Heritage Week

Went on a tour of Myers Park and Greys Avenue with good friend Marlene, and Dieter.

It was a brilliantly sunny day and great to be out and about in it learning some interesting history along the way. The walk was conducted by Edward Bennett who dressed for the part.  We congregated in St Kevin's Arcade where the early history of the arcade provided a fascinating introduction to life in those times.  

On the original site there was the residence of the Nathan family who donated the land and money to realise their wish for a park to be donated to the city and they shifted out to their country residence in Manurewa , now called the Nathan Homestead.

The old arcade steps provided easy access to the park  as they still do today. Later the flats were added and unusual for that time had sleeping verandas for warm humid Auckland nights.

We heard all about the kindergarten built  in the park near the YWCA which provided accommodation for single mothers and their children, who enjoyed the access to a beautiful kindergarten in close proximity as do the children of today who were happily engrossed in play.

Wandered down past the paddling pool, now a sunken garden and up Greys Avenue past the council and State housing blocks one of which in the Modernist style designed by the Austrian emigre architect Plischke.

Repaired to Giapo's for an icecream which was doing a roaring trade what with Graduation and sunny weather. 

I had a hokey pokey icecream of the most crunchy superior kind.