North Canterbury News: June 28, 2022

Mum and Dad never really learnt
how to retire, and at the age of 70yrs
Dad had flying lessons at Wigram,
just outside Christchurch and
obtained his private pilots licence
when 72years young! He also passed
a course for multi engine rating
flying Cougar ZK-PAP at Wigram.
Mum and dad joined the Canterbury Vintage Car Club
(thanks Jeff Rogers for your friendship) and dad would
source information from the club library and went on
many car and bike events (his diary has this recorded
and planned ahead!). Gloria Micallef from Waimack
Classic Cars has relayed the joy and experience of
meeting them at many of these events. Dad somehow
managed to fit into their lives time to continue
researching triumph motorbikes, and communicating
around the world by email, letters and welcoming
visitors.
In 2010 Dad set up the Rangiora Menz Shed (Morris
Harris has relayed memories). We as children have seen
many photos over the years of the club building being
developed, fund raising events and items made, and
had the privilege of being introduced to members when
we visited. In 2019 Dad retired as Chairman, with life
long membership and received an Acknowledgement of
Service Certificate, presented by Mayor David Ayers.
I have recently found that dad had kept a typed diary
on his computer, for many years, and had typed up
what they had done, and who they had met, with his
own ‘special way of commenting!’ One of their early NZ
friends are Richard & Audrey Caldwell, Dad mentioned
them visiting most years, for motorbikes of course! (I
omitted to say that steam trains and traction engines
were also part of our childhood, but he never owned
one, otherwise I’m sure that would have been shipped
to NZ!).
Mum and Dad never really learnt how to retire, and at
the age of 70yrs Dad had flying lessons at Wigram, just
outside Christchurch and obtained his private pilots
licence when 72years young! He also passed a course
for multi engine rating flying Cougar ZK-PAP at Wigram.
In 2014 the Model Railways boxes were opened again,
including his original 1961 Table Top Great Western
Railway, in 3mm size (he had never cancelled his UK
3mm Society membership!) Dad was a foundation
member of the North Canterbury Model Railway club,
and after a brief break (as busy with the Menz Shed
Dad) returned to his layout on Wednesday nights
and Saturday mornings. Dad shared by email many
photos of his ideas and models, and his considerations
and attention to detail continued with these small but
important replicas. (Thank you Arthur Linnell and Kevin
Ching for sharing with us Dad’s life and enjoyment at
the club, and the club having a running track at Dad’s
funeral reception!)
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