Reporter's Diary

Press, 28 May 1979, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Travelling show THE CANTERBURY Children’s Theatre has been invited to take its forthcoming production of “Badjelly the Witch” to Auckland next year. Although the theatre company has not yet decided whether it will go, there is “a strong possibility” that it will fly a cast and production team to the Auckland Festival in March, 1980. “Badjelly the Witch,” written by Spike Milligan, will be produced by Elody Rathgen for the Children’s Theatre and will be performed during the August school holidays. Bowl of profits RECENT discussion in London of a Royal Doulton Simplicitas lavatory bowl — a richly decorated floral object, which goes on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum this week — has brought to light a tale of a most enterprising young man who, 20 years ago, made his fortune from the discovery Of such baroque creations. He shared a flat with several students in the down-at-heel area of Westbourne Grove where there was a Royal Doulton floral bowl. Visiting other students in the neighbourhood, he discovered several more. So, posing as a local authority official, he called on occupants in the decaying mansions of the area and demanded to inspect their loos. If he found one of the ornate Royal Doulton creations, he said gravely that it no longer met the sanitary requirements and would have to go. But he promised that his “council” would replace the porcelain and do the necessarywork free. A plumber and

another mate of his then followed the young entrepreneur round and replaced the Simplicitas with modern bowls. The ancient bowls thus acquired were shipped to the United States at a net profit of S3OO apiece. The young student, who has since risen to become prominent in the firm of Marks and Spencer, has managed to preserve his anonymity. Question of colour POLICE who suspected a white woman of breaking South Africa’s immorality laws had to drop the case when they burst into her flat and found that her dark-skinned companion was a white man with a suntan. The incident came to light last week at the trial of five policemen and a civilian security officer, charged with trespassing and entering the woman’s flat without a search warrant. The defence lawyer Mr J. W. Wessels, said the police had acted because the women's friend appeared to be an Indian. “He acts, looks, and talks like one,” said Mr Wessels. The court was told that the six defendants kicked down the door of the woman’s flat and took photographs of her as she lay in bed, alone and semi-naked. They then discovered the dark-skinned white man asleep in the lounge — and decided to drop the case. Early start AT SCOTT Base, fundraising activities for the Telethon are off to a good start. A party was held some time ago to open the fund-raising, and earlier this month, a casino night was held, raising a total of $250. So far, the .New Zea-

landers at Scott Base, Have raised S6OO for the Telethon. The Americans at McMurdo Station have also joined in and caught the ■ Telethon spirit, according to reports from Scott Base. Their contributions are expected to add to the fund until the Telethon begins on June 30. TVot a good start A NEW’ ZEALAND naval officer, Lieutenant Wayne Dawson, had a frustrating start to his honeymoon last week. Lieutenant Dawson, based at Plymouth, England, for a year on a Royal Navy engineering course, married a local girl, Miss Jean Hartley last week-end. They flew to Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, for their honeymoon. While the new Mrs Dawson marched through the immigration area, her husband was stopped. He was told that New Zealanders need visas to enter Spain or any of its territories. No-one had bothered to tell him that before. They got back on the aircraft they had just left and flew back to Britain. Lieutenant Dawson complaining to British Airways that it should have told him of the visa requirement. The couple flew back to the Canary Islands the next day, with the visa. Lieutenant Dawson, aged 23, of Auckland, was the victim of a lapsed agreement between New Zealand and Spain. Until late last year, New Zealanders did not need visas to enter Spain but the agreement ran out. Officials are working on renewing it. Catchy AN ADVERTISEMENT seen in a North Island newspaper said: “Good home wanted for year-old tabby cat. Affectionate and mouse-trained.” —Felicity Price