Started rousying at 14 with Alan Barker the year before Nolan & Beth bought his run to add to their local Feilding run. Learnt to shear with Kraiger crew at 10-stand Erewhon Station, on Taihape Napier Road. Nolan used to deliver my mum's famous banana cakes up with the food and mail run. I did six seasons with Nolan - four as a woolhandler and two as a learner shearer. At 16 I did first full day on ewes at Waimapu Station, Bideford Wairarapa. In my first season after leaving FAHS high school in 1979 I worked for Nolan and did 40,.000 sheep crutching and dagging at Lambert's Otiwhiti Station (now a cadet training farm) and other nearby properties near Hunterville. . When I left Feilding for Piopio Nolan always kept in touch after I went to the King Country. He followed my show competition career - he was encouraging when judging me on the central circuit too. When I left Piopio and went to shear for former Golden Shears champion, Eddie Reidy, Nolan encouraged Eddie to give me a crack at the women's solo lamb record. They were great friends. Nolan partnered Eddie in a cattle lease on Taupo Napier road - I was much supported by those guys. I did first womens world record under global rules - 541 - 6 Jan 1989 in King Country, then in Dec 1990 at Opepe state Taupo, did first 600 on lambs. I held the world record for 18 years. I'm very rpud to have got started with Nolan as he was reluctant at first to give a girl a shearing stand Brett, Scott and Karen, I spoke to your Dad over the years since. Most recently about 5 years ago at Canterbury A&P show. Always grateful to him for letting me as a young girl shear - when it wasn't the norm! He was generous and kind, I could tell he was so proud when I became a lawyer - he joked about me arguing with him to learn to shear... he said always I was wanting the last word! He laughed at " how I'd make a good lawyer, cos i talked a lot!" Arohanui mai, moe mai ra, moe mai, e te whanau.