Having a very merry little Christmas: 2012 in pictures: December

The new Library to go mobile vans are launched at New Brighton.

An automaton in New Brighton.

Put your face in it.

Cussies having a ride.

Partay time.

Went up on the C1 Espresso roof.

Talking to Santa.

Cardboard Cathedral gets Christmassy.

ZM’s shipping crate Advent calendar.

YOLO on Colombo Street.

A lovely visitor.

On the carousel at Northlands.

My ideal bookshelf.

Christchurch’s most beautiful breasts.

Santa pic 2012.

Christmas.

See also:

• More December photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May
• The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June
• Margaret Mahy, Michael Parekowhai, little felt workers, and Christchurch words – 2012 in pictures: July
• Mannequins face the future, things implode, and new art busts in: 2012 in pictures: August
• The flying Odeon roof, Elvis has not left the building, & Christchurch sunsets: 2012 in pictures: September
• Earthquake muppets, The Strip comes down, and some art goes up: 2012 in pictures: October
• Michael Palin, Horses don knickers, shit happens in New Brighton, and heaps of art: 2012 in pictures: November

Advertisement

Michael Palin, Horses don knickers, shit happens in New Brighton, and heaps of art: 2012 in pictures: November

Gettin’ ready for Cup Week. Hot Damn Lingerie in the Re:START did it best.

We loved Michael Palin.

Flower girl in training.

A visit to QEII at New Brighton proved disturbing but also kind of amazing. There were layers of ads making a beautiful paper sculpture.

And a charming chap teaching wee girl to do ball tricks, as well as this awesome impromptu handstand.

Shit happens in New Brighton.

A beautiful RIP.

A steampunk Christmas tree went up in the Re:START Mall.

New SCAPE art goes up – Joanna Langford’s High Country. On the corner of Montreal Street by Chateau Blanc.

Kaikoura wedding.

Holiday Out.

Concrete Propositions by Ash Keating.

Farmers carpark, on the wire.

More art starts: Rachael Dewhirst’s Kaleidoscopic Nights SCAPE mural in the Re:START

And Wongi and Ikarus’s Pinocchio:

Partial solar eclipse on 14 November.


Victoria Square re-opens.

The Pallet Pavilion takes shape on the old Crowne Plaza site.

Japan: Kingdom of characters exhibition.

Yay for bee bam bap at Mum’s 24.

Art Box on St Asaph.

A weekend demo for URS House.

A beautiful sunset on the way home from Hanmer Springs.




Another neat piece of art – Re-MED-y by Justin Kerr

Free shoes in St Albans Park.


Last looks at the Clarendon are kind of idyllic.

A bird on a wire.

The awesome Wongi and Ikarus, as Pinocchio goes up on the side of the Lichfield St carpark.

See also:

• More November photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May
• The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June
• Margaret Mahy, Michael Parekowhai, little felt workers, and Christchurch words – 2012 in pictures: July
• Mannequins face the future, things implode, and new art busts in: 2012 in pictures: August
• The flying Odeon roof, Elvis has not left the building, & Christchurch sunsets: 2012 in pictures: September
• Earthquake muppets, The Strip comes down, and some art goes up: 2012 in pictures: October

Earthquake muppets, The Strip comes down, and some art goes up: 2012 in pictures: October

I don’t remember Real Groovy moving here – I used to visit the one by SOL Square a bit, but it obviously moved after the September 2010 earthquake. But in October 2012 its new former bikeshop location on Manchester/Tuam Street was being demolished.

Wongi’s mural on Tradestaff building on the corner of Colombo and St Asaph Street was taking shape. Part of enjoying the new art around town is the pleasure of watching it grow.

The back of the Odeon theatre, as viewed from St Asaph Street.

The demolition of the beautiful Cranmer Courts was underway, with protest accompaniment.

Gloucester Street demolition, near Latimer Square.

Tjalling is innocent, Christchurch Art Gallery takes art to the streets again.

Adios Coyotes. Another demolition on The Strip.

Farmers carpark on Gloucester Street was stark viewing.

Clash boutique in the Re:START. A cool bit of art by Smeagol. Not sure where it is now as the shop has gone and is now Breads of Europe.

Lux City!

A pleasing piece of decorative circuitry.

QEII demolition.

We love the beach.

Muppets EQC sign.

