From:   mrsbsrooma11 | Sent: 22/01/2007 6:19 p.m. |
| 22 January 2007 Happy New Year I'm doing well with contact with our cousin called Don Hamlin. He last made contact in 1999 and wrote about a set of photos in Aunty Marj Harper's album. Now living in Paraparaumu, Don and his wife Louise are sharing most welcome photos and memories about Pop and Nana Fenton and of Pop's siblings and parents. I look forward to posting them to their respective folders on this webpage. Don is the nephew of Aunty Marj and some of you older Fenton cousins might remember that his mother was Vera Hamlin. Don has sent a photo of Nana Fenton of her visiting Don's grandmother Margaret (Madge) Harper and this one of Nana Fenton going off to see the All Blacks play. Marj, Lel and Laura to 3rd test Eden Park 25/9/1937 Springboks 16 NZ 7 Marj Harper, grandniece of Laura, walking with Lal/Tuppence, who is walking beside her mother Laura. Don has a sister called Glenys and she can remember their family visiting Waitara when they were travelling up north. Indeed, Don has memories of visiting Waitara once. Also working with me is Carol Harper, the wife of Terry Harper: they are soon off to a quick trip around the Dingle Peninsula. Any whakapapa you can give, eg if you ever had seen such a thing as a postcard or a photo that Pop had received from Ireland, is there any detail on it we can use? It was Aunty Mona's 77th birthday 15th January. I'll sort out the birthday of others asap. Danny, if you have time, you could go to the wanted photos on this website and copy them to your computer to use. On the www.oldfriends.co.nz website are myself, Roger, Val, Mari and Jack. Any other of us Fenton's registered?
A wet start to the new year and I'll have to buy a new umbrella! Darryn: the pakaru umbrella is held by Gazzer of Whenuapai. Sensible people, me, Richard, his wife Tracy, and Ice are on the verandah, watching. The day before Richard had been mowing the section: there's even a wooden fence down one side. Richard was having an easy day at home on New Year's Day, after the madness of gardening yesterday. The real New Year started off with a mid-night ride from Herald Island to Devonport and found parking in the prime seaside resort to await the fireworks. The Auckland skytower looked spectacular with the fireworks shooting off and viewed across the harbour. Margret |
6 comments:
From: mrsbsrooma11 Sent: 5/02/2007 3:43 p.m.
29 January 2007 and the month marches on quickly
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DENNIS TAMA PATUWAIRUA on 23 January
Dennis has let us know that he will be ordained as a priest in the Maori Mission of the Anglican Church: currently he is a Deacon. His mum, Aunty Tuppence, was a Sunday School Teacher there. My dad, Hip, was an elderly 7 year old when he was christened in the same church. I was 7 and Roger 5 when we were christened back in 1956 in the same St Saviours Church. Following on, next generation, Darryn, Aynsley and Kingston were also baptised there on the same day in 1984. Who else was a member of this church? Val, what are your recollections?
Rona has written about the reunion where Dennis and wife Irene met his siblings meeting up in Hawera over Christmas time. Their brother Terry flew from Australia along with his daughter Eleanor and her son Reece to meet with her aunts Rona, Joey and Laura, and uncles and cousins. An experience that Rona enjoyed the all-too-brief reunion..
Hip is second left in what may be a publicity photo. Don Hamlin produced this and thought that it was in a Weekly News in 1942. I don't know if that is right. Dad had a copy of this photo at home and said that the soldier first left became McCready, Minister of Defence.
One thing about remembering family legends is getting proof that they are facts. Last night Don Hamlin found a newspaper article that confirmed what Dad had told me, exception is that I got myself a degree out in my yarn. What is it? It's truth, printing via a New Zealand Herald article, circa 1953, about Uncle Ike during the war in Korea.
