Recollections of Dennis George Marsh

Part 1 of a series contributed by guest author Dennis Marsh

“Bill Rolfe and George Marsh”
Image collection of Dennis Marsh

My Dad George Ascot Marsh was born in Tauranga, as was his father, as was I. He lived on the Cambridge Road farm - located where the water tanks now stand – and from an early age was required by his parents to help milk morning and night, along with other members of the family as they became old enough.

“George's School Photo, Old Otumoetai School, top of hill where current school is located”
Image collection of Dennis Marsh

He did his schooling at the Otumoetai Primary School that was situated not far from its present day location.

Image collection of Dennis Marsh

To get to school, they used a horse and in later years the family had a bike. One child would go to a pre-arranged point leave the bike and start to walk. Two of the other kids would ride the horse form home to where the bike had been left, and they would leave the horse and ride the bike to the next pre-arranged point passing the walking kids on their way. They other kids would start walking from home, get to where the horse was and ride it to where the bike had been left – the second stop. The kids on the horse at the second stop would then walk to school, the kids on the bike would bike to school and the kids on the horse rode the horse to school and tied him up in a paddock provided for the purpose. After school they did the whole thing in reverse.

“Cot Marsh (Pop), Tom Tanner, Ron Brown, Dad, Ted Tammel, First Farm”
Image collection of Dennis Marsh

Dad did all his schooling there, I do not know how old he was when he left. He started working as a drover with a couple of his mates Cyril Griffiths and Sam Sherman.

“Mum and Dad”
Image collection of Dennis Marsh

He met my Mum, Nola Morine, while she was working in a milk bar on the corner of McLean Street and The Strand  — owned by the Harrison family. It was a large shop for its time and was like a corner dairy which specialised in ice creams and milk shakes. Mum and Dad used to attend dances that were sometimes held in the Town Hall in Wharf Street between Durham and Willow Street. They also used to go to the weekly dances held in Hayman’s Hall opposite the Boys College on Cameron Road. Mum’s family had a dance band and they used to provide the music for the dances at Hayman’s Hall.

“Dennis and George Marsh with 1939 Ford V8 truck at first farm”
Image collection of Dennis Marsh

I can recall going to the dances on a Saturday night, Mum and Dad would put us to sleep on the back seat of the Ford V8 that they owned at that time.

(To be continued)