Citizens war memorial in Cathedral Square, with bracing.

The busy Strip.

Lovely cuzzies.

See also:

• More October photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May
• The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June
• Margaret Mahy, Michael Parekowhai, little felt workers, and Christchurch words – 2012 in pictures: July
• Mannequins face the future, things implode, and new art busts in: 2012 in pictures: August
• The flying Odeon roof, Elvis has not left the building, & Christchurch sunsets: 2012 in pictures: September

The flying Odeon roof, Elvis has not left the building, & Christchurch sunsets: 2012 in pictures: September

The Press Christchurch Writers Festival.

Biblia Abiblia

A Ron Mueck eye.

40 flavours of heaven.

Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Christchurch sunset.



When you work in the CBD of Christchurch, you are never short on things to see. On 10 September, I looked down Tuam Street and saw the roof of the Odeon sailing away.

And it landed on Manchester Street.

The colours of the ECAN building on Kilmore Street, unmasked.

A visit to Woodend.



Democracy rally.


A vacant space on Colombo Street made kind of beautiful by the setting sun.

Christchurch danglers, high above the Holiday Inn.

Parklife: a radiocontrolled helicopter gets stuck in a tree in St Albans Park.

Craig Smith in concert, at Central Library Tuam.


Demolition on the strip.

Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Elvis in Shand’s Emporium – one of those iconographic Christchurch sights.

See also:

• More September photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May
• The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June
• Margaret Mahy, Michael Parekowhai, little felt workers, and Christchurch words – 2012 in pictures: July
• Mannequins face the future, things implode, and new art busts in: 2012 in pictures: August

Mannequins face the future, things implode, and new art busts in: 2012 in pictures: August

A discarded sign of protest. TC3 land.

I go for the jewellery pileup.

Fabulous book bargains from Just Incredible in South City Mall.

Morning implosion of Newstalk ZB.

After the implosion, a trampoline on Kilmore Street.

Margaret Mahy storytime at Central Library Peterborough.

The BMX track, not just for bikes.

Loved the Youth Market on Barbadoes Street.

More book buys, half the marked price:

Happy birthday Grandad.

A few of my favourite things, a fabulous hand-done piece by Sarah Laing.

An abandoned house, alive with the morning light.

The fab Wongi Tradestaff mural takes shape on the corner of Colombo and St Asaph Street.

Graffiti on St Asaph Street.

The Railway Station on Moorhouse Avenue.

You take paradise, you put up a parking lot.

Tjalling is innocent. Christchurch Art Gallery work on the back of COCA.

The Clarendon continues its stately decline.

Mannequins in the Re:START face they know not what.

See also:

• More August photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May
• The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June
• Margaret Mahy, Michael Parekowhai, little felt workers, and Christchurch words – 2012 in pictures: July

Margaret Mahy, Michael Parekowhai, little felt workers, and Christchurch words – 2012 in pictures: July

Who can resist a photo of a baby with a book?

Story blankets for Matariki – at Rehua Marae.

A close-up.

Wee girl meets the Michael Parekowhai bulls.

Central Library Peterborough. The art is by Richard Killeen: The inner binding – a Christchurch Art Gallery Outer Spaces project

Newstalk ZB pre-implosion.

Methodist Mission demolition on Durham Street North.

Memorial on Colombo Street.

Kendal Avenue Park.

Flying over the Clarendon.

Grant Thornton building demolition.

Morning on Colombo Street.

Words in the gutter.

One of Christchurch’s cutaway houses.

Sign o’the times.

Abberley Park.

View from the NG Gallery.

The Michael Parekowhai piano.

Busted up signage on Lichfield Street.

I pay tribute to Margaret Mahy, who died on 23 July 2012.

Poetica on Colombo Street.

Craft Invaders market.

High Street.

Ladies on the toilet block at St Albans Park.

Car flying on the skate ramp.

The awesome Kia Kaha sign of Edgeware.

See also:

• More July photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May
• The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June

The Queen, The Snow, The Bulls, and the Supermarket – 2012 in pictures: June

God save the Queen.

And her dogs.

The Newstalk ZB Building – before its controlled implosion.

Yarn bombing in Latimer Square.

I protest!

Beautiful rubbish on a demolition site.

I think this was my first spotting of the magic of Mike Hewson’s work on Cranmer Court.

There was snow. And more snow.



