Theatre, at its heart, is the people who make it happen. And we were incredibly lucky on Monday to be joined by some of the very people who were part of the driving force that made our gorgeous theatre what it is today. The PumpHouse Theatre has thrived as a community arts hub since the late ’70s – and despite the times we are in, this fierce wee theatre shows no signs of stopping. And that is because of the people – our wonderful community.

Our first PumpHouse Memories Group was held on Valentines Day, and it sure was a day of love and nostalgia shared by a variety of people who have a deep connection to The PumpHouse.

It was lovely to hear stories of the get togethers and social occasions which were fundraisers to support the initial restoration of the building.

Katherine Mason, the great, great granddaughter of James Mays who actually built the original pumphouse buildings in the 1880’s, came along with a portrait of the man himself and some new historical documents for us to add to the archive. She was delighted to meet Tessa Duder, as the Duder family along with the Alison and Mays families were important in the early days of Devonport and Takapuna.

It was great to see Genevieve Becroft, one of the original trust members and Lynette Jolicouer, who was on the Art Gallery steering committee – two PumpHouse tāngata taonga.

If you would like to attend our next Memories Group, keep an eye on our email newsletters and Facebook page for the next date to be announced.