MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25679, 16 December 1948, Page 2

MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS

DIAMOND WEDDING OF PIONEERS Memories of playing “hoop”—hide and seek—rouna the foundations of the Cathedral, and of the printing works of her father—the late Mr George Tombs, founder of the firm of Whitcombe and Tombs, were recalled yesterday by Mrs F. W. Hunnibell, 106 Fendalton road. Her husband, who for 33 years was headmaster of Spreydon School, also has many memories of the early days of Christchurch. On Saturday Mr and Mrs Htmnibell will celebrate the 60th anniversary of their wedding, which took place in the old St. Luke’s Church and was celebrated by Archdeacon Lingard. Four of the five bridesmaids at the wedding are still living. Mr and Mrs Hunnibell have in their possession a picture of a two-storey building which stood on the site of the Worcester street corner of “The Press” offices and was both home and business premises of the Tombs family before the business expanded and Mr Whitcombe became a partner with Mr Tombs in the business which now bears their names. Playing in the composing room—forbidden ground—was one of the stolen delights of Mrs Hunnibell. who was the second eldest daughter in a family of 12. A long shed which housed the trams of those days was on the opposite corner of Worcester street, and Dalgety’s bond store nearby is remembered by Mrs Hunnibell chiefly because of an escapade when the store was flooded and she and other children sailed round it on a raft salvaging oranges, figs and other delicacies. She recalls also that the parents of one of her childhood friends had in the Square a registry office for female servants.

Mrs Hunnibell was born in Christchurch not far from the rowing sheds at the East belt. Her grandfather, Mr Thomas Tombs, owned much of the land in Gloucester street near the Christchurch Girls’ High School, and she has heard her parents speak of the education authorities’ visit to her grandfather to ask if they could purchase part of h’s orchard to build the present Girls’ High School. Mr Hunnibell came to New Zealand in the Belissima from Ipswich, England, in 1364. He retired from the headmastership of the Spreydon School in 1922. The house which he and Mrs Hunnibell occupied at that time was beside Murphy’s old sod hut, near the terminus of the No. 7 tram in Lincoln road. Aftei’ his retirement Mr Hunnibell did relieving work at many of the schools in Canterbury and on the West Coast, and for a time he was headmaster of Hokitika High School. He taught also at Greymouth, Ross, Taylorville, Woodstock on the West Coast, at the T’m??*u West School and opened the West Spreydon School. He has been a member of the United Howling Club for many years. Mr and Mrs Hunnibell have one son and one daughter.