Capital 51 by Capital

CAPITAL TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y

ART HOUSE M AY 2 0 1 8

ISSUE 51

HISTORIC HOME

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Peace of mind retirement Ryman Healthcare began with a vision to provide retirement living that was ‘good enough for mum.’ More than 30 years later that vision is a reality in 32 villages across New Zealand and Melbourne. the same. Everything we do must be “good enough for mum… or dad!” With seven villages in Canterbury, there is a village to suit everyone. Ryman villages offer a range of living and care options, from independent living in townhouses and apartments, assisted living in serviced apartments to resthome, hospital and dementia care. Residents and their families become part of the village family, where everyone knows their name and staff care for each resident like they would their own parents. Going above and beyond expectations is something we take pride in. Our villages include resortstyle facilities, the myRyman app that provides full details of each resident’s care at the touch of a button,

and our nine exclusive peace of mind guarantees. These guarantees include ﬁxed weekly fees for life – guaranteed*, full continuum of care, and our deferred management fee is capped at 20%. They have been designed to protect residents’ interests and are considered some of the most resident-friendly terms in the sector. We call it the Ryman difference, because not all retirement villages are the same. Also on offer to residents is the Ryman Triple A exercise programme and regular activities, events and outings. All of these facets combined together mean it is no surprise when our residents tell us ‘‘it’s the best decision we’ve ever made, why didn’t we do it sooner?’’

Retirement living and care at its best! • Independent apartments and townhouses • Serviced apartments • Resthome, hospital and dementia care For more information about the Ryman difference visit our website www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz or phone Josie on 0800 000 290

*Terms and conditions apply

The Ryman story began when company co-founder Kevin Hickman visited a resthome and didn’t like what he saw. There were shared bathrooms and little in the way of privacy or dignity for residents. He decided he would want something better for his mum. So, he teamed up with John Ryder to start a company with a very simple aim – the way Ryman Healthcare looked after people had to be “good enough for mum.’’ For more than 30 years Ryman’s villages have evolved to include resort-style amenities such as indoor swimming pools, bowling greens, cafés and hair and beauty salons. The way we care for people and the systems we use is constantly reﬁned. But our core aim remains

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CAPITAL

MADE IN WELLINGTON

The beautiful home of Susie Toogood, story on page 35. Photograph by Bex McGill

ay. Autumn and it’s almost the tipping point of the year, when we, most of us, ruefully abandon any belief that we might keep all of those pesky New Year’s resolutions. However one of them we have achieved here at Capital. We listened last year when you asked for more on houses and homes, and this month we give you a selection of old and new, large and small from historic places to modern lofts. Our staff writer Francesca Emms talks about growing up at Longwood in the Wairarapa. Susie Toogood, a purveyor of fine furnishings, takes us around her Wadestown house and its accumulated treasures. And returning diplomatic couple Tara Morton and Nick Walbridge talk about their move from the city that never sleeps to their dream home on the Kāpiti coast. Megan Blenkarne questions corporate dress codes and tattoo artist Craigy Lee seeks work-life balance, while Melody Thomas flirts with the idea of completely disrupting her balance with another child. Meanwhile Rosy Fenwicke, doctor turned author/ publisher, discusses various changes in her life with Sarah Lang. And to sign off we talk to some young people who feel at home in their Naenae Clubhouse. Thank you for all the good wishes regarding our 50th issue and the accompanying celebrations. We have enjoyed it all. See you next month

SUBSCRIPTION Subscription rates $77 (inc postage and packaging) 10 issues New Zealand only To subscribe, please email accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

C O N TA C T U S Phone +64 4 385 1426 Email editor@capitalmag.co.nz Website www.capitalmag.co.nz Facebook facebook.com/CapitalMagazineWellington Twitter @CapitalMagWelly Instagram @capitalmag Post Box 9202, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 Deliveries 31–41 Pirie St, Mt Victoria, Wellington, 6011 ISSN 2324-4836 Produced by Capital Publishing Ltd

PRINTED IN WELLINGTON

Alison Franks Editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz

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The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use of material in this magazine. Copyright ©. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of Capital Publishing Ltd.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Staff

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

Alison Franks Managing editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz Campaign coordinators Fale Ahchong fale@capitalmag.co.nz Lauren Andersen lauren@capitalmag.co.nz Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Lyndsey O’Reilly lyndsey@capitalmag.co.nz Factotum John Briste d john@capitalmag.co.nz Art director Shalee Fitzsimmons shalee@capitalmag.co.nz Designer Luke Browne design@capitalmag.co.nz Editorial assistant Leilani Baker hello@capitalmag.co.nz Accounts Tod Harfield accounts@capitalmag.co.nz Gus Bristed

Distribution

G U S B R I ST E D D i stributi on

D E I R D R E TA R R A N T Wel ly Angel

Gus runs the distribution side of Capital magazine. He ensures all subscribers receive their copies on time and attempts to make sure every possible place a magazine might look good has a copy. He also makes quite good coffee and is a rather good baker.

Deirdre Tarrant, mother of three boys, founder of the former Footnote Dance Company and teacher of dance to generations of Wellingtonians will sort out your troubles as our regular Agony Aunt.

FRANCESCA EMMS Writer

SHARON STEPHENSON Writer

Francesca writes things. The things she writes vary in content and length. Sometimes people say the things she writes aloud on air and other times they read them silently. She is partly responsible for a lamb named Colin, enjoys tap dancing and gets carsick really easily.

There's not much Sharon won’t do for a story, including getting married in Vegas. After five years in London, where she worked for the BBC, and another two in Bristol with her animator husband’s job, this staunch Wellingtonian is happy to be home.

Stockists Pick up your Capital in New World, Countdown and Pak’n’Save supermarkets, Moore Wilson's, Unity Books, Commonsense Organics, Magnetix, City Cards & Mags, Take Note, Whitcoulls, Wellington Airport, Interislander and other discerning region-wide outlets. Ask for Capital magazine by name. Distribution: john@capitalmag.co.nz.

Submissions We welcome freelance art, photo and story submissions. However we cannot reply personally to unsuccessful pitches.

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CONTENTS

12 LETTERS 14 CHATTER 16 NEWS BRIEFS 18 BY THE NUMBERS 20 NEW PRODUCTS 22 TALES OF THE CITY – CRAIGY LEE 26 CULTURE

HOMES Large and small, old and new

D ONT BLINK Skinks and geckos are missing, but Paul Callister is on the lookout

t s e B of

ARD

CAPITAL

35 DESIGNER TREASURES

46 MID CENTURY MUSING

Peek inside Susie Toogood’s hill top hideaway

Small town living meant Tara Morton and Nick Walbridge could upsize

42 BEAUTY ON A BUDGET

54 FULL HOUSE

Student digs don’t have to be depressing, Eleanore Rogers tells us how

Home is where the art is for Zana Lokmer

VOT E N OW S

Vote for your favourite local food, retailers and experiences C A P I TA L M A G . C O . N Z / B E S T O F

CONTENTS

RO OM TO GROW

HOME RU N

Francesca Emms shows us around her childhood home

Interior tips from our Art Director

LIFESTYLE BRIEFS

72 FASHION Megan Blenkarne says dress codes need to change

75 FISHY BUSINESS 76 EDIBLES

SHEARERS' TABLE

INVISIBLE WOMEN

Honey mustard chicken with kumara and quinoa salad

Dr Rosy Fenwicke on birthing babies and books

BY THE BOOK

RE-VERSE Clare Orchard introduces An Office Cyclamen by Ruth Dallas

89 91 94 96

WELLY ANGEL BABY, BABY CALENDAR GROUPIES

LETTERS

ADVICE TO IGNORE Most of Melody Thomas's baby advice is sound (#51, p 83). But you have an obligation to check it out with health experts before publishing (and thereby advocating) it. Stop breast feeding babies to sleep once they have teeth. Ask any dentist. I have cared for many toddlers who have had general anaesthetics to get multiple teeth extracted which were rotten due to breastfeeding to sleep. Likewise, do not feed baby in your sleep in bed. How will you put baby back in her whakakura (sleeping pod) if you are asleep yourself? We have worked hard to reduce our appalling sudden unexpected infant death rate in New Zealand, particularly for our Māori babies, and to publish contradictory advice, even as an opinion piece, is irresponsible. Henrietta Sushames Master of Health Practice (Child Health) Registered Nurse ANY WHERE BUT THE WATERFRONT

SHOP ONLINE WITH MEDITERRANEAN FOODS You can now browse New Zealand’s largest Mediterranean specialty store online! Shopping online with Mediterranean Foods means you get the same great quality products found in our stores. We deliver directly to your door anywhere in New Zealand. Shop

The Chinese Garden on the waterfront will go ahead despite the clear preference of most Wellingtonians. The Environment Court decision has just been announced to general dismay. It is clear that while perfectly happy to have a Chinese Garden, most don’t think it should be on the waterfront. Why then is this something being forced upon an unwilling populace? I know it has been on the plans forever, but cities and priorities can change. The waterfront is a public space, often bustling with people lunching, kids playing or just enjoying the greenery and the scenery. Also a large number of community events use the space during the year. The Chinese gardens would be a public space but once it’s installed at great expense it’s not multi-use. A Chinese garden is by nature, reflective. There’s an obvious place for it, and that’s at the bottom of Brooklyn hill (abridged ) Mary Hickson, Wellington ROMANCE IN THE LIBRARY I personally really like the Capital magazine and look forward to its appearance each month. I have learned quite a lot from your magazine, especially the article on the librarian turned romance writer. (abridged) Diana Fehsenfeld MLIS Collection Management Librarian

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RD E R S E C TCI H OA N THT EE A

Kids in Toi Art look at Rainbow country by Ani O'Neill, 2018. Photograph by Kate Whitley. Te Papa

SALU TE HEART THE ART

Wellington café stalwart Roger Young (Fidels, Havana Bar, Havana Bros) rose from his sick bed last month, especially to take part in the Wahine memorial sailpast on Wellington Harbour with his yacht Rewanui, which had been part of the rescue flotilla 50 years ago. Back in the day, Mt Victoria resident Brendon Gilmore ran the dairy (now a café) opposite the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club. He was at work when boat owner Johnny Gibbons dashed in for food. He told Brendon he was going out in Rewanui to help the rescue. The weather was filthy and Brendon had never been out on a boat before. He grabbed likely stuff from around the shop including all his hot pies, locked the door and told Gibbons ‘I’m coming’. On Rewanui with Gibbons, father Gerald, and RPNYC yachtie Brian Barraclough, he helped pull 20 odd people from the sea. Seeing that Brendan Gilmore, now 88, was watching the memorial parade, in the cold on the end of the Clyde Quay Wharf, skipper Roger Young sailed Rewanui close in, stood his crew properly to attention and together they gave the very modest man a well deserved salute.

A whopping 14,796 people came through the doors during the opening weekend of Toi Art, the new $8.4-million art gallery at Te Papa. Tiffany Singh’s Total Internal Reflection is proving particularly popular with young visitors. Ruth Anthony, Te Papa Visitor Services Host, says, ‘This immersive light installation has been a real game-changer for people, especially children, as it enables you to fully immerse yourself in an artwork, completely changing the possibilities of what art is and can be.’ She says Janet Lilo’s Top 16, with its neon ‘Share the Love’ sign, has also been a great hit.

WINTER WARMER Wellingtonians on low to middle incomes can get funding for 50% of their home insulation through the Sustainability Trust. There are grants for both rentals and owner-occupied homes, but they’re only available until June 2018. Insulation makes homes easier and cheaper to heat. Warm homes are healthier, and less likely to be mouldy.

C HAT T E R

WELLY WORDS LIKE LOTS Reading and listening in to other people’s conversations on public transport can both be enjoyable pastimes. A Wellyworder on the Hutt Valley line felt cheated recently when he was so distracted by the language of a youth sitting behind him on the train that he couldn’t read and started to count the number of times the youth said ‘I was like’ and ‘they were like’. In a 37-minute train journey our Wellyworder counted ‘like’ 237 times. That’s, like, a lot.

