Articles and Interviews
THE place to visit to read about local residents who are, or have made a contribution to the Mangere Bridge Community. We will also feature "behind the scene" people who are involved in activities that benefit the local community.
Please note that all articles are copyrighted to the author. We request that you [] us for written permission before you quote or otherwise use any information contained in these articles and interviews.
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:: "Customer Service 101"? ( (Peter's Blog); 15 September 2005)
Shopping in Mangere Bridge is an enjoyable experience. We are well serviced by a range of shops, from hardware to food and finance. Walk into most shops and many Village residents are even recognised by staff in the shop.
The following therefore came as a rude awakening. Having just cast my vote on polling day, I needed a prepay mobile phone top-up and some cash. So off I went to one of several shops that caters for this. I paid and while walking out of the shop noticed that I had been given more cash than I was charged for.
Everyone gets it wrong from time to time so not to cause the shop keeper any financial loss, I went back and pointed out the mistake and offered to have the transaction adjusted. After several attempts the person behind the counter still did not understand what I tried to explain, and was soon joined by another staff member, who looked and behaved anything but friendly. Understandable, when shoppers complain or have issues, or shop keepers loose merchandise due to shop lifting or other unsavoury practices. But I was there to rectify a mistake to their advantage.
Parents praise their kids for honesty, and "Customer Services 101" would definitely have taught the owner how to deal with this situation. Instead, not getting my point across and facing an unpleasant situation, I expressed my concerns about how they dealt with the situation, returned the cash not charged for, and mentioned that I would not use their shop again. Trying to explain it to a third staff member did not get me anywhere either.
At this point any business worth their salt, and intent on keeping their customers, would have tried to address the situation. Not so here where I was told in no uncertain terms to "f... off and never come back. We don't need your f...... business".
Is there a moral to this story? Yes, definitely for the store keeper who in one sweep lost 4 customers (my family), and possibly our Village-based friends and business associates. "Customer Services 101" may tell you that the client is always right but you have the right to choose your client. It does not tell you to abuse the client which is a really silly thing to do if you want to stay in business. Politics leading up to the election has seen some heated debate and volatile opinions. I never expected to be at the receiving end of abuse in a shop on polling day.
P.S. This shop's business listing has been removed from the Mangere Bridge Community web site business page in order to avoid any speculation. Copyright ©2005 Peter Dentener.
:: Happy birthday, Waterlea School! (Copyright ©2005 Peter Dentener; 15 September 2005) (download article - 67kb)
"5 September - the school opened this morning. By the end of the day we had four rooms opened to occupy. Painters, carpenters, flooring specialists were still working around the building which is the first of its type in New Zealand. The building has six classrooms, a dental clinic, a furnace room and attached to the smaller unit the office, library, storeroom and staffroom".
(Opening paragraph in Waterlea School's diary, written 50 years ago)
Birthdays are memorable but as we get older they may become less important. Not so for Waterlea School which celebrates its 50th with a big Jubilee in the weekend of 28 October 2005. The school's web site shows a programme which includes a range of things from opportunities to meet and chat with old school friends, to a look at old photos, and a spit roast BBQ on Saturday afternoon. And let's not forget the entertainment by current Waterlea students.
Without students, schools would not exist. Starting off small 50 years ago with a role of only 84, Waterlea School now has close to 400 pupils. I met with Litiana, Laura, Sean, Keziah, Joshua, Joe and Connor in mid August, and pride about their school is obvious. They love their friendly teachers, enjoy the trips (especially to Rainbow's End), and feel it is easy to make new friends since they are "..all kids you can relate to, interested in the same thing". Add to that the fact that the school is "..out of the city", and near the sea and you end up with a great location.
Most of the pupils I met were on the Student Council, and involved in peer mediation, school patrol, the library, or wet-day-monitor. And they mentioned that the students would play a great part in the celebrations, with performances of the choir and kapa haka group, and a role play by the peer mediation group. They are clearly excited about the party and are amazed that their school looks so well for something which is 50 years old. The link with the initial days is there since many of the kids have either parents, or aunts or uncles, who went to Waterlea in its early days.
The school (yet without a name) started in September 1955 with 9 classes, ranging from what was then called Form one, up to Primer 1. No overcrowding in those days, with numbers per class ranging from 5 to 14 at enrolment time. Head Teacher Mr Frank Thomas was supported by Mrs C Hanna and Mrs A Bilkey (Assist. Relieving), and two students from Auckland Teachers College (Mr John Gale and Miss Ann Montgomerie).
