Thread: Forty-nine years ago today

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Originally Posted by Rrumbler

That reunion sounds like some my family used to have when I was a kid. At one of them, a bunch of us cousins about the same age got our heads together to try and count the number of people there, and who were kin, and who were just not; I think we counted some 110 kin, and about 50 hangers on.

.

I walked myself straight in to hosting this one.
Long story.
One of She's nephews, Michael Young, was the eldest of seven kids to her brother Barry and his wife Marie. With seven kids under ten yrs old, Marie found it hard to cope; so we regularly looked after the three oldest at our place. So they grew up a bit more 'special' to us than the other nephews and nieces.
Mike shifted to Australia in his late twenties, and become an extremely successful business man, a multi-millionaire. He was also a bloody good bloke, we were very proud of him; even though he wasn't really one of our own.
Unfortunately he died at an early age.
The family were all out playing on jet-skis, suddenly realised Mike wasn't with them, went back, and found him dead on his ski from a massive heart attack.
It was decided to bring his ashes back to NZ to be scattered at sea from the beach at Matata, where Mike had spent a lot of his younger days.
So virtually the whole Young family gathered there for the ceremony.
Mike's younger brother, Barry-Robert (Rupert,) turned to me and said, "Ya know, this is good to have all the family gathered together like this; it should happen more often."
I agreed with him.
"Right; your place January next year."

Bugger!

We already had most of the infrastructure here to be able to host such an event; but the following twelve months were a bit of a scramble to ensure everything was in place and functional.
Larger water tanks, drains fenced to keep kids out, more toilets, another shed with concrete floor to congregate in, tables, chairs, beds, mattresses, crockery, cutlery...crikey; we plundered the Salvation Army stores!
But we did manage to get it all together; and we will be able to utilise it again in the future.

And the event was a success...with only the one punch-up.

All good.

Hamilton is the venue next year, hosted by one of She's cousins.