Sunbeam bar opens again

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 10, 9 August 1983, Page 7

Sunbeam bar opens again

After a break of 9 years "the bar at Sunbeam" is open again. Originally operating for 40 years as one of the region's licensed social clubs, Sunbeam Club ceased to operate in 1974 when it became one of the amalgamated clubs that formed Ohakune Club.

Since 1979, the building that once housed Sunbeam Club, has been run as Sunbeam Lodge and Restaurant by husband and wife team Mike and Bonnie Bramley. Just over two weeks ago, on July 20th, the Bramley's were awarded a food and entertainment liquor licence. This enables them to sell beers, wines, spirits and liqueurs to their restaurant guests. Early days Sunbeam Lodge had its origins as the Sunshine Club in 1933. At that time most of this region was a "dry" area with no licensed hotels or other public liquor outlets. ^ftjTo overcome the "pro^m", and provide a place of conviviality, a group of 17 Ohakune men, led by Harry Sutton, got together

in 1933 and decided to operate their own little social club, "the Sunshine." These 17 members arranged to use an old slab mill hut that had been part of Gammon's Mill. Located across the Mangawhero Stream in what is now a paddock opposite Foyle Street, the mill had closed down so the club hut was readily available. Meetings Each Sunday the 17 members gathered in the hut and drank the brew, played cards and swapped yams. One club member payed for the beer each week so every 17 weeks one of them had to pay for the beer and ensure it was there in time. During docking, supper consisted of lambs tails. They were wrapped in continued over page

from previous page damp brown paper and cooked in the embers of the open fire. Trout also featured on the "menu" — poached from the adjacent Mangawhero Stream. "One firm rule at the club," said Eric Dixon, "was that if you didn't shout when it was your turn you were outski — forever." Junction ghost Amongst many hilarious tales from those early days, most unprintable, is the story of Fred Kirkwood, a character who used to feign drunkeness. Although Fred

did actually "get pretty ripe at times" according to a former cohort, he used to feign drunkeness for a particular reason. When he carried the act off well, his mates would carry him home saving him the trouble of walking. Unfortunatley for Fred, he was caught out one day and a plan was set afoot to pay him back. The next time Fred "passed out on the floor," Arthur Channings and Ron Collingwood, picked him up and marched him out into the fern behind the mill. They stripped Fred of all his clothes and threw them into the Mangawhero Stream where they were swept away. Creeping home through the fern, the naked Fred came across a clothesline and borrowed a blanket to get home. There was some concern in Railway Row for a while after that as stories circulated about the. 'ghost' that had been seen. He never feigned drunkeness again. Membership Early members of the club included, Sid Gormack, Frank Punch, Cecil White, Eric Dixon, Kay Dunn, Jack Powell, Arthur Channings, Fred Kirkwood,

Dick Sykes, Tom Davies and Bill Gardner. Although there was great interest in membership of the club, numbers were kept to 17 because of space limitations in the slab hut. New premises Contrary to popular belief, the decision to move from the mill hut across the river to Foyle Street was not made because a member fell off the swing bridge into the Mangawhero Stream a^ftk drowned. However, o^^ member, Jack Eide, did fall into the river one night, but he was fished out and revived with a few 'snorts' back at the club hut. Members used to contribute 2/6d a week to club funds. Additionally one of the original members, Frank Punch, took out an insurance policy on his son Jim. Maturing on Jim Punch 's 21st birthday, the policy together with accumulated funds provided the cash to make the purchase of a larger property feasible. In 1944 the club "became respectable" changed its name from Sunshine to Sunbeam and bought a house in Foyle Street froj^fe the Smith family. Mrs Smith and her daughters ran a dancing

school in the house that formed the second home of the Sunbeam Club and the basis of what is now Sunbeam Lodge. Club presidents The local policeman, Selwyn Cave was the club's first official president in 1944. Subsequent presidents were F. Punch '45-'46; T. Beasley '46-'47; L. Nation '48-'52; A. Channings '52-'53; M. Ingram '53-'54; E. Dixon '54-'55; A. Channings '55-'57; E. Dixon '57-'62' W. Turner & E. Chan '62-'63; J. Punch '63-'69; H. Gilberd '69-'72; R. Heslop '72-'74. Improvements Over the years extensions and improvements were constantly made to the club premises. There was a two table snooker room, darts and a lounge as well as the bar, members showers etc. A popular activity was indoor bowls. (flHEach year members ^Wartered a bus, transported wives and children to Turangi then chartered a launch for a picnic on the lake. Much fun was had at the Sunbeam Club. The club's membership was stable at around 140-150 members right through until its amalgama-

tion with the R.S.A. and Pioneer clubs in 1974. New era In 1978 Mike and Bonnie Bramley had spent a skiing holiday iri Ohakune and fell in love with the area. They entered into negotiations to buy the old Sunbeam Club building from it's owner who was trying to develop a ski lodge. Shortly afterwards the building suffered a major fire so the Bramleys took over a fire charred shell in December 1978. By July 1979, Sunbeam Lodge was in operation with 6 bedrooms accommodating 20 people and a restaurant seating 25. Every summer since then Mike and Bonnie have poured every available cent into extending and improving the property. In 1982 they purchased the adjoining Turoa Court Motel. The

three quarters of an acre of land that came with the motel gave the Bramleys a total of 1 acre on which to further develop Sunbeam. This summer a special spa house with two spa pools, showers and changing rooms has been built along with staff accommodation, extensive renovations to the kitchen and the addition of an intimate bar lounge. A feature at the restaurant lounge is the large open fire. Extensive use has been made of natural timbers throughout the restaurant and bar. Today Sunbeam Lodge has 12 rooms, a bunkhouse and 5 motel units accommodating up to 90 guests. The tasteful licensed restaurant and bar has seating for 60 diners. A tribute to the enthusiasm and hard work of two young New Zealanders.