Let's have a trolley race - A fictionalised story!
A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa
A fictionalised story about building and racing trolleys one summer holiday, illustrated with images on DigitalNZ
Tennis, Trolleys, Karts, Karting, Racing, Sports, Recreation, School holidays, Summer
A fictionalised 'picture book' story about one summer holiday playing tennis at home on the road which led to building and racing trolleys, illustrated with images on DigitalNZ:
"You're on!" excitedly said Oliver who lived next door. "Yes, let's have a trolley race!"
Auckland Libraries
It was the school holidays and the mid-morning sun was shining.
National Library of New Zealand
My sister Robyn and I had grabbed our racquets and started playing tennis on the tarsealed road outside our house.
Auckland Libraries
Hearing our chatter and laughter, our neighbour Patsy joined us whilst her older brother Oliver watched.
Alexander Turnbull Library
I gave the tennis ball a whack with the racquet.
Alexander Turnbull Library
The ball flew off the raquet's strings and hit the surface of the road.
Tauranga City Libraries
Patsy tried to hit the bouncing ball but missed it on her first go.
Auckland Libraries
We kept on playing and groaned when the ball struck a piece of loose metal on the road and skewed off on an angle.
Auckland Libraries
When retrieving the ball from the roadside kerb, I spotted my mother coming out the front door to the verandah.
Te Awamutu Museum
Mum sat in her yellow and gold deck chair and placed her blue sunhat beside her.
Christchurch City Libraries
She began reading her book. Mum loved mysteries like Agatha Christie's stories and Zane Grey's westerns.
Alexander Turnbull Library
In my mind's eye, I thought of cowboys and Indians.
National Library of New Zealand
I saw a stagecoach being pulled along by a team of four galloping horses snorting, huffing and puffing.
Alexander Turnbull Library
In the driver's seat was a bearded man wearing a hat, holding the reins and a whip.
Kete Horowhenua
It was a scene out of the Bonanza television series which our family watched during the week.
Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank
Stagecoaches have wheels.... I had an idea - why don't we have a trolley race!
Alexander Turnbull Library
"Yes!" said Oliver, Patsy and Robyn!
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
But first we needed to build our trolleys!
Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank
Patsy and Oliver went home to their garage at the back of their house to organise their trolley.
Antarctica New Zealand
Robyn and I went into the garage under our house and started fossicking around.
Auckland Libraries
We needed wheels and found Dad's old green lawnmower sitting at the back. Perfect!
Alexander Turnbull Library
If a light fused, Mum would be the one standing in our hallway rewiring the electrical board.
MOTAT
Last summer she used the tools to build a small shadehouse near the swimming pool where we could relax.
Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank
Robyn selected screws and nails from the carton in the toolbox to build the trolley.
UC QuakeStudies
With the hammer, we banged in the nails and used the yellow-headed screw-driver to attach the wheels.
National Library of New Zealand
Hmmm - we need to steer the trolley. We decided using rope would be easier than finding or making a steering wheel.
Auckland Libraries
Eureka! We spotted one of our skipping ropes lying under the workbench.
Teviot District Museum
We attached the rope to the spar holding the trolley's front wheels.
Tauranga City Libraries
Then I had an idea - let's jazz up the trolley by making it into a stagecoach!
Waitaki District Council
Let's add a timber frame by attaching four upright poles!
Tauranga City Libraries
After building the upright frame, let's use sacking as curtains attached to crossbars at the top!
Alexander Turnbull Library
'Yes!' exclaimed Robyn and hunted through our family's tent bag to select wooden poles to create the 'coach' frame.
MOTAT
She chose four of the longer poles for the uprights and four shorter poles as the 'roofing' crossbars.
Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
I cut the sacks into strips for the side 'curtains', roof and rear, leaving the front open to see out to steer.
Mangawhai Museum
Our trolley nicknamed 'Stagecoach' was ready! The race was on! We wheeled our trolley outside to meet Patsy and Oliver.
Auckland Libraries
Patsy and Oliver pointed and giggled on seeing our creation. Yep, their trolley was the conventional style.
Tauranga City Libraries
We pushed and drove our trolleys around the corner and up the hilly side road - our raceway!
Tauranga City Libraries
At the top of the hill we discussed whether one or both trolleys would race in the trial run - and chose single file.
Tauranga City Libraries
I'd wrapped the sacking cloth around the uprights to make it easier for me to jump in; then closed the flaps.
Auckland Libraries
Sitting in the seat and holding onto the rope to steer the wheels, I was off down the hill! Yippee!!
Tauranga City Libraries
Oliver followed afterwards in the trolley that he and Patsy had made.
Tauranga City Libraries
The other children in the neighbourhood were thrilled and wanted to join in. We've started having an annual derby!
Tauranga City Libraries
The 'sail-trolley'
Auckland Libraries
Adams children in their motorised trolley, Hilcrest, Northcote.
Auckland Libraries
Racing trolley, 1957
Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Terrors on Wheels: Bureta trolley derby
Tauranga City Libraries
Trolley racing
Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Bureta Road trolley derby - Barry Martin
Tauranga City Libraries
Footnote: The building of the 'stagecoach' trolley after playing tennis at home on the road did occur one summer! As photos were not taken, one's imagination is needed to 'interpret' the photos available by others on DigitalNZ in this fictionalised 'picture book' retelling.