Holidays through kids' eyes

It's been a while since I last wrote for this column, as I have been enjoying some family time on a much awaited holiday to the USA.

All of us had a great time, although I am officially at my saturation point of roller coasters and log flumes!

Travelling with children makes you see the world differently, and I loved hearing some of the commentary from ours regarding the places we went to. They noticed that schools near the parts of the US that we were in had less green space than their school back in Stratford, which they decided they wouldn't like if they lived there. They also noticed the proliferation of shopping malls over individual shops, and wondered if any of the shop staff would know your name, "like they do in Stratford".

This isn't to say that they didn't love their trip, they did, and they will certainly miss some of the things they discovered in the States, (if any local hairdresser ever wants to open up a Disney princess themed boutique, I have a seven-year-old ready to book in right now!) but they certainly also see the positives of living in a community like Stratford.

On arriving home last week a few friends asked me if I was looking forward to going back to work, the simple answer is yes! The great thing about the team at the Stratford Press is that everyone helps out and gets on with things. So I wasn't coming back to a pile of stuff to deal with on my desk, but rather an efficient and well-run office. While I was away our reporter, Hannah, worked incredibly hard making sure that the Stratford Press was kept full of local news, community events and local pictures. I owe her a huge thank you for the work and effort, as it made my holiday far more enjoyable knowing she was doing such a good job, as were all of the team.

Within days of being back it was time for submissions to be heard on the Stratford District Council Long Term Plan. Listening to submitters speak during the day, I was reminded of what makes our town so great - that people care about it. They care enough to make submissions, rather than just sit back and complain about decisions that are made.

On the subject of caring, this week's Stratford Press has an article about three local women who were in Nepal at the time of the earthquake. Hannah and I were talking about running an article when I received a phone-call from a lovely lady in Hamilton. She had been sitting next to one of the women, Kate, on a flight from Auckland to Australia. She remembered Kate telling her that she was from Stratford and that she was headed to Nepal. This passing conversation stuck in her mind when she heard of the earthquake, and rang the Stratford Press to see if we could find out who the woman was and find out if she was safe. It was lovely to be able to tell her that yes, Kate was indeed safe, and also lovely to think that someone Kate had met for just a few short hours had cared enough to ring us and ask us to find out if she was ok.

Caring for our neighbours, even ones we meet only fleetingly, goes a long way in building a great community, which is why the Stratford Press is proud to be part of the Pride of New Zealand Awards, nominations for which are now open. If you know someone in our community who goes out of their way for others, then visit the website www.prideofnzawards.co.nz and nominate them.

Until next time,

Ilona