The Spitfire fighter is the symbol of the 1940 Battle of Britain – the image of fearless fighter aces flashing about the sky in a last ditch effort to keep the enemy out of England will endure, but the key frontline weapon in the war in Europe was a much more ponderous craft – the…
John Hart Crime Novelist 2011 Interview
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
Alex Staines interviewed John Hart crime novelist, a native of Rowan County, North Carolina, when he visited these shores to judge the 2011 Ngaio Marsh Award for the best New Zealand crime novel. The interview took place just before Iron House came out. John Hart has drawn to the head of the crime-writing pack with…
Categories: Stories Tags: Interviews
Interview with John Rowles in 2011
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
In late 2011 – the eve of the swansong tour of New Zealand by entertainment legend John Rowles, Alex Staines chatted with him about his 45 years in show biz. “It’s my global wrap-up. I’m getting a bit weary now,” said John about his final tour, at the start of our conversation. He’s been on…
Categories: Stories Tags: Interviews, NZ themes
11 Signs of Quality Content on your Web Page
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
A few pointers for spotting the tell-tale signs of quality content [Updated January 2018] There’s no “one size fits all” with content – there are so many different media, channels and strategies where quality written content is a vital component of a successful overall product that appeals personally to your customers. Google is also increasingly…
Categories: Stories Tags: Our web savvy
5 Keys for Organising Website Content
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
How you go about organising the content on your website will have a profound influence on successfully attracting visitors to your online “shop window”. Here are 5 key areas to consider: 1. Find out about your audience All the content on your site is marketable – research who your target audience is, discover where to find…
Categories: Stories Tags: Our web savvy
Chew Chong & James Ashbury Left Their Mark on New Zealand
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
Chew Chong One of New Zealand’s most extraordinary characters, Chew Chong was born in 1828 in the village of Hoi Ping in China. After various travels, he moved to New Zealand in 1866, basing himself in Dunedin where he collected scrap metal for export to China. Everything changed for Chew Chong when he discovered an…
Categories: Stories Tags: Curated stories, NZ themes
Bert ten Broeke Says Can’t Is not in My Vocabulary
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
Alex Staines met with Bert ten Broeke – butcher, businessman, athlete, family man – at his home at Sevenoaks Midlands Trust Retirement Village on the Kapiti Coast, in 2011. Bert is the archetypal “staunch” human being, with a genius for self-possession. This goes much deeper than self-confidence, because confidence can be built on unsound foundations….
Categories: Stories Tags: Interviews, NZ themes
The Greeks and New Zealand – A True Love Story
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
Stella Bares and John Petris told Alex Staines how a century of migration, political and economic turmoil, religion, warfare and romance has forged a unique bond between Greeks and New Zealand. The majority of the 5000 New Zealand Greeks live in Wellington. On the coldest day of 2011 in Wellington I met Stella Bares, QSO,…
Categories: Stories Tags: Interviews, NZ themes
A Brief History of Bling
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
Jewellery as a form of personal adornment – from hairpins to toe rings – has been worn by people since prehistoric times. The earliest known items of jewellery are 100,000-year-old sea-snail shell beads, found in Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel in Israel. The word “bling” has much more recent origins. It was coined in the…
Categories: Stories Tags: Curated stories
A Hatful of History
Author:Alex Staines Last Updated:
There’s a hatful of history in these head accessories: the chef’s hat, the dunce’s cap, and New Zealand’s unique hat that drove a native bird to extinction. Bird hat The huia bird, native to New Zealand, became extinct in the early 20th century due in part to hats. When the Duke of York visited Rotorua…
Categories: Stories Tags: Curated stories