Blog

The winning businesses in the Light Up The Hutt 2021 challenge were announced this morning.  There were a record 27 entries in the challenge this year, with some really great Christmas windows on display.

A small judging panel organised by the Southend Business Group reviewed each of the windows both during the day and the night. The three top windows were considered to be:

Have you seen the two giant Christmas trees hidden in the scaffolding attached to the CML building on Laings Road?  This building is currently undergoing renovations for earthquake strengthening and conversion to apartments. John Feast, who is doing this development. arranged for his contractors to attach coloured lights to the scaffolding inside the protective windbreak cloth in the shape of a giant three story high Christmas tree.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/124975677/loafing-about-with-lower-hutts-fix-federation-bakers

The first Annual General Meeting of the Southend Business Group, originally planned for Thursday 10th June 2021, was adjourned and will be resumed on Tuesday 13th July, starting at 6:00pm in the Pasifika Hub, which is located at 2 Dudley Street.

All members and supporters are welcome to attend.  There will be light refreshments served prior to the meeting.

We look forward to seeing averyone there.

We have decided to push out the start date of this project – there is still a chance of rain for Monday and we want to give Michael Gray and opportunity to get back into the swing of business once returning from Australia for a family matter.

The extended weather is looking great for next Sunday so we are pushing forward to start the project on Sunday 2 May starting at 10AM to get the bollard and footpath painted.

Andrews Ave is a focus of Anzac Day commemoration in the Southend this year with a number of soldiers standing beside poles and the lawns sprouting remembrance poppies.

The annual Lower Hutt Dawn Service and parade will occur on the morning of Anzac Day at the nearby garden and war memorial in front of the Library.

Southend Street Community Working Bee and Street Party

April 26th corner of High Street and Laings Road 10am-4pm

The Southend Business Group is hosting a community working bee / street party on Monday April 26th to create a fun and colourful project on High Street. We invite you to join us to ‘Paint the Town’ and help to make the Southend of High Street the creative entrance to Lower Hutt.

The first of the Soundbites 2021 services of lunchtime concerts kicked of today in Andrews Ave after the one scheduled for last Friday was cancelled because of bad weather.  The concert today, featuring Aaron Andis was held in bright sunshine and attracted a festive crowd who came to listen and dance to the music.  Aaron played a number of popular songs that pleased the assembled crowd.

These free music events will happen each Friday from 12 noon - 2pm in Andrews Ave until the 26th March.  Refer here for the schedule of events.

The popular lunchtime music is coming back to Andrews Ave for 2021.  Every Friday from 12th February until 26th March, a local musician will be performing in Andrews Ave between 12 noon and 2pm.

Grab your lunch from a local cafe and come along to enjoy the outdoor environment and listen to the music. Performers are:

Win prizes by piecing together a secret Christmas code in a hunt across the streets of central Lower Hutt.  The map and list will help find these festive windows located around Central Hutt.

For more info check out facebook.com/discoverhuttcentral

Download a copy of the map here