A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of my arrival on Norfolk Island.

I remember that day so well. It was really a voyage into the unknown for someone who had grown up in an inner-city suburb and taught at an inner-city school. My notice of appointment to the Norfolk Island Central School had come just five days before. Those five days had been an absolute whirlwind of packing and saying hasty goodbyes, with only an hour off my normal teaching duties at Glenmore Road School in Paddington.

I had been invited into the cockpit as the old DC4 approached the island, and as the green speck came into view, there was an enormous feeling of stomach-turning excitement. I still feel it every time I see a plane land here. I was met by the headmaster, Don Lawler and his wife Winsome, and taken to the School residence, where in fact I stayed with them for six weeks until other accommodation could be found.

The day I arrived was one of misty rain. I still love the sight of the pines rising through the mist. I was taken for a drive up the mountain, where I was reminded of what my father said when he learned of my new appointment. "You lucky girl....you will be able to see the sun rise and set on the sea!" But it was somewhat daunting to realise these seas would be my boundaries for quite some period of time.

The next few weeks were a steep learning curve. I actually faced my first class...a year 4/5...on the Monday morning with no voice, because of a throat infection! Those boys and girls have nearly all turned 50 now!

Within a week I had bought a car....a little Fiat 500...and was learning to drive, something I had never thought I would do. In the days of unsealed roads, every journey was something of an adventure, especially in the wet weather!

One of the hardest adjustments was learning to slow down after a very busy life in Sydney, with teaching in the day and University at night, and numerous other activities. But I soon learned to fill in the hours, making and visiting new friends and taking part in local happenings and organisations. Before long, almost every evening was filled up just as it had been in Sydney!!!

I just loved this place right from the start, and felt proud and privileged to be living here. I still do!

It was hard finding photos of that period, because that was the days of taking slides! But I cannot resist this one someone took and gave me. I had an 'admirer' who painted my name on the back of the Administration bulldozer. There was usually quite a commotion of good-natured teasing and laughter whenever my pupils saw it drive by the school!

TIME TO PLAY
Living on an island does not mean you have to become "insular" and isolated from the sort of social and cultural activities that enhance your life and broaden your horizons.
Far from it.
This week we have had the pleasure of not one, but two very creative ladies sharing inspirations, techniques and expertise with us in the fields of mixed media art and textile art.
Last weekend, we did a workshop over four days with mixed media artist Carolyn Stephens from Wanganui in New Zealand. This was organised by our very active Community Arts Society and was held in the School Art room (while school was conveniently on vacation!)
About twelve of us had a real ball experimenting with paper, paint, beeswax, glues, and found objects. On the final day....a full Sunday...we actually produced a book, each choosing our own theme. What a great sense of achievement.
Typically, I chose to explore some family heritage stuff. I still have to produce the wording that will make it meaningful, but I am really pleased with most of my efforts, as well as admiring those of the other participants.
The best part about these workshops is the opportunity to forget the daily routine and cares, and just PLAY. In fact, I think that having a sense of fun and play really frees you up. Taking risks....by trying something new, when you are not sure how it will turn out....often enables you to produce your best work. The surprise results can be the best part. Although I must admit that a couple of my sample experiments will be ending up at Waste Management!
As I slapped on layer after layer of paint, tore into papers, and glued things into unlikely arrangements, I kept telling myself "It is only paper...it doesn't matter what happens."
As with all "play", one ends up feeling refreshed, stimulated and physically weary at the same time. And there are wonderful lessons to be learned for life....such as "Do not be afraid of the unpredictable" and "Take risks to get the best out of life" and "Learn to see the possibilities in unexpected things".
In the next posting I will tell you about the wonderful time some of us have had "playing" with Holly Nuttley, who is a textile artist from Western Australia.

