The announcement last week of Ian Cassells’ latest infill housing scheme is an interesting development. Cassells has talked about his City Blox idea before, with a demo unit parked at Shelly Bay, and proposed them for Christchurch. But this time they are coming to the St James. Mixed reactions ensued. Cassells is one of the few developers who really does put his money where his mouth…
If we lived in a perfect country, with perfect weather and perfect people, in a perfect economy governed by a perfect society, then there’s no doubt in my mind that we would also have a chance at some perfect buildings. But we don’t. We do not live in a perfect climate – it rains, it blows, it even snows sometimes. We don’t have a perfect economy…
I’ve been wanting to write about Thunderbirds for the last few weeks, but last night I had a cosmic experience. An out of this world, out of my body, out of my head experience. Yes indeed, for the first time since heaven knows when, I went to see Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece of film making: 2001 a Space Odyssey. I didn’t have good memories of the film…
Well, yesterday was an interesting day! Rain by the bucket load, but not enough resilience to handle it. Yes, there was apparently 8 times more rain than normal, and enough water landed on our streets in half an hour to equal a normal rainfall for a month, or something like that, but still – it should hardly have been the end of the world. A fairly…
The rules for strengthening time-tables may be relaxed, but I’m not sure if I am… I’m not sure if this the result of a carefully planned out Government policy, or if it is just Nick Smith blowing off steam: the two seem closely related. The way that the media report it, the policy seems to have just arrived out of thin air, but actually, I suspect…
As our glorious leader starts to return home to beloved motherland, please to make good satisfaction with homage to prime interest of glorious leader in all fullness. Red is not favourite colour of glorious leader, but after this, maybe? Even Iggy getting jiggy wid it. Stranger things have happened. Some nice. Some not so nice. And then, there is this.
100 years to the day, since the “birth” of our nation. Wellington has seen an outpouring of World War One nostalgia and whakamatauranga – remembrance – for those who lost their lives. Yesterday was a quite wonderful piece of street theatre produced by Sir Peter Jackson, who seems to have a slightly unhealthy fascination towards war battles. But to me the real hero of the remembrances…
Councilor Helene Ritchie has posed a list of very good questions – which she is seeking feedback on. What DO we want from our Long Term Plan? Wellington City Council is seeking feedback, by April 17. So, hurry up! Ok, over to Councilor Ritchie: helene.ritchie@wcc.govt.nz  0274488669  Your answers will help guide me in my decision-making. Please email back to me. Formal submission forms  are…
After last week’s trashing of plans by the Government to sell old state houses to the Salvation Army, it is emerging that a new buyer is on the market. According to internal Beehive leaks from deep within the Ministry, NZTA has tentatively put its hand up to take over the Social Housing portfolio. While this may seem like a surprise to some, the NZTA have not…
Like about half of Wellington it seems, I’ve been out and about enjoying myself at the first ever Cuba Dupa carnival / musical extravaganza / street party. So far, it has been FANTASTIC !!!! Yes, Wellington rained a little on the Parade yesterday, but things still went off with a Bang. Although it has multiple stages up and down the street, from right at the top…