ISLAND BAY UNDER-11 FOOTY BBQ SETS OFF LIBRARY SMOKE ALARM, EVACUATES STORY TIME
Twenty-two toddlers ushered onto The Parade clutching picture books. Coach Brent reckons the snarlers were 'just getting going'.
A Saturday sausage sizzle outside the Island Bay footy clubrooms set off the smoke alarm at the library next door, evacuating story time and bringing a fire crew down from Newtown.
The BBQ had been going since 8.30am. Coach Brent Falealili described the load as "two packs of Hellers, a heap of onions, bit of bread". By 9.15 the alarm next door was screaming and twenty-two pre-schoolers were on The Parade in the southerly holding copies of Hairy Maclary.
"Bloody library's got the sensors set to nanna," said sideline dad Macca Thornton, still holding tongs. "It's a sausage. It's meant to smoke. That's the whole fucken point."
A librarian came out to ask if the BBQ could be moved. Macca told her where it could be moved to. The ref wandered over for a free snag and tried to mediate. A different dad told him to "go back to blowing your whistle at children, you munter".
A Wellington City Council spokesperson said the BBQ was "operating within permitted use of the reserve" but adjacent facilities had "their own air quality thresholds". Asked whether the snarlers were the problem or the library was being precious, they said they were "not in a position to adjudicate on onions".
Story time resumed at 9.50am. The under-11s lost 4–1. Macca's still got half a pack of Hellers in the chilly bin and reckons he'll be back next Saturday.
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Reader Letters
Garry (Halswell)
Back in my day, a sausage sizzle never hurt anyone. Good on you, Macca. Let the kids know what a proper Kiwi Saturday is like!
smokey_joe
It’s bloody ridiculous! BBQs are as Kiwi as pavlova. If a few kids have to hang out in the cold with Hairy Maclary, so be it!
Trev_Hornby
@smokey_joe Exactly, mate! A sausage sizzle’s part of our DNA. Let’s not go getting precious.
library_lover
A library is a sacred space for learning. BBQs should be in parks, not blowing smoke at books.
Margaret_F
Does anyone else think it's a bit mad to have a footy club and a library in the same spot?
MumOf3_Riccarton
Bit of smoke never hurt my three. They'll be back playing and reading before you know it!
chaotic_chris
Lol BBQ vs. books. May the juiciest win!