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LAST SATURDAY I was up early as I was expecting a delivery of gravel to put around the newly created raised garden beds I had made. On Friday I had worked in the rain to have it ready to barrow the finishing touches to the “new look” area. The rain got heavier – and I knew there’d be no delivery. We don’t get many wet days in Alexandra, so I redirected my morning programme to inside tasks. Having completed the chores, I went to the letterbox. We only get mail delivered three days a week now and usually, if any, the contents have windows. I felt a smile spread over my face as I saw the latest NZ Life & Leisure there. I immediately decided it was coffee time and tore off the surrounding plastic cover. As I was reading I remembered that, this year I was going to be strong and not renew my subscription but would buy it at the local book store instead. Bad move I thought and immediately Googled and filled in the required info. Then I settled down to read. I love the magazine for its stories of people setting themselves challenges and achieving them. There are no articles about broken romances, bitter conflicts or other “gripping scandals” (and no mention of Trump). As I was reading a friend called in for a catch- up. She spotted my magazine and stood up saying she really couldn’t stay long. When I asked her why she was in such a hurry she replied, “I’m going home to empty my mail box and spend the wet afternoon with my own copy.” Libby Stevens, Alexandra I WAS SO EXCITED when I read the article about the Rangitikei River in your May/ June issue. My parents bought a farm of 121 acres (around 50ha) on the banks of that river in 1925 at 35 pounds per acre. It was three kilometres from the Rewa store. In my childhood, our family had just a short walk across the paddocks to go for a swim during the summer. We also spent many hours fishing for both rainbow and brown trout; one afternoon my father even came home with a flounder. One very hot day, my son and his cousin were put in the river at Vinegar Hill to float down the river to the farm. He remembers getting very sunburnt on the four- hour trip. The Rewa school had one teacher at the time and their annual sports day was held at Vinegar Hill. If we won a race we were given three pence. Every pupil was also given a bag of lollies at the end of the day (I remember my mother bagging them the night before). After the river flooded one year my father decided to plant some peanuts on the silt that was deposited and, indeed, we did manage to harvest a few peanuts. Part of the farm, called Riverlea, is still owned by my family today. Betty Hindmarsh, Rangitikei
I READ THE COMMENTARY on ‘ Talking Pictures’ (May/ June issue) several times and felt a little annoyed by the tone of it all. I was a young child in the 1950s and I well remember these very fashionable carpets in our homes. They were part of a series of carpets that featured views of scenic areas in the country; we lived in Taranaki and had one similar to the one in the article. Mt Egmont (still fondly called that by locals) was so named well into the late 1970s. I see the design of the carpet in a different way. That is how we interpreted Maori legend then and used it as part of design; it is a scenic view after all, no double meaning intended. Growing up we learnt about and embraced Maori legends and stories, took part in local Maori activities and never once felt we were the ‘privileged’ pakeha. We all assimilated and got on well back then. My 1800s ancestors were farmers – early immigrants who developed land in Taranaki working with local iwi. So we are quite disappointed at times with the separatist feelings of today; it was so different back then. In my view, comments like this don’t help to create change. Sarndra RAYBOULD, Cairns
I WANT TO say a huge thank you for the inspiring stories you put together. I love reading about all the very talented New Zealanders doing wonderful things with their remarkable lives and homes. Living in Mid Canterbury on a farm, I look forward to each issue in anticipation of escaping through the pages to discover new people and their unique story, or fi nding out about another hidden gem of New Zealand to add to the growing list of places to visit with my children. In fact, inspired by the wonderful people you write about, 10 months ago a friend and I (whom I first met at antenatal classes), decided to take a giant leap and go into business together, and Little Hero Kids (a children’s boutique in Geraldine) was born. It has been an amazing journey and I want to thank you for inspiring the ordinary to be extraordinary. Ginny Groves, Geraldine
I REMEMBER THE FIRST time I tasted the milky, silky cheese that is Clevedon Buffalo Co mozzarella following a weekend drive from the city out to the farmer’s market. I think I was meant to be born Italian because I was in heaven and and am so envious that Italians consider mozzarella an everyday staple (it’s much cheaper over on the continent) not just a once- in- awhile treat. Ever since, I have followed that innovative Clevedon company’s trajectory to foodie stardom closely. I always marvel at the bravery and determination of people who start a business with little knowledge of the processes or challenges involved and end up making a world- class product. Of course, we have many of those stories here in New Zealand and you could argue that having no historical precedent gives us the freedom to be more creative in our methods which ends up in a unique taste – be that in wine, olive oil, bread and all those delicious offerings that come imbued with old-world traditions. That’s why it’s important to encourage artisan producers with events like the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. When you’re a small business, things usually start slowly and the fi nancial and physical going can be tough, but receiving an accolade in the awards is often just the exposure an entrepreneur needs to get the public recognition they deserve. I for one will be giving my wholehearted support to the producers in the awards. It won’t be hard. Making sourdough bread, homegrown lamb, free- range chilli and lime chicken, and of course, that mouthwatering mozzarella a regular part of my pantry means I’ll be supporting local artisans in the easiest way possible. Janine Baldwin, Ponsonby