My Account
Blast from the past as part of the Warkworth A&P Lifestyle Show 150th Anniversary Show.
Come along and see the show Saturday and Sunday 28 & 29 January 2017.
From “Local Gossip” in the New Zealand Herald, February 16, 1895:
A visit to the Rodney Agricultural Show at Warkworth last week revealed to my mind that a man in search of a wife could not do better than go to Mahurangi to procure what should be the beau ideal– if such a term may be used towards the fair sex – of a good help mate.
Any man so situated has only to look down the Show’ s prize list to see this for himself. In the first place, the best apple pie was made by a single girl. Two single young ladies took both prizes given for the best got-up white shirt. The prizes for the best four articles of ladies’ underclothing, which I notice were unnumerated, so that I cannot particularly describe them, were two single girls; so, also, for the best plum cake, the best scones, and the best home-made bread. Single ladies also made the best knitted and darned socks for the men. Here’ s encouragement and good news for bachelors.
“Then, as proof that the Mahurangi girls’ good qualities do not deteriorate after getting married, I may mention that two matrons received prizes for the best children’ s pinafore and two others for the best bed quilts. Then, as further evidence that they are capable of attending to their husbands’ get up and spruceness, I saw that married ladies took first and second prizes for gentlemen’ s button-hole flowers.
“The married and single ladies divided the honours in the churning of butter, while to show that there is no ‘ frivolity’ about the sex in Mahurangi, there was not a single aspirant amongst them for the prize for the best gentleman’ s smoking cap. No, a man who marries a Mahurangi girl will have to turn the peak of his field cap round to keep the sun off the back of his neck, and so improvise a smoking cap for himself when he wants to go about with a pipe in his mouth.
“Then, single ladies took first and second equestrienne honours for taking the hurdles. It was remarked that they took their jumps as coolly and as “matter o’ factically” (sic) as a Scotchman takes his whisky. I did not have the pleasure of seeing any of the Mahurangi ladies in divided skirts on bicycles, but judging from their tout ensemble, I do not think any of them would require these “adornments” I described a week or two ago as forming part of a lady cyclist’ s attire, and described as of “all wool … for the purpose of adding shape and beauty”.
“A man in search of a wife neglecting Mahurangi, might go farther and fare worse.”
