The Star: April 18, 2024

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Christ Church
Cathedral
Restoration of the Christ
Church Cathedral should never
have gone ahead, because it’s
turned out to be a money pit.
The cathedral is not a tourist
attraction, it has been an icon to
the city for many years.
Sir Gilbert Scott wanted to
build the cathedral in timber but
changed the plans when a good
supply of building stone was
found in Canterbury.
So there is the answer, don’t
miss the opportunity, demolish
the cathedral and rebuild it in
timber. The existing stones could
be incorporated into a courtyard
surrounding the new build.
If the debate continues, the
restoration process is only going
to take longer and be more
expensive. In its current state
it’s an eyesore and a letdown to
the city. There are many new
buildings surrounding the
square, and the cathedral does
no justice to them. It’s looks
unsightly and out of place.
The Christ Church Cathedral is
past it’s used by date. It’s time for
a change.
-Steve Atwood, Riccarton
In my point of view it’s very
important to preserve the
heritage building for locals and
LETTERS 19
Wizard offers to head up cathedral fundraiser
YOU WOULDN’T believe
the lack of accountability,
misinformation and
incompetence. Just like the Arts
Centre Trust, and the Santa
Parade, and almost everything
the Christchurch City Council is
interfering with or mismanaging.
I am proud of the part our
tiny group of activists in the
Restore Christ Church Cathedral
movement played in saving the
building from almost certain
demolition. Bishop Matthews,
the dean, the chapter, and the
church property trustees were
all united in a desperate attempt
to bulldoze the partly-damaged
visible icon of the Anglican
Canterbury settlement of the
artistic 19th century Romantic
movement.
Fortunately the synod listened
to our impassioned pleas and
voted against demolition. All
that the woke and incompetent
Anglican elite can do now to
create more satanic despair is to
make a dog’s dinner out of the
restoration. I have offered many
times to head a fundraising
campaign for them to get the job
done quickly and efficiently.
Though I say it myself, there
is no one else in the world quite
like me. I am a genius of noneconomic
and non-political
cultural self promotion. In 1968
I deliberately set myself up as
CAMPAIGN: The Wizard is proud of the part he and other
activists played in saving the cathedral from demolition.
a target for all those of ill will.
As the world’s only university,
art gallery and governmentappointed
wizard, I could do so
much to promote the image of
this completely unique city.
The reason is that it was
founded by the English Romantic
Movement as a Christian
Tolkienesque dream to be
realised in this extraordinary
land at the ends of the Earth.
Imagine the impact in the
United Kingdom of the Official
Wizard of New Zealand
campaigning to raise fun and
funds to save the important
symbol of our city cathedral
from demolition or mothballing
by the bungling and out-of-touch
woke Anglican authorities.
I could also sell huge numbers
of my South Up maps.
The world has been turned
upside down by my opposite,
the evil wizard in Davos. Truth,
beauty and goodness have not
yet been entirely destroyed by
our ruling elites. I am doing the
best to make him and the fools in
his thrall not only look evil but
ridiculous.
Thursday April 18 2024 The Star
tourists. But since the restoration
cost released few days ago is
exorbitant, that money can
be well spent on building new
hospitals, schools and housing
for the community.
One way to achieve the
restoration and being money wise
is by keeping the less harmed
current building structure with
minimal repairs and demolishing
the badly affected area and
rebuilding it using modern
building technology. That way
the whole new cathedral will
have a fusion of old and new
features. After 100 years this
combination of old and new will
be in itself a heritage site to be
taken care of.
-Ashlesha Verulkar
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on the issues affecting life
in Canterbury
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