Sunny side up... and sometimes serious! by Rhonda Bunyan | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

Twenty-five years ago.....

? 'Brownie', Miss M C Brown, was officially farewelled by Stratford Hospital staff and friends at a special function after her retirement as Principal Nurse after serving the district for 37 years. Brownie devoted her lifetime to nursing, since 1954 as matron, and then with a change of designations, Principal Nurse.

This latter day Florence Nightingale commenced her general training at New Plymouth in 1939. On completion of her training she shifted to begin work at Stratford's Maternity Hospital in June 1944. A year later she became theatre sister and in 1949 moved to take a year's postgraduate course in Wellington.

Miss Brown then returned to Stratford where she took up duties as Tutor Sister and a year later was appointed Matron. More than 250 guests attended the farewell. Mrs J Hopkins, the longest-serving nurse, presented Miss Brown with a 'magnificent set of four velvet upholstered fireside chairs'.

Miss Brown paid tribute to the nursing staff she had worked with and to volunteer workers 'Friends of the Hospital' who 'assisted in so many ways without thought of monetary gain'. Miss Lesley White, who had been nursing at Stratford Hospital since 1962, took over duties as Principal Nurse. She began her training at Hokitika.

? Springbok Tour protesters marched through Eltham to add their concern to that being expressed in many of the larger centres throughout the country. March organiser, Mr Bryan Kyle, said he felt it was about time those in the district who were opposed to the tour stood up and were counted. He said it was all very well for people living in small towns such as Eltham to protest in a larger town such as New Plymouth, 'but I believe we should stand up and be counted in our town rather than hide in a crowd at a really big protest in the city'.

Later the Press reported that the protesters 'received a rough time' when they paraded through Eltham's main street on the following Friday night.

Upwards of a hundred people lined the streets to bombard the protesters with eggs and water bombs. Bryan Kyle later told the Press he 'felt like Christ walking to Calvary'. Many of the rugby supporters climbed to the second floor of buildings giving them a better vantage point for hurling missiles. Mr Kyle said the Police had warned the protesters to start their march earlier. The Police apparently ignored repeated complaints from one of the marchers about the offensive language of the onlookers.

'A lot of people saw the ugly side of Eltham,' said Mr Kyle. Many of the sideliners chanted , 'We support apartheid - one, two, three, four - we support this racist tour.' One onlooker called on protesters to 'Go back to Russia!' Former Eltham Rugby Club secretary and Borough Councillor, Mr E N Wolfe, said most people had thought the march 'a bit of a laugh'. He said he didn't think the march had changed many views about the tour.

'We want them to come here rain, hail or shine,' he said. 'Our club is organising buses to see the game to be played at New Plymouth.'

? Well-known local entertainers, husband and wife team Geith and Shirley Pickford of Eltham left the district to embark on a range of engagements including a stint at the Cosmopolitan Club in Palmerston North with well-known English entertainer Jimmy Edwards. They would move on to a five-week engagement at O'Connell's Ski Resort in Queenstown. Previously the couple had worked at Red Pepper Restaurant in Wanganui and the St John's Workingmen's Club there. Appearing as 'Shiner' Geith and Shirley offered the equivalent of a five-piece band in a 'controllable, economical two-piece unit'. Shirley began her 'entertaining' career at the age of six winning at talent quests. Later she released three records (one which made the Top 10) and appeared on television's 'Happen Inn' as Shirley-Kay Angel. Geith started playing cornet in brass band at 10. In 1970 he travelled to Australia to play lead trumpet in a 'Tijuana Brass' style show which gained fourth place in the Australian Grand Final of 'John Mahon's Search For The Stars' on Channel 10.

? Twelve-year-old St Joseph's pupil Alison Caskey won a BMX bike in a Frosty Boy national television competition.

? Central Taranaki supplied six of 13 girls for the province's Primary Schools' A Team to play at the national hockey championships at Napier: Michelle Millen (Stratford Primary), Caroline Blackstock (Bird Road School), Megan Wright (Pembroke Road), Toni Oliver (Midhirst), Denise Pettit (Tariki) and Corinne Taylor (Eltham Primary).

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A man goes to his local GP with badly blistered legs after being sunburnt on a fishing trip. The doctor prescribes Viagra. 'I didn't realise Viagra was good for sunburn,' says the man. 'It isn't,' replies the doctor, 'But it will stop the sheets from rubbing on your legs.'

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Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no sense in two people remembering the same thing!

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I know that I am an artist - Ludwig van Beethoven

Have a great week!