Museum volunteers tell a story

 

It has been a big month for the club with the Operatunity Concert held on October 8 at Christ the King Anglican Church in Mangawhai. Spotlight on the Stage featured soprano Tizane McEvoy, tenor Derek Hill, baritone Alex Milligan and pianist Reg Towers which was held. The raffle was won by Pamela Downes, and the $355 proceeds will buy more plants for the gardens at the church.

David Foster spoke to the club at the October 20 meeting, telling of his career in architecture, which started at the Auckland Electric Power Board.

Building industry crashes over the years are well known and David has been affected by these. He went to Mainzeal Construction and designed major office blocks. Mainzeal was bought out and David worked for the new owners for 11 years.

In the early 90s he and Linda bought ADC Architects and he worked on apartments and industrial buildings. In 1994 they decided to move from Bucklands Beach to The Peaks, apartment living in the city. They also bought a property in Mangawhai.

David was approached by the Mangawhai Historical Society to help with the design of a new museum. June 2006 saw a full presentation of the stingray design to Council. David did all the architectural work for no fee.

In 2009 building of the museum commenced and David and Linda made Mangawhai their permanent home. At the end of 2014 the museum was opened and David is very proud of the building. He continues to work for the museum, golf club and The Club as a community service and they enjoy living in Mangawhai.

Lyn Johnston was the second speaker. She is well known to those who volunteered at the museum during the construction phase and during 2014 when it was her job to pull all the strings to get the museum open.

Lyn and her husband Howard, along with another couple, have recently returned from a trip to Mongolia. They had read books on Ghengis Khan which led them to this trip.

The trip was based on how the Mongolian people live so they flew to Beijing and then on to Ulan Bator. They stayed in camps and experienced everyday life in Mongolia. Most herders move four times per year so they don’t have extra possessions to clutter up their lives.

They experienced the roads of Mongolia, or rather the lack of them. Drivers seemed to know where they were going and they didn’t get lost. One day they drove 20km off-road to go and see horse racing.

Their trip took them to the Gobi Desert. They rode camels owned by an elderly couple. The days were long and exhausting, travelling in open country with no bridges, but the scenery was beautiful and spectacular.

Lyn showed photos of all the places they visited and how they lived during their Mongolian trip so we got a very good insight into the whole adventure – a trip they would recommend to those who wished to learn about the local culture and the special way the Mongolian people live.

n NEXT MEETING: Thursday November 17, 2pm at the Senior Citizens Hall, Mangawhai. If you require more info or transport please contact Ron and Gaylene Lawrence 431 5617 or Beve Smith 431 5777. All visitors are welcome.