Addie Miller interviews and drinks tea with long time local Connie Taylor.
Connie Taylor has lived in Martinborough for over 60 years. Born and raised in Wellington, she didn’t even know Martinborough existed. One day when her first born Andrew was 3 months old her husband asked her if she’d fancy living here. She replied, ‘I haven’t a clue where it is but sure, why not’!
The two of them settled down in a very different Martinborough than the one we know today and had two more children; Ian and Cathy. Connie’s husband, Bill Taylor was the first civil engineer in what was once Martinborough County. He helped develop (alongside the community) this town’s infrastructure; he even reinforced the Town Hall back in the day.
I get the impression that Bill was adventurous at heart and Connie loved to tag along. Whenever Bill had to go to Wellington for a meeting Connie took the opportunity to join him, even if it was just to smell the ocean air of Wellington Harbour.
In the early 1950’s when Connie and Bills’ children were only 7, 6, and 3 years old they set sail aboard a passenger ship to the United States. Once landed they bought a Model T Ford and traveled North America for 6 months, mostly camping in state parks and stopping in random towns for Bill to give lectures on engineering. When she returned to NZ, she found it hard to adjust to sleeping in a four walled bedroom and yearned for the openness of sleeping outdoors.
Sadly, Bill passed away of cancer at a young age but it’s easy to tell from Connie’s excitement of their North American expedition that they would have done a lot more traveling together.
Connie takes great pleasure in hosting and caring for others, it’s part of what she loves about living in Martinborough; friends, people, the community, and the climate. She’s organizes Meals on Wheels, is deeply dedicated to the Anglican Church, and is one of the last Lioness’s of the region. Martinborough has been the perfect home for Connie and when asked if she’d change anything, her only wish would be to bring the sea a bit closer.
