tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post312189906822219040..comments2024-03-29T01:38:00.306+00:00Comments on An English Homestead: Workshop HelperKev Alvitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-88469858788280082032020-02-24T02:18:23.847+00:002020-02-24T02:18:23.847+00:00Hartley 14 foot called 'Twinkle'. Dad was ...Hartley 14 foot called 'Twinkle'. Dad was a lawyer in a reasonably remote place called Ranfurly on the Maniototo Plain. There was a row of elderly and very dilapidated shops on the far side of the railway station (the town centre was moved when the railway came through) and he used one of those so we would go there about three evenings a week for a few hours and pretend we were boat builders and knew what we were doing. We sailed that thing on the local irrigation ponds as there wasn't anywhere else (some of them were quite big...to our eyes anyhow...) Eventually he sold that and built a sunburst which was far easier to sail solo but by that time I'd gone off to boarding school so I didn't have much input there except to help sail it. We were great at finishing first...at the wrong end of any race :) but it was all fun! In fact Dad started the local boat club with a couple of friends and through that knew my husband's father although we met elsewhere and unknowing about that until much later.<br />My Dad died rather young so these memories are precious! If you google images of the West Eweburn Dam in the Maniototo, Otago, New Zealand you will get some idea of where we sailed.<br />vivknutty knitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00325560883289908412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-69163598236603076582020-02-23T21:30:48.229+00:002020-02-23T21:30:48.229+00:00It creates some great memories for both the young ...It creates some great memories for both the young and the older ones involved. I love having my kids with me and I think it makes them a lot tougher and wiser when they have actual jobs to do.Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-48120700158922658912020-02-23T21:27:30.469+00:002020-02-23T21:27:30.469+00:00Yeah, I was lucky to spend so much time with mine ...Yeah, I was lucky to spend so much time with mine growing up. I remember a friend at high school telling me that I was lucky as I knew my dad and he had no idea the kind of person his was. Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-61086853351458525192020-02-23T21:25:53.534+00:002020-02-23T21:25:53.534+00:00I don't think I can read your comment without ...I don't think I can read your comment without asking about the boat he built!? Office jobs are very different and the opportunities just aren't here for kids to help I imagine (I've never worked in an office)Kev Alvitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04992625860900617194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-65706104940689092812020-02-20T02:09:28.092+00:002020-02-20T02:09:28.092+00:00Yes! Mom stayed home with us and we lived on a fa...Yes! Mom stayed home with us and we lived on a farm, so we always did chores with dad..took care of the animals, cut wood, baled hay, etc. Dad is on his 70’s now and always talked about how much he enjoyed us being out there with himAMarshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18156919929644610230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-21924313750889791422020-02-19T13:04:17.153+00:002020-02-19T13:04:17.153+00:00She's a smart helper! Nice to see you've c...She's a smart helper! Nice to see you've carried on what you learned from your parents. Sadly, I didn't have that opportunity. My parents pretty much led their own lives. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078806588853616263.post-37831223936769936662020-02-19T07:58:02.290+00:002020-02-19T07:58:02.290+00:00Always....Mostly Grandparents when younger, Mum la...Always....Mostly Grandparents when younger, Mum later on but very rarely Dad (except when he built the boat). I suspect this was mostly to do with his job rather than any unwillingness to have us around...I got to do office chores as a teenager :).<br /><br />vivknutty knitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00325560883289908412noreply@blogger.com