Recent necrology, March 2016

Some well-known people who have died recently

• Asa Briggs, 1921-2016
  Wide-ranging social historian and university administrator who delighted in the throw-away ephemera of everyday life

• Anita Brookner, 1928-2016
  Art historian and Booker Prize-winning novelist whose genteel heroines fear to take the plunge

• John Christian, 1942-2016
  Scholar who championed the Pre-Raphaelites and explored the impish side of Edward Burne-Jones

• Pat Conroy, 1945-2016
  Novelist whose fictionalised accounts of a traumatic childhood were turned into successful films

• Ronnie Corbett, 1930-2016
  A fine comic and an entertainment treasure

• Peter Maxwell Davies, 1934-2016
  English composer, conductor and one-time enfant terrible who became Master of the Queen’s Music

• Patty Duke, 1946-2016
  Troubled actress who won an Oscar at age 16 for her portrayal of the blind and deaf Helen Keller

• Keith Emerson, 1944-2016
  Virtuoso keyboardist and co-founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer whose amped-up takes on the classics helped define ‘prog rock’

• Nikolaus Harnoncourt, 1929-2016
  Celebrated Austrian conductor, the ‘pope’ of baroque music revival

• Jim Harrison, 1937-2016
  American author of poetry, fiction and essays, best known for Legends of the Fall

• Barry Hines, 1939-2016
  Author and screenwriter who adapted his popular novel A Kestrel for a Knave into the film Kes

• Henry Hobhouse, 1924-2016
  Author of Seeds of Change who explained how human history has been shaped by five plants

• Keith Jeffery, 1952-2016
  Historian who revealed how spying nuns and exploding filing cabinets helped the fledgling MI6

• Imre Kertesz, 1929-2016
  Hungarian novelist who won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature

• Nancy Reagan, 1921-2016
  American actress and wife of the 40th United States President

• Frank Torley, 1941-2016
  Television broadcasting producer, the voice of Country Calendar

Things to do in the school holidays – April 2016

School holidays start on Monday 18 April – or after school on Friday 15 April. Our libraries and learning centres will be busy with animal-themed programmes and activities as well as origami, scavenger hunts, and games.

• See the programmes and activities at libraries and learning centres.
• Check out other holiday programmes and events in Christchurch.
• Explore the animal-related stuff in our library collection.

Here’s some picks – some require booking, so check them out and book in:

At libraries and learning centres

• Toy animal sleepover – leave a toy at the library, then pick it up in the morning. There will be pics taken on the shenanigans it gets up to … (free)
• Minecraft game zone (aimed at 8 to 12 year olds) 3D gaming experience that involves creating your virtual world and interacting with others ($7 per kid)
• BeeBots (for 4 to 7 year olds) Kids can explore a story with a BeeBot and learn basic robotic skills. ($7 per kid)

In Christchurch

• Make Where the wild things are masks and Pet Monsters at the Christchurch Art Gallery. ($8 per child)
• The movie is going to be played in the auditorium on Wednesday 27 April at 7pm. (gold coin entry)
• If – like us – you are bit obsessed with that sugary delight of Pip & Pop at the Christchurch Art Gallery, Sweet Dreams (are made of these) is for you. Your kids will help create a colourful mosaic using stickers created by Tanya Schultz, the artist who made it. This event is on 10, 17 April, 8 May, and 5 June. (free, but book in)

The newest new world by Pip & Pop. Flickr 2015-12-20-IMG_1690

• If it’s a nice autumn day, explore the Kids Discovery Trail at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. (free)
• Cultural Constellations by Science Alive! is a neat experience for the whole family. You sit in the StarDome and feel like you are exploring space. ($5 per person; $20 for families of 4 or more)
• Go for a swim at one of our local pools. (see prices)
• Visit Christchurch’s superpopular Margaret Mahy Playground, or one of the other many cool parks. Playgrounds are listed in Find:Chch. (free)

Margaret Mahy Playground. Flickr 2015-12-23-IMG_1728

Moata’s post has great suggestions on reading and stuff to help make travelling with kids more fun and less stress. And of course your local library has plenty of CDs, DVDs, eBooks, eAudiobooks, books, mags, and stuff for kids.

We’d love to hear your ideas of things to do in the school holidays too.