Fleur Coombe is following in her father's theatrical footsteps at Repertory Theatre

Fleur Coombe is following in her father's theatrical footsteps at Repertory Theatre Robert Charles/FAIRFAX NZ TARYN UTIGER Last updated 16:33, April 27 2016 Les Emslie was a master of theatre in Taranaki. Eight years after his death his daughter is continuing his legacy. Taryn Utiger reports. When Fleur Coombe was young she used to sit quietly in the theatre, watching her dad bring a stream of scripts to life. Sometimes her dad, Les Emslie, would be acting, sometimes he'd be directing and there were even occasions he'd be doing both at once. After a lifetime in the theatre Fleur Coombe is finally directing her first full length adult play. Emslie, who was also a playwright, was a theatrical mastermind and his time at New Plymouth Repertory Society left his daughter captivated by him and by his second home - the theatre. Now, eight years after Emslie's death at the age of 66, his daughter is following in his footsteps by directing her first full length adult play, How the Other Half Loves. Already a seasoned actor, Coombe can remember her first foray into her dad's theatrical world. "Dad was involved in theatre before I was born, in Wellington, and he did charity tours and pantomimes. Then when he moved to New Plymouth, he didn't get involved in theatre for a wee while, until the late 80s. "The first play he did here, that he directed, was A Christmas Carol. So I was in that. I was the Ghost of Christmas Past. That was a really nerve-racking experience for me because I'd never been on stage at all, and it freaked me out big time. "So that was the beginning. He went on to become president of Repertory and I sort of tagged along I guess, to lots of rehearsals for shows that he was in, and I got involved backstage with makeup, prior to being in any shows. I did makeup here and at Operatic because mum [Emily Emslie] was involved at Operatic helping backstage. "So I just basically tagged along and that's how I became involved and started following in his footsteps." Coombe admits they are big shoes to fill, and says she's not sure she will ever be as all-rounded as her father was. "I don't think I'd ever be the person to adapt the shows like he did. I don't have that flair with writing that he obviously had." Emslie wrote scripts for a string of magical tales, including A Christmas Carol, Aladdin, Beauty And The Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Dick Whittington, and Cinderella, many of which Coombe has gone on to direct. How the Other Half Loves, by Alan Ayckbourn, will be her first full length adult play, and it also marks the beginnings of three generations of theatre practitioners, with her young daughter Leticia becoming involved. She may only be 5-years-old, and she may only be helping with the painting of the set, but just like her mum, Leticia is following in the family footsteps. "Leticia has been coming along to some rehearsals. She just loves it. She even came up and helped Morris [West] paint the floor. "She came to a rehearsal the other night and watched the first scene. Of course it's at night and she's only five, but she wants to come and see the whole thing, and she's pretty excited about it. "We are priming her, because I am doing another family show next year. I'm booked to do Sleeping Beauty. That's another adults and kids play, and one that dad adapted and directed back in 1998. So, I thought it's nearly been 20 years, so that's long enough of a gap. She's being primed for that." But before Coombe can start on Sleeping Beauty, she must first focus on her current cast of six adults. Directing a play with a cast of just adults is new, different and offers a separate set of challenges than a family show does, Coombe says. "It is quite different dealing with adults and also with a play that has been written by a proper playwright and not a member of my family. It's probably a bit more challenging." Luckily, she says, she's inherited her father's patience. "I think a lot about him when I am up here doing it, and how he would go about something. Sometimes you think 'Oh God, I wish he was here to ask.' "We did have quite a similar way of thinking and I just like to think that hopefully I am doing it the way he would. "Sometimes I might go home and vent something to mum and she says 'I think your dad would agree with what you've done.' So that's kind of nice. You just do your best I guess and hope that it works." Coombe says in terms of who she is working with, she's been blessed with a talented cast and crew, many of whom she has worked with before, and some of whom have even worked on her dad's scripts. In fact, the leading man of How the Other Half Loves, Morris West, stepped into Aladdin when Coombe's dad was diagnosed with his brain tumour. "Dad was to play the lead role, and he couldn't, so Morris stepped in." This time, West is playing the role of Frank in a play that follows three married couples and their hopelessly entwined lives. In the play, Frank is planning on promoting William, and also employs Bob. Bob is having an affair with Frank's wife, Fiona, but Frank gets the wrong end of the stick and seems to think William's wife Mary is having an affair, with Bob. "So there's a lot of confusion and misinterpretations," Coombe says. "It's a really good script." One of the main difficulties with producing How the Other Half Loves was the set, as the play takes place in two houses, which overlap on one stage. Luckily for Coombe, her husband John is a lot better at set design and building than she is. "John has real vision when it comes to the set, and I'm not visual at all. When I'm trying to say to him how I want the set to be, I find that quite difficult to get that across. I'm not very good at drawing and my pictures of the set look really terrible. "So he came up with me and we measured out what an average dining room table would be, and an average couch, just to make sure that it would all fit and work, so I'm pretty lucky to have him in the background." * How the Other Half Loves stars Morris West, Anna Mace, Terry Darby, Gillian Somers, Jarrod Campbell and Vanessa Harrison. It runs from May 2 to May 14, at New Plymouth Repertory Theatre in Vogeltown. Tickets are available from Ticketek. A new start time of 7.30pm is being trialled for this show. - Stuff