WONDEFUL FIND
I am rostered at the Op Shop on Tuesday mornings. Iwas just checking round to make sure everything was OK before I closed it this morning, when I spied this among the linen. At first I thought it was just a sheet printed with this pattern, but when I investigated closer, I realised it has been appliqued onto a double bed sheet.
My friend May, who lived and worked with the Adventist Missions in the Cook Islands for many years, says it is probably from there, because it is the sort of style and pattern they use there. I know they do them in Hawaii and Tahiti too, and probably other places in Polynesia.
This has simply been appliqued onto an ordinary cotton bed sheet....but you should see the neat and very tiny handstitching! It is just incredible. I would say it has been used....it appears to have been laundered a few times, but is still in great condition.
We were given a couple of similar bedspreads by the Tahitians when they were here, with matching pillow shams, but those ones were backed and lined.
I will probably use this one as a tablecoth, but the colour of the pink is a really lovely one, and it looks so good in the spare bedroom!

BITTER/SWEET
This is my hundredth posting since I started my Devonhouse Blog, and I had hoped to write something positive.
However, it is a rather sad day because this morning we said goodbye to our old cat Flynn.
Flynn was born on 29th September 1994. His mother Ethel gave birth to 4 kittens in the cupboard where Bernie kept the alcohol! My nephew-in-law Mark, when told that she was making a nest in the grog cupboard exclaimed: "But I thought Ethel 'ated spirits" (rhymes with methylated spirits.) Flynn is the tabby and white kitten.
Although he was born in our house, Flynn has actually had three other owners in his lifetime...and each time, for various reasons, he ended up back with us. We had named him Errol, but his first new owner christened him Flynn. I often called him Fearless Flynn, because he was an adventurous animal in his youth. He would sit on the fence and reach his paws out to pat the cows as they walked past.
Each summer, terns come and nest in the trees in front of our house. Terns do not come down to the ground, but each year, there would be two or three occasions when we found a pile of white feathers on the lawn...and Flynn would have a telltale feather still around his mouth, or a guilty look on his face. I do not know if he jumped after them as they swooped close to the ground, or if he climbed the trees.
Because he did not always live with us, and because he was a bit of a loner and an outside cat (by choice) I had a job finding a picture of him in his heyday, but finally came across just one. But for some reason Blogger will not let me download it today, so I will try in a future posting.
The past month or two, he has been staying closer to home and even sleeping on the bed. He was obviously not himself. When he started to lose interest in his food, we knew something was wrong. He spent several nights at the vet last week, and we were hopeful he would recover, but it was not to be.
Funnily enough, it is Bernie, who is not a catlover, who has been his nursemaid during these last days. He prepared a comfortable basket for him in front of the heater....one of the laundry baskets, because Flynn was rather fond of sleeping on top of clean and ironed clothes! He would get up several times a night to try and entice him to sip some warm milk/water or specially prepared egg flip.
His last resting place is under the big White Oak in the woodland in front of the house. The terns will now nest there unthreatened, but perhaps he will hear their twittering above him.
Nearby are other departed felines....Tiger, Nigel, Cyril, Roxy and Keith. Each has a palm planted above the burial plot.
We only have two cats now...it is about thirty years since we had so few! There are not so many kittens round nowadays. The Parks and Wildlife people run a subsidised de-sexing program twice a year, and the vets and the Cat Welfare Society will not give away a cat unless it is neutered. But if the opportunity should present itself to provide a home for another puss, I am sure I would not be able to resist it!

TOTE IS TOTALLY FINISHED
In the weekend, I went upstairs and finished putting together the Crazy Patch tote bag. What a great feeling to have something finished..but there are still lots of UFO's (Unfinished Objects) for me to tackle before my conscience really lets me get started on too many new projects!

I found a wonderful cotton print for the lining..you can just see a glimpse of it on the handle. The sewing then went fairly smoothly...until I got to the handle/strap. I attached one end O.K., and then had four attempts at attaching the other end. The first time I attached it back to front, with the lining on the outside. The second time I attached it to the wrong part of the bag. The third time I managed to sew it on with a complete twist in the middle. The fourth time it went on perfectly..hooray!

