Reporter’s Diary

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33938, 3 September 1975, Page 3

Reporter’s Diary

.4 rmada's payship? A MUD-SUCKER nicknamed “The Nudger,” and designed by the New Zealand diver. Kelly Tarlton, of

Pahia, is being used to uncover the wreck of a Spanish treasure ship off the west coast of Scotland. The latest report is that the ' deck of the unnamed ship has been reached. The team I trying to recover the treasure is led bv Commander ; John Grattan. R.N., who I managed to find the wreck j of the General Grant in an I expedition to the Auckland Islands last year. The brothers. Terrv and Joe ; McCormick, who dived with him on that expedi- ! tion, are also in the present ! search. The wreck — believed to be the remains of

the Spanish Armada’s pay j shin — lies in the mud of I Tobermorv Bay, off the island of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. She sank in 1588, nerhans after an explosion in her magazine, and she is believed to contain millions of sold doubloons, worth $lOOO each. The . Duke of Argyll owns the wreck. RWp no heln

KELP EXTRACTS do nothing to promote plant growth, according to the Soil Bureau.of the D.S.I.R.

“Claims by manufacturers marketing kelp extracts, or liquefied seaweed, often appear extravagant, and are rarely substantiated by experimental evidence,’’ says the bureau’s report. “In Soil Bureau experiments, germination and growth of white clover in three soils, each incorporating a commercially available kelp extract. were studied in a glasshouse pot trial. The results showed that in one low-fertility soil the kelp extract increased germination slightly. In none of the soils was plant growth significantly changed bv the addition of the keln extract. Analysis of the plants for more than 20 elements failed to show any beneficial results.” The right race FOUR MEMBERS of the literary staff of “The Press” who run a racehorse in partnership were pleased to receive their “trophy” of two bottles of New Zealand wine and a dozen glasses when their horse ran third at the equalisator meeting at Riccarton on Saturday. Their pleasure was heightened when they realised that if thev had filled the same position in an earlier race, their trophv would have

been a year’s subscription to “The Press.” The racehorse owner who won- the subscription was perfectly happy with the result, too —he felt he had the better trophy. Long line THE RETIREMENT from the Railways Department last week of Mr R. S. Brittenden leaves his family with only five years service to complete a total of 200. He was in the signals and electrical branch at the end of his 40 years service. His wife, Mrs S. Brittenden, has been a department employee for 21 years. But the Brittenden association with the service began in 1877, when his grandfather, Mr E. Brittenden, joined the Railways in Studholme. He retired in 1911, but vent back to work in 1914, when for three years his salary was sent directly to patriotic funds. A son, Mr E. S. Brittenden, joined the Railways in 1898, and for the last eight years of his 40 years, was District Traffic Manager in Christchurch. His eldest son, Mr E. C. Brittenden, also had 40 years with the department. and he, too, was District Traffic Manager at his retirement. One of Mr R. S. 'Brittenden’s sons, Mr C. Brittenden—a nephew of E. C.—had six years with the department before taking the cloth. But there is

little doubt the 200 will be achieved. Another son, of R.S. —Mr S. Brittenden —has been for 10 years in the traffic section—and probably has 30 years to go. 'Unpleasant' taste ALAN CASEY, the Hermitage chef whose winning entry' in the Industries Fair cooking competition was criticised by the employer of the second placegetter, says the complainant “presumptuously and erroneously” called his pate a pheasant pie. “In fact,” says Mr Casey, "no pheasant whatsoever was used in its preparation, the main constituent being venison, thus qualifying for the meat section. Perhaps the use of a stuffed pheasant gave rise to the error. Secondly, the purpose of such an exhibition is more to encourage creativity and perfectionism in the individual chef rather than commercial competition. I am sure the majority of the entrants worked long hours of their own time preparing their entries for their own satisfaction, and the result can only be an increase in skill and knowledge which will have achieved the aims of the competition.” Approaching 100 THE PLEASANT VALLEY school near Geraldine

closed about tUo years ago [ when it had only six pupils left. In spite of that, some | of the enthusiastic old boys | and girls have arranged a ; reunion on November 8 to [ celebrate what would have been its 100th anniversary ; if it. had lived. The oneroom school is now used as [ a holiday centre for visi- ! tors to the district. It is not the original school. This i was built on the other side ; of the Te Moana River. The last pupils of Pleasant Valley school were transferred to another school nearby, but they will come back to their old school soon while a new school is being built. Oddly enough, says Mrs G. H. Worner of Te Moana, Geraldine, there are now enough children again in Pleasant Valley for the school to be reopened. The inh? ALLERGIES brought on by newspapers are no : laughing matter, says an Avonhead reader, especially ! if you are a compulsive i reader of newspapers as I she is. “It’s a relaxation I with me,” she said.' "I take 1 up to three-quarters of an hour to read ‘The Press’ in ! the morning. I’m very interested in world affairs and all the news, but before long I start rubbing my nose and I get irritable, I It makes me cough and my ! nose runs. I think it’s the ink.”