MP Stuart Nash's son brings fifth generation of Nash family to Napier Central School

SPECIAL SCHOOL: Napier Central School will host a fifth generation Nash family member tomorrow as 5 year-old Will Nash, Stuart Nash's youngest son, starts school. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

It's taken travelling the world for Napier MP Stuart Nash to realise that there's no better place to raise a family than Napier; and the facts don't lie.

When Mr Nash's youngest son, 5-year-old Will Nash, starts school at Napier Central School tomorrow it will mark a total of five consecutive generations who have attended the local school.

"It's interesting because when I left Napier I said I'd done my time and I wasn't coming back, and after seeing the world and living in Auckland and having a family I've come to realise that in fact there's no better place to raise a family than Napier," the MP said.

Mr Nash said Will, himself, his father, his grandmother and his great-grandfather all went to Napier Central School.

Mr Nash said Will could hardly contain his excitement about starting school.

"He's very excited. In fact he wants to put on his uniform, and we've said "No, it's Tuesday". So he's counting down how many more sleeps until school," he chuckled.

However, Mr Nash said Will did not yet understand the importance of having five generations attend one school.

"I think that sort of longevity and that history is kind of special. There's no doubt it gives you a special connection to a city. And whilst of course Will doesn't understand the significance of that, over time I think that he'll come to appreciate that he does come from a family that has great history in Napier."

Mr Nash fondly recalled childhood memories of "total free play" when he attended Napier Central School.

"No doubt there was schoolwork, classes and homework as well but that seems to have faded from my memory. At the end of the day we used to go home, have a bottle of milk and a marmite sandwich, and then you'd disappear until mum rang a big bell and it reverberated around the neighbourhood and all the local kids sort of scattered home," he said.

"I think Napier is a really special city. It has a life and a vibrancy of its own and I just have wonderful memories."