In the picture above, you can just see a bit of my Crazy Fruit and Vege Quilt which is draped over the back of the settee.

I have enrolled in a Multimedia Collage Workshop at the end of this week, with Carolyn Stephens from New Zealand. So I am off to gather some bits and pieces, and try to think of a theme to work on.

THE BAG LADY IS AT IT AGAIN

I thought I would show you progress on a Crazy patch block I have been working on.


It is nearly finished.....just one or two bits and pieces to attach. I am planning on making it into a tote bag for myself, the sort of bag you take out when you want a bit of colour and excitement in your life, or when you want to be noticed.

Mind you there was a time when I did not want to be noticed, at least not unless it was for the right things. Nowadays, I just don't care. That is one of the nice compensations for getting older...it just doesn't matter what people think any more!


What is the first thing you see when you look at the first picture? I bet it is the sunglasses. Actually they are a little plastic brooch. A friend has pleaded with me not to leave them on the block. They are a bit out of character with the rest of the embellishments and I have considered replacing them with an old-fashioned brooch that reads "MOTHER".

On the other hand, if the sunglasses say "Hey, look at me!" then perhaps they should stay."

After all, life should be fun, as long as it is not at someone else's expense.

I realise the bag is in a similar colour palette to many of my recent projects, because I keep taking my fabric scraps from the same pile. Perhaps it is time I did a big "tidy and sort" of some of my fabric stash, and start a new pile of fabrics for inspiration. I have a couple of bags and baskets of stuff I have not been through for a year or two. It gets harder to kneel down on the floor and pull it all out nowadays. Hope no creepy crawlies or other nasties have been making their nests in it.

PLAYING WITH LITTLE BAGS
The other day, I decided to claim a couple of hours for myself upstairs at my sewing machine, just "playing" with fabric and thread.
Although I have fabric stashed all over the house, I have a special box of pieces up beside my machine. These are fabrics that really zing and sing. Lovely brights...limes, purples, golds, deep reds, oranges, royal blues etc, and a few intense blacks to balance them. I always know that anything I pull from this box will go with any other piece, because they are all of a similar saturation and intensity. I do not need to worry about colours matching or harmonising...all they need are some little bits of neutrals, even just neutral embellishments, to pull them all together.
Anyway, this day I decided to do a couple of simple little bags.
I got my backing, which is a length of cotton waste that I was given in large quantities years ago.
Then I covered it with random scraps of fabrics. In this case, my "neutral" was some pieces of a cotton fabric I bought in Honolulu 10 years ago, which has a print from old vegetable catalogues. I also added some small pieces from a black silk shirt I bought at the Op shop a few weeks ago...it has silvery Chinese characters on it. (I love fabric with writing on it.)
Next I laid down some swirls of threads and yarns, then some glittery shreds of packing material that had come from the perfume shop where Kim works. I overlaid some black tulle, and then went to town with the sewing machine, going in all directions with black stitching to hold all the layers together.
I prepared the handles by plaiting some black rat's tail cord.
Then I made a very rash decision which I deeply regret.
I decided to put zippers in the top.
Zippers are a bit technical for me, but I know you really do need them if you want to be sure your "stuff"will not fall out of the bag.
I found out (the hard way) you need a zipper that is at least an inch or so shorter than the finished width of the top. I also found that you really need one of those more modern zippers that are very light.
I corrected some of my mistakes on the second bag, and the zipper sit much more easily in that one. But I think I will stick with loops and buttons in future.
To finish off the embellishment, I sewed on some shell discs from some cheap necklaces I bought at the toy shop.
Finally I inserted a lining of bright pink taffeta - by hand.
After that exercise, I feel I am ready to play with some soft pastels and laces next time!!

