That’s bloomin’ early …
Daffodils in Payne Park. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
“Very early.”
That’s the response from Waipā District Council parks team leader Matt Johnston to reports that fully bloomed daffodils could be seen around the district in the last week of June.
“We don’t normally see the flowers until September/October.”
While the quality of the daffodils’ flowers may not be great “they are still up and growing a lot earlier than normal”.
Which has The News wondering – anyone seen any newborn lambs?
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Just looking ….
Old friends who met through the Auckland Camaro Club met up in Cambridge on Saturday for lunch and a look around the shops.
They brought with them five cars – two C8 Chevrolet Corvettes, each worth $250,000 – and three Chevrolet Camaros worth about $100,000 each.
Jan Saunders of Auckland said when they came off the Waikato Expressway a police officer did a double take but speed was not an issue.
Pictured from left were Paul and Sandy Munro (Auckland) with their 2017 Camaro, Marlene and Grant Dickey (Raglan) with their 2019 Camaro and 2023 C8 Corvette factory right hand drive, Nick and Jan Saunders and their 2023 C8 Corvette and fellow Aucklanders Amit and Merlin Chopra with their 2019 Camaro.
Plan adopted
Waikato District Council adopted its enhanced Annual Plan at last week’s council meeting, It will see an average 11.9 per cent general rate revenue increase.
Name confirmed
Masonic Hotel 2023
Cambridge’s old Masonic Hotel will be renamed The Clements Hotel, managed by Capstone Hotel Management and reopen in spring. The name comes from Archibald Clements who played a role in developing the Masonic. Clements was mayor and a member of the road and Waikato Hospital boards before retiring to Auckland, where he died in 1927 aged 91.
Web views
Our story about an effigy, abuse and threats which became national news last week was the most read article on the Cambridge News website last month. It beat out Viva Las Vegas – our online wrap up of the Cambridge High School ball in second, the always popular News in Brief in third and the exclusive revelations that Maungatautari sanctuary was under a funding threat in fourth. Alana Thompson, the new principal at Karāpiro School rounded out the top five.
Hits to the website were up 4.37 per cent on May
Inghams expands
John Ingham
Ingham Motor Group has added the Mitsubishi brand to its Cambridge dealership.
As well as vehicle sales, Inghams also became the authorised parts and service dealer for the brand this week.
The previous parts and service dealer was Queen Street neighbour Keyte Automotive.
When Inghams came to Cambridge it purchased the former Bunnings building in Queen Street with plans for a four year project and a “spade in the ground” before the end of the last year.
There has been no sign of development yet – but in February the company, established in Ōtorohanga in the late 1960s – announced it had purchased Windsor Nissan, next door to the Bunnings Site.
Bunnings closed its two Waipā outlets in 2020 and one, in Te Awamutu, was subsequently bought by the Waipā District Council as a site for Te Ara Wai, its flagship museum project.
There was considerable speculation – and social media suggestions – on what could be done with the Cambridge site before Inghams announced it had bought it.
Search starts
Chris Joblin
The search for a replacement for Tainui Group Holdings outgoing chief executive Chris Joblin is on with no succession planning in place.
The board and Joblin have agreed an extended notice period to mid-November to enable a recruitment process and transition.
Joblin, who joined TGH in 2009 as chief financial officer, plans to take time out with family over the summer and consider his next career step.
Green’s ready
Cambridge Central has rolled out the green carpet and was scheduled to host a mixed draw club tournament today. The laying of the $220,000 Tiger Turf synthetic surface also saw Central players using the facilities of the neighbouring Cambridge Bowling Club in what was described a “fantastic” hosting. Central, with a 170-strong membership, now has one grass and one synthetic green.
Cup football
Cambridge will host football giants Auckland City in the last 16 of the Chatham Cup at home on Saturday. City, regulars in the FIFA Club World Cup series, is the most successful club in the country this century and plays a couple of divisions higher than their hosts. Melville United – a past winner of the cup, the oldest knockout competition in the country, host Hibiscus Coast.
Entry date
The deadline for the Waikato Chamber of Commerce business awards has been extended until tomorrow (Friday).
Transport plan
A plan representing $11.8 billion of transport priorities over the next three to six years has been adopted by Waikato Regional Council. The Waikato Regional Transport Committee endorsed the plan at its June meeting. It outlines transport priorities and for the next 30 years and makes a case for central government funding.
Correction
Zara Thompson is in the ensemble of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and not the chorus as reported in The News (June 27).
Zara Thompson at home in Cambridge. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
