January 2020

For business owners, John and Catherine Bannister, the move completes what has been a very busy year for the family business. “It’s certainly been a busy year” says John. “Just like families, the flooring industry is constantly changing, the selections now available when it comes to the style, colour or material for your floor are vast and our move into new showroom has been designed to allow everyone to fully appreciate the vast array.” …

The revelling to bring in the New Year is a time-honoured tradition, and I am sure has been played out again this year. As we head into 2020 this year, it also marks the start of a new decade or does it? In recent years there has been debate about when a decade begins and ends. For some people, the next decade will begin Jan. 1, 2020, and end Dec. 31, 2029. For others, it won’t start until Jan. 1, 2021, concluding Dec. 31, 2030. To the average…

For a family-friendly day out or a night to remember, you can’t go further than the Red Shed Palazzo, which is more than just an award winning café. Relax amongst the tranquil garden-setting during the day or check out the hugely popular dinner theatre events which take place regularly and include Faulty Towers, a hilarious night of entertainment, or enjoy the Hotel Ballé Ballé; a murder/mystery show, acted out by a local theatrical company,…

It’s obvious the moment you set foot in a Platinum home, that the attention to detail, finishing and features are what sets them apart. Murray Taylor from Platinum Homes Manukau and Counties expresses it best. “We know what works, simply because we have designed and built so many homes over the years. Platinum Homes have such a vast range of home plans which are designed to offer the best blend of lifestyle features, coupled with superior…

elocal sat down with Shane Jones at the recent New Zealand First Christmas function. Below are excerpts from that conversation. elocal: Shane going back to the last election Winston said that capitalism no longer works. What do you think he meant by that? SJ: I think that the engines of growth. I’m firmly of the view are well known. It’s just how you distribute a dividend of growth. I suspect that’s what he was actually referring to because…

Whatever reservations one might have regarding the wisdom of holding an election on the day of a full moon, Britain has just done just that, and the result has been a stunning but completely predictable victory for Boris Johnson and the Conservatives. I say completely predictable because many mainstream media polls failed to predict it; and much accompanying commentary in the Press was equally vague, evasive, and downright contrary, where…

Considered to be another important modern and feminist writer of the twentieth century who often wrote in the style known as ‘stream of consciousness’ as a narrative device, was the distinguished British writer and novelist, Virginia Woolf. Born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London, 1882 into an upper class family, the seventh child in a blended family of eight. The family resided within the two parallel streets of number 22, Hyde Park Gate, one…

The Classic Motorcycle Festival is set to be bigger than ever this February. Last year, 3,500 racers and spectators descended on the famous racetrack in Pukekohe in the first week of February. Over 300 racing machines from the 1940’s through to the 1990’s came to compete from all over New Zealand and the world. The Festival, which is in its 42nd year, is famed as being the largest Classic Racing Festival in the Southern Hemisphere.…

A few years ago, when I wrote my autobiography, I included a chapter called “The challenge of making economic policy in a democracy”. In that chapter, I tried to debunk a lot of commonly held myths about economic policy. There are lots of them: “Government should control what private landlords charge for rental accommodation to protect low income people”. “Import controls and tariffs protect jobs and create employment”. “The government has…

Each summer Clevedon’s population grows with the influx of international professional polo players and their grooms who call the village home for the polo season. Clevedon is renowned as the capital of New Zealand polo with numerous polo fields in the vicinity and home to some of the world’s best polo ponies. February for Clevedon is the busiest month as the Auckland Polo Club hosts the prestigious NZ Polo Open, the sporting and social event of…

New Zealand is in danger of losing many of its precious heritage buildings as councils and owners struggle to cope with earthquake (seismic) issues and New Building Standards (NBS). Earthquake strengthening is now a huge concern for planners, builders and owners – and, because it’s a public safety issue, rightly so. Unfortunately, the extent of its impact is only now being realised. As an example, in Wellington about 600 buildings are…

This magnificent historical novel delves into the relationship between Napoleon and his first wife Josephine, from her point of view. What emerges is quite different from the prevailing tempestuous love story we currently know. Rather than being merely the beautiful consort of the Emperor, Stephanie Parkyn has drawn us a picture of a woman with her own passions, including the garden Josephine developed at her country house, Malmaison. The…

Four books from the same publisher which are briefly outlined in the fore pages appear to take approaches commensurate with those found in Free Speech Under Attack though there is little overlap in authorship. In chapter one Jeremy Fisher describes the appalling punishments inflicted on people for speech that offended the authorities in Britain and New Zealand up to 1840, in the latter case before British justice intervened. In chapter two he…

Our township was carved out of dense bush in the 1860’s when immigrants moved onto the land and created a community from scratch with just hand tools, their own labour and a desire to make a better life for themselves and their families. At first there were scattered houses - not tidy weatherboard cottages, but slab huts and ponga whares – it took a while before proper wooden houses with floors and windows became the norm. The settlement was…

It would seem that ‘progress’, as defined by Auckland Transport (AT), is actually ‘regression’. I always considered progress as advancement by moving forward. According to Auckland Transport, moving backwards into the past is really the way forward. A return to pre 1985 speed limits is how the ‘visionaries’ of our local regional transport network view our driving future. Never mind that roads have improved in the past 30 years. Never mind that…

Speaking from the hot rodding background I know and love so well, I enjoy the history and the collectibles associated with it all. On that note and added to the fact I have written for various national and international publications – I really enjoy reading and collecting hot rod magazines. My collection is not museum excessive in size or age but I simply collect what I like. Over the years these magazines have served many purposes from…

LIAM WHITER 2019 Captain Liam Whiter commits to Franklin United for 2020. Pukekohe local Liam Whiter, with 32 appearances in the red, black and white uniform, 20 in 2019, has signed on for another season. The former Pukekohe High School student has two years of Franklin United First Team experience under his belt and is excited for the upcoming season, already training through the off-season. Coach Mark Holt said, “Liam is a real team player,…

To those who know her, being recognised at this year’s 2019 Counties Manukau Sporting Excellence Awards as the volunteer of the year will come as no surprise, but for Suzanne Ihaia it represents the culmination of an entire team of people who work tirelessly behind the scenes at Pukekohe Affiliated Football Club. “Receiving the award was a really nice recognition for the work I’ve put in, however, I do not do it alone. It is a team effort and…

Welcome to 2020! We hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New Year and an enjoyable and safe break. WELCOME TO OUR NEW BUSINESSES IN PAPAKURA! All Done Up in Broadway Unique Fusion in O’Shannesssey Street Cozy Life Kitchens in Broadway Century 21 in Broadway Zarine Hair and Beauty in O’Shannessey Street INSTAGRAM - #LIVEPAPAKURA: We are now on Instagram … so check us out at #LivePapakura and start following the story and the pictures. …

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, It’s all about understanding There are very good reasons to see the New Year’s fitness and wellness resolution through. I’m fairly confident that when Julius Caesar introduced the modern calendar in 45 BC it caused a stir among the Romans to find new ways to outdo each other with promises on how they would make their transition into the New Year worthy. And not a great deal has changed. And although…

The Team at Flooring Xtra in Papakura are extra busy keeping the district's floors looking good. “Thanks to the continuing support of the people of Papakura we’re going from strength to strength.” Having local support means a lot to the Wickett’s. Long established in the district and well known through their sporting contacts, they’re committed to Papakura and delighted to be part of the town’s progress. While phenomenal housing growth…