April 6, 2025 • 20 mins
Born in Wellington in 1944, Peter struggled at school with what would now be recognised as dyslexia. He left Wellington Tech at age 15 and worked as a telegram delivery boy before securing his first butchery job in Seatown, where he learned the trade. After moving to Auckland, Peter opened his own butchery on Rosella Road, where a sign outside his store reading "Rosella Meats, home of the Mad Butcher" gave him his famous nickname. He grew his business significantly, particularly through radio advertising, and found time to pursue other passions, including an unwavering support of rugby league and championing various charitable causes.
Peter’s philanthropic work earned him a Queen’s Service Medal in 1991, and later, he was made a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He has been married to Janice for many years, and together they have two grown daughters and four grandchildren.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B.
Follow this and a wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real Life with John Cowen
on News Talk s ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Gooday, welcome to real life.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I'm John Cown and it's a huge honor to speak
with one of the best known and best love New Zealanders,
definitely its most famous butcher.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Sir Peter Leach, Welcome, sirpeta.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Mate, that you've gotten over the top there. I said
I'd give you five dollars for a good rep. That's
a fifty dollars wreck just gave me.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Well, that just goes a small way towards the money
that I already owe you.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Hey, how are you keeping these days?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Yeah, I'm still alive, which when you're eighty on, well
a maybe plus to be fee. You know. Look, I'm okay, really,
I've got no complaints.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well that's good. And Lady Janis.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
She's lovely, mate, Yeah, no, she's good. She looks after me.
I'll be lost for you'd.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Still wrte that as the best decision you've ever.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Made, certainly right up right up there, mate.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You've coped with a lot of challenges over your eighty years.
You've mentioned that you're eighty years and at the moment
you're facing one that a lot of men, I think
men especially don't handle well, and that is retiring, stepping back,
stepping down from things.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
How are you finding that? How's it going.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
I've had no problem at all. I've had no problemat all,
no problema at all. Yeah. Look, but I think to
be fair, that maybe to do with my reasonably high
profile I used to have, because people still want to
come up and talk to you quite often, you know
what I mean. Yep, So I think I'm I think
(02:12):
I'm a little bit of an advantage, you know, but
that advance and that advantage is drivening day by day
as you get older, less people know who you are.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I think you still got that profile. People still when
I've mentioned that I'm going to be talking to you,
people light up. Everyone seems to know you. But what
are some of the good things about the stage for you?
You know, you've changed your where you're living, You've changed
some of the things you're involved in. What are the
things that what are some of the things you're especially enjoying?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Well? Mate, Firstly, I enjoys will being alive. I mean,
that's that's paramount, you know. But look, I'm lucky. I've
got verbal diarrhea and I talk to everybody and so
you know, I never get lonely. Of always people that
have talked to and most people enjoy having it up here.
The odd one might tell you that bugger off, you
(03:10):
know what I mean? That that's life. Yeah, and you've
just got to be grateful when you're my age. I'm
just over eighty, still be kicking around, mate, and feeling
quite good about it too. I feel reasonably good.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Have you had to pull back from some things that
you used to be involved with, well.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Mainly because they don't require any because I used to
do a lot of public speaking back in the day.
That's all right up now, and that's such me because
my memory is not as sharp as it used to be.
You know, no, Love, I've got no complaints.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I've lived a good life.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I met some beautiful people from around the around the world. Really,
I just had a conversation with two Pommy girls I
met some years ago when I was in England with
the Kiwis, and we've stayed friends and they've come out
and met my family and Matt, So you know, I'm lucky.
I've got a good circle of friends.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Are you still following the league? Is that still a
major passion?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Till the day I die, mate, till the day I die.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Okay, we'll see if we can rig up a TV
feed into your coffin or something so that you can
go even beyond that.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
If you like.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
But to be honest with you, I don't go to
the games as often as I used to. I'm quite
happy sitting at home watching it on the TV these days.
And that that is partly because I used to have
a I used to run a lounge club at the
stadium m and we had so much fun. That was
(05:00):
you know. I used to see it and we had
I used to jack up special guests, you know, and
with my connections, you know, got some VIP people in there.
