Up Front by Emma Hart

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Up Front: The C Word

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  • Islander,

    "Bigger cigars are generally better"

    depends very much on where the tobacco comes from and how its been dried (kilned or air-dried) and how its been matured. Some of the bigger Burmese cheroots I've smoked were foul, but some of the smaller ones, most delicious smokes...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    If you've not owned one, then you're not the historic espresso maker collector and lover of old-stuff in general I thought you might be...

    Oh, I am all these things (well not that person tho', no), and a very good friend had a Triumph Vitesse, and I had 1957 VW, followed by a Hillman & Singer, having really wanted a Sunbeam.

    Cigars. Unfortunately the last scenario went;
    Red wine. Whisky. Cigars. Fishing trip. Burly boy.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Crowley,

    Gawd I didn't realize that having a vegetable patch and compost was working class. Even having a backyard is surely not working class. They're meant to have a shared concrete lane with garbage cans, aren't they?

    No, it is achievable if you are happy enough to move to "Ganglands Linwood". $100k got us some grass in 1997.

    Otautahi • Since Nov 2008 • 24 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn,

    @FletcherB
    <A Spitfire would be a small 1970's sportscar made by Triumph.>

    Gosh, I'm glad you explained. I thought you meant an aeroplane. Shades of SirPeterJackson!

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    No, it is achievable if you are happy enough to move to "Ganglands Linwood". $100k got us some grass in 1997.

    I live about two hundred metres from a sign advertising a new subdivision as being in a "niche pocket of Linwood". FFS.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    There are probably many niche pockets of Remuera, Khandallah, Fendalton..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    . . . a very good friend had a Triumph Vitesse . . .

    A Triumph Herald with a Vanguard 6 motor shoehorned in, and weird diagonally-mounted twin headlights. Quick, but fatally undermined by the dodgy Herald swing-axle rear suspension. Hark, the Herald axles swing.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Hark, the Herald axles swing.

    Do you think we can turn one of Emma's threads into a Top Gear thread?

    I'm willing to try. The Vitesse sure did handle rather oddly. But then they used to race Hillman Superminxes (which I owned) and Minxes. The suspension on those defied logic, and gravity, and many other laws of physics and reason.

    I live about two hundred metres from a sign advertising a new subdivision as being in a "niche pocket of Linwood".

    bFM were running a competition for the new Arcade Fire album Suburbs this week, and people called in to convince them their suburb was the best in Auckland. One earnest gentlemen went to great pains to sell the fair suburb of 'Grafton' as a 'gateway to Parnell'.

    Yeah, so what's Newmarket then? The rear exit?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Yeah, so what's Newmarket then? The rear exit?

    It's like that old joke about Auckland: If Wellington is Te Upoko o te Ika (a Maui Tikitiki a Taranga), then...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    "Red wine. Whisky. Cigars. Fishing trip. Burl(e)y boy."

    Classic!

    Not pleasures to mix at all, at all...

    Re: cars. My first car was a 1948 Morris series E. Putter putter. It was with great pleasure, when my mother offered to loan me her Mark 6 Zephyr, that I accepted. First ton accomplished (Marine Parade, 12.40 a.m 1968.) Sold the Morris shortly afterwards, and went back to my bike.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    You're thinking of Kororareka

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    @Islander Thanks for the spell-check. Maybe it was wishful thinking ;-)

    First ton accomplished (Marine Parade, 12.40 a.m 1968.)

    Was it June? It's just I was born then ;-)

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    It was summer, is all I can remember...I was 21, and so, considered adult-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Crowley,

    a "niche pocket of Linwood".

    Now, that is what I call full use of real estate agent speak! That must mean that it is an area that closely borders another suburb ( not Philipstown, Bromley or Aranui) and that it's ratio of abandoned supermarket trolley's per km is less than 5.

