The JP Chronicles - Timaru Boys High, the Axemen and the BBQ

Well I have never heard rain like it - all night long it did not stop - we would have been washed away in the van.....and yes the cricket match was called off.


New plan - firstly we visited James at Timaru Boys High School. He is playing cricket in their first team but has also become very involved in the school - I am not sure how but he is primarily involved in sports tuition - funny that!!











Not sure if you can see him in this photo but he is in the staff row!! seated four from the left.....

James was very keen to show us around the whole school but in particular the cricket area and we had to inspect the wicket after that dreadful night.....











The school has one claim to fame - Jack Lovelock who was the 1936 Olympic Champion 1500metres. He graduated as a medical practitioner from Oxford Uni and died in New York age 39. In those days if you won gold you were presented with a tree and James is standing in front of the Lovelock tree below.


















Every day there is a quote outside the boarding hostel and this was on the board when we visited - you wont be surprised that I thought it was great :o)


Then what do you do with a cricketer whose match has been rained off......well we decided to visit the small town of Geraldine and have a drink - amazingly the sun came out and there was an Axeman competition - we had never seen anything like it. South Canterbury were against Otago and the competition was really fierce - apparently there are international competitions as well.



























and women were involved ....


We then shot back into Timaru town because we were guests of honour at a BBQ organised by the cricket team families at one of the homes.....honestly I have never known hospitality like it......

quick change at James lodgings....






by the way Pete and Karen had lent us a car so the van was well and truly parked....







the bbq....cricket of course























After watching a very intense local rugby match on a huge screen we crept home to Karen's and Pete's - the house was unlocked but in darkness as they were already in bed........took us back years stopping out late :o)

I cannot believe how kind everyone was in Timaru and how pleased to have the pommies over - we were definitely spoilt.......

Fingers crossed tomorrow there really would be a cricket match.......