TRUE REWARDS

It was third time lucky for a Nelson family

It was third time lucky homewise for this Nelson family after emigrating from England.

There was no turning back when British medic Jane Hopgood and her chef husband Kevin decided to move across the globe, to Nelson. In 2004, the pair bought one-way tickets from London to New Zealand and boarded a plane with young sons Sam and James, now aged 22 and 21. Given they had no home computer or internet access and Kevin had never ventured this far south, they were emigrating largely on the back of Jane’s fond travel memories – she had toured New Zealand while at medical school – and information found in a 1980s guide book. “We didn’t really put long and hard thought into coming here but we wanted somewhere the boys could grow up free and safe,” she says, describing a security-focused English school system. “And it was a bit of an adventure.”

The adventure has paid off for the Hopgood family. They have thrived in their adopted home town, where Jane works as an emergency department doctor and Kevin operates the city’s beloved, much-awarded Hopgood’s & Co. restaurant. Their sons have sailed happily through local schools and sports clubs and enjoyed golden summers at their local Tahunanui Beach. Kevin’s parents have emigrated, too; they live 2km away.

Having spent most of her life in Birmingham and London, Jane laughingly recalls arriving in Nelson for a job interview.

“I remember flying over and thinking, oh, where is it? We’re landing but we don’t seem to

ABOVE LEFT Once their sons left home, Jane decorated this sitting room as a surprise for Kevin to showcase his map collection; the room originally had an external porch, which included one of two front doors, and several other doors connecting to a rabbit warren of rooms: “I think we ended up removing or filling in five doorways and two chimneys,” says Jane; the walls are in Resene Neutral Bay. ABOVE RIGHT Jane spotted the market bags idea in an interiors magazine and copied it in the hallway, which is painted in Resene Teak: “It’s actually pretty functional as well, especially on Saturdays when everyone can grab a bag to take to the market.” FAR LEFT Painted in Resene Indian Ink, the study is Kevin’s space to run the administration side of their Hopgood’s & Co. restaurant. FAR RIGHT Piper the dog supervises Jane, left, and son Sam’s partner Courtney McLellan while they sip mugs of tea on the sunny north-facing window seat which has a view of the garden.

ABOVE LEFT Jane and Kevin with Koha the dog in the sunken seating area; Piper and Koha are both SPCA rescue dogs. ABOVE RIGHT The pizza oven and sunken seating area were added a year ago by builder Ben Cox who helped dig out and shift 16m³ of soil by hand; says Jane: “We love using this area – two large umbrellas provide lots of shade in the summer and then as the evening cools the pizza fire provides warmth and, of course, delicious pizza.” FAR LEFT Jane stakes broad beans in the sunshine: “I love my raised vegetable and herb beds where there’s always something to do or plant or harvest. The garden is my happy place.” FAR RIGHT Two old copper weather vanes, mounted on pedestals, were found in a secondhand shop; a third copper weather vane sits atop a replica sailing boat on top of the house: “I like the fact that however much we straighten it, it always settles into a slightly wonky position.”