Reporter’s Diary

Press, 19 June 1976, Page 2

Reporter’s Diary

On the house THE BEST table in the Tower Restaurant at the Vacation Hotel (formerly the Ramada Inn) was reserved last evening for a special customer, Mr Richard Worsley. He was the guest of the management, and deservedly so. The hotel can surely have no more regular diner than Mr Worsley. Last evening was his 500th meal there — and it was on the house. “He’s been keeping a running total,” said Mr Heinz Breitfuss, the hotel’s manager. “I had a meal with him a while ago, and I think that was number 474. Tonight he is our guest, and can have anything he likes. We’ve also offered him a room for the night if he wants it. He’ll have a couple of bottles of wine with his meal, I’m sure, and we wouldn’t want him to try driving home.” Mars signal A HORNBY reader has disputed the statement in Wednesday’s article about the American Mars shot that a radio signal from Mars would take 20 minutes to reach the Earth. He thinks it would get only a little more than halfway. But Mr David’ Smith, of the Astronomical Society, says the figure is about right. On July 4 — the day the Americans had hoped to land their craft on Mars — the planet will be 327.8 million kilometres away from Earth. Radio signals travel at the speed of light (299,792,500 metres per second), so that a signal from Mars would take 18 min 13.47 sec to get here. Honoured SIR PHILIP ALLEN, former Permanent Under - Secretary at the British Home Office, may think that he has been suitably rewarded for carrying out the recent inquiry into the “leak” from Sir Harold Wilson’s resignation honours list. Sir Philip got a life peerage in the Queen's Birthday list. Dislodged WELLINGTON is proud of being the capital and of being a city in which things happen, but even hardened Wellingtonians were a bit surprised the other day with a little drama played out before lunch-time pedestrians. There has been a blitz recently by the traffic department on illegallyparked vehicles, and the ultimate confrontation between an irresistable force (the tow-truck) and an immovable object (the car) occurred. By the time the tow truck arrived the motorist had locked himself in his car with the hand brake hard on, and was prepared to sit out the ensuing confrontation. The tow-truck driver considered his problem for a

moment before hitching his tow rope to the front of the car. He then proceeded to lift the front of the car and drop it on the ground several times to see what effect this might have on the motorist. It had the desired effect — the driver jumped out — and the car was eventually towed away. Music needed

THAT old sheet music in the piano stool could be put to a better use. You’ll probably never play it again, so why not send it to Mrs June McWilliam so that she can add a bit of variety to the music she plays for geriatric patients at Coronation Hospital and psychiatric patients at Sunnyside? Mrs McWilliam, a chorister with the Royal Musical Society, volunteered to play to the patients as therapy for them, and it is very successful. While she plays the piano and sings, the patients join in and accompany her on percussion instruments — triangles, tambourines, drums, and castanettes. “The geriatric patients have very little movement in their hands,” she explained, “but the staff are very impressed with their progress. Even the hopeless cases brighten up.” At Sunnyside, the patients who take part are of mixed ages. The staff told Mrs McWilliam that the patients would not respond to her music — but she found they were wrong. “They sang their hearts out,’’ she said. Any “singable” music should be sent care of the head therapist at Coronation Hospital.

Stamp shortage

ANYONE who has rereceived a letter from Wellington in the last few days could be pardoned for won-

dering if the new 8 cent postage rate for letters applies there. The capital has been suffering from a shortage of the new stamps and Post Offices have been using the opportunity to get rid of their hoarded stocks of 4 cent stamps. The hiatus arose between May 15 and June 1 because of the late arrival of a ship carrying the next batch of 8' cent stamps. These are still being processed within the Post Office.

Jerseys galore

WHEN the United States rugby team met France last month in their first international, the American players were wearing jerseys made in Christchurch. The local firm of Lane, Walker, Rudkin Ltd, competed with two American and two English tenderers, and their jerseys came through the tests of stress, washing and five hard games of rugby with flying colours. The firm now supplies jerseys to the national sides of New Zealand, America, Canada, Japan, Fiji, and Tonga. It sells a lot more rugby jerseys in the United States than it does in New Zealand—not only to rugby players, but also to thousands of young people tvho regard them as cool fashion items. “Go easy”

WITH devilish cunning, the Energy Conversation Committee has chosen June—car registration month —to produce a leaflet telling how to "go easy” on the use of petrol. The committee feels that motorists will be specially conscious of the cost of motoring in a month where they are handing over their registration fees. The picture shows the Minister of Energy Resources (Mr Holland) with a copy of the leaflet, which is available at post offices. —Gary Arthui