Oct2011_MT MEE NEWS
By Ian Wells
This column comes to you from across the Tasman, where your writer is ensconced for a few short days.
While spring was bursting on the Mountain when I left – with the mistweed slopes carpeted in glorious bloom and the lantana coming away with full vigour, there is little sign of spring here.
While spring was bursting on the Mountain when I left – with the mistweed slopes carpeted in glorious bloom and the lantana coming away with full vigour, there is little sign of spring here.
The trees are bare and the grass is desperately short. While the sun is shining as I write that is a bad sign, because it indicates with absolute certainty that it will be raining again within 10 minutes. There is an icy westerly gale whistling around the edges of buildings and I’m sure that on it I can smell curry that is being served for lunch at Scott Base. And of course the ground underfoot is so soggy you can sink through the grass towards the top of your gumboots. Yes folks, this is why we left North Auckland for Queensland’s sunburned plains almost 50 years ago. It was no fun trying to calve recumbent cows in an icy shower in three feet of mud! So far, global warming hasn’t done much to improve things here either.
By some extraordinary coincidence, the Rugby World Cup tournament started here just before our arrival. We can only feel sorry for the Kiwis who worked so hard to get this event, because although the rugby is wonderful, some important arrangements have been disastrous.
Recognising that Eden Park would not be able to accommodate everyone for the big games, the organisers wisely set up a ‘party’ venue – using the wharves which had been adapted as a public area for the Americas Cup. The venue was designed to accommodate a crowd of 30,000 to 50,000. It has a giant big- top, several entertainment stages and bars, and a multitude of giant screens.
However, some 200,000 people turned up there on opening night and the scene was chaos. When some of the screens failed and people pushed up towards the others, many were hurt – fortunately none fatally. But the Auckland hospital system couldn’t cope with the numbers of people crushed – or with the many who somehow contracted severe alcohol poisoning.
The public transport system failed completely on opening night. Some railway stations were so crowded that people spilled on to the tracks. A fire extinguisher was let off in a carriage, several trains were stopped to deal with people who collapsed in transit, several others were stopped by mischievous use of the emergency cord and two people were caught riding on the outside of a locomotive. These and other mishaps brought the rail system to a virtual standstill. When the bus system could no longer cope with the overflow, things became grim. Meanwhile the ferry terminal too was closed down completely because of dangerous overcrowding. More than two thousand paid up ticketholders completely missed the opening ceremony and first game at Eden Park, and many others walked miles to get there – and home again!
But the nation remains on fire with rugby fever and there are flags everywhere. In one brief excursion I counted no less than nine different national flags fluttering from passing vehicles. An avalanche of rugby merchandise is still moving out through the doors of the big stores – as one would expect in the Polynesian capital of the world.
But enough of that! We’ll return to our muttons – as they say in the classics.
Our important news is of the forthcoming concert entitled “An Afternoon at the Proms” with the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra, featuring the lovely soprano Sally Harrison. This is the last in the 2011 series of Mt Mee Hall concerts, and it will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 20th November. The orchestra will again be conducted by that ebullient expatriate Englishman Adrian King and the programme will again lean somewhat on British composers, such as Eric Coates and Elgar. As usual, the performance will be chaotic fun and a flag waving audience is expected to attend in funny clothes and ridiculous hats. Find your flags and book now with Kay – (5498 2104) or Joyce, (5498 2270).
Finally, more than 150 Mountain people and friends enjoyed our previous afternoon concert with the Savoyard Singers on Sunday 11th September. Their programme offered something for most tastes – there was a little bit of serious opera for the aficionado from polished soprano Phyll Griffin – (of whom we hear far too little), some real humour from contralto Elaine Henderson, and various combinations of the boys and girls gave some robust and swinging performances of many favourite songs from stage and screen. The weather was a little inhospitable, and the new deck proved to be a great success as a protected venue for afternoon tea.
That deck -what a wonderful addition to our Hall!
By some extraordinary coincidence, the Rugby World Cup tournament started here just before our arrival. We can only feel sorry for the Kiwis who worked so hard to get this event, because although the rugby is wonderful, some important arrangements have been disastrous.
Recognising that Eden Park would not be able to accommodate everyone for the big games, the organisers wisely set up a ‘party’ venue – using the wharves which had been adapted as a public area for the Americas Cup. The venue was designed to accommodate a crowd of 30,000 to 50,000. It has a giant big- top, several entertainment stages and bars, and a multitude of giant screens.
However, some 200,000 people turned up there on opening night and the scene was chaos. When some of the screens failed and people pushed up towards the others, many were hurt – fortunately none fatally. But the Auckland hospital system couldn’t cope with the numbers of people crushed – or with the many who somehow contracted severe alcohol poisoning.
The public transport system failed completely on opening night. Some railway stations were so crowded that people spilled on to the tracks. A fire extinguisher was let off in a carriage, several trains were stopped to deal with people who collapsed in transit, several others were stopped by mischievous use of the emergency cord and two people were caught riding on the outside of a locomotive. These and other mishaps brought the rail system to a virtual standstill. When the bus system could no longer cope with the overflow, things became grim. Meanwhile the ferry terminal too was closed down completely because of dangerous overcrowding. More than two thousand paid up ticketholders completely missed the opening ceremony and first game at Eden Park, and many others walked miles to get there – and home again!
But the nation remains on fire with rugby fever and there are flags everywhere. In one brief excursion I counted no less than nine different national flags fluttering from passing vehicles. An avalanche of rugby merchandise is still moving out through the doors of the big stores – as one would expect in the Polynesian capital of the world.
But enough of that! We’ll return to our muttons – as they say in the classics.
Our important news is of the forthcoming concert entitled “An Afternoon at the Proms” with the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra, featuring the lovely soprano Sally Harrison. This is the last in the 2011 series of Mt Mee Hall concerts, and it will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 20th November. The orchestra will again be conducted by that ebullient expatriate Englishman Adrian King and the programme will again lean somewhat on British composers, such as Eric Coates and Elgar. As usual, the performance will be chaotic fun and a flag waving audience is expected to attend in funny clothes and ridiculous hats. Find your flags and book now with Kay – (5498 2104) or Joyce, (5498 2270).
Finally, more than 150 Mountain people and friends enjoyed our previous afternoon concert with the Savoyard Singers on Sunday 11th September. Their programme offered something for most tastes – there was a little bit of serious opera for the aficionado from polished soprano Phyll Griffin – (of whom we hear far too little), some real humour from contralto Elaine Henderson, and various combinations of the boys and girls gave some robust and swinging performances of many favourite songs from stage and screen. The weather was a little inhospitable, and the new deck proved to be a great success as a protected venue for afternoon tea.
That deck -what a wonderful addition to our Hall!
