<strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Wednesday <strong>March</strong> <strong>13</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 30 SPORT Fabrics, wools & so much more A treasure-trove of craft supplies and giftware, The Sewing Room in Darfield has been owned and operated by twin sisters Maureen and Colleen for 27 years. With Easter just a few days away, they have a selection of soft, cuddly toys, including rabbits, that any young child would be thrilled to receive, while gifts for any age and any occasion include a wide selection of New Zealand giftware. When it comes to craft supplies, The Sewing Room is the place to go, for its extensive selection of fabrics for quilting and patchwork, as well as knitting wools, knitting cottons and embroidery cottons. These include the popular Sirdar wools, which come in a wide selection of colours – the Sirdar Jewelspun range offers some very pretty shades, ideal for children’s knitwear, and there is a good selection of knitting patterns for children and adults. The large display of DMC embroidery cottons is sure to catch the attention of keen embroiderers looking for some new colours for their project. The Sewing Room is located at 45a South Terrace, Darfield. Opening hours are 9am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 12.30pm Saturday. Call in and have a chat to Maureen and Colleen – they will be happy to advise on materials for all your craftwork endeavours. TRAINING: Darfield High School rowers Sam Lindores, Ashton Sinclair Dockerill, Bridget Moir, Ella Beswick, Mackenzie Rowlands, Isla Swords, Amber Pankhurst, Frida Oberg and Saphia Ridgen (coxswain). PHOTOS: PIP DEANS Rowers training hard ahead of maiden season Darfield’s Butchery • Beef • Lamb • Chicken • Pork • Small Goods • Pet Food All of our beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished and our pork and lamb is pasture raised, the way it should be! We source our meat regularly to maintain quality and freshness. Not only do we pride ourselves on having the highest quality local meat available, but also on delivering the highest level of customer service. DARFIELD VILLAGE MEATS Dual operation home kill processor and craft butcher with over 30 years experience Hours: Mon-Fri 9am - 5.30pm Sat 9am-12pm, Sun closed 35 South Terrace, Darfield. P: (03) 925 8956 www.darfieldvillagemeats.co.nz Be Inspired We have a large range of sewing & crafting accessories as well as gorgeous giftware, baby clothes & toys & more. • Patchwork fabric • Cross stitch kits • Wool • Smocked dresses • • Baby wear • Giftware • The Sewing Room Quilters Fabric & GiFts 41 south terrace, Midwest Mews, Darfield Phone: 03 318 85<strong>13</strong> email: reneesewingroom@gmail.com • By Sam Coughlan SELWYN SPORTING history will be made this year when Darfield High School’s rowing teams take to the water for the first time. Darfield are the first school in the district to offer the sport, and Darfield’s sports co-ordinator Pip Deans said the opportunity was “fantastic.” “I said to the kids that this is historymaking for our area,” she said. “We have a lot of students that leave Darfield High School because of the sporting opportunities at town schools, and now we’ve got a chance that we can actually compete against some of those schools.” The 16-strong group has been training at the Lower <strong>Selwyn</strong> Huts since January, having been loaned boats by St Thomas’, Villa Maria, and the Avon Rowing Club. The opportunity to start a team was first brought to Deans in November last year, when she was approached by Colin Giddens, who has had a lifelong involvement with rowing, trying to get <strong>Selwyn</strong> schools involved in the sport. Giddens brought with him Pat McQuinn, a former New Zealand rowing coach who offered to help the team out. McQuinn coached the fours and eights at a World Cup regatta in the mid-1970s and has been involved in rowing for more than 50 years. Until last year he was the rowing coach at St Thomas’. Giddens said he wants to give back to the community with his and McQuinn’s knowledge. “We’ve been involved in it (rowing) for some time, so there’s now a way of giving back. And it’s been pretty amazing, to be fair.” Darfield’s crew were initially going to compete at the South Island secondary schools competition in Twizel last week, VOLUNTEERS: A group of Darfield students holding the boats before a race at the South Island secondary schools championships at Lake Ruataniwha. but withdrew to keep their novice status intact for next season – allowing all members to enter races specifically for first-year competitors. While the team didn’t compete at the championships, they made the trip down to Twizel anyway to volunteer and see how a regatta works behind the scenes. Deans could not have been more happy with how the weekend went. “It was really awesome. They got to do all of these things in the background that I don’t think any other teams have really experienced, so volunteering was well worth it,” she said. The team are aiming high for their maiden season. “Our goal is to compete in the Maadi Cup next year,” said Deans. “You’ve got to be quite polished, I suppose, to compete in those races, so that’s where we’re aiming.” The rowing season concludes with the Maadi Cup at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel next week, before the new season begins in September.
Wednesday <strong>March</strong> <strong>13</strong> <strong>2024</strong> <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> 31 17 th <strong>March</strong> <strong>2024</strong> Thousands in prizes to be won Smart TV, Bluetooth speaker and headphones with Smiths City, Smart watches and associated gear with Fitness NZ, $2000 worth of Thermatec vouchers, $2000 worth of Brooks vouchers, plus spot prizes from Christchurch Casino, University of Canterbury, Sport Canterbury, Musashi Sports nutrition and more. PRIZE GIVING AT NOON (Be there to win with your bib number) Enter online: www.city2surf.co.nz