Posts by Shayne Stuchbery
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It’s going to take some careful management and a polite and good-humoured approach from security staff. The celebrating masses will need to be steered away from misadventure on a space that still contains many of the fittings of a working wharf.
Anyone catch the final of the Stanley Cup this year? (or at the very least, the aftermath)
I am not going to use the actual word although it does seem 2011 is the year for it if you catch my drift.
Someone tell me Auckland is ready for that particular madness.
Hope so.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to giovanni tiso,
I thought that what Emma expressed quite beautifully was a very valid point, actually. It’s about all of us. It’s about the bereaved, the people in Christchurch who didn’t lose their home or any of the loved ones, the people in the rest of the country or overseas who felt a connection to Canterbury and the wider New Zealand community. I thought that it was also the point of Emily Perkins’ lovely piece for the Guardian, that she could quite legitimately write as a non-witness, a non-Cantabrian.
It’s about all of us. Just like it is a duty of all of us to participate how we can in the relief and the reconstruction.
Agreed. Well said GT. I am rather a long away, and to be quite honest, I have been known to be a bit of a Christchurch knocker: 'seedy old Christchurch', 'too english' and similar.
I was at Lincoln for a year (a failure - got a very nice wife out of it though) and developed a bit of a grudging affection for the place, as much as a Ngapuhi from Up North can. But the moment the September shake came through I found myself shocked, afraid, transfixed, and highly motivated to help in some way. So very much more this time around.I found out very quickly that I care deeply about every part of my beloved homeland, and the people of that land. All of them.
Fundraiser event planning is underway in my little town - the concern from colleagues, friends, and every day folks here in Canada is touching - and they are proving pretty keen to reach into their pockets.
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Hard News: Again: Is everyone okay?, in reply to Matthew Poole,
Right then. We will likely send Koha to family in NZ in that case - they can donate it there.
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NZRC is promising 100% pass-through of donations
brilliant! Is this common for disaster relief? I wonder if Red Cross can do the same thing internationally....
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Cheers to PA, and to you RB, from my family here in Canada for this thread. Very helpful, informative and comforting from this far away.
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Funny because the ooky feeling I had while watching that clip hinted at seedy old Christchurch. (shudder) Further evidence is found at :24 the family concert is at none other than the Christchurch town hall.
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And just get used to the idea that ambitious arts festivals are just going to require very long term financial commitments, and run serious deficits. That's not being negative, that's dealing with reality -- as anyone who's been involved with the Wellington International Arts Festival for more than five minutes will tell you.
Your right mate, its a long term investment, however it seems that all manner of arts festivals can become pretty good earners. Can't move here in Canada during the summertime for festivals. For the last ten weekends just on Vancouver Island we have seen all manner of festivals and sometimes a number occurring on the same day/weekend! My mate who runs a big local event, and has a hand in many others, tells me that many of the festivals make a bit of money and most at least break even. These Festivals cover all kinds of Music, Food, Culture and the primary patrons are either locals or from the Lower Mainland.
With my own business relying on the tourist dollar I can certainly attest to having bonus clients/media attention/advertising simply by being near these festivals. Busiest time of the year for many of us. Its become part of the culture here and yeah, perhaps the fervor is in part due to our collective joy at seeing the sun for a scant few months, but I still like to think your lot could get the same vibe.I like your idea Graham and if I can hustle my family back home at some stage I will be the first keener signing up to get some kind of show on the road.
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Lucky indeed mate.
You evoked beautifully a feeling I am just finding my way out of after an idyllic six week stretch back in NZ. I think the writer Jim Harrison calls it 'returning to earth'.
Six weeks entirely dedicated to my immediate family (thus no beer/tasty red with Graham and Megan, sorry mates) that had as a large and poignant full stop the death of Sir Ed. I brought back a copy of every weekend paper I could get my hands on and am reading them slowly as befits the event I think.
Auckland was its usual sparkling self and the pleasure of darting about the Waitakare ranges was made even more intense by watching our kids get a taste for our lucky NZ life.
They had a great time screaming through the backyard scrub at my sisters Laingholm house without the usual cougar/bear fear we have back here. We managed to spend five perfect days with all our old and closest friends at 'nobbies cottage' at Tawharanui. (Thanks ARC! - heads up everyone, you can rent the place!)
They say you cant go back to the good old days but we pulled it off in fine fashion.Thanks for that piece Graham.
(Also glad to hear I can get my hands on another travel book soon. It will get pride of place alongside the dog eared and popular copy of 'Postcards' you left with us that our guests allways seem to find themselves reading.)Cheers.
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You ever need a bouncer to put a suit in a headlock I'm your man Graham! Just say the word.....
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What has been cropping up in this thread again and again is the sort of relationship you can end up having with a critic, good or bad. It was always Grahams elsewhere review I turned to first in the Herald and the rewards were many. I had found a reveiwer who was finding what I was interested in. Good news for me. Good news for who ever Graham found.
To put a slightly different slant on the whole thing I run a 'fancy' resort with my wife and we have needed reveiwers quite urgently lately. We approach writers and invite them to attend (comped of course) a program at our place and hope to goodness that they like it, because if they find even one negative thing to publish, it will make the decision for the reader- and the reader will go somewhere else. So we are really putting our heads on the chopping block, which means we have to really have a good product and service standard before we invite anyone near the place. See, it is a great way to market, but very risky. (working great guns so far though!)
The critic putting the fear into the producer makes the production as good as it can be surely?
That being said I think if I had to choose I would put in my vote for the 'if you have something bad to say, dont say anything' camp.
Trouble is, where does that leave the over-hyped albums/restuarants/resorts etc etc that may very well need some balance? Its a tough one. The RSC situation is a bit cheeky I reckon. If I was thinking about going to the performance, the ban on critics would likely make me do something else. Ian Mckellan notwithstanding.I dunno, maybe give the overhyped a bit of a kick and ignore the rest of the rubbish. Everyone else will.