Rock Fall Damages Tearooms

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 1

Rock Fall Damages Tearooms

Tons of rock crashed down from the cliff face at Scarborough on to the gardens of the Way Side tearooms in Heberden Avenue in the early hours of yesterday, burying about a dozen tables and chairs and , partly demolishing the summer house. If the landslide had occurred yesterday afternoon up to 50 persons might have been seated in the gardens. Some of the rocks which came down from the almost sheer cliff face weighed more than a ton and debris spilled out on to the road. The proprietor of the tearoom, Mrs M. M. de Latour, her husband, Mr C. B. de Latour, and their four-year-old son were asleep in their house about 40 yards from the fall, which occurred about 12.45 a.m. Mr de Latour said he was awakened by the loud crash and by the time be got outside about a dozen persons had gathered. He and his family spent the rest of the night at the home of a relative because they were unable to see the extent of the damage in the darkness. “We all got a bad fright as it was a massive fall,” said Mr de Latour yesterday.

Yesterday morning Christchurch City Council workmen cleared the debris from the road and erected barriers and signs to stop parking in the area. A blackboard with the words "Business as usual” chalked on it was placed on the front fence yesterday and the large crowd which usually visits Sumner on a fine Sunday afternoon was swelled by persons who went to see the landslide.