Leading the way with furniture

WEDNESDAY PROFILE

Danny Reilly is the head furniture design and making tutor at UCOL.

The course is the only one in New Zealand, and one of only two in Australasia. The work of its graduating students, and the students from the Bachelor of Visual Imaging degree, will be on show at Te Manawa from Friday.

What's your foolproof home-cooked meal?

Spaghetti bolognaise. I make it with a can of something thrown in with the mince.

What are you working on at the moment?

Building houses with pre-employment carpentry students. I'm also working on a refectory dining table for the [upcoming] exhibition using matai, eucalyptus and aluminium.

If you could take anyone out to dinner, who would it be?

My wife.

What happened at the last party you went to?

Usually my wife drives home.

What do you like about Palmerston North?

It's a good place to bring up a family. It has great facilities, and it suits me, because it's conservative, like me.

Tell us about your favourite holiday ...

In Golden Bay, always with family. I'd love to have my own place there – golden sands, great beaches, the mountains behind, and great family holidays.

What's your most embarrassing childhood memory?

Probably getting second place in a talent contest. I was singing. It's not one of my hidden talents.

Jelly Tip or FruJu, and why?

FruJu. I just love the refreshing taste, really.

Palmerston North could do with more ... international flights out of the airport.

What's your idea of romance? Probably spending a quiet night in with my wife at home.

What's your word or phrase of the moment?

"Yeah, heard." It's one my basketball kids use, as a sarcastic remark. We went away for a game and it came out of that. It's the same as "yeah, right". They even text it to me.

What's your most disliked band or musician, and why?

There are actually a few of them. Most pop bands. I don't like pop much. Like Britney Spears. I suppose it's appealing to young people. They play it a lot at supermarkets. I'm probably not the target market at supermarkets.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Leonard Cohen – the live concert in London. The DVD. That's really cool.

What are you reading?

The Twilight books – one of my daughters has three or four of them. It's because they read them, to see what they are reading, and it's easy to read. Most of my reading is stuff from here [work] that I take home, and marking.

What are your plans in the next couple of months?

Course planning for next year. I plan to build a house with students, and to complete a house extension I have been working on at home for the last three years.

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