We had some fun. No one was safe for my humor,
no one, you know, And I sort of missed that.
But that's life. You move on.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
You won't recall this. But the last time I met you,
I was cycling past your house over at way Heki
and there was a bunch of us and you came
out and you treated us like old friends. You got
my wife sitting up on that huge deck chair you've
got outside your place, you were and you just made
it so much fun for the whole of us here.
(05:45):
But you seem to be enjoying it too. You obviously
get a buzz from people.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Yeah, let's let's get two things Straightia. Your wife wasn't
very or is a very attractive young lady. So I
was more than happy to entertain it. And the deck chair. Yeah,
it's it's a local point and we have people from
around the world want to get a photo with it.
And I left hop in it. There's a special way
(06:10):
they have to hop in it, you know. And it's
just enduring in life mate, while you can.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, So do you have a policy? Do you have
a philosophy about people?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I don't know what you mean by that.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Have you just decided everybody's welcome into my life or
I'm going to set boundaries around it and not let
people into the No.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
I've always been I've always been a friendly sort of person,
and you know, just got to be careful because there
are some, if I can say the word, the kids
out there, So you've got to be a little bit careful.
But you know, over all the years, I think I've
(06:56):
only ever had a couple which I've had to get
a bit stop me with. You know. They soon found
out the butcher's not a guy you want to mess with, you.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Know, especially if you've got to meet, especially if you've
got a meat cleaver in your hand. I think I'd.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Be very polite with you to you if you had
that year.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
My my mouth's a good weapon. Don't worry about that,
you know. You know some people, some people, you know,
push the barrow out too far, you know, because I'm
always friendly, and you know, I'll take people in and
show them my man cave when I'm on my head.
You've got quite a nice little man cave down and
I'll pack them and show them some special memborability. I've
(07:39):
got map, you know. And most people are most grateful,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, yeah, Well we serently were. You are very very hospitable.
We were.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Your mum and dad outgoing like that? Is this something
that you've picked up from your from your parents? This
outgoing natured look.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I had a beautiful mom and dad. My mother's name
was Myrtle FABERLINI myrtle. How you like that for a name. No,
they were just good people, mate, good people. I just
think on my own man, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Yeah, there were seven children so and I was the baby,
so I had to learn.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Fast at seven. That's that's a big family.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And yeah, I'm just impressed by the fact that you've
hit certain things in life that weren't easy. Like school
wasn't easy for you, was it.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Wasn't mayor mate, to this day, I still don't know
my off a bit or times tables.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Uh, you know, I was considered what some people say,
it would be a dumb bugger, you know what I mean?
And yeah, I just never learned. It wasn't that I
didn't want to learn it, but I just I never
picked it up. I didn't learn well, I learned how
they're doing things, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
And so getting into a trade that must have where
you felt like you could were you were competent and
you could do it, that must have been a great boot.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
No, mate, it was a matter of taking whatever job
I could get. And in the days when I went
to butchery, there was no trade that wasn't a prepus
you know, and I I started at a butcher shop
in Sea Tune in Wellington called cherrye Yeoman's Butcher yea
(09:46):
Charie Yeomen. Yeah he lived in Kilbernie, I think, but
any that's where I am started my little journey as
a butcher. And to be fear, I say this humbly
to you and your listeners, I've never looked back.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Those people skills you talked about that must have been
a huge boost to your to your business as well.
I mean I've heard you say you didn't come from
a business family, so it must have just been your
neck with people and knowing your business.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Yeah. Look at I had no great skills, but I
just had a good personality and I like people, and
I always treat people fairly. You know, no one no
one can ever accuse them of robbing them in the
butcher shop, you know, deliberately overcharging them or anything like that,
(10:41):
or short changing them, you know. And if you treat
people fear, most people treat your back fairly. You always
have to be on guard because there are shisters out there,
you know what I mean. But they are not very
small minority. Most people are beautiful people. And I've had
(11:02):
the pleasure of meeting people the length of New Zealand. Bluff,
you know, really am Paula Ball and Bluff become great friends.
