Reporter’s diary

Press, 20 August 1981, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Sterling query

A CHRISTCHURCH man I' rang up a Government deI partment this week, to ask, : what he thought, was a simple question. Could anyone tell him what was the conversion rate for sterling? The. immediate reply was: “What currency sterling?” Extra paint job PAINTERS were working on the roof of Christchurch Women's Hospital recently when the aluminium paint, which they were using, apparently blew in the wind and splashed several cars beneath. Attempts were made to wipe the paint off the. cars but. this . was, pot

successful. Eventually the cars had to be commercially cut and polished. Just in case A DOCTOR'S magazine reports that a doctor, in England, has been bequeathed a dozen boxes of fine, expensive Havana cigars.. The same ex-patient also left $6657 for cancer research. Load of rubbish IT WAS like a scene from an old silent movie. A young woman turned from discussing travel arrangements with the driver of an inter-pro-vince bus to discover that the luggage she had left in two plastic bags on the pave-,

ment had been scooped up by rubbish collectors. She snatched back her fare and was last seen sprinting and shouting after the rubbish truck. Long A SEAMAN, aged 20, made .history on Monday by becoming the first person to cross the English channel in a bath. Bath-time for secondmate Bill Neal, from Plymouth. England, lasted 13 hours. 29 minutes as he paddied his way from Dover to Cap Gris Nez. using only one oar. To combat the French police, who earlier this year threatened to arrest anyone who arrived on French shores in “unconventional

vessels,” the steel bath was specially registered .with Lloyds as an ocean-going craft. Frightening AN ENGLISH transport group has established a new division offering a guaranteed next-day delivery service between England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It's name? TNT. Irish Overnite. Old soldiers! FROM A British newspaper: “The Royal British Legion took 45 men and their widows on their annual outing. a tour of the Cotswolds .