It’s nearly over this year of 2020.
What a year it has been and, certainly for us in Auckland, the second lockdown was really hard on businesses that were just starting to recover.
The start of the year started so well with a wonderful summer and so many events to go and enjoy. Life seemed wonderful and then we shut down. It was so incredible that everything we all knew was gone and we were at home 24 hours a day.
Such fun but, amazingly, we all survived and became much fitter by walking or cycling as the only other option was to put on weight with all the eating.
For us in the publishing world, our lives changed very quickly with big publishers just pulling their products out of New Zealand.
We were all set up for everyone to be able to work from home and that is the one good thing for us that came out of this. We had talked for years that we should have this option in the workplace but it took Covid to make it happen.
We did publish each week a digital version of the paper and with the photos that were taken every day a record was compiled of a year we hope to never experience ever again.
The vaccines are being rolled out globally right now and should halt this virus once and for all.
The photos of Anzac day told the story with Stockade Hill at dawn with the crosses out but instead of thousands of people there were a few groups of family bubbles listening on radios to the service. The rest of us were out at dawn at the letterbox.
In this year we had a General Election and we welcomed Christopher Luxon to join Simeon Brown as our Botany and Pakuranga MPs and also Judith Collins out in Beachlands.
What a year.
I want to take this opportunity to thank our readers and our advertisers for their continued support during this trying year. Without your support we couldn’t exist, so thank you.
Our first issue back is Tuesday January 12 where we will review the 2020 year.
In February, the Times will have celebrate 49 years of publishing and to do that for so long I have needed a great team.
I want to thank my team who have worked tirelessly to bring you our paper and magazines. Our industry is one that has really been threatened and my team, including all our walkers, have been amazing.
How lucky are we that we can now go and enjoy the summer and celebrate together 2021.
Merry Christmas. We are back in your letterboxes next year.
- Reay Neben is managing director of Times Media.