I went down there to see a fishing competition, and
I never forget Tim Shaddel. I don't know if he
was the mayor or standing for the mayor. And I
(11:23):
knew him from why the matter and often not well,
but I knew him. So he rings me that morning
and says, now, when I get there, you'll know how
to do it. I want you to push me in.
I said, mate, I was down at that wharf yesterday
and it's a bloody long drop and the water's very cold.
(11:44):
He said, don't worry about that, he said, don't you worry?
He said, Oh, I'll have what looks like night close up.
I'll be old clothes and I'll be all right and
make true to form. I pushed him in and the
water was freezing, and he still come up smiling. He
still come up smiling. Unbelievable, you know. Yeah, so I
(12:04):
had some great memories, no question about that.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
If you've just joined us, you won't have any difficulty
knowing who I'm talking to. You'd recognize that voice straight away.
I'm talking to Sir Peter Leach, and I'll be talking
to him a bit more after this break.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
This is real life on news Talk.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Said B Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life
on newstalk, zed B one, two, three o'clock, four o'clock
Rock five said seven o'clock, Hey the clock Rock, nine, ten.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock. We're going to rock around
o'clock tonight.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
What try to right song? So I be hold.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Night Night's two, three and five.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Welcome back to real life.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
I'm John Cown and it's an honor to be talking
to Supeter Leach. She's also picked that song for us,
a bit of a rock and roll classic there.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Ah, fantastic song, if my memory shoves me right. It
was Little Hailey in the comments used to sing it,
but I could be wrong.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Were you teen on your music?
Speaker 4 (13:21):
No? Not really. I just used, you know, a bit
of Elvis Presley and what it was on on the radio,
But I was I wasn't a music buff as such.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
No, right, Okay.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
You've been a huge inspiration for people that perhaps have
difficulties with spelling and reading, like are you ahead? Your
dyslexic at school? You've been involved in charities that help kids.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
With that, Yeah, I have. I can't tell you much
about it because I can't remember them now, but I
was able to put my problem learning to some good
use to help other people, you know. And you know,
(14:08):
like as I said before, I don't know the healthbeat
or timestable, but it still didn't stop me from building
a good, successful business.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Sir Peter, You've got two lovely girls, and they would
have come along in your life at probably the busiest
stage in your life. You would have been having all
those shops, and your business is building and you're getting
involved with things.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
It must have been tough being a dad at that stage.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
It was tough being a dad because I was working
long hours, you know. But they both told me, Angela
and Julie, they both told me that they never affected them.
They always knew I was there for them. So that
made me feel a lot better, you know. But it
(14:56):
certainly was tough, mate, because you know, when you go
into business, you just can't close the door. You've got
to stay back and clean up and make sure I
safer slot you know. But that's an interesting journey, and
I don't think i'd change anything.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Now hm, well, hearing that from you girls, that must
have been a bitter been getting a knighthood.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Oh, no question, mate, Family comes first all the time.
Family comes first. But you know that. You know what
I did get out of the knighthood, Yeah, I got
a bit more respect. People must have thought, well, he
can't be he can't be such a thicked if they've
(15:44):
given him a bloody knighthood, you know. Yeah, but I
did get a bit more respect here.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Well that's nice, but I don't think anyone got a
big surprise that you got the knighthood. I think they
were delighted that that someone from perhaps a working class
background got acknowledged in that way, no question, no question.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
And that's one of the reasons I took it, because,
you know, a couple of my friends said to me,
hate it will be good for the working past people,
you know, and you do well. I have only talked
for myself, but I certainly got a bit more respect,
you know what I mean. I remember I got invited
(16:27):
to join a couple of tubs before that. They didn't
want to know me, you know, but I enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, I know that lots of people would be very
proud to have you on, you know, sitting around their
table at the dinner table. I think because you know
you've you've done such a lot in this with your sport,
backing your sport, backing your business, and just promoting so
many charities and things. But I know one of the
battles that you have had, one of the big battles
(16:58):
you had was with cancer. And when I spoke to
you last a couple of years ago, I'd have to
say that people were worried about whether you be making
it to your next birthday.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
You're probably wondering that too.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Yeah, look, it was that word cancer puts the fear
of gard into your mate. You know what I mean.