PASSING LANE It is not uncommon for swimmers who like to do a set number of lengths regularly to complain about people who swim too fast or too slow for the lane, or about swimmers who crash into others. A meltdown moment at the Freyberg Pool recently caused some consternation. An annoyed swimmer yelled in the pool at someone who had clearly swum too close when passing in the crowded lanes. Said annoyed swimmer then got out of the pool and simultaneously stripped off her top and yelled to all and sundry, that she was sick, sick, sick of it. Male swimmer continued his lengths, completely unaware of the anger he'd provoked.

IT'S COOL TO KORERO Kei te whare te whānau, otirā ko te whare te kāinga Family makes the house a home

BEHIND THE BA RC ODE Empowerment of workers remains the area of the fashion industry where the most work still needs to be done according to the 2018 Ethical Fashion Report released last month. The report, which examines labour rights management systems in the industry, has given grades from A to F to 114 Australasian companies producing 407 brands. This year, for the first time, the grading metric includes gender policies and strategies. Wellington fashion darling Kowtow received an A grade, along with 17 other companies including Icebreaker and Kathmandu. Trelise Cooper was one of the lowest-ranked Kiwi businesses, with an F grade.

STILL ON THE UP Property prices in Wellington have risen by 38.3% in the last five years according to recent property price indexes. It’s good news for homeowners, but not for first-time buyers. ‘Along with rising prices, prospective buyers are also facing less stock,’ says Nigel Jeffries, Head of Trade Me Property. The number of listings fell 10% between March 2017 and March 2018.

NEWS BRIEFS

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD Social enterprise Pomegranate Kitchen was named one of five top female-led Kiwi businesses at the SheEO New Zealand Summit in Auckland last month. The Wellington catering company, which currently employs seven former refugees on a part-time basis, will receive an interest-free loan and business mentoring. Pomegranate Kitchen’s general manager and co-founder Rebecca Stewart (left) says, ‘We have exciting plans for growth and we will bring some amazing food to lucky Wellingtonians.’

NOMINATE NOW

NUMBERS D ON’ T LIE

PARKING EN POINTE

Nominations for the 2018 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards are open. The annual awards recognise the work of community groups in the Wellington region, with a particular focus on celebrating the contribution of volunteers. The public is invited to nominate any not-for-profit group or organisation working in the interests of the community before the end of May.

Employment, population and tourism are all on the up in Kāpiti, according to the Kāpiti Coast’s economic update for the December 2017 quarter. ‘While the numbers look good, there is still so much opportunity and potential for growth,’ says councillor Angela Buswell. A new Kāpiti website was launched last month, which she sees as ‘a great opportunity to amplify our message.’

While earthquake strengthening work is completed on the St James Theatre, the Royal New Zealand Ballet will be housed in a prefabricated building to be erected at the Michael Fowler Centre carpark. A spokesperson for Wellington City Council said the impact of losing the 50-60 public parking spaces ‘wouldn’t be huge’. However, he confirmed there is an issue with ‘parking pressure’ in general. Central Wellington lost 800 parking spaces when the James Smith carpark closed and 950 from the demolition of the Reading parking building.

Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television a colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to reaine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2] Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television a colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea

Buying or selling property? Use our experience. We SEE the small print.

30 Years

PARTNERS Ramona Rasch LLB David Leong LLB 1st Floor Kilbirnie Plaza 30 Bay Road | Kilbirnie, Wellington | Tel 04 387 7831 | www.raschleong.co.nz

NEWS BRIEFS

FUSS ABOUT A BUS Commuter protest means the the Wainuiomata, Stokes Valley and Upper Hutt commuter bus service has had a reprieve. Earlier this year it was announced that the Airport Flyer service to these areas would not continue. More than 17,000 people signed the ‘Save the Hutt Valley Airport Flyer Bus’ petition which has lead to NZ Bus giving it a temporary reprieve. At a public meeting last month it was announced that the services will continue for the immediate future and be reviewed in six months. Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace says he will continue to work with NZ Bus on a long-term solution.

BYE-BYE

FUTURE CIT Y

WATER WATER EVERY WHERE

South Wairarapa Councillor Dayle Harwood (above) resigned last month and by-election will be held to fill the vacancy in the Featherston Ward. Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp said the $15,000 by-election would be covered by the Council’s democracy costs. If a nominee stands unopposed, the cost would only be $2500–3000. Nominations for the position will be accepted until noon on 14 May, and the by-election will be held in July.

Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, and autonomous vehicles are just some of the topics that will be covered at the Application of Technology in an Urban Environment conference on 21 May. Part of the month-long Hutt STEMM Festival, the event aims to connect local businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers to increase awareness of local commercial STEMM capabilities. Speeches will be followed by showcases of innovative new applications of technology in building and transport.

And we can drink it! Since last May Wellington Water has confirmed seven locations for new emergency wells, part of a network that will supply water from day eight after a major earthquake. The most recent site to be confirmed is Huntleigh Park, in Crofton Downs. A design will be developed for a community water station structure, and a public notification process will follow, before final decisions are made with Wellington City Council. At the time of printing, tests at Aro Park and Glenside Reserve sites were still being completed.

Marsden Schools – Open Day Come and tour the beautiful Marsden campuses on Sunday 6 May. Visit Marsden School Whitby any time between 11am and 1pm, and Marsden Karori between 2pm and 4pm.

Marsden Whitby

Marsden School Karori

Boys and girls Years 7–13 2 Starboard Lane, Whitby 04 234 1070

Girls Years 1–13, co-ed Preschool Marsden Ave, Karori 04 476 8707

BN Y ETWH E P RNOUDMUBCETRSS

Keep on mumming Mother’s day falls on 14 May this year. While we were growing up, the yearly dispute in our family went something like this: Me (indignantly): ‘What about children’s day?’ My mother: ‘Every day is children’s day.’ How right she was. Let’s raise a glass to mother (and give her the bottle).

61,038

59,430

1.87

2.02

new mothers in New Zealand in 2015

new mothers in New Zealand in 2016

our national fertility rate per woman

our national fertility rate from 1980 – 2015... so we’re not replacing ourselves any more.

this statistic has remained steady for 17 years in New Zealand

Older and bolder

average age of mother giving birth to first child

average age of mother giving birth to second child

Workin’ 9 to 5 – what a... joke 98 *according to a study of 2000 American mothers scarymommy.com

number of hours a full–time working mother works per week.*

Where did Mother’s Day come from? 2 number of origins

201,804 This assumes a 40–50-hour job including commute.

That’s another 48 hours grocery shopping, washing cleaning, cooking, helping with home work and other sundry tasks.

1908

16th Century

the year American Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother Ann who’d died three years earlier. Ann was a peace activist and had cared for soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War.

Mothering Sunday was observed in Europe in the Catholic and Protestant churches. People would return to their mother church where they’d been baptised. It was eventually made into a public holiday.

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth 18 18

number of singleparent families at the 2013 New Zealand census (here’s to the single fathers included in this figure too).

Sunday of the 2nd week of May now the official Mother’s Day. In Britain it is the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter. But who cares about dates – buy that woman something nice and tell her she rocks.

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Wild child

W H A R E H O KO TO I

S TO R E

Rua

Tahi

Hand-on-heart

amazing

Everybody needs a hand sometimes – especially one by jeweller Lisa Walker. Visit Te Papa’s new Toi Art Store and take home fresh pieces by contemporary Aotearoa artists, from Kereama Taepa’s tiki and wheku brooches to Trish Campbell’s light sculptures.

Toru

Ono

Whā Ono

Rima

Tahi. KETE by Demelza Craig (Local Wellington Weaver) $295 I Rua. HAND BROOCH & EARINGS by Lisa Walker $55 brooch & $65 earrings I Toru. POI NEW ZEALAND FLAG (artwork) by Pacific Sisters (Suzanne Tamaki) $199 Whā. COLIN MCCAHON A4 MATTED PRINT $79 I Rima. EPSILON II (light) by Trish Campbell $2,899 I Ono. TIKI1 & WHEKU1 FACE brooch by Kereama Taepa $80 each

Toi Art Store, Level 4 I Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 55 Cable Street I Store: +64 4 381 7013 I tepapastore@tepapa.govt.nz

TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y

Where the heart is W R I T T E N BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

FOOD

BOOK

FILM

HO L I DAY

FAVE SPOT

Satay Palace

The Odyssey by Homer

Horror

Coromandel

The South Coast

Tattoo artist Craigy Lee is finding the perfect balance

ven with a decade of tattooing experience under his belt Craigy Lee is keen to keep learning. ‘I feel I’ll be a student of tattooing until the day I retire,’ he says, ‘I owe it to my customers to keep pushing myself forward, forever learning and evolving.’ The artist and owner of Union Tattoo is at his Willis St studio most days. He’s easy to spot with his trademark style. ‘You will pretty much always find me in a checked shirt and black jeans,’ he says. ‘Black jeans are essential for my line of work. Any other colour just gets covered in ink stains.’ Craigy specializes in dark, illustrative tattoo designs, but has also created artwork for beer labels, New Zealand postage stamps and clothing. He admits he’s a workaholic but says a recent addition to his family has changed him. ‘I think having a baby has definitely helped me re-think my work-life balance and want to spend more time at home with the family.’ Originally from the UK, Craigy spent three years travelling the world before falling in love with Wellington. ‘It has to be one of the most beautiful capital cities in the world, it’s easy to get around here and the worklife balance is great.’ One of his favourite things is that ‘you can get decent coffee anywhere in Wellington.’ His favourite part of the city is the South Coast. ‘It’s rugged and really beautiful no matter what the weather is like. It’s great to grab a coffee or breakfast at Maranui or Beach

House Kiosk and watch the waves roll in.’ Craigy’s days off are spent with his wife India and one-year-old daughter Lola. They might breakfast at Prefab before heading to Kilbirnie pool or Te Papa’s Story Place. ‘My wife and I have been finding out recently just how fantastic Wellington is for families. There’s so much to do here with a young family that doesn’t cost a lot of money.’ If it’s not raining, they’ll walk down to Worser Bay or Scorching Bay and ‘run around after my daughter making sure she doesn’t eat too much sand.’ They also explore the walkways and paths around Seatoun. ‘Looking down onto Breaker Bay and across to Pencarrow Lighthouse is pretty spectacular.’ Since he became a dad late nights out have evaporated. Craigy might have a quick beer after work, usually at Goldings or Laundry, but this movie nerd is pretty happy staying in. ‘I love the fact that in the winter in Wellington you can camp out on the sofa watching movies or bingeing on box-sets and not feel guilty as the weather outside is usually horrid.’ He loves 80s movies, horror films, and Wellington’s old cinemas. ‘I also love Aro Video. Their horror section is amazing.’ Seems like Craigy’s got it sorted, but is there anything in his life he’d change? ‘The only thing I covet is more sleep. I always need more sleep! Either that, or more hours in the day to get more things done.’

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IN-TRENCHED If you’ve ever wondered what the trenches of World War One felt like, here’s your chance to find out. Created by Peter Jackson using technologies old and new, the world-first Quinn's Post Trench Experience recreates the sights, sounds and stenches stomached by soldiers at this tenuously-held frontline position at Gallipoli. The Victorian illusion technique ‘Pepper’s Ghosts’ reflects filmed scenes of ANZAC soldiers (played by actors) to create ghostly figures that show you around their tunnels and terraces. See it at Jackson’s ongoing Great War Exhibition at the Dominion Museum building.

