Happy Kiwi

In a corner of a park near to my home there is a section called 'The New Zealand Garden'. This was originally established in the 1950s in honour of 23 New Zealand Airmen who were stationed in North Yorkshire during the Second World War. They sadly lost their lives and are buried in a local cemetery. Links were made with Wellington to establish a formal sister-city relationship in 1978.

Earlier this year the garden was restored and re-planted, some of the larger trees had to be felled, but trunks were left and transformed into various carvings linked to New Zealand. To celebrate the re-vamped garden there was a traditional Maori blessing in August 2010 with visitors from Wellington.

My Kiwi is a favourite and I have chosen this to be my first blip. After a few weeks of being covered in snow and more recently clouded in thick fog I think he is looking happier in this mornings' weak sunshine.