Owner of a Broken (but not Lonely) Heart

When last we saw our ruggedly deluded protagonist he was in the Coronary Care Unit of Hawke’s Bay Hospital having been defibrillated after having Ventricle Tachycardia for over 12 hours. The day after I was admitted to hospital, the cardiologist … Continue reading

A Better Hawke’s Bay Today

In recent years New Zealand’s news media has taken a bit of a hiding. Sure, people aren’t consuming news like they used to – Papers are still read, but web-based news is being read more. People still listen to the … Continue reading

Going, Going, Gone.

Napier Hill’s skyline has started to change. Since being closed down in 1998, the site of the city’s former hospital has been empty – slowly going derelict through inattention, intrusion and even armed and emergency service training exercises. The hospital’s … Continue reading

Into the NCC Lions’ Den – Making My Submission!

Below is the speech I gave as part of my submission presentation to the Napier City Council’s Ten Year Plan yesterday (Monday 8 June 2015) Napier’s youth are its biggest export, but also its biggest asset. We spend so much … Continue reading

Good Night, John Campbell & Good Luck, New Zealand!

It’s been a hard few months for my heroes. In March one of my biggest literary heroes, Sir Terry Pratchett, succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease. Sir Terry was an evil genius of the highest comical order. The humour, pace, nuance, underlying … Continue reading

Have Your Say on the Future of Napier!

Napier City Council is currently taking submissions for its “Long Term Plan” You can make your own submission HERE It takes a mere five minutes to fill out the Council’s questionnaire and then there is a space for you to … Continue reading

Scarface Claw Part Two – On the Road

Two weeks ago I had some more Basal Cell Carcinomas removed from my face. But, instead of having it done privately here in Hawke’s Bay, I had them removed at Lower Hutt Hospital (apparently it’s cheaper or easier for NZ’s … Continue reading

No More Babies for Napier?

From the middle of December 2013, Napier’s population will cease to grow organically. You may be “Napier bred”, but you won’t be “Napier born” – because Napier Medical Centre’s maternity wing is closing. If you are expecting a Christmas baby … Continue reading