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Also some history. The Villages
Last updated on the
04 June, 2006
Barbara (Nee Bush) & Ken Stride
I spent my childhood in Gt.Wakering, attending the local school, I spent a couple of junior years at Barling too before returning to Gt.Wakering. My Step-Mother, Minnie Bush owned the "West End Stores" from the late 1930's until 1965, this was the shop adjacent to the Exhibition Inn. Ken lived in Southend and attended Wentworth High School 1947/48, he spent 3 years in the army before he met me in 1957.
Ken & I came here to live in New Zealand in 1971, we were looking for a better climate and more opportunities for our children, three daughters, all now adults, we now also have two granddaughters of 9 & 12. We settled in a town 200 klms north of Auckland on the east coast, called Whangarei, (pronounced Wong-Gar-Ray). There is a population of approximately 40,000 people, it is a popular stop-over for boaties cruising the pacific.
We are surrounded by some beautiful beaches and most within 20 minutes driving distance and the bonus is that there is plenty of space on them all.
Generally we have good weather for 5 - 6 mouths of the year, we do not have snow this far north and only about 4-5 frosts in the winter.
Our home is a fairly typical unit ( a unit is generally one of several homes sharing a piece of land) although we do all have our own small compact gardens, it is in a lovely suburb within ten minutes drive away from town.
We are both now retired, Ken & I had our own bookshop for several years before Ken was forced to retire due to ill health. Since then we have taken up the hobby of genealogy, this takes up a great deal of our time, we have been married now for over 42 years, something of an achievement in this day and age considering I was a child bride!!