Reporter's diary

Press, 25 November 1981, Page 2

Reporter's diary

Over the edge TARQUIN Fintimlinbinwhainbimlim Bus Stop F’Tang F’tang Ole Biscuit Barrel has decided to stand for the British Parliament — a decision that has brought down on him the wrath of “The Times.” Mr Barrel represents the Cambridge University Raving Looney Society and hopes to get the fewest votes ever recorded by a candidate in a British election. That record is presently held by the persistent Lieutenant Commander William Boaks, who contests every election on behalf of his Land Sea and Air Democratic Monarchist Public Safety White Resident and

Women’s Party. He. attracted 14 votes. However, “The Times” is not amused at the recent tendency for more and more fringe candidates. “The benign system is in danger of getting out of hand through abuse by the frivolous,” “The Times”, said in a recent editorial, it warned against those candidates whose sole aim was to take advantage of the special privileges available, such as free postage for their election addresses. Under. British law, all prospective candidates must put up a deposit of $345, which is forfeited if they fail to poll 12.5 per cent of the votes. Parliament is reported to be considering

raising the deposit to about $2300. Rejected IN THE fifth issue of “Interface,” a'newish-New Zealand computer magazine, anarticle outlines some of the aims of the journal. It ends with the explanation that, while “Interface” does not have such a thing as a rejection slip, if ever one was needed, they could hardly do better than this one from a Chinese economic journal: “We' have read your manuscript with boundless delight. If we were to publish your paper, it would be impossible for us. to publish ary work of a lower standard. And as.it is unthinkable that in the next 1000 years, we shall see its equal, we are, to our regret, compelled to return your divine composition and beg you 1000 times to, overlook our short sight and timidity.”. Reunion TWO OLD soldiers from World War I met by chance at a bowling tournament at Rangiora at the week-end after not having seen each other for 63 years. Roy Kinzett, aged 94, from Renwick, Marlborough,-and Ken Stickle, aged 86, from Rangiora, had served, together in the 4th Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade in France in 1917 and parted company the following year when the war ended. On Sunday, at the Rangiora Bowling Green, Mr Stickle was due to play in the tournament, but .was delayed, and telephoned to ask his team-mates to get a substitute for ,a short time. Mr Kinzett had gone to the green to watch his, son play for- a-team from. Woolstori

Park. When asked to substitute for someone called Ken, he was only too happy to oblige. On Mr Stickle’s arrival, the two men were introduced, and it was only a matter of moments before they realised they were old comrades-in-arms. Mr Kinzett had enlisted in Invercargill, while Mr Stickle came originally from Mataura but now lives in Rangiora. The two, needless" to say, spent some time afterwards talking about old times. .

Too many letters A LETTER from a young Polish person asking for penfriends in New Zealand, which was published in “The Press”, recently, elicited so many replies from prospective penfriends that the cor-' respondent has not been able to reply to them all. Jerzy Matuszczak, from Krakow, in Poland, has written to thank “The Press" for publishing the letter and for the many replies it produced, but apologises to all those people who have not received a reply. “People in your country are very friendly, and this is specially important for me when the time in Poland is so hard,” Jerzy writes. ’ In as many words THE POLES have devised a modern and more effective version of the traditional message in a bottle, reports the "Guardian” newspaper, London. “The first two, of a new fleet of trans-Atlantic container ships have been christened Tadeusz Kosiuszko and Kasimir Pulaski — both heroes of eighteenth century Polish resistance to the Russians,” -;the report says. . •