TAKAPUNA MAN'S DAILY LOOP NOW HAS A BLOODY SHRINE — HE HASN'T NOTICED
Locals built a small altar on the corner of Hurstmere. Kevin walks past it twice a day without looking up.
A Takapuna bloke who's walked the same loop every morning since 2011 now has a shrine in his honour on Hurstmere Road. He has walked past it 14 times without noticing.
Kevin Doddrell, 71, retired sparky, sets off at 6.45am sharp. Down to Takapuna Beach, back via Lake Road, home for the cricket. The shrine went up Sunday — a wooden box, a laminated photo of Kevin, a tea light, and a pair of his old work boots someone donated.
"He just walks straight past it," said neighbour Marjorie Singh, who helped build it. "We thought he'd at least slow down. He nodded at the tea light once. That's it."
A second resident, Hamish Carruthers, said the shrine was a tribute to "the most reliable thing on the Shore, including the bloody ferry." Council has been alerted to the unconsented structure. A spokesperson said they were "choosing not to engage at this time," which around here means they've also walked past it.
Kevin, contacted on his return loop, said he'd seen "something" on the corner but assumed it was a Buy Nothing pile. Asked if he knew the boots were his, he looked down at his current boots. "Bugger. Thought I'd lost those."
The shrine remains. Kevin is due past it again at 6.45 tomorrow.
Know someone this is about? Send it to them.
Spotted something like this in your area?
Send us a photo and a sentence. We'll write the article.
SUBMIT A YARN →Free. Anonymous if you want. Takes 60 seconds.
Reader Letters
Margaret_F
Back in my day, we'd have noticed a shrine even if it was just a painting of the Queen hung at the RSA.
BarryBishopdale
Council choosing not to engage. Classic! Like when my submission about the pothole outside Countdown went missing in '18.
Garry (Halswell)
Kevin, he's a good bloke. Never in a hurry but unwavering. Aside from the cricket, of course.
couchgremlin
Lol. Tealights are tiny.