Out of work

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33664, 14 October 1974, Page 18

Out of work

When Christchurch city electors deprived Mr N. G. I Pickering of his title of “his worship” on Saturday, i they also left him unemployed, because he has ; been a full-time mayor for ] the last three years. Politics has been his life for so long that the change to the status of an ordinary citizen will leave him lonely for a while; but it will not be a new feeling. After three years in ParliaI ment representing St Albans he was defeated, and he recalls that from being a sought-after person no-one really knew' him. After Parliament, he took up local body work, and was “leader of the opposition” on the City Council before he beat Mr A. R. Guthrey for the mayoralty in 1971. As well, he was a member of the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board (and its chairman for some years), and for the last three years has been on the Lyttelton Harbour Board and ChristchurchLyttelton Road Tunnel Authority. He has also represented the council on the Canter-

bury Museum Trust Board, the Aged Peoples’ Welfare Council, the Mona Vale Management Committee, the Christchurch Town Hall Board of Management, the South Island Local Bodies Association, and the South Island Promotion Association, and has been the president of the Christchurch Civic Orchestra Foundation during a time of crises. Now he has only the Road Tunnel Authority membership left. Before he became Mayor, Mr Pickering was manager of one of the subsidiary companies of the Skellerup group. There might be a job in the organisation for him again. Politics have been so much of his life for so long that it is easy to think of Mr Pickering being a contender for a seat in Parliament again, although there are not many tailormade Labour seats going begging. What is certain is that Mr Pickering will not be content to join other former Mayors of Christchurch in retirement.