An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Iola Haggarty and Stuart Birks. Iola made new year resolutions but often didn’t keep them. She reflects on the past year and wants to succeed in the following year. “You’ve got to decide what you want in life and set some goals”. As a woman she feels there is often a glass ceiling and has to work hard to succeed but she is glad to be female.

She belongs to several environmental groups and is concerned about micro plastics in wastewater. Is annoyed that people want to be paid to do the right thing to protect the planet. Stuart talks about new year’s celebration in Trafalgar Square. What happens there is different from the way it is portrayed on TV. Scottish Hogmanay and first footing are mentioned.

Iola Haggarty and Stuart Birks. Stuart lived in England until 1978. He compares England’s winter Christmas with that of New Zealand in summer. England winter atmosphere with a lot of smoke from coal fires. Short days. Pea souper smogs. Icy roads treated with salt and grit. Different school and university years from NZ. Recalls time when shops and banks in New Zealand were open for only five days a week. Iola talks of Christmas in New Zealand with a large family.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

Billie Chote QSM Part 3 of 5. Awapuni School, teaching children from difficult homes, basketball cake league, cross country. Moved on to Riverdale School, very different. The Tartan Clansmen. School camp. 1989 moved to the Ministry of Education a Visiting Teacher. The work of a Visiting Teacher. Picot and Tomorrow’s Schools. A truancy case. Formation of Special Education Services. Team leader for the region’s visiting teachers. Dealing with severe behaviour problem cases.

Billie Chote QSM Part 2 of 5. At age 16 strikes up a friendship with Emma in Wanganui. She went to Wellington Teachers College and he went to Christchurch so they parted ways. Romance resumed 12 years later when they both settled back in the Wanganui area. Married a year later.

Both got a job in Blenheim at different schools.

Shifted to Taikorea school. School damaged during the Wahine storm (10th April 1968) and a new one was built.

Became principal at Opiki school.

Obtained a Commonwealth exchange scholarship and went to Birmingham for a year.

After return to New Zealand Emma taught junior classes at Hokowhitu school and Billie was deputy principal at Awapuni school.

Relates experiences at a school camp at Brown House, in Kahuterawa Valley.

An oral history interview looking at the past and present of Palmerston North and the Manawatū, produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.