You you think I'm going to die. I'm gonna die.
I'm going to die, but you know I survived, and yeah,
it's uh, You've got to try. You've got to try
(17:35):
to keep positive all through life, you know what I mean.
Don't always take the negative side. And I think that's
what's made me who I am. I'll stay positive, you know.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah, you reckon that was a tonic that helped you
get over your cancer.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
Yeah. Well, I think believe in helps and I think
you know, good doctors and good medicine and whatever made
a difference, you know what I mean. Yeah, if you
know to a doctor and you're not happy, don't be
scared to go to another doctor. No, I've never had
to do that, but I know a couple of people.
(18:16):
You know, I've said to me, all and I'm not
very happy, I'll go to another doll. Oh, okay, of
course you can go. You know, you've got to feel
comfortable in yourself with your doctor, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
I remember you mentioning to me that your doctor was
doctor Bruce Page, and I went to school with him,
and yeah, he was a great guy at school. I
imagine he'd be a great doctor.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
Yes, Unfortunately we've moved on from each other. Now I've
got a lovely doctical doctor, Joyce, which is a lady
and she's very good. And Bruce was a great doctor
as well. But Bruce also become a great friend, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, I think the message for all the guys out
there is don't die from embarrassment.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
It's exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
You can't mess around with it, and better to face
up with these things exactly.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
That's very good advice mate.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Sir Peter.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
It's been great talking with you and congratulations on eighty
fantastic years. I hope that you enjoy many more in retirement,
and so all their best wishes to you and Lady
Jannis in the family.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Thank you, brother.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I hope go around.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
When I'm ninety we can have another chat.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
I will have another chat. Then we'll book you in.
I'll put you in the calendar.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Hey, we've got to go out and listening to another
bit of music that you've picked and I'm sure everyone
will know what this is and we'll enjoy it very
very much. This is real life. I'm John Cown. I've
been talking with Sepeta Leitch. Looking forward to being back
with you again next Sunday.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Night, Love me Tender, Love Me True, Paul, my dream
fulfilled former darling, I love you.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I'm by all
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Way For more from News Talks at b listen live
on air or online, and keep our shows with you
(20:32):
wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B.
Follow this and a wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real Life with John Cowen
on News Talk s ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Gooday, welcome to real life.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I'm John Cown and it's a huge honor to speak
with one of the best known and best love New Zealanders,
definitely its most famous butcher.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Sir Peter Leach, Welcome, sirpeta.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Mate, that you've gotten over the top there. I said
I'd give you five dollars for a good rep. That's
a fifty dollars wreck just gave me.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Mate.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Well, that just goes a small way towards the money
that I already owe you.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Hey, how are you keeping these days?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Yeah, I'm still alive, which when you're eighty on, well
a maybe plus to be fee. You know. Look, I'm okay, really,
I've got no complaints.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well that's good. And Lady Janis.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
She's lovely, mate, Yeah, no, she's good. She looks after me.
I'll be lost for you'd.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Still wrte that as the best decision you've ever.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Made, certainly right up right up there, mate.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
You've coped with a lot of challenges over your eighty years.
You've mentioned that you're eighty years and at the moment
you're facing one that a lot of men, I think
men especially don't handle well, and that is retiring, stepping back,
stepping down from things.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
How are you finding that? How's it going.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
I've had no problem at all. I've had no problemat all,
no problema at all. Yeah. Look, but I think to
be fair, that maybe to do with my reasonably high
profile I used to have, because people still want to
come up and talk to you quite often, you know
what I mean. Yep, So I think I'm I think
(02:12):
I'm a little bit of an advantage, you know, but
that advance and that advantage is drivening day by day
as you get older, less people know who you are.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I think you still got that profile. People still when
I've mentioned that I'm going to be talking to you,
people light up. Everyone seems to know you. But what
are some of the good things about the stage for you?
