Simon Bridges: Children's Christmas Parade Trust Chair on hiring a new float painter

A big job to hire the next float builder for the country's biggest Christmas parade. 

Auckland's Farmers Santa Parade's long-time elf is retiring his paintbrush - after five decades of building iconic floats. 
Applications are open for his replacement - requiring artistry and carpentry to take on a few new editions each year. 

Children's Christmas Parade Trust Chair Simon Bridges told Kerre Woodham they aren't restricting the search to just Auckland. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to The County Wooden Morning's podcast from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be The Farmer's Santa Parade is looking for a
new float builder for the first time in fifty years.
Simon Bridges, good morning to.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
You, morning Currie. Fifty. I look so fifty four years
and as you say, look challenge, but every challenge is
an opportunity. And I mean, let me just I do
want to wax lyricon about the parade, the Farmer's Santa Parade.
It's a grand old lady. It's been going. This will
be its ninety third year. It's as exciting as it

(00:40):
ever was. It's New Zealand's biggest parade. It's it's I
would argue it's people can text in on this as well.
I would argue it's the biggest outdoor event at about
one hundred and eighty thousand people each year. And you
know this year that Pete Taylor, our amazing float and
activation builder creator Creative, has put together. We've got Paddington Bear,

(01:05):
We've got the Grinch that's a new one. There'll be
lots of other favorite kids characters and cultural stuff from
Chinese dragons to you know, brass bands, and the lights.
So yeah, it's very exciting. But you're right, Pete, he is,
as I say, he's the builder, the float, repairs, the improvements,

(01:27):
the new ones. He's hanging up his ELF's hat and
that's after fifty four years.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Wow. So does he make the base upon which the
amazing visual spectacles are built or does he build all
the visual spectacle.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
As well as he does it all?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh my god, that's a job, and you.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Think about it over the year. I understand his favorite one,
even though it has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas,
was a flower power kind of hippie power one from
back in the day. But we've had Alps on the shelf,
We've had Cinderella, we've had Pirates, we've had underwater Mermaids,
we've had Mars and Space and obviously Centers one, which
I understand is technically very very difficult to make, and

(02:10):
you know it's got to be subject to the high
levels of scrutiny that it gets. So your Peter has
done all of that. Now he deserves the knighthood really for.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
For absolutely So what sort of person do you need?
I mean, we've given our movies that we've made. Here
is it somebody with a background in set design or
do you need an engineer or I.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Mean, I think that would be amazing. I mean, I
think ultimately there's two things you need to be sent
as special helper or helpers plural in this area that
we're on the lookout for. I mean, one is, to
your point, it's artistry, it's creativity, it's it's ideation, it's painting,
because you are coming up with the floats, right, So
I said, this year a new one is the grinch.

(02:52):
Last year or the year before, we had a kind
of key we area one with jandles and caravans and
all of that kind of thing. So you are doing that,
but then look, obviously you also need to be a
good builder. You need fabrication, you need carpentry.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
That's a lot of skill sets.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
It's a lot of skills. You know, it's lucky the
Centers Farmers Parade is so well funded.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Well, but I mean, is there anybody around who could
do that these days because in the in this day
of specialization, we're young apprentices now sort of don't get
that broad based learning of jobs. Would it be?

Speaker 1 (03:32):
I think there is. I think there certainly is, and
you know, we're you know, we've got a few ideas,
but we love more. I think, you know, and I'm
not trying to be ages here. We'd love to see
a twenty year old. We'd love to see a forty
year old. But I do think, you know, for someone
who's sat there and here is a lifetime of skills
and they're now looking for something part time, obviously it

(03:55):
would also be a passion project for them because they're
part of a legacy and they're creating a new legacy
as well as lifetime memories. You know, it may well
suit someone in that kind of category as well. I
think I think we'll be lucky. I feel good about it,
and to just sort of get be clear out there

(04:16):
if you're interested, if you're listening to this and you say,
you know what, I could do this, or perhaps you
think that your husband, your partner who's not listening right
right now might be the guy or girl for this
Santa Parade dot co dot and ZI, that's where you'd apply,
and we would love, we would We would be privileged
to hear from you.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
Is it a full time job, son.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
No, I think we're thinking part time. It is pay
but of course, you know, I think really your motivation
would be you'd want to be involved in this and
you want to be doing something special for for Auckland,
actually for New Zealand as the biggest one of the
few left actually center parades.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
A lot of people are suggesting Pete wolf Camp for
Santa's helper, skilled for the job, or have you approached
the Men's Shed they're retired jump and does you're amazing.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
We've vaguely thought about that, and you know that that
is an option to do. One person is a potential legalless.
I do think though, that there is an idea around there,
around around groups of people actually who get in and
do this. And you know, we've been scratching our hair
a bit. It's a bit a bit because fifty four
years with one great guy is you know, that's easy

(05:29):
that you get comfortable with that. But but it's time
for him and we're moving on, and you know, I
think an individual, individuals, a group the Men's Shed, that's
a good idea actually, and that they're the sort of
things we think about as well.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
So okay, so it doesn't have to be our person.
It could be a group of people who have the
skills that could come together, and.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
I think that's right. But I think you know, we'd
welcome all of the above. If you're sitting there as
a say, and you're you're you know what, I'd enjoy that.
I want to move on from my bird boxes and
my big steps and I want to do something bigger.
You know, we might have a talk to you.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, okay? And do they have to live in Auckland
or can they come from anywhere?

Speaker 1 (06:13):
I don't think that's essential, you know. In fact, we
already sort of broadly speaking, have a few thoughts I
think out of the White Catoba plentee. So you know,
we're prepared to be lateral on this one because it's
a special you know, I arguldly be one of the
best jobs out there. And we want to cast down
net far and wide.

Speaker 2 (06:32):
And how many floats will they.

Speaker 1 (06:33):
Have to build? Well, the good news is we already
have a lot of floats. They're durable, PiZZ done a
quality job on them. But I would suggest look every year,
because we want to keep this thing fresh and exciting
for the children of New Zealand. Were thinking about another
one or two floats a year. So I think you

(06:54):
want that actually, because you want to keep it new
and creative and innovative and interesting for yourself. If you're
the person, the lucky person to be doing this job.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Thank you so much, goodlie, and we'll keep people updated
on the search. That is Simon Bridges, Auckland Children's Christmas
Parade Trust Chair, Auckland Business Chamber Chief executive. But looking
for a new float builder from anywhere can be a
conglomerate of skills and if you think you've got the skills,
Sandiparade dot co dot in set for more from Carrywood

(07:27):
and Mornings.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
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