WRITE ON

TUNNEL VISION

MURDER THEY WROTE

Film producer Vicky Pope and her film-director husband Rob Sarkies have partnered with Toi Pōneke Arts Centre (where they have an office) to provide the first WRITE ROOM residency. Harry Meech, an award-winning playwright originally from Wainuiomata, gets a 12-week residency (until 8 July) which includes a free solo studio, $450 a week for living costs, sessions with Rob and Vicky at the beginning and halfway points, then finally a read-through with actors and an invited audience. Nice one, guys.

Shannon Te Ao: my life as a tunnel (The Dowse, until 22 July) is the third iteration of the 2016 Walters Prize winner’s video work, now featuring lyrics in several languages, including te reo. Its key still of two people embracing was inspired by a 1977 film where an AfricanAmerican couple dance to the song This Bitter Earth.

Wellingtonian Jacob Rajan is stoked that his world-touring troupe Indian Ink has become the first New Zealand theatre company commissioned by a US equivalent (the award-winning South Coast Repertory) to create an original work. Rajan also stars in Welcome to the Murder House (Te Auaha, 26 May to 10 June) in which death-row convicts tell the tragic story of the electric chair’s inventor. Quite a departure from its earlier comedies, there’s still plenty of (dark) humour, puppetry, song and dance.

Relax this winter, get home insulation now Don’t miss 50% off home insulation for tenants and homeowners on low-middle incomes. Book your home assessment today — 0508 78 78 24 customerservice@sustaintrust.org.nz | sustaintrust.org.nz Sustainability Trust provides advice and sells products which result in warmer, healthier homes. All profits are invested in our award-winning community programmes that empower everyone to live more sustainably.

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W H AT G O E S ON TOUR CubaDupa’s artistic director Drew James wears more than one hat (in fact, he’s rarely pictured without one). He’s also the Senior Producer of Tour-Makers, an arm of the Performing Arts Network of New Zealand. In three years, Tour-Makers has taken 10 New Zealand performing-arts shows to 24 communities countrywide. ‘It’s incredibly satisfying to tour shows like The White Guitar by Wellington-based theatre company The Conch, Kate Shepherd rock opera That Bloody Woman, and Daffodils, which is being made into a feature film in Wellington. These are strong New Zealand stories.’

SECRET SON

CHICKEN TONIGHT

NEW FACE

Who knew that author-journalist Robin Hyde (1906-1939) hid her illegitimate baby from her colleagues, friends, even her family? After a fling with a married journalist, she placed her son in a nursing home, then a foster home as she planned a bush hideaway for them. Wairarapa filmmaker Juanita Deely has directed 15-minute film A Home in This World about Hyde’s son Derek Challis, now 87. It shows with three other shorts at the Doc Edge International Film Festival (9–20 May, The Roxy).

Wellington scriptwriter D F Mamea won the 2017 Adam NZ Play Award for Still Life With Chickens, a one-woman show about a Samoan matriarch (played by Goretti Chadwick) who befriends a hen that’s invaded her veggie garden. Now Circa hosts the Auckland Theatre Company play, inspired by Mamea’s mother (8 May to 2 June). ‘We got Mum some chickens and, as we admired the tableau of an elderly Samoan woman and her brood, my wife said “Write a play about this".’

After six months as New Zealand Portrait Gallery director, Jaenine Parkinson (above) has curated Situated Selves: Photographs from our Collection (until 15 July), which shows how an informal, documentary photography style eclipsed the studio portrait. Meanwhile the Adam Portraiture Award exhibition shows until 27 May, and while Auckland’s Logan Moffat won the big prize, you can vote in the People’s Choice Award.

A voyage into the labyrinth of modern chamber music’ masterfully led by The New Yorker music critic and bestselling author of The Rest is Noise. Chamber Music New Zealand presents

Alex Ross with Bianca Andrew & STROMA

Fri 25 May 7.30pm

SHED 6 / WELLINGTON Free Prelude talk at 6.45pm This concert includes a touch tour & audio description for patrons with low vision. *Presented in association with

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Snow Queen

Back together

By Sarah Lang

Late last year, New Zealand-born choreographic wunderkind Corey Baker held auditions to choose a Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer who would join him on a 15-day residency in Antarctica. In February, he and Madeleine Graham became the first choreographer and first dancer to travel to the continent – and the first to create a dance work there. Graham performed dances choreographed by Baker, as cinematographer Jacob Bryant filmed. ‘The experience exceeded all my expectations and really pushed my limits,’ says Graham, who climbed mountains and abseiled to get to locations in temperatures as low as -16°C. ‘Because dancers express themselves partly through their hands, I had to remove my gloves quickly to dance, then grab a hot-water bottle.’ With Bryant’s footage, Baker directed short dance film Antarctica: The First Dance, released online last month. Meanwhile, a documentary crew shadowed them as Baker interviewed scientists about Antarctica’s changing environment and climate change. The experience inspired Baker’s one-act ballet The Last Dance, which premieres in the RNZB’s Dancing with Mozart season (St James, 31 May) – with Graham, naturally, among the dancers. The company also performs George Balanchine’s Divertimento 15 along with Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort and Sechs Tänze.

‘I’m sick of New Zealand Music Month annual events repeating the same acts,’ says Wellington Museum’s programme developer Ben James (also a musician who started Newtown music venue Moon and specialist record store Deathray). ‘I wanted people to see Wellington acts from the past that are just as good if not better than today’s.’ Cue his idea for the museum’s May concert series, which on Friday nights, reunites Wellington acts from as early as the 60s, spanning psychedelic rock to hip-hop. On 18 May, King Kapisi returns to his hometown to perform his debut album Savage Thoughts, along with Teremoana Rapley, Tha Feelstyle, and DJ Raw. On 25 May, the ‘Maori Hendrix’ Billy TK reunites with his former band Powerhouse. ‘The stage will be set up like it was in the 1960s and 70s, with only New Zealand-made gear from the era.’ The concerts are held in the same space as the exhibition Burning Up Years: Aotearoa Music History (4–31 May) which displays rare posters, vinyl records, album art and instruments. You can also watch music videos, and plug in headphones to listen to early bands. Chris Bourke’s music website Audio Culture provides photos and tells behind-thestage stories.

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STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS When Mama discovers a mischievous chicken invading her flourishing veggie garden her first instinct is to reach for the spade. But what starts out as a skirmish over the silverbeet develops into an unlikely friendship. An intimate, heart-warming, and funny play about friendship, loss, love and life. Winner of the Adam NZ Best Play 2017. 8 May-–2 June Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki St, Wellington circa.co.nz

SGCNZ SHAKESPEARE FESTIVALS More than fifty fantastic scenes from Shakespeare’s canon performed by secondary school students selected from over 500 groups throughout New Zealand will grace the stage of the Michael Fowler Centre over Queen’s Birthday Weekend. Come and see how they let their ‘imaginary forces work’ on Shakespeare’s universal themes.

2–3 June Book at Ticketmaster or ticketmaster.co.nz

TIME SUSPENDED: HEATHER STRAKA

DIVE INTO BELINDA GRIFFITHS 3D OCEANS AT THE NZ ART SHOW

Page Blackie Gallery presents new work from Heather Straka. The elusive figures who inhabit Straka’s paintings are sometimes vulnerable, at times imposing, but always compelling. Her paintings begin life as photographs, traces of which might be seen in the intentionally blurred focus of an immaculately painted lock of hair.

Wellington based visual artist Belinda Griffiths has a love for water, clouds and natural phenomena. She will be showcasing her new technology and series, ‘etched by the wind’, a sculptural series of organic, swirling dramatic oceans, made with paint, wood and complex 3d software.

3– 26 May Mon-Friday 10am-5.30pm Saturday 10am – 4pm 42 Victoria Street, Wellington pageblackiegallery.co.nz

June 1– 4 Bayview studios, Miramar, Wellington belindagriffiths.net

WELCOME TO THE MURDER HOUSE A gang of death row convicts are set free for one wild night to tell the tragic story of their hero: the man who invented the electric chair. Book at indianink.co.nz

26 May – 10 June Te Auaha, 65 Dixon St, Wellington indianink.co.nz 28

CULTURE FOR THE NEW YEAR Art Zone is a quality publication that stimulates the imagination and invigorates the creative. Offering a comprehensive coverage of New Zealand’s art world – it’s an ongoing exhibition in every issue. For artists, collectors, enthusiasts and gallery frequenters Art Zone is the perfect choice. A subscription to Art Zone $30.50; a year’s worth of joy – priceless.

WELLNESS BRIEFS

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Don't blink BY PAU L CA L L I ST E R A N D F R A N C E S CA E M M S

Not sure if you’re looking at a gecko or a skink? The best thing to do is stare into its eyes. A skink will blink. A gecko, however, doesn’t have eyelids.

he sad truth though, is that you’re unlikely to see lizards these days. This is something that Paul Callister is trying to remedy. ‘Historically, lizards were to be found anywhere from coastal shores to mountain peaks. Some lived on the ground, some in trees. Some came out during the day, while others were nocturnal. You would have once found them in your fruit bowl; others would have caught mosquitos while hanging from your bedroom roof,’ says Paul. Growing up in the Hutt Valley in the 1960s, Paul remembers school friends finding green geckos in their back yards and often keeping them as pets. ‘Nowadays, the very attractive green geckos are listed by the Department of Conservation as "declining" and it is very uncommon to find them in the Wellington region.’ Railways, roads, housing, farming, and even lawn mowing have destroyed the natural habitats of the geckos and skinks that have lived in New Zealand for 40 and 20 million years respectively. Add introduced predators like stoats, rats or cats and it’s easy to understand how the formerly abundant species became ‘cryptic’. ‘Biological speak for being hard to find,’ explains Paul. An environmental activist since the age of 17, Paul has always had a passion for protecting and improving the natural environment. He volunteers with Paekakariki's Queen Elizabeth Park and has been involved with the Ngā Uruora – Kāpiti Bush restoration project for the past two decades. More recently Ngā Uruora has turned

its focus to native lizards. Three years ago Ngā Uruora employed Ecogecko, a Tawa lizard and frog consultancy, to carry out lizard surveys. ‘Trent Bell of Ecogecko has taught us how and where to look for lizards. We have found four species, including one listed as “declining” by the Department of Conservation,’ says Paul. With help from multiple funders, Nga Uruora is now undertaking intensive pest control and improving lizard habitat. ‘In a former quarry on the Paekakariki escarpment we are building rock piles in which lizards can hide from predators,’ says Paul. ‘We are also planting lizard friendly plants. Some are rare and some were once there but are now missing from the escarpment. This “lizard garden” is next to the popular Escarpment Track so eventually the many walkers will have a chance to see lizards close up.’ Most mornings, pest control is the first thing on Paul’s mind. Thanks to a smart-trap network, volunteers like Paul can check their phones or computers to find out which traps have been set off. This system is very useful in reducing the need for volunteer hours, as they don’t have to check each trap manually. Also, the real-time information means that if a nearby trap goes off Paul can be there quickly to re-set it and collect ‘fresh specimens for autopsy.’ In the escarpment area hedgehogs and weasels are ‘voracious eaters of lizards’. The rest of Paul’s morning is usually spent carrying out restoration work, building rock piles or tending lizard-friendly plants like the Cook Strait mahoe. The small leaves of this

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plant make it hard for birds to get through to the lizards hiding underneath. The berries grow at the base of the rare plant so they’re easy for lizards to reach and eat, and they subsequently spread the seeds. Paul’s afternoons are often spent writing, again usually in a volunteer capacity. Formerly an economist, researcher and academic, Paul says ‘I don’t miss my paid job at all.’ Paul regularly sees dozen of lizards, but there’s a particular type of skink he always hopes to spy. ‘In the 1980s, when I moved to the Kāpiti Coast, Pukerua Bay was home to Whitaker’s skink,’ he says. ‘While some may still be there, none have been found in recent surveys.’ The locally threatened species hasn’t been seen in the area for many years. But it’s not all bad news. Many of these skinks were removed from the area for their own protection and for breeding programmes. Many amateur lizard breeders throughout New Zealand work under strict Department of Conservation regulations. ‘Although most of these lizards cannot be released into the wild, they represent an important insurance policy against extinction.’ Nga Manu, in Waikanae, runs a successful tuatara breeding program, and is beginning to expand its lizard breeding operations – which include Whitaker’s skink. According to Lizard strategy for the Wellington region, published in 2012 by the Wellington Regional Lizard Network, seventeen lizard species are recorded as living within the Wellington region. The report says that lizards can become

exceptionally abundant with the removal of introduced predators. Lizards thrive on predator-free islands, including Mana, Kapiti and Matiu-Somes. The challenge is to enable them to thrive on the mainland. Across the Wellington region, community groups are involved in efforts to support and expand lizard populations. The Miramar ecological restoration group Te Motu Kairangi is supporting lizards by improving the habitat and predator control on the Miramar Peninsula. Zealandia’s predatorproof fence enables threatened lizard species to thrive in central Wellington. Volunteers at Whitireia Park have undertaken an intensive pest control programme to care for their four species of lizards and are anticipating the introduction of a further species. Many schools around Wellington have lizard gardens. Paul says supporting lizards in home gardens is relatively easy. ‘While keen gardeners can seek out lizard-friendly native plants and create ideal habitat with rock piles, lizards also appreciate unkempt lawns, wood and rock piles, and even old broken-down sheds. But lizards still need to be protected from predators, including cats. Wellington’s predator free effort will also favour lizard repopulation.’ If you succeed in attracting lizards to your garden just leave them be − it’s illegal to collect skinks or geckos and it is recommended you don’t handle them. You should have plenty of opportunity to look at them though. Some lizards can live to the age of 50 and will stay in more or less the same place for years.

