7000 people entertained at Children's Day

Her feet couldn't touch the stirrups but that didn't stop 2-year-old Lola Raeburn enjoying a pony ride during Children's Day celebrations.

The Papamoa tot and her family were among the 7000-strong crowd who yesterday enjoyed a day of more than 30 free activities at Tauranga's Historic Village as part of the national day.

Families took the opportunity to introduce their children to everything from karate, cheerleading and magic shows to arts and crafts, pony rides and face painting at the Tauranga City Council event, with organisers saying they couldn't believe how big the crowd was.

TCC City Events team leader Penny Mitropoulos said the event normally attracted a crowd of around 5000, but upwards of 7000 showed up yesterday.

"It is full on, very exciting for the children," she said.

"Each year we get more support. We could not do this without the community's help."

It was a day of firsts for many, including 6-year-old Flynn O'Connell who decided he wants to be "a ninja" after trying out karate at one of the stalls.

"A ninja or a soccer player. It depends on what mum says," he told the Bay of Plenty Times.

Papamoa mum Fiona Payne took her four children along for the first time and said it was great to have a day out as a family without worrying about the cost.

"We have just had a ball," she said.

"It's a cheap day out for the whole family and it is super exciting."

Four ponies from Trinity Valley were kept busy all day, with a non-stop queue forming from 11am, according to Trinity Valley's Carla Townsend.

"The first time those little faces see a pony and get to jump on for a ride is just amazing," Mrs Townsend said.

"Last year we had two ponies but this year we doubled it because the crowds just keep getting bigger each year."

A team of volunteers from The Incubator set up a freak show featuring bearded ladies and body parts, which also drew the crowds all day.

The Incubator director Simone Anderson said the team wanted to do something a little bit different to celebrate Children's Day.

"You can't get much different than a good old-fashioned freak show," she said.

Harriot's amazing Carnival costumes for children

TWENTY-TWO years ago Susan "Marion" Harriot walked into the Eccles Village Anglican school with a burning idea to form a children’s mas band.

Several creations, trophies and accolades later and the passion to produce children’s costumes has once more led to her designs being in the finals of the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA) Junior National competition.

Sitting in her mas camp under the home of her 67-year-old mother Noreen Mills in Whiteland, three generations of the family were together to create mas.

Harriot's daughter, Colleen, who was second in the NCBA's Junior National competition back in 2001 stuck sequins on her six-year-old daughters’ individual costume for the same event.

Harriot's mother, Noreen Mills, was assigned to covering shoes and chest pieces.

Her sister Patsy Mills-Gaynor sat under a bright light and barely raised her head as she worked on a costume while one of the section leaders left the mas camp with papers and instructions from Harriot.

To the music of calypsonian Sparrow in the background, Harriot, 50, recalled that it was over two decades ago that she spoke to the principal of Eccles Village primary to have the school participate in the national carnival competition.

When he realized she was serious about the move, he gave his full support.

This led to the band "Carnival is" which included sections Pan, Tourists, Heat and Maracas Bay.

The section "After Christmas", Mills added, was the "parang section" which was done in green and red.

At that time the children used the money they saved from "Junior Corp" to pay for their $60 - $75 costumes.

Having parents pay a small sum for costumes is a feat Harriot still attempts to preserve.

Working 15 hours shifts alongside her wire-bending brother Patrick Mills, this year the band produced "Gems of the Caribbean", portraying mas in the countries along the archipelago including Crop Over in Barbados, Jab Jab in Grenada and Bacchanal from Jamaica. Other sections highlight natural wonders in some of the countries including Kaieteur Falls in Guyana and beaches from the 365 that surround the island of Antigua.

From the band, Legèn Julian was selected a finalist in the queen's section of the NCBA Junior Nationals and Denzil Jennings who won first prize in this year's Red Cross Junior Kings category was also selected a finalist in the NCBA's junior competition.
Weeks ago, the band also won first place in the medium band section, best school band, the Junior King title and most original band at Guaracara Park, Marabella.

But while Harriot's dream is to have one of her grandchildren collect first prize in a national title, the mother of four said one of her greatest joys was back in 2007 when her son won the Junior King prize at Red Cross. It is a competition she described as the crème de la crème of junior carnival.

"To win at this competition, you feel as though you won the world."
She said that even winning a special prize at this competition shows that, as a mas-maker, you have potential.

Although some of her pictures and published keepsakes of her accomplishments were destroyed by water, Harriot shared with the Express the pictures from newspapers and magazine covers that remained. She easily called out names of sections of bands from years gone by.

Her mother input also added to the memories.
And even as her asthmatic condition tried to take a toll on her, Harriot's desire to create the best production possible was not daunted.

But her love is still met with other limitations.
Mills said that sponsorship has always been a challenge. Over the years she had to depend on the generosity of neighbours who provide water and other soft drinks for the children. This year a businessman in the area provided part sponsorship to the band.

Also, she said, the size of the band, as she headed into a competition, depended on the parents’ willingness to have their children available for mas on the given day. Harriot said if parents had parties they wanted to attend the day before the competition, chances are their children would not participate in the mas.
But she pushes on.

And when Carnival is over, Harriot is on to more designing. This time bonnets for Easter. She is also heavily involved in Best Village Competition where she is also bringing in the trophies.