a lot about the country.

“All I knew about Morocco was that New Zealand sometimes got fertiliser from there,” Bruce says.

During a stop-over in Dubai they learnt there had been a bombing in Marrakesh, Morocco’s tourism capital, but it was too late to worry about it. They continued on.

They started a nine-day tour in Casablanca – the financial capital of Morocco and headed to Rabat and Fes, before heading to Mar-rakesh at the tail end of the tour. There they

visited he only royal palace open to the public in Morocco, the El Bahia Palace, and the picturesque gardens, Jardin Majorelle.

Along the way they experienced markets, many mint tea ceremonies, took in a sunset in the spectacular Sahara Desert, and saw mosques – including the Hassan II Mosque which is one of only two open to the non-Muslims in the country. It has enough room for 25,000 worshippers.

They visited the Fes Medina, which is like a walled city within a city, and is home to 200,000 people. That, they found, was everything they’d pictured Morocco to be. It was authentic.

The couple has done a bit of travelling over the past few years. Their first big overseas trip came in 1999, to the United Kingdom.

“We only ever intended to do one trip,” Marilyn says.

But they caught the bug and have since been around the world, travelling to countries including Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, China and around Europe.

Morocco was their latest adventure and they don’t have any more planned – yet.

Out of the comfort zoneMorocco:

Overlooking Fes. Merveilles de Cuir Tannery.

Above – Bruce and Marilyn Ellis outside the Mosque Hassan II.Below – A man sells mint in Fes.

The Sahara at sunset.

20 YOU and technology

E-readerschanging the way we read

By Daniel Henderson.

The days of grabbing a random dusty paperback from a hostel on your travels may be numbered. Instead you could be carrying 3500 books on your back, in digital format on your e-reader device.

Giant American book and electronics online retailer, Amazon.com, last year, for the first time sold more electronic versions of books than the conven-tional paper format.

So what are the benefits of forking out for a Kindle or a Kobo, just a couple of e-readers on the market?

Manager of an Ashburton electronics store, Teresa Hamila, said the Kindle was popular.

“We’ve sold 17 of the 3G version and eight of the WIFI version which we’re now sold out of.”

The 3G Kindle allows downloads of content over the mobile phone network so you can download wherever you’ve got coverage. It has a mini web-browser to use internet. The WIFI version does not have those functionalities. It is wireless, but you will need access to the wireless network you wish to

download from if away from home. But it is cheaper.“General comments have been on the ease of

use, the fact you can increase the font size and the number of titles they can potentially hold,” Teresa Hamila said.

Ashburton resident Kate Murney who purchased a Kobo last year enjoys the device.

“It’s great and so practical for travelling, on a plane. I take my laptop with me and can charge it up.”

This won’t have to happen often as a single charge will last two weeks.

“I still like the old fashioned book reading and I’m not the best with technology. I need a bit of help downloading, but it is so great for travelling.”

Mrs Murney thinks the youth will take up e-readers wholeheartedly while she will dip in and out when it suits.

Commenters on online forums mention that the Kindle has eight more shades of grey than the Kobo and a built in dictionary. But it’s more expensive and heavier than the Kobo.

Whichever model people go for, e-readers are changing the way we read.

YOU and your family 21

have fun while learning.

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Let your child

Perfect parents –they just don’t exist

It would be nice to think we were all great parents all the time but, of course, we aren’t. If you can be great some of the time, average some of the time, and really crap only occasion-ally, that’s not a bad score. It’s worth remembering that most of us didn’t have perfect parents either.

It would be nice to think that none of us ever bellow at our children, but of course most of us do. This is just another fact of parenting life, and something else to feel bad about. From time to time though, a bellow can be a very effective way of getting the little people’s attention. The trick with bel-lowing is not to do it all the time. Bellowing all the time is like over-using an exclamation point: it just gets tiresome.

“Look! I get tired of the fact that no-one ever listens! Really tired! All I do all day is talk and talk and no-one ever

listens! You need to listen to me! Put the teddy down and listen! When I ask you to do something I expect that you will do it! So do it! Right now! Now! Now! Now!”

