ISLAND BAY MUM ENTERS PTA MEETING AT 6PM, STILL THERE AT MIDNIGHT WITH THERMOS HALF-FULL
The agenda had four items. She has tabled eleven.
An Island Bay parent who arrived at a PTA meeting on Tuesday with a 1.5-litre tartan thermos has, at time of writing, not left the hall.
Fiona Pemberton-Walsh, mother of two, brought what she called "just a cuppa to keep me going". She has since refilled it twice from the staffroom Zip. She has also raised concerns about the sausage sizzle roster. Specifically, Hellers versus Harmony.
"We were meant to be out by 7.30," said fellow parent Greg Sanderson, who escaped briefly to move his car off Reef Street. "She's now onto the bike rack subcommittee. She's not even on the bike rack subcommittee. My wife's texting asking if I've been arrested."
The meeting chair asked not to be named because she "still has to see this woman at pickup". Every attempt to wrap up was met with "just quickly, while we're all here". Fiona has since produced a laminated handout about the school zone. Also a parent from Berhampore who "shouldn't technically be eligible".
A Wellington City Council spokesperson, contacted in error, said school zoning was not their problem. They asked to be taken off the email chain. The Ministry of Education has not responded, possibly because it's half past eleven.
As of midnight, Fiona was heard saying "and another thing about mufti day". The thermos, witnesses confirm, is still warm.
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Reader Letters
Garry (Halswell)
Back in my day, PTA was a solid 30 minutes and out the door. People had lives, not marathon debates over sausages.
MumOf3_Tawa
Fiona must have nerves of steel. I nearly passed out at the last meeting when it hit 8pm. What's the secret in that thermos?
pedantic_pete_karori
Just a minor point, it’s actually 'tartan-patterned thermos', not 'tartan thermos'. Thermoses aren’t made of fabric.
wayneridgeway2010
@pedantic_pete_karori Well, the thermos could have a tartan cloth sleeve, for all you know!
IslandBayInsider
Lol. Only Fiona would turn a PTA meeting into a hostage situation. I live nearby and the street parking was chaos!
SausageSpecialist
Honestly, Harmony sausages have less sodium, and that should be a PTA priority over brand loyalty.