Interview

"I think it was about 1953 (not sure), there was the Polio out break in New Zealand and all the schools were closed to stop the spreading of the disease. I don't think many died but a lot were maimed from it. I remember a boy with a twisted arm.

The isolation didn't bother us because we were used to it living where we did up the Nine Mile. We sat around the radio and listened to the school study talk. We didn't have a clock back then but I think it was about 10 in the morning. Not even a transistor radio, an old valve one that took 5 min to warm up! Home work came in a folder once a month by post. It had a school journal in it with stories and a crossword on the back. Everyone had to do the crossword. We did the homework and then posted it back. I don't remember doing school work every day and when there wasn't school work we just played outside, we all had push bikes!

There were no TVs then, no cell phones and Country & Western was the only music played on the radio. Not many people had motor cars either. We were lucky that we lived on a small farm and had a veggie garden. You were lucky to have a fridge and running hot water! We had to share a bath in a large bucket that was heated from the wood burner.

I remember when I went to boarding school at Rangiora getting the immunization injection. The 1st was to check for a reaction (to see if you have had it) and then the 2nd injection was to immunize you for 60 years.

I only did 1 year at high school and was in the mines by 15. The good old days!"

17/04/20

Alister Johnston, 81 years old

Email interview and picture to: mvecshantytown@gmail.com