Eltham couple celebrates 50 years of marriage

Eltham couple celebrates 50 years of marriage PETRA FINER Last updated 16:24, March 21 2016 Ian and Evelyn Sharp at home in Eltham. Petra Finer Ian and Evelyn Sharp at home in Eltham. After 50 years of marriage, Evelyn and Ian Sharp understand the meaning of "in sickness and in health" better than most. The Eltham couple have supported each other through numerous strokes since they married on March 12, 1966. It has been rough. Strokes affect memory and neither Ian or Evelyn have strong recollections of meeting, the proposal or their wedding day but it also has benefits. Evelyn jokes that arguments never last long, disputes are forgotten too quickly to hold a grudge. "We don't always remember everything, he remembers more about older times than I do," she laughs. "We get in an argument and I go outside for a while, come inside and everything's fine again." They knew each other for around three years before they married and think they met at Tokaora Hall. Ian was a painter and paperhanger and Evelyn worked at Yarrows until they had children. They have four children, three daughters Karen, Linda, Wendy and one son Brent, now deceased, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Despite the struggles associated with their times of illness, there has always been a lot of laughter in their household. Having experienced a stroke 10 years before her husband, at the age of 42, Evelyn said it was easier to understand and support Ian a decade later, aged 52, through his five strokes. She couldn't talk for several months, for him it was a year spent silent. She encouraged him to keep things as normal as possible and would ensure he had the paper to read every morning. They have always lived in South Taranaki and haven't travelled much. Ian is by nature a homebody and has felt no desire to visit other areas. Evelyn has never felt the need to travel far from his side. Content in each other's company, Evelyn said they "always go together". "We've stuck together all the way." They lived in Manaia before moving to Stratford but settled in Eltham a few years ago. The couple celebrated their anniversary with a big party in Eltham on Saturday, March 12. "We had everybody in the family there, which is something special." http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/south-taranaki-star/78111139/sharp-couple-celebrate-50-years-of-marriage

