Home-made Poetry

Blatant Resistance, written by Bub Bridger, read by Debby Meldrum

Bub Bridger (1924–2009) published several collections of poetry. Born in Napier of Irish and Ngāti Kahungunu descent, Bub left school at 14 and worked in factory and office jobs, later moving to Wellington. She began to write in 1974 after attending a workshop run by Michael King. Bub, a Member of the NZ Order of Merit, lived in Westport for many years.

Debby Meldrum worked in Australia and New Zealand as a professional theatre director (including at Tauranga’s Gateway Theatre) before training as a teacher and spending 16 years at Tauranga Girls’ College where she established the school’s drama department, later becoming head of drama. Debby is a former member of the Tauranga Gallery Trust, a life member of Friends of the Gallery, and a former Tauranga Arts Festival trustee.

Keep it Up, written by Brian Turner, read by Doug Hendry

Brian Turner, the 2003 Poet Laureate, is a former New Zealand representative hockey player, senior cricketer and mountaineer, and is still a keen cyclist. His first collection of poetry in 1978 won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and his work has since won numerous awards. Brian lives in Oturehua in Central Otago. Hear him read some of his own poetry.

Doug Hendry is co-owner of Tauranga-based The Puzzle Company, which provides puzzles to 200 newspapers, including all of New Zealand’s daily papers, and has started a lockdown service for retirement villages and rest homes. Born in Scotland, Doug is bass drummer for the City of Tauranga Pipe Band, being the last of his family to take up the pastime – three of his four adult children are drummers and the other a piper, while his wife is also a drummer. The Puzzle Company is a supporter of the Tauranga Arts Festival.