Where are they now?...Aunt Hilda of Starlet's Corner | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

Sue Cronshaw still gets recognised as "Aunt Hilda", 15 years after her job ended as co-ordinator of the popular Christchurch Star Starlets' Corner.

Cronshaw became the 13th to take up the pen name in 1980 and organised Starlets' Corner until she was made redundant in 1990. The media runs deep in the Cronshaw family ? her husband Keith is a former senior Star journalist, son Pete is an investigative television journalist and second son Tim is a reporter on The Press. The Star began catering for children in 1919 but it was on September 11 1926 that a reporter named Evangeline wrote a letter inviting young readers to join the Starlets' Club and the Starlets' Corner was created.

Cronshaw said it was always nice to be remembered by the mothers who still appreciated the work she had done for their children. She said she would often recognise children, now grown up, who used to be members of the club.

Now retired, and reluctant to reveal her age, Cronshaw is involved in a number of organisations and is an avid golfer. In the mid-1990s she worked part-time for the St Margaret's College Old Girl's Association and is now an honorary vice-president. She is captain of the Burnham Camp Golf Club and a regular player.

She keeps her mind active as secretary of the Avon Floral Art group, where she helps and encourages members to create their floral artworks. She also sits on the committee of the Nurse's Memorial Chapel at Christchurch Hospital, where she helps to oversee its day-to-day running.

"I do quite a lot but I really, really enjoy it. You're only as old as you feel. If you think you're still young you must not slow down or you'll forget to live," she said.

Cronshaw began working at the Star as a tour guide, taking school groups for tours around the former Kilmore St offices, before taking up the Starlets' Corner role. She has many memories of her time as "Aunt Hilda", a job that required her to be more than just a writer.

"Aunt Hilda" became an icon for children who each week sent in their competition entries and stories to be published and would come into the office to claim prizes and to meet the woman behind the name. "It certainly was a very active time," she said.

"The job was the best part ? seeing the children and seeing them improve over the weeks and just seeing the delight when they came in to get a book," she said.

The Christchurch Star runs a series of profiles of people who were once in the limelight but are now away from the public eye.