Teunis Bleijenberg is a trained traditional miller from The Netherlands who came to Foxton in 2023 to train local De Molen millers and volunteers.  Safely operating a mill is a big job, with traditional millers usually training for two years to equip them for all types of mills- plus an extra four months learning the specifics of each new mill they work at.  With Foxton's De Molen being the only traditional Dutch windmill operating in the Southern Hemisphere, expert help has to come from far afield!

This photograph was made by local photographer Jacob Brookie as part of a series of photo-stories highlighting the work of local volunteers- including the millers Teunis was training. The photo was made with a 1966 Marshal Press camera and Kodak T-Max film.

On the 28th of March 2024, Save Our River Trust and Horowhenua Pop-Up Eats combined forces to host a community Easter Egg Hunt with the support of Foxton New World and Foxton Barber and Beauty. Over five hundred people attended, and hundreds of children searched for the hidden rabbits at the Te Awahou Riverside Cultural Park.

Local photographer Jacob Brookie took this photograph of the Easter Bunny awarding chocolate treats at Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom. Save Our River Trust volunteer Pou is taking a photograph and Horowhenua District Council staff member Grayson is handing out chocolate eggs behind the table.

Jacob used a 1958 Mamiyaflex C2 to take this photograph, part of a series about Foxton's volunteers made with vintage cameras. Jacob climbed the stairs to Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom's overhead walkway to take this picture. When he did, the event was almost over and the table, once full of treats with more waiting to be placed, is almost empty.

 This photo shows Foxton Beach Surf Lifesaving Club volunteers Holly, Kelsey and Thomas conducting a rescue drill just beyond the waves at Foxton Beach. In another IRB was Jacob Brookie, a photographer using a vintage 1950s Agfa Silette camera. A freak wave had already wet the lens of the Silette, and the lens was a bit damp despite Jacob’s best efforts which explains the slight lack of focus in this image!

The 2023/2024 Foxton Beach swimming season was plagued by bluebottle jellies- lifeguards on the observation deck saw huge ‘mats’ of them out at sea. There were a few painful stings felt by swimmers onshore, but no emergencies as a result. 

This photo was taken as part of a series about Foxton’s volunteers, and many photos were published in the Horowhenua Chronicle.   

During the Big Dutch Day Out 2022 a monkey kite got caught in the fans of the De Molen windmill, and ended up imitating King Kong on the Whare Manaaki! This caused much merriment until the kite master could remove it....

This was taken by Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie with a 1950s Yashica 'A' twin lens reflex camera. Made in Japan, this was an affordable camera for the enthusiast photographer and Jacob has used it to take many photographs around Foxton. 

The Yashica is owned by the MAVtech Museum of Audio and Visual Technology.

Cinema advertising was big business to the point that companies were even sponsoring the intermissions! The 'Time for a Capstan' advertising campaign was popular in New Zealand in the 1940s and 1950s. These ads associated having a Capstan cigarette with relaxation. During the Second World War they were often promoted to women who had just entered the workforce as a way of unwinding after a workday.

During this time the cinema interval was long enough to catch up with friends, restock your confectionary and have a cigarette. As a result of the increasing evidence between smoking and cancer, cigarette advertising in cinemas ceased in 1973.

Most cinema advertising slides were examples of local advertising- but few were as local as this one. There has been a Manawatu Hotel on Foxton's Avenue Road since the late 1890s and when this slide was made (probably in the 1950s) the hotel was only a few houses away from the Coronation Hall cinema where this slide was likely screened!

How many cinema patrons stopped by the bar on the way home to talk about the film? Or had some dinner at the Hotel before taking their seats? 

'Beer gardens' only appeared in New Zealand from the late 1940s so Foxton was part of a trend and trying to keep 'good taste'. The term 'Mine Host' is a jovial expression for a bar landlord/manager and is an old term for 'my host' which survived in popular culture.

Ernie Head is 'mine host' when this slide was shown- replacing the former host whose name was covered over. 

After closing for a time the Manawatu Hotel reopened in 2013 is still trading as of 2023. Coronation Hall is now home to the MAVtech Museum but still has its projectors and 200 seats- perfect for the monthly movie night!