Boring, huh? All those exclamation points reduce it to little more than a

very loud form of nagging. If you bellow all the time, stop. It isn’t working.

If it did you wouldn’t need to bellow all the time.

Instead you should try very hard to speak very

quietly, and impose appropriate punish-ment, and praise, with

an iron determination. If you are going to bellow, save them up, and use them wisely. Bellow at just the right point, and you will probably get a reaction. Better still, once it’s out of your system you can go back to the stuff that actually works to improve behaviour.

Most of us worry that our children will hate us if we bellow. They won’t. Your kids won’t hate you if you’re not perfect, so just relax about all that stuff. They will, on the other hand, hate you if you’re mean. Fortunately there’s a world of differ-ence between periodic bellowing, and meanness. If you are mean to your kids, then stop. If for no other reason than one day they’ll be bigger than you.

So that’s it really ... don’t be mean, and just do the best you can.

ThismonthwetakeinsomewordsofwisdomfromNewZealandparentingguruNigelLatta. The clinical psychologist and author will speak on raising boys and girls, in Methven at the

MountHuttMemorialHallonDecember5.

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24 YOU DIY

Raised gardens can make life easier

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Now that the warmer weather has arrived, you will be wanting to spend more time outside getting the garden in order. And that may include plant-ing out your vegetable garden.

Raised beds make gardening easy and require less bending, they are tidy, easy to water, offer great drain-age, and produce is easy to harvest.

The beds can be designed at any height, width or shape to suit the grower or the area available.

The soil the plants are grown in can also be improved easily. If the soil in your garden makes it difficult for your plants to flourish, with raised beds you can use a quality soil and add to them.

For a really good crop of vegetables you need about 300mm of quailty soil to allow plants to root deep. However, many vegetables will grow happily in about 150mm of soil.

Weeds are also less of a problem in raised beds. Any weeds that do appear are more easily spotted and removed, and as everything is within reach, your soil won’t become compacted due to you walking on it.

You can choose from a variety of materi-als to construct your raised bed. Wood is the most obvious and popular choice as

it is easy to work with. Treated timber or half rounds are relatively inexpensive, but hardwood sleepers, concrete blocks or bricks are also great options.

There are lots of kitset-type raised gar-dens out there but if you buy the timber by the metre and cut it yourself you save money and get exactly the size you want.

You want your garden to be a size that is easy to use and you don’t want to have to step into it to reach your plants.

An area that if flat and level is ideal and it is a good idea to keep the garden to around four feet wide, because this way you can access the middle of the bed from either side.

If you are placing your bed against a wall or fence, it should be no more than three feet wide, and any length you like.

Once you have decided the size and shape of your raised garden, you can prepare the site.

Decide what you want to grow and select a spot with suits your needs. Vegetables or herbs like a sunny spot, and it is a good idea to have access to water nearby.

Treated two by six timber is ideal as it is easy to work with and will give you 150mm of depth.

Cut the wood to the desired size, then attach them together to make

a simple frame. You can attach them in a variety of ways.

You can make a simple butt joint at each corner, pre-drilling and then screw-ing the corners together with galvanized screws or coach bolts.

You can use a small piece of wood in the corner, and attach each side to it. Remember to make sure your frame is level.

The good thing about a raised garden is that it gives you the opportunity to garden in perfect soil.

Take this opportunity to fill your bed with a good mixture of quality topsoil, compost and rotted manure. Once the beds are filled and raked level, they are ready for planting.

Ordinary Kiwi bloke Shane ‘Woodsy’ Woods is handy

around the house with a ham-mer. Each month we’ll check in on what his latest DIY project has been.

Shane Woods

Above – Raised gardens can be designed at any height, width or shape to suit.Below – Raised gardens also make great sandpits. Here Woodsy has a little fun with his son Nate.

YOU car mania 25

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Vehicles of all shapes and sizes are seen on Mid Canterbury roads. One that hasn’t been on the road for awhileisClemMcLauchlan’s100-year-oldNewPickwhichisondisplayattheVintageCarClubMuseum.

