October 25, 2018
I’ve been away for a couple of weeks and it is lovely to be back again in Houghton Valley. Very sad to see the burnt out house in Hungerford Road though, I hope the residents are all OK. A neighbour was going to check to see if the community could help in any way. If you are happy to help if needed, go to our community Facebook Group Houghton Valley & Hornsey Rd Community Project and leave a comment on her post.
Jenny
School Fair This Weekend!
Saturday October 27, 10 am -2 pm, rain or shine.
Come along to our annual fair for a great day out in the valley. We will have dog agility, kid’s sumo, petting zoo, pony rides, games, great entertainment from our local talented artists, clothes, books, toys, cakes and crafts on sale. A selection of great bargains to be had at the silent auction, and of course the legendary food court, with an even greater selection of curries and salads than ever before, a South African braai, Coco at the Roxy with ceviche and pulled pork, a NEW wood fired pizza stall, crepes, sausages, freshly squeezed drinks, Havana coffee ..the list goes on. We are aiming to be landfill free this year, so please bring your re-usable bags for any purchases. We look forward to seeing you there, possibly in the rain.
Pre-fair clothes sale
The clothes sale held on October 19 at the Community Hall was a great success. It was wonderful to see the Hall abuzz with local people, chatting, and browsing for clothes. The school fair organisers hope that this might be the first of many such events, and would like to say a big thank you for the loan of the Hall for both storage of clothes and the event itself. We would also like to thank Lesley of Instep Dance for her patience while we shared her space. Mel Dash, the organiser, reports takings of just under $1000 for the school, so from a financial and a community perspective, it was well worth doing.
Little Free Library
Our first Little Free library is up and running now, located at 27 View Road. It was built by Morgan, painted by Jessica, and is hosted by Brian.
People are welcome to take a book or leave a book that they wish to share. The requirements are that they are good books that are worth sharing. It is not a place to offload unwanted items. It is also important to consider that all ages will be using the library, so use discretion when leaving books. If the library needs a tidy up, anyone is welcome to do so. If it has been vandalised or is in need of repair, please let Jessica know.
We hope to have more Little Free Libraries in the community. If anyone is interested in making, painting, or hosting one, please contact Jessica. The idea is to connect with others in the community to create something that will contribute to the unique culture of Houghton Valley.
Happenings at Te Kawakawa Commons
At Te Kawakawa Commons locals gathered recently to celebrate their new garden shed built by locals from reclaimed material, and a garden upgrade and new watertank, which was partly funded by a grant from the Wellington City Council “Stone Soup” gardening fund.
The Commons is also supported by working bees with Conservation Volunteers. The next will be on Friday, November 23 and locals are always welcome to join in. We also look forward to the annual volunteer day with Rongotai College on November 30.
Koha Coffee
Come along to the community hall on Saturday 3rd November, 10.30 – 12.30, for coffee, tea, munchies and great conversation.
Houghton Valley Progressive Association Meeting
At the last HVPA meeting we discussed a refresh of Hall Management. The Hall Manager’s role is a voluntary one as the first point of contact for bookings and oversight of the hall. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to introduce some new ideas for community events and activities. As well, we are looking for expressions of interest for a contract for hall cleaning and that would suit a local resident. If you are interested in either or both opportunities, contact Ken for further information.
(123 recipients, 96 opens)