Police pay tribute to fallen officer Matt Ratana
Matiu "Matt" Ratana, the New Zealand-born police officer killed in the line of duty in the United Kingdom in October, has been remembered by police with a special rugby game.
Auckland police and Counties Manukau police honoured the "strong rugby boy" on Saturday by playing each other in the inaugural game for the Sgt Matt Matiu Ratana Memorial trophy.
Ratana, 54, worked for both districts while policing in New Zealand.
Ratana, 54, who was originally from Hawke's Bay, was shot dead in a South London custody centre on September 25, allegedly by a man who had been detained, while working for Metropolitan Police.
The trophy was funded by former New Zealand Police colleagues and acknowledges Ratana's rank of sergeant in the Metropolitan Police Service.
It bears a huia feather - the police tradition to honour fallen officers.
Also attached to the trophy are blue and white ribbons showing the colours of Auckland and of Ratana's beloved East Grinstead Rugby Football Club.
The commemorative game will become an annual event for police rugby in Auckland and Counties Manukau.
2 degrees phone calls dropping out
Hey neighbour's. Sorry, I'm not on social media e.g Facebook so I'm reaching out to you all hoping this is not just happening to me.
Have any of you had phone calls to other 2 degree customers (phones) where in less than 4-5 minutes the call drops out. You call the person back, don't get a ring tone and goes straight to their leave a message and takes a few calls before you get hold of the person again but after again 4-5 minutes, the same thing happens. This is calling another person within NZ. Also, occasionally the call breaks up so you can't understand what they are saying for a few seconds. This us not from not having bills unpaid or anything like that and has been happening since October.
I would appreciate your feedback and experiences and advice on how to get around this or have resolved.
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
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What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.