Childhood
Childhood - 0-18 Years
I have very little memory of early days of this period, so most of what I know is what other people have told me I did.
When about 3 years old Dad made me a tricycle thing and I became very adept at riding it through the house at speed, and just missing the furniture and doorways. Nearby there was a golf course, which was grazed by sheep and I evidently asked two golfers who were passing our front gate “did you kill any sheep today.”
My schooling began at the Waiuku District High School in June 1939 (just before World War Two started), and continued until December 1950.
My first day at school has one memory. I was placed at a desk with a lift-up lid. Underneath I found a heap of coloured wood blocks. I knew what to do with those and was busily getting them out when a very stern voice behind me said, “Put those away they are not for playing with now.” I took a dislike to that lady teacher.
I was average to good at formal schoolwork but not much good at sports. Due to the war no sports equipment was available.
Secondary school for me began in 1948, the year of the poliomyelitis epidemic so it started late. There were 4 courses available. Everybody did English as well as Geography and General Science. Academics did Mathematics, History and Languages. Commercial courses (for girls) did Bookkeeping, Shorthand, and Typing. Homecraft (for girls) did sewing, cooking etc. Agriculture (which was the course I took) did Agriculture, Dairy Science, Woodwork and Technical Drawing (the last two of most interest to me).
When I was eight I could have joined “The Cubs” (junior Scouts) but I can not remember if I did.
At 11 years I did join the local Scout Troop, and spent a lot of time with them, ’til I started my apprenticeship at 18 1/2 years.
They had a very good set-up. The Scout Master owned a farm at Pukeowhare, about 6 miles from Waiuku, and on alternate Saturdays we would cycle out to the farm by 9.30am, do our thing until nearly 4.30pm then go home again. The scouting area was fenced off and in there they had a parade ground with a flagpole and a Nikau (palm tree) thatched hut. One end of this hut had an open fireplace where a lot of cooking was done.
Another Nikau shelter had tables and bench seats for a dining hut, with water and a sink for washing up. The main hut was a proper building, with a wooden floor, wooden weather board walls and a corrugated iron roof. Inside there were two sets of 3 bunks plus a seat which gave sleeping for seven persons, if they could sleep on 4×1 hit and miss boarding covered with a hay filled palisade. There was also a cupboard and an old coal stove for use in poor weather.
The farm was hilly with a lot of bush from which we could obtain any amount of poles and small logs which, with a good supply of ropes created a lot of structures we could build. Our best achievement which we were asked to build at inter troop meetings was a rope bridge. This consisted of two A frames lashed up out of two logs and a pole each. These were stood on end one each side of what we wanted to bridge. Then a 1 inch diameter rope was set up over these and strained up tight to a 3-2-1 pegging with a block and tackle. Then 2 inch diameter handrails were strung through and strained up. Finally short ropes were tied between the handrail ropes and the foot rope in a vee shape to keep them in correct relationship. To cross the bridge, people climbed up at one end, then with feet set across the foot rope and a hand on each handrail they can shuffle across. Very popular with the younger ones.
Myself and another scout about my age, teamed up and we did a lot of hiking, camping and other activities together. This to gain various badges until we had enough to qualify for Kings Scout Award, quite an honour as we had to attend a large parade in Auckland were we were presented with our badges by the Governor General. We were two of the three for New Zealand for that year.
As time went on the weekly meetings became somebody else’s job to supervise and changed to Friday nights. In time he had to give up and I was left running the troop. Strictly speaking I was too young to hold a warrant but I had to carry on or let the troop close down. This I did until I started my apprenticeship, then some body else was talked into job.
Another childhood activity which has become a lifelong interest is boating. When I was about 14 years old my Dad decided we could build a boat. Just a squarish 12 foot plywood dinghy with a pair of oars in which we could row and explore the three tidal arms that went through our farm. Lots of fun when the tide was in, but in time I wanted more scope. I talked Dad into building in a centre board case. I acquired enough bamboo and wood for spars and with an old square of canvass I rigged up a sail. Then I built a rudder and a centreboard and was away.
Later when I worked in the mill I saved up enough money to buy a proper yacht (a 12 foot 6 inch hard chinned). And so my horizons expanded further. When I was apprenticed I designed and built a 12 foot round bilge moulded ply hull. Not very successful as it was rather tender, but a lot of fun and good experience. It would have performed better if I could have had professionally made sails, but I had not enough money.
In 1950, my third and final year at school, I managed to pass School Certificate. After that my father said I would have to earn my keep.