According to a 1980s Levin Jubilee publication, the first sports centre at 313 Oxford Street opened around 1937 and passed through various owners until Rex Cederwall bought it in 1962. He in turn sold it in 1969. In 1981 the business was still trading, but in a different location.

A common saying in 1960s New Zealand was that the country was build upon 'Rugby, Racing and Beer'. The number of pubs and sports centres in 1960s Horowhenua seems to support this assertion and MAVtech holds an old music record based around these three 'past-times'. 

Little surprise that rugby was one of the sports pictured (along with soccer) with other sports having a bullet point only.

This photograph was taken on the 14th of August 2022 by Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie. It shows spectators observing the 29th annual Foxton Loop Race- an event organised by 'Welly Paddlers' which sees entrants paddling their boats around the Foxton River Loop.

Jacob used a 1930s Agfa Billy 4.5 to take this photograph. This was an amateur camera whose lens folded into the body using bellows for easy storage. Jacob borrowed this camera from the collection of Foxton's MAVtech Museum which has a range of vintage photographic equipment as part of it's collection of audio-visual technology.

Before most families had a motor vehicle, getting around by bicycle was as much for transport as it was for exercise. Cochran's Cycles is advertising the Raleigh series of bikes in this slide. Raleigh was formed in 1885 and still makes bicycles today- making it one of the oldest surviving brands in the bike business.

Cochran's Cycles had a float in the 1955 Foxton Centennial Parade and this slide would date to around this era.

Foxton Fizz has been part of Horowhenua since 1918 and is one of the last small town soda companies left. In over a century of bottling flavours have come and gone and so have different label designs on the bottle.

This 1970s cinema slide would have been shown during intermission along with other advertising slides and slides showcasing upcoming films. The 'Tropic' slide is an unusual mixture of a local brand advertising using the far-away tropics as a selling point. The drink would be more likely to be consumed at the Manawatu Heads than the white sands of Hawaii! The 'Thirst Quencher' by-line probably meant that this slide screened during Summer.

However, with overseas brands like Coca-Cola moving in on the local market, familiar names had to appear to be a bit exotic to compete. It must have worked- Foxton Fizz is still with us today!

Back when Foxton Beach had fewer residents (and far fewer phone numbers) it was possible to sell fruit and vegetables street by street twice a week. At least, that's what Mister Hitchings did! His cinema advertising slide would have been shown at local theatres for a few seconds at a time- otherwise the heat from the projector arc would crack the slide. 

Given that each slide was shown for such a short time, the best of them used eye-catching, simple designs like this one. 

However, MAVtech cannot find any references to Hitching's business in Kete or in other records, so it may not have survived in Main Street for long. Cinema advertising slides were a great source of promotion for local businesses due to their low cost and (in a time when going to the cinema was sometimes a weekly pleasure) a high reach. Today they are often the only trace of historical businesses which survive. 

This slide would have been briefly shown in local cinemas just after the lights dimmed. Some slides, like the one shown, were professionally made. Others were blank pieces of glass which could be written on with removable ink. Projectionists could then write messages on the slides, such as asking if a doctor was in the audience if a patron suffered a medical event.

Someone showed this slide for a bit too long though- the heat from the projector has cracked the glass!

If spending an afternoon at the cinema sounds like a relaxing way to spend the day, think about the times when you didn't even need to leave your seat to get your treats! 'Usherette Trays' were worn by cinema staff during the intermission and they were filled with tasty food and drink. Spend some coins, get well fed and stay seated to see the advertisements flash past on the screen!

This tray was for 'Frosty Jack' ice cream- a Wellington brand which was sold from 1924 to 1967. Like many local companies it had a limited distribution- 'Frosty Jack' didn't even get to the South Island until the 1960s. However, this effort may have caused the company to loose money and they sold to a larger firm who then stopped making ice cream a few years later.

As early as the 1930s 'Frosty Jack' trays were being used in cinemas during the weekend matinee screenings which were popular with children. 

This 'usherette tray'' was most likely used in Horowhenua cinemas. 

A new magazine with a trendy new movie- given that it is showcasing 'Saturday Night Fever' it is a good guess that this issue came out in 1977. But this magazine is doing more than just showing new features- it's introducing new words as well.

'Movies' is a recent term for New Zealand and it only became popular here in the 1980s. Before then a night out with the 'big screen' was known as going to the 'cinema' (or 'The Flicks') to see a 'film' or a 'picture'. 'Movies' was an American term and magazines like this helped bring it to the fore. All the American television programmes and films certainly had an impact too!

Whatever you wanted to call them they were still a popular night out, with Kiwis seeing at least five films on average a year. 

This slide was shown during intermission in local cinemas (or should that be 'movie theatre'?) 

Before digital media came to the cinema, adverts were shown using transparent slides. Each slide was loaded into the projector for only a few seconds, otherwise the heat would cause the glass to crack. They were usually shown during the intermission, just as the audience was returning to their seats.

Because these slides were inexpensive to produce, local businesses could afford to take out advertising with a handful of local cinemas. This ad for a Foxton plumber gives a warning to those thinking of doing a bit of DIY! According to the Yellow Pages O'Leary and Sons were founded in 1956.

 Before digital media came to the cinema, adverts were shown using transparent slides. Each slide was loaded into the projector for only a few seconds, otherwise the heat would cause the glass to crack. They were usually shown during the intermission, just as the audience was returning to their seats.

Because these slides were inexpensive to produce, local businesses could afford to take out advertising with a handful of local cinemas.  Having a safari seemed a strange way to advertise a local shop- if a shopper found a live lion on Oxford Street they would have had quite a shock- but it made sense in the cinema. Action and adventure movies were popular (including the 'Tarzan' series) so this ad just added to the escapism. 

names on reverse of photograph

Foxton Marching team in 1940s Those in the photograph are from left to right:-

Back Row:- Zoe Calder, Beverly Barron, Francis Corlett, Dorothy Jackson, Marge Haycock, Melva Reid.

Front Row:- Marge Podmore, Joan Goodwin, Evelyn Podmore, Melvie King.

The coach is Trevor Terry and the mascot is ? Johnston.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Foxton Historical Society”

Photograph taken by Leslie Adkin on 1 January 1913 of Maud Herd standing by the Ohau River. She is holding a fishing rod, net and a fish she has just caught.

From: Collection at Te Papa - online at http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/42105

At Mangahao. A group having a picnic.

Any use of this image must be accompanied by the credit “Horowhenua Historical Society Inc.”

A fun and friendly day of marching at Ohau School, Muhunoa East Road ~ the sunniest place on the Nature Coast. On Saturday, 30th January, 2010 at 11a.m. Everyone Welcome