Tomatillo time

We’ve had fun in the first year of our little greenhouse in Martinborough. Perhaps the most fascinating thing we did was raise tomatillo seedlings, which were then planted in the garden. The seeds came from a packet of Niche brand heirloom seeds bought at Pain & Kershaws. The seeds came originally from the USA.
Tomatillos are [...]

After the grape harvest

First of this year’s Greytown Music Group concerts

Winter is coming: the Greytown Music Group concerts have started again, with an afternoon of not greatly challenging (for listeners anyway!) but beautifully played music by the Amici Ensemble – a group of Wellington professional musicians.
Music played included Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes for Clarinet, String Quartet and Piano; Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet; Barber’s Adagio from [...]

National Library redevelopment has much to recommend it

(Published in the Dominion-Post, 20/4/09)
As a long-time user of the National and Alexander Turnbull libraries with an affection for the place, I share some of former Turnbull chief librarian Jim Traue’s misgivings about the redevelopment. But not many. In particular, the proposed mass digitisation of collections is a great idea which everyone should be applauding. [...]

Trans-Tasman Horns hit town

We’ve enjoyed a musical treat over Easter, living beside the St Andrews church hall where some of the best Australasian horn players have been rehearsing for concerts at the Martinborough Wine Centre and Ata Rangi vineyard. The church hall is between our house and where Ed Allen, principal horn in the NZ Symphony Orchestra, lives.