Reporter's Diary

Press, 20 October 1980, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Used at last A READER received a letter from Auckland the other day with two stamps on it — one for 14c and the other for 4c. Or so he thought. But there was something eyecatching about that second stamp. It was one of the Health Stamp issues, and the value was actually fourpence — 3d plus 4d. A stamp catalogue showed it had been issued in 1957 — but, alas, it was not

worth much more than that now, allowing for inflation. After the increase in postal charges this month, whoever posted the letter in- Auckland on October 5 had been so desperate to make up the extra 6c that they had used an old fourpenny stamp, and the Post Office had franked it without even batting an eyelid.

End of an era

AFTER 77 years, the Southbridge District High School, will close at the end of this year to make way for the new Ellesmere College, which opens at the beginning of next year. The new college will be in Leestoh, which brings to a close a long wrangle between those townsfolk who felt the district’s high school should be in Leeston rath-, er than Southbridge. To mark the end of an era, many former pupils of Southbridge District High will attend a function at the school on December 12 — the last day of term and the last day for the old school. After (he celebrations and commiserations are over, the most senior' surviving pupil will lock the door on the bld school for the last time. Unfortunately, though, all the school records before 1924 were destroyed in a fire which swept through the school that year, and so the celebration organisers face a task in tracing past pupils. ' They do not yet know who the oldest surviving pupil will be, but they would ■ like any former pupils who want to attend to write to Mrs Christine McEvedy, Southbridge, R.D: 3.

Stay of execution? WHAT DiD the little Canterbury lamb say to his woolly playmate when he heard that the freezing works might close because .of industrial action? “Baaa-aah-better to be eaten as a sheep than a

Chattering chimps

THE chattering . chimpanzees which appear regularly on television advertising P.G. Tips teabags apparently have captivated viewers, according to the latest “Media Times”. Bushells, Ltd, which markets the teabags in New Zealand, has been inundated with letters asking for details bn how the British-made commercials are produced, the advertisements date back to 1956,/ when the first one using the chimps was made, using Peter Sellers” voice. For 12 years, the chimp commercials pushed up sales of P.G. Tips. In the late 19605, the manufacturer, Brooke Bond, decided to drop the advertisements, and sales plummeted. The chimps were brought back to British television screens, and sales rose again. So now it looks as though they are here to stay, and three more advertisements will be added to. the four that already run in New Zealand. “Decorator,” “Garage,” “Sailing” and “Shifter” are the fpur now screening, “Shifter'’ being the oldest and the most popular. The “Garage” commercial, cashing in on trie rising price of petrol, was made in Britain in 1973. (That is .the one where the wealthy Arab says he has run out of oil).

Hoic it’s done RESEARCH 'into the appeal<- of the . P.G. Tips chimps commercials has shown that the public .are niost delighted with the idea of the animals talking. This “talking” is achieved by shooting at different camera speeds as the chimp simply opens and closes his mouth; breaking. the script down syllable by syllable, with careful - editing.. The famous voices of Irene Handl, Brucfe; Forsyth, Arthyr,Lowe,; Graham Stark, and Kenneth Connor are then dubbed over. Everything is tightly scripted, but sometimes things do go wrong. One of the chimps, for example, managed to eat fiV6 copies of the.magazine he..was sup-

posed to,be. reading. But when the chimps do “act the. part,” they are rewarded with jelly beahs, marshmallows, and cups of P.G.. Tips tea, with lots of milk and sugar added. They fill jn . their spare time with store openings and. personality appearances. Brooke Bond was evert sent a script once by sonieone who wanted the chimps to open a fete and give a speech.

Tank full

THE Japanese are reported to be working on a new idea for putting the brake on drinking and driving. Their cars of the future could well be designed with gauges to measure the driver’s fuel consumption as well as the engine’s. The driver will have to blow into a builtin breathalyser as he switches on. If he is too well oiled, the engine will not start. «•