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3 March – 15 July 2018 Major Exhibition Patrons

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City Gallery is part of Experience Wellington. Principal Funder: Wellington City Council. image Michael Parekowhai He Kōrero Pūrākau mō te Awanui o te Motu: Story of a New Zealand River 2011 (detail), collection Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.

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Designer treasures W R I T T E N BY SA R A H CAT H E R A L L P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B E X M CG I L L

Up a steep private road high on Wadestown hill, Susie Toogood has created an inviting family home full of treasures she has collected over four decades.

ounder and owner of Wellington’s The Cotton Store, Susie’s 1915 house reflects her interior style. Decorated in simple creams and whites, with the odd splash of colour in a red Turkish rug or a striped cushion, it is filled with antiques the mother-of-three has bought or inherited, along with items imported for her store, all carefully chosen and arranged. In her home, Susie is drawn to shape and form, such as stacks of old encyclopedias flanking the living room fireplace. While she is not a minimalist, she abhors clutter. 'I can’t have anything that doesn’t have a place or a purpose in my house,’ she says. Many of the items dotted around celebrate someone or something that is precious to her − a store she haunted that has since gone, or a family member who created an art work, or gave her an antique to enjoy. Susie and her husband John bought the house 40 years ago. At the time, the single-level residence was

accessed up a zigzag walking track off a Wadestown street, shared by eight other houses. By the time the kids could walk, after she had carried them up and down the track along with bags of shopping, in 1987 ‘We put the driveway in.’ Over four decades, Susie has renovated the house, and decorated it to the place it is today. More than 20 years ago, the couple added another floor to the bungalow, although from the outside, it looks as though it has always been there. The timeless kitchen was added 30 years ago, and hasn’t been touched since. Susie has no formal decorating training, but inherited a love of interiors from her stylish mother, Margaret Meikle. ‘When you live amongst nice things, you can’t help but absorb it’ Describing her own style as contemporary classic, she says. ‘You evolve into this. Eventually you get to the stage where you work out what works for you.

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With age, you end up in a place where you are comfortable. My home is classically simple. These things take time to create, and we have done this incrementally.’ Susie’s children have inherited their mother’s design talent. Daughter Georgina is a graphic designer and photographer in Auckland, who helps with The Cotton Store website. Lillie, 38, is a designer and photographer, with her own company, Good & Co, making fashion scarves. Susie’s son Jono is a Melbourne musician with a day job in marketing. Just as her home is a nod to the past, Susie’s childhood helped to determine where she is today. Her father was the general manager of the James Cook Hotel and the family lived in the penthouse on the top floor. In the mid-1980s, the hotel needed a revamp. Johnny and Susie, then working in furniture and interior design, came up with a plan to renovate it, and were given six weeks to overhaul the entire hotel. ‘We had a week a floor, as that was all they were prepared to shut

down at the time. It was mad,’ she laughs. This spiralled into other commercial interior projects, and eventually to The Cotton Store, which Susie and John opened in 1991. Susie had always loved Indian cotton, and when it was in vogue, believed people should be able to buy the fabric off bolts. She also loved rambling warehouses jammed with stuff, and wanted to open a store with a similar feel. At the time, big fabric companies also imported Indian cotton, selling it to furniture manufacturers. Over the years they phased it out, and The Cotton Store is now the only New Zealand business importing handloomed cotton from India. Susie’s Indian cotton is handwoven, so flecks, flaws and imperfections show through in the fabric. ‘You get all the irregularities which makes it look better,’ she says. ‘I’m probably the edge of the generation that knew it best. Back from me, everybody had Indian cotton.’

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At The Cotton Store, customers seek her decorating advice, but she says that interior decorating is a personal thing. While she is happy to point them to the right cloth for a couch or curtains, she says, ‘It’s not my house. I don’t have an instant answer. I say I can help you with things but I can’t solve problems.’ The Cotton Store has been something of a fixture in Wellington from the days when it was difficult to source furnishing cottons. Over time, the store has begun making sofas to order, and stocking natural, textural homewares: woven mats from Kerala, and cane baskets from Asia. Just as Susie’s store has evolved over time, so has her home. While it’s not a showroom for her family business, she naturally stocks things from the store. A rattan mat hailing from Kerala, India, lies beneath the kitchen table. In a sunny nook in the kitchen, a twoseater couch is covered in a black and white striped cotton fabric dotted with

black and white checked cushions. Matching curtains hang over french doors leading to the outside patio. While Susie used to sew her own furnishings, she gets someone else to whip them up these days. Pieces of art dotted through the house have their own meaning. Black and white photographs of utensils taken by daughter Georgina are framed on the wall. Upstairs, a map imported by her son-in-law fills a huge wall, near a set of antique weights. Above the kitchen mantelpiece and a woodburner, Susie’s collection of antique clocks hangs on the wall − some work, some don’t. Off the kitchen, the former pantry is a small, low-ceilinged room stocked with preserving jars, glasses and crockery. In the living room, inviting cream couches sit in front of the fireplace, near a red Turkish kilim Susie inherited from her mother. A calming space, the living area is lit up with lamps dotted on sideboards and tables, rather than piercing, intrusive downlights. ‘I disconnected all the overhead lights. I don’t like them.’ Off the hallway, the main bedroom is an oasis of calm, with a bay window and window seat overlooking Wellington city. The entrance hallway is a statement, the lower half of the wall covered with wooden panels painted a fresh white. Susie covered the wall above with striped mattress ticking bought from one of her favourite former haberdashery stores, Evans’s on Cuba Street. Susie turns nostalgic talking about Evans’s, which stocked fabrics and children’s clothes, and where each purchase was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. ‘It was real retail. It was a fabulous place,’ says Susie, who has taken some of the ideas into The Cotton Store, and has never once sent a customer away with a plastic bag.

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All that jazz By Sarah Lang As jazz musician Jake Baxendale counts the bands he’s in, he literally runs out of fingers. ‘It’s hard to keep track. Around 10?’ The composer and saxophonist’s main groups are eight-piece The Jac, which has released two albums through record label Rattle, and quintet Antipodes, which tours Australasia annually and will soon release a new album. Jake, who moved here from Golden Bay in 2007, lives with his partner in Newtown. A beachlover, he enjoyed the sizzling summer, noting gigs aren’t as chocka when it’s cold. He spends his days practising the saxophone and writing music, and is used to late-night sets. ‘Jeez, that would be difficult if you had kids.’ The 29-year-old makes a living from music. ‘But the Wellington jazz scene has more talent than opportunities to perform.’ So, last month, he launched the Arthur Street Loft Orchestra project, which sees The Third Eye host jazz gigs every Monday night. ‘My initial idea was an orchestra featuring as many musicians as possible. People were enthusiastic but had different ideas about how that would look – or sound.’ Instead, four sub-groups are being helmed by composers writing new music: himself and Jasmine Lovell Smith (this month playing 7 May), Callum Allardice and Daniel Hayles (14 May), Lucien Johnson (21 May), and John Rae (28 May). Jake also plays three gigs during the Wellington Jazz Festival (6–10 June). Meanwhile, Jake and two other musicians have just set up industry association Jazz Aotearoa to advocate for jazz musicians, venues, producers and audiences.

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Beauty on a budget CO M P I L E D BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY TA M A R A J O N E S

ndustrial design graduate Eleanore Rogers wanted to prove that young people can have a stylish and creative home ‘that's enjoyable to be in and that you can do on a budget.’ So when a friend asked if she would move into a flat in central Wellington and decorate it, she was instantly on board. ‘I had a huge empty white loft in front of me and a mind full of ideas.’ Eleanore sourced secondhand furniture, frames and planters. ‘I went at them with paint from the local tip shop and upholstery fabric and tools my family had given me.’ She spent hours restoring, creating, and upcycling. Having spent her early 20s investing in furniture she finally took her collection out of her Mum’s garage and it all came together. What was it like living in the loft? I got excited every time I got home. The main living area is beautifully spacious, with a high stud and concrete floors. The size and layout of the space meant that all five of us could do our own thing, while still being in a social environment. At night it had a really ambient feel. The lights were dim warm tones and we had good central heating so it had a family home feel when everyone was home. We had it looking like a space that everyone enjoyed living in, so we kept it like that. It was easy because we had respect for it. Did your Victoria Design degree help you with this project? It gave me a broad skill base; 3D modelling, digital design, product design, furniture design and many others. I learnt the skills to build and up-cycle furniture from university as I had access to a whole workshop full of some pretty serious tools. I learnt a lot of techniques from my teachers which I used when doing the furniture for the flat. What are some stand-out items? The black pair of chairs. I found these in a skip bin and took them knowing they had potential as the shape was really

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What do you think of the new wave of mass produced interior items – think Kmart & The Warehouse? My mantra is to always buy good pieces from the beginning. Quality over quantity. I personally don’t like either of them because there is no longevity in their products. We end up throwing them away and it’s contributing to our mass consumer society. I understand people can’t afford expensive furniture and home ware or only need some things for a short period of time, but we should do our best to recycle wherever possible. I also am not a fan as there is generally no credit given to the designers that made the furniture that they knock off.

unique. They had beige vinyl on the side and the seats were all marked. I stripped them back and was stoked to find amazing wooden arms underneath. I painted them black, did my first re-upholstering attempt and it worked out well. The ‘marble’ table that everyone thinks is real marble. This is literally an open-sided box I got from the tip shop for $5 covered in marble look duraseal. I stuck it onto an old school desk I got for another $5 that had coloured pen scribbled all over it. When you look underneath you can still see it all. I love it because everything you put on it looks good. The perfect Insta background. The pottery collection. Many pieces are from one of my favourite New York potters, Jonathan Adler. He does some crazy but incredible stuff. These are some of my investment pieces that cost up to $250 each. I have asked for a piece from my family almost every birthday and Christmas and have yet collected more. I’m addicted.

What are three things students can do to elevate their flats? Add plants. They are cheap, easy and good for the air. Use magazines, design catalogs, packaging, shopping bags – anything with some interesting design on it. Frame it, put it on a coffee table, or just lean it against some shelves. Paint anything that needs a second life. You can paint over all sorts of materials and objects. If you aren’t confident with painting by brush then spray painting is super easy and can instantly transform something.

