Reporter's Diary

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Success THE MINISTER of Justice (Mr McLay) brought a recent Canterbury Law Society luncheon some news of legislation overseas. He said the Irish Parliament had decided to introduce right-hand driving for motorists, in an effort to conform more closely to European practice The new rule was to be tested for a fortnight. At the end of that time, the experiment was regarded as such a success that it was then decided to extend the new rule to buses and trucks. Determined

JUST A WEEK ago we had an item about a parcel intended for Christchurch in Dorset arriving at the City Council offices in Manchester Street. England’s Christchurch has a postal zone, BH23IAZ, and the British Bost Office

seems to think it belongs to us. Another letter arrived in Manchester Street yesterday — sent from Basingstoke, ’ close to Christchurch, Dorset, with Christchurch, Town Hall, Christchurch BH23IAZ. But the British Post Office must be congratulated on the address: Borough of its swift service. The letter was posted on May 2. S.O.S.

THE SPIRE OF St Augustine’s Church, Cracroft Terrace, a striking landmark on Cashmere Hills, is threatened with dry rot, discovered only weeks ago. The annual meeting of parishioners asked that urgency be taken, that a Save Our Spire (5.0.5.) fund to raise the $4OOO needed to restore the tower be opened by the vicar (the Rev. A. H. Teuton) and wardens, and that it be open to all ' who wished to preserve this A

landmark. A start has been made, in the hope that the money will be forthcoming. Residents will soon see a crane lift off the 12.2 m spire for its restoration at ground level. Victory lap ANYONE IN Hagley Park last Friday who saw a middle-aged runner wearing a broad smile as well as the usual gear need not have been alarmed. He was Vincent Orange who, on celebrating his fortieth birthday on September 24, 1975, decided that that was when life began, so started running. He is a senior lecturer in history at Canterbury University, but he is careful about his mathematics as well. He says that to last Friday, 1319 days had passed, and he had run on 1000 of them. The happy took was because Friday’s run took him into four. figures. He strongly recommends the exercise. Familiar ground ONE OF Britain’s wartime air aces will be back at his base, Biggin Hill, tomorrow. Wing Commander Bob Stanford-Tuck will present the first RA.F. Memorial Chapel plate to Muriel, Lady Dowding. Stanford-Tuck commanded the 257 Burma Squadron at Biggin Hill from September, 1940, to July, 1941. when he was the R.A-.F.’s top scorer with 27 confirmed “kills” and eight “probables.” He was wounded twice and baled out four times. The commemorative plate, issued in a limited edition of 2500, shows the St George’s Chapel of Remembrance, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1951 by Lord Dowding, Chief of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. .4 wktear d WHAT WITH airline strikes, cancelled Cook Strait crossings, and regu-

lar slips on the Main North railway line, travel has become a hazardous business. It has often had an element of variety. A colleague recalls making a train trip south in February 1952. The train was pulling up the steep hill after leaving Blenheim when it stopped. It was time for a minute of silence in a national day of mourning after the death of King George VI. When the minute had passed, the engine could not cope with the slope, so the train had to back downhill to make a fresh start. All public transport used to stop for two minutes silence on November 11 — Armistice Day. Now that most travellers favour the air lines, it is just as well the First World War’s end is no longer observed.