Cyclone Gabrielle and Royal Visits

A week on from Cyclone Gabrielle's arrival in New Zealand, there are still communities cut off and towns struggling for food, water and communications.  Auckland was hit hard, the wind and rain compounding problems wrought by the floods two weeks earlier - but the brunt of Gabrielle's power was felt mostly by the eastern North Island, in particular Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.  Roading, railway lines  and bridges are damaged, houses and farmland  have been flooded, cars washed away, landslides, power and internet  is still out to many thousands of households, and the pictures on the news are full of devastation.  Over 10,000 people have become homeless.  Because so many areas have been affected, all this will take an awful of resources and many months to start clearing up and rebuilding, it is just so heartbreaking to see.  On a personal note, we are safe and still  on holiday in the South Island, and our local area at home was not affected.

Princess Anne has arrived in New Zealand for a short four day visit,  accompanied by her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.  The Princess Royal arrived in Wellington on Wednesday and met with cyclone response staff at the National Crisis Management Centre.   Because the cyclone has caused so much damage to the country her plans have been affected.  Princess Anne is the Colonel in Chief of the NZ Army’s Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals and is visiting New Zealand to attend its centenary celebrations.

Actually, Princess Anne isn’t the only royal visitor to arrive in New Zealand.  Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden are also visiting the country.  A statement on the website of the Swedish embassy in Canberra said the couple are visiting this part of the world to promote and deepen Sweden’s bilateral relations with Australia and New Zealand. 

There has certainly been such a lot going on over the last week, with the terrible cyclone taking centre stage, so much so that the two royal visits have not had a lot of publicity.  But I’ve had time to do some more work on the toddler jumper I’m knitting, and have now completed the back and the front - the front has a little rib button band neck opening.  Just the sleeves to go now.

Back and front completed

And another sunny afternoon spent on my Noah's Ark stitchery saw me working on two black and white Holstein cows.  One of them is happily  chewing on a buttercup.

Another block almost finished

Sew Wot Tuesday

Another Sew Wot Tuesday, this time at new member Jude’s lovely home.  Just a smaller number this time with two of our members unable to attend.  Helen had recently celebrated her birthday, and she was the lucky recipient of several lovely parcels, a shopping bag with a picture of a vintage machine, a lovely hand knitted scarf, and bath salts with flannel.  Very nice indeed.

Happy Birthday Helen

Carol started of the Show and Tell with her Big Red Dog, although she did say that he was not one of her favourites.  She really is a marvel with these knitted toys and seems to get them done in no time at all.

Carol and Big Red Dog

Sandra had been very busy and showed us four little quilts she had stitched for Plunket babies.  The Plunket Society had requested the local quilt club make some donations, if possible.  Quilters usually like making baby quilts, don't they, using up petty fabrics, and they don't take too long to stitch.  Sandra was also finishing the edges on a double handed oven mit, which she was making for a friend.

Made by Sandra

The final Show and Tell was Jude’s.  She had completed her crocheted scarf she was working on last time.  And I loved the pretty basket weave knitted baby blanket too, this was to be donated.

Jude’s lovely work

Although I have been spending some time lately at the sewing machine, working on multiple projects, nothing is finished so there was no Show and Tell from me.  Perhaps next time.  We spent the morning swapping stories about our teenage years, that was a fun subject.  And I had to relate my regret about having to miss seeing the Beatles when they came out to New Zealand in June 1964.  I was seven months pregnant with my son Michael at the time, so there was no way I could have travelled to Wellington with all the screaming crowds to see them. 

The Beatles at Wellington Airport with their giant green tikis

After all that reminiscing, it was time for morning tea.  Jude wheeled her lovely vintage tea trolley out, and that brought comments from us all.  We all remembered these in our past, mother’s, grannies, elderly aunts all had and used them.  It was a lovely morning, many thanks to Jude for hosting us.

Morning Tea

During the previous weekend, there had been a right royal show going on.  New Zealand is a Commonwealth country, and Queen Elizabeth is our head, so there was plenty of interest in all the festivities going on in London.  We watched the Trooping of the Colour from start to finish on UK BBC TV, and some of the Thanks Giving Service.  The highlight would have to be the Platinum Party at the Palace.  Even Gemma took an interest, watching intently as Prince Charles made is speech.

What’s going on?