You know, you've changed your where you're living, You've changed
some of the things you're involved in. What are the
things that what are some of the things you're especially enjoying?
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Well? Mate, Firstly, I enjoys will being alive. I mean,
that's that's paramount, you know. But look, I'm lucky. I've
got verbal diarrhea and I talk to everybody and so
you know, I never get lonely. Of always people that
have talked to and most people enjoy having it up here.
The odd one might tell you that bugger off, you
(03:10):
know what I mean? That that's life. Yeah, and you've
just got to be grateful when you're my age. I'm
just over eighty, still be kicking around, mate, and feeling
quite good about it too. I feel reasonably good.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Have you had to pull back from some things that
you used to be involved with, well.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Mainly because they don't require any because I used to
do a lot of public speaking back in the day.
That's all right up now, and that's such me because
my memory is not as sharp as it used to be.
You know, no, Love, I've got no complaints.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I've lived a good life.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I met some beautiful people from around the around the world. Really,
I just had a conversation with two Pommy girls I
met some years ago when I was in England with
the Kiwis, and we've stayed friends and they've come out
and met my family and Matt, So you know, I'm lucky.
I've got a good circle of friends.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Are you still following the league? Is that still a
major passion?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Till the day I die, mate, till the day I die.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Okay, we'll see if we can rig up a TV
feed into your coffin or something so that you can
go even beyond that.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
If you like.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
But to be honest with you, I don't go to
the games as often as I used to. I'm quite
happy sitting at home watching it on the TV these days.
And that that is partly because I used to have
a I used to run a lounge club at the
stadium m and we had so much fun. That was
(05:00):
you know. I used to see it and we had
I used to jack up special guests, you know, and
with my connections, you know, got some VIP people in there.
We had some fun. No one was safe for my humor,
no one, you know, And I sort of missed that.
But that's life. You move on.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
You won't recall this. But the last time I met you,
I was cycling past your house over at way Heki
and there was a bunch of us and you came
out and you treated us like old friends. You got
my wife sitting up on that huge deck chair you've
got outside your place, you were and you just made
it so much fun for the whole of us here.
(05:45):
But you seem to be enjoying it too. You obviously
get a buzz from people.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Yeah, let's let's get two things Straightia. Your wife wasn't
very or is a very attractive young lady. So I
was more than happy to entertain it. And the deck chair. Yeah,
it's it's a local point and we have people from
around the world want to get a photo with it.
And I left hop in it. There's a special way
(06:10):
they have to hop in it, you know. And it's
just enduring in life mate, while you can.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, So do you have a policy? Do you have
a philosophy about people?
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I don't know what you mean by that.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Have you just decided everybody's welcome into my life or
I'm going to set boundaries around it and not let
people into the No.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
I've always been I've always been a friendly sort of person,
and you know, just got to be careful because there
are some, if I can say the word, the kids
out there, So you've got to be a little bit careful.
But you know, over all the years, I think I've
(06:56):
only ever had a couple which I've had to get
a bit stop me with. You know. They soon found
out the butcher's not a guy you want to mess with, you.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Know, especially if you've got to meet, especially if you've
got a meat cleaver in your hand. I think I'd.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Be very polite with you to you if you had
that year.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
My my mouth's a good weapon. Don't worry about that,
you know. You know some people, some people, you know,
push the barrow out too far, you know, because I'm
always friendly, and you know, I'll take people in and
show them my man cave when I'm on my head.
You've got quite a nice little man cave down and
I'll pack them and show them some special memborability. I've
(07:39):
got map, you know. And most people are most grateful,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, yeah, Well we serently were. You are very very hospitable.
We were.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Your mum and dad outgoing like that? Is this something
that you've picked up from your from your parents? This
outgoing natured look.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
I had a beautiful mom and dad. My mother's name
was Myrtle FABERLINI myrtle. How you like that for a name. No,
they were just good people, mate, good people. I just
think on my own man, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Yeah, there were seven children so and I was the baby,
so I had to learn.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Fast at seven. That's that's a big family.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And yeah, I'm just impressed by the fact that you've
hit certain things in life that weren't easy. Like school
wasn't easy for you, was it.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Wasn't mayor mate, to this day, I still don't know
my off a bit or times tables.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:47):
Uh, you know, I was considered what some people say,
it would be a dumb bugger, you know what I mean?
