Today in NZ history- 25/01/1974 - First day of competition at Christchurch Commonwealth GamesThe opening ceremony of the ‘Friendly Games’ had featured performances by schoolchildren and a Māori concert party. Next day, Canterbury runner Dick Tayler ensured the success of the Games with a surprise victory for the host nation in the 10,000 m track race.
- 26/01/1844 - Governor FitzRoy arrives in Wellington to investigate Wairau incidentFaced with demands for revenge after 22 settlers were killed in an incident in the Wairau Valley, Governor Robert FitzRoy decided that Māori had been provoked by the unreasonable actions of the Europeans.
- 26/01/1984 - Floods devastate SouthlandA record one-day total of up to 84.8 mm of rain caused extensive surface flooding in the streets of Invercargill, Riverton, Ōtautau, Tūātapere and Bluff.
- 27/01/1962 - Peter Snell breaks world mile recordThe 23-year-old Olympic 800-m champion hoped to run the first four-minute mile on New Zealand soil. In fact, he broke Australian Herb Elliott’s 3½-year-old world record by the smallest possible margin, 0.1 seconds.
- 25/01/1974 - First day of competition at Christchurch Commonwealth Games
Monthly Archives: December 2010
The best Christmas present
My best Christmas present this year didn’t arrive on Christmas Day. It came on Christmas Eve, when I played the piano for residents of Martinborough’s Wharekaka Rest Home. It’s something I do from time to time, usually playing Great American … Continue reading
Posted in Music, Nostalgia, Retirement
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Is our cat kinky?
This afternoon our Burmese cat, Chino, was taking his ease on an old sack in our greenhouse, beside a battered old concrete griffin. Suddenly he took quite a shine to the old griffin, as these photos attest.
Posted in Burmese cats, Cats
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How things get done
From the latest edition of the Martinborough Star, our community newspaper, comes a great little story by Katherine about how she begged, borrowed and cajoled the necessaries to make up a special lot of wine for a fund-raising auction to … Continue reading
Posted in Martinborough, Wine
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