A visit to her Auckland-based daughter Melissa meant that I got to meet the grandchildren of Rosalie last week. She's up in Hobsonville until this coming Friday. Melissa showed me some photos of her Mum, Rosalie in school uniform and a class photo at Opunake District High School. She may be able to share other photos such as the one with Aunty Ruby and Uncle Tui holding Rosalie as a baby. Melissa's children, both go to Whenuapai School, the same as Aynsley and Kingi attended. Principal, Warren Spanhake's sister-in-law was Jan Glentworth, granddaughter of Nana Fenton's brother.
Some of you older Fenton cousins may likely remember Aunty Marj Harper's son, Winstone Bedggood: I had no knowledge that he had drowned some six years ago, in the Whanganui River. Confirmation has come about Winstone from the Wanganui Library that he did not drown in the Whanganui. Did anyone know about what had happened to him? He had a part in the movie "Once Were Warriors". I wrote a letter to a relative of Uncle bill Bedggood, Winstone's Dad, based in Rawene, asking for help. No reply, a week later.
Margret
From: Makalu2 Sent: 4/03/2007 5:58 p.m.
3 March 2007
One of the delightful photos given to me by Don Hamlin shows Marj Harper with her Fenton family at the Waitara Regatta in 1952. The regattas were exciting times and the town's bridge was sealed off with a curtain wall of hessian. It started on one side of the river and across the bridge and down the other side in front of the businesses that lined the waterfront.
Marj Harper sits beside her cousin Tuppence and Dennis. With his aviator glasses on sits Pei Patuwairua beside his nephew Lyn Taylor. Gloria and Neville Fenton sit in front of their parents Ruby and Tui.
Here are the results of the recent Nationals in Canopy Piloting held at Waihi Beach February 2007
PRO (Cross-braced) Swoop Distance - Open
1st Michael Beeden (Taupo) 487.9
2nd Laszlo Csizmadia (Auckland) 483.2, 101.7 (best of the day)
3rd Steve Verner (Taupo) 454.7
SPORT (non-Cross-braced) Swoop Distance - Open
1st Kingston Brands (Auckland) 475.0
2nd Jenny Verner (Taupo) 444.0
3rd Hudson Hardgrave-Booth (Napier) 345.0, 66.3 (best of the day)
Waihi Beach Classic Accuracy Competition
1st Gary Cullen (Northland) 12.53
2nd Bruce Collins (Auckland) 22.01
3rd Frank Conway (Taranaki) 24.15
Who of us saw the arrival of the Queen Mary 2 upon her arrival in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour? I would have liked to have seen her alongside another ship to get a scale of perspective. Richard and I were mani viewers by doing a 5 am scooter ride to the volcano of North Head.
Last night the wall unit gave us the impression of the vibrations of the 9pm earthquake that us Aucklanders experienced. Richard thought that he was wobbly on his feet. Apparently those in Wellington have little regard for the character of Aucklanders when it comes to real earthquakes. Even though I remember of little quakes in Waitara, this 9pm one was a long-lasting tremor. Danny had a very real experience of the Ruakaka earthquake and perhaps the recent one centred off Orewa, his home territory.
From: Makalu2 Sent: 1/04/2007 9:52 p.m.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
FRASER FENTON LODGE, ROGER, MEGAN, DAVID, MICHAEL AND TENNILE
Fraser achieved his 17th birthday on 1st March, his uncle Roger celebrated his 56th birthday on 8th March. Other relatives celebrating during March include MEGAN FENTON 21st, DAVID GUTSCHLAG 25th, MICHAEL MAKIHA 9th, TENNILE SNOOKS, 14th.
Danny has sent off to his numerous correspondents his new email address.
Kingi's film on the skydiving national champsionships at Matamata was featured on TV3 a few night's ago on the Hyundai sports night. On the tv3's website, the main film with the report by Emma Keeling show's Kingi in the plane and his landing at the end. The second film features Wendy Smith, and Kingi's videos are mixed in with the report on Wendy and views of him are included in the feature.
