Remember the days of the school yard
The days of the old schoolyard have been reflected on for the final time this year.
Former Timaru Main School pupils met at the South Canterbury RSA for lunch on Tuesday. The group meets four times a year to talk about their memories from their days at the school, which closed in 2004 following the school review process.
This week’s meeting was the last for the year.
About 52 former pupils attended the event, the highest number for the past few years, former pupil and meeting spokesman Dick Dodds said.
Timaru Main, which was located on the corner of North St and Grey Rd, and Timaru combined to become Bluestone in 2005.
For Timaru men Tony McKenzie and Dodds, the quarterly gatherings are a good way to catch up on what everyone is doing and a chance to reminicise on a time they have fond memories of.
McKenzie, who grew up on Church St, began at the school in 1944.
‘‘I left Main School in 1952 and went on to Timaru Tech,’’ he said.
‘‘I still have very fond memories of all the fun I had at Main School. Also, all the naughty things I did.’’
He said back in those days the back of the bike sheds was where the ‘‘naughty behaviour’’ went on.
‘‘That wouldn’t be possible nowadays because schools just have bike or scooter stands.’’
McKenzie had been a member of the school’s bugle band, something he said he enjoyed.
He enjoyed the catchups as they were a good chance to chat with old schoolmates and get up to speed on what was happening.
‘‘We talk a bit of bull’s wool,’’ he said.
McKenzie said he still drove past the old school site and thought about his time there. Part of the site is now home to the Timaru Technology Education Centre.
For Dodds the gatherings were a chance to remember a time in his life he had ‘‘thoroughly enjoyed’’.
‘‘I loved every day at school,’’ he said.
He attended Main School from 1940 to 1951 and said in that time he ‘‘got the strap more than once’’.
He also remembered his school lunches.
‘‘I lived in Latter St then and so I could walk home at lunchtime and have a roast meal. Back in those days everyone had a cooked lunch,’’ he said.
He remembered there being ‘‘miles of houses in those days’’ around the Main School site.
Dodds said Timaru Main had been the first school in the town, built in 1874. ‘‘It was the biggest school too.’’ He remembered the school having a large Chinese community.
‘‘We both have great memories of our time at Main. They were very good days,’’ he said.
Dodds said the past pupils group was started in February 2001 by Dolly Jack and Myrtle Young.
The group meets at the South Canterbury RSA at noon on the second Tuesday of every third month, March, June, September and December.
At the first few meetings, the group had 65 women and 12 men, he said.
‘‘Since then many have died or gone to rest homes or left town.’’
The group’s oldest member is 91-year-old Jimmy Annear.
‘‘A few years ago it almost folded as only six to 12 were turning up,’’ Dodds said.
He had been keen to keep the group going as he had been retired for about 10 years and was ‘‘well enough to do it’’.
‘‘We started with about 20 turning up but it has now grown to 50 turning up.’’
The group has a list of about 75 former pupils.
‘‘With the help of Joy Leonard, who wanted to list us on Facebook and the Main School website, we have had interest from all over New Zealand and some from Australia.
‘‘The good news is we are getting many younger ones interested now.’’
Dodds believes the group is the only school group in the country of former pupils to meet four times a year.
‘‘So we hope it will remain for some time yet.’’
The meetings had also had two former Timaru Main School teachers, John Chester and John Barton in attendance.
The group will meet again in March 2018.