Retired Rangiora dairy farmer turned museum curator Richard Spark, says his unique museum at Northbrook, is full of the bits people wanted to throw away and he was lucky enough to be there to catch them.
‘‘They come from everywhere. I’m always looking for interesting bits to add to my collection,’’ he says.
Mr Spark is opening his museum up this Sunday, November 20,to help raise awareness of, and funds for, Dementia Canterbury.
He says he and his late wife Dawn used to love travelling all around the world looking for historical items.
‘‘When she passed last year suffering from Dementia, I decided to hold a special day to commemorate her passion for life and to also celebrate 20 years since we added the Rossburn Receptions Convention Centre to the Northbrook Museum.
When they opened the centre 20 years ago, Mr Spark says they didn't have a clue it would become such a busy place for family events, weddings, funerals and birthdays.
‘‘We started the museum in 1985 with just one shed full of bits and pieces, it had a very small kitchen and visitors either sat inside in the foyer or outside when they wanted a cuppa. ‘‘Over the years I collected many more pieces and brought in my late brother Johns extensive tractor collection so we eventually added another three bigger sections to the museum, it was then we decided we needed a bigger kitchen/ reception area because of the large numbers of people visiting.
‘‘ Dawn and I built a reception centre which opened in 2002.
‘‘Very quickly people started ringing, enquiring if they could use it for funerals or weddings.
‘‘When we both retired 20 years ago, Dawn from her passion for teaching as a kindergarten teacher and me as a dairy farmer, we both became caterers.”
In 2010 the couple built a chapel because they wanted to separate the services from the catering operation.
‘‘We had to be very quiet in the kitchens during funeral and wedding services, it just made sense to build a chapel on-site.”
The doors of the chapel and the museum both came from the Blenheim Methodist Church where Mr Spark’s parents Margaret and Harold Spark where married in 1926.
‘‘I put up one set as the front door of the museum in 1988 and stored the other set until we built the chapel, it’s a great link with my mother and father,” he says.
Mr Spark says the popularity of the centre grew quickly, and he estimates they have hosted over 400 weddings, 800 funerals and thousands of other functions on-site in the past 20 years.
‘‘I get a lot of satisfaction supplying a product people enjoy and I just like being busy.”
He also gets the satisfaction of working with his children and grandchildren who continue to help out with the catering at functions.
To celebrate the 20 years, he has planned a free open day for the pubic to look through the Northbrook Museum, and the centre, along with free afternoon tea.
‘‘We will be open this Sunday, November 20, from 1.30 pm to 4 pm so come along and have a good look around and help me support Dementia Canterbury,’’he said.
