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Nelson Weekly
News
TUESDAY 8 April 2014
Your Community Newspaper
‘Flash mob’ proposal stuns bride-to-be
Andrew Board Editor SmokErS: More than 10 per cent of Nelson’s Year 10 students admit to being regular smokers, according to information released by Action on Smoking and Health. The survey of 27,921 students nationwide showed that 76 per cent of students in Nelson aged 14 and 15 said they’d never smoked, while 4.1 per cent say they’re daily smokers and 7.3 per cent say they’re regular smokers. More than 12 per cent weren’t completed. NoiSY plANE DElAYED: The arrival of NZ Post’s Fokker 27 Friendship to undertake the mail service in Nelson has been delayed until the end of April. Chief Executive Kaye McNabb was advised last week that the upgrade of the navigational equipment at Blenheim Airport has been delayed until the end of the month, after the royal visit. low crimE: Total crime in the Tasman Police District is at its lowest point since 1996, according to figures released by Statistics New Zealand. The stats, which are to December 31 last year, show that crime in the district has been steadily declining since a peak of 18,804 offences in 2009. Last year, there were 14,634 offences recorded.
andrew@nelsonweekly.co.nz
Kathy Barton will never have another lunch break like it. Hauled up in front of dozens of singing and dancing strangers in the Richmond Mall food court, Kathy was handed a bunch of flowers before the “flash mob” split leaving her partner Craig Kempton standing ten metres away in a tie and holding an engagement ring. “I was stunned,” she says, “Completely shocked. I was like a stunned mullet, it was surreal.” Craig spent six weeks organising the wedding proposal and included the expertise of Soundstage for the “flash mob” of singers and dancers, belting out the song “I think I want to marry you”. He also organised for one of Kathy’s friends to meet her during her lunch break from Farmers and for their family members to appear at the end of the proposal. “I got three hours sleep on Friday night,” says Craig. “I was so nervous but 99.9 per cent sure it would end the way
A flash mob turned into a marriage proposal at Richmond Mall on Saturday with Craig Kempton getting down on one knee to his bride-to-be Kathy Barton. Photos: Andrew Board. I wanted it to. I had no exit strategy.” The proposal started with Kathy enjoying lunch before two Soundstage members broke into song, by the second verse dozens of others, ranging from children to older adults had joined in and had the mall rocking. As the song came to a close, Craig’s youngest son Shaun approached Kathy with a bunch of flowers, took her
i t o y n r T to w i n
hand and led her to the front of the flash mob. There she stood with her hand over her mouth as the mob split and Craig was left standing with the ring. The crowd broke out into applause as he walked towards her, got on one knee and proposed. Shaking, she said yes. Craig says he got the idea from a Youtube clip and was thrilled with how it turned out. “We were just buzzing, abso-
lutely buzzing. It went off better than I could have dreamed.” Kathy says while the engagement was a complete shock and surprise she’s warned Craig to not even try to beat it. “I’ve told him he’s not even allowed to try,” she joked. On Sunday the pair said they were still “on cloud nine” after the engagement but had no firm plans about when or where the wedding would take place.
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STACEYS
Redeemable at any stockist for REVUE or VUE product. Competition closes 30th May. Visit our website for a link to enter
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Everyday free parking Like us on facebook! OPEN EVERY DAY • Thursdays open till 8pm • Food Court • Free WiFi Cnr of Queen, Croucher & Talbot Streets, Richmond. • P: 544 6259 • www.richmondmall.co.nz
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