PIMM’S
CUP HISTORY
First Played 1952
Akarana
was fortunate in acquiring the Pimm’s Cup Tournament
in 1952 through two of its members – Sam Obee,
a member of Hancock & Co’s staff, and Helen
Clark, a close friend of Sams, and a member of our Ladies
Committee at that time.
One of the characters from the early
days of Pimm’s Cup is Maurice, (pronounced Moreece!)
who attended to the mixing of the Pimm’s Cup.
He arrived with his two assistants, almost like a royal
entourage, with the silver punch bowls and mixed the
Pimm’s with great care with lemons, oranges, cherries
and mint, always looking immaculate in his gleaming
white shirt and bow tie, and obviously enjoying every
moment.
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In the first years of Pimm’s Cup, the
Pimm’s was available as soon as the first competitors
came up to the lounge, the large punch bowls complete with
ladles for the players to help themselves, with a swizzle
stick for every glass. Pimm’s, as a drink, was to most
of us at that time, an unknown quantity, so with the attractively
presented punch bowls, and a thirst acquired after two rounds
of golf, needless to say the punch bowls needed topping up
frequently, and it was only much later that the full ‘punch’
of the Pimms was felt.
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Murray Brown
and Buster Henderson formed a team with Maurice to make
Pimms day a very happy occasion, firstly as representatives
of Hancock & Co; Pimms of London’s representatives
in New Zealand. Murray Brown always spoke on behalf
of his sponsors, and they both were very popular with
the competitors. Later they represented Campbell &
Erenfried who continued the sponsorship after they had
taken over Hancock & Co.
After prizegivings in the early days,
Akarana members, together with our visitors would form
a long human canoe on the floor and render ‘Waiata
Poi’ or any other action song, not too much melody,
but plenty of enthusiasm.
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Akarana has won the Pimms
Tournament in almost half the tournaments which have
been played. Highlighted of course, by Phyl Shenkin
and Joan Mayson, who won the tournament on three consecutive
occasions. After winning it twice, Murray Brown, probably
thinking lightning could not strike three times, agreed
that if they won the event for a third time, they would
be presented with a case of Pimms, suffice to say that
Phyl and Joan won the third time; rumour has it that
Joan concentrated so much on the second round that she
did not utter a word for nine holes! – and because
of their tastes, they got a case of brandy instead of
Pimms.
Admiration has always been shown for
the beautiful Pimms Cup. In the earlier days of the
tournament, miniatures and exact replicas of the cup,
in sterling silver, were sent out from England annually
to be presented to the winners. Unfortunately, in latter
years this practise had to be discontinued, taking into
account the rising cost of silver.
Weather and conditions have played
a big part in the tournament. We have had sunny days,
cold days, wet days, smooth running fields, slow play,
cancellations and suspension of play.
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The Pimm’s Tournament had to be postponed
one year, firstly because of the weather and secondly because
major alterations were taking place in the clubhouse. A fortnight
later, Pimm’s Cup was to be played with the weather
still unfriendly, club house still a shambles. It was decided
to carry on regardless. The exterior of one side of the lounge
had been pulled down, and a billowing tarpaulin kept out the
worst of the weather, but what was left of the lounge was
draughty and cold. Gloom prevailed with the committee, until
we realised that the fireplace, long boarded up, was functional
and safe. The ground staff and the men’s committee came
to the fore, and by the time the field came in we had a roaring
fire, plenty of logs and coal, and plenty of Pimm’s,
so another mission successfully accomplished. Another occasion
was on one of the days when the Pimms field was very slow,
and darkness was falling before the competitors had finished
their round. Everyone was waiting for the last four to appear
in the gloom so that the prizegiving could take place. When
they eventually arrived back at the clubhouse, they had the
winning score!
Another year the competition had to be reduced
to 18 holes. Play began at the appointed time of 8 am but
unfortunately the rain started at the same time. By the time
the fields arrived at the turn the greens were unplayable.
The Captain of the day suspended play for a couple of hours,
so everyone came back to the clubhouse. The club had a new
caterer of 10 days and she was not expecting any golfers in
for at least another hour or two. With many willing hands
everyone was fed and had plenty to drink. Play resumed two
hours later and proved to be a very happy tournament.
So many incidents could be related, all of
them stressing the happy times had at Akarana during the Pimms
Tournament. After all these years, the enthusiasm to join
the Pimm’s field is just as great as it ever was, which
is a compliment to the club running it.
“Good old Akarana.”
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