Peggy Bourne
Peggy’s personal story of Possum and all the media attention that has followed.
Karen Chappell
Talks about what inspired her to create Words Of Art Ltd.
How Secure Is Your Domain Name?
Create safeguards or you could be prone to losing your valuable domain name.
her inspiration
Re-Bourne
Peggy Bourne
Starting again after a huge loss takes resilience and depth of character. Peggy Bourne shares her struggle to find her own footing.
It’s been 4 years since the death of much loved rally car driver, Peter ‘Possum’ Bourne. April 2003, in an ironic twist of fate, Possum died from head and internal injuries resulting from a collision with another competitor who was doing a practice run. Possum was returning from the top of the Snow Farm Road in Cardrona Valley (between Wanaka and Queenstown) before his favoured annual event, the Race to the Sky.
In the years that followed, unexpected widow Peggy Bourne found herself in the spotlight on many occasions for reasons both good and bad. Peggy now takes this opportunity to focus not on what tore them apart, but what brought them together in the first place. Love.
All stereotypical romance stories have a hint of ‘cheese’ about them. Guy meets girl; guy falls instantly in love and makes a fool of himself in his bungling attempts to win her heart. Clichéd it may be but it sells tickets. Here’s where the romance of Possum and Peggy is different. Two people from glaringly different backgrounds came together and, although sadly the tale of their love definitely took tragic turn, it would appear the age-old adage ‘opposites attract’ was at work from the beginning.
Possum was born in Pukekohe, New Zealand, and began his racing career in 1979. He was nicknamed Possum after he crashed his mother’s car tying to avoid hitting the aforementioned beastie.
Peggy on the other hand was born in Kitwe, Zambia, the fourth of four children from American missionary parents. In stark contrast to Possum’s early years, Peggy’s playground was based around the plains of central and east Africa, growing up between Zambia, Congo and Kenya.
Possum and Peggy’s first meeting held a touch of the exotic and provided an insight into their future together. In 1987, they met at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya, where they were both participating in the East Africa Safari Rally. Possum was of course driving for Subaru and Peggy was part of the emergency service crew for the Subaru Rally team.
Instantly smitten, Peggy admits, “I thought he was really cute and when he got out of the car at the base of the mountain, I made certain I was the only one with water when I went up to him.” They talked briefly and didn’t meet again until later at the prize-giving.
Peggy was leaving nothing to chance. She boldly went up to Possum and asked, “Do you dance as good as you drive?” He responded smoothly with, “Well, let’s see.” The pair hit it off instantly and, after a year corresponding, the two met up again on the anniversary of their first meeting at the same event in Kenya. Possum asked Peggy to go to New Zealand with him for a 3-week holiday from which she never returned.
Many years passed, 3 children were born: Taylor, Spencer and Jazlin, and life was doing what life does best, being lived. Yet in 2003, Peggy found herself alone and grieving for a husband who, it is fair to say, was taken from her life and family too early.
Peggy openly mourns for the children that Possum won’t get to know as adults. She explains that Taylor is gifted with Possum’s genuine, fair and sensitive nature. Spencer is competitive and has Possum’s trait of telling it like it is, mixed with a splash of shyness. Jazlin is bestowed with his charisma, fearlessness and love of laughter. “Sadly they will never really know the man their father was. I think he [Possum] would smile at how like him they really are,” reflects Peggy.
Two years after his death, Peggy paid the ultimate personal tribute to her late husband when in 2005 she competed in the same race that took his life. Peggy elaborates, “I wanted to do something to honour not only Possum, but my husband and the incredible man he was.”
The process to enter the race was no simple undertaking. The courageous and devoted Peggy had to learn how to drive properly, get a car, get permission from the Motorsport Association of NZ, get sponsorship, and gain her competitor’s license. Paperwork aside, even contemplating entering this race is a gutsy move worthy of high acclaim.
Although she was 100% committed to the challenge, Peggy was not without her own misgivings. “When it came closer to the event and we were testing on the Snow Farm Road, I realised just how dangerous this was and I started to get real nervous,” she admits. The day of the event was fog-filled and rainy with low visibility and Peggy was literally shaking in her boots. With the help of some intense praying, Peggy focused on the race and achieving the goal that she was dedicating to Possum.
“I thought of Possum every step of the way,” relates Peggy, “When I reached the top, all the effort came rushing in like a huge wave of emotion and I cried my heart out. I finally knew and understood the adrenaline, the passion that Possum lived by. It was a huge personal moment.”
Even though Peggy’s intentions were genuine, she was shocked by the initial negative response she received from the public about her taking part in the race. “I had to remind myself that this was a very personal tribute, and that really it had nothing to do with anyone else.” After she completed the Race to the Sky and a TV programme was aired about her reason for doing it, the public changed their attitude towards the competition. Peggy adds, “I would like to mention how thankful I was for those who did support me in my quest.”
