Reporters Diary

Press, 3 July 1978, Page 2

Reporters Diary

Ransom fund Dr ROGER DUFF, director of the Canterbury Museum, made the successful $72,000 bid at Sotheby's London auction rooms for a carved Maori lintel last week. He was not spending the museum’s money; the Canterbury Museum is far too poor for that kind of purchase. In fact, it faces a debt amounting to some $200,000 over the next five years. The new treasure came from a sale to raise ransom money for the daughter of George Grtiz dhe Bolivian mining magnate. The New Zealand contribution to the S2M ransom, came from State funds. L.A. delay

THAT OLD SAW, “If you’ve tinne to spare, go by air,” mustt have as sharp a taste as the Los Angeles smog for citizens of that United Skates city. The local Department of Airports says in its latest press bulletins that traffic congestion is now so bad on the ground that passengers should allow at least two extra houxs for parking, checking-in, and security screening. Parking space has been quadrupled since 1961 to 20,000 spaces, but passanger volumes have grown even faster. Green scene

NEARLY ONE-THIRD of the vehicles on Christchurch roads yesterday had not been registered for 1978-79 — nr at least they were not displaying their yellow 1978-79 registration labels. A jogger in the northern suburbs yesterday counted 69 of the old green stickers of the first 100 cars that passed him on the roads. Tint hints

NOT many brilliant suggestions have yet come forward for the naming of the new registration-sticker tint, either. One reader has suggested “Karitane yellow,” which is revoltingly evocative, and must surely score higher than “Mellow yellow” (far too kind) or “Forever amber” (even kinder). “Parrot droppings” has been voted down by the in-office committee as not really identifiable to much of the population. Ring wrong WRONG numbers are something with which every telephone subscriber must learn to cope, but some have it worse than others. One young Christchurch flat-dweller has found that his telephone has a number which vvas once that of a popular Christchurch art gallery. That he has learned to bear. But the number is also the same as the five-figure S.T.D. prefix for an obscure North Island hamlet. At least half the Christchurch folk who

dial that prefix seem to forget to dial 0 first, he says, and they do not always readily accept that they have erred. To cap it all, an art gallery customer to whom he had recently given the gallery’s new number telephoned him back the other day. “I’m sorry,” quoth he, “but I seem to have lost that number you gave me.” Well, said the long-suffer-ing subscriber, could he not have tried directory service? “Oh ... never thought of that.” *Mary Poppins* THE Canterbury Children’s Theatre has had a request from the Falkirk District Council in Scotland for information about its recent production of “Mary Poppins.” The council supports a group which presents theatre for children in Falkirk. A Falkirk resident, Mr John Shearer, was a member of the Andy Stewart Show which toured New Zealand a few months ago. While in Christchurch, he learned of the production of "Mary Poppins.” The touring group was interested because “Mary Poppins” had not been on stage anywhere in the world before. Now the Canterbury theatre group is writing back to encourage the Falkirk theatre. Baked booze

THE flogging of two British residents in Saudi Arabia is a reminder that even diplomats, in Arab countries which strictly observe Muslim laws on alcohol, have to watch their behaviour. As New Zealand considers widening its representation in the Middle East, British experience deserves notice. In spite of their diplomatic immunity, British Ambassadors must be extremely careful how their liquor reaches them. Cases of drink to be unloaded by Arab dockers invariably carry other labels such as “baked beans.” It is common practice for ambassadors to make their own beer and wine, and at least one, who prefers to be nameless, uses his bath for the fermentation process. Blackout

BOTH the speaker and her audience were left in the dark when Miss Colleen Dewe, the member of Parliament for Lyttelton, spoke to 100 residents on the Chatham Islands a few days ago. She had just started her address when the generator failed. Nothing daunted, Miss Dewe kept talking to her invisible aduience for 30 minutes with only an occasional glimmer from a cigarette lighter relieving the darkness. If everyone had clapped, would many hands have made light work ... ?