Stars Past CLIFF HUNT Last updated 11:36, April 11 2016

100 YEARS AGO – 1916 EUROPE AT WAR: World War I Star headlines: The Dardanelles – Evacuation of Gallipoli The Government has decided to observe a half-day holiday on April 25, to commemorate Anzac Day. London: A German submarine torpedoed and sank the steamer Clan Campbell in the Mediterranean without warning. The crew were saved. An Austrian submarine sank the John Pritchard, also in the Mediterranean. HG Dickie of Waverley, who goes into camp shortly, left for Auckland on a final visit to his family and friends. It is said that the practice of granting final leave from camp is now ceased. Birth: ALLHUSEN at Kaponga to the wife of Mr A Allhusen a daughter. Boxing: The fight between Willard and Johnson was shown on the screen at the Hawera Opera House in front of a large audience. The 26 rounds were watched with keen interest throughout, and Willard's knockout blow elicited great applause. A deputation from residents of Burns St, Hawera to the Hawera Council headed by Mr HW Lewis, waited upon the council with a request that the tarring of Burns St be completed to the whole length. It is seldom that seagulls are seen in Stratford, but three birds were seen flying over the town on Sunday. "If a man wants to learn farming he cannot do it by sitting down and reading it from books. He must take his coat off and get down to the practical work," said the Government Fields Instructor Mr G Baylis. 50 YEARS AGO – 1966 On-course turnover on the second day of the Hawera Trotting Club's Easter Carnival soared to a record where £44,841 was handled. Wedding Bells: Christine Rowe (Manaia) married Graham Hird (Kapuni); Colleen Hart (Eltham) married Vincent Leatherby (Eltham). Ramanui School held its annual auction. The funds will be used to up-grade the Whareroa Hall, which was recently purchased by the school for use as an assembly hall. Winners of the Taranaki second grade cricket championships, Eltham, beat Vogeltown in the final were: A Campbell, S Metcalfe, R Hunter, J Hikaka, M Hughes, A Willy, J Hawkes, J Leigh, D Latham, B Baldock, W Batchelor, J McClenaghan (captain) and M Leigh. More than 150 partridges were liberated in South Taranaki by the Hawera Acclimatisation Society. At the movies: The Regent Ivanhoe and Cat Ballou. World professional snooker champion Eddie Charlton played at Kelly's Billiard Saloon, Union St, Hawera. Births: SUNDY to Lois and Rex a son. 25 YEARS AGO – 1991 The 1991 executive committee of the South Taranaki Federation Country Women's Institute were: Joan fox, Hazel Murray, Colleen Wester, Colleen Snowdon, Margaret Watts, Peg McDonald, Shirley Hawkes, Heather Eustace (vice-president), Jean Cowling (president), Val Elison (national president), Maureen O'Connell (secretary) and Janice Keech (treasurer). Heidi Belawski was the recipient of the 1991 Hawera Altrusa Comprehensive Nursing Bursary. Football: Hawera travelled to Wanganui in a Premier Division game against Wanganui City coming away with a 2-nil win. Rugby: Waimate scored a deserved 19-13 win over Kaponga. Stratford Jaycee 1991 board: John Coplestone, John Walker, Peter Nicholson, Chris Schumacher, John le Fleming (president), Dianne Topless and Owen Hey. http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/south-taranaki-star/78681948/stars-past