    Otautahi • Since Nov 2008 • 24 posts Report Reply

  • Bryan Dods,

    A Triumph Herald with a Vanguard 6 motor shoehorned in

    Just a correction in the evolution of Triumph engines:

    The Vitesse ran a 1600cc 6 cylinder engine derived from the 6 cyl. Vanguard made using a smaller bore.
    The Vanguard 6 cyl. 2000 engine was developed from the 4 cylinder engine from the Standard 10.
    The simple principle was to add another half an engine to the existing one. The" join" could be seen in the cylinder block casting.

    The Vanguard changed from a nominal 2 litre 4 cyl. to a 2000cc 6cyl. The earlier 4 was actually slightly larger capacity than the 6.

    After the Vanguard ceased production the engine was used in the Triumph 2000 which eventually used a stroked version that took the cubic capacity out to 2500cc.

    The same range of engines were used in the Triumph sports cars.
    TR2, TR3, and TR4 used the 4cyl. Vanguard engine. The TR5 and TR6 used the 6cyl. 2500cc with petrol injection rather than carburettors.
    The early Spitfire ran the small 1200cc 4cyl. Herald engine, presumably adapted from the Standard 4cyl. The final models were 1500cc. The GT6 which was a coupe style of the Spitfire ran the 2000cc 6cyl. from the Triumph 2000.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 46 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    The Vitesse ran a 1600cc 6 cylinder engine derived from the 6 cyl. Vanguard made using a smaller bore.

    I think we have reached car threadjack nirvana. All I can say is 'I did not know that!' And perhaps, sorry?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    I think we have reached car threadjack nirvana.

    Yeah sorry.

    BTW none of the aforementioned Triumphs, regardless of engine size, could pull the skin off a rice pudding.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    Now, that is what I call full use of real estate agent speak!

    I once saw a sign for Upper Bryndwr. I've never been able to figure out how it wasn't Papanui.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Bryan Dods,

    none of the aforementioned Triumphs, regardless of engine size, could pull the skin off a rice pudding.

    There were other cars of the era that wouldn't be able to stir a rice pudding.
    But I was not defending the marque. It was more to show the incestuous engineering development of the British motor industry before it collapsed.

    Please accept my apologies for the threadjack. I have really enjoyed reading the views on class destinction.
    It has not surprised me that Christchurch has been involved in the discussion. My experience there back in the late '70s was of a much more structured class system than Auckland or Wellington. I thought it was because of it being the "English" city of NZ.
    It held as important one's origin down to details of which boat of the original settlement fleet they were on. Things like that seemed very important to people I met in suburbs such as Fendalton.
    Those I met on the other side of the tracks had very firm views about those who laid claim to being from the first ships.
    All very Upstairs/ Downstairs in a strange colloquial way.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 46 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Oh darlings, this isn't even the first of my threads to be jacked by British cars.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Those I met on the other side of the tracks had very firm views about those who laid claim to being from the first ships.

    A memorable quote from one of the supporting characters in Archer's Kane and Abel was along the lines of "If everyone whose descendants claim that they were on the Mayflower was actually on board, it would've sunk hundreds of times over." I imagine it's a not-dissimilar situation with Christchurch's first settlers?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    I imagine it's a not-dissimilar situation with Christchurch's first settlers?

    Don't worry, we are negotiating a special place for 'boat people'. Eventually we'll be able to resettle Christchurch.

    [Coat]

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    It held as important one's origin down to details of which boat of the original settlement fleet they were on. Things like that seemed very important to people I met in suburbs such as Fendalton.

    I once had a job where part of the work involved getting the correct postal code for about 50,000 NZ addresses for a mailout.

    We used a number of different tactics, but one was to take all the people who'd listed their suburb as Fendalton, and go through and check the actual street to see which code it had listed with it, because many of them weren't in Fendalton according to NZ post. Similar with Remuera.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    What about apartment dwellers?

    Well, in the UK, if the council provides it for you, then you're working class.

    If you rent it yourself, you're middle class.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Things like that seemed very important to people I met in suburbs such as Fendalton.

    Fortunately, these people can be irritated at very little cost to yourself simply by pronouncing their suburb "FENdltin" instead of "fenDAHLton".

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

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