Random reminder

Press, 29 November 1977, Page 29

Random reminder

SHADES OF FORTUNE

Keats wrote of the season of mists and' mellow fruitfulness. He was eulogising autumn and England. It is assumed he was not then aware of spring and New Zealand, particularly in Christchurch. As everyone knows, Christchurch is very English and so the old customs are kept on the boil. October is spring, and the season of fairs here. A church with which we are well acquainted has a fair biennially to raise money for the extraordinary stipends of its clergy, the salary of its verger, and the sinecure to its female secretary.

One very popular feature is the’ bottle stall. In the first instance the enthusiastic convenor sent out an S.O.S. for bottles. The initial offerings were all empty. This had to be rectified of course; no one would be expected to pay 50 cents for an empty bottle. “We want full bottles” she appealed. And in they came. Fat ones, thin ones, thick ones, squat ones. They looked watery, coloured, perfumed, oily. There were soft drinks and hard drinks. The latter were the ones sought after. A very diligent elderly parishioner was keen to

take part in this competition: she had previously seen the collection and felt the stars were right for her on that Saturday. Her prize turned out to be a bottle of honey-coloured hair dye — hardly the correct tint for her grey locks.

Perhaps the stars would be right for her husband: so she persuaded him to part with his 50 cents pocket money, with the promise of his possible prize. His bellow of laughter rose above the cacophony of the fair. He explained to his curious spouse: “You’ve got the hair dye. I’ve got the dye remover.