Tradie celebrations

Independent painting contractor Chris Stanton (second from right) and James Wren and Co painters (from left) Rhys Brumby, Glenn Tumaru, and company contract supervisor Blair Mitchell (at right) relax on Tradies Day in Dunedin yesterday, after a busy six months of work.

Mr Mitchell said that after reduced activity through the coronavirus restrictions in the first half of the year, the second half had been the busiest for the firm in at least the past five years.

The tradies day, which drew scores of people to the Octagon yesterday afternoon, had been a welcome break of "good positivity".

The upsurge in work in Dunedin had been 50% domestic, and 50% new building construction, including at the new School of Dentistry complex, he said.