Reporter’s Diary

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34107, 20 March 1976, Page 3

Reporter’s Diary

H atch Harold AT 71, young Harold Finlay is ail set for today’s City-to-Surf mass jog. The way in which he has trained himself for it is a shining example for anyone of any age. Only about six weeks ago he began training in a humble way, round Hagley Park — in corduroys, street shoes, waistcoat and a felt hat. That was until a veteran distance runner met him training one day, and offered a few hints. •Sensible Harold trained slowly for a start . . . just walking and jogging — hut he was quick on the uptake when offered advice. When told that the proper road shoes were a ‘must” to avoid lameness, he bought a pair the same day. Given the hint that the proper gear helped training morale, he bought the correct running shorts and T-shirts — two of everything so that he would have a clean change for every day's training. He bought a daily training diary to enter all his outings, to regulate his training and to increase it gradually to avoid leg injury from attempting too much too soon. Harold says the system has paid off well. He has already done a dummy run of the course from the Square to Q.E. II Park, and stayed well under the target time of 100 minutes. Last week he also walked to New Brighton from his home in Riccarton and most of the

way to the South Brighton spit and back — 15 miles in seven hours on his feet. It was no trouble, he said, but he felt a bit tired that night after doing his usual part-titfie gardening job. Now Harold’s enthusiasm has spread to his two grandsons. All three of them will be in the Square at 9 o’clock this morning for today’s jog, which is expected to exceed last year’s tally of about 3000 entrants. Sham inflation THE IRISH never let up. A cable service message from Dublin, bemoaning the rocketing price of shamrocks sold by the thousands on St Patrick’s Day, contains the following example of Irish arithmetic: “This year it doubled in price, reflecting the 17 per cent annual inflation rate that has swept the Irish Republic.” Lighting up SIX CHAINS of bonfires will link Windsor Castle with the farthest points of the United Kingdom on the Queen’s official birthday on June 6 next year. The first of the bonfires, organised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as part of celebrations marking the silver jubilee of her reign, will be lit by the Queen in Windsor Great Park. Each subsequent fire in the chains will then be lit as the last is sighted, and the organisers hope to cover

the 900 miles from Windsor to the Shetland Islands within 90 minutes. Pianissimo RADIO New' Zealand have had to ask Michael Ponti and other pianists to take it easy with 3YA’s Steinway grand piano. Those who have been using it lately have given it such a pounding that two hammers have been put right out 'of action. They have been repaired, but as the piano is such a valuable one, those who are using it frequently for rehearsals — including the heavyhanded Mr Ponti — have been asked to nurse it along. Hit-and-run A DAMAGES case heard in the Supreme Court this week was one of the last of its kind. A cyclist who was struck and injured by a hit-and-run motorist in 1970 was awarded $10,279 in damages against a "nominal defendant.” Now that the Accident Compensation Act is in being the circumstances cannot arise, but this week's case was brought under Section 90a of the Transport Act 1962, which enables an injured party to recover damages even though the other driver cannot be identified. The nominal defendant is the general manager of the State Insurance Company, who heads an advisory committee of insurance company and Transport Department representatives. If the verdict goes against the nominal defendant, the cost of whatever damages

are awarded for personal I injury tup to a maximum of $15,000) is shared by all the insurance companies that took part in third party insurance busi- : ness. Mr C. B. Atkinson, the barrister who represented the nominal defendant in this week’s case, says there are still one or two other smiliar cases in the pipeline. Seu favourite BRITAIN is to lose one link with New Zealand | and gain a new one. Sandi Jones, whose voice is almost as familiar in New Zealand as it is in Britain, is leaving the Sunday morning request programme. “Family Favourites.” She will be replaced by Jean Challis, who made her debut on the programme in Cyprus 14 years ago. “Family Favourites” is heard by some 40 million listeners : in Britain and overseas. (iood old days MASSAGE parlours, which are getting some non- ; customers steamed up at : the moment, would hardlv ; have rated a disapproving ! glance in the Christchurch ! of the 1860 s. In his book : “The West Coast Gold Rushes,” Phil May says that the rumbustious town of Hokitika, with all its good-time girls, saloons and gambling dens, might not have been much worse than New' Zealand’s provincial capitals. He says Christchurch and its environs had 5070 male citizens in the year 1867. and . no fewer than 23 brothels ; known to the police.