Wellington flats can be very dark and damp. How do you add light and warmth to a room? Use lighter colours and have lots of layers and textures. Fill it with your favourite things like pottery, throws and some decorative pillows. I always love having a plant in my room too. Big mirrors are great as they catch and reflect light making the room feel bigger.

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Mid century musing P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

Tara and Nick swapped living in the city that never sleeps for a dream home in Waikanae. Sharon Stephenson explores.

uying a house in Waikanae was as low on Tara Morton and Nick Walbridge’s priorities as it was possible to get. The lawyers-turned-policy advisers for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade had been living in New York for seven years, working at New Zealand’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations (Nick also spent a year in Washington DC working for the New Zealand embassy and Tara for the New Zealand embassy in Cairo in 2014/15). It’s fair to say that New York had captured their hearts. The couple spent the first four years in a compact apartment in mid-town Manhattan, near the Empire State Building, and another three years in the hip Brooklyn suburb of Williamsburg. During that time, Nick (36) took advantage of the location to do an acting course, while 37-year-old Tara spent a year completing a fashion design course at Manhattan's Fashion Institute of Technology. And it was a rare weekend the couple didn’t spend checking out another US city or exploring the Big Apple. But after seven years, the shine had worn off a little. ‘We loved New York’s intensity but the pace and the noise can get to you after a while,’ says Tara, who admits she needed ear plugs, ear muffs and a white noise machine to sleep when so many around her were not. While working in hot, crowded Cairo for 10 months, Tara started to long for New Zealand’s green open spaces. ‘I was scrolling through online listings looking at Wellington houses for sale but I forgot to tick the "Wellington city" box, and this house came up.’

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Waikanae

She was immediately smitten. ‘I sent the link to Nick back in New York but he wasn’t that impressed. He’d grown up in Wellington and Waikane had always seemed too quiet and too far away from the city.’ When the house disappeared from online listings, Tara assumed it had been sold. So the couple focused their remote search on houses in Wellington city, sending family and friends to check them out and bidding unsuccessfully on a few. But a year later this house, which was built in 1965, reappeared for sale and this time Tara was determined they’d secure it as the first home they’ve ever owned. ‘We loved the Mid-century Modern design, the light-filled interiors and the Californian/Japanese influences.’ Nick was eventually won over by his home’s nod to the design of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. ‘I stayed in a Frank Lloyd Wright place in Michigan and fell in love with his style.’ It also helped that Waikane’s infrastructure had improved during their absence in various ways – a better train link with the Capital, numerous new businesses. ‘A lot of younger people seemed to be moving up here, opening cafes and an art-house cinema similar to the one we went to in Brooklyn,’ he says. Determined to secure the property, Nick flew back to New Zealand the day before the auction. ‘I jumped on a train straight from the airport and came up to view the house. Even in my jet-lagged state, I knew it was a pretty special place.’ The couple could reach the reserve price, but spent the next six months riding an email roller-coaster, negotiating a final price. By October 2016, it was theirs. And that’s when the fun started. ‘We didn’t own any furniture so decided to buy it all online and ship it home. Not only was it cheaper but there’s so much more choice overseas.’

Tara laughingly admits her obsessive gene kicked into high gear. Drawing up spreadsheets, she trawled the net for five different options for each piece. Her persistence paid off: the couple’s sprawling house is now filled with an enviable mix of expensive and cheaper Ikea pieces, most of which come from the U.S. One exception is the low, light brown leather sofa which was made in Denmark for a French store. ‘It was shipped from Denmark to France to Waikanae!’ The Adirondack chairs, stunning Ercol dining table and chairs and replica Hans Wenger chair in the master bedroom all came from New York stores. One item that Tara was determined to bring home was the vintage trunk in the living room that she’s put to use as a coffee table. It was a flea-market find in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, when the couple were on holiday. ‘We found this fantastic flea market in a field and paid about $8 for it. We carried it, and another one, back to New York on the train and then walked to our apartment from Penn Station carrying them on our heads.’ Fortunately, nothing structural had to be done to the 410sqm home which sits in over 1.5ha of land planted in established native and exotic trees.

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With her robust design/fashion sensibility, Tara had definite views about the interior of the house, which includes elements of the Hinuera volcanic stone used on the exterior. ‘Some of the rooms were painted or wallpapered in red, purple and orange which wasn’t really the look I was going for.’ Enter Auckland interior designer Katie Lockhart, whose work Tara had long admired. Katie created a palette plucked from the restful end of the colour wheel, using the Drikolor brand. It includes a light green for the living room, and white for the rest of the interior. It was a pretty unanimous decision not to touch the bedroom, which is a vision in dark William Morris prints, – the curtains, the padded headboard and the duvet cover. ‘It’s a real talking point with friends and family,’ admits Tara. On the other side of the house

is a 10m by 5.4m dance studio which has since proved useful as rehearsal space for Tara’s retro dance group, the Real Hot Bitches. It already has a toilet and kitchen, and the couple plan to add a shower and eventually put it on Air BnB. ‘About half the property is in trees and plants, including a Zen garden, raised vege beds and numerous fruit trees such as apple, lemons, fig, lime, feijoa and tamarillo.’ There are even some fruiting paw paw and banana trees. ‘Friends back in New York can’t believe how much garden we have to maintain,’ says Nick. The leap from a tiny New York apartment to such an extensive garden hasn’t been easy. But the couple say they’re learning as they go. There are also a couple of glasshouses which the couple plan to use one day and a purpose-built chook house they’d eventually like to fill. Next to the gardens is the tennis court where the couple spent a lot of time during summer. ‘Nick’s dream is to one day create a fastidiously maintained grass tennis court, complete with umpire's chair and scoreboard, where he hosts tennis tournaments which would have a strict all-white dress-code,’ laughs Tara. But the feature that’s proved the biggest hit with the steady stream of family and friends is the original heated pool, which comes complete with a pool house and barbecue area. ‘If you’d told me 10 years ago that one day we would own such a big house with a pool and tennis court far from the city, I would probably have laughed at you,’ says Tara. ‘But this house has been a real antidote to New York living, a sanctuary that we love coming home to every day.’

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Full House P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

Both a nomad and a homebody, Zana Lokmer has a home that could double as an art gallery. She talks to Sarah Lang about how her home, its treasures and its view inspire her own art.

earing a grey beret, striped shirt, skinny pants, tall boots, and glasses with a flecked rim, Zana Lokmer has an eclectic personal style: there are lots of unusual elements, but together it works. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also true of the interior design of the home she shares with husband Stasa Lokmer, Matija (one of their two university-student sons), and pug Noba on a hilly street in Crofton Downs. Down the zigzag steps is their flat-roofed, boxy house of red-stained timber, built in 1963. When Zana first saw the house, she saw potential. The couple embarked on a four-month renovation: kitchen, floors, wallpaper, and painting of interior walls (like the orange feature wall by the dining table). The red-brick interior wall stayed. They didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t alter the open-plan layout of the kitchen, dining and lounge areas, which makes the small house feel bigger, as does the view.

She and Stasa often sit on the comfortable chairs next to the balcony to look out at the bush and listen to the trickle of the stream and the trilling of birds. ‘I feel like I’m living in the bush. This is my dream home because it lets me really connect with nature.’ Steps lead down to a small, sun-soaked deck with outdoor furniture and barbecue. Zana also wakes up to that view from the master bedroom downstairs, where flowery wallpaper is the background for framed photos. Zana, who looks younger than her 53 years, has a warm, colourful personality and a coffee-table book called Absolutely Beautiful Things: A Bright and Colourful Life. She creates as well as collects things. After her mandatory morning coffee, she climbs the zigzag steps to her studio off the street. There she uses acrylic paint to create paintings, and blue and white porcelain paints for small plates, bowls, cups and tiles; think faces, fish, swans, flowers, and faces that resemble Frida Kahlo’s (there’s a poster of Kahlo in her studio). It’s all what you’d call cheerful art. ‘I paint what I see around me, with all their tiny details.’ To bolster her income, she also has a stationery range – cards, gift tags, notebooks – and works three days a week at homeware store Small Acorns on the corner of Blair and Wakefield streets. She credits her boss Amanda Holland for encouraging her to make art, then stocking it.

On one lounge wall, there’s very little white space between all the artworks – and even a ladder to display collectables. ‘I made some, brought some [from other countries], bought some. Nothing was expensive. I buy what I love and when it’s put together, it works.’ Some she picked up at op shops, second-hand markets, vintage stores, and the NZ Art Show, where she’s also sold work. ‘I’m sad Unearthed Vintage and Retro on Cuba St closed.’ Two of her favourite paintings are portraits of ladies: one by Amanda Johnston and one by her doctor friend Dubravka Jankovic. They hang over a delicate figurine of a Japanese woman. Does her husband share her taste in art? ‘He likes what I like.’ When I ask if that’s for the sake of marital harmony, she simply grins. Zana enjoys cooking, and friends often come round for Sunday lunch. The kitchen is monochrome, apart from tree-patterned wallpaper that serves as a splashback, and artwork including two of her painted tiles on the wall. Zana, who collects china, shows me an aqua cabinet filled with exquisite tea cups and saucers, many with flower patterns. Yes, she drinks from them – ‘Otherwise what’s the point?’ Above the cabinet is one of her own paintings, which depicts one of her bluepainted tiles. She also collects brooches and bangles. ‘I started collecting when I was young, when I had nothing.’ She doesn’t want to go into detail about her refugee past.

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After the Bosnian War began in 1992, she left for Harere, Zimbabwe in 1992 with Stasa and Matija. She’s also lived in Australia, where she studied at Sydney’s International School of Colour and Design before working as an interior stylist for four years. Eight years ago, the family moved to Wellington for Stasa’s IT job. Soon, his next job will take them to Cologne, Germany. She’ll enjoy being closer to her parents and brother in Europe, but sons Matija and Luka will stay in New Zealand. She’ll miss them and Wellington. ‘It’s got everything you could want from a big city, in a compact space, plus nature, safety, and warm people.’ Zana is sad to leave her dream home. But as a nomad, she enjoys the adventure of living in different countries. And as a homebody, she must fill each home with her treasures. Choosing a favourite would be like choosing a favourite child. ‘I love them all.’

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Room to grow Growing up in a historic home makes for family stories. Francesca Emms tells us some of the highlights of that Featherston childhood.

y Mum likes to tell the story of the first time she and Dad took us kids to see Longwood. It was the summer that I was seven. Apparently I spun around singing, ‘I think I’m gonna like it here!’ I don’t remember doing this. But I was an attention-seeking middle child obsessed with Annie so I’m sure it’s true. Anyway, I was right. That first visit was spent racing around counting toilets (current count is 14), getting lost in the trees, and picnicking on the lawn. We got to choose which of the eleven bedrooms we wanted. I went for one with an archway over the door and a view of the front lawn. My older sister Georgia took the Yellow Room which boasts a fireplace and two entrances. Four-year-old Sammy was put in the Red Room, probably because it was closest to the Blue Room, the master suite, where my parents were. I felt like I could be any of the redheaded characters I loved – Orphan Annie, Pippi playing in her rundown mansion or Anne of Green Gables letting her imagination go wild. This dream house came with some challenges – its sheer size to start with. A restoration project becomes a marathon when the

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house covers 14,000 square feet and all the water pipes are 100 years old. The current Longwood was built in 1906 (after the original wooden one burnt down) and the oldest building on the site is the 1850s cottage where the builders of the original homestead lived while they constructed it. My parents have spent a couple of decades carefully restoring Longwood and the other historic buildings. I don’t remember the hard work – I was too busy having a marvellous time. My early memories of living at Longwood include climbing up and down the fire escapes, exploring the bush and playing epic games of hide and seek. My best hiding place was the top shelf of the upstairs linen cupboard. I can’t tell you my second best spot because I still use it. We climbed trees, built precarious forts and raced around on a quad bike sans helmets. The best winter pastime was sliding down the stairs in sleeping bags. Looking back at the adventures we had, it’s incredible that I’ve never needed stitches or had a broken a bone. And apart from a mild concussion, sustained during a particularly fast slide down the stairs, our friends were mostly okay too.

