Children’s sport deserves support
I was horrified to read about the council putting fees on the sports grounds for schools to use. We want to encourage our children to play sports and it’s dear enough for parents as it is.
Our rates go up, for dog fees and so on, and now they expect the schools to pay for the use of our sports grounds.
My children used to play on sports grounds years ago and it’s great for the kids to use their energy on exercise sports instead of computer games.
Does the council want more money so they can take overseas trips to consider fracking or getting to know sister cities. Come on guys, wake up and consider our young people the future of tomorrow. We may end up with no All Blacks if this keeps up. Val King
Clive
Help with history
I ama writer and historian living in New Plymouth. I have done some research and writing about New Zealand in the Pacific War, and have some information about two New Zealand fighter pilots — Bert Wipiti, of New Plymouth, and Charles Kronk, of Napier — who flew together in the skies over Singapore in the early days of the war against Japan. Wipiti and Kronk were credited with having shot down the first Japanese plane in the opening days of the war. They both survived the fighting in Singapore and escaped back to New Zealand. They were the best of friends and were later posted to Calcutta, India, where Kronk was killed in a flying accident.
Wipiti was later transferred to England, where he flew Spitfires and was lost over the English Channel in a dogfight on October 1943. I have access to photos and documents of Bert Wipiti through surviving family members here in New Plymouth. Included are letters that were exchanged between Bert Wipiti and the mother of Charles Kronk after Kronk was killed. I am now interested in making contact with members of the Kronk family who might have additional information on Charles Kronk.
Since he was from Napier, I am wondering if there are still family members in the area who might be able to help me with my research. Can you assist me in the search? If so, please contact me at brucempetty@yahoo.com Bruce M. Petty New Plymouth