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Press, 20 May 1981, Page 27

SORRY WRONG NUMBER

Not many people may know: this, but Christchurch .has perhaps the tallest leprechaun ever to have-fled the Emerald'lsle. He is a tall man, no. taller than

; .'absolutely'.necessary -but' certainly of an ;j .ideal .height for- stooping photogenically -while quoting Brendan Behan: and he is - equipped' with formidably , long. Irish : limbs, the legs for doing a sort of crazed - peasant’s jig which overtakes him a.t the "erid-..0f an evening's supping, and the . arms for enthusiastically waving the ■ constant pint of beer br; Guinness;, file presence ,of which, goes far to explain the aforementioned jig.. ■ , ' , The (leprechaun has an acquaintance of more distant'lrish'extraction whom he shamed and badgered into promising to accompany l him- on the leprechaun’s traditional St Patrick’s. 'Day activity. Duly and. apprehensively,', on March .16

the not-so-Irishman turned up at .the (right, pub to find the professional Irishman well into; his normal activity.. The jpot-sb-Irishmah . noticed that the leprechaun reacted with a look ■of surprise when he announced why he had come, but he gave it no’particular thought; at ;the time.. They went to it with enthusi-. asm. and as the night developed .‘the not- '■ so-Irishman began to notice one or two things out.of place. None of .the pubsj were.serving green beer,-as they usually; did on. St-Patrick’s Day, for a start; and things were'? too'quiet? there seemed to be no other , stage Irishmen out on the 'town. However, he persisted and did the old saint justice.

; The puzzle became clear at the end of the evening as the two. were bidding each other a noisy farewell. “Thanks for a Keck of an evening,” the leprechaun said. “And, by the way, you got the date wrong. St Patrick’s Day is tomorrow. I hope you feel up to it.”