THE COLONEL’S TEAM HERE

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33438, 21 January 1974, Page 1

THE COLONEL’S TEAM HERE

The “New Zealand News (U.K.) Jet ■Special," a chartered VCIO bringing 111 people from London to watch the CommonI wealth Games, arrived in {Christchurch on Saturday, two hours and a half late and with the | trip’s organiser anxious to correct any wrong impressions given by publicity of the flight in New Zealand newspapers. “Utter nonsense,” commented Colonel J. I, M. Smail (photograph above) on the suggestion that some might have feared the aircraft would not be able to leave the runway because of the weight of tiaras and medals on board.

The flight, which Colonel Smail, owner of the “New Zealand News (U.K.),” organised, had become known in Christchurch as the "V.I.P. Special” because of the number of the rich and the distinguished on its pasI,

senger list—but Colonel Smail said that it was- mistaken to believe that there had been any attempt to recruit passengers from any particular level of society.

■ “We have people from all strata of society,” Colonel Smail said. The impression that it was an exclusive flight had probably been given by a journalist ’“with a chip on his shoulder,” he said.

The souvenir booklet issued to each of the passengers shows that the passenger list includes a variety of occupations: there are more than 20 company directors, half a dozen farmers, seven journalists, several persons involved in making films, lawyers, doctors, engineers, former officers in the services, nurses, a stone mason, a market gardener, and a driver of double-decker buses.

Also on the aircraft was the Mayor of Christchurch, Hampshire (Mr T. Staniforth). He was welcomed by the Mayor of Christchurch, Canterbury (Mr N. G. Pickering) and Mrs Pickering, who both stayed with

him when they visited Britain last year.

Mr Staniforth told a reporter that he was concerned that Mr Pickering should have received a threatening letter. “I have never received a threatening letter, myself,” he said. “But I have received many abusive ones.”

The flight was met by representatives of the Royal Commonwealth Society, and the arrivals were assisted by the Christchurch organising committee of the “Jet Special,” whose chairman is Mr A. T. Campbell, recently retired after years with the Tourist and Publicity Department in London. The "New Zealand News” is published, in London, and has a circulation of about 10,000 among both expatriate New Zealanders and others with an interest in New Zealand. It was the main instrument for publicising the flight, and the organisers planned to use a Concorde. Later Colonel Smail tried to gather 345 I passengers to fill a Jumbo jet, but this proved impossible, i

In their first brochure intended to attract passengers, the organisers said: “Getting the right membership of any club is of course verydifficult, but great care will be taken to see that the plane is full of those one would wish to be in company with . . . However, every application will be treated on its merit. “It will not be a matter of top drawer, bottom drawer, but a composite side, capable of enjoying each other’s company and entering into the rather sentimental, idealistic sense of the exercise. Great efforts will be made to ban all mavericks, certified alcoholics, extreme politicians, boring husbands, bitchy wives, those with bad breath or those with the tendency either to insult their mother country or decry their host country.” This paragraph did not help to fill the - aircraft, Colonel Smail said in the passenger brochure. But, eventually, enough passengers were found to fill a| VCIO, at £4OO a head for thej return trip, including meals | and drinks.- 1