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Rumours of Longwood being haunted meant that friends on sleepovers frequently had to be driven home in the middle of the night. I’m sure they weren’t true but Mum and Dad weren’t taking any chances, inviting the local Catholic priest to perform an exorcism – well, a blessing. I still find it a bit unnerving to walk down the drive at night; the sound of the wind through the trees does nothing to calm an overactive imagination. The highlight of any play date at Longwood was dressing up. The box room, tucked away in the maid’s quarters, would have been where the trunks and suitcases were kept. With a number of performers in the family, and a bit of a hoarding gene, we turned it into a fully stocked dress-up room. Shoes, wigs, masks, old costumes and op-shop finds all went in there and it became the go-to not only for us kids but also for my parents and their friends when they were going to costume parties. When Georgia was given a camera, photo shoots became a regular game. She would

style Sammy and me and make us pose in character. The collection has grown over the years and now includes wedding dresses, furs, opera gowns and anything we thought might come in handy for a future show. We’ve had to cull a bit, but we still have the two most popular items: the pink tutu, which a nominated family member has to wear to hand out the presents at Christmas time, and the Batman cape. The Adam Drawing Room, named for its Adamesque fireplaces and the wonderful plaster ceiling detail, has been the stage for many concerts and theatre shows: amateur productions our parents patiently sat through, as well as professional ones that the public actually paid to see. This room is where the Easter Bunny hides the eggs and where Father Christmas fills our pillow cases. It’s home to Mum’s grand piano which accompanies the weekly rehearsal of the Featherston Gentlemen Singers and our annual family carol-singing party.

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Like our Mum, my sisters and I find it extremely difficult to part with books. There are literally thousands of them at Longwood. I remember them all over the house – in piles on tables, spilling out of shelves or lost in our beds. I once tried to count just the cook books and gave up around 600. The library is my favourite room in the house. The shelves, which are completely full, are divided into fiction and non-fiction, and alphabetized. It’s the coziest room in the house with its thick curtains, deep leather couches and fireplace. Back in the day, Longwood was freezing. I remember using toilets with bracingly cold seats. We used open fires, hot water bottles and gas heaters to stay warm. There’s a beautiful Aga in the kitchen which also heated the bedrooms directly above. It was wonderful for slow cooking and the warming drawer was

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the perfect temperature to put cold feet on. If the power went out Dad would do a cooked breakfast just to prove we didn’t need electricity. The Aga had been run on coke; Dad converted it to diesel, then gas, then wood, but it never ran perfectly. One winter he tried charcoal and we’d leave the kitchen with headaches and/or slightly high. Now there are radiators throughout the house, though most of the open fireplaces remain. A borderline pyromaniac, I was caught many times playing with matches before Dad taught me how to safely set, light and maintain a fire. He instilled in me a deep respect for the art and danger of firelighting. Winter at Longwood is roast dinners and snuggling up by the fire. Spring is daffodils. Summer is swimming and Christmas day cricket. But Autumn

is my favourite time of year. Do I need to tell you how beautiful Longwood’s deciduous trees are in Autumn? A couple of seasons ago we taught the next generation how to build up a pile of dry leaves and throw yourself into it. My two-year old nephew was a natural. My gatherer instinct is strong and I love to collect baskets of feijoas and trailer-loads of walnuts. I don’t want to toot my own horn but I’m the fastest at getting a sweet chestnut out of its spiky home and an excellent mushroomer. Four pretty South Suffolk sheep spent the summer cleaning up under the 40 olive trees Dad planted for Mum’s 40th, and this month we’ll be picking their fruit. People always ask, ‘What’s it like to live here?’ Truth is, it’s just home. Magical, beautiful, historical, but just home.

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Cnr Tory & Tennyson St, www.frontandcentre.co.nz

TENANTS

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What about references, agreements, bond?

You don’t have time for quarterly inspections or organising maintenance?

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Run This season, home interiors get a mature make-over as colour comes back, texture is trending and indulgence is key. Our Art Director takes a look at four interior trends to sink your teeth into and gives you a few expert tips to get started.

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Terrazzo Tita h i

Say good-bye to marble and concrete, the new it-girl in 2018 is terrazzo. Terrazzo is hard-wearing and practical, and because it's made by mixing materials, each piece is unique. The look is handmade, authentic and sophisticated 6

Tips: 1. Castle Penny round cushion, $109, Small Acorns 2. Queen quilt with blockprinted ornate design, $239, Trade Aid 3. Seljak original whipstitch blanket, $249, Mooma 4. Broste Copenhagen jewellery frame, $69, Tea Pea 5. Terrazzo round serving platter, $59.99, Shut The Front Door 6. Castle velvet pillowcase, $85, Small Acorns 7. Kip & co throw, $309, Tea Pea 8. Wallis rocking chair, $480, Tea Pea 9. Skala vase small, $29, Shut The Front Door

Buy an item made of terrazzo and use this as the base of your colour palette. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find neutrals with big dashes of colour like electric blue, rustic orange, ochre and millennial pink. Pair with rustic handmade pieces.

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We’ve seen flamingos, palm trees and hot colours everywhere. This year tropical gets a sophisticated make-over with modern upholstery, luxurious textures and plenty of (gasp) cream. Think Miami-meets-Bauhaus.

Tips:

Replace white with cream to give a more luxe feel. Mix textures, pattern and light sources to keep it eclectic.

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Don’t be afraid to use out-of-favour indoor plants like Devils Ivy and ferns.

1. Faux plant – large fern, $125, Shut The Front Door 2. Sunday velvet chair, $999, Shut The Front Door 3. Castle velvet pillowcase, $85, Small Acorns 4. Leggy 'Ribbed' planter, $80, Mooma 5. Shape up 'O' mug, $55, Mooma 6. Neon poodle – it's neon love pink, $289, Tea Pea 7. Lantern votive copper, $170, Porcelain Lounge 8. Sage & Clare blanket, $349, Tea Pea 9. Flora vase, $195, Porcelain Lounge 10. Outdoor palm tree sunset cushion, $89, Shut The Front Door 11. Kip & Co velvet beanbag, $159, Tea Pea

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Nudes

Tips:

Use wall art to tie colours together.

White is fine, but nude is better. Scandi simplicity finally gives way to colour. But the same Scandiprincipals still apply: well-designed pieces with balance and purpose. This is all about not too little, not too much.

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Texture is important, add velvet to elevate the feeling of luxury. 5

Take time to choose well-designed pieces â&#x20AC;&#x201C; less is more.

7 6 1. Russo 3-seater sofa blush velvet, $2,999, Shut The Front Door 2. Yayoi Bamboo tray, small $100, large $140, Porcelain Lounge 3. Toscana daybed, $POI, Inhabit 4. Castle blush linen duvet, $290, Small Acorns 5. Sage & Clare bedcover, $499, Tea Pea 6. Flamingo Audubon, $149, Shut The Front Door 7. Round white paper lampshade, $37, Trade Aid 8. Made of tomorrow fold mini circle brass rack, $49, Tea Pea

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Tips:

Mix old with new pieces so the look feels fresh rather than fussy.

Florals never really go away, but this year we find florals have overgrown into one big, bold trend. Dark colours mean a refined, luxurious look. Think the Botanic Gardens in full bloom at twighlight.

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There are plenty of beautiful floral wallpapers available, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to go full-floral.

Add a big vase of fresh flowers to make the look come alive.

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1. Felt floral rug, $89, Trade Aid 2. Bonnie and Neil dogwood duvet, $525, Small Acorns 3. Velvet still life bouquet cushion, $45, Shut The Front Door 4. George & Edi the darker side candle, $48, Small Acorns 5. Rose & Peony rug, from $1532 , Living Room 6. Japonica bench sofa, $2,499, Small Acorns 7. Bonnie and Neil cushion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tea rose pink, $295, Small Acorns

LIFESTYLE

APPLE OF MY EYE Get along to the Dowse this month if you want to catch Billy’s Apple, a presentation of works from The Dowse collection that engage with issues of gender, identity and representation. Named for artist Billy Apple, who used the apple as a recurring motif in both sculptural and printed works, the exhibition looks at personal branding and the construction of identity. It includes works by Reuben Paterson, Sofia Tekela-Smith and Billy Apple. Until 27 May.

CLOSING IN

COME TO GETHER

THE ONE PERCENT

Now that winter has well and truly arrived we’re thinking about the best ways to keep heat in, cold out and power bills down. If you’re considering replacing your curtains, the Curtain Store in Upper Hutt offers free measure and quote with no obligation. Once you’ve got your lovely new drapes up, the old ones can be donated to the Sustainability Trust’s Curtain Bank if they’re good quality and mould free. They’ll be upcycled and gifted to a family in need. The Curtain Bank also takes donations of fabric rolls or large offcuts of fabric, tracks and hooks.

After 20 years in its Cuba Mall location, Mandatory menswear store has been relocated. Their new space brings the shop and workroom together, a long-held dream for the fashion label. Co-owner Clare Bowden says, ‘We’re so proud that we make our clothing here in Wellington, and really want to share that feel-good factor by showing people how we roll and who’s making their clothes.’ Now open at 21 Ghuznee St, formerly Abel Traders, Mandatory has a strong Winter 18 range and will roll out new items each week over the coming months.

Every year, over 45,000 animals are received at 40 SPCA Centres across the country. The charity relies almost entirely on the generosity of New Zealanders as they receive only a small amount of government funding. The Porcelain Lounge is running a year-long campaign to support them. Purchase any Lladro cat or dog figurine and 1% of the sale goes towards the SPCA. Check them out online.

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FASH ION

Dress codes need to change BY M EGA N B L E N K A R N E

any of us will spend a huge number of our waking hours at work, which means it’s probably the place you’ll dress up for more often than any other, and for lots of us there’s a decision to be made each day on what to wear. Research by the National Research Council of Canada has found that your appearance will influence others’ perception of your suitability for hire and promotion, so it seems to be a pretty important decision to get right! At the same time, it seems to me that the traditional corporate dress codes demanding a narrow interpretation of business attire have earned a bad reputation, for reasons ranging from outright unreasonableness to incompatibility with the preferences of millennials. Judging by the sheer number of Google results for a query on ‘dress code’ people still want to know what they should wear to work, but I don’t think those dictatorial dress codes are the answer any more. For starters, the research on whether dress codes have a correlation with productivity is mixed. A study of 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom, all in full-time employment, found that 61% considered that their dress code had no positive impact on their productivity. Some 45% said they’d be more productive wearing what they felt most comfortable in. However, in other studies some supervisors told researchers that having rules around how to dress that were merely more casual (as opposed to non-existent) can lead to sloppiness and laziness.

Those findings do seem somewhat at odds. It would seem, from yet more research undertaken on the topic, that what we really need to focus on is whether your task is concrete and well defined, or abstract and high-level. In the former case, you should aim to be comfy; in the latter case, you should aim to feel business-like and confident. A dress code demanding business attire doesn’t seem like a natural tool for encouraging such a flexible approach to what we wear to work. In the absence of a traditional dress code, I have no doubt that poor judgment will have to be addressed from time to time and I bet it will be trickier to manage without a formal, detailed code to refer staff to. However, studies on reflexive imitation demonstrate that our innate need to fit in will drive most of us to mimic others around us – which means that if there’s enough role models in the business, you’re less likely to have to deal with outfit errors. Perhaps then the best option is this. Tell your employees that you trust them to dress in a way that respects their team and their workplace, and then show them every day what you think that looks like. Better still, why not ask them what they think that looks like – and who knows, you might soon have a team wearing yellow pants to the office but working twice as hard! My shirt is from the brand custommade, and is available at Wanda Harland.

