Stumped by slump

Press, 6 July 1977, Page 6

Stumped by slump

Two years of fund-raising and hard work ended this week in heart-breaking fashion for Lyttelton kindergarten mothers “under a sea of mud and big pink boulders.”

Mrs Pat Ellingford yesterday contemplated the S2OOO landscaping project which was obliterated by a slip at the height of the week-end storm.

No-one seemed to want to come to help clean up, she said.

“We have appealed for help, but yesterday morning only 13 turned up—lo of them were kindergarten committee members.

“Many have come along and said: ‘Oh dear, what a mess,’ and left it at that.”

Mrs Ellingford was the committee member in charge of the fund-raising project. “We had just finished terracing and planting out shrubs and installing the slide and sand-pit. Now there is nothing there,” she said. “We asked the Lyttelton Borough Council for help, but the Town Clerk said it would have to go to a council meeting. We asked the Canterbury Education Board, and it said it would make out a report. “Now, we have run out of places to put the mud—we have come to a full-stop.”

The kindergarten is closed for the moment, but when reopened children w’ould have to be kept inside, said Mrs Ellingford.

"We are a voluntary organisation, and it is distressing having to spend money just to clean up.” Lyttelton’s Town Clerk (Mr R. J. Ewen) confirmed yesterday that a request for assistance had been received from Mrs Ellingford.

“I said, by all means ask the council for help, but it must be put in writing,” he said. “I cannot give any commitment for assistance for relief on a private property.” Mr Ewens said the council was heavily committed to maintaining essential services at the moment.

“But I am quite sure the council would give consideration to what can be provided,” he said.