Unfortunately, this would not be the last time Peggy’s personal and private affairs would be open for public comment, but level-headed Peggy knew that, even with Possum, her life would be exposed when in the media spotlight. “If you do something in the public eye, you have to expect something to be said about it. It is hard though when things are wrongly reported and you don’t feel you can explain them or right them and the public judges you.”
When Peggy and former Black Cap Cricketer Simon Doull got together and took part in Treasure Island, the media circus again went into overdrive. Peggy believes that what started out as a great friendship, quickly developed into a relationship, magnified by the media before it had even developed.
“I think the media took far more interest in my relationship with Simon than I ever thought was necessary,” comments Peggy. “I find it curious that the media were never interested in our parting ways, only in the initial drama of our getting together.”
The two amicably split over 16 months ago. Peggy asserts that Simon would be the first to say that Possum was ever uppermost in her mind, possibly fuelling the split. “I realised that I could not MAKE myself happy, but that in time and in reflection I would be happy evolving on my own way, solely with my kids.”
Peggy admits that although Possum and Simon’s personalities were vastly different, they both had passion for their unique sports. “I am more likely to go for a person who is [so] very strong in their convictions and belief in themselves that they can achieve anything successfully.”
Attracted to people who are born leaders, Peggy often finds herself in the role of supporter, and finds the thing she misses about Possum most of all is the teamwork they shared. “These past four years I have really struggled to find my own footing and take that leadership of my family without Possum. It’s still a journey I am coming to grips with, but I’m doing it as positively as I can.”
To start again after such a huge loss takes a resilience and depth of character that we all surely have inside of us when faced with tragedy or hardship, but the hard part is realising those traits within ourselves. Peggy now spends her time empowering and supporting women who have gone through major change by giving inspirational speeches.
Peggy also gives advice as New Idea magazine’s Agony Aunt. “It’s such a buzz to know I can inspire women,” enthuses Peggy. “I was humbled that Celebrity Speakers decided to take me on their books as well. However, I have found that I am starting to become restless again though and need a new project to sink my teeth into.” With Peggy’s magnetism, strength and faith, anything is possible.
By Kelly Alexander
her insight
Create a Masterpiece
Karen Chappell
Who ever said a picture is worth more than a thousand words - or even a phrase? Karen Chappell talks about how she found inspiration to create Words as Art Ltd.
A few years ago, 35-year-old Auckland businesswoman and mother, Karen Chappell, decided to veer off her existing career path and take a new route. Having graduated with a degree in education, she decided to expand on her creative skills and flair for design. After a couple of enthusiastic (but false) starts, Fuzzy Peach Ltd., a presentation packaging company, was born.
Four years later, Karen negotiated the sale of this highly successful company and, once again, contemplated her next move.
Then one afternoon, while sitting in a café, gazing at the blackboard menu, the idea came to her – words! “Everywhere we look, there are words,” she says. “Over the next few days, I began to look for them in unusual places, and the more I looked, the more I noticed them – they’re everywhere; in our homes, in restaurants, and in shops. They surround us and they are such a powerful visual form – unlike the spoken word, which you can’t see. I wanted to explore the possibility of using the written word as art.”
“This is an age-old concept,” Karen says. “Some of the earliest forms of artwork consisted of words written on the walls of caves.” One of her favourite contemporary artists, Colin McCahon, combines text with image.
“Words give us the opportunity to be unique, to explain to others who we are,” she says. “They are the perfect means of expressing ourselves, and I wanted to give people the opportunity to do this in simply-structured art – pre-made quotes and sayings to hang on walls.”
Karen began to research the opportunity of making the written word accessible to more than just designers, shop owners and those prepared to go to a sign writer for individualised sayings. From her research, she discovered that the vinyl lettering used on cars and shop signs was good enough to be used on just about any surface including painted walls, and that the software and machinery required to create the lettering was within her budget. With the help of a talented young sign writer, fresh out from the UK, she spent weeks learning about the manufacturing process and began working on the concept of Words as Art.
Words as Art provides pre-made quotes and sayings, rather than individual stick-on letters. “There’s no need for any messy stencilling or having to line up the letters one by one. Just line it up on the desired surface, press it down, peel back the application tape and voilà, a perfectly proportioned quote that looks like it was printed on the wall,” says Karen. As well as quotes and sayings, Words as Art has now grown to include A4 sticker sheets with designs such as butterflies, sailboats, and hearts, all in a range of colours, as well as a fabulous range of retro circles, rectangles, and flowers, all complementing the current range.
