I just visited Palmerston North. The city is not particularly exciting. This is a city that was put on the map internationally when Monty Python's John Cleese declared that "if you wish to kill yourself but lack the courage to, I think a visit to Palmerston North will do the trick". Palmerston North responded by naming a local dump "Mount Cleese".
But I digress. I came to Palmerston North because it hosts the Rugby Museum of New Zealand. I thought that there, I might be able to get a nice shot related to early rugby in the country. In particular, I was hoping to find some memorabilia from Charles Monro, the "father of New Zealand rugby", the man who organized the very first rugby game played in New Zealand, in 1870. When I arrived to the old, small museum, a very nice gentleman greeted me. He asked me where I came from and what I was doing in New Zealand. I was the only visitor so we chit-chatted for a while. When I explained that I was shooting a story about rugby he was truly sorry to inform me that they were moving to a better location and almost all their best memorabilia had already been put in boxes. I was starting to feel like John Cleese. I mentioned how I had wanted to take photos of some of Charles Monro's items, which would have worked nicely for my story. At that point, a woman rushed out of the back office. If you are interested in the history of rugby in New Zealand, she said, you will like to know who this gentleman's grandfather was.
At the end, I got to photograph my Charles Monro "item". The best one. His own grandson.
But I digress. I came to Palmerston North because it hosts the Rugby Museum of New Zealand. I thought that there, I might be able to get a nice shot related to early rugby in the country. In particular, I was hoping to find some memorabilia from Charles Monro, the "father of New Zealand rugby", the man who organized the very first rugby game played in New Zealand, in 1870. When I arrived to the old, small museum, a very nice gentleman greeted me. He asked me where I came from and what I was doing in New Zealand. I was the only visitor so we chit-chatted for a while. When I explained that I was shooting a story about rugby he was truly sorry to inform me that they were moving to a better location and almost all their best memorabilia had already been put in boxes. I was starting to feel like John Cleese. I mentioned how I had wanted to take photos of some of Charles Monro's items, which would have worked nicely for my story. At that point, a woman rushed out of the back office. If you are interested in the history of rugby in New Zealand, she said, you will like to know who this gentleman's grandfather was.
At the end, I got to photograph my Charles Monro "item". The best one. His own grandson.
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| Neil Monro, grandson of Charles Monro, browsing a book with a portrait of his grandfather in it. © nacho hernandez |
