Thank you Nikkita for taking me back to when I used to visit Hong Kong on business from the mid sixties .
Yes, I saw the protests, first standing on a balcony watching the neatly dressed students below, Maoists, and also being able to see the vehicles tucked around the corner out of site packed with riot police in case things turned nasty, later having to wait for a march to pass on my way to an appointment .

This was still "Suzy Wong" era HK with the Grey slum accommodation staining the hills towards the Gap, Communist inspired protest no doubt but that word was never used in public it was always the Peoples Republic, Mao was the Chairman, I could freely go to the border but could not go across, the water I drank and washed in came from across that border as did the Pork etc , small coasters flying the flag came down the Pearl river and dotted the harbour and refugees floated down to join those already there.
KaiTak was the airport neon signs were not allowed to flash , If you saw the Philips sign and counted to five stop, 'cos it was all over the locals said, Red Mercedes Benz taxis made in Japan by Nissan were there by the hundreds if not thousands, the Cricket Club played in central, the Star Ferries plied the harbour for 5centsHK with almost no waiting, young Chinese from the Peoples Republic built transistor radios by the million, Double Happy was celebrated, Moon Cakes were given and eaten, the Lantern Festival was a joy to see and business was a joy to be involved in.
I can understand what the Hong Kong citizens are trying to hang on to.
Thanks for the memories.

Don't hold your breath though. Yes the timing is rather strange to say the least.

Not only silly but a clear indication of the lack of understanding that the current media hacks have of processes such as the confidential nature of meetings
such as a political party caucus. Will they wait outside the next board meeting of Fonterra or any other large NZ company.
I hope they didn't get piles sitting on cold marble.

Go Sophie love your your comments

Good comment , Of course the PM will be questioned prior to an election on all sorts of things including recently on apparent variations in stories in the media and the facts as they surfaced after questioning the PM about his involvement.

The media has seized on the 1922 year as being the last time Labour received so few votes . It is getting rather boring unless what they are trying to remind us of is that although Labour were not in power then and would not be until 1935 the 1922 election was followed by the 1929 depression , the demise of the inept right coalition the formation of the National Party, then WWII just 4 years after Labour took over.

Do the media think that they have taken over from the ancient pundits and can predict the future?

At last a Labour supporter with some sense I thought I was on my own till now.

It's not just Goff's but other electorates where the Labour party vote is well down on the candidates vote. ie Ak Central,Te Atatu, North Shore, Northcote to name a few.

Merchant of Venice in the 7th Form. Standards must be slipping,
At Timaru Boys High School in the mid 1940's we did it in the 3rd form and loved very page of it.

I have a copy of "Karori & its people" and there are multiple references to Alington in the index , Alington Architects, Bill Alington, & Margeret Alington are all mentioned. Bill was a well respected architect who retired in 2000.

Happy to copy details of references if they may help.

John