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NOW SHOWING AT A WINDOW NEAR YOU The Curtain Store is locally owned and operated Where good old fashioned service still applies. Great product knowledge on all window dressing and finishes. For a no obligation free measure and quote call us today.

8 Queen Street, Upper Hutt 5018, Wellington Toll Free: 0508-4372737 / Ph: 04 569 1969 www.thecurtainstore.co.nz

UNREFORMED SPUDS FROM THE UNDERGROUND, SCRUBBED CLEAN AND CUT THICK FOR A HEALTHIER DIRTY PLEASURE

FISHY BUSINESS

Kina Name: Common sea urchin or sea egg Māori names: Kina, Kina ariki, Kina koorako, Puurau

Catch: Like paua, kina are generally picked up by free divers − though with kina you’ll want to wear gloves. The catch limit in Wellington is 50 per fisher.

Scientific name: Evechinus chloroticus

Cook: Kina lovers swear by eating the roe raw and fresh from the sea, but if you're not quite ready for that there are some interesting recipes online − including one for a kina omelette with lemon sauce from Māori TV chef Cameron Petley that sounds pretty delicious.

Looks like: A round, spiky green ball growing up to 15cm in diameter. Underneath the spines is a hard, spherical shell housing internal organs and, in spring, the roe, which is a traditional food for Māori and a delicacy for many others.

Did you know? Back in 2011 diver Stephen Journee set in motion a plan to restore marine life under Taranaki wharf by introducing 11-armed starfish, a kina predator, who worked as underwater 'bouncers' to protect new weed growth. Initial results were promising, but the project lost momentum when Journee left to live overseas. Journee is optimistic though, saying by email that his work is 'back on the radar' and will inform the WCC’s Living City goals for a thriving ‘Blue Belt’.

Habitat: Kina are endemic, and the most common of approximately 70 species of urchin found in New Zealand. They are found all around the coast in shallow waters and down to 15 metres. Feeds on: Kina feed mainly on large brown algae, red algae and encrusting substrate. The kina’s mouth, located on its underside, contains a complex, five-sided dental apparatus delightfully named 'Aristotle’s lantern' which acts like a set of jaws and teeth to grind food up into digestible pellets. If kina populations get out of control kelp forest can be eaten away very quickly, leaving what is known as 'kina barrens'.

If they were human they would be: One of those wonderful characters who appear prickly when you first meet them but, should they let you inside their defences, are full of tender warmth.

EDIBLES

BL ACK F R I DAY Kate Marinkovich from Tomboy on Marjoribanks St is offering two very different cake-decorating classes for 2018’s Wellington on a Plate. One class will be R18 and called Black Friday, a take on her popular dark chocolate ‘Black Cakes’ which often have a naughty message on them. Under Marinkovich’s supervision every attendee will decorate and take home their very own Black Cake. The other class is called Pink Sunday. It will be a very family-friendly event with attendees each receiving a vanilla butter cake or 24x cupcakes to decorate with dried raspberries, flowers and other ‘feminine’ paraphernalia. The classes will be held at L’affare. Check out some of Kate’s Black Cakes on Instagram with the handle ‘Tomboy Black.’

CAVEMAN CURE

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LAZARUS HAD COFFEE

Thought for Food (BWB) explores the link between our diet and the increase in chronic disease rates, suggesting that although our diet has changed drastically since cave-dwelling times, our metabolism may not have. The book is by Professor John Potter whose many academic and professional accolades include his position as Chief Science Advisor to the Ministry of Health. Bridget Williams has been publishing books in New Zealand since 1976.

The Meadow Fresh New Zealand Barista Championships were held last month at Expressions Art Centre in Upper Hutt. Wellington baristas Logan Collinge of Mojo Coffee Cartel and Frank Hsu, owner of Franks Coffee, competed. Frank Hsu was second runnerup while Collinge came fourth. Competitors were scored on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and presentation, as well as a signature drink. The winner is going to the World Barista Championship 2018 in Amsterdam.

Pour and Twist is Wellington’s first fully manual coffee brew bar, specialising in different and interesting ways of brewing coffee, without the aid of a powered machine. They use single origin coffee and have a variety of other speciality drinks available, such as their Nitro Matcha which comes topped with a matcha kit-kat. Pour and Twist was originally located in The Courtyard at Reading cinemas and has recently reopened at 13 Garrett Street.

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EDIBLES

SPRIG I S SPRU NG The two existing Sprig and Fern Taverns in Wellington, on Tinakori Rd and in Lower Hutt, are soon to be joined by a third. Dundas St in Seatoun is getting a ‘Little Sprig’ tavern. With a smaller footprint than usual Sprig and Fern taverns, Little Sprig will support eight craft beer taps. There are 11 Sprig & Fern taverns nationwide at the moment, with seven in the Nelson region. The Tahuna location has become affectionately known as ‘Sprig by the Sea’ which is something co-owner Sam Fitzgerald will try to replicate in Seatoun. Sprig and Fern Taverns are unique in having no TVs, pokies or pool tables.

SPILLING THE BEANS

FOOD UNION

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

A special series of takeaway coffee cups is being introduced by Café L’affare. The purchase of the cups will contribute 3c per cup to communities in New Zealand. The cups which are available this month were designed by Shelby Derks-Wyatt from Open Lab and the art is called ‘Watering Hole’. The community charity being supported is Cultivate, a social enterprise that combines productive urban farming, youth development and community participation. Cups can be purchased anywhere L’affare coffee is sold, including their College St store.

The bar and bistro at the Martinborough Hotel has new owners. Michelin-starred Chef Adam Newall, of Zibibbo, and wife Nicola will open Union Square Bistro and Bar with Paul Dicken, who is a tutor at Le Cordon Bleu. Adam was awarded his Michelin star while working in London in 1995. Paul also has a wealth of experience, having worked in many local restaurants, including Capitol. The name for the bar came from the layout of Martinborough Square, which is the shape of a Union Jack.

Last month Black Dog Brewery officially opened a new brewery at 216 Cuba St. The two-storey venue has 16 taps and offers a variety of food. Owner (Topdog) Adrian Klemp says the new location is a much better fit for them than their previous location on Blair St, with many people around during their daytime opening hours. Klemp was one of the tasters involved in Capital’s ‘Beer Necessities’ tasting last year. Black Dog also brewed and bottled a special Capital brew for our fifth-birthday celebrations in April.

Did AnYone here order A truckloAd of hops? Our latest release, arriving at a supermarket or bottle store near you.

S H E A R E R S ' TA B L E

Honey mustard chicken with spiced kumara and quinoa sa lad BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

o matter what your age it is likely that you had chicken for dinner at least once a week growing up and now serve it to your family regularly. When time in the kitchen becomes less and less as a result of busy lives, this recipe is one that will not only feed the tribe but can be whipped up

in no time at all. It also heroes the good carbohydrates, our very own kumara and the super grain, quinoa. We add a bit of fancy with flavours from the Mediterranean and to counterbalance the sweetness of the chicken we have added a good dollop of chilli paste. Serves 4

Honey mustard chicken INGREDIENTS 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, diced 2 Tbsp Edmond Fallot blackcurrant dijon mustard (you can pick this up from Moore Wilson’s. Alternatively use another,wholegrain mustard or your own favourite) 3 Tbsp dijon mustard ½ cup runny honey 2 Tbsp olive oil 600g chicken tenderloins salt and pepper 4 sprigs rosemary

METHOD

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Preheat oven to 200°C. In a small pan, sauté the onion and garlic with 1 Tbsp olive oil until softened. Put into an oven-safe dish (preferably with a lid – if not, tinfoil will suffice). Mix together mustards, honey and olive oil. Layer chicken tenderloins on top of the onion mixture, season with salt and pepper. Pour mustard mix over top. Place sprigs of rosemary around chicken, and bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove lid/tinfoil, baste chicken with sauce, and bake uncovered for a further 20 mins or until chicken is golden. Remove rosemary and serve.

Kumara and quinoa sa lad 1 cup brown rice and quinoa (makes 2 ½ cups cooked) 70g pine nuts 500g orange kumara (1 large kumara), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes 2 tsp sumac 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp harissa paste ¼ cup olive oil 6–8 small balls labneh ½ pomegranate, seeds only 1 large handful of fresh rocket leaves, roughly chopped pomegranate molasses

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6. 7.

Cook the rice your prefered way; we use a rice cooker. Spread out on a tray to cool. Set aside. Roast the pine nuts until golden, approx 10−15 minutes at 180°C. In a medium mixing bowl add the spices, chilli and oil. Mix in the kumara. Pour onto a lined baking tray and bake at 180 for 15−20 minutes until kumara is cooked. Remove seeds from pomegranate. In a large salad bowl add the rice, kumara and rocket and using your hands mix together. Add nuts, top with the labneh and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Serve alongside the honey mustard chicken.

BY THE BOOK

WHO KNEW? One of eight known copies of a religious history of the world by Archbishop Antoninus of Florence (1389–1459) has sat on a New Plymouth bookshelf for decades. Now the estate of the late book collector John Barton has donated 20 rare books – printed between 1472 and 1512, and valued at nearly $200,000 – to the Alexander Turnbull Library. Its delighted rare-books curator Anthony Tedeschi says people can make appointments to view the titles from mid-July, but you’ll need spotlessly clean hands – and must rest the book on the cushion provided.

PIP’S TRIP

HOW IT HAPPENED

I SPY

One of many Wellington authors flying to the Auckland Writers Festival this month is Pip Desmond, who has written the memoir Song for Rosaleen (MUP, $29.99) about how her family coped with her mother’s dementia. Desmond’s previous books include the award-winning Trust: A True Story of Women and Gangs (2012), which told the stories of the female gang members involved in Wellington work co-operative Aroha Trust, which Desmond helped establish.

Peter Jackson is a hard man to get hold of, but he took a call from Ian Nathan, a leading UK film writer. The upshot is Nathan’s book Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle Earth (HarperCollins, $45), out 1 May. It features new interviews with Jackson, his cast and crew about what it took to make the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies happen.

Do we spy a nominee for next year’s New Zealand Book Awards? Kate Duignan’s second novel The New Ships (VUP, $30) is about Wellingtonian Peter Collie, who is forced to question his roles as a husband, father and lawyer. The book sprang from Duignan’s creativewriting PhD, which saw her join six other Victoria graduates on the inaugural doctoral Dean's List last year. The book launch is at Unity on 10 May.

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BY THE BOOK

Re-verse I N T RO D U C E D BY C L A I R E O RC H A R D

An Office Cyclamen Frankly, when you were first placed in my care I did not want you, leggy stems, white underwear, Hanging exhausted over the edge of the flower-pot, Like a seasick traveller over a ship’s rail. I thought, ‘You are so near death You will not recover.’ I did all that I could for you, Which was not much – loosening your pot-mix With a cracked pen, sharing my Speedee jug, Removing your insupportable goat-faced children, Setting starved leaves near the light they craved. Dry-tongued voyager, I did not expect you to speak to me. But now you spring like a quick fox, ears back, and say, ‘The same life-force drives me that hound-hunts you.’ By Ruth Dallas, from Collected Poems, University of Otago Press (1987)

BREAKDOWN Bio: Ruth Dallas (1919–2008) children’s author and poet, was born in Invercargill, lived for many years in Dunedin, and published more than twenty books during her lifetime. She was the winner of several major literary awards and received a CBE in 1989. In brief: There is so much I love about this poem. Firstly, that it takes place in an office, an unusual setting for poetry. Which goes to show there really is poetry everywhere if you only look hard enough. There’s the spot-on personification of the unwanted, extremely unwell cyclamen ‘hanging exhausted’ over the edge of its pot ‘like a seasick traveller over a ship’s rail’. The spent blooms of a cyclamen absolutely do resemble ‘insupportable goat-faced children’, don’t you think? I love the world-weary tone of the speaker, fully expecting the worst. Yet despite their low expectations, in the final stanza their small interventions prove enough to turn the tide, the cyclamen springing forth again with renewed vigour ‘like a quick fox, ears back’. Where there’s life there really is hope. Above all I love the way the cyclamen’s recovery reminds me that, even when facing a seemingly hopeless situation, an individual who decides to try doing something constructive can make a difference to how things turn out.

