The next day it arrived at our Glenfield home. Not from a courier. But from a nearby house. It had been delivered to Tree View Avenue, been driven down Seaview Rd and redelivered at our Valley View Rd address. I guess you can see how the mistake was made.
That was the power of Holmes, or was it Holmes, who by then was already a broadcasting icon. The show's viewing figures were incredible, and our mystery deliverer had watched right through to that last minute.
A recent editorialist in this paper said, "Paul Holmes is one of those media personalities you love or hate". I feel neither of those emotions.
I respect him for his talent, and his honesty.
It was 1987 when I first saw him in the flesh - rushing into a vegetable shop in the Wellington suburb of Kelburn. It was no wonder he was in a hurry - Auckland beckoned, he was about to become breakfast host at 1ZB driving the new format of news, interviews and talkback.
Within two years he'd risen into the collective consciousness of the country with the arrival of Holmes.
Many point to the notorious Dennis Conner studio walkout as a turning point for the show, but in those early years it maintained impossibly high standards of delivery night after night. Quite simply it was hard-working, cutting-edge television. We relied on it to deliver, and it almost always did. The ringmaster, the driving force you can guarantee was Holmes.
In a country where tall poppies are readily cut down, he never denied his considerable talents by subverting his personality so others could feel more comfortable.
He changed broadcasting, loosened it up. Who outside of television circles knew about the autocue until it failed Holmes and he turned it into a prop?
In many ways he is not your typical New Zealander - I once saw him wearing a rock star ankle length green leather coat.
But he knew the heart and soul of New Zealand better than any broadcaster before him - he had the common touch.
Having delved into others' lives, he shares his own, not hiding from his frailties - marriage failure, parenting difficulties, health issues.
Blessed with an incredible work ethic - and dare I say it, the necessary professional ego - his schedule was not for the faint-hearted.
Few in any endeavour work harder, at such a consistently high level and under such daily scrutiny as he did for 15 years in those two top media roles.
Of course he is also a writer of note, fronted other projects and was involved in various causes dear to his heart. Not to mention his dabbling in acting, singing, dancing and flying.
The mere mention of Holmes earns instant recognition from anyone in their early 20s right through to the elderly - testament to his place in the media world.
Let's not forget, Paul Holmes is a Hawke's Bay product and resident. Of that we should be proud. Especially today, with the announcement that Holmes becomes Sir Paul.
I owe him a favour. I bet a lot of people do.
