Tirohia played Cowboys and Indians out of Pakipaki in 1950s

Tirohia Bridger

 In April this year Tirohia Bridger talked to Mary O’Neill.

Tirohia did you like to play with dolls in your childhood?

“My dolly was Betty, and I am not sure what my sisters dolly was, but they were just like wooden sticks.”

Did you play with other toys?

“We are country people and we would ride horses and sort of roam around. There  were neighborhoods kids that  we used to play Cowboys and Indians and we used to make our own bows and arrows. We shot long  straws so we didn't hurt each other. There were three of us kids, in our house and there were about  five next door.”

 Did you identify yourself with any of the characters from Western movies?

“I do remember seeing black beauty. Quite a few of us were Elizabeth Taylor, and we rode better than she did anyway. We did not have a saddles.

The people that lived there they worked in the saw mill and we were really bush country people.

Once a month we use to get a new film. The very first film I ever saw was Robin Hood.  All the boys were Robin Hood and we went to the pictures every week and it was the same picture.”

What is the best memory of your childhood?

“It was actually playing with the horses. Its still Hawke’s Bay  today but where I grew up, was actually way out in the country, in the bush and that’s where we played with the horses.”

Hawke's Bay Doll and Toy Chronicle Issue 1 Spring 2010. 

Valentina's nest dolls

Valentina Johnson migrated from Russia  to NZ in 2003. There is  a

collection of Russian nest dolls at Valentina's  home in Napier.

Valentina how many nest dolls do you have in your collection here in Napier?

“There are 15 nest dolls in the collection.”

Where is a birthplace of the first Russian  nest dolls?

“The birthplace of the first Russian nest doll is Sergiev Posad.”

Which characters are portrayed by the the first nest dolls?

The first nest dolls of  Sergiev Posad portrayed young girls dressed in Russian sarafans (Central  Russian costume)  carrying baskets,  bunches of flowers or dressed in winter short fur coats and scarves.”

Do children  play with nest dolls,  or are they ornaments?

“These dolls are now just ornaments, but not in all homes. As a little girl I loved playing  with nest dolls.”

 
Hawke's Bay Doll and Toy Chronicle Issue 1 Spring 2010