Sam Kuipers has $700 to put towards his studies after winning an Ashburton Musical Club scholarship at the weekend.

The 18-year-old performed at the club’s last concert for the year on Saturday, where he was announced as the scholarship winner.

“I’m very thankful to the musical club for giving me the opportunity to perform for them over the years,” said Sam, who has been one of the artists entertaining audiences at the club over the last five years.

At Saturday’s concert he challenged himself by playing Grieg’s four-movement Piano Sonata Op. 7.

“It’s one of my favourite pieces I have ever played,” Sam said.

He is in Year 13 at Ashburton College, and next year he is off to the University of Canterbury to study biology.

He is aiming to be a science teacher, with music as a secondary career, perhaps in the domain of school or private tuition.

Pictured above is Sam, seated at the paino, accompanied by fellow musical club performers.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 19 October 2020

Ollie Bubb made an impression alongside his doubles partner at the Tier 2 – 2020 SC Junior Spring Open in Timaru last week. Photo supplied.Ashburton teen Ollie Bubb was among the winners at South Canterbury’s Junior Spring Open last week.

The Southern club member clinched the under-16 boys’ doubles event, alongside Christchurch’s Pavie Filipovic, after the top-seeded pair avoided dropping a set during their three round robin matches.

The duo began the tournament with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Isaac Burgess and Flynn Everest last Monday, before knocking over Hugo Bartolomei and Joe Bryant two days later in straight sets.

A 6-2 6-4 win over Josh Karathra and Aidan Watt sealed the win for Bubb and Filipovic.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 15 October 2020

Janet Benfell performs the karanga (or calling) at an Ashburton College powhiri in 2010. Photo supplied.Janet Benfell (nee Atkinson) September 4, 1935, to September 9, 2020.

Janet Benfell grew up attending Ashburton Borough Primary School and later Ashburton Technical College.

After leaving school she trained as a teacher, but never made it into the classroom, as on April 27, 1955, she married David (Dave) Benfell in Ashburton’s St Andrew’s Church and went on to have five children.

Despite having no Maori blood herself, Janet’s love of their culture and history is well known. To her it was always a mystery how people new to the area seemed more interested in finding out about local Maori history than those who had lived here for decades.

In the early 1960s Janet was at the forefront of setting up a branch of the Maori Women’s League in Ashburton.

In 1970, along with long-time friend Bella Moore, Janet travelled to Napier with representatives from the Arowhenua Marae, to welcome Queen Elizabeth II.

Arguably Janet’s biggest contribution and her lasting legacy to the community, came from a chance meeting with Dawn and Archie Keepa, when Dawn and Janet were in the maternity home together.

The Benfells and the Keepas, struck up a lasting friendship that led to them playing a big part in developing the Hakatere Marae in 1970.

The original school house building on the property was destroyed by fire in 2003 and had to be rebuilt over the next few years.

Janet said during the fundraising and rebuilding process she was still motivated by her original ambition that her children and grandchildren were not shy about going to the marae. She saw it as a home away from home for those new to the district.

In the 1970s Janet started working at the Ashburton Guardian, where she spent many years as a proof-reader and sub-editor.

She is remembered fondly as a “big little lady” by many of the Guardian staff.

Memories also extend to her ability to have people of all social groups at her house.

As one Guardian staff member commented, if the same people were at the pub there could be a prickly atmosphere, but never at Janet’s house, there everybody behaved themselves.

“She had an amazing mana about her,” he said.

In the early 1980s, Janet and Dave moved to Tauranga where Janet spent 10 years working as a sub-editor at the Bay of Plenty Times.

When the grandchildren started arriving in the South Island, it was time to trade in North Island beaches for the mountain views of Anama, where they built and ran a bed and breakfast cottage across the road from son Jim’s farm.

Janet was also an elder in the local Mayfield Presbyterian Church during this time.

Jim said his mum always made friends wherever she went.

“She was a very positive person, who always found the good in everyone. She had nothing negative to say about a single soul.”

Janet also ran her own version of a newcomers’ network far before such things became fashionable.

When she got wind of a new family in town she would pop into their business – the Triangle fish and chip shop or the Thai shop on Alford Forest Road – are two such examples. Once through the door she would introduce herself and ask if she could assist in any way with teaching English, or helping fill out visa applications or residence forms.

Jim said she made many lifelong friends this way.

When asked to take a plate to a function, son Al said his mum would always be the one putting at least three overflowing plates of homemade goodies on the table.

“She was always good at feeding the masses,” he said.

When (husband) Dave died just before Christmas in 1996, Janet moved with Jim and his family to Winslow, where she lived independently in her own cottage until she moved into town five years later, where she remained for the next 14 years.

Her busy lifestyle and ability to make friends meant she was out and about a lot.

“Mum was always never at home, she was always going somewhere. She found it tough when she could no longer drive as she was ferociously independent and hated asking for help,” Jim said.

One of her big delights was spending time with her seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“She loved spending time with them,” Jim said.

At 82 Janet was recognised for her more than 50 years of passionate service to the marae when she was awarded the Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year award in 2018.

Marae chairwoman Michelle Brett put Janet’s name forward for the award and said it could not have gone to a more deserving person.

Janet would do whatever was needed and would step into any role, like cooking for wood carvers who were at the site recently.

“She was a sharing and caring person, who was a friend to people of all ages, with her expertise spanning all generations.”

When Michelle took over as Hakatere Marae chairperson, Janet was a great help to her and the pair quickly bonded.

“I found her such a close friend with some of the conversations we had, her age was irrelevant, she was a really good friend,” Michelle said.

When son Al was driving out to the marae one day he noticed all the rubbish on the side of the road and decided it would be a good idea for the Hakatere Marae members to clean the area from Racecourse Road to the marae.

“Mum was there walking along, collecting rubbish and singing the whole way, she must have been nearly 80 at the time,” he said.

In true Janet style she organised her own funeral.

“She had what she wanted all worked out, we just filled in the blanks really,” Jim said.

Both Al and Jim agreed her funeral held at Paterson’s chapel was an appropriate celebration of her life, prior to that Janet lay in state at the marae.

“The marae was a fitting place for her to lie in state.

“She was a highly respected elder who worked tirelessly to raise the funds to build the whare.

“It was her dream to lie in state out there,” Al said.

By Heather Mackenzie © The Ashburton Guardian - 10 October 2020