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Winter is all but over and the pieces on the business chess board continue to move about.
Firstly welcome to the new Scania workshop at Lorneville. This will be a great asset to the heavy transport industry and shows complete confidence in Southland by Scania, one of the world’s biggest truck manufacturers.
While we’re out that way keep an eye out for the big new JJ’s Tractors building which will be opening soon.
Bitter sweet news in the world of radio in Southland.
The old broadcasting house on the corner of and Deveron Streets is being cleared out of radio paraphernalia with the staff left moving to the new Ministry of Education building on Spey Street.
You’ll still get radio stations like The Hits, NewstalkZB, Coast, Hauraki etc but it’ll just come from a different source.
On a personal note, I spent a large part of my working life there working with reel to reel tapes, playing 45 records. We thought we’d struck the jackpot when we obtained a big flash CD library. That was followed by Classic Hits going FM on a cold July morning. Them’s were the days!
Of course there was a host of personalities like Boggy McDowell, Bruce Stewart, Darren Ludlow, Mary Witsey and of course Tracy Kilkelly. Not forgetting the late Phil Denton and Tui Slade to name a few. There was a myriad of wonderful people working behind the scenes writing and producing the news, writing and producing commercials, sales reps selling the ads and people looking after admin. Great times!
Bertie Budgie, he’s flown off to retirement in a warmer climate, not sure where.
Sad news but maybe a sign of the times, longtime fashion retailer Julie Bryce has decided to call it a day and will shut the doors on her distinctive store on Deveron Street.
To my way of thinking along with the closure of H&J’s about a year ago, these closures take away an element of choice or are customers opting to do more of their shopping online or just not interested in that sort of thing anymore?
Keep an eye out for the opening of the new Waitomo petrol station, formerly Caltex Savoy on Tay Street. The signage and pumps are all in place, it looks very sharp. The Waitomo station on Dee Street is also set to open soon.