The school received a visit from Mr J Shortland (Secretary - Manager of the Auckland Education Board) and Mr Willis, Staffing officer, and there may have been some concern about making a good impression since one of the entries in the diary reads that "The school grounds have not received any attention. The outfields have many hundreds of cabbages, silver-beet etc. as it has been a market garden." At the 3 October School Committee meeting the school was given the name Waterlea after one of the original farms in the area within the school boundary. And the roll increased to 96. On 7 November a telephone was installed, and 4 days later the roll reached 110.
A month in the life of Waterlea School, with many more memorable events to follow over the years. To find out more, you will have to attend the Jubilee to catch up with pupils (and maybe staff) of its early days, or talk to current principal Mrs Mary Cavell. Mrs Cavell has been principal at Waterlea School since 1986, and as such has played a considerable part in the school's growth and development. When I point out that she has been associated with a large part of the school's history (20 years in 2006) she looks surprised.
Teaching has played a very important role in Mary's life. Her career spans more than 35 years, both in Auckland as well as Hamilton and Nelson. While her current role as principal may not allow much time in the class room, she is still hands-on. "I provide literacy support to 8 children," says Mary, "which allows me to stay in touch".
As principal Mary feels strongly about supporting her teachers, and creating strong teams. Together with the Board, there are further plans to develop what Mary calls 'reflective practice time' for teachers; to support gifted children's needs; and to improve numeracy. When asked where she would like to see Waterlea 5-10 years from now, Mary mentions Information Communication Technology.
During the interview Mary provided me with a lot of information about the Board of Trustees goals for the near future, and her role in managing this change. But her real passion for Waterlea School became evident when I asked her what legacy she would like to leave behind when she retires. Mary comments that she would like to see "...kids who embody the rules of the school while Waterlea provides a nurturing environment for kids to achieve whatever they are capable of". It is important for Mary that the school provides a trigger for ongoing learning, and that the kids feel safe and valued, and are able to "..look after themselves and their environment, both physically and socially. And that they are proud of their achievements".
Mangere Bridge, and Waterlea School in particular, have become a big part of Mary's life, and Mary has played a role in many people's lives, in some instances teaching both parents and their children. When I ask her why she chose to become a teacher she simply mentions that her principal at high school suggested it to her.
Mary recently caught up with that principal and says "I expressed my gratitude for the choice. I feel it is a privileged life, being part of so many lives". And going 50 years strong, Waterlea School has been privileged to have had Mary at the helm for almost 20 years. Happy Birthday Waterlea!
(Mrs Mary Cavell provided some information on the early days of Waterlea which is gratefully acknowledged).
:: Record number of visitors to Community web site (Copyright ©2005 Peter Dentener; 22 August 2005) (download article - 32kb)
There must have been something special in the (cyber) air because in the week of 18-24 July the Community web site received a record number of visits for that week, 579 to be precise. OK, we'll own up, it wasn't in the air but in the Aucklander (South Edition). An interview with photo of Peter and Anny Dentener (Community site design team) about the web site's first birthday was published on 15 July 2005, just before this record in visits.
Monthly visits
Visits to the site have been growing steadily since it was first set up mid April 2004 (Figure 1). By the end of May 2004 the site had already attracted 433 visits.
Figure 1 : Number of visits to the web site between April 2004 and July 2005
And there has been a steady increase ever since, but nothing as spectacular as the last few months, when July 2005 almost hit the 2,000 visit mark, contributing to a total of 11,559 visits since the launch. The good news is that more than 30% of visitors keep coming back.
Pages viewed
A strong indicator of people's interest in what we offer on the site is the number of times a page has been visited, so here are your top 10 favourite pages, with the number of views in brackets:
- Home or index page (4266)
- Business listings (2196)
- News (2126)
- To Do (1978)
- What's on (1491)
- Index page to photos (1407)
- Community listings (1319)
- History (1161)
- Photos of the Village (1100)
- Mangere Bridge Today (1033)
The Community web site is a valuable resource for Mangere Bridge, and apart from our residents the local businesses also benefit. Type in the name of any shop or business listed on our Business page in a major web search engine like Google, and you will find that these businesses tend to end up very high (e.g. often on the first page) on the Google search page. Good news for business exposure, and it is there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So check that your business listing is correct, and if not, please contact us and we will fix it. Not yet listed? Contact us with your details (see our contact details below).
