Reporter's Diary

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 2

Reporter's Diary

Two in one SEPTEMBER’S unusually warm, dry spell has persuaded azaleas to bloom earlier than is their wont. In fact, as anybody may have observed, a lot of plants have responded to the early season. So, for possibly the first time, and certainly for the first time in the 22 years that Mr Jock Fraser has been ’ secretary 6f- ; the Canterbury Horticultural Society, the annual open days at the Ham homestead to see the rhododendrons and azaleas have been reduced to just one open day. “Usually, we have an open day in October for the rhododendrons and another in November for the azaleas,” Mr Fraser said yesterday. “But because of the advanced season, the azaleas are out now, and would be -all over by November. So we are just having one open day this Sunday.” Mr Fraser said it was very rare for the azaleas and rhododendrons to be at their best at the same time. “It’s .the first time I know of that we have , had to cancel the second open day, at the homestead,” he said. Members of the public are welcome to attend the open day on Sunday at the homestead, 87 Ham Road. is a silver coin, the proceeds being divided equally between the Horti'cultural Society and the University of Canterbury, which:' owns the: home- , stead.

Fashions galore EXPENSIVE mink, furs,

swimsuits, shoes, jewellery, and a wide range of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing give some sort of an indication of the variety' to be seen at the spring-summer charity fashion show at the Chateau Regency this week. The show will- be staged by the Paula Ryan Model Agency, and all those fashion stores featured in the “Fashion and Restaurant Guide” published recently by Paula Ryan will be participating in the show. Profits from the $6-a-head show, which are expected to amount to SISOO, will be divided between the Laura Fergusson Trust and Fendalton Plunket. Fifteen models — men, women, and children — will present a range of more than 150 garments during the show. Paula Ryan’s husband, Mr Don Hope, who is organising the show, says that it is unusual for Christ-church-because it is not very often that so many different leading fashion houses will present such a range of clothes and accessories all at once. The show will be staged in the Chateau Regency’s Great Hall, this evening, tomorrow, and Friday. ' First impressions IN ANTICIPATION of the $600,000 likely to be spent in Christchurch and various South Island tourist areas during the 1982 Australian Federation of Travel Agents convention, as well as the increase in New Zealand tourism it is hoped the convention will

engendeh Canterbury businesses and accommodation centres spared no expense in creating a good impression when Mr Eric Grimes, the association’s president, visited Christchurch with Mrs Grimes recently. They were. given -. preview of what. -the 1200 to 1500 travel agents from the Pacific Basin area can expect when they attend the convention. In Christchurch, they inspected the Town Hall and Pioneer Stadium, which will be used for the convention, and were treated to an action-packed day in the Methven-Pudding HillMount Hutt area, riding on flying foxes, helicopters, and jet boats. As well as the money spent by the travel agents while they are here, it is estimated that tourism will increase by 30 per cent a year for two to three years after the event, according . to Mr Bruce Dunstan, executive officer of the Canterbury Promotion Council. Running costs? BUYING “shoes” for the family car is less expensive in the United States than buying a pair of running shoes, on a cost-per-kilometre basis.. According to research by the Goodvear Company in the United States, radial car tyres can offer 3| times greater value than shoes. The research showed that the average driver could expect 65,000 km from the radials tested, the actual cost being less than 1c a kilometre. By contrast, joggers can. anticipate costs of About 3|c a kilometre, based on a pair of running shoes costing $35 in the United States. The cost would be even higher in New. Zea-

land. But using the costs of the tread as a point of comparison’ fails to take into account one very important thing — the cost of the fuel to run the motor. Firm friends FOURTEEN years ago, the family firm of D.S.A. Ltd, at Dunedin was closed suddenly on July 20. Since then, a loyal band of former staff members have met on the Wednesday nearest July .20 to chat about old times with the former managing director, Mr Gordon Dick. But in the last two years, the 20 or so staff members .who now live in Christchurch have found it difficult to get to Dunedin for the. regular reunion. So last evening they all met at the Clarendon Hotel, where they talked about the old days over dinner and drinks. The occasion was attended by Mr Dick, who is now 85, and whose present trip to Christchurch from Dunedin prompted the “northern” reunion. Magic carpets? WITH the arrival of his relatives from Greece imminent, a Christchurch man telephoned Air New Zealand (or so he thought) to find the arrival time of the plane they were aboard. In answer to his inquiry, the voice at the end of the telephone said, "We make a lot of good carpets, sir, hut none or them can fly.” In his haste, the caller had dialled the wrong number and had got Feltex Carpets by mistake.