And yeah, I just never learned. It wasn't that I
didn't want to learn it, but I just I never
picked it up. I didn't learn well, I learned how
they're doing things, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
And so getting into a trade that must have where
you felt like you could were you were competent and
you could do it, that must have been a great boot.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
No, mate, it was a matter of taking whatever job
I could get. And in the days when I went
to butchery, there was no trade that wasn't a prepus
you know, and I I started at a butcher shop
in Sea Tune in Wellington called cherrye Yeoman's Butcher yea
(09:46):
Charie Yeomen. Yeah he lived in Kilbernie, I think, but
any that's where I am started my little journey as
a butcher. And to be fear, I say this humbly
to you and your listeners, I've never looked back.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Those people skills you talked about that must have been
a huge boost to your to your business as well.
I mean I've heard you say you didn't come from
a business family, so it must have just been your
neck with people and knowing your business.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Yeah. Look at I had no great skills, but I
just had a good personality and I like people, and
I always treat people fairly. You know, no one no
one can ever accuse them of robbing them in the
butcher shop, you know, deliberately overcharging them or anything like that,
(10:41):
or short changing them, you know. And if you treat
people fear, most people treat your back fairly. You always
have to be on guard because there are shisters out there,
you know what I mean. But they are not very
small minority. Most people are beautiful people. And I've had
(11:02):
the pleasure of meeting people the length of New Zealand. Bluff,
you know, really am Paula Ball and Bluff become great friends.
I went down there to see a fishing competition, and
I never forget Tim Shaddel. I don't know if he
was the mayor or standing for the mayor. And I
(11:23):
knew him from why the matter and often not well,
but I knew him. So he rings me that morning
and says, now, when I get there, you'll know how
to do it. I want you to push me in.
I said, mate, I was down at that wharf yesterday
and it's a bloody long drop and the water's very cold.
(11:44):
He said, don't worry about that, he said, don't you worry?
He said, Oh, I'll have what looks like night close up.
I'll be old clothes and I'll be all right and
make true to form. I pushed him in and the
water was freezing, and he still come up smiling. He
still come up smiling. Unbelievable, you know. Yeah, so I
(12:04):
had some great memories, no question about that.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
If you've just joined us, you won't have any difficulty
knowing who I'm talking to. You'd recognize that voice straight away.
I'm talking to Sir Peter Leach, and I'll be talking
to him a bit more after this break.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
This is real life on news Talk.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Said B Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life
on newstalk, zed B one, two, three o'clock, four o'clock
Rock five said seven o'clock, Hey the clock Rock, nine, ten.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock. We're going to rock around
o'clock tonight.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
What try to right song? So I be hold.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Night Night's two, three and five.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Welcome back to real life.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
I'm John Cown and it's an honor to be talking
to Supeter Leach. She's also picked that song for us,
a bit of a rock and roll classic there.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Ah, fantastic song, if my memory shoves me right. It
was Little Hailey in the comments used to sing it,
but I could be wrong.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Were you teen on your music?
Speaker 4 (13:21):
No? Not really. I just used, you know, a bit
of Elvis Presley and what it was on on the radio,
But I was I wasn't a music buff as such.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
No, right, Okay.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
You've been a huge inspiration for people that perhaps have
difficulties with spelling and reading, like are you ahead? Your
dyslexic at school? You've been involved in charities that help kids.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
With that, Yeah, I have. I can't tell you much
about it because I can't remember them now, but I
was able to put my problem learning to some good
use to help other people, you know. And you know,
(14:08):
like as I said before, I don't know the healthbeat
or timestable, but it still didn't stop me from building
a good, successful business.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Sir Peter, You've got two lovely girls, and they would
have come along in your life at probably the busiest
stage in your life. You would have been having all
those shops, and your business is building and you're getting
involved with things.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
It must have been tough being a dad at that stage.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
It was tough being a dad because I was working
long hours, you know. But they both told me, Angela
and Julie, they both told me that they never affected them.