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BY THE BOOK

Invisible women P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B E X M CG I L L

Dr Rosy Fenwicke is writing novels about a woman whose menopause gives her superpowers. She talks to Sarah Lang.

r Rosy Fenwicke, 60, has delivered hundreds of babies, and performed hundreds of abortions. She far preferred the former, but felt the latter was necessary given her belief in a woman’s right to choose. A long-time Wellington GP, Rosy is now a full-time ACC assessor based in Martinborough. Making sure to miss the traffic, she drives into Wellington or the airport to fly around the country to assess people who have suffered accidents or sexual abuse and may be entitled to compensation. She meets me before a reunion evening with 100 others who graduated in 1980 from the University of Otago’s medical school. Poised and immaculately groomed, she answers questions openly but efficiently, including some on the subject that saw ‘right-to-lifers’ pen an ‘abortionwiki.org’ webpage on her. Rosy set up Hawke’s Bay’s first abortion clinic in the mid-1990s, while working as a GP in the low-income suburb of Flaxmere, Hastings. Before that, women had to travel out of town. Was performing New Zealand’s most common operation emotionally difficult? ‘Very, especially at first. But if you’re prepared to sign the certificate, you should be prepared to perform the operation. I did get some unsettling death threats at first. But not everyone likes you in life and that’s fine.’ In Hawke's Bay she also assessed sexually-abused children and adolescents for the police and the equivalent of CYFS. After moving to Wellington in 1999, she worked part-time for 15 years as an operating consultant at Te Mahoe, Wellington Hospital’s abortion clinic. ‘In the old clinic on the hill, I’d see the same heads popping over the fence saying “Don’t do it, dear!”.’ She was always surprised that habitual protestors thought she was a patient rather than recognising

her face (and that she was a doctor). ‘I’m pleased I don’t have that job any more.’ Not so much because it was distressing, but because abortion rates have dropped significantly (from 18,382 in 2007 to 12,823 in 2016), largely due to easier access to contraception. ‘That’s exactly what I wanted.’ Though abortion has been legally available in New Zealand since the 1970s, it technically remains a crime unless certain conditions are met. Two certifying doctors must agree that continuing the pregnancy would endanger a woman’s mental or physical health; 98 per cent of abortions are permitted on mental-health grounds (other grounds include foetal abnormality and incest). Counselling is mandatory. ‘I’ve had to turn women down because I felt they weren’t able to cope right then, and needed more counselling. You need to make sure they’re going to be okay and there’s someone to look after them.’ Rosy also worked part-time as a GP for 31 years, at practices including Victoria University’s student-health clinic, Ngaio Medical Centre and Thorndon Medical Centre. Feeling that 15-minute consultations weren’t long enough to really help people, she also trained and specialised in women’s health and family planning, with a stint in the UK. For three years, she ran a private obstetrics practice in Eastbourne. ‘I loved delivering babies.’ Rosy became a doctor largely because her parents – both doctors – expected it. But she always wanted to write. ‘Then things get in the way: job, kids, mortgage.’ After a relationship split, Rosy became a single mother-of-three, with minimal child support and no government benefit or top-up. She returned to work when her children were babies. ‘Life happens and you cope.’ She’s been single for many years. ‘But I’m open to offers!’

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BY THE BOOK

Her first book was In Practice: The Lives of New Zealand Women Doctors in the 21st Century (2004). ‘The women in my book were trailblazers.’ After that, it took more than a decade before she found time for fiction. In May 2017, she self-published her first novel Hot Flush as a paperback and e-book. An unlikely crime thriller, it’s the first of a planned five-part series about Euphemia Sage, who gets ‘superpowers' (heightened senses and abilities) when she reaches menopause, in a ‘switch’ passed down through mitochondrial DNA. The book’s also a feminist statement of sorts. ‘In movies, superheroes are buff men followed around by fawning women. Some superheroes try to be invisible [anonymous], and who’s more invisible in society than a menopausal woman?’ Rosy took a break from Euphemia to write a more realist novel, Death Actually (out on 8 May). It’s about Maggie, an upbeat Queenstown funeral director dealing with a lot: her best friend has cancer, her adult daughter has returned home mysteriously withdrawn, and her former schoolmate is eating herself to death. On a happier note, Maggie keeps running into the handsome new doctor. ‘The book is about redemption.’ Partly inspired by a friend who was considering becoming a funeral director, the book also draws on Rosy’s experiences as a doctor and a ‘mishmash’ of different patients. But, like Hot Flush, it’s a light read, ideal for bedtime reading. ‘I can't write dark books because I work in a dark profession.’ In Death Actually, Maggie makes a memorable comment to a woman visiting her mother’s grave: ‘There are so many stories under these stones, all with the same ending and all reminding us that this is our ending too’. Does Rosy contemplate death often? ‘Yes. It’s part of the human condition, particularly as you age. Why are we here? What’s life all about?’ She isn’t religious. ‘My mother died last year, then as a doctor I see how death affects so many people.’

Death Actually is set in Queenstown because it was a holiday destination during Rosy’s childhood in Invercargill. Later, Wellington was home for 17 years. In 2016 she moved from Kelburn to her thenholiday home in Martinborough. ‘It’s warmer and I’ve got dogs, a bigger garden, a vegetable garden. I almost brought you some cucumbers but I forgot. I like Wellington, but it’s nice being part of a small community where people know you but give you space too.’ Rosy writes ‘in fits and starts. I’m a “pantser” not a plotter, as in I fly by the seat of my pants and only vaguely know where I’m going. When I’m disciplined I wake up early and write for three to four hours.’ She’s disciplined with fitness, too. She once ran marathons and half-marathons, but (to avoid knee and hip injuries) now swims and walks four kilometres daily. In April, she went to the London Book Fair for a three-day lecture series about publishing, including a presentation by Amazon about self-publication. Selfpublishing was her first choice. ‘It’s the new way to go. With NetGalley [a site that distributes digital proofs of books], you can release books in advance and get independent reviews from readers.’ She admits self-publishing presents challenges like distribution and marketing. ‘It’s easy to put something on Amazon and hard to sell.’ However, Amazon sales of Hot Flush have been steady and reader feedback positive. ‘Plus independent bookshops have been fabulous.’ For instance, you can buy Hot Flush at Unity Books in town, Writers Plot Readers Read in Upper Hutt, Hedley’s Booksellers in Masterton, even the Village Wine Centre in Martinborough. Buyers are overwhelmingly women. ‘But men who discreetly borrowed their wives’ copies have told me they enjoyed it too.’ She knows her books aren’t for everyone – and that’s okay. ‘Books are like paintings: not everyone likes the same ones.’

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Wh a t wo u l d D e i r d r e d o? SYSTEMS FAIL I’m always forgetting where I put stuff and seem to spend my life finding what I just put down. Any tips on how to be a bit more organised? Disorder, Featherston. It seems the human race falls into two clear categories as regards possessions – the losers and the keepers. It’s a source of much frustration for both. There are some great organise-yourlife books out there. It is all about systems and a place for everything and being absolutely consistent. Start with keys – always in one place as soon as you enter the house. Glasses need to be attached to you, or have lots of pairs. Do a surface clear-up every evening, and subscribe to the everything in its place philosophy.

TAKE THE BUS I own a car, which my partner and I use frequently, for shopping, to visit family and friends. Neither of us use it to travel to work. I think the costs should be shared between us but my partner who is against private cars

because of climate change, refuses to contribute. I have tried discussion and suggestion. What should I do? Sick of paying, Island Bay Well this seems a no-brainer! If he is using the car then he parks his high-minded ideals and shares the costs – non-negotiable. Or he follows through on his save-the-world philosophy and doesn’t drive or ride. Or you sell the car, take the money and both of you take public transport.

NEITHER A B ORROWER NOR A LENDER BE My friend borrowed a pair of shoes for a party but when she returned them, I noticed one of the straps was broken. I’ve asked her to pay for a new pair but she’s refusing. I don’t want to fall out over a bit of money, but it’s the principle – she broke them, she should surely fix or replace them? Soleless, Miramar. This is tricky as she should be at least paying for repairs. I guess this gets down to your friendship and you may choose to let it go but you certainly won’t be lending her anything again. Relationship changed forever!

MODERN FAMILIES One of my stepfathers left my family when I was about seven and I haven’t seen him since. I recently met him and we both really feel a strong attraction. I’m 28, a solo parent with one child. He has a family, two children from another relationship, (10 and 11), and seems to be a very good father to them. My mother is furious and says it’s wrong for me to see him or to have a relationship with him. Is she correct? In love, Lower Hutt WOW you are certainly stirring up a cauldron of contention! I am with your mother on this − but I guess if it is ‘love’ you will get involved anyway. Be very sure there is no vengeance or retribution in this. You two need to ask some hard questions and find a way to keep your own relationships and take real care of all the children involved in this. You all need to be generous but life is short and is there to be lived. Good luck.

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B A B Y, B A B Y

Last but not least BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

n the last issue of Capital the editor joked about what I would write about if I didn’t have any more children. It was interesting timing − we have two kids, which is as many as we ever wanted − but it turns out that deciding to never inhale the scent of your brand new baby again is an incredibly tough decision. It might have been easier when the youngest was little, and we were drowning in a sea of sleep deprivation, dirty nappies and milky spew. At that point we knew with every fibre of our beings that we would not survive more children. But we weren’t having a whole lot of sex at that point and there was also the morbid but persistent fear of SIDS to deal with. What if we weren’t lucky enough to keep our beautiful babe? Wouldn’t we want to try again? So we missed the boat. And now here we are on the home straight, with both kids pretty much sleeping through the night and nappies likely to be gone forever in the next 12 months, and we find ourselves going round in circles as to what’s the next move. It doesn’t matter that every time we have this conversation it ends in the exact same way; with both of us strongly agreeing that we don’t want any more children, we are doomed to leave it for a few days or weeks and then to reenact the whole thing again. The arguments against are strong − we can’t afford it, we’d need a new car, we’d need another bedroom, I couldn’t work, our relationship would struggle, we would be so, so tired. But the argument for, while less solid and practical, pulls strongly at the emotions.

There is a little potential human out there, just waiting for us to call them into existence. If we were to do so it’s highly unlikely we would regret it. My own brother is one such human, and imagining a world where he doesn't exist is unfathomable. What little light are we denying the opportunity to take form? How much would they add to our lives? Does not having another mean a life spent haunted by this bittersweet spectre? And round and round it goes. Obviously there are a whole lot of alternatives sitting between never having more kids and having them. If we’re not 100% sold on a vasectomy I could go on the pill or get an implant until we’re more sure, but I’m not sure I could face another year or two with the depression and mood swings that come with the pill (for me) or the possibility of heavier and more painful periods until they eventually even out on the latter. Also, I’ve been managing my fertility for nearly 20 years − the idea of letting my husband take care of things this time is incredibly appealing (nearly as appealing as the stories I’ve heard about sex getting even better once babies are no longer a possible outcome). I’m sure in the end we will go with the vasectomy. And over the past week or so my thinking about that little person who may or may not come to be has shifted a little. Perhaps what I’m imagining is not a future child of ours, but a grandchild. Or a niece or nephew. Or the baby of my best friend. Whatever way you look at it, our two-year-old is far from the last babe that will light up our lives.