Hello, my name is Elsie Sanderling.  I have lived at 28 Frances Street since 1988, at first with my husband Ted, and for the last ten years alone.  When we decided to move to Broad Bay a friend asked, ‘Why go there?  They’re all artists and eccentrics,’ so we thought we would fit right in!

My husband was a keen birdwatcher so he was pleased there were so many flowering and fruiting native trees in the garden and soon planted more.

I joined the Women’s Institute to get to know the community, and was, with Olive Bain, an honorary ‘granny’ at the Broad Bay school playgroup.  My knitting group started with young mothers from the playgroup wanting to learn or improve their skills, and continues still.  Some of them also wanted to learn to sew. 

I was a guide at Fletcher House for eleven years and made my first period costumes when the house’s 100^th anniversary was celebrated.  This Edwardian house presents an interesting look into domestic life with the Green family.

I now belong to ‘Images of the Past’, a costume-making group. We make most of our costumes and do costume parades at events, retirement villages, rest homes and clubs. A recent outing was to the Olveston Garden Party with the Settlers Association. Donations received go to the children’s ward at Dunedin Hospital for their craft supplies.

Another social activity I enjoy is a fortnightly bus trip, usually a day trip, into the country with midday dinner in a country pub. Steady As You Go exercises at Portobello are another way to meet people.  For many years I was a pub quiz team member which certainly kept my brain active as well.

Living in Broad Bay still feels like being on holiday — driving beside the harbour, and from my windows watching the ships and colourful yachts.  Now that the road is so much better, driving at night definitely feels a lot safer.

By Elsie Sanderling