Richard’s Best of 2015

My top five high highlights of 2015. As 2015 slips like an eel down a muddy bank, it is that time when we reflect on the past before we revel in the possibilities of a new year with the optimism and hope of a dog’s wagging tail. 2015 was a typical year of wars, refugees, […]

Christmas Special

Christmas, the day we wish away. After 54 years, last year I experienced my first ever northern hemisphere Christmas. Being married to a Pom, I was constantly told that Christmas in New Zealand was weird, no snow, no open fires, no cosy jumpers, no darkness at 3pm. I was therefore intrigued to see what all […]

Person of the year

Time magazine chose Mrs Merkel, but I don’t agree. Choosing the person of the year can be a difficult task. The problem being that we only know about people who are in the public eye. We don’t know about some clever bugger in the back of Taihape who has found a way to boil an […]

Café Noise

Are our cafés, bars and restaurants too loud? In a number of my opinion pieces I have referred to the issue of noise in cafés, bars and restaurants. Given that the fat man in the red suit will soon be upon us, it is timely that this subject be revisited. From my experience it is […]

The moon landing

Man landed on the moon 46 years ago, yet so much remains unsolved. Landing a man on the moon, is by all accounts extremely difficult. For a kickoff, the moon is quite tiny so you have aim straight – a smidgen to the left or right and there are no more petrol stations for 450 […]

I’ve seen Christchurch’s future – and it’s in Adelaide

Adelaide and Christchurch have much in common, and I don’t just mean earthquakes. Prior to departing for Adelaide, friends asked why? In the minds of many, choosing Aussie’s fifth city as a holiday destination is akin to an extended church sermon. However, I had heard rumours that Adelaide was like Christchurch so with curiosity aroused, […]

Beautiful Things

Some things in life are just beautiful. Here is my list that brings a gentle smile to my face and a contented pleasurable sigh My list avoids the obvious. It goes without saying that sunsets are beautiful, as are tropical fish, and David Beckham. No, my list doesn’t dwell on the obvious, rather I suggest […]

Codenames

Codenames and hashtags have much in common. I was reading about some moron’s threat to poison baby food with 1080 and noticed that the investigation is named by the police as ‘Operation Concord’. I immediately wondered why that name? After all, when I think of Concord (pom) Concorde (frog) I think of a slim fast […]

Why WOMAD Matters

WOMAD (World of Music Arts & Dance) is important to New Plymouth for just one reason. If you want to understand everything about football (and I know you don’t) then you should read a book called Soccernomics. Aside from describing the in’s and out’s of professional football, the book also discusses the wider issue of […]

Predictions for 2015

Things that will happen this year. I think I may be psychic. I just seem to be able to know whats going to happen. For example, when I walk my dog and we go past the house with the immaculate lawn, I just know that Rover is going to wander nonchalantly into the middle, spin […]