TOOLS DOWN
The big day has arrived, and the finishing touches have finally been put to the new Government launch that has been taking shape in John's Joinery over the past few months. That's Darren, John's trusty offsider in the picture.
It has been a wonderfully satisfying project, not only for the fellows in the Joinery, but for all those who have called in to check on the progress and lend a hand on a regular basis.
In the late afternoons after work, there would often be a number of fellows gathered there around the boat, helping out with a bit of sanding or painting, or just running their hands over the surface as blokes love to do with timber (a bit like us women with fabric.) There has been a wonderful sense of community pride about the whole project, especially as this is the first time the Government launch has been built on the island for some decades.
The pride and excitement were very evident on Monday when the boat was finally loaded onto its trailer and towed out of Devon Cottage. There was a sizeable audience of helpers and onlookers, and much clicking of cameras to record the occasion.
In the picture below, the launch is heading out of the Devon Cottage driveway on its way to the Administration Works Depot for its final fitting out, ready for the christening in a week or two's time. Are you wondering what the name will be? Well, watch this space?

HIBISCUS AND PASSIONFRUIT
It has been a very cold wintry day, and I decided a big pot of curry would go down well for tea, and that has been simmering in the crockpot all day. All it needs is a generous slurp of coconut cream and it will be ready. I have prepared some dishes of my home made lime pickle, and plum sauce to go on the side.
Because some of the kids are going to join us, I thought I ought to stretch myself and prepare some dessert. In the pantry I found a tin of fruit salad left from Bounty. I added chunks of some of the mandarins I had bought yesterday (to help with my cold), then I thought I would go over to Devon Cottage garden to see if there were any ripe passionfruit. While I was picking them, I looked over to the cottage, and John's hibiscus bushes were just a mass of these stunning orange blooms. Just the thing to brighten up a grey day!!
The passionfruit have a little story. A few years ago, I had some leftover food from a picnic, and fed it to the worms in my worm farm. This included some remnants of a fruit salad in which I had used tinned passionfruit. Some weeks later, I used those worm castings in my potting mix, which I was using to pot up plants for the Spring Fair. A couple of weeks later, dozens of little passionfruit seedlings sprouted in the pots alongside the cuttings. Most of them ended up getting sold at the Fair, but I planted a couple out in the garden, and they have been wonderful bearers. For years, they have steadily produced passionfruit for 8-9 months of the year, mostly through the winter. A couple of years ago, they stopped bearing, so I cut them back, fed them up, and away they went again!
The variety is the "Jamaican" passionfruit. It has a pale yellow pithy skin. It is slightly tart, but has a beautiful flavour. With their prolific bearing, it is no wonder that this seems to be the variety used for tinned passionfruit!
Meanwhile I thought I would post this picture which I took when I was cleaning up after one of our get togethers during the visit of the Tahitians. I had just swept the hibiscus flowers up from the tables and dumped them in a pile.....and could not resist a quick snap of the camera before I discarded them. I think that you will agree that they grow just beautifully here on Norfolk Island...and that we are lucky to havew such an easy table decoration!

Our son Charles has always believed he can more or less do most anything he sets his mind to. He may need to ask a question or two, or watch someone else for a while. Then he will tackle it. He is a busy person, but he makes the time, often by working well into the night. He loves a challenge.
This week he has been turning his hand to making pies. Charles loves his sweets, and perhaps we do not make them often enough for him. So he has solved the problem by learning to cook them himself. And he has done a great job.
Sweet pies - such as lemon, passionfruit and coconut are a very traditional thing on Norfolk Island. No island function is complete without them. We believe the tradition began in the 19th century when Norfolk Island, and Pitcairn before that, was a port of call for whalers from America. Often, the whalers' wives would stay on the island while the men went off for the whaling season, and no doubt they and the island women were happy to share recipes and culinary expertise during these times. Sweet custard pies were also a tradition in America, particularly in the New England and Boston areas, from which many of the whalers came. Other traditions were also introduced by the whalers to the island, including the celebration of Thanksgiving. At one stage, Norfolk Island even had an American consul!
Anyway, we have all enjoyed sampling Charles' pies. He has tried passionfruit and coconut, and next Kim is going to see if he will make some lemon pie.
I might add that Charles has never been sexist about the skills he acquires. He learnt to crochet when he was about 8, and even made an Afghan rug (but I do not think he has done it since.) He also comes and uses my sewing machine when Kim needs an alteration done on her clothes. He does not think of it as female creative stuff. To him it is just a matter of learning a few techniques and using a bit of logic.
I should add that my other sons are reasonably good cooks, but Charles has really not entered the kitchen domain before. He has had women to cook for him and wait on him ever since he went to Boarding School at the age of 14! So we are looking forward to more of his culinary adventures!

