IT'S WONDERFUL when your town becomes the centre of national attention, for a good reason.
Wednesday's World War I re-enactment of the march from the town hall to the Masterton railway station might have easily been the best 100 years event in New Zealand. As well as our collectors edition - which really couldn't do justice to how great the day was - there was generous reporting on TV news and radio.
The remarkable thing is Wairarapa is fortunate in its preservation of history. There must be numerous towns and cities in New Zealand, who may have done something equally poignant for their troops when war was declared and New Zealand said it would stand by Britain. But a century is a long time. There's no one to remember this, only documents and photographs - if they remain at all. So we are deeply indebted to the Wairarapa Archive, who have ensured our history remains rich, detailed and accurate. And there should be a big thanks to the Masterton District Council for setting this up.
The great thing is you can't really lose if you offer people an opportunity to dress up in a serious fashion. Most people will cringe at the thought of a fancy dress party, but offer a chance to put on period costume - especially a uniform - and most will jump at the chance. As well as the teenagers and adults who donned the army uniforms, there were many in the crowd who took the trouble to dress for the occasion.
I have had a couple of nonsensical emails from trolls (online bullies) who have pointed out flaws in the marching or some random historical incongruity. Tragic, tragic people, who certainly aren't worth responding to. I've seen the pride, the fun, the seriousness of the occasion. I've also seen how much our coverage has been followed, as this was the first time the Times-Age had experimented with video footage of the marching. That footage has been shared throughout New Zealand. It's early days for us with filming, but we hope to do more.
