“When you live for 84-and-a-half years, you become involved in a lot of things over that time.”
Kay Hart has been the Motueka A&P Show patron for more than a decade, so this was not her first merry-go-round.
The annual event was held on Saturday, with the soaring temperature ensuring that plenty of ice creams were in circulation. The petting zoo proved as popular as ever, and farm machinery sat alongside hands-on festival events.
Kay became involved in the show after moving from Golden Bay in 1991. The octogenarian also spent four years as the national president of the Women’s Institute and has a background in farming and horse ownership.
Kay believes in the power of positivity and reckons the A&P Show fits that description nicely. It takes teamwork, however, and she is good at bringing others along with her. Or, as she says with a laugh, “dragging all these people to come and work for me.”
“And we do it willingly,” one of the volunteers affirms.
Event liaison Zoe Fowler – who is also Kay’s granddaughter – says the show had plenty of visitors this year. Equestrian entries were up, and there was great youth interest in the craft section.
“I think all the sand volunteers pulled off a wonderful day out with something for all,” she says.