Not just for businesses
The site also offers listings for clubs, organisations, schools and churches, and others who carry out charitable or not-for-profit work. If you are not listed yet, please use the resource and get in touch with us. Organising an event, enrolments, or fund raiser? You name it, we can list it on the site. Just give us about 3 weeks advanced notice. If you want more exposure, why not consider a (paid) extended listing or web page to promote your organisation? See our contact details below.
Interviews and articles
One of the things we really enjoy is going out into the community, and talking with people. These articles and interviews are published on a regular basis, and you visited the interviews and articles page 900 times. And going by the number of times they have been downloaded they remain popular. For example, the article about the Ambury tree planting day (June 2004) was downloaded 244 times.
You read about the Mangere Mountain Education Centre almost as much (241), and finding out the Village had a beekeeper intrigued 172 people. And the list goes on with 147 downloads of the interview with local historian Val Payne, 139 about the Coastal Walk Way opening, and 134 about a former All Black dropping in. The top ten interviews together saw 1,233 downloads so we can safely conclude that you like them too. So we will continue doing them.
Suggestions
We are always interested to hear your thoughts about the web site, or suggestions for new topics. Please keep the feedback coming. Recent suggestions include a Bulletin Board, and For Sale and Wanted to Buy pages. We are interested in your thoughts about this.
You can contact us by , or mail us (9 Ashcroft Ave, Mangere Bridge). And don't forget to regularly visit the web site to look for new items!
:: Local business finalist in Business Excellence Awards (Copyright ©2005 Peter Dentener; 10 August 2005) (download article - 58kb)
Mangere Bridge based Judith Whyman Wedding Gowns is a finalist for the Excellence in Retail Awards, one of nine Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards. Thrilled to have made it so far, owners Judith Whyman and Anne Hayden face an anxious wait till the Awards ceremony on 18 August to find out if they have won.
Anne mentions that they were encouraged to enter the Business Awards, and that they are "thrilled to be finalists but definitely did not expect it". They both consider the exercise worthwhile. "Going through the application forced us to step back and look at the business from the outside. It provided us with a clear picture of the business, and how much we have actually achieved in a short time".
Judith and Anne set up shop last year in the Bridge, but Judith's design interests go back to her school days, and stretch now more than 30 years. After a two year course in design and textile at Wellington Polytech, she joined a small family business in menswear. "But I have always been interested in gowns. I love working with luscious materials like silk and lace". Over the years, Judith has worked for others or for herself from home, but took the big step last year to set up her own shop.
Why in Mangere Bridge? Judith mentions that they were looking for a shop with large windows, on the ground floor, near a bus stop, and with good parking. "And 32 Coronation Road was ideal so we jumped at the opportunity. And being surrounded by florists and bakeries means that flowers and catering for the wedding can be organised at the same time".
They have been in the Bridge for about 16 months and love the community feeling. Says Anne "I was painting the front of the shop and a man came up to me and asked if he could help. Straight from the beginning there has been local support". Neither of them live in Mangere Bridge but both feel a great affinity with the Village.
During the interview it is clear that Judith and Anne complement each other. Judith has a love and the skills for design and dress making, and Anne's analytical approach helps with the administration, marketing and a lot of the computer work. Not that Anne is only involved with the paper work. "I do help with some of the cutting and sewing, and the beading work". Anne's husband has a managerial background and an MBA, and offers advice when required. This is clearly a family business with Anne's son designing their web site, and Anne's daughter doing the modelling.
Judith and Anne also import gowns from overseas, sourced from collections in the USA, Australia and China. "Importing gowns allows us to add further variety to the styles that we offer", says Anne. Judith points out that not everyone chooses a full wedding gown, "some decide to mix and match skirts and bodices". They have carved out a niche in the wedding gown business by catering for a wide range of cultures and ethnicities, as well as body shapes.
Judith mentions that getting a wedding outfit can be emotional and stressful. "We make sure that the experience is fun for our clients, and since we don't easily get ruffled, we tend to have a calming influence". They advice on style and make sure that the bride (and bridesmaids) look fabulous. Judith and Anne will suggest different options, depending on, for example, whether it is a church wedding, one at the beach, or on a tropical island.
Their slogan says it all: 'Your dream is our business'. Both consider fitting out the bride and brides maids a true family occasion, and try to make it as family-friendly as possible for clients. "Quite often they bring children, so we have a corner with toys where kids can play", says Anne. Feedback from clients speaks for itself. The mother of one bride mentioned that the nicest part of the wedding arrangements was the fitting at Judith Whyman Wedding Gowns. Another one mentions the care and interest shown by both Judith and Anne.
