For Maida, it's black and white and read all over

More than two years ago, loyal reader Maida Robinson helped the Bay of Plenty Times celebrate our 130th birthday. Yesterday, we returned the favour as she turned 100.
By Anna Bowden
Maida Robinson loves the news so much that she has read more than 20,000 copies of the Bay of Plenty Times in the 67 years she has lived in Tauranga.
After spending 20 minutes a day with paper in hand, the Tauranga woman has, in fact, been reading our stories the equivalent of 290 days non-stop.
In September 2002, Mrs Robinson helped celebrate the Bay of Plenty Times' 130th birthday and was named our most loyal reader. Now, two years on, we caught up with her for her 100th birthday - and found she is still just as loyal.
We visited Mrs Robinson yesterday as she marked her centenary with five generations of her family. January 9, 1905, was the day she was born - the third of nine children.
She moved to the Western Bay with her family in 1937 and began reading the Bay of Plenty Times.
Over the years she has joined the news team on the journey through two world wars, the reign of six monarchs, the arrival of cars, electricity and the soundtrack cinema.
She read about suffrage for women, the expeditions of Amundsen and Scott to the South Pole, Hillary's conquest of Everest, the Queen's visit to New Zealand in 1953, the first man in space, the first moon landing, Princess Diana's death, September 11 and the devastating tsunami.
While her fingers can no longer turn the pages, Maida's interest for current events has not faded.
Her son Noel Pope visits her each day at the Accadia Manor Lifecare Estate on Edgecumbe Rd to read her some of the stories and peruse the photographs. A keen follower of politics, she was especially interested in stories about her son during his position as Tauranga's mayor in the late 1980s and again from 1995 to 2001.
"She likes to know what is going on, she is very perceptive," Mr Pope said.
"She especially likes the historical pictures as she can remember those things happening."
Particular favourites also include the births, deaths and marriages columns.
A passion for newspapers has been in her blood since her childhood when her father taught her the importance of reading the news.
Putting aside about 20 minutes a day to catch up with the news may have been the key to keeping her mind alert, her son said.
Yesterday, she put the paper aside to enjoy the birthday greetings from Queen Elizabeth, Governor-General Dame Sylvia Cartwright, Prime Minister Helen Clark and her beloved family.
For the most part, she was speechless. But summed up the day with one small speech: "This is just lovely."