Southern View: December 04, 2025

starnews.co.nz The Star, December 4, 2025
wedding omens
The fire, which completely destroyed the stand, was caused by the fusing of an
electric cable in the building.
over to ask her to dance.’’
Sid recalled Jan looking
"pretty tidy" so he decided to
ask her for a dance.
Jan later wrote in her
diary: ‘‘I met this wonderful
guy, he was such a lovely
dancer.
"It was like being in heaven
dancing there in his arms."
That fact would have
remained private, but when
Sid was later invited by Jan’s
mother to dinner, her younger
brother sneaked a peek at her
diary and then blurted out her
private thoughts about Sid for
all to hear. After two years,
the couple were married and
headed to Timaru for their
honeymoon.
“I hired a rental truck to tow
a caravan to Timaru, where it
poured down.
“The caravan leaked badly
and we got soaked inside and
out, so we packed up and drove
north to Rakaia, where we
spent the next couple of days
drying out everything."
Later on, with two of their
eventual three children in tow,
the couple moved to Cheviot,
where Sid worked in a
garage owned by a former
boss.
He later moved the family
to Amberley for 12 years to be
a service manager at a garage
there, before he and three
partners bought the Herron’s
Motors garage on High St in
Rangiora when it came up for
sale.
The couple worked together
at the garage, eventually
buying the other partners out.
The lease on the garage ran
out after 20 years, and they
moved their operation to Cone
Street in Rangiora, working
there until they retired nearly
30 years ago.
Keen golfers, Jan says Sid will
be 92 next year, and he still
plays four days a week in the
senior competitions.
"I love the challenge of it
and I’ve had many memorable
days on courses all over
Canterbury," Sid said.
Last Wednesday, Sid and
Jan’s daughter flew out from
Australia to spend the day with
her mum and dad to celebrate
their platinum anniversary,
a remarkable milestone that
symbolises the rarity and
significance of seven decades of
love and commitment.
When asked what the secret
to their long partnership, both
agreed it was "tolerance".
New community centre
opens at Lancaster Park
The redevelopment of
Lancaster Park is a step
closer to completion after the
new community centre and
changing rooms were opened.
​The facilities in the park’s
north-east corner were
officially opened on Friday.
Said city council citizens
and community general
manager Andrew Rutledge: "We
know sports clubs have been
excitedly waiting for work to be
completed.
"While they have already
been utilising the sports
grounds, having the community
centre and changing facilities
will cement Lancaster Park’s
ongoing position as a central
sporting, community and
recreational resource in the
city."
The community centre
includes a multi-use function
space for about 100 people, a
kitchen, a small meeting room
and three externally accessed
public toilets.
The centre will be available
for hire for a range of events,
including prize-givings,
fundraisers, community
activities and sporting events.
The changing rooms have
toilets and showers for teams
and referees to use.
Lancaster Park was first
opened in 1881. It has a rich
history and is an important
landmark in the city.
After being damaged in the
earthquakes, the stadium
was closed and eventually
demolished in 2019 when
planning began on the
extensive redevelopment of
the park.
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