Showtime Canterbury Official Opening

Friday 31 October 2003

Venue: Cathedral Square
Time/Date: Friday 31 October, 6pm

Good evening everyone and welcome to NORWESTA. NORWESTA by name and by nature. This is the opening event of a fortnight that shows Christchurch and Canterbury at our very, very best. This opening is, appropriately, in the norwest corner of Cathedral Square.

It’s also in the season for Norwesters and with a little luck and favour from the weather gods, that’s what we’ll see in the next week or so.

All augurs well for Showtime Canterbury. Over the next two weeks, citizens and visitors to Christchurch will thoroughly enjoy themselves no matter what they are heading off to. And I for one am prepared to bet on that because the showcase of Showtimes is racing … horse racing.

And New Zealand’s grand prix of horse racing. The Canterbury Draught New Zealand Trotting Cup is run Tuesday week and that celebrates one hundred years of the running, this year.

Then tomorrow week, Christchurch celebrates the 139th running of the Canterbury Draught New Zealand Cup at Riccarton. This year, both of these Cup races feature increased winners’ stake AND, entries from Australia. History in the making, is side by side with heritage again when the one hundred and forty first Canterbury A&P Show opens on Wednesday week.

Last week, you’ll remember that New Zealand was all in shock about frocks. The L’Oreal Fashion Week was all the talk of the telly and the biggest news was …. Us. Christchurch fashion designers were the big buzz and the timing was perfect because those designers and many more will be the main focus again next Thursday at the American Express Canterbury Fashion 2003 Collection and Awards.

Colour, spectacle, flare and delight takes to the night for everyone on Wednesday when the Meridian Energy Fireworks Extravaganza bursts to life on the New Brighton Pier. That’s a firm family favourite at our house.

And I think that’s what Showtime Canterbury is all about. Something for everyone but everything has a huge WOW factor … the biggest, the best, the longest running. Have a look around … our people are handing out these Showtime Canterbury brochures. Just have a look at the variety in this programme. It’s all about a couple of weeks when Christchurch can lift our heads and have a wee bit of a skite … about who we are, what we have and what we have it in.

A beautiful city. Great people. Gorgeous weather and two weeks of out and out fun ahead. I hope you get to enjoy every bit of it!

I am delighted to declare Showtime Canterbury 2003 … OPEN.