RECYCLING
In this modern throw away world, it is so good to know that there are people who still like to recycle, especially when it is 60-70 year old lace!!!
Our friend Margaret has been visiting the island again with husband Tony, and brought me another bag of very precious pieces of lace, which she inherited from her mother. I mentioned before that Margaret's mother used to sew lingerie for clients, real heirloom sort of stuff, although I suppose it was normal in those days. Sadly, none of her skills were passed on to her daughter, who was even denied access to the sewing room as a child.
After seeing some of the things I do with lace, Margaret brought me a few pieces on her last visit. She said the delighted expression on my face was worth a million thank yous, and so she has brought me more.
Some of these pieces are actually pre-made petticoat frills (like tablecloth edgings). There are also some beautiful insert and applique pieces, and edgings....all in fine cotton.
A couple of the laces have brown marks in spots, but I have no desire to remove those. I feel they add to the "patina" and ambience of these lovely textiles.
It is going to be hard for me to cut into those petticoat frills, but Margaret says she doesn't mind, and is quite happy to see them given a new life in something new that someone will treasure.
Meanwhile, my daughter has been home for a break, and admits to being horrified at the extent of my stash. She went and had a look at everything I had in the attic (stuff that will be "vintage" one of these days.) She is dreading the giant garage sale when I pass on to the Great Sewing Room in the Sky, but I told her that if I can't take it with me, then I am leaving it to my younger granddaughter, who loves the sort of treasures that I do!


Meanwhile, we have also had a visit from Eleanor and Kelly from Benalla. Kelly used to be the Bank Manager here, and was about the last of the good old-fashioned family bank managers! Eleanor brought a lovely gift for me...a little bag of treasures, carefully chosen...some Robyn Pandolph rose fabrics, a rich Japanese crane print, some beads, beaded fringing and some ribbon. People are so kind and thoughtful!

STILL CELEBRATING!!

What a week it has been. Much celebrating and partying. Lots of wonderful food.
Much hugging and kissing...on both cheeks. The Tahitians say we Westerners are lazy for only doing it on one cheek!

And music...wherever we went! Those Polynesian rhythms will be pulsing through me for a long while. I seem to hear them wherever I am, even in the dead of night. Our Tahitian friends just love to strum, sing and dance! What a joyful attitude to life.

Mile, Sylvia and Moana went home on Sunday...but not before they had the whole airport terminal singing "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" and "Now is the Hour" at the top of their voices.
Tomorrow, sadly, we will farewell Gladys, Little Gladys, Amelia and Amelie. Everything will seem so quiet after that.

My schoolgirl French, not practised for many decades, has improved enormously in this past fortnight, I could not believe how words and phrases were starting to come back! But fortunately, some of the Tahitians had enough English to enable most of us to communicate. Not that it mattered. The music and laughter bonded us.Many of us plan to go to Tahiti in October 2008 to celebrate the 220th anniversary of the Bounty sailing into Matavi Bay. The links that have been established with these distant cousins are strong and precious.

