Editorial: Sheepish end to week of flocking

Sometimes, particularly during election years, public organisations get slightly carried away with ceremonies.
Ribbons are cut and speeches given at the start and finish of everything, from new footpaths to upgraded toilet blocks.
Lately it's felt a bit like that. Still months away from the election, every project or campaign that kicks off has a senior politician trekking up from Wellington to join the launch.
(Incidentally, when I started in newspapers eagle-eyed subeditors wouldn't allow the word "launch" for anything that wasn't directly related to a boat, which led to a lot of stories about "events to mark the start" of things.)
So I was sceptical at first when invited to a ceremony to mark the unveiling of a plaque for an artwork that had been around for 22 years. It seemed a bit of a tenuous reason for a photo opportunity.
But the little ceremony - which was actually carried out with very little ceremony - turned out to be the nicest event I went to all week.
Gary Hebley is the artist who, in 1989, created the five sheep who stand in a little huddle by the clock tower in Hastings.
For reasons unknown, his name and the name of the artwork were not recorded at the site (which has moved once or twice over the years). That was rectified on Friday when a new plaque was unveiled by the artist, his wife Diane and Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers.
A dozen or so people stood around and talked about the sheep, had a giggle at some of the sheepish pranks they'd been subjected to and the new plaque was revealed.
It was, quite simply, a chance to give long overdue recognition to a man who created one of the city's most endearing landmarks.
And it revealed to me - and reminded others - that the sheep all have names, which means now every time I pass by I can say a quiet hello to Chloe, Molly, Polly, Sally and Suzie.