Readers’ comments

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 13

Readers’ comments

Mrs Kathleen B. McArthur, of Rangiora, writes that her father, James McMeekin, was a friend of the Brown family and had told her that Mr Brown had bought Strathmore Hospital for his wife—a doctor—and his daughter who also qualified in medicine. When her husband, Dr Pitts died, she practised at Kurow. Some of her descendants, the Munro family, still live at “Kurow Hill.” Mrs McArthur inquires about her mother’s people, the J. T. Beresfords of Christchurch. Any information about this Christchurch family would be welcomed and passed on to Mrs McArthur. Bowhill road Mrs Balfour adds to the details of Ralph Stringer and Company. “. . . It was an ordinary land and estate agency, selling properties and collecting rents. One block of land the’ extension of Cygnet, Fleming and Effingham Streets known as the Dixon block was sold by the firm. The building was demolished when Mr A. W. (Gus) Jones (a jeweller in High Street) built the twostorey block of shops which still stands on this corner. Mr Stringer then moved into one of the shops—No. 5 Bowhill Road, about 1922.” Mr D. Gilders, of York Street, writes that the photograph 128 was Mr Stringer’s office and was taken between August 1920 and June 1921. Mr Stringer was a very colourful figure who was noted as the first businessman (in Christchurch at all events) to advertise his auctions of subdivisions by showering the city with sale plans, dropped from an aeroplane—an activity which

scarcely pleased the city fathers. (Was it Mr Stringer, of whom it was demanded that he “climb up all the houses to remove the pamphlets from the guttering?”) Octagonal store Mrs R. P. Whittington, of Highsted Road, is of the opinion that the store at the comer of Montreal Street and Moorhouse Avenue did not come from Dyers Pass Road but from the comer of Kowhai and Buxton terraces, St Martins. It was built there in the 1930’s by an Englishman. He called it “Sunnyside,” much to the amusement of the children of the time, as this name was connected with the mental institution. When he realised his mistake he changed the name. However, the shop did not prosper (he sold school stationery), and it was shifted to its present site. “My sister who remembers seeing it shifted places the date about 1935.” Those who remember consider it was built new and would hardly be a part of the exhibition buildings. There was another one at Dyers Pass Road with a similar appearance but although it is still there its beehive shaped roof has been levelled and the building used as flats. My informant remembers this building as being there much earlier in this century, and thinks it must be the one from the exhibition.

Appreciation May I thank all those readers who have written but acknowledgement of whose contributions has not appeared in print. I think I have replied to everyone but frequently pressure on space has forced the omission of acknowledgements where the writer has repeated information or has merely written his appreciation of the series.