Summer Times for Friday 15 January 2021

 

09:05 UK nurse concerned about Kiwi Covid response  

Yesterday Britain reported 1564 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19 on Wednesday, a record daily toll. Those updated numbers mean more people have died in the UK in the second wave of the pandemic than the first wave last year. The increase in cases is driven by cases of the new UK more infectious variant of Covid 19. 

There have now been almost 85,000 deaths in Britain - the fifth highest figure globally - and 3.2 million have tested positive for Covid 19. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday there were about 32,000 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, about 70 percent more than during the peak of the first outbreak last April, and that the risk of intensive care units being overwhelmed was substantial.

One of the people working in those units in New Zealander Hayley Reid who works as agency intense care nurse. She works one day contracts in UK ICUs and can be at multiple hospitals in one week. 

09:20 Prada Cup begins in Auckland 

After months of preparation and a bit of controversy - America's cup racing is set to begin this afternoon - with the Prada Cup in Auckland. 

This series will determine which of the challengers, Luna Rossa, Ineos Team UK and American Magic, will race Team New Zealand for the America's cup. The first race is this afternoon. Richard Gladwell is the editor of Sail World New Zealand and joins Emile for a preview. 

09:25 Lydia Edwards on the history of the jandal 

You may remember last week Jesse spoke to a man who managed to sell 3 left jandals on trade me for $190, which lead to many people sharing their love of the rubber summer footwear

Jandals are just as popular in Australia, where they are called thongs, and Australian fashion historian Lydia Edwards has taken a deep dive into the history of the jandal. She speaks to Summer Times from Edith Cowan University in Perth

09:30 Kāpiti locals fed up with goose invasion 

A flock of Canada geese is causing quite the stink on the Kāpiti Coast. Geoff Amos says locals are sick of the birds fouling up the Awatea Lake in Paraparaumu. He's launched a petition asking the council to manage the birds - by giving the birds pest status, and to introduce culling. 

10:00 Sir Bob Charles tees off 

He's one of world golf's best left handers, and was the first lefty to win a golf major. Naturally Sir Bob Charles also been described as New Zealand's greatest golfer. Sir Bob competed in the golden age of professional golf, and also gained the title of 'best putter in the world'. 

He was knighted in 1999 for his services to golf, and elevated to the Order of New Zealand in 2011. Geoff Saunders - who can also swing a club -  has written Sir Bob's autobiography, a book that was 10 years in the making. Both of them join Emile to talk a life lived on golfing greens.  

10:30 Film critic: Dan Slevin 

Dan Slevin joins Emile with some January picks for what to watch at the cinema and at home. 

10:45 Podcast: Are we there yet?

11:00 Bookmarks: Māni Dunlop 

Māni Dunlop is RNZ's head of Māori News, and host of Midday Report. 

11:40 Sea shanty TikTok? 

One of the first cultural trends of 2021 is a revival of sea shanties! Social media platform TikTok lets people make short videos with audio to share. But importantly you can add to other people's videos. One particular shanty has taken the platform by storm, and suddenly everyone is singing and sharing one particular sea shanty, with a surprising New Zealand connection.

Sea shanties? Local history? Choral arrangements? This is all very much in the wheelhouse of RNZ's Robert Kelly so he's sailed into the studio to fill us in.

11:45 Regions: Blair Sommerville 

Time to cross now to regional New Zealand - today we're going slightly astray of the beaten track - to the wilderness of the south. I'm speaking to Blair Somerville - who's based at Papatowai in the Catlins.