JustforYOU,JonathanLeasklooksattherare100-year-oldcar.

Had it not been for Clem McLauchlan’s desire to own a New Pick, the 1911-manu-factured car would not have made it to its 100th birthday.

Still in running condition, Clem’s New Pick is one of only four in the country.

“My old neighbour, Mr Felix Mulligan, had one and I pestered him for years asking if he wanted to sell it to me,” Clem said.

“Eventually I gave up on his and found one up at Arundel.”

However, the New Pick Clem found wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.

“The owner had stripped it right down to pieces and converted it into a post rammer.

“It was all in parts, stripped bare to the chassis with the bits in a shed and all the brass hanging up.”

After purchasing the “pieces” Clem spent 35 years putting it back together into a finished product.

“He may not have sold me his car but he (Mulligan) loaned me some pictures of it and I used them to rebuild it myself.

“It was all pretty difficult but I especially had fun with the front axle.”

He hasn’t had it on the road since 2002 when his licence was retired and despite spending almost all of its time locked away on display at the Vintage Car Club Museum,

the car that reached the 100-year milestone last month still runs.

“We know there are only four others like it in the country and one other under res-toration close to being completed,” Vintage Car Club southern region club captain John Cheynoweth said.

The car is not only rarer due to its age but because they haven’t been produced in more than 80 years.

The New Pick is named after Jack Pick, who began building cars in England in 1898 with his first effort a simple dogcart which he sold to a doctor for £85.

Clem’s car, the 1911 model, is a four-cylinder side valve engine of about 3000cc capacity, advertised as being able to achieve 50 miles per hour and was easily distinguishable due to their unusually round radiator.

In 1908 the cars went from being called Pick’s to New Picks before reverting back to Pick in 1915.

Despite manufacturing a quality product, sales weren’t matching production and in 1925 Pick left the car manufacturing indus-try to become a greengrocer.

Luckily for this model, Clem stuck to it and re-converted the post rammer back into vehicular form.

New Pick restored to former glory

photos tetsuro mitomo 281011-tm-108

Clem McLauchlan with his 100-year-old New Pick that he rebuilt almost from scratch.

Above – The New Pick is easily distin-guishable due to their unusually round radiator.

Above – The New Pick is very much old fashioned, with a squeezable horn and lanterns for lights.

Right – The four-cylinder side valve engine.

281011-tm-098

281011-tm-092

281011-tm-093

What most men look for in a good woman, smart women look for in a good car.

Functionality, intelligence, manoeuvrability, great curves, loads of fun and exciting extras.

The new Toyota Yaris ticks all the boxes, and is fast becoming the trendy new ‘it’ car to own. I was keen to slide into the sleek new interior to see what was behind all of the chit chat, and find out where the name Yaris came from.

The background on the Yaris name I found quite interesting. It stems from a goddess in Greek mythology, named Charis, who was a symbol of beauty and elegance. Toyota put that together with the German expression of agreement, Ya, which is why the Yaris’s catch phrase is “Yaris means Yes”.

Upon first impressions, the new Yaris is now bolder looking with strikingly sexy curves, more spacious for both driver and passengers and light years ahead of its predecessor in dynamics and safety.

Compactness is still a virtue at just 3855mm in length, but the car interior is surprisingly spacious, thanks to its long wheel base, wide track, and cleverly designed seating arrangement. It is the perfect compromise of having a smaller, zippy car, and with the added interior space and comfort you won’t feel squashed like Mr Bean in his mini.

It’s contemporary and distinctive looks give a world of opportunity, perfect for businesses looking for a smart branding car, and great for a girls shopping day. The boot is very spacious and has a removable floor, to allow for 2 layers of shopping, or remove the floor layer to create a large, deep storage area.

Ready for all of life’s twists and turns, it has an improved driving position ensuring comfort and maximum visibility.

I found the car very drivable and easy to adapt to. It responded well to every movement, cornered smoothly and drove very comfortably.

