North Canterbury News: December 07, 2023
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Rugby ball for auction<br />
NEWS<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>December</strong> 7, <strong>2023</strong><br />
33<br />
Arugby ball signed by the late rugby<br />
legend Sir Colin Meads will be auctioned<br />
as afundraiser for the Waimakariri Public<br />
Arts Trust (WPAT).<br />
The long forgotten rugby ball was found<br />
recently by aWPAT trustee, Judith Hoult,<br />
in storage at her Rangiora home.<br />
The ball was donated during fundraising<br />
activities for Rangiora’s Dudley Park<br />
Aquatic Centre which was opened in<br />
February2010.<br />
Judith, who was on the fundraising<br />
committee, said the ball was intended to<br />
be used as aprize for the schoolchildren<br />
who took part in the many duathlons held<br />
in Dudley Park to help raise the $3 million<br />
the Rangiora community had been asked<br />
to contribute towards the $9.7 million<br />
swimming pool complex.<br />
However, somehow, the child’ssize<br />
rugby ball signed by the man whobecame<br />
known as ‘‘Pinetree’’ Meads, because of his<br />
imposing presence on the rugby field, was<br />
overlooked during prize giving ceremonies<br />
at the duathlon fundraisers.<br />
Judith said she was surprised to find the<br />
rugby ball had been overlooked, but<br />
thought it could be put to good use for a<br />
new cause as afundraiser for the WPAT.<br />
The trust was established two years ago<br />
by the Waimakariri District Council to<br />
increase public art, sculptures and murals<br />
in the region.<br />
WPAT trustees hope the rugby ball<br />
signed by Colin Meads, ayear before he<br />
was knighted in 2009 for his services to<br />
rugby, will be their next fundraiser and<br />
intend putting it on Trade Me to be<br />
auctioned.<br />
Ashley Rugby Football Club president<br />
Murray Goodwin says he was sure there<br />
would be ‘‘quite abit of interest’’ in the<br />
rugby ball.<br />
The trust recently held its first Braided<br />
Art Exhibition fundraiser in the foyer of<br />
the council's Rangiora service centre.<br />
Help needed to fill gaps<br />
The unit historian at Rangiora’s No.88<br />
(District of Waimakariri) Squadron, Air<br />
Training Corps (ATC) is asking for the<br />
public’s help filling gaps in previous<br />
ATC's history.<br />
Hamish Cook says during his research<br />
into past ATC Units which have<br />
significance to the Waimakariri unit, he<br />
came across three units previously<br />
based in the district, and some names<br />
associated with them.<br />
Hamish is interested in finding out<br />
more about these units —No. 37<br />
Rangiora Squadron (H.P Thompson, H.<br />
AFoster), No. 51 Kaiapoi Squadron (E.T<br />
Shore, T.E Rowlands) and No. 22 Oxford<br />
Squadron (H.P Thompson).<br />
‘‘They existed in the war and postwar<br />
years, with evidence pointing to at least<br />
two of these existing into the 1950s,<br />
Hamish says. With the kind help of the<br />
district museums and the Air Force<br />
Museum Ihave been able to gather some<br />
small snippets of information, however I<br />
continue to search for more to aid me in<br />
my endeavour.’’<br />
Hamish is particularly interested in<br />
any information about asignificant<br />
sized parade in Rangiora’s Victoria Park<br />
on March 5,1944. ‘‘I would be most<br />
grateful if people with any information<br />
or photographs could write to me at<br />
hamish.cook@cadetforces.org.nz or PO<br />
Box 587, Rangiora, 7440,’’ he said.<br />
Now open ... Oxford Lions president, Phil Bay, and Daniel Heath cut the ribbon officially<br />
opening the new Gazebo funded by the Friends of the Oxford Hospital in the gardens of the<br />
Oxford Hospital.<br />
PHOTO:SUPPLIED<br />
Aquiet space to relax<br />
Aquiet place to sit and contemplate,<br />
and enjoy the Oxford Hospital<br />
gardens, is the latest addition to the<br />
grounds. The Friends of the Oxford<br />
Hospital has fundraised for most of the<br />
past year to create acovered gazebo<br />
for patients and families to use.<br />
Chairperson Linda Huria says they<br />
wanted to build acovered space for<br />
families and staff to rest and relax,<br />
away from the stresses of the hospital.<br />
‘‘It has been made possible by the<br />
kind donation of over $5000 from many<br />
families in the district.<br />
‘‘We contracted the Oxford Lions to<br />
build the gazebo, and they have done a<br />
wonderful job working in their spare<br />
time over the past eight months to get<br />
it ready in time for Christmas.’’<br />
Five district families were<br />
represented at the official opening of<br />
the new four metre wide two metre<br />
deep gazebo last week.<br />
The ceremony was also attended by<br />
the Friends of the Oxford Hospital<br />
group and Oxford Lions Club<br />
members.<br />
Mrs Huria says she and the Friends<br />
would like to thank the community for<br />
their support of their group.<br />
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