After nearly 32 years, there has been a change in the team at Williams Furniture and Hardware, with the next generation of the family assuming control of the iconic business.
Until late last year, the business was operated by Dennis and Andrina, with their son Brett, all well known and loved by Te Aroha residents.

“Brett was very instrumental in getting the business to where it is today,” said Dennis. “He was the one that insisted we had EFTPOS, we didn’t want it! It was an old-fashioned

hardware store and he dragged us into the twentieth century.”

Ownership passed late last year to Dennis and Andrina’s daughter Lisette, and her husband, Andrew Hight. Although Dennis denies that he is actually retiring,

he will just reduce his hours, and will keep his position as Head of Crowd Control and Security.

 

“We don’t plan any major changes,” said Andrew. “We won’t be changing the winning formula, but we will make a few tweaks and we will add to it. But we still

offer old fashioned good service and old fashioned values.”
Williams Furniture and Hardware – it’s a local institution, and the man whose name is above the door is a Te Aroha icon. Dennis Williams started his working career in 1955, as an
errand boy after school for Wallace Supplies, general merchants.
When he turned 15 in 1956, his boss said, “Right, you are leaving school and starting here full time, I’ve cleared it with your headmaster.”
“In those days you did as you were told,” said Dennis, although he found out later that leaving school had not actually been cleared with the headmaster.
So, he started as a grocery assistant, full time, on £3.15.00 a week. “A grocery assistant was a step up from being an errand boy,” recalled Dennis.
When there were few customers in the shop he did ‘weigh-ups’ – packing bulk items like sultanas into 16oz glacine bags. These retailed at one shilling and eleven pence halfpenny.

The bags had to be sealed by folding the top over – “We weren’t allowed to use sellotape, that was only for the boss,” he recalled. Purchases were wrapped in brown paper and string.

His family never had a car, and his boss taught him to drive in a 1949 Chev pickup, with a canvas back.
To supplement his income, he worked for the local caterer, Babelouk.

Finishing work in the general store at 9pm on a Friday evening, Dennis would start again at 5.30am on Saturday to help cater for weddings, which in those days took place at 11am.

He would help prepare the food,  drive out to a local hall, set up trestle tables and chairs, then change into a uniform of black trousers, white shirt, cummerbund and bow tie. Standing
behind the wedding feast, he would serve the guests, then clean up, pack up tables and chairs and clean the hall floor, which was often swamped with spilled beer.
He progressed from there to the Farmers Trading Company in Morrinsville, specialising as a grocer. He was sent to Te Puke for six months training, which he completed in six weeks.

The grocery section of the Farmers was the forerunner to today’s supermarkets. “We had nine staff in the grocery department,” said Dennis.
The store employed 21 people in total. He stayed there for two and a half years, before accepting the manager’s position at Reg and Emma Hitchen’s General Store in Te Aroha. “Reg had
a heart attack, and I was asked to take over as manager,” said Dennis. Although Reg recovered, came back to work, and I ended up as assistant manager.”
Hitchens General store was open seven days a week and had been since the end of World War 2. Reg died in 1974, and the store closed for one day, for his funeral.
Dennis and his wife Andrina bought the store, opened it as theirs the day after the funeral, and ran it until 1982. It had been an IGA store, but they re-branded as Foodstuffs.
With a young family growing up, and the pressure on their time with a business that was seven days a week, the couple sold in 1982. “Retirement – this will do me,” thought Dennis.
To fill in time and keep fit, they both started a series of part-time jobs, cutting lawns, and carpet cleaning. Then Dennis became a driver for LPA Potter, Wholesale and Wine Merchant,

working for Don and Val Towes. “Don was a top man,” said Dennis.
In 1987 he started in an administrative role at the local power board, but after a couple of years he decided it was not for him.
“Retail is my life,” he says. “I’ve retired twice, and I’m still working. I love coming to work.”
The Te Aroha Mart was for sale, and Brett and Dennis bought it on August 8 1990. Andrina joined the team a little later. It traded as a second-hand shop for another two years, when
the local Hammer Hardware closed down. “They wheeled a gondola of hardware items down the street to me, and that was the beginning of our career in retail,” said Dennis.
Next the electrical goods shop closed, and Williams Furniture and Hardware purchased the residue of their electrical goods, and were offered the Sunbeam agency.
The building was built in 1887 for Alexander Edwards, who operated as a draper. It was described as ‘large  and centrally located, with separate departments for drapery and boots.’

“The building was extensively renovated, and refurbished – in 1954,” said Dennis. It stood firm during the earthquake of 1912, and was undamaged by the floods in 1986.
The old varnished ceiling was painted in 1954, by Ron Vernon and his son Jack. “And so far the paintwork is in pristine condition,” said Dennis.
Te Aroha residents can be assured that any changes at Williams Furniture and Hardware will happen at the same pace change has always happened in the past.

 

 

 

 

Positive Performing Arts classes are  starting up in Te Aroha.  

The classes are being run by Te Aroha  dance and drama teacher, Rebekah  Robertson-Yells. 

All Rebekah’s classes will come  under the umbrella of the Positive  Performing Arts Method.  

“The classes are for anybody who  wants to do the performing arts. That  has been my focus, to create something  that is for anybody who wants to join,  and you don’t need talent to join.” 

Rebekah has found that there are  a lot of people out there who want  their kids to dance but they don’t want  them to do exams, or they want them  to build confidence, but they don’t  want the pressure of them auditioning  for a show. 

“If you study with me, you can build  up those skills and, of course, go off  and do those things, theatre, dance  exams etc, if you wish,” she said.  

“These classes are suitable for  everybody, we’re talking five -year-olds  through to adults. I think the oldest  people we have now are probably in  their 70s.”  

Eventually Rebekah will include pre schoolers as well. 

The classes run in school term time.  Initially classes will be in Te Aroha,  Cambridge, and Hamilton. Rebekah  then plans to expand to include  

and if there is enough interest, she  will start up a daytime class.  

“People enjoy the classes,” she said,  “But we always welcome more people  to join us.” 

 Fun dance is different types of  dances.  

“That’s what I find so engaging,“ said  Rebekah. “If someone wants to try a  particular dance style I will research  it, upskill, and offer it. I like to take  ideas and run with them.” 

Rebekah is encouraging parents to  get their kids to come to classes. The  main learning will be confidence.  

“For me personally, I started drama  classes when I was 10 and I started  dance classes when I was five and I  swear that if Mum hadn’t pushed me  outside my comfort zone, I wouldn’t  have the confidence I have today,” she  said. 

 “I can speak in front of people, I’m  confident when I walk into a social  situation, I can speak to new people.” 

“Drama does so much for a kid. It’s  about the life skills you get from it.  That’s where the value is.” 

The idea of positive thinking first  started for Rebekah when she was at  Te Aroha High school. 

“I created a positivity club; it sounds  incredibly dorky! We walked around  handing out yellow positivity bubbles.  We were trying to make life a little  

up a hill and I was struggling. Instead  of giving in to the struggle I started  to think positively. ‘This doesn’t  hurt, this is going to be great when  I get to the top, the view is going  to be fantastic’, and I found myself  continuing on without struggle.”  

“It’s all about using positive thinking 

to make your life a little bit better,”  she said.  

“Our aim is to build resilience in  people by teaching with positivity,  aroha and respect.”  

Contact Rebekah on ph 027 387  5702, email ppamnz@gmail.com or  visit her website www.ppamnz.com