On February 16, 2022, the Howick and Pakuranga Times turned 50.
The day before we publish each week we put the paper to bed (newspaper speak) so on this particular day with only a few of our team in the office we started to feel that the next day, Wednesday, was a special day.
Since lockdown last August we have only had a few staff in the office at one time so celebrating had to wait. I came into the office on the 16th and was surprised to see members of our team in the office.
I did ask why they had decided to come in and was told they were having a planning meeting.
I believed them then walked out the back to a decorated lunchroom with streamers, balloons and 50-year signs all over the walls, morning tea on the tables and a birthday cake.
An absolute surprise and what a wonderful day it turned out to be. The hundreds of congratulatory messages were amazing from a cross section of people from former and present staff, readers, clients just too many to thank personally.
What it did reassure me of was that the paper was as much an essential part of this community as it was 50 years ago. The Howick and Pakuranga Times is the only source of truly local news now in print, online and social media. I thank everyone for caring about and supporting us for this very long time.
- Reay Neben is the founder and managing director of Times Media
