Reporter's Diary

Press, 31 July 1978, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Abandoned AN OLD Ford Prefect left outside a dairy in Lincoln Road for the last six weeks has been causing the dairy owner and several nearby residents some distress. Last week the dairy owner complained about the car to one of our reporters, who telephoned the Ministry of Transport to find out what could be done to remove the offending vehicle (pictured). Three days later, the Ministry rang back to say it had traced the owner, who had removed the vehicle. The moral of the story, according to the Ministry, is that abandoned vehicles should be reported to it. If the owner cannot be found, the car is towed to the pound and either auctioned to the highest bidder or sold for scrap metal. Test-tube baby SINCE the much-publi-cised birth of the first test-tube baby in Britain last week. France has announced a parallel scientific achievement. After 10 years of research, the laboratories of the French National Institute of Applied Sciences, in Lyon, are pleased to announce the birth of the first testtube fly. The laboratories aim to produce the lixophaga flies in large num-

bers to combat a caterpillar which has been ravaging sugar cane fields. The test-tube method is designed to provide the flies by production-line techniques. Their press release, however, does not say if the laboratories intend to sell the copyright on the test-tube fly’s biography. Rooftop prouder NEIGHBOURHOOD cats, always looking for a warm resting-place, have adopted the rooftop of a young Christchurch woman’s convertible sports car as their favourite spot. So popular was the roof of her car, that the cats seemed to compete to be first there. The other day, when the young woman wanted to go out, she tried to shoo the reigning cat for the day off the roof. But it would not budge. After several attempts, she gave up and drove off, the cat still on top. A few seconds later, after a terrible ripping sound, the startled cat fell through the roof and into the passenger seat of the car. The woman has since had the roof fixed, but the cat has not been back. “Prison poetry’ 9 AMNESTY International and the English department of the University of Canterbury are combining

this week to offer public readings of “prison poetry.” The lunch-time readings will be held on Wednesday in Room 401 of the university English building. Next week, the poetry readings should sound a less sombre note. Three retiring professors from the university — Professors J. C. Garrett (English), D. A. Kidd (classics) and A. Crowther (psychology) — will read verses of their own choice, with the general theme of "Over the hills and far away.” These readings will be at the same place on Wednesday week. “Good grief

A MEMBER of Centrepoint, the club for women, has found a way to beat the expense of dying. She has made her own coffin. Ms Carol Gray wrote the play “Good Grief” that was Centrepoint’s entry in the One Act Play Festival held recently. The play was about old people living in a home for the aged, who determined their own destinies. Included In the action were a number of funerals, where the residents of the home gave their recently-departed fellows the sort of send-off they wanted, and this called for a coffin. So Ms Gray made one herself — a very realistic one in triple-stained walnut with silver handles. “Glogg” grog MEMBERS of the Christchurch Scandinavian Club have organised a trip to Porter’s Pass in a fortnight where they will f.ilic in the snow, bi%ld snowmen, toboggan and generally have a good time. Their merriment, it seems, will be spurred on by the provision of “glogg,” as they call it in their newsletter advertising the event. Others will know it better as hot mulled wine. Adults requiring glogg on the trip will have to pay $1 extra for the privilege. But the mini-bus drivers, drawn from club volunteers, have agreed to forego their cup of glogg while at the snow grounds, in the interests of road safety. Uncertain GRAFFITO on a convenient pub wall we heard about recently: “I used to think I was indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.” —Felicity Price