THE MYSTERY?

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33692, 15 November 1974, Page 1

THE MYSTERY?

Coincidence provides some strange developments. One such case involves a colour slide, a Christchurch couple, a South African photographer, an elephant and mahout near Bangkok, and the former Mayor of Christchurch, Mr N. G. Pickering. The train of events was set in motion by a letter from the South African, Mr H. H. von Christen, to Mr Pickering. In it he said he had made a tour from Bangkok with a very pleasant Christchurch couple at the beginning of May, this year. During the tour he had taken a colour slide of the couple on an elephant, but he had lost the man’s name and address. Mr von Christen enclosed the slide and asked Mr Pickering if he would "find out who of your subjects is concerned” and pass the slide on.

Mr von Christen could not have known how close to home he came on his first shot.

Mr Pickering, however, was unable to make out enough detail from the slide to identify the people on the elephant, and enlisted the help of ‘The Press” for publicity to trace them.

An enlargement was made from the slide, and the search needed to go no further.

Riding on the elephant were Cr W. Massey, who was a committee chairman in Mr Pickering’s council, and Mrs Massey. Cr Massey was <n Bangkok as part of a trip he took on council business.