OLD HAWERA

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 January 1927, Page 9

OLD HAWERA

INTERESTING RECOLLECTIONS. Staying with Mr. H. W hiteome. of Auroa, are >at present Air and Airs 11. \V. Stretton, of Hamilton. Forty years ago Air. Stretton was settled at JVleremere, and he buil l the first house there, afterwards. acquired by Messrs. Lovell and Christmas for factory purposes. In 1895 Mr, Stretton left Meremere and has not been back since that time. It will be of interest to learn that the day before the great fire in 1895, he had booked a room; at the Egmont Hotel, and had it not been that he was called out into the country to a friend’s farm he would have been staying at the hotel on the night of (the fire. Air. Stretton acted as the Star’s correspondent at Meremere and naturally he was keenly interested in the growth, of the office and the town. H© was amazed at the wonderful development shown in the building and its modern equipment and also of the town generally. He treasures very much a copy of the Star issued the day after the fire, which he has in an excellent state of preservation. Mr and Airs. Stretton will be in the district for a week or two and are interested in looking up people and places they knew formerly.