With a brief flourish, the latest shop with a nod to the past while looking to future generations was officially opened at Ngongotaha this week.

Ngongotaha Life Memories, the inspiration of prominent citizen Bob Martin, was slated to open next month.

Brought forward because of ill-health to one of its key members, Colin Brake, the opening was another stanza in a successful bid to keep old memories alive.

Since Rotorua Now first reported the presence of the shop in December, the two large rooms have become smaller because of the crush artefacts commit the rural areas of Ngongotaha, Mamaku, Kaharoa and Hamurana to the ages.

The shop's mainspring Bob Martin, formerly a prominent district councillor, rounded up respected local citizens for the opening - Colin Brake, the official photographer, the only notable absentee.

In league with Progress Ngongotaha's Lynn Benfell, the museum has already attracted much attention from passing traffic, overseas visitors and intrigued locals, who continue to bulk the interior of the surprisingly well round store.

Bob put in $20,000 of his own money but, critically, struck a deal with the building's owner Gary Woods where the group is responsible for meeting rates payments.

But that followed much interest based on Lynn's decision four years ago to place photographs inside the store, once operated as a dairy by the late councillor Charles Sturt.

The day was not without poignancy, for it opened a day before the formidable councillor died.

'I put the photos up in our shop,” Lynn recalls. 'And wrote a question: can you name these people in the photos? That's how Ngongotaha Life Memories started.”

Kaumatua Tommy Bidois cuts the ribbon to open the museum on Ngongotaha's main street. Looking on is MC Grahame Drabble, JP.

Such other names as Tommy Bidois, Bruce Kerr, Dick and Val Robinson, Jim Granger, Shirley Brake, Joan Turton (nee Nolan), Aileen Waterhouse (nee Henderson), Roger Martin, Val Bailey, Lawrence Beaufill and Colin Brake became known to the shop.

Other personnel involved included Garryth Hall and Rina Carter, Rina from Mamaku, there to ensure the former milling town's presence.

'I came down from Mamaku, loved this place for its laughter and fun people,” she says.

Bob Martin thanked those present and 'those who have contributed by way of photographs for money, donations, time and mana of our history”.

To underscore the shop's popularity, Bob says over 1000 people had signed the visitors' book – quite a feat since the shop opens only two days (Thursday and Sunday to limited hours) each week.

This translates to just over 60 visitors for each day the shop has opened for business.