Events with edge

From cutting-edge designs and the models that made them soar, to whimsical weddings and more, Weekend Post staged countless successful media events over the years.

Those were the years of glitz and glam, of energy and excitement, of edgy models, gorgeous fashion and showstopping events that everybody wanted to be a part of. 

Linda Harwood started as promotions manager at what was then Times Media Eastern Cape in 1992, as a fresh-faced 23-year-old.

 At this time the group had The Herald, Weekend Post, Evening Post and community newspaper Algoa Sun as titles.

“My position was new and the promotions department was started to create media events which could attract sponsors, as well as generate income via public ticket sales or advertising-driven event supplements,” Harwood said.

 “We started a number of successful annual events for Weekend Post.

“The Weekend Post Bridal Fair with its hugely popular Win a Wedding competition, which I started at the Hellenic Hall, endured for more than 20 years — Profiles gym owner Helen Mentzel even married her husband, Colin, onstage at one Bridal Fair at the glamorous old Feather Market Centre!”

At its peak, the Bridal Fair attracted nearly 4,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors over three days.

The Weekend Post Bride of the Year competition invited newlyweds to send in their favourite wedding photograph. 

Wine fundi Olga Hafner, first with SFW and then with Meridian Wines, arranged a weekend in the winelands for the winning couple for many years — a treat enjoyed by many well-known, now long-married couples still living in the Bay. 

Then there was the Weekend Post Faces of the Future modelling competition, which launched many a young aspiring model and designer’s career, and included a lucrative modelling contract and an overseas holiday. 

This competition enjoyed a collaboration with the final-year Nelson Mandela University design department for years.

“Entertaining the eccentric designer judges who were flown in for the final judging gala night was definitely a highlight,” Harwood said. 

“Other standout events were Weekend Post Diwali Queen, with its rich history in our local Hindu community headed then by the late Boya Chetty, and the popular Shamrocks football club

Weekend Post Showtime Awards championed by the late Bob Eveleigh, who had a lifetime of knowledge in theatre and musicals.

“Weekend Post Matric of the Year; the Weekend Post Mini Marathon... all were strong, well-supported events, each with a wealth of stories.

“But who could forget the crazy daily and weekly sales-driven number games called Scoop and Supacard, when readers called our office daily with their winning numbers!”

Harwood has wonderful memories of working closely with “absolute professionals — the late Bob and Sally Kernohan (passionate journalists), Kevin Reed (the most flamboyant accountant you’d ever meet), Debbie Derry of La Femme renown, and so many zany and creative photographers like Bob Binnell, Ivor Markman, Mike Holmes, Donna Watson, Salvelio Meyer and Eugene Coetzee, just to name a few”.

“But the most colourful personality at Weekend Post, whom I had the honour of working with for many years, resulting in a lifelong friendship, was Barbara Robertson.

“Her wealth of knowledge in fashion, design, beauty and living life to the full is legendary,” Harwood said. 

“Barbara lived, worked, played and wrote with passion about every event she was involved in. 

“Both my daughters adored her; as I was a working mom, they accompanied me to many an event, or a visit to the glamorous Barbie, whom they watched with awe when she ran with them on the grass in her gorgeous stilettos!”

Bev Gaia, another person closely associated with the paper’s events over the years, said Weekend Post was “always at the forefront of what was hot and happening”. 

“My journey at Weekend Post spanned 21 years, starting in 1994. From advertising sales representative to features manager, and then moving to circulation, promotions manager, marketing manager and regional sales manager, I was fortunate to work with talented people and on some incredible projects. 

“I left in 2015 to start my own marketing company, taking along with me experience gained and friendships formed during the good old Weekend Post days.”

Weekend Post was an institution in its heyday, Gaia said.

The editorial content catered for every member of the family, and it was an unashamedly upmarket and aspirational weekend read. 

“Editors I fondly remember include Jeremy McCabe and Charmain Naidoo, and editor-in-chief Jethro Goko. 

“The newspaper environment was vibrant and energetic; there was always something happening, and boundaries were always being pushed.”

Weekend Post actively sought to discover and promote talent in the city, Gaia said.

For instance, Style Force, a collaboration between Weekend Post and the now NMU, identified local modelling talent while promoting the work of student designers. 

“This platform showcased the models and designers, many of whom featured on international stages,” she said. 

“Barbara Robertson’s vision and creativity at these shows ensured that they were the place to be on the Bay’s social calendar.” 

Another promotion Gaia fondly remembers was Inkuthazo, a collaboration with General Motors. 

“We identified various projects where we believed we could make a difference, and then invited readers and local businesses to assist. 

“The promotion saw us host the aged at a Christmas lunch, we washed and walked dogs, painted and brightened up an old aged home, collected items for the needy, took disadvantaged children to animal farms, did a beach and oceanarium clean up... and the readers were actively involved.”

HeraldLIVE