New Trash ‘n Treasure head Pat Whyte, left, with departing duo Bill Cairns and Gus Wackrow.
Two men who have toiled tirelessly for Cambridge Lions’ ‘Trash ‘n Treasure Market’, Bill Cairns and Gus Wackrow, have stepped back to leave new man Pat Whyte at the helm from July 1.
The monthly market has helped the Cambridge Lions Club raise many thousands of dollars for the community over more than 25 years. Its 2022 Covid-prompted shift from the Cambridge CBD to Memorial Park in Taylor Street has realised a host of benefits, and both Bill and Gus feel the time is right for them to hand over the ‘T & T’ reins to someone else.
Both men hark back to the early days of the market when the club was replete with colourful characters finding technology-free ways to get the job done.
There was the late Ernie Goodwin, who drove through town early on market Sundays to shout through the loudspeaker, ‘wakey-wakey, Trash ‘n Treasure time’. There was Scots-born funeral director John Milne, who became a legend at age 78 when he scuppered a thief’s plans by jumping into the getaway car and threatening the teenaged pilferer with a glass lamp.
Gus, a member of Cambridge Lions for 33 years, initially belonged to the Jaycees before he grew too old for them and had to find another spot from which to serve the community. Lions it was, and eventually he followed Ernie and John in helping run Trash ‘n Treasure.
“I’ve loved it all those years … I’m definitely not stepping down, just stepping back,” he said.
Bill came on board too, joining the club in 2002 and taking on the market’s admin side. He had been running a Learn to Swim programme before a friend asked him when he was going to join the Lions.
“They ganged up on me … I ran out of excuses,” he laughed. “I might be dropping back from the market but I’m not leaving the club.”
The pair worked like Trojans, building the market from its initial six stalls in Empire Street through the years of sprawl across the CBD, to today’s successful community family event where anything over 300 stalls is the norm, particularly in fine weather.
The shift to Hautapu’s Memorial Park has brought with it several benefits, principally more space.
“We moved there because of Covid restrictions, but the additional space is welcomed by all,” said the new man at the top, Pat Whyte. “Stallholders have more space, there is room to park cars close to the stalls and more room for family-oriented entertainment and activities. Because of that, the market has a real family-friend vibe … it’s more relaxed. We also have better disability access than we had in town.”
Pat is a Taranaki man who has lived in Cambridge for just over 18 months. The wealth of experience he brings comes from various careers including teaching, journalism and PR, as well as time devoted to different service clubs around the country fulfilling a raft of roles.
“I looked around the clubs when I came here and liked what I saw at Lions … they are ordinary people doing great things,” he said. “I have all sorts of ideas when it comes to the Trash ‘n Treasure Market. We do get fantastic support from the business community in Cambridge … it’s grown so much that it opens up a host of new ideas.”
