Southern View: February 25, 2021

8 Thursday February 25 2021
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
SOUTHERN VIEW
MEMORABILIA: Joyce Walker, 85, of Akaroa, Rosemary Harper, 84, of
Papanui, and Eleanor Gillespie, 84, of St Albans sort out the photo
display.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN
Classmates celebrate 80 years of friendship
• By Bea Gooding
NEARLY EIGHT decades
have passed since the Opawa
School class of 1949 said their
final goodbyes to the place that
brought about many years of joy.
It might have been goodbye to
school, but not so much to each
other. Now in their 80s, a handful
of former pupils still meet for
an annual potluck lunch, but this
year’s reunion was a special one.
Thirteen gathered at the
McLeans Island Camping
Ground pavilion to celebrate
primer 1s 80th year of friendship
since 1941.
Eleanor Gillespie usually
organises the reunions and believed
a former teacher, who
taught their class for four years,
was responsible for their long
friendship.
“We put that down to a teacher
we had from standard 1 to 4, he
held that class together like a
family. He wasn’t married and
didn’t have a family of his own,”
she said.
“He was a good teacher. He
spent a lot of time with us, he
used to take us to Lyttelton on
the train, we did monthly walks
over the Bridle Path and he used
to take the boys out for weekends
to a bach in Waikuku.
“They were like his sons.”
The class comprised of about
50 students who all walked or
biked to school, even in the
snow. The days were split in half,
Back row: Murray Walker, 87, of Akaroa, Ross Wynn, 86, of Broomfield, Barry Tewnion, 85,
of Yaldhurst, Barry Hayes, 84, of Casebrook and Brian Brenner, 84, of Akaroa. Middle row:
Mary Johns (nee Parnell), 84, of Middlepark, Joyce Walker (nee Evans), 85, of Akaroa, David
Close, 84, of South New Brighton and Rosemary Harper (nee Lane), 84, of Papanui. Front
row: Jeannette Searle (nee Wise), 84, of Rangiora, Eleanor Gillespie (nee Bamford), 84, of St
Albans and Valerie Percy (nee Shipp), 84, of Shirley.
PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN ​
from 9am to noon, then 1pm to
3pm.
Every week the pupils took a
tram to Sydenham School where
the boys took woodwork classes
and the girls learned how to
cook.
“My favourite days were sports
days, I loved basketball and I was
a good swimmer,” said Eleanor.
World War 2 was well involved
by the time Eleanor started
school, but as a child, life did not
feel that way.
No one came to school without
lunch, but having suitable clothing
was another story.
Said Eleanor: “I think we all
Three people in the photo below can be found in this primer 1 class of
Opawa School in 1942 . Front row – Rosemary Harper (nee Lane), sixth
from left. Middle row – David Close (sixth from left), Eleanor Gillespie nee
Bamford, second from right.
went through hardships, there
were a lot of families that had
hardships with clothes. I remember
the blackouts at school, we
had to have our curtains across
the windows during the war.
“But when you’re in that situation
you don’t realise they’re
hardships.”
Eleanor later attended Avonside
Girls’ High School along
with two other classmates from
Opawa.
Many of the boys went on to
own their own businesses, became
teachers and missionaries,
and two were Rhodes scholars at
Christchurch Boys’ High School.
Former pupil Barry Dineen
notably became the New
Zealand managing director for
Shell until 1995 and former city
councillor David Close edited a
book chronicling stories of “The
Class of 1941” and the lives that
followed.
But young women at the time
did not have much choice in the
career department. Eleanor did
not know of any girls who went
to university. They were given
two options - working in an office
or life at home.
Eleanor decided to take
shorthand typing lessons and
eventually worked as a typist for
advertising agencies.
“You didn’t get a choice like
this day and age.”
Since leaving school the class
stayed in touch, more so in the
past two decades. Opawa School
had its 100th anniversary in
1997, where it was decided that
the class would do their own
reunions from then on.
“Each time I think that I can’t
do this anymore, I’ve suddenly
got the energy [to organise it],”
Eleanor said.
SUPER RUGBY SUPER DEALS
See your team’s colours
like never before.
S U P E R R U G B Y S U P E R
D E A L S
LG 49” UHD UN7340 4K Smart TV
9063234
Whether it’s reds, blacks, blues or yellows, they’ll be more vivid than ever on this
LG TV. With UHD, it has up to four times the definition of Full HD, so you’ll also gain
a newfound appreciation of other details. Your team’s badge, the flanker’s calves,
and the referee’s mistakes, to name a few.
$1149
$13
less than
per week for
24 months
interest free*
Offers valid until Tuesday 2nd February 2021, while stocks last, unless otherwise stated. Some products on display in selected stores only – please call 0800 764 847 to check availability. Personal shoppers only. *Apple, selected computers, game consoles, gift cards, clearance items and some promotional items are not available in conjunction with interest free offers. Flooring available on a maximum of 18 months
interest free. Exclusions, fees, terms, conditions, and credit criteria apply. Available in-store only. Equal instalment amounts include one-off booking fee of $45.00, annual fees of $45.00 p.a. and security registration fee of $8.05, and exclude insurance. Current interest rate of 23.95% applies to any unpaid balance after expiry of (any) interest free period. See in-store or visit smithscity.co.nz/interest-free for details.
SCWK48SV2