Darryn arrived in New Zealand on about three Thursday morning's. His gastronomic wishes will be sated when schnapper, pavlova, custard squares are a few of the delights he wants to eat when he's back visiting Waitara and New Plymouth. I wonder what his stopover in Hong Kong had him eating? He stayed at The Peninsula Hotel during his stopover and thoroughly enjoyed his visit. He has left these shores on the final day of March en route to England via Los Angles for a one hour transit probably armed with his 10 tins of Wattie's Spaghetti and Meatballs.
The World Cup of Cricket in Jamaica raises some comment from me. Last weekend, an early morning call and off both Richard and I went to school to collect the Junior Cricket Team to play at Rutherford College. I've never been keen on the game. For two hours we sat under the gloomy sky and I learned how to score. I guided the team before the game and Richard watered and biscuited the kids, and opposition during the changeover, more advice. And the kids won their first game our of four. They got a gift of McD's from us. (There was no matchfixing)
When Mum came up to Auckland, along with Keegan, both passengers with Darryn, she enjoyed speaking to Roger (pictured) on the Skype webcam. She sat at the computer and was very much surprised to see Roger on-screen; teary-eyed she overcame her shyness and chatted on for almost an hour.
Easter is next weekend and I hope that everyone has a splendid time.
Arohanui from Margret
From: Makalu2 Sent: 1/05/2007 6:53 p.m.
Our Fathers who were in World War II
Uncle Jack, MBE, MED Army, Major wife Aunty Es
Uncle Fred Navy wife Aunty Zoe
Uncle Tui Army, Maori Battalion, Lieutenant wife Aunty Ruby
Uncle Hip Fleet Air Arm, Army HQ, WOII wife Aunty Mona
Uncle Ike RNZAF, RAF, Captain, Major wife Aunty Allison
Uncle Ralph Taylor Army wife Aunty Rita
Uncle Pei Patuwairua Army, Maori Battalion wife Aunty Tuppence
Nana and Pop had five sons who went to serve NZ during various theatres of war. Both Mari and I have war records of all of the brothers and of Pop Fenton too. So, cousins, anymore to add?
The features section of the Taranaki Daily News of 21 April has the interview with Wally May. He joined 486 squadron. You may or not remember a letter he sent to Mari when he met her and Jack in Ascot, Brisbane a few years ago. Wally wrote about being in the same squadron as Uncle Ike; and also being an apprentice at the Cambrian Engineering Works as Uncle Hip. Read the article 'Shot Down on First Mission'.
April Fool's Day passed me by ...
Birthdays of our family for April are recognised as they attain another year up the ladder:
Lyn Taylor 3rd Nona Sleep 10th
Melissa Williams 14th Michelle Fenton14th
Joanna Makiha 24th Lorraine Rimmer 21st
Gina Gutschlag 29th Courtney Lodge 30th
You will read the request for rain in the Brisbane area as Mari and John miss their Wainuiomata showers. Best wishes for Easter.
We had a visit from Darryn when he had to drive to Auckland to attend his professional association's exam - one of the reasons he came back home for a visit; he had Mum and Keegan as passengers. We had the pleasure of dining at the Lone Star establishment in New Lynn. Darryn enjoyed his pavlova, a mini-building demolished with a few scoops of the spoon.
From: Makalu1 Sent: 30/05/2007 11:33 p.m.
MAY DAY 2007
The day before was one where all New Zealanders could 'enjoy their one and only tax-free day'.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FOLLOWING COUSINS OF OURS'
1st Mari McDonald
6th Gloria Culley
11th Neville Fenton
16th Suzanne Fenton
23rd Tracey Taylor
25th Shaquille Makiha
Congratulations to Darryn
A few months ago, Darryn flew out from England to attend to his interview/exam and is now able to tell us about his results as shared in his email:
'Got confirmation of my IPENZ interviews I sat in March today. I have been approved!!! which now means, I'm a Chartered Professional Engineer(NZ) and have been approved for the International Professional Engineers Register (NZ) ... so more post nominals: (Sir*) D.Fenton; BE(Hons), NZCE, MIPENZ, CPEng, IntPE(NZ)
* I will have a quiet word to Liz re: this small matter at the Royal Garden party next month :) haha
Now I just need to apply for reciprocal membership for the ICE here in the UK. which isn't too much bother.
