Team had time to develop stories without urgent daily deadline

Charmain Naidoo was Weekend Post’s managing editor from 2006 to 2010, and was instrumental in establishing the MyWeekend leisure supplement which had a great following in those years. 

The supplement had themed pages such as MyTravel, MyFood, MyHobby and even MyCar, besides being packed with columns, cartoons, arts and entertainment. 

“MyWeekend was put together as a collaborative effort that included the entire team — based on the things they themselves did over the weekend — that’s why it was so successful,” Naidoo said. 

“We portrayed the Bay as it was then, in all its ignored glory — a city that hosted Ironman and scenic cycle races; was close to game parks; had excellent schools with competitive sporting events; boasted kilometres of pristine coastline... MyWeekend toasted the best the city had to offer.”

Despite the charms of her new surroundings, it took her some time to “settle” here after her arrival in Port Elizabeth in 2005.

“When I arrived in Port Elizabeth, Rosemary, wife of then Herald editor Ric Wilson, told me to prepare myself for ‘The Wind’,” Naidoo said.

“It will drive you mad, Rosemary said, and just when you think it’s over, the shrill whooshing will begin again and have you reaching for the gin.

“This was my introduction to this windswept city, and its newspaper, The Herald, that had been in existence since May 1845, and its sister weekend paper published on Saturday, Weekend Post. 

“This paper was more my speed, having spent all my newspaper life until then on a weekly, the Sunday Times.” 

Naidoo said her team had covered hard news if there was a big breaking story on a Friday.

“But besides these situations, we had the time to develop investigative stories without urgent daily deadlines, and to cover the kind of human interest content that earned Weekend Post its standing in the region.”

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