Reporter's Diary

Press, 12 February 1979, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Cannock chase

MANY old soldiers will remember the military camp at Brocton, on Cannock Chase, during World War I, writes Mr Steve Jordan, of Avonside. “The New Zealand Rifle Brigade was based there for some time, and there is now a famous military cemetery, on the spot,” he says, “Which is cared for by many, friends from many countries.” Mr Jordan says that an English friend is writing a book on the history of the camp and would welcome any item of interest or photograph relating to Brocton in World War I. Any reader who may have some item of interest should get in touch with Mr Jordan at 23 Morris Street, Christchurch 6.

Mascot ONE OF the snippets of information that has come to light as a result of the research being carried out for the book on Cannock Chase has been passed on through Mr Jordan. It tells of Freda, a mascot dog owned by the New Zealanders billeted at Cannock Chase. Freda was buried at the cemetery on the site. She was apparently buried by the New Zealanders present with great ceremony. In recent years, the Friends of Cannock Chase have made the grave a more permanent landmark by putting stones around it and inscribing them suitably. Freda’s collar was taken back to New Zealand and was given to the military museum at Waiourou. Official ruling

THE KENYAN Minister of Home Affairs (Interior),

Mr Stanley Oloitipitip, has ruled that identity-card photographs must show the subject clean-shaven and without headgear. Rejecting the objections of some religious groups to removing facial hair, veils, or turbans, the Minister said: “Nobody is born with a beard and people have to take off their hats to wash.” Late harvest

THE ANSWER lay in the soil all the time, one young Christchurch man discovered recently, much to his embarrassment. He and his wife had just bought a house and had set about renovating it, both inside and out, in their spare time. In a bout i f enthusiasm, he dug the back garden and planted a big crop of potatoes. Much to his joy, they sprouted luxuriously and it looked as though he would be in for a bumper harvest. He showed them to his boss, a keen and experienced gardener, who praised them and agreed that a good harvest was

to be expected. But, alas, the young man had to report to his boss a few days later that, when he had harvested his potatoes, there was not one spud to be found. Neither he nor his boss could understand his misfortune, especially as the plants had looked so healthy. Some weeks later, the novice gardener decided it was time to dig over the unproductive potato patch in order to try his luck with another vegetable — only to discover enough potatoes to fill four cases. He had to explain to his boss when he returned to work after the w'eek-end that the potatoes had been there all along. “I didn’t dig them before,” the redfaced young man explained. “I thought you just had to pull up the tops and the spuds would be on the end.” Doing porridge , THE CHEERFUL old television crim, Fletcher (alias Ronnie Barker) discovered this week that porridge

was nothing to laugh about. After three years of making the 8.8. C. comedy series, “Porridge,” in studio mock-ups, Fletch, his cellmate, Godber (Richard Beckinsale), and Warder Mackay (Fulton Mackay) are doing a two-week stretch in Chelmsford Jail, Essex, making the film version. "Now when I see how worn the steps are up to the cells and I think of all the blokes who have trudged up and down them over the years, it makes me shudder,” Ronnie Barker said. The prison authorities agreed to let the film unit use the jail, which is being rebuilt after a fire, because the television series has been voted the favourite programme of inmates and warders throughout Britain. Well named

WE HEAR that the chaplain at Twizel has Charles for a Christian name. His parishioners have named him Charlie Chaplin.

— Felicity Price