Everyone needs a hobby

Post date: Nov 26, 2013 9:25:33 AM

This week I was visiting support groups in Tauranga, Te Puke and Rotorua. All the groups that I met with had an average age of 80, although Rotorua had one person younger than me.The discussion is often unexpected - but today in Rotorua I was a bit gob smacked when some of the group members talked about their Wed morning group - the coffin club. About 15 people meet together for half a day and make coffins. They started off just making their own but once those were finished they started making other coffins - some by order, some as gifts (apparently one person was delighted to get a personalised coffin for their 90th birthday present). In a community service kind of way they do make coffins for people who can't afford to buy one and also have a market for baby coffins which they gift to families.

Given that these are mostly retired people it really is a fascinating hobby

But before you ask I am not sure that gifting me a coffin for my birthday this year would be life enhancing - either for me or for the giver!

I do recognise that on retirement people do need to find hobbies to fill in the days and keep brain and body active - this one is unusual. Has its own entry in TeAra the online NZ encyclopedia

Photo is me with some of the coffin club