Collins’ ex-superfan doesn’t regret tattoo

Historical features inside the former Hamilton Hotel are being carefully removed ahead of the construction of the Waikato Regional Theatre. Aaron Leaman reports.

ANational Party supporter who has Judith Collins tattooed on his thigh could be voting ACT if National doesn’t ‘‘pull the right triggers’’.

Nik Given, a born and bred rightwing supporter, has the former National Party leader’s image, pointing a gun, tattooed on his upper thigh, along with her nickname ‘‘Crusher Collins.’’ And he doesn’t regret it. Collins was rolled as National’s leader on Thursday after her demotion of former party leader Simon Bridges.

Collins stripped Bridges of his portfolios over a complaint about alleged comments to MP Jacqui Dean about five years ago, but was then ousted by her party the next day.

Shane Reti will stand in as interim leader until Tuesday, when a leadership vote will be held.

Given, who hails from Te Aroha in Waikato and met Collins during her election campaign, said her move against Bridges was ‘‘on the nose’’.

‘‘We had high hopes for her, but I think it needed to happen,’’ speaking to Stuff after the news she’d been rolled.

‘‘I was shocked, but not surprised.’’

And he’s not ruling out further political tattoos, saying ‘‘I’m the guy who would get a tattoo of David Seymour or Simon Bridges’’.

‘‘Maybe in the future, we will see what the future brings. Never say never.’’

But Given didn’t lose all faith in the woman inked on his thigh clasping a golden gun, saying the leadership was never going to be an easy task.

‘‘From a personal view, I think she’s a lovely lady, but . . . she wasn’t singing from the same song sheet as us.’’

Instead, Given wanted ‘‘a louder voice’’ from the opposition leader.

‘‘We may not hear and see everything she’s [Collins] done, but what we did hear and see we were let down.’’

Whoever takes over as the leader of the National Party needs to ‘‘take

‘‘I think she’s a lovely lady, but . . . she wasn’t singing from the same song sheet as us.’’

Nik Given

hold, gain respect and drive this things home’’, he said.

It seems Given’s devotion to Collins may just be skin deep – if he were to vote tomorrow it wouldn’t be for the blue party.

‘‘David Seymour would have my vote.

‘‘We’re still National supporters, but at the moment, we’re completely on the fence between National and ACT.

‘‘We need to see National pull its socks up and pull the right triggers and do what they need to do.’’

Given’s Crusher Collins tattoo lasted through National’s election night drubbing in October 2020, and he still doesn’t regret it.

‘‘It tells a story, it’s character building and it’s a laugh.’’

Life is short, he said.

So what did Given and his wife like about Collins?

‘‘We like her straight-up-ness, her gruffness, and her shootingfrom-the-hip attitude.’’

‘‘People don’t like straight-up behaviour . . . she was brutal . . . but we loved her.’’

The ex-superfan and his wife Mel met Collins at a Matamata cafe during her 2020 election campaign.

The group spoke about the political debates, the Covid-19 lockdown, small business uncertainty and farming.

Morrinsville tattoo artist Dave Mouat, of Famous Dave’s Tattoo Studio was the creator of the stylised Bond Girl ‘‘Crusher Collins’’ tattoo.

An American oak staircase. Ornate timber archways. Imposing leadlight windows. Piece by piece, heritage features inside the former Hamilton Hotel are being carefully removed and stored as the once stately building is methodically dismantled.

Over the next 28 months the Victoria St site will be reimagined as the region’s premier arts venue – the Waikato Regional Theatre.

Contractor Foster has been busy on site since a perimeter fence was erected around the corner property on October 19.

Three shops that sat between Embassy Park and the old hotel have been demolished, while work has started on removing two non-heritage buildings behind the theatre.

‘‘The three buildings that have been removed date from the 1970s, and so they have nothing to do with the historical nature of the rest of the site,’’ said Ross Hargood, chairman of the Waikato Regional Property Trust.

The trust is tasked with governing the theatre. Contractors have also dismantled Embassy Park’s Rocky Horror decorations, including its chandelier.

The preservation of historical features from inside the former hotel is a requirement of the theatre project’s resource consents, Hargood said.

‘‘They’re taken away, they’re stored in a container or storage facility that is approved by . . . Heritage New Zealand as being correct storage, and then we’ll put them back in when the theatre gets rebuilt.’’

Elements from the hotel’s Queen’s suite, such as furniture fittings and curtains, will also be preserved.

Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh stayed in the Hamilton Hotel in 1953 during their Commonwealth Tour.

The $76.3m theatre will feature a 1300-seat auditorium and will replace the disused Founders Theatre as the region’s premier arts venue. It’s expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2024.

The former Hamilton Hotel was the third building to be erected on the corner site, with the first two buildings destroyed by fire.

‘‘Fire was a major hazard back then,’’ said Mark Servian, Momentum Waikato communications and marketing manager.

‘‘Momentum Waikato has led the fundraising drive for the new theatre.

‘‘This building has a lot of concrete, it’s solid. In the 1920s, that would have been a bit of a technological feat. There would have been discussions at the time about how do we stop this thing burning down.’’

Demolition work at the corner site will continue through to February at which time earthworks are timed to start.

Work to support the hotel’s facade is expected to start in December or January.

The facade fronts Victoria St and Sapper MooreJones Pl and has been incorporated into the theatre’s design.

‘‘There is a plan that we had Foster devise to show how the facade is going to be held up because it’s a heritage aspect, so we have to support it while we strengthen and demolish the back of this building,’’ Hargood said.

Excavation and piling work for the theatre will start from mid-2022.

Delays caused by Covid-19 has put the project about a year to 14 months behind schedule.

‘‘The single obvious thing that might delay us further are issues around the supply chain,’’ Hargood said.

‘‘All these things we have to manage with Foster. We’re working on the basis of being honest with each other, about how much money we’ve got and how much time they’ve got.’’

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s Riff Raff statue will soon find a temporary home near Waikato Museum. The statue was removed from its Victoria St location to make way for the theatre development.

Servian, who lead the creation of the Riff Raff statue, said the artwork is likely to go back on public display by the museum in time for Christmas. Riff Raff was one of the main characters in The Rocky Horror Show. Servian said lockdown restrictions prevented Riff Raff being given a public farewell.

‘‘We came down at level 3, and we played the Rocky Horror Picture Show on a screen with nobody there. So we did manage a ritual of sorts,’’ he said.

Riff Raff will return to Embassy Park once the theatre is completed.