Hawke's Bay electrician celebrates award with proposal

Buzz Barham, left, director and general manager of Buzz Electrics, proposes to partner Maria Hooper during the Master Electricians awards. Photo / Supplied

He'll never die wondering, Buzz Barham.

No, the director and general manager of Hastings-based Buzz Electrics isn't a man afraid to ask a question.

Last week's Master Electrician Awards in Auckland was no exception, with Barham surprising the event organisers with an unusual request.

Barham and his team were up for two awards. Firstly the excellence award, for a project of $1 to $5 million for their work at Villa Maria's new winery build, as well as the under $1 million category for the Dags to Riches project at Cavalier Bremworth.

Barham rang to ask if he was going to win. Not so he could prepare a speech, mind. No, this enquiry was from the heart.

When Buzz Electrics duly won the award for their efforts at Villa Maria, Barham stunned onlookers by reaching for a ring box from the on-stage trophy table and proposing to longtime partner Maria Hooper.

"On [accepting] our first award [for Cavalier Bremworth] I actually tripped on the table and somebody actually said to me afterwards 'you're a magician. Is that when you put the ring there','' Barham said.

In truth, it had been surreptitiously placed there by the awards staff, who were more than happy to oblige Barham.

You see, what they hadn't told him was that he was going to receive the prestigious Industry Champion Award as well.

"I didn't know this was coming. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the whole night, what with the awards and now a wife on the way,'' said Barham.

"It still hasn't sunk in. I'm just a regular guy doing his job and coming to work.

"It's nice to know people think of you that way, but I certainly don't look at myself as an industry champion. I'm just trying to pay the bills and make sure everyone else in the business can pay theirs.''

As for the proposal, that had been brewing for a couple of years. Eventually Barham decided the awards night might be the perfect setting, only there was one hitch.
The ring was designed and made in Australia and hadn't arrived in Hawke's Bay by the time Barham had left for Auckland.

Colleague Daniel White was on a later flight and dashed off to collect the ring and ensure the evening was one to remember for the whole Buzz Electrics team.