N.Z. Cup A Big Event For 97-year-old

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30286, 12 November 1963, Page 2

N.Z. Cup A Big Event For 97-year-old

Almost certainly the oldest woman patron at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington today will be Mrs E. A. Tidey, a bright, alert great-great-grand-mother who will be 98 next February’. And fond of attending race meetings though she is, this yvill be a special occasion for her: it will be her first New Zealand Cup. She has travelled from Opua, in the Bay of Islands, to fcee it.

Making her third air trip, Mrs Tidey flew south two days ago to spend a holiday with her nephew, Mr A. E. Lovatt, of Bromley, and Mrs Lovatt. They had suggested that she visit ; Christchurch for the big race, and they ; obtained special permission far a taxi to take Mrs Tidey right on to the course, to the grandstand entrance.

Who does she flunk will win the cup? •‘Well I don't know. I'd like Cardigan Bay to win. But putting him 54 yards behind is cruel. It’s too far,” she said yesterday, during a discussion of prospects. Eef-re placing her bet today she will wait until all the horses come on to the track. Se has no pet betting theories. "I just see a horse I like, and back him,” she said. JA wise punter, she keeps strictly to a limit of one 10s bfct a race. "And I only back fer a place. That gives me three chances." Loves Horses Mrs Tidey enjoys races because of her love of horses, not the lure of betting. Site traces this affection far back tb her childhood, when she rede and jumped horses in the wild bush country round Manakau. where she and her family lived in a rough bush shack. Her father had two thoroughbred mares from which he bred regularly. Mrs Tidey said, and he was often puzzled at the ease with wyhich the foals were later trained. “He'd have killed us if he'd known what we used to do." stie said with a rich chuckle. She and some of her 13 brothers and sisters would begin catching the foals 'When their father was well opt of the way) when they were about 12 months old. Sugar bags with stones in the ends were then slung across

the foals' backs, to accustom them to weight. “When they'd finished bucking with that, we'd get on!" With Her remarkably clear memory, Mrs Tidey can recollect aspects of a childhood that is almost beyond belief in today's welfare state, with its compulsory education. Split Kauri The eldest of the large family, she was recruited by her father to help him in the bush at the ripe age of 10, when she was taught to split kauri blocks into roofing shingles. with a shingleknife and mallert. Instead of attending school, her proficiency at shingle splitting grew until she could make 2000 or more in one day. “We started at seven in the morning, and worked until six at night.” She also had to yoke up and drive teams of 16 bullocks, which dragged logs from the bush, and timber and shingles down to the landing on the harbour. Onefa unga was 14 miles away by water, and she sometimes rowed there in a dinghy. The distance to the town was even further by land. There were wild cattle, pigs and goats in the bush in those days, and she frequently went out to shoot) animals for meat for thei family. With vegetables from their own garden, food was plain but good. "Not so much sweet stuff as nowadays.” she remarked, contrasting childhoods of then and 1963.

By the time she was 16 she could use a cross-cut saw, and was sent further into the bush to fell trees. She continued working in the bush until she was 24, when she finally left home. Mamed, she later lived in Dargavilie, at first on a farm, but later her husband ran a carrying business with horses and drays. Mother of six children, she now has 16 grandchildren, five greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She now lives with one of her daughters. Follows All Blacks As well as racing, Mrs Tidey takes a keen interest in wrestling, football and cricket. When the New Zealand team is playing overseas she listens to direct broadcasts no matter what the time. “I set the alarm so I wake up at night to hear the scores,” she said. Although approaching her century, she is up each morning about 6.30, and enjoys staying up late at night, Mr Lovatt said. Her other great interest is fancywork, and she has lost count of the tea and supper cloths she has worked, for though she wears glasses her eyesight is excellent. She brought a large, finely worked cloth she had just finished, south with her. Though she keeps very good health, she does find it necessary to walk with two sticks. But she still cannot see why the airline should insist on providing a wheelchair to take her out to the plane at Auckland. . . .