News release – 8 October 2003 for immediate use.
Upper Hutt gets ''Golden Spike Award''
Upper Hutt City has received an honorary ''Golden Spike'' Award from Woy Woy, Gosford City in New South Wales. Woy Woy
is celebrating its connections with Spike Milligan with an inaugural 10 day comedy festival. Following a business visit
to N.S.W Upper Hutt City Promotion Manager Paul Lambert made arrangements for Upper Hutt to be the New Zealand partner
to the festival.
Upper Hutt held “a walking backwards for Christmas” event last Saturday based on early Spike Milligan radio shows. The
“Golden Spike” award was presented in Woy Woy for a range of achievements and one has been sent to Upper Hutt.
Paul Lambert adds that the event here created a great deal of interest and drew a range of contacts that means the
festival could well become an annual event and grow.
One Upper Hutt resident forwarded an original letter from Spike Milligan and another revealed having got married in Woy
Woy. The stage manager of a children’s production of Bad Jelly the Witch offered assistance for next year. Consideration
is being given to making arrangements for the winners of next year’s Upper Hutt poetry competition attending Woy Woy’s
second “Spikefest.”
Ends