End of a track cycling era..Meadowbank

 Meadowbank velodrome, built in 1969 for the Commonwealth Games of 1970.

 Now a sad sight, with long grass in the centre. Local graffiti artists have decorated the stand and outside the bowl..a great imprivement.

 Riders young an old got together for one last ride on the West African hardwood boards.

 Entry was regulated to sixty,by wristband, in case of fire..although we'd be safer in than out!

 "Tosh" who has kept up the track maintenance all these years had the last ride

 A pity to see the place go, as this is where we first met in 2001 and first became attracted in 2003....

So fortunate that the weather stayed dry until the event was over

woodfiring!!!

I was fortunate to get in contact with Jenni Taris in Matangi near Hamilton just before she had the second firing in her new kiln.
The Pirate wants me to have one of these...so it was a good opportunity for him to see just what this entails!  He joined in on the stoking and helped with the catering...and played with the dogs!!

Over half a dozen other potters came and went,  as it is a shared firing- much better to share firings in each others kilns, that way you all get work finished sooner and learn more quicker.

I made half a dozen pots as a Thankyou for letting us descend upon them at short notice, on a Leach kickwheel that was sitting just waiting to be used!!!!

The forecast rain only stayed for ten minutes , the rest of the day was beautiful.
 We'd travelled on the bus from Te Aroha leaving just before 7am (two hours after the kiln was lit) and unfortunately had to get the bus back two hours before the end of the firing.

The surprise of the day?    Meeting a friend who lives only a few hundred metres up the road...we hadn't written for e few years.....and not seen each other for over thirty!! We met first in the 70s as competitors on Meadowbank track, she for Scotland, from Dunfermline, me for Wales, from Cardiff.

Good to see you again Wilma!!