Bream Bay: Maureen Donaldson's pink rose wins supreme at Marsden Bay Garden Club

Maureen Donaldson with her trophies and award-winning bloom. Photo / Julie Paton

BREAM BAY COMMUNITY SPIRIT

One perfect bloom stole the show at Marsden Bay Garden Club's annual show last weekend.

Maureen Donaldson's pink rose won the trophies for best rose, best bloom in show and the show's main prize – the Supreme Award.

Donaldson was delighted with her impressive haul, the first trophies she has won in her 15 years of club membership.

Newcomer Sharyn McLean of Mangawhai also impressed the judges, winning the Ann and Brian Challenger Trophy for President's Choice for her stunning white decorative arrangement, which also won the prize for novice decorative arrangement.

McLean's leeks won the best vegetable trophy, narrowly beating an impressive beetroot produced by Ruakākā School's Garden to Table students.

Club member Susan Hunter won the Georgie Gardner Memorial Cup for the most entries and Penny Edwards won the Irene Pyle trophy for her decorative entry.

Fishing for charity

Waipū Boat and Fishing Club's Labour weekend fishing competition raised $1940, which the club donated to the Waipū Lions Club.

Larry Andrews, auction winner of the 9.68kg snapper caught by Matty Northin at Waipū Boat and Fishing Club's fishing competition. Photo / Supplied

Organisers say weather leading up to the weekend caused some anxiety, but the weather at the weekend was great for fishing.

Matty Northin caught the heaviest snapper, 9.68kg and his 7.5kg fish also earned him second place.

Top weight kingfish went to Kane McDonald (11.4kg), while Mignon Coombes took out the women's competition with a 5.4kg snapper.

Open kahawai section was won by Peter Jane (2.25kg), top junior was Fraser McDonald with his 3.5kg snapper, followed by Abbey White with a 2.57kg snapper, followed by McDonald again in third with a 2.1kg snapper.

First show for dancers

Briar Taylor only founded the Bream Bay branch of her Dance Collective Performance Academy a few months ago in May this year and now has nearly 30 performers.

Dancers Ella Cartwright (left), Chloe Van Veen and Ivy-Jay Kaihe are ready for their first stage performance on December 1 in Waipū with the Dance Collective Performance Academy. Photo / Supplied

Dancers Kiera Macarthy (back, right), Cate Field, Georgia Andrews, Pania Parker (front, left) and Ella Watts are ready to shine on stage at the Dance Collective Performance Academy's end of year show. Photo / Supplied

Catch them at their end of year show for a fun afternoon of jazz, tap and ballet, performed by dancers from 3 to 15 years old.

Taylor says many have never been on stage before and are looking forward to showing their dances.

For tickets, call Briar at 021 0297 9072 or email info@dancecollective.co.nz.

Adults are $20, children $10 and under-3s free. The show is on at Waipu's Coronation Hall from 3pm on December 1.

Art'nTartan calendar 2020

Here's a useful gift idea from two of the creative minds behind Waipū's annual Art 'n Tartan wearable arts show and competition – a 2020 calendar featuring 13 of this year's designs.

Sue Welford and Maggie Wistrand will launch their limited-edition calendar at the Waipū RSA on November 23. Each costume has been photographed in a stunning location in and around Waipū and shows the designs as they have never been seen before.

All children's mask entries are also featured in the calendar. Entry to the evening is free and the fun begins at 7pm. The calendar can be pre-ordered from the Waipū Museum - leave your name and contact details at the front desk. Each copy costs $20 and will fit into an A4 envelope.

Highland Games coming up

The new year is just around the corner, and so are the Waipū Highland Games.

Bring in the new year with a celebration of all things Scottish on January 1 at the Caledonian Park in Waipū.

The games are run by the Caledonian Society, which bought the land for the park in 1905 and have since covered all the costs of maintaining and upgrading it. All proceeds from the games go towards looking after the park which is used by about 50,000 people per year.

Entries are now open for all competitors – pipers, dancers, drummers, fiddlers, heavyweight contestants. If you'd like to enter, or help out, or hold a stall, check out their Facebook page or website www.waipuhighlandgames.co.nz to find out more.

St Andrew's Day Ceilidh

Waipū Croquet Club's fundraising ceilidh nights this year have proven a hit, with organisers saying the last event in August was bursting at the seams.

It seems that everyone loves a night of fun, dancing and Scottish music. Band Twisty Willow have called barn dances and ceilidhs for more than 20 years and make the evening easy and enjoyable.

Money raised goes towards new clubrooms for the croquet club. The bar is open and supper served. Tickets are $15 from The Waipu Lotto Shop or at the door, and the evening includes a haggis ceremony, supper and cash bar. The party will start from 7.30pm on November 30 at Waipu's Coronation Hall.

Self-defence class a hit

The two "Fight for Hollie" self-defence classes in Waipū and at Whangārei Girls' High School in the last week raised more than $900.

Women and tutors at the first "Fight for Hollie" self-defence night in Waipu last week. Photo / Pam Crawley

Pam Crawley, whose son Mackay Crawley organised the classes, says about 60 women in total came along to pick up tips on self-defence and had a lot of fun in the process.

All proceeds go towards helping Hollie McIntyre of Orrs Pharmacy in Ruakākā who has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer and faces huge costs in living with the disease.

The Bream Bay community continues to come up with fundraising ideas to help Hollie – coming up is the Marsden Cove Fishing Club's Gals v Guys fishing competition and fun day which starts tomorrow at 4pm.

Land & Sea Eatery raised $560 with their Fusion Friday, all the proceeds from their fusion ginger drinks last Friday.

Koa Creations sold out of candles with all proceeds going to Hollie, as did Bulbs Direct with their sales of Hollie's Perfection calla bulbs.

Cadenshae, a maternity sports clothing company, will hold an Open Warehouse Day on November 22 from 10am to noon at 35 Pokapu Rd in Ruakākā, with proceeds from all seconds going towards Hollie's costs.

Cousin Sarah Fell is walking 10km as part of the Breast Cancer Foundation's "Pink Star Walk" in Hollie's honour (go to pinkstarwalk.co.nz and look for Sarah Fell's fundraising page).

• Email Julie Paton at moojoy@xtra.co.nz if you've got Bream Bay news to share with Advocate readers.