Words as Art has experienced a huge amount of growth in the last six months from its web sales, which have trebled since the beginning of the year. The majority of the growth, however, can be contributed to the number of new retailers coming on board, who are keen to enjoy the excitement generated through ‘writing on walls’.
“Word of mouth is our best form of advertising and we are finding that this is having a snowball effect on the sales,” says Karen. “Wall words are such a current trend and to have our product seen on walls is like one big advertisement itself.” Words as Art believes their market encapsulates those keen to make a statement through the power of words – the home renovator/ interior designer/ mum-to-be, and generally the higher-end consumer. The home decor industry continues to gain momentum with requests coming in from all over the country, and beyond, for personalised quotes and sayings. Recently, an interior designer requested an original piece, based on the history of French wine for a client’s wine cellar. Others have requested romantic sayings for their bedrooms, recipes in their kitchens (Grandma’s favourite cookie recipe’), and even a Dr Seuss quote for a fish tank, ‘One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish’. Karen’s favourite request was from a young man wanting a quote as a gift for his fiancé – ‘Every girl is entitled to her knight in shining armour. Mine just got lost and is too stubborn to ask for directions!’ And Karen’s favourite quote? “Currently I have a favourite high up in my foyer at home. It’s by Mark Twain and it reads: ‘Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Dream. Explore. Discover.’ “This,” she says, “gives me encouragement to take risks, to follow my dreams and go for what I believe in. This pretty much sums up the inspiration behind Words as Art.”
her inform
How Secure Is Your Domain Name?
Domain names are critical to businesses operating nowadays. Yet many businesses give domain names little thought beyond registration and renewal. And many have no safeguards in place to deal with domain name problems and disputes.
Registrations of domain name are soaring. In 2006, over 125 million domain names were registered worldwide. Many businesses combat cyber squatters by owning multiple domain names for different parts of their business.
Coupled with the rise in registrations, so is the rise in problems. Many businesses have such slack practices about managing their domain names, that the possibility of a problem arising is real.
Choose a registrar carefully
Imagine how you would feel if, one day, your business was ruined because your domain name had lapsed or changes were made without your knowledge. ‘Devastated’ probably wouldn’t describe it.
You might think ‘that would never happen to me’. You would be wrong. Your domain name should be treated with the same care as other assets of your business.
Regularly, a business will register its domain name with one particular domain name registrar, simply because it offers low fees. Many registrars run great businesses and are ethical in their practices. While the industry goes almost unregulated, however, some unruly operators have appeared. Check out several registrars and understand how they work before making a decision about whom to use. Low fees are not always best.
Make some rules
Few businesses have rules to deal with domain names decisions. Most of the problems can be avoided if some simple rules are permanently in place.
Rather than leaving domain name decisions to individuals working in the business, an established set of rules will provide a framework for decision-making. This will ensure a consistency of approach and avoid the problems that occur with staff changes and turnover.
Make sure the business owns it
The person who registers a domain name is often considered of little importance; that is until you want to change ownership.
Domain names are often registered by individuals working in a business; they fill in the registration form online and enter their own name under the heading ‘registrant’. This means that those individuals are then the owners; not the business they work for.
A registrar will not check that the person who has registered the domain name is the owner. If the individual listed as registrant leaves the business, transferring ownership can be problematic as the listed registrant must sign the transfer documents. If they either refuse to sign transfer documents or cannot be found to do so, the continuing viability of your business could be at risk.
Get the contact details right
Personal details of an individual are often given as the email, administration and technical contacts when domain names are registered. Renewal reminders and other correspondence are sent by registrars to the contact details listed. This can cause difficulties if that individual leaves the business.
It is common for a business to shut down email addresses when a staff member leaves. Who then knows that a domain name is due for renewal if the reminder is not received?
Not renewing a domain name can sabotage a business. Another business keen on your domain name may have placed it on backorder should it not be renewed. If you do not renew it, their backorder could kick in and the domain name registered by them. Unless you can prove some foul play, you may not be able to get your domain name back.
Make sure it’s the permanent business details that are recorded when registering your domain names.
Passwords and registry keys
To make changes to a domain name, the unique password and registry keys assigned to each domain name are required. Passwords and registry keys are sent by the registrar to whoever registered the domain name first. There are security issues to consider about holding and accessing password and registry keys. If this information is not held in an accessible but secure central register, it may not be found when needed.
On the other hand, because having access to a password and registry key means that anyone can then make changes to the domain; the effect of this information falling into the wrong hands is significant. A balance needs to be achieved.
Be aware
These are only some of the issues that can significantly affect a business when domain name problems occur. By being aware of these issues and taking steps to address them, you can stop your business falling victim to intentional or accidental sabotage. The choice is yours. Setting clear domain name rules within your business will ensure the continuing security of your domain name – and your business.
By Corinne Blumsky
