Q&A with Fringe Mag’s musical editor

He’s quietly spoken but has a big influence as editor of Fringe Magazine - the local magazine that we love getting in our letterboxes across the Waitākere Ranges community. Meet Bevis England

Tell us a little about yourself. Who is Bevis when you’re not putting together the next issue of The Fringe?

To quote a character from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, “He’s just this guy, you know”. Nothing special .

How did you come to be involved with The Fringe, and what made you want to publish a magazine about this community?

The Fringe was originally launched by my late partner, Rene Bridges, in December 2002. Back then it was The Titirangi Tatler. Rene was the first female cadet reporter in the UK when she left school at 16 and had been a journalist ever since. She had always wanted her own publication and thought that the Tatler could add to Titirangi’s vibe. When she became unwell in 2011, I kept the magazine running and eventually took it over when she passed at the end of that year.

What do you think makes Titirangi such an interesting place to read about?

There’s a unique combination of geography and environment that positions Titirangi quite literally on the fringe of heaven. That Titirangi is a long way from the CBD is also an important factor. When we had to change the name of the magazine, The Fringe was an obvious choice. When you’re on the edge, you’re both on the outside looking in and the inside looking out. In Titirangi, and throughout the western edge of Auckland, we live on this this fringe, which is what makes us all interesting.

After publishing The Fringe, you must have met plenty of local characters. Is there a story, person or encounter that particularly sticks in your mind?

We’re all special, unique people in our own ways. Living on the fringe means that we have to find our own ways of managing life’s challenges – whether it’s power cuts, water failures, storm-damaged roads, buses that can’t negotiate our roads, or speed humps that damage our vehicles and restrict our ability to get around. But perhaps the most memorable character was an artist, potter, musician and great guy who lived in Huia: John Green, who passed almost 20 years ago (December 11, 2006). He used to provide cartoons for the Tatler and I still remember him personally delivering the hand-drawn images every month.

What goes into producing an issue that readers probably never see or think about?

Publishing is becoming a bit of an arcane art. Of course, there’s all the bits and pieces that are obvious once you stop to think about it: choosing the paper, getting the print quotes, sourcing the advertising to pay for everything, liaising with writers and contributors to get the stories and photos for each issue, choosing the standard fonts and building the page templates, checking the facts and the background research for every story, putting everything together and preparing it for the printer, and managing the distribution once its printed. But what readers might not see is the balancing acts (preserving the right balance between advertising and editorial, pictures and words, and the best spread of stories in each issue) and the dedication to detail (consistent spelling, punctuation and grammar; precise positioning of each element on every page; the precise cropping of each image; and more) that every issue requires. And then there is the invoicing, the administration, debt collection …

How has Titirangi changed during the time you’ve lived and worked here, and what do you hope we never lose?

There have been many changes over the 27 years I have been living in the West. Our environment has changed, from sea levels eroding the coastline to kauri dieback becoming a major threat to the Waitakere Ranges and pest plants proliferating throughout the West. Some fool released feral chickens in the Village, sparking a major problem for businesses, residents, visitors and the local board. Lopdell House was restored and we gained a new art gallery in the process. Some special shops have gone (Shirleys, Gone West books, the original hardware shop, the post office and Kiwibank branch, the ATM machines) being replaced by takeaway outlets and tattoo parlours.

But we still have an eclectic mix of homes tucked away on bush-clad hillsides, reached by winding roads without footpaths or proper drainage. And we still have so much local entertainment – markets, open mic nights, the theatre, Flicks, house concerts, and more – that we don’t have to keep travelling to the CBD. And we still have so many people who are working to add to the life of the Village: the environmental activists and the librarians, the singing group that meets in the RSA, the people behind the Village’s Christmas lights, the developers behind 1 Rangiwai Road and The Rise, the volunteers that keep the theatre and the Titirangi Business Association going, and many, many more.  I hope that doesn’t change.

When you’re not working on The Fringe, what do you enjoy doing and where are we most likely to find you?

Life is an ever-changing jigsaw but The Fringe is always present: there are always emails to answer, people to see, events to attend ....

But there are other passions. Once upon a time I managed the Australian Federal Government’s telework promotion campaign with seminar tours, a massive web site, workshops, consulting and more, all from my home office in Huia. I still think telework is important for our country, our businesses and everyone who commutes, and I still think we need to be doing a lot more to remove the need to travel. Not only is not travelling the cheapest way to reduce congestion and pollution but also it means our communities and Villages can become much more vibrant places to live, work and shop.

I also think we need to be doing a lot more to prepare for the changes we can no longer avoid. Our climate is changing, our economy is becoming more and more fragile, the potential for sudden, unpredictable events (from earthquakes to US presidential utterances) is ever-present. Are we ready for what is coming next?

And then there are the tasks that maintain home and garden; and a beautiful country to explore, cycle trails to ride, and music to play.

Yep, it’s a complex jigsaw.

What are a few of your Titirangi favourites: a place to eat or drink, somewhere to walk, a local business, or simply a spot you love?

Huia Bay, Titirangi Beach and the Zig Zag track, Exhibition Drive, Piha Beach and Kitekite Falls, Bethells Beach. The list is endless. We are so lucky to have such a rich and varied environment.