Stories

Dad

My father features so largely in my life that many of the stories of my past are really his stories or make some reference to him. However the early part of his life needs to... › more

Skip

The houses that the more prosperous settlers built for themselves were modelled after the English country mansion style with two storeys, dormer windows and steep gables. In... › more

Ruby

Auntie Ruby, (actually Annabella Stuart Dale) died in Palmerston North in 1928, after a "tragically brief illness" according to her obituary, but the cause of her... › more

Pearl

Gentleness and eccentricity, - that's how I remember Auntie Pearl. Actually she had a bad start in life. Her mother wanted this, her first born, to be named Margaret... › more

Cars

I suppose I can claim to be born into the motoring age. At least my father was always pretty keen on cars, owning his first car, a Model T Ford in 1925, and having a succession... › more

Hilary

Our generation of Dales was almost devoid of females. My cousins were Jack and Jim and Tom, and Terry and Doug, and my brothers were Alan, Barry and Dion. We have done better... › more

Lord Onslow

This is actually a story of my Uncle Murray's. He was born in 1882, so grew up during Seddon's time as a politician, and as he worked for the Post Office in Westport when Dick... › more

Albert

Uncle Albert was a British Israelite, whatever that may mean. I think it had to do with measuring the galleries in the pyramids using a mystical measure called a “pyramid... › more

Primers

Political considerations delayed the start of my formal education. Mr Forbes, I understand, was having trouble balancing the budget in 1933, on account of the Depression.... › more

Work Experience

My first job when I left home in 1946 was as a technician (technically called a “junior mechanician”) in an automatic telephone exchange at Kelburn in Wellington.... › more

Fancy Dress

You never know, as the Public Trust will assure you, what life will throw at you. An entomological friend of ours was ill advised enough to take his wife with him on an... › more

The Simple Life

I built a little hut on my bit of land and made it as comfortable as I could. It had a pair of bunks, (salvaged from the bach), at one end; a bench with sink, (salvaged from a... › more