Pirongia war memorial
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I was brought up in the village of Pirongia in the 1950s, and I remember as a tama of about 9-11 years we kids often went to the Friday night movies at the Memorial Hall. I recall vivid memories of watching the Lone Ranger & Robin Hood. There were also family nights when old time dancing was had there in the weekends. Many of our parents dressed in their handsome suits went dancing and us kids watched them prancing around, yahooing, like they really enjoyed themselves, and we used to giggle at them as we thought they looked so silly!
The Memorial Hall was also the ending place on the annual Anzac marches, which began from the Bells residence on the corner of Belcher and Franklin streets. I remember feeling so proud of my Dad Eric marching with all his mates, strutting down the street, with his war medals all polished and shining in the sunlight, and a big "bohemian" smile across his face. Those Anzacs certainly deserved their beers after the parade, which were drunk in a makeshift 'RSA' shed, right opposite the Hall. The photo doesn't show it, but I think there used to be some sort of gun sitting out in front?
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