Judith knows what it is like to be put in the spotlight. She has been a finalist in five Benson and Hedges Designer Awards (including entries for leather, wool, and eveningwear). "I was very proud of being a finalist in the eveningwear category. This is a fiercely competitive category, and I loved the red silk gown we entered".
While preparing for the shop opening, they used an unusual but very effective approach. Anne mentions that "people often have a tendency to cover the windows with newspaper before a shop opens but we did the opposite and managed to engage the community. We used a partly dressed mannequin when we started, and as shop preparations progressed we dressed the mannequin until she wore a beautiful bridal outfit when the shop was ready to open. And we had lots of people interested in our progress!".
As a father who may be asked one day by his daughter to contribute to wedding cost, I was of course interested in the cost of gowns. Anne mentions that wedding gowns start at about $900 and may go up to about $2,500. Cost may be higher when additional work or accessories are required. For examples of the gowns, visit their site: www.judithwhyman.co.nz.
Organising a wedding requires a lot of time, patience, energy and money. From my short interaction with Judith and Anne I have no doubt that they will try hard to make it as easy as possible, and a memory to treasure. And fingers crossed for 18 August!
:: Mangere Historical Society learns of the Life of Governesses (Copyright ©2005 Val Payne, Mangere Historical Society; 3 August 2005) (download article - 33kb)
The Mangere East Selwyn Church Hall was full on 19 July for the
monthly meeting of the Mangere Historical Society. The speaker
was Shirley Finnell who has researched her family history,
following the family of George and Pamela Rust and their five
daughters. A Governess was often a gentlewoman who was down
on her luck, unmarried (spinster was the term then) and needing
money to support herself. They were not necessarily educated
to a high standard.
Shirley read a letter from an application in the 1850s. For the large remuneration of ten pounds she would have to care for seven children, two of whom were babies. She would feed and care for them, do their laundry, tend them when they were sick and teach at least four of the children.
Maria Rye in 1861 started the Female Middle-class Emigration
Society. This group advanced loans of twenty five pounds to the
women wishing to travel to Australia, New Zealand and other places
to become a governess. This entitled them to a second-class cabin
for the trip. The loans were paid back and allowed others to
travel. In 1863 the first governess arrived in Auckland.
Governor Hobson's wife and their governess Ellery Short had to
live in a raupo whare in 1840, while the Governor's house was
built. Governor Grey subsidised denominational schools. Onehunga
had its own Catholic school and the Anglican school was under
Rev Purchas with Miss Bates as his first teacher. Mission schools
were favoured in 1857 although the Howick School was turned down
for the twelve pounds ten shillings per quarter subsidy because
the teacher's morals were viewed to be of a low standard!
Auckland Provincial Council passed the law making it compulsory for education to be provided for the children, although it was not compulsory to attend school full time. Early private schools had the high sounding names of Academy or Seminary although they were often in barn-like structures with very few educational aids. Around 1861 there were disturbances with some Maori and the friendly Maoris were advised to stay indoors between dusk and dawn.
The Rust family lived in Kohimarama and employed Harriett Ward
as governess to their five daughters. Harriett eventually married
Captain Tilly who was employed by the Melanesian Mission Station
at Mission Bay. There were sad stories of governesses who had
illegitimate babies and various other plights.
The Free and Secular Education Act was passed in 1877 and the
Inspectors were often scathing in their reports of the educational
facilities that they inspected. Pamela Rust had established her
private school at Devonport where they now lived, and her two
elder daughters taught there and another sister did the housework.
Another one, Annie, had become a Governess for Rev Gittos, the
Methodist Minister on the Kaipara Harbour at Otamatea. She wrote
descriptive letters home that have provided Shirley with much
background information of life in those days. Mary Louise the
third daughter, had also become governess to the Francis family
at Waiheke Island. Mr Francis was a farmer and the Postmaster
at Potiki Bay opposite Maraetai. A twice weekly steamer serviced
the Island on its way to Clevedon - Wairoa South it was called
then.
Annie Rust moved to work for Ernest Adams at Pahi in 1881. Her letters spoke of walking across to Matakohe to visit the Coats family. Gordon, one of the sons, became Prime Minister of New Zealand in later years. That same year Mary Louise left Waiheke to teach at the Devonport School as her older sisters had married. Nell, the youngest, took her place at the school in 1893. There was a plaque unveiled on Mt Victoria, Devonport, to recognise the unmarked grave of Annie Rust who had done so much to further the education of so many children throughout her life.
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