Reporter’s Diary

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34127, 13 April 1976, Page 3

Reporter’s Diary

Freeloader SITTING back and hoping for the best doesn’t always work. It pays to prepare for the worst, as well. A young man recuperating from injuries administered by a passing truck, decided the other day that he would relieve his boredom by taking lunch at the United Service Hotel. His mother took him to the Square and he hobbled up to the dining-room. The meal takes the form of a serveyourself smorgasbord, but as he was incapacitated he sat down at the nearest table and displayed a $2 note prominently in trie hope that someone would see his plight and fill a plate for him. No-one noticed for a long time, until finally a somewhat shabbily- dressed old ma shuffled up and said, “Do you want some lunch?” Gratefully the young man gave him the $2, then watched helplessly as his benefactor beat a quick retreat out of the diningroom. A dog’s life

THE SNAPPING jaws of the family dog always brought a sharp end to the many quarrels between Vincent Rose, aged 81, and his wife, Hannah, aged 82. But now Mr Rose claims he has had enough of the terrier, Ricky, being set on to him by his wife when tempers fray. Their latest row, with Ricky on a leash, was before magistrates in Scunthorpe, England, where Mr Rose accused his wife, through a summons, of keeping a dangerous dog. Mr Rose told the Court that Ricky had been ordered by his wife to attack him 25 times in the last five years. He said: “If you say a word out of place the dog is set on you.” Mrs Rose denied ordering Ricky to attack her husband. “He got bitten' only when he waved his arm's about and attacked me,” she told the Court. The Court chairman ordered Mrs Hannah to keep Ricky under control. She promised to muzzle him.

Pancake Monday NEW BRIGHTON’S annual pancake race lapsed three years ago, but it will be revived today, when more than 80 women from various organisations will set off down Seaview Road, frypans at the ready. The race starts at 1.30 p.m. and will be over a 100 metre course, with three stops for tossing. Winning teams will get prizes of cash and food parcels, and the four women in the best team will compete against each other for an electric frypan. The New Brighton Businessmen’s Association, which is running the event to popularise the shopping centre during the week, also plans a novelty event for local celebrities. It does not seem worried that Pancake Tuesday was on March 2— the day before Ash Wednesday. Ferry service NOW THAT all University of Canterbury students are on the one campus at Ham, they have the problem of getting into the centre of town for the capping festivities. The capping controllers have solved this by laying on a free bus service to the procession and back again. Wrong fare APPROPRIATELY enough, the new advertising rate card for Radio Avon is illustrated with a picture of an announcer and his family enjoying life on the banks of the Avon River. There’s only one thing wrong — the announcer shown is Wayne Hunter, the host of the 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Drive Time” programme on station 3ZM. He switched from Radio Avon to the opposition at the end of last year. Friend indeed A SHORTISH young chap wearing jandals was refused admission to a suburban hotel at the weekend because of the jandals. They did not meet the

doorman’s exacting standards, apparently. But ingenuity won in the end. The frustrated drinker went to another entrance with his friends, where he borrowed a pair of shoes and was admitted without question. The “bouncer” at that entrance failed to notice that the shoes were about six sizes too big for him — or that his kind friend’s brown “shoes” were in fact brown socks. Hotbed

OLD prejudices die hard. “Oh,” said one matron to another as they surveyed printing presses in the fine arts department at Canterbury University’s open day, “so this is where they print their Communist propaganda.” Sidecar jogger TINY TIM Eathorne, aged three, rode the fastest pushchair in the south on Sunday. He covered the 6.2 miles of the park-to-park community jog in the remarkable time of about 40 minutes, helped by the muscle power of his father, Bob Eathorne. Mr Eathorne is a physicaleducation specialist at Cashmere High School, and is very fit indeed, judging by the way he hustled around the course —outstripping many younger unencumbered runners. “It is good training for me,” he said, “and a good outing in the fresh air for Tim. I often do it in the evening when my wife is busy getting the tea. It gives her a spell from looking after Tim at the busiest time of the day at home, so it all fits in well . . .” He frequently does a 10-mile run with Tim in the pushchair. On these long jogs, Tim always wears a track suit, which makes him feel in the act. Mrs Eathorne says Tim is pretty mobile on his own, and often runs up to a mile and a half with his mother while Bob pushes Tim’s baby sister in the pram. “Its all a lot of fun,” said Mrs Eathorne. Bob said that he was going a bit faster than usual on Sunday to give Tim a special treat. It was Tim’s third birthday.