The Book of Fame (18 page)

Closer to home, many hours were spent in the tiny kitchen of the Rugby Museum in Palmerston North combing through players’
mementoes and Billy Wallace’s album. I am tremendously grateful to the Rugby Museum’s Bob Luxford for both his interest and professional help in locating material and for keeping me topped up with tea and biscuits. Similiarly I want to thank Ron Palenski for lending me his copy of George Dixon’s diary, a blow-by-blow account of the matches played on tour; and the staff at the Hocken Library who unearthed Billy Stead’s scrapbooks. I would also like to thank my agent Michael Gifkins and publisher Geoff Walker.