Reporter's Diary

Press, 17 January 1979, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

U nearthed THE TOKEN shown in the photograph was unearthed in a Bryndwr garden last week where it had lain for at least 32 years. Made in a rubbish metal — although only slightly bigger than a 50c piece it weighs more than 30 grams — it bears on one side the inscription “Railway workshops Addington. Peace Demonstration, 1919.” The side shown has a rather stylised locomotive, crossed fern leaves, and the initials W.L. According to the finder, he has lived at his present address for 32 years and has never seen a token such as this before. He presumes it was lost in the garden sometime before he bought his Bryndwr home. Bus-stup A CAIRO bus driver managed to repudiate two wives in quickie divorces. Egyptian-style, between stops on his bus route yesterday, without apparent inconvenience to his passengers. According to the Cairo daily, ‘X>ou-

mourhia,” the driver took his new second wife along to keep him company in the traffic jams of central Cairo. Unfortunately, the first wife and her mother got on at the first stop, and the bus quickly became a battle ground where neither the driver nor his passengers were able to restore order. With the unanimous backing of his passengers, the driver stopped outside the first, notary on the route. When he returned a few minutes later, he was divorced from both women. Perplexed A CHRISTCHURCH man, a reliable witness who nevertheless seeks anonymity as a defence to ridicule, experienced a strange occurrence last week. Travelling home after his holiday, he was at first alarmed, and then perplexed. when the gauges on the dashboard of his car went wild. The temperature gauge registered “boiling,” although the engine was certainly not overheating, and the petrol gauge, which had been showing half-full

suddenly registered full. He was about to stop the car to check it for faults when the gauges returned to normal. The aberration lasted for about five seconds. He has made inquiries about it since his return, the best explanation being from a mechanic who suggested some localised magnetic disruption. That in itself would not have meant much to our traveller except that he was at the time in the wide-open space near Cheviot. — deep in the heart of “U.F.O. country.” Play you later TWO BASKETBALL teams in the American Mid-West were too busy whooping it up on their buses to notice that they passed each other on the highway between rival towns. One team showed up at an empty stadium at one end, and the other did the same thing at the other. For a time, there was talk about playing the match long-distance because of the venue mix-up, but that was ruled out. Schizophrenia FROM Ken Coates, in London, comes this tale of motorists queuing for petrol during the tanker drivers’ strike. Few, he writes, have experienced the astonishment of Mr David Winston who, after a long wait, reached the head of a queue at one petrol station. “A car suddenly cut in front of me, its driver proclaiming he was a doctor,” Mr Winston said. “He was about to be served when a passenger in the car behind me bellowed out: ‘Fm a policeman. I know that man. He is not a doctor.’ The attendant lowered his pump and asked the queue-jumper if he was indeed a doctor.” According to Mr Winston, the man admitted he was not a doctor and drove away in acute embarrassment. Mr Winston congratulated the man in the car behind him. The man’s answer was astounding. “Actually, I didn’t know the fellow from Adam, but he didn’t

look like a doctor,” the man said. Then he added; “And I’m not a either.” Hard-headed FRED HILL is a stubborn man. The veteran British campaigner against compulsory crash helmets for motor-cyclists has served his fourth jail term for riding his machine with no head protection other than his traditional beret. Mr Hill has been wearing a beret for his 40 years on motor-cycles, and is not about to stop now. He is 68. and is a former dispatch rider of the 4th Queens Hussars. He is looking forward to more summonses and more time in jail. Alibi IRONCLAD is about the only description that can be applied to the alibi of a Christchurch woman who has received a summons to appear in the Magistrate’s Court at Invercargill on charges of illegal parking and having no warrant of fitness. The charges give a recent time and date and describe the make and registration of the vehicle. (Presumably, the woman’s name was obtained from a computer file of vehicle registrations). The difficulty’ is that the woman has not been in Invercargill for almost 10 years and does not, nor ever has, owned a car of the make cited in the charge. She has written a letter to the Minis? try of Transport, and sent it by registered mail. She waits with interest, and a clear conscience, for a reply. Fan ( atical) AN IRISHMAN, formerly Adrian McCarron, has changed his name by deed poll to Marlon Brando. The 40-year-old painter and decorator, who has photographs of the film star throughout his home, said: “It’s the name of a man with a world reputation and a wonderful character. I am proud of it.” One of his sons has been named Errol & Flynn Brando. *