KASSIE MACKAY| National
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Medical receptionists across the country are struggling to contain their excitement this evening, as they prepare to release the long-awaited June 2019 issue of New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.
The monthly mag is rumoured to contain exclusive photos of the newest royal, Prince Archie, the regular challenging cryptic crosswords, along with an article that confidently describes how the All Blacks will lift the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Gillian Coleman, a Practice Administrator at a Wellington medical centre, is among those counting down to the launch.
“As the administrative lead at my practice, I am basically head of patients’ waiting room experience. It’s really important to me that the time spent waiting to see a GP becomes an opportunity to engage with the top-quality media content from the last decade.
“We can’t just put out any magazine in our waiting rooms,” Gillian scoffs. Peering over the top of her cloudy progressive lenses, she explains that, “we must capture the mood of the nation and provide content that takes them back to a better time. I personally cannot wait to revisit a time before Covid-19 and the death of our beloved Queen Elizabeth.”
After pausing to say a prayer for the deceased monarch, Gillian excitedly swivels around in her chair to open a drawer stuffed full of glossy magazines, each one labelled with its publication date and its slated waiting room launch date. Eyes glistening, Gillian reveals that “[medical receptionists] plan our rollouts years in advance, hoarding magazines for up to 10 years before distributing them.”
According to Gillian, the delay between publication and waiting room release not only enhances the nostalgia factor, it also makes the puzzle pages far more challenging: “a crossword is much more cryptic when you throw in a change of cultural context!”
When the Whakataki Times approached Gillian’s colleagues around the country, they echoed her sentiments and shared in her sense of anticipation about the forthcoming 2019 issue. Those in Gillian’s waiting room were less thrilled by the news, however, with several patients asking the question: “seriously?”
More to come.
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