100 YEARS AGO – 1916 EUROPE AT WAR: World War I

100 YEARS AGO – 1916 EUROPE AT WAR: World War I Hawera: Anzac Day Parade held on Tuesday, April 25 included members of the local Territorials, Senior Cadets, National Reserves, Boy Scouts, Fire Brigade, Citizens Band (all in uniform) and town folk. They marched from the Drill Hall at 2.30pm to the Anzac Day Commemoration Service in the Opera House. Cairo: Thousands attended the Anzac Service including Consuls of the Allies and representative detachments of Anzacs. Sydney: The Anzac Memorial Service in the Domain was attended by 60,000 people. Military Wedding: Major EP Cox married Rita Elizabeth Good. Sergeant Norman Arthur of Hawera, who left New Zealand with the Main Expeditionary Force, was promoted to Sergeant Major. Tom Hurley was farewelled at the Normanby Town Hall; Tom is leaving for camp with the 16th Reinforcements on Monday. Cheers were given by the guests. He also appealed to others to join him. Half a dozen doctors are now being paid £5000 a year by the Admiralty. It was reported that the Turks and Bulgarians massacred 400 Greeks at Adrianople and Demotica. Wedding Bells: Ida Smith (Mokoia) married George Hunt; Edward SL Mowat (Blenheim) married Helene Veta (Lulu) Smith (Mokoia); WH Christie (Whanganui) married Majorie Haseltine (Hawera). At the movies: Opera House The Battle of Wits. 50 YEARS AGO – 1966 David Paul Studios opened on High St, next to the old Council Chambers, Hawera. Rugby: A last ditch effort by Okaiawa provided thrills aplenty at Joll Park, where Opunake deservedly won 9-5. Scorers: Opunake try W Schrader, penalty L Maindonald, dropped goal T Leathy. Okaiawa try R Roberts, conversion B Wallis. The referee was P Hammersley. Wedding Bells: Sandra Withey (Hawera) married Ian Meyer (Patea); Judith Leppard (Opunake) married Peter Farley (Whanganui); Neil Lister (Hawera) married Betty Hawkins (Kaponga); Valda Webby (Eltham) married Roy Carter (Stratford); Denis Beckett (Palmerston North) married Margaret Simon (Eltham); Blair Todd (Eltham) married Therese Tipler (Rawhitiroa). Four Patea women, Ruth Kelsen, Vi Ward, Rene Thompson and Grace Baldwin, shared in the first prize of £12,000 in the Golden Kiwi lottery. At the movies: The Regent The Ipcress File. A life membership badge was presented to Mr SL Kennedy by the Taranaki Walking Club. The population of the Hawera Borough stands at 8144. The Patea Jaycee Car trial was won by Bruce Brisco (Patea) and his co-driver Dave Stowell (Whanganui). 25 YEARS AGO – 1991 Tony Bublitz, captain of the Hawera Intermediate wrestling team, had his photo in The Star showing off the trophies he won. Births: BURRILL to Roger and Elgene a daughter; COLBAN to Graham, Geraldine, Tracey-Ann and Scott welcomed Bruce James to their family. Wedding Bells: Wayne Pollard married Janet Kowalewski in Stratford. Pihama farmer Steve Poole was named Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year. Hawera Savage Club member Tom Hobbs was presented with his 60-year badge. Dr Elsa Taylor (24) of Hawera graduated from Otago University Medical School. Mokoia School swim team of Jay Hamilton, Joseph Wineera, Lisa Duffy and Paula Walker won the Preece Cup for Hawera district schools. Jay Hamilton also won the Hawken Cup for champion boy and Lisa Duffy won the Duffy Cup for champion girl. http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/south-taranaki-star/79201696/stars-past CLIFF HUNT Last updated 15:11, April 25 2016

I Remember When Growing up in Taranaki in the 1960s

I Remember When Growing up in Taranaki in the 1960s Kathryn Williams April 2016 Waiting for the book in the post was too much, after reading of the launch in Hawera, and seeing photos on Facebook. Having finished reading it over two evenings, it was worth the wait. Despite being four years older, the stories and memories invoked strong memories, as my two brothers were younger, and their school mates featured in the book. Who knew Mr Sole, the coal man who delivered his bags of coal down to the back of our house, also had to bag the coal down at the railway station, not many yards from our home. Who knew that the boys featured, had mischievous lives outside of school. Each chapter created memories of the people who filled our lives, at school, and in the community. Arthur Fryer, our Intermediate teacher, writing of life in Hawera for teachers. Certainly something we were unaware of, in our pre-teen years. Memories of Somerset House, opposite our home; the Repertory Society shows that we went to; teacher’s names; games played at school; fish and chip nights; introduction of T V. School friends lives that did not reflect mine. Thanks to the writer for the memories from Sunday school, primary, intermediate and High School. And for a sleepless night, remembering my childhood – similar – but mostly unlike mine. So sorry I was on the first bus out of town, once HHS was finished with. Check out Face Book I Remember When - Growing up in the 60's in Taranaki