A BEAUTIFUL BOUNTY

I run the risk of running out of superlatives to describe our 150th Anniversary (Bounty) Day yesterday.
There was an early start getting picnic tables and chairs down to the picnic spot, and getting the cars loaded with the food. There was the usual rush to find the right gear to wear, with some swapping round of shirts etc. Miriam had to make some hurried alterations to her dress, which was too long. We thought we still had plenty of time....until we found the kitchen clock had stopped.
On our arrival at Kingston, we were amazed to see literally hundreds of people in their Bounty gear converging on the pier, and all the laughter and the camaraderie had started already. There were just so many of 'uklun' that I do believe we outnumbered the visitors who had gathered to watch the parade.
I must tell you about an amazing thing that happened just as we left the pier to proceed to the Cenotaph. A humpback whale chose just that moment to frolic around in the waters between Norfolk and Phillip Island. Although whales traditionally pass this way on their way North at this time of year, it is rare to see one so close, and the timing was incredible. Many people felt that it was a good omen for the future of our island!
The parade proceeded a little more slowly than usual, with the enormous numbers. Some of the oldies 'hitched' a ride on Marie's old A-model Ford Tour Bus, others were pushed in wheel chairs, while the very young were in arms, on shoulders, in strollers and even in Pitcairn style wheelbarrows!
After the wreath laying at the Cemetery, we proceeded to Government House where we were able to see all the banners that had been produced by the individual families.
Rolling down the hill after the time at Government House is a well-loved tradition among the children (and even the occasional high-spirited adult), and I believe it is almost a rite of passage when one becomes old enough to do it!!
Back at the Compound, the tables were piled with every sort of good thing to eat, including wonderful Norfolk and Pitcairn traditional dishes. But first, before we sang Grace, there were short speeches from our V.I.P. guest, the Governor-General, and from our Chief Minister, who urged us to be proud of who we are, and to hold fast to our Norfolk Way.
And there would not have been a soul there who did not feel very proud, either to be Bounty descendant, or of having the opportunity to share in this very historic celebration.
While the grown-ups relaxed and let their very bountiful feast settle, the children assembled on the Oval for a lolly drop from the Ultralight plane.
We were well into the packing up, when there was a great cloudburst of rain, but it could not dampen our spirits. The Tahitians, in fact, clustered under a big sun umbrella, and the singing and strumming continued to the very end.

I know their friends in Tahiti and other parts of the world are keenly following their activities on Norfolk Island, so I thought I would let you know a bit more about what Gladys, Gladys, Sylvia, Mile, Amelie, Amelia, Mile, and Moana..and their Norfolk cousins... have been up to!
We have been out on an Island Bus trip, we have had afternoon tea at our Legislative Assembly and at Government House, there have been lunches and dinners all about, including a couple of meals at Mokutu Inn where they are staying. After the special day at Simon's Water, we enjoyed another pot-luck supper, and an evening of music, singing and dancing at Roy and Mai Nobbs.
There has been lots of laughter and fun times, and last night at Cat's Cafe was no exception. About 35 of us gathered to enjoy one of Ngaire's delicious island smorgasbords.
Tom and Ann took turns on the old pianola, with the wonderful collection of rolls...so there was no need for the ukeles to come out this time.
The highlight of the evening was when Greg Quintal decided to get in touch with his Tahitian roots! He donned a long black wig, a grass skirt, and sported an enormous pair of bare boobs. Now if you had seen Greg(who is well into his eighties) dancing, you would never believe that a year or two ago they wanted to remove one of his legs, and he was very sick man. Fortunately Greg decided he was too"attached" to his legs, and so he was able to enjoy last night to the fullest!
They say a good belly laugh is good for you..and we certainly had the benefit of that last night.
The language differences have not been a problem....our French is improving, as is the Tahitians' English, but laughter and hugs are universal!!
Today we are all busy cooking!
Charles has brought me some taro, yams and cassava from his garden over at the Pitcairn settlers' Village..I hope it will remind our visitors of home!
The weather is just beautiful. We hope it keeps up tomorrow!

