All welcome to Guyton Group Trust AGM

The Guyton Group Trust, which was set up about seven to eight years ago, is having its AGM on Monday, February 10 at The Grand Hotel. Speaking on behalf of the Trust, Lesley Stead of Paiges Book Gallery said, “We also want to honour Neville Gorrie from The Grand for his generosity and support.” He has assisted their fundraising in a variety of ways from hosting NZ Poetry nights through to refusing to accept payment for the sale of breakfast tickets to the Trust fundraising. The AGM starts at 5.30pm and the general public is invited to attend.

The mission of the Trust is to beautify the street and to help Council doing fundraising. All members are volunteers. While they want to make Guyton Street a ‘creative zone,’ their focus and energy has been on having a statue of James K Baxter erected on the corner of Guyton and Wicksteed Streets.

The bronze statue was the idea of local artist, Joan Morrell, and it is her wish to have it installed under the veranda next to the book shop. It was here she last met Baxter as he wandered in Whanganui in his bare feet. Lesley says, “We are almost there with the fundraising having raised over $80,000; we are only $5000-$8,000 short.”

The statue will be embedded into the pavement making it quite secure. While there has been some recent criticism of Baxter’s personal life, people have continued to support the concept and have contributed to the koha box on the counter of Paiges.

Lesley adds, “Once we have completed the statue, the Trust wants to implement a poetry trail, initially along Guyton Street, celebrating local/New Zealand and other poets. Our big vision is to see such a trail throughout the CBD.”

River City Press 5/2/20