In other matters been flat out into the mountain biking here...plenty of good trails near our house so been making the most of the good weather. Got a 10 day driving holiday in Northern France next month (for our birthday week) ... Caen down to Il de ray, and the Normandy beaches etc ... We are going with the inlaws in separate cars and getting the ferry over ... looking forward to giving the Audi a bit of a caning down the french autoroutes ... 155 mph (LOOK AT THAT, says Margret) on the speed limiter here I come :)
the day after we get back I'm off to Scotland to do the 3 peaks challenge with some guys from work ... you have 24hrs to climb the 3 highest peaks in the UK ... (Ben Nevis, Scarfel and Snowden) each one takes about 5-6hrs and you spend the rest of the time driving between them ... bit of a mission but should be doable...been doing a lot of running lately so wont be too bad.
Darryn sure has a lot happening during the month of June. The Buckingham Palace Garden Party is one unique experience. Both Darryn and Julie will be delighted with the cucumber sandwiches. Mum and Darryn with Chief Lone Star, March 2007
From: mrsbsrooma11 Sent: 28/06/2007 9:12 p.m.
June 28
June has been going so faaassttt ... Nephew Keegan celebrated his 21st last Saturday
June is busting out all over"
It could easily be. The Salmon pink rose Mum and Val planted 28 years ago still blooms with a heady perfume. Since December it has bloomed three times - and the shortest day of the year is usually indicative of mid-winter.
Last weekend proved to be notoriously windy all over the country - at Port Chalmers the winds registered 150kph at their peak.
The last weekend in May it was very, very windy. Both Richard and I had a scooter ride to Mangawhai and a short trip to nearby Waipu.
Welcome to Ripeka, who is the young lady wearing the striped top. The photo, taken at the Waitara Railway Station was taken approximately in 1987. From the left: her brother Tony, mother Irene, Val, ?, Malcolm with crutches ( after skydiving exercise for the Army), Keegan, Richard and Kingston.
Ripeka will have plenty to add to the webpage and I hope that she has time to do so.
Friday of the week before, Richard and I went to the tangi of Tawha held at Ihumatao Marae on the edges of the Manukau Harbour, near the Auckland Airport. Mum's phone call reminded me of 'Tawha's' doing a lot of cooking at Dad's tangi, a job he shared with many others. We met Hinemarie Bailey and spent an hour and a half with her in the lychgate waiting to be called on. Richard and I had to wait until the Tainui contingent surged ahead. We both certainly learned that we were persona non grata with that iwi in particular. We had a moment to greet Bel Bailey as she was a major part of the receiving line.
This morning, 4 June, Carol Harper phoned and shared news about her trip to her ancestral home in Sweden. She and husband Terry stayed with their son Vaughn in London, before he followed his Mum and Dad in their hire car to Cornwall and Wales and back to Shepherds Bush, on his scooter. Carol and Terry got a bit close to County Kerry and she said that Ireland was a lot like New Zealand. At one of their stops in Cornwall, the village of Charlestown, Carol astounded one of the locals by greeting Glenys Woodward nee B I R TH D A Y S\
JUNE 2007
Harper's son. She had recognised him from a photo.
(whakapapa: Pop Fenton's sister, Elizabeth, married Mr Harper)
Karl Makiha 1st Christian Fenton 3rd Rona Crawford 8 th Daniel Snooks 9th
Kingston Brands 11th Darryn Fenton 11th Rhonda Fenton 12th Teri Crawford 17th
Verban Elkington 22nd Keegan Lodge 23rd
Cold here in Auckland: must be very cold for our cousin Rita Wi Toto's family who live in Dunedin. Thermals must be a must!
Margret
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