Noel's Memories

(Noel is my father's uncle)

Born on 24th December 1926, at the Stafford Maternity Home in Blenheim.
Noels parents were George Howard Weir Broadbridge and Alice Mary Broadbridge (nee Timms). His Father was known as Weir.

Noel said his Mother always said him being born on Christmas Eve was the best Christmas present she ever had. Having Christmas dinner cooked for her and being waited on hand and foot for a fortnight. In those days one stayed in hospital for two weeks after giving birth.

Noel lived in Hillersden and went to the Hillersden School till it closed down and after that he had to go to the Wantwood School, which was way up the top end of Hillersden on the way to The Branch River.
Secondary schooling was 1 year of correspondence at home followed by the remaining years of schooling at Marlborough College. While at Marlborough College Noel boarded with Frank Patchett. Noels brother Cyril earlier on had boarded with Frank also.

The work years started with Noel leaving school and going back home to work for his father on the farm which he received no wages for. To earn some wages he worked on Threshing mills and in woolsheds to get a few bob ( bob meaning money in those days equivalent to 10cents today ). After a disagreement with his father Noel went to Wellington when he was about 20years old. His first job in Wellington was with the Exide Battery Company in Petone. After some time here he found he couldn’t stand the inside work having been used to outside farm work so looked for another job.
This new job was with the trams in Wellington City. While working on the trams he had an offer from his brother Cyril in Blenheim who rang to see if he wanted a job on the trucks. Cyril said he couldn’t afford to pay wages but as soon as the truck was paid for hw would put Noel in as half shares. That did not eventuate.

Living in Wairau Valley he married Kathileen Cameron and drove a GMC carting coal from the coast for Bill Ruffell.
They then moved to the Owen and lived in a house behind the Owen Hotel. Noel worked in the Owen coal mines driving a pit pony called Jimmy. The Shetland pony was named after the mines owner Jimmy Bairde. Noel would take the pit pony into the mine pulling 6 empty trucks until they got halfway down and they would swap over and pull out 6 full ones leaving the empty ones to be taken further in to be filled with coal once again.
The ponies had a mind of their own and were pretty smart really. Jimmy would not go down the mine unless he had a light on his head. Whereas the other pony wouldn’t wear one, which Noel said goes to prove a point ponies can see in the dark, as it was as dark as hell in those mines.

Whacka Anderson came down to the Owen from Patriach one day and asked Noel if he would like to manage the farm. Johnny and Ross Walker worked on the farm.
Noel and Kathileen packed up and went to Patriach. It was while here in 1950 Noel and Kathileen had their first child a son Kevin. One day Noel was going to take the wheat to town and visit his wife in the maternity home when Johnny and Ross arrived back at the homestead just as he was about to leave to tell him they couldn’t start the header. Noel went up and looked at the header and found it was the magneto that was the trouble. With this they all hoped in the truck and went to town. They ordered the part, which had to come from Christchurch the next day so the “boys” decided to go to the Top Pub at Renwick to fill in time. Whacka just happened to be passing and saw his truck there and went inside and without a word said “You buggers are finished on the spot”. However when he found out what really had happened he wanted to re-employ Noel, but Noel wouldn’t go back on principal.

Once again Noel and Kathileen packed up and went to Leefield as “Head tractor driver”. Noel thought this was great when he went to apply for the job and went along armed with his CV only to be told CV’s were a waste of time. Not only this but the title Head tractor driver which attracted Noel turned out to be the only tractor driver. With the job he had a cow supplied for their milk, which Noel used to milk and one morning he couldn’t find the cow, as it turned out it had wandered over to the neighbours. After finding it and taking it back home and milking it he was ten minutes late for work. Mr Dillon was waiting at the tractor shed, he started to go crook about being ten minutes late so Noel asked him did he know what time he had finished sowing the night before? It was 7.30pm not the finishing time of 5pm. He went ahead and explained why he was ten minutes late and said he would never be late again as he was finished right now.

Noel and Kathileen after 18 months on the Dillon farm packed up and moved on to Fairlie. Here they managed a farm until the owner got married and wanted to live in the same house with Noel and Kathileen which wasn’t an ideal situation for them. Karen was born by then in 1952.

After the farm job came a truck driving job, driving for Robinson Brothers in Fairlie. While here the other two children were born Barry in 1953 and Relda in 1954. Noel was then to put it nicely let down by his wife after finding her having an affair.
Noel left taking the children with him to Wanganui to his sister Pearl. Kevin and Karen went to live with their grandfather and grandmother in Levin and Barry and Relda stayed with Noel at Pearls and Rays home.
He got a job driving again for Blue Star Transport driving up and down the Paraparas between Wanganui and Raetihi.
Kathileen remarried and then got custody of the four children again.

Noel then came back to Blenheim and worked on the Hydro scheme up at the Wye River driving trucks. From that job he went to Havelock and drove the Havelock daily bus service to Blenheim. It was the biggest bus in Marlborough at that time carrying 29 passengers. It would leave Havelock at 9am to go to Blenheim and return at 4pm.
Noel married Loma Twidle while he was living in Havelock.
After a year or so he bought the bus and as a sideline he used to take fresh fish into town which he then loaded into a van and delivered around town. During this time Noel also sold trekka’s which were a sort of four wheel jeep type vehicle. He sold them for Trevor Jarvis.
After a few years the bus was sold so Noel could concentrate on selling his fish from the van known as “Captain Fish”. Noel gradually expanded the business by going to Wairau Valley, Seddon, Picton, Rai Valley and Havelock along with Blenheim. He had a certain day which he used to go to each area with clients knowing which day he was coming they would have their plates, bowls or trays ready waiting. Noel used to have a bell but found it wasn’t loud enough so he resorted to tooting when he arrived at a place to let them know. Out he would hop with that big smile of his and open the back doors of the van where his fish was laid out on ice along with the odd veges available too. He would hang his scales on a hook and be all set for business.

Noel moved to Blenheim and had the fish shop opposite the City Hoetl and while there he married Peggy Kerr. While running the shop Noel employed someone to drive and sell the fish.

The next big move came when Noel left the shop and went to Marton to be the Marton Clubs first permanent steward. While in his position here he doubled the clubs membership from 300 odd to 600 members.

After some time Noel came back to Havelock to manage the Havelock Hotel, but the fish business called him again and he went back to working “Captain Fish”.
Noel remarried again after Peggy died to Edna Neal.
Eventually Noel sold his fish van, which didn’t last long in trading because a lot of Noels trading came from calling into the local hotels where patrons would buy fish to take home for tea.

On his retirement Noel could not sit and do nothing. He has a wee sideline of spraying homes for flies and insects and has also been kept active by going to work odd days in the vineyards. Another pastime for Noel is playing patience with cards or popping down to the RSA to catch up with his mates.