As any scarf-laden teen will tell you – hickeys are notoriously hard to get rid of. But we don’t want to part with this one. Today, the Herald announced that our eternal weather shaman Jim Hickey is sadly retiring (again).

Doing his time in front of that mesmerizing TVNZ green screen since 1988, Hickey is leaving to focus on his aviation memorabilia-themed café in New Plymouth called Airspresso. It’s sort of like when Matthew Ridge started that coffee and carwash business called Carfé, except Jim’s is actually cool.

We hope that his café really takes off, and wish to pay brief tribute to the many shades of Hickey that have appeared on our screens for nearly three decades:

Consummate Professional Hickey:

Due to someone at Metservice being a slow loris one night, Jim had to totally wing it – stalling for temperatures and eventually reporting without a single place name in sight. He soldiers through like an absolute pro, even having to leave his perch to flick the wee magic weather telly a few times. And you thought it was bad when you lose the remote! Ha ha ha.

Rap God Hickey:

Best adaption since that chewing gum ad with the threatening gang of donuts.

Magic Hickey:

For anyone who was doubting that he is actually magic and/or a superhero.

X-rated Hickey:

This great Eating Media Lunch bit catches the Hick-monster saying something very very rude to Judy.

INSIDER UPDATE VIA TWITTER:

Cloud Genius Hickey:

Great to hear a true expert in their field just nailing it, this clip throws down a real challenge to Sam, Kanoa and any other Sticky TV alumni looking to get into to cut-throat weather game. I expect this cloud speech will be available on audiobook at the Airspresso café.

Scratch That, Conspiracy Hickey:

Is Jim Hickey a mere puppet employed by the government to hypnotise the general public into laughing jovially about plane emissions? Don’t be ridiculous. Tell you what is funny though – toxins.

Retro Hickey:

Even back in the early days the guy was crackin’ major jokes about the weather expecting twins. What an absolute charmer.

TVNZ announced last month that Dan Corbett is joining their weather team – he’s got a giant pair of galoshes to fill for sure. Goodbye Jim, may the weather gods shine upon New Plymouth airport forever more.

h/t NZ Herald

Ah, nothing like a touching interview with someone who is head over heels in love.

Last week on the British ITV morning show This Morning, hosts Amanda Holden and Phillip Schofield talked to 63 year old smokeshow Edward Smith, who has taken 700 lovers since the age of 14. Did I say lovers? I meant cars. I meant various different makes and models of cars. And a helicopter one time, during a spontaneous airport threesome.

In the full interview, Mr Ed talks about his attraction, and how a cheeky wee VW called Vanilla (now the love of his life) stole his heart 32 years ago:

“I first met her before I got her…the local Jehovah Witness church drive around in a white Beetle handing out literature. I already had a ’69 [lol] Volkswagen named Victoria but, there was something about that white ’74 Beetle…while they were talking I couldn’t keep my eyes off her”

Former Britain’s Got Talent host Amanda Holden kept it together, but was undoubtedly looking to shield her last name from this car-ma sutra enthusiast. And we have to give a kia-ora to broadcasting’s finest Phil Schofield, who moved to our shores at the age of 19 and hosted Shazam! in the ’80s:

If only that bespectacled, pink t-shirt wearing dork knew back then that his career was stuck on a 30 year highway to this iconic car sex interview. Of course, he had to go back to the UK to get it – you’d never find any of that nonsense here…

h/t to Steve Newell (@STIVVY) for today’s Weird News