Birthday commemorations took centre stage at the Woods family reunion in Alexandra yesterday, with four upcoming birthdays celebrated as well as the gathering of the clan.
Because everyone was already together, the reunion was the perfect chance to add some birthday cheer slightly ahead of schedule, one of the family members, Ursula Smith (nee Woods), of Clyde, said.
Twins Elisabith Woods, of Christchurch, and Mary Woods-Morgan, of Canterbury, are turning 51 on January 10, Abby Morice, of New Plymouth, turns 16 on January 11 and Abby’s grandfather Leo Smith, of Clyde, will be 80 on February 13.
All four were presented with their own birthday cakes, which was particularly appreciated by Elisabith, Mrs Smith said.
She had only ever shared a birthday cake with her twin and been sung ‘‘happy birthday’’ to jointly, and said she was "touched" by the gesture of having her own cake.
About 25 Woods family members from Central Otago, elsewhere in Otago, Canterbury, New Plymouth and Auckland gathered for the reunion, which was a "lovely celebration", Mrs Smith said.
They were all descended from Mrs Smith’s great-grandparents, William Woods and Ann Parker, who came to New Zealand from Ireland in the 1800s.