Walking to work let me see some beautiful morning city skies. Light, and colour, and silhouettes of buildings in their last days.

Another rubbled sign.

Westpac Tower and Holiday Inn, both now gone – but here they are bathed in golden light.

Gloucester Street reopened on the evening of 15 June. I walked past work. The street was almost unbearably sad, and the night was cold and wet.

Book love. Hans Christian Andersen illustrated by Jiri Trnka.

Deans book of fairy tales illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.

Strange stories, amazing facts.

The Edgeware Super Value with its Kia Kaha sign.


This shop display had me flummoxed.

One of my favourite Christchurch signs. Welder on Welles Street.


The arrival of Michael Parekowhai’s On first looking into Homer … The bulls arrive.

“On Peterborough Street, the houses are wonky …”

See also:

• More June photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April
• Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May

Dummies, dandys, and things left behind – 2012 in pictures: May

I remember these ladies from when they used to frequent Victoria Street.

Est side represent.

ANZAC Day flowers by the Sergeant Henry Nicholas statue.

Wooden house on Colombo Street is splinterised.

Honours bestowed on the Crowne Plaza demolition.

A foam party, interrupted.

A toilet left behind.

A great Christchurch sign.

Ironside House on the move.

Eating Santorini.

Dry tributes hold their beauty.

Auckland Writers and Readers Festival.

Witi Ihimaera

Jeffrey Eugenides

Pinata.

Autumnal Rydges.

Christchurch sunset.

Dandy art on Victoria Mansions.

Scales House.

A plastic romance on Colombo Street.

Christchurch – devastation, colour, games.

See also:

• More May photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March
• From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April

From lingerie to Gerry Brownlee – 2012 in pictures: April

Dreamy drying.

The Christchurch Convention Centre.

The demolition of the Crowne Plaza starts to offer portals through which to view the autumnal shades of Victoria Square.

Postcard nostalgia at the English Park market.

Best friends ride the perennially popular Flying fox at St Albans Park.

Ribbon earthquake tributes near Les Mills and the CTV site.

The spine of the Crowne Plaza is torn out.

A quick demolition for the historically resonant Canterbury Society of Arts building.

Library with a view. Convention Centre demolition as viewed from Central Library Peterborough.

Greening the rubble, old Piko site.

Down by the Bricks, by the Avon is such a beautiful spot – belying the new ambiguity of our relationship with rivers and streams.

The colour of pipes, at the Convention Centre demolition.

I see your stairs.

A very Christchurch juxtaposition.

Record Store Day, at Penny Lane.

Zine Library at the Dark Room, by Galaxy Records.

Work on the new Edgeware Super Value continues, with the Kia Kaha sign as a comment and a spur.

Santorini is sad.

The anger lurks.

See also:

• April 2012 photos on Flickr
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February
• Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March

Dirty demolitions – 2012 in pictures: March

March was a month of demolitions, some more personal than others.

It was also the first time I saw Mike Hewson’s amazing photomurals on Cranmer Court. I enjoyed looking at these in the months before it was demolished.

A quilting exhibition at South Library.

The last moments of 76 Colombo Street.

Like lots of other Christchurch people, we got our chance to go into our place of work in the Red Zone and retrieve stuff.

The infamous Sydenham warehouse and dumping area. I saw it one night before it made the news, and was amazed at the spectacle of floor to ceiling detritus.

And on the same night, we tripped the light fantastic on the Dance-o-Mat.

Walking to work has meant I sometimes caught the sunrise.

Stan and Sheila’s 60th wedding anniversary. Cards from the Queen and John Key.

Lumley House demolition on Victoria Street. Papers flew, things fell. It was rather dramatic and the enterprising Vic’s Cafe had a couch outside where you could sit and watch.

It coincided with the demolition of our place. A rental, but it was home and having friends in all the neighbouring flats made it a very lovely place to live. We didn’t realise that demolition meant your garage gets demolished too. We had stored lots of damaged stuff there. Thanks to my Mum and a nice demo crew we managed to rescue some of the gear. I spotted this Belle and Sebastian cd cover on the floor.

See also:

• March 2012 photos
• Michael Jackson, cheezels & the Crowne Plaza – 2012 in pictures: January
• Ronnie van Hout, Earthquake anniversary, & the hellraiser heart of Christchurch – 2012 in pictures: February