Hairy McLary honoured on Dowse pathway

 
Some brought tattered and chewed-cover copies of books about Hairy, Slinky Malinki, Schnitzel von Krumm, Zachary Quack and others in her cast of characters. But young and old sought Dodd's autograph, and a few words with the author at the unveiling of bricks in the Dowse Community Pathway - our local pathway that tells the story of Hutt Valley people.
 
A huge queue formed at Dowse Square on Saturday the 23rd February 2013, as young and old sought Dodd's autograph, and a few words with the author. Some brought tattered and chewed-cover copies of books about Hairy, Slinky Malinki, Schnitzel von Krumm, Zachary Quack and others in her cast of characters. As well as welcoming Dame Lynley home - she and her family lived in Pomare Rd on the western hills for 23 years before moving to Tauranga in the 1990s - the event focused on a brick pathway.

For the last six years the Dowse Foundation and the Rotary Club of Hutt Valley have been selling engraved bricks, with $50,000 raised for the two organisation's community work. As Mayor Ray Wallace noted on Saturday (the 108th birthday of Rotary worldwide), the bricks bought by local families and businesses are now telling their own tales and have become part of the city's history.

Rotary Hutt Valley is compiling stories from the brick buyers and building a database of the personal histories underpinning the pathway.

One of the most poignant stories on Saturday involved Matt Dryden, a cycling enthusiast who died aged 14 when struck by a car on State Highway 2. His parents, Ross and Karen, bought bricks in his memory. Mrs Dryden said on Saturday that the Hairy Mclary books were her son's favourite when he was young. "He knew the stories so well. If you tried to skip a page [in bed- time reading] to speed things along, he knew straight away and hauled you up."

Dame Lynley said 13 of her 33 picture books were produced while she was living here, and Hutt scenes and incidents inspired many of them.
 
The Dryden family's dog Bailey checks out the Hairy Mclary bricks. The late Matt Dryden is also remembered on the Dowse pathway - Hairy Mclary from Donaldson's Dairy was his favourite book when he was young. Dame Lynley Dodd and Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace unveil the engraved bricks honouring the author and her canine characters.
  Luke high-tails it along the pathway with a copy of his favourite Lynley Dodd book.