The added features on the multi information speedometer were an impressive feature. At a glance I could find out exactly how many liters of petrol remained in the tank, and what my average fuel consumption was as I was travelling.

The safety, economy and performance enhancements on the Yaris were surprising considering the low price tag for a new vehicle.

Vehicle stability control, traction control plus multiple braking safety features left me feeling like I was in full control of the vehicle at all times, and I had the added piece of mind in knowing that the Yaris has installed an impressive nine air bags.

The 1.3 litre engine is extremely economical to run, averaging only 6.3 liters per 100km.

Even under the hood the Yaris is uncomplicated. The dipstick, oil and water were clearly marked and easy to reach, but with Toyota’s fantastic servicing plans, you may never need to access these anyway. The tube for the window washer detergent is the easiest of all to find, making the maintenance of the Yaris super easy for those of us who would prefer to be doing other things.

If you’re a bit of an accessory lover like myself, you will be pleased to know that the interior features a great audio unit with audio input jack, USB, voice recognition, Bluetooth hands-free audio capability and audio streaming capability, iPod controls and security system.

And for the necessary latte on the way to work, the Yaris has an impressive four cup holders, because you can never have too much coffee in the morning.

26 motoring advertising feature

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Recipe of the monthCongratulations to last months winner

Helen Wright Ashburton

Barker’s High Tea Gift BoxPost your self addressed envelope to: Barkers Giveaway, Amanda Niblett, PO Box 77, Ashburton 7700. E-mail: amanda.n@theguardian.co.nz, subject header: Barkers Giveaway.

Please include your name, address and phone number. Only complete entries will be included in the draw.

Ideal for a Christmas Morning Tea.Ingredients:

½ cup warm milk

Classic Fruit Mince

Method:

in small bowl.

large bowl then make a well in centre.

4. Pour in the yeast mixture, egg, butter and stir until just combined.

minutes.

6. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in warm

in size.

rectangle.

dough and roll tightly from the longer side.

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Barker’s Christmas Berry Fruit Scrolls

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YOU foodies 27

Taste of the Philippines

Simple Chicken Adobo

Arline Ong has been in New Zealand since 2007 but she has not left her homeland of the Philippines behind.

She loves to cook Filipino food for friends and family, as well as sharing it with fellow Filipinos, but does admit her food has now been influenced by New Zealand culture just a bit.

She and her Filipino husband were both brought up on the food and love the taste.

They will also bring their two-month-old son up to appreciate the different taste and flavour incorporated in the

food. Mrs Ong said Filipino food was simple but people just needed to know the basics on how to cook it perfectly.

The know-how is second only to hav-ing the right ingredients, a task which has been slightly easier for the family since a Filipino grocery store opened in Ashburton.

It doesn’t have everything she needs but it has most things and most im-portantly, it saves a trip to Christchurch every time for refills.

She shares her recipe for Simple Chicken Adobo below.

Method

• Putvinegar,bayleaves,pepper,soy sauce and water in a saucepan. Coverandcookslowlyforabout15minutes.

• Meanwhile,heatthecookingoilinalarge,heavy-bottomedfryingpan.Peelthegarlic,breakthecloves into chunks and brown them over medium heat (about fiveminutes).

• Addthechickentothefrypanandbrown it over medium heat for aboutfiveminutes.

• Addthebrothtothefrypanandsimmer,partlycovered,untilthechickenisdone–about30min-utes.Donotletitcometoaboil.

• Removethebayleavesandserveover rice.

• Youcansubstituteporkforthechicken or mix the two.

Ingredients2 lb chicken pieces, cut up or whole.1 head of garlic, coarsely chopped.4 tbsp soy sauce (specially made Filipinosoyhasmoreflavour)1 tsp ground black pepper2 cups water½ cup vinegar (rice vinegar or white winevinegarworkbest)2 bay leaves2 tbsp cooking oil

photo johnny houston 041111-jh-040

Arline Ong shows off her simple Chicken Adobo Filipino recipe.