Murray Crawford has done it again! With his new book, More Whimsical Tales of Old Wanganui, he has picked up where he left off with its predecessor, delighting the reader with glimpses into our town's past.
Having scoured the public record for stories, Murray has presented them once again in
his "over the teacups" style, opening windows into the social history of Whanganui.
There are drunks, rogues, bootleggers, politicians, misfits and all manner of surprising stories, clipped from the newspapers of the day and retold with Murray's sometimes cynical modern viewpoint.
Enlightening, informative and always entertaining, there are no sacred cows, but you will find other livestock, stolen hats, purloined cabbages, motor vehicle speed limits and a look at bylaws of the day, making us wonder if citizens had any freedoms at all!
There are serious historical moments garnished with fun facts and coloured with the personalities that made up the town that grew beside the river. Granny Dalton makes an appearance, along with a photograph of her Masterton headstone.
Did you know we had kangaroos at Gordon Park, or that the import and release of pheasant, quail and the "homely sparrow" was encouraged?
The author / editor / collator of these stories has let them speak, without judgement and certainly without restraint. Modern ethics and mores should not dull the edge of these tales, told as they are in keeping with the feeling of the day.
Liberally illustrated with pictures and photographs, the book is a treasure trove of historical fact, much of it stanger than fiction, as the saying goes.
Murray has produced another book worth a place in any Whanganui library.
'More Whimsical Tales of Old Wanganui' will be launched this Saturday, July 9 at 11am, at the Alexander Heritage Library, Queens Park. All proceeds go to Alzheimers Whanganui.
