New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 1736

As the father of eight children, doting dad Rod Stewart (72) looks to have parenting down pat. Despite his big bustling family, the Maggie May singer proved there’s more than enough love to go around! Joined by his wife Penny Lancaster (46), Rod spent some quality time with his youngest son Aiden. The six-year-old looked happy as can be at his dad’s side, holding onto his hand as they strolled along the footpath in the Californian sunshine. The adorable blond shared a quick kiss with Rod before heading off to enjoy the rest of the day shopping in Beverly Hills. The trio looked the picture-perfect family even without the couple’s elder son Alastair (11). The outing came just weeks after Rod and Penny renewed their vows in celebration of 18…

Ask the question and it only takes a second to r espond: Where were you the day Diana, Princess of W ales, died? It was a moment when the world seemed to stand still. It seemed too impossible, too cruel to be r eality. And that fateful day is burned in the memories of so many of us, so incredibly vividly . I’m only slightly older than Prince William and I can still recall being in the middle of my studies that Sunday afternoon when my father popped his head ar ound the door to tell me I’d better come and watch the TV quick, something had happened to Diana. We spent the afternoon watching the terrible news unfold, while I also thought of William on the other side of…

RENEE WRIGHT “I was in a shopping mall in Hamilton when I heard on the radio that Princess Diana had died. It was very surreal hearing the news in a public place, as people went very quiet and stood still in the shops. I was in high school at the time and my first thought was I’d better get home to Mum (the biggest Diana fan I know) to make sure she was okay. Sure enough, she was in tears watching the telly.” MIKE McROBERTS “I was presenting the weekend that Princess Diana died. I’ve never been much of a royalist but there was something about the princess. Yes, I guess she was flawed but her vulnerability provided such connection with ordinary people. I remember being in the newsroom when…

‘He loved being an All Black and he loved his family’ It was typical of a man known as much for his modesty and down-to-earth attitude as his fearsome skills on the rugby pitch. Sir Colin Meads had just been given a standing ovation as a giant bronze statue of him was unveiled in his home town of Te Kuiti, and been spoken about in glowing terms by former All Black and good mate Sir Brian Lochore, who said, “What he has done for Te Kuiti is amazing... but what he has done for New Zealand is unsurpassable.” Colin, who was ill with pancreatic cancer, was characteristically self-effacing. He apologised to the crowd for “not being as fit as he used to be”, adding, that said, he would not be…

Colin Meads may have been a sporting legend, but to his family, he was “just Dad”. For a long time, his five children weren’t aware of how famous he was – he was just their father who worked hard on the farm and played rugby. He taught Karen, Kelvin (Kelly), Rhonda, Glynn and Shelley the importance of hard work and “just getting the job done”, Rhonda told an interviewer. “He did believe in contributing back to New Zealand after rugby,” reveals Shelley. “He was very proud of being a New Zealander.” He and wife Verna met through their fathers, who were good friends, started dating when they were 17 and married at 21, the year Colin became an All Black. In an interview with the Weekly in 2011, Verna said…

He was best known as a rugby player. But Sir Colin Meads was also a great humanitarian, supporting charities because he believed it was important to give back. Colin was a longtime member, and later patron, of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, which supports players who have suffered catastrophic injuries. He even drove up to Auckland to attend the charity’s annual general meeting in March, despite feeling “pretty crook”, according to a statement released by the foundation. “He always went out of his way to spend time with the VIPs [Very Injured Players],” says the foundation. “At events, he could always be found yarning away to them, taking personal interest in them and their families and carers. He always made each individual feel like the most important person in the…