They always knew I was there for them. So that
made me feel a lot better, you know. But it
(14:56):
certainly was tough, mate, because you know, when you go
into business, you just can't close the door. You've got
to stay back and clean up and make sure I
safer slot you know. But that's an interesting journey, and
I don't think i'd change anything.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Now hm, well, hearing that from you girls, that must
have been a bitter been getting a knighthood.
Speaker 4 (15:23):
Oh, no question, mate, Family comes first all the time.
Family comes first. But you know that. You know what
I did get out of the knighthood, Yeah, I got
a bit more respect. People must have thought, well, he
can't be he can't be such a thicked if they've
(15:44):
given him a bloody knighthood, you know. Yeah, but I
did get a bit more respect here.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Well that's nice, but I don't think anyone got a
big surprise that you got the knighthood. I think they
were delighted that that someone from perhaps a working class
background got acknowledged in that way, no question, no question.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
And that's one of the reasons I took it, because,
you know, a couple of my friends said to me,
hate it will be good for the working past people,
you know, and you do well. I have only talked
for myself, but I certainly got a bit more respect,
you know what I mean. I remember I got invited
(16:27):
to join a couple of tubs before that. They didn't
want to know me, you know, but I enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, I know that lots of people would be very
proud to have you on, you know, sitting around their
table at the dinner table. I think because you know
you've you've done such a lot in this with your sport,
backing your sport, backing your business, and just promoting so
many charities and things. But I know one of the
battles that you have had, one of the big battles
(16:58):
you had was with cancer. And when I spoke to
you last a couple of years ago, I'd have to
say that people were worried about whether you be making
it to your next birthday.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
You're probably wondering that too.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Yeah, look, it was that word cancer puts the fear
of gard into your mate. You know what I mean.
You you think I'm going to die. I'm gonna die.
I'm going to die, but you know I survived, and yeah,
it's uh, You've got to try. You've got to try
(17:35):
to keep positive all through life, you know what I mean.
Don't always take the negative side. And I think that's
what's made me who I am. I'll stay positive, you know.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah, you reckon that was a tonic that helped you
get over your cancer.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
Yeah. Well, I think believe in helps and I think
you know, good doctors and good medicine and whatever made
a difference, you know what I mean. Yeah, if you
know to a doctor and you're not happy, don't be
scared to go to another doctor. No, I've never had
to do that, but I know a couple of people.
(18:16):
You know, I've said to me, all and I'm not
very happy, I'll go to another doll. Oh, okay, of
course you can go. You know, you've got to feel
comfortable in yourself with your doctor, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
I remember you mentioning to me that your doctor was
doctor Bruce Page, and I went to school with him,
and yeah, he was a great guy at school. I
imagine he'd be a great doctor.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
Yes, Unfortunately we've moved on from each other. Now I've
got a lovely doctical doctor, Joyce, which is a lady
and she's very good. And Bruce was a great doctor
as well. But Bruce also become a great friend, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, I think the message for all the guys out
there is don't die from embarrassment.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
It's exactly.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
You can't mess around with it, and better to face
up with these things exactly.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
That's very good advice mate.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Sir Peter.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
It's been great talking with you and congratulations on eighty
fantastic years. I hope that you enjoy many more in retirement,
and so all their best wishes to you and Lady
Jannis in the family.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Thank you, brother.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
I hope go around.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
When I'm ninety we can have another chat.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
I will have another chat. Then we'll book you in.
I'll put you in the calendar.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Hey, we've got to go out and listening to another
bit of music that you've picked and I'm sure everyone
will know what this is and we'll enjoy it very
very much. This is real life. I'm John Cown. I've
been talking with Sepeta Leitch. Looking forward to being back
with you again next Sunday.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Night, Love me Tender, Love Me True, Paul, my dream
fulfilled former darling, I love you.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I'm by all
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Way For more from News Talks at b listen live
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(20:32):
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