General News

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30937, 18 December 1965, Page 14

General News

Musical Crash A piano was the only sufferer in a collision involving two cars and a trailer in Colombo street, Beckenham, last evening. The piano was on a trailer being towed by a car driven by Mr R. E. Hill, of 12 Sylvester street Mr Hill was making a turn when another car struck the trailer. The piano was thrown into the air and extensively damaged in a musical crash when it hit the road. “It is a write-off; you can have it for a harp,” Mr Hill told a traffic officer. The piano, a second-hand one, was worth £BO before the collision. Warm Day After a cooler morning the temperature in Christchurch yesterday rose to the maximum of 73 degrees at 4 p.m. A light south-west wind blew early in the morning and this was followed by a northeasterly which gradually changed to the north-west later in the afternoon. The sky was partly cloudy most of the day. The temperature at Harewood at 6 a.m. was 57 degrees and it rose to 61 degrees at 9 a.m. At noon it was 72 degrees but dropped to 71 degrees at 3 p.m. The temperature in the Botanic Gardens at 3 p.m. was 69 degrees. The temperature gauge on the Government Life building showed a temperature of 69 degrees at 4.30 p.m. Historic Oak The Waikato Hospital Board has found that it owns one of the most historic oak trees in New Zealand. It has grown from one of four acorns sent to New Zealand by Queen Victoria. The acorns came from the King's Oak, reputed to be the tree in which King Charles hid from his pursuers. The tree, in the grounds of Arawa House, Rotorua, is to be preserved and the board is considering erecting a plaque giving details of its size and history. Odds On Snow The London weather centre says the best place to have a white Christmas this year is Eskdalemuir, in Dumfries. Scotland. They are offering odds of 3-1 that snow will fall. There is an 8-1 chance that snow will fall in London; 5-1 for Edinburgh and 9-1 for Cardiff. The longest odds offered by the weather men are 11-1 at Southampton.— London, December 16. “Baffling” What is silvery, square, has no wings, and flies rapidly through the sky towards New Brighton without making a sound? Mr C. C. Walker, who said he sighted an object of this description from his Dallington property about 6.50 p.m. yesterday, could not find an answer. Nor could Mr P. A Fear, a committee member of the Canterbury Astronomical Society, when telephoned by “The Press.” “It’s quite baffling,” he said.