A SPECIAL START TO BOUNTY WEEK

There are so many wonderful and inspiring happenings on Norfolk Island at this time that it would take several blog postings to cover them, and I would need to be in several places at one time to do it justice.
It has just so good to have so many Norfolkers, former visitors and long ago residents come home to celebrate the very special anniversary of a unique and beautiful island and community.
Yesterday was one of those days we will treasure in our hearts for a long time.
There was a Sesqui-centenary Service at All Saints, with thanksgiving and prayer for past, present and future. Bishop Robert Forsyth, who is a great friend of Norfolk, took part, and had the unenviable role of speaking about the future!
Raymond Nobbs also participated, and as was fitting for a historian, he spoke about our proud past. There was also an opportunity to launch his new book on "Norfolk Island and its Third Settlement." Our Tahitian visitors shared with us in the time of worship, and not only took one of the readings (in French and English), but also sang a hymn in Tahitian.
There was a street parade later in the morning, which I believe went well, but we were all busy with last minute preparations for our big event out at Simon's Water.
About 1 p.m., between 150 and 200 of us gathered out there, and the weather, which had been somewhat threatening earlier, was just so kind to us.
We began with a very moving ceremony out near the cliff edge, where Sylvia Hermann (from Tahiti) unveiled the seat which we have placed there to mark the special relationship with our Tahitian cousins. Two pines were also planted, one by Gladys and her group from Tahiti, and another by Edie and the Norfolkers. Two special stones from Matavi Bay were placed at the base of each hole, and black sand from Tahiti was sprinkled around each tree.
Then there followed the feast, and bundle after bundle of succulent and steaming meats and vegetables, wrapped in banana leaves, were lifted out of the cooking pit, and placed on the tables to be enjoyed with all the delicious salads that had been brought to share. The Tahitians had also been busy cooking many of their dishes, including two kinds of poi and taro leaves cooked in coconut milk.
There was an incredibly joyful atmosphere, and we carried on eating, talking, sharing, singing, strumming and dancing, right until the sun started to go down and the temperature started to drop. The children ran around having great fun and games, and enjoying blowing bubbles from the giant bucket of soapy water someone had brought along. They also enjoyed "christening" the new long-drop that Charles had only just put in place!
A memorable occasion, in true Norfolk style!
I really should let the pictures tell the story!

THE FUN BEGINS
It is just one week away from our special 150th Anniversary (Bounty) Day, and the party time has begun! You would not believe the crowds of locals at the airport yesterday meeting the planes....lots of family, relatives and friends coming home for a week or two join in the special celebrations.
Our daughter Miriam arrived from New Zealand, and on the same plane was the Tahitian contingent, whose visit we have been planning for over the past few months. Miriam's friend from Matamata, Gayleen, had arrived a few days earlier.
Last night there was a big Pot Luck Supper here at "Devon", to welcome everyone and renew friendships. About 55 people came along and shared in the food and festivity.
Two big long tables absolutely groaned with wonderful dishes of delicious food, mostly hot dishes...and with the weather a little on the cool side, we really did it justice, with lots going back for seconds.
Several people had brought along photo albums, with lots of pictures taken in Tahiti in October, and everyone had fun reminiscing about the good times they had!
We had made up gift bags for our visitors, with some brochures, a book, a Bounty mug, a Ball Bay stone with "Tahiti - Pitcairn- Norfolk" laser engraved on it and in its own little bag, a pen engraved with the recipient's name, a Norfolk bookmark and a T-shirt. These were presented during the evening by David Buffett on behalf of us all, and there was much hugging and kissing (French style!)
There was plenty of singing and music, with Moana (from Tahiti) and Matt (from Norfolk) accompanying on their ukekeles, and Gladys providing some rhythm playing the spoons! Most of the singing was in French, but we kept time in English!!
The kids had a great time running round in the dark, and when they had exhausted their energies, they retired in front of the TV while the grown ups partied on.
Our visitors had travelled a long way, so it was not a late night, but it was a bit too late for one little fellow, who sought the comfort of his grandpa's arms.