Tommy Kapai in his letter 'History lesson for Richard Prince” again shows his inability to check his facts, which is a good idea, especially if your aim is to give lessons.

He claims (rightly) that his forebear Emile Borell worked on the building of the Catholic Church at Rangioawhia and that this 'replaced the raupo church that women and children were burned alive in”. Problem. The Catholic Church was built between 1849 and 1851 (Pirirakau website). The Battle of Rangioawhia was on 21st February 1864. So, if according to Tommy the Emile Borell Church 'replaced the raupo church” then it wasn't there for the Battle in 1864 so the maori must have been burnt in the Catholic Church, but Tommy now concedes that still stands today. Confused?

I think Tommy works on the same approach as the Bellman in Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of Snark 'I have said it thrice:

What I tell you three times is true.”

Well done to Colin Bidois for providing hard evidence to support letter, this is so important when issues are controversial. Thank goodness we have moved on from the prejudices of 1936.

If Tommy is so keen on lessons, then he could learn from Colin Bidois, who clearly verifies his facts and is able to back them with hard evidence.

Richard Prince, Welcome Bay.