‘Tis the Season to Support Local!
Like me, are you starting to hear Christmas carols on the radio as you drive around? I always feel like Christmas has arrived once I hear Snoopy’s Christmas and sure enough there it just was!
This Christmas season let’s reflect on how a lot of our local businesses have been hit hard this year. How times have been hard for them and hard for their staff. Businesses have struggled behind the scenes that very few will know about.
I have always called this, “The Public Face” and “The Private Face”. Let us be mindful and kind as we interact with each other this year because often a little bit of grace and generosity can go a long way!
I have spent quite a bit of time wandering about the CBD chatting to our local businesses. It has been gratifying to hear that the majority of the public have accepted the government’s new rules that businesses have to abide by, and while there have been a few very unhappy people, most understand and are happy to cooperate.
Over the next two Sundays here in Warkworth most of our retailers will be open from 9 am to 1 pm so that you can do your Christmas shopping. Santa will be roaming about town, talking to the children, and having photos taken at a safe distance. We will have two bouncy castles and at least ten buskers from Baxter Street, Queen Street, to Elizabeth Street. We are looking to have a “Busk Off” just after 1 pm in front of the Warkworth Hotel.
The Buy Local message has been promoted widely throughout New Zealand during and after the lockdown and this Christmas is another chance for you to make life easy for yourself and support our local retailers. I look forward to seeing the streets of Warkworth filled with happy families on both the 12th and 19th December, come and join the fun.
Support Local, Buy Local, Employ Local, Love Local!
Murray Chapman
Manager, One Mahurangi Business Association
murray@onemahurangi.co.nz
www.onemahurangi.co.nz
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