Reporter’s diary

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

HART reactionaries

THE SUDDEN appearance of a small red heart in the corner of people’s television screens is, in these troubled times, enough to get a number of viewers scrambling for their telephones to ask “What is going on?” The red hearts which were flashed in various corners of the screen on Network Two last week ■were part of a promotional competition which had been extensively advertised. The Hearts symbolised the slogan "We love Two,” and viewers participating in the competition had to record the position of the heart on special forms. Perhaps a red heart was the wrong choice for a symbol, because to many viewers it seemed to carry a more sinister meaning. They thought it must have been some sort of cryptic protest by HART, one of the groups opposing the Springbok tour. This confusion was strangely pronounced in Christchurch, where six people telephoned Television New Zealand after the heart was flashed for the first time; Fewer felt moved to do the same in Auckland and Wellington cpmbined. Either television

viewers in Christchurch are more reactionary, or they are a lot less sensitive to television advertising.

Planning ahead

THE FIRST edition of the “Sumner Beach Press” the new community newspaper, can truly be said to be ahead of its time. It is devoted almost entirely to outlining plans for the redevelopment of the Sumner shopping centre. Perhaps in keeping with its theme of future development, the publishers of the journal have dated it August 29, 1981. Grassed

A READER in zoology at the University of Canterbury had a rather odd brush with the law while on leave recently. Mr John Warham and his wife were examining bird burrows on the steep slopes of Motoremu Island, in kaipara Harbour, when they heard rowdy masculine voices below them. There had been no other boats in sight when they landed, and the island was supposed to be deserted, so they were surprised. Surprise turned to bewilderment when three men approached them and

accused them of cultivating cannabis. They were policemen, and they had been keeping an eye on a patch of cannabis on the island in the hope that the owners would show up so they could catch them “green-handed.” The Warhams were able to prove their innocence, but the policemen asked if they would mind doing them a favour. Mr Warham soon found himself photographing a very healthy, well-tended and well-concealed patch of plants before they were uprooted and carried off for use as evidence. The constables had forgotten to. take a camera with them. Fagan lives A SUSPICIOUS transaction is recorded in the monthly magazine published by Shell N.Z., Ltd. Cash of $56.42 was received in payment for an invoice of $5649 at one of their depots. The payer’s name was Pick Pocket Trading, Ltd. Doing porridge A TAURANGA woman has been rewarded for a lifetime of porridge eating. Mrs Pat Grant, aged 78, has been eating the glutinous cereal

every morning for the last 72 years. She still uses the silver spoons given to her by the makers of Sergeant Dan Creamota when she and her brothers saved the necessary number of packet coupons 70 years ago. When Flemings, the makers of Creamota, heard of Mrs Grant's devotion to their product they decided to recognise her achievement with an appropriate gift. Flemings has awarded Mrs Grant a life’s supply of Creamota. Battery bus THE PICTURE of the small battery bus used 70 or so years ago by the Christchurch" Tramway Board which appeared in “The Press” on July 29, reminded Mr A. C. Loach, the author of the centennial history of Templeton, that in the days when the trams stopped at Sockburn, the little bus was used to provide a feeder service in from Templeton. He was told, when compiling the history, that when the bus ran out of “juice,” local lads would push it to the nearest recharging points — giving it an advantage over today’s diesel monsters.