From the Mayor

Welcome back – we are going to have a busy year.

First of all, I would like to pay tribute to the passing of a good friend, Graham Jacobson on 13 January. Additionally we lost Chris Buring, legend winemaker, in December.

Water continues to be an issue for us as we hit sweltering temperatures, so please follow the outdoor water restrictions and conserve wherever possible. Even with planned upgrades, summer water conservation will likely continue as it’s the right thing to do by the environment and to ensure there is enough essential water for everyone. If your garden is important to you, I strongly recommend installing rainwater tanks for gardening or grey water use. I have had this for 15 years now and it works well. … Continue Reading

Gone Home 

Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History in Partnership with Wellington’s City Art Gallery will present and exhibition showcasing photographs by Gavin Hipkins and Peter Peryer in a game of visual snap. 

The exhibition opening at Aratoi on Friday March 6^th. Wellington City Gallery Director Robert Leonard will give a free public talk at Aratoi on Saturday 7^th at 11 am. 

A centrepiece of the exhibition is the 80 photograph frieze The Homely 11 by Gavin Hipkins. This body of work was created over sixteen years from 2001 to 2016. The images are of New Zealand ( Hipkins’ home) and the United Kingdom (the homeland)

Hipkins describes the Homely 11 as a ‘Victorian melodrama’ with things utof place . A key image is The Homely Clandon (Hinemihi) a nineteenth century Mãori meeting house transposed into the English countryside.  … Continue Reading

Did you know

“IT’S GOING to be bloody awkward when we all have to flee Australia on boats you know” Australian Jon Kudelka

THE CHINESE City of Chongqing has 2.58 million facial recognition cameras covering the city’s population  of 14.35 million .One camera for every six citizens. This is a higher number of cameras than Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen. 

COMMON sense and a sense of humour are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humour is just common sense dancing. – Clive James

THE COST OF Australia’s new French designed submarines has risen  $21 billion dollars in a year. The estimated new total is $192 billion. This is more than  the total annual cost of  all Australia’s welfare and social  security. And twenty time more than it spends on climate change mitigation measures.  … Continue Reading

About Musical Education and Appreciation 

The UK Government has recently pledged a staggering £85m for music education in schools. School Standards Minister, Nick Gibbs, said “we want all children to be leaving school able to read and write music, and to have been introduced to a wide range of musical traditions. Today’s funding announcement is designed to help our schools deliver that ambition. Government-backed hubs will provide lessons to ensure that all pupils have access to musical education, instruments and opportunities to play”. This generous grant is partly in response to a perception that music education has become the preserve of the privileged as more schools discontinue offering it because of demands of other subjects and the cost of private music lessons. Daily Telegraph 16/01/20

There is a huge archive of music cartoons on the internet.  Someone who benefits from this proposed comprehensive UK music education programme would certainly get the joke in the accompanying cartoon.  They would not confuse the symbol for a sharp in music notation with the hashtag symbol (#metoo). They will also have an appreciation of music which will allow an awareness of one’s own musical culture.  … Continue Reading