Reporter’s Diary

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 2

Reporter’s Diary

Formalities first A POLICE sergeant struggling with a drunk during the Royal tour found to his consternation that saluting the Queen took higher priority with a nearby constable than coming to his superior’s aid. The incident, related in the Police Association newsletter, took place when the Queen was in Wellington in February. “When confronted with the presence of Her Majesty, salute,” policemen covering the Royal tour had been instructed, and this the young constable did when the Queen came past. But a wandering drunk lurched towards the Royal car directly in front

of the constable. The sergeant, sensing the urgency of the occasion, rushed forward and grabbed the inebriate to drag him out of the way. However, the drunk proved un-co-oper-ative and the sergeant called to the constable for help, but to no avail. “The struggle had now increased in intensity and the Royal car was only a few yards away. The sergeant knew by now, however, that his plight was his own affair for the eyes of the constable had told what he already feared. The message was silent but clear: ‘Good grief sergeant, I’m saluting’.” Happy birthday THE 8.8.C.’s world service must be particularly comforting to Britons exiled to faraway places. Richard Burton, the actor, recalls being in Marrakesh, Morocco, and tuning in to hear himself reciting a poem by a fellow-Welsh-man, Dylan Thomas. At the end, the announcer said: “That was Richard Burton reading Dylan Thomas’s ‘Poem in October’ about his birthday — and happy birthday to you Richard Burton, if you’re listening.” It was his birthday too, but he hadn’t noticed. Bus kits A SURVEY of 64 school buses run by private operators in the Canterbury Education Board’s district showed that only 28 had first-aid kits. The board has decided to write to the School Bus Contractors’ Association recommending that first-aid kits be installed in all school buses. Kind to Kong “KING KONG,” the recent remake of the early movie, incorporated “significant animal action” in the storyline, but it has been given the “acceptable” seal of approval by the American Humane Society. This indicates that the movie-makers cooperated fully with the association in ensuring humane handling of animals on and off camera, and supervision by the society on the set itself. The society must have decided that the mighty gorilla was big enough to look after himself. Among the 14 films condemned as “unacceptable” because of their treatment of animals is “Return of a Man Called Horse.”

Identical TWO BROTHERS flying Orion maritime patrol aircraft for the Royal New Zealand Air Force are creating some confusion. Both are flying officers and they look exactly alike. They are the identical twins, Kim and Howard George of No. 5 Squadron, Auckland. The only way to tell them apart is their aircrew brevets. Flying Officer Kim George is a pilot and his brother is a navigator. They were both oromoted to flying officer on the same day just over a year ago, and now that they are in the same squadron” they sometimes find themselves in the same aircraft. Both studied engineering at Canterbury University before joining the R.N.Z'A.F. The Georges are a flying family. An elder brother, Lieutenant Chris George, is a navy pilot flying Wasp helicopters from the same base in Auckland. Their father was a “Pathfinder” pilot during the Second World War. “Klapka” JEROME K. Jerome, the English humorist who died 50 years ago next month, had a very strange middle name. It was Klapka. The 8.8. C. promises to explain how he got it, in a documentary programme about

Jerome’s writings planned for June 30 on the world radio service. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of his death, the 8.8. C. will also serialise his most famous book, “Three Men in a Boat,” which tells the hilarious story of a boat trip on the Thames, Lock-out NOT ENOUGH Christchurch people make use of the Botanic Gardens, which visitors praise as among the best in the world. But it is discouraging to make your once-in-four-years visit on a Saturday afternoon only to find the Cuningham glasshouse closed. The sign promises that it will stay open until 4 p.m., but every door was locked on Saturday at 3.30 p.m. Perhaps it is a cunning ploy to force you to make another visit. Death rate A BOROUGH council in Britain has stopped sending final rates demands to old people because it fears that the shock could kill them. The Tewkesbury Borough Council took the decision after an elderly man, agitated over a final demand for his electricity bill, suffered a stroke and died. In future the council will send more carefullyworded letters. —Garry Arthur