Michael (Mike) Will Beckett.

You may never have met Mike.  You may not even be sure who he is, but if you are reading this you are enjoying the benefits of his work.   Until last month Mike was Editor of The Martinborough Star.   The paper was his passion and he continued to work right up until two weeks before he died on April 1, aged 86.

Without Mike, the paper as we know it would not exist.  An earlier version, which ran for nearly sixty years, had ceased printing in 1962.   For a while Martinborough’s news was included in the Midweek’s South Wairarapa section.   When this was dropped by the publisher, we no longer had a local paper.

This was not acceptable to Mike, who was living in Martinborough at the time.  He approached David Kershaw and together they set up the publication we have today.   Mike, whose business life had been as a grocer, already had quite a bit of experience in local media.  After his retirement he and his friend Colin Wheeler bought The Chronicle, the predecessor of the Featherston Phoenix.   He also worked at the now-defunct Wairapapa News, which had bought out the Chronicle.    … Continue Reading

Predator Free Martinborough

A local pest control initiative – Predator Free Martinborough – has been expanding its network of traps in vineyards around the village.

“It’s been a strange summer, and we’ve frequently found nothing when checking our trap lines,” says Jane Lenting, Coordinator of the group.  “However, now that the weather cools, the catch rate is going up.  What has been surprising is that this is the first time we have ever caught a possum in a DOC250 trap using rabbit as a lure.  I thought possums liked fruit – who knew rabbits were appealing to possums!”

Jane and Victor recently picked up 24 new DOC200 and DOC250 traps. These traps were purchased with a grant from the Greater Wellington Regional Council.  Previous trap sponsors have included South Wairarapa Rotary Club, a Trust associated with Wellington Zoo, and DOC Masterton. … Continue Reading

Concert for the Red Cross Cyclone Gabrielle Fund

Following a successful concert given in late 2022 which raised funds for the Ukrainian Crisis Appeal, the Martinborough String Quartet recently held another concert, this time in aid of the Red Cross Cyclone Gabrielle Fund. Once again the venue was the warm and welcoming living room of Ed Allen and Vicki Jones’ house in Dublin Street. … Continue Reading

How Well Do We Know People In Our Community?

In February 2004, Lisa and Frank Cornelissen returned from England, where Lisa had been managing the Corporate Rebranding for Unilever. Frank had been working in IT and Finance. 

Back in NZ they were unsure what they wanted to do, so they bought a campervan and set out to explore the country. Martinborough was a destination enroute. 

The Camping Ground in Martinborough was not particularly appealing, so they stayed in Greytown before venturing South. 

It wasn’t long before they realised that they loved both Martinborough, and campervans. During their travels they also discovered what makes a great camping ground.  … Continue Reading