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Stewart Shirley says putting a smile on a child’s face amounts to a good day’s work.
The enormous pile of gifts under the Christmas tree at the Mahurangi Matters office got a spectacular boost with the donation of around half a dozen beautifully handcrafted wooden toys.
Among the creations was a train, a fire engine, a helicopter, a bulldozer and a number of trucks.
They are all the handiwork of retired Warkworth resident Stewart Shirley.
Stewart, 89, says he feels for children who suffer, and it’s not necessarily just children from poor families. He says many rich kids are neglected because both parents are too busy working and making money.
“I don’t worry whether they are rich or poor. If you can put a smile on a kid’s face, you have done a good day’s work,” he says.
Toys left under the Mahurangi Matters tree were donated to Women’s Centre Rodney and Homebuilders to brighten Christmas for children from struggling families.
Stewart formerly ran a timber business in Matakana and began making wooden toys for his 11 grandchildren following his retirement.
But the hobby became all-consuming. As his grandchildren got older, his toy production eventually outstripped demand, and toys began to fill up every available shelf space in his house and garage.
Stewart says the toys are produced in a tiny corner of his garden shed – a space he must share with his wife, who runs a bonsai business.
But although his workspace is small, Stewart says he has acquired a good collection of tools.
“I think I must have bought out Mitre 10 lock, stock and barrel,” he says.
