Market
Day makes the cut
A record 15,000-strong crowd turned
out for Haumoana School's market day on Sunday,
lured by fine weather, entertainment, 170 stalls
and an offer of surgical sterilisation for the highest
bidder. One of the biggest crowd- pullers was an
auction of donated goods, including artworks, wine,
scenic flights and an entire box of candy floss.
The most coveted item by far, however, was a vasectomy
donated by Hawke's Bay Hospital urological surgeon
Kim Broome, with a mint-flavoured bag of frozen
peas thrown in. Auction organiser Dale Cowie said
the surgical procedure, worth about $300, created
a huge amount of interest, with the first anonymous
phone bid at 7.30am. The top bidder was a Napier
man in his early 50s who walked away with a voucher
for a snip and a bag of peas for $200. Special guests
Tall Black Paul Henare, Napier MP Russell Fairbrother
and King Andy of Haumoana, alias graphic artist
Andy Heyward, opened the market at 10am. Entertainment
was provided by local musicians, including the school
band. King Andy, who was elected to the post in
July, ran a stall selling royally- endorsed juggling
balls, beanies and slippers and goat droppings,
described as ``wee pebbles of joy with aphrodisiac
qualities'' (rumour had it they were in fact chocolate
raisins). The King's stall only accepted his own
currency, which had to exchanged at a rate of one
goat banknote to the dollar. Market convenor Drew
Comeskey was grateful Saturday's poor weather blew
over in time, and praised the Haumoana community
for getting behind the event. Between 15,000 and
16,000 people attended, he said. The amount raised
was expected to top $18,000, which would go toward
a hall/gymnasium for Haumoana School. Quotebox The
most coveted item by far was a vasectomy donated
by Hawke's Bay Hospital urological surgeon Kim Broome.
Story
by Peter
de Graaf - Photo By Andrew Labett
