One hundred

By Dean Taylor

As Mavis Grant (nee Spinley) prepared to welcome guests to her 100th birthday luncheon on Friday, she quipped to staff at Te Ata Resthome the secret to her long life was ‘no men wearing her out’.

The smile and the shared joke was described as typical of the woman by people who know her well. Her practical jokes, especially on bowling outings, were legendary - and some would say, sometimes in bad taste.

Plastic flies on food in hotel dining rooms to watch people’s reactions was one of her favourites, and she also used to play a trick with plastic vomit.

At one hotel Mrs Grant was annoyed the hotel manageress threw her plastic vomit in the rubbish. She was later caught by hotel staff going through the bins and simply explained she was ‘looking for her vomit’.

Mavis Grant did have a husband, but the two separated early in the marriage. She was born in Helensville on March 8, 1908 but lived almost all her 100 years in Te Awamutu.

Mrs Grant attended school at Hamilton Tech where she excelled in dressmaking and could also design and make patterns for clothing.

She and Hector Grant married on March 29, 1934. During the depression the couple shifted to Australia in search of work. It was there their two children. Ken and Lynette, were born.

Mrs Grant left her husband in Australia when Lynette was just a few months old and pursued motherhood and a business career alone. In February 1946 Mrs Grant opened her first business venture, a boarding house in partnership with Ada Spong in Harbord, Sydney, Australia.

She returned to New Zealand in 1949 and began working at Fowlers Department Store on the corner of Alexandra and Arawata Streets, where she worked her way up to become manager. When she decided it was time to have her own business again she simply asked various clothing store owners if they wanted to sell, and soon became owner of Wignalls Fashion Store.

Mrs Grant immediately modernised the shop and made numerous trips to Auckland to keep up-to-date with the latest fashion trends. She would leave Te Awamutu at 5am in her Morris Minor to start appointments in Auckland from 9am and hit the road again before 5pm to avoid rush hour.

One supplier was former All Black Fred Allen. He would handwrite Mrs Grant’s order, and she would take care to make sure she had an assortment of items in a range of colours and sizes, but never any two items the same.

Mrs Grant used to say that in a small town like Te Awamutu you could never have two women turning up to an event in the same outfit.

She was also the first person to make uniforms for Te Awamutu College - doing this at nights after work with the help of Joyce Cooper and Naomi Jackson.

Mrs Grant also staged the first fashion show in town. It was a night to remember as Auckland fashion manufacturers provided the outfits and local girls and models from Auckland added glamour to an event staged at the Empire Theatre on a Saturday night.

As well as leading a busy and innovative business life, Mrs Grant was a proud homeowner and gardener. She built three homes in Te Awamutu and her gardens were her pride and joy.

As well she enjoyed travel and made time to see the world. In later life she was a keen and successful indoor and outdoor bowler.