North Canterbury News: July 20, 2023

NEWS
The North Canterbury News, July 20, 2023
5
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Silverware performances ... Some of the North Canterbury School of Dance students performing during the Christchurch competitions.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
NC dancers soar high at comps
Twenty­four dancers from the North
Canterbury School of Dance did anear
clean sweep of the prizes in the team
sections at the Christchurch
competitions recently.
The dancers won first place in the
Jazz, Musical Theatre and
Contemporary Troupes categories,
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bringing home an impressive collection
of silverware.
Hours of training by the dancers,
coupled with imaginative and stand­out
choreography by tutor Rhean Le Huray,
along with support from their families,
saw the young dancers dance their way
to the top.
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Earlier in the school holidays the
North Canterbury School of Dance elite
contemporary team, performed in the
New Zealand Dance Awards, gaining
third place with an emotional
performance called ‘‘Goodbye’’. The
team performed against competitors
from throughout New Zealand.
Memories stirred by NC News photograph
By JOHN COSGROVE
Whenshe saw her daughter's photo in
arecent NorthCanterbury News
edition, posinginfrontofthe Weka
PassRailway steam locomotive, Nola
Pearson of Kaiapoi said it boughtback
manymemories of her time working at
New Zealand Railways.
‘‘Itwas almost afamilytradition
then, as my fatherstarted in the
railways in Palmerston North, my two
uncles also worked on the railways, my
youngersister did as well, and whenI
turned 16, Itoo started working in the
NZR ticket offices in Dunedin.’’
Nola’s father even met her mother
while working in the railways.
Nolasays she started work at the
bookingscounteratthe Dunedin
Railway Station.
‘‘Dad had left the railways,and we
had movedtoDunedin for his work in
the ANZBank.’’
Her lovefor numbers and
accountancy saw Nola making all the
bookingspeople wanted to use on the
NZR network.
‘‘Itwas fun callingall the other
Fond memories ... As ayoung woman,
Nola Pearson of Kaiapoi used to work for NZ
Railways.
PHOTO:JOHN COSGROVE
centres each day,tomakebookings for
trains, buses and ferries.’’
After the family moved to
Christchurch, Nola found work in the
ticketing office at the old
ChristchurchRailway Station.
The station was later torn down after
beingseverely damagedinthe
Canterbury earthquakes.
She marriedhusbandVic and stayed
working at NZR until1978.
The family later moved to Kaiapoi
with their four children in 1991.
One perk she remembers most, was
the annual freetravel passNZR staff
receivedeach year.
‘‘We used them to go to manyplaces
in the South Island usingthe road and
rail system forday trips.
‘‘Just before Ifinishedthere, my
younger sister and Iused it to visitour
birth town of Palmerston North.’’
Nola saidshe hated the hardseats of
the overnight‘‘Cabbage’’ train she and
her sisterhad to ride on to get to catch
the ferry at Picton.
‘‘It was along,long trip,Iwas
pregnantatthe time and thought Ihad
better usemypass before Ileft the
company.’’
‘‘Seeing Natasha next to the old
steam train brought backsomany
memoriesfor me,’’ Nola said.
MainPower New Zealand
Limited Notice of Annual
Meeting
The Annual Meeting of shareholders of
MainPower New Zealand Limited (MainPower)
will be held at the MainPower head office, 172
Fernside Road, Rangiora on Wednesday 23
August 2023 commencing at 9.00am.
An invitation isextended to all North Canterbury
residents to attend.
Notice of MainPowerTrust
Annual Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General
Meeting of Beneficiaries of the MainPowerTrust
will be held on Wednesday 23rdAugust at the
MainPower head office building, 172 Fernside
Road, Rangiora following the Annual General
Meeting of MainPower New Zealand which will
commence at 9.00am.
All members ofthe public are invited to attend.
The safety of our community is our priority. If
there are any circumstances that make holding
aphysical meeting impractical, MainPower
may determine to hold the meeting online by
audio-visual means. Notice of this determination
will be published on the Company’s website by
5.00pm on Monday 21 August 2023,
mainpower.co.nz &mainpowertrust.co.nz
Instore & Online
17 July - 23 July