Hands of Fame now steel-clad, ready for festival
The refurbished Hands of Fame statue arrived in Gore just in time for Bayleys Tussock Country music festival this weekend. PHOTO: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING
Gore's country music honouring Hands of Fame statue has had a makeover and is back looking shiny and new, just in time for Bayleys Tussock Country music festival this weekend.
The 7.5m Hands of Fame statue, erected by the Gore Country Music Club, was re-installed on Tuesday morning, much to the relief of club president Julie Mitchell.
She said the new, improved statue was supposed to be done by the end of April and as the Tussock Country music festival crept closer and closer she was beginning to get nervous.
The new, steel-clad statue was worth the wait, she said, and she hoped it would now stand tall for another 20 years.
When the statue was removed for refurbishment back in March, Gold Guitar Awards convener Phillip Geary said the grouting on tile-covered statue was cracking, letting in water that was freezing during the Southland winter.
This process caused quite a few of the tiles to become dislodged, he said.
The tiles were removed by Custom Build and replaced with a metal facade.
The paint work on the steel was done by Beatties Collision Repair Centre in Gore.
Mrs Mitchell said the makeover cost of about $30,000 was paid for by the club in anticipation of this years' festival and the Gold Guitars.
It is anticipated that the awards and the festival this year will attract more visitors to Gore than any previous year.
The statue was erected by the club in 2004, to honour those who have made significant contribution to New Zealand country music.
ella.scott-fleming@alliedpress.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
17 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Gore couple of 65 years farewelled in rare joint funeral
Bill and Lavenia Gerken died within 10 days of each other and had a combined funeral in Gore on Tuesday. Photo: supplied A Gore couple who were married for more than 65 years died within 10 days of each other and had a rare combined funeral in the town earlier this week. The double funeral of Bill and Lavenia Gerken took place mainly because the surging interest in country music had booked out every venue in Gore last week. Mr Gerken was first to die, of natural causes on May 23. Daughter Kerry Gerken said her father did not want to go but he just slipped away. "And as soon as he went, Mum just gave up the ghost. She went downhill quite fast," she said. Both were 88. The caskets at the joint funeral. Photo: Supplied A funeral could not be held for Mr Gerken in Gore last week as all venues were booked out for the Tussock Music Festival which led into the Gold Guitars awards. "There was just no venues available, so we had to wait until the music was finished." Mrs Gerken was moved into hospital last Friday and by then it was not looking good for her. "It was like Mum went downhill so fast so she could be with Dad. She didn't like being without him." The idea of a combined funeral was discussed at the weekend by the family if Mrs Gerken died before the Tuesday ceremony. Mrs Gerken died on Monday night. The funeral then took place in front of a big crowd at the RSA rooms in Gore, with a mix of humour and sadness. Aurora Funeral Services had swung into action and seamlessly changed the funeral for one Gerken to two. Mrs Gerken was born in Australia but moved across the Ditch when she was 17 and met her future husband through friends. They had three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. "They had a great sense of humour, the two of them, they loved to laugh." Ms Gerken quipped at the funeral that her father would be loving the double funeral. "Two for the price of one, he would say."
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Couple sent off in joint funeral
Bill and Lavenia Gerken died within 10 days of each other and had a combined funeral in Gore on Tuesday. Photo: supplied A Gore couple who were married for more than 65 years died within 10 days of each other and had a rare combined funeral in the town earlier this week. The double funeral of Bill and Lavenia Gerken took place mainly because the surging interest in country music had booked out every venue in Gore last week. Mr Gerken was first to die, of natural causes on May 23. Daughter Kerry Gerken said her father did not want to go but he just slipped away. "And as soon as he went, Mum just gave up the ghost. She went downhill quite fast," she said. Both were 88. A funeral could not be held for Mr Gerken in Gore last week as all venues were booked out for the Tussock Music Festival which led into the Gold Guitars awards. "There was just no venues available, so we had to wait until the music was finished." Mrs Gerken was moved into hospital last Friday and by then it was not looking good for her. "It was like Mum went downhill so fast so she could be with Dad. She didn't like being without him." The idea of a combined funeral was discussed at the weekend by the family if Mrs Gerken died before the Tuesday ceremony. Mrs Gerken died on Monday night. The funeral then took place in front of a big crowd at the RSA rooms in Gore, with a mix of humour and sadness. Aurora Funeral Services had swung into action and seamlessly changed the funeral for one Gerken to two. Mrs Gerken was born in Australia but moved across the Ditch when she was 17 and met her future husband through friends. They had three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. "They had a great sense of humour, the two of them, they loved to laugh." Ms Gerken quipped at the funeral that her father would be loving the double funeral. "Two for the price of one, he would say."
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Line dancers step out at festival
Diane Perkins teaches a group of Tussock Country festival-goers how to line dance at the Town & Country Club in Gore yesterday. PHOTO: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING A band from the North Island squeezed in some line dancing in Southland last week before taking to the stage later that night for Gore's country music festival. Instructor Diane Perkins had a full house at her beginners' line dancing class last Wednesday morning, teaching festival-goers and visiting group The Harmonic Resonators some country moves. Ms Perkins' students, with varying levels of skill, danced the "cab driver" to the band's song Kaitaraiwa — Māori for driver. The morning class, held at the Gore Town & Country Club, and the Resonators' later show at the St James Theatre were both part of the Bayleys Tussock Country music festival, which finished on Sunday. Band member and ukulele player Ryan McIntyre said his group all had a country music background, mostly centred around the Morrinsville Country Music Club in the Waikato. Two of his fellow musicians had competed in the festival's Gold Guitar Awards and Mr McIntyre said frontman Jeremy Hantler competed again this year, winning the traditional section. McIntyre also sings in another band and line dances while performing country classic Achy Breaky Heart. He said he was always looking for new dances and often filmed his feet doing the steps, because they were so easy to forget. The group also danced to Ron Mitchell's I'll Be Country and Ms Perkins said Mitchell's songs were great to dance to. There were more than a few giggles as learners stepped or turned the wrong way, but Ms Perkins said there was endless room for mistakes and it was about having fun.
