A message from the past came to light this week during refurbishment work on the Havelock North Cricket Pavilion, recalling the origins of the building built in 1938.
Tucked away in a side wall of the kitchen area was a Mitchell's Prize Crop tobacco tin, and inside that a small block of wood signed by the original builders and contractors: Arthur Clapperton, J A Gardner, D Joll, A Lindsay.
Dated September 1, 1938, Thursday's discovery was not the first time the memento had been unearthed.
In 2007, builder Trevor Ellmers found it while carrying out alterations to the kitchen, and added a business card with his details written on the back, before replacing it for the next person to find.
The latest outing for the tin came courtesy of Atkins Construction builder and site foreman Ernest Harding who rang Hastings District Council with the news.