Reporter’s diary

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Royal togs TWO PAIRS of nylon swim shorts are winging their way to Buckingham Palace as a Christmas present to the Duke of Edinburgh from Lane Walker Rudkin. During the recent reception on board the Britannia at Lyttelton, Prince Philip told Mr Noel Rudkin that he well remembered the visit to Lane Walker Rudkin’s Christchurch factory in 1954. He also recalled that among the gifts to the Royal Family were nylon swim shorts for himself. The Duke said that the shorts had disintegrated but he still had the bag in which they had bfeen packed for the presentation.' As a memento of the recent Royal visit, two more pairs of swim shorts have been sent to the Duke to replace those presented to him nearly 30 years ago. In the photograph from 1954 the Duke watches Marjorie' Grant, still with

Lane Walker Rudkin as a supervisor, match half-hose, while Mr Rudkin looks on. Children's radio THE CHILDREN’S holiday radio station, which will broadcast from Radio U at Canterbury University, needs tapes or records of serials and radio shows which would interest a young but discerning audience. Material covering science fiOtion, detective thrillers, fantasy, and humour would be appreciated and can be copied by the . students running the station. The organisers would also like, to hear from anyone with a special talent for telling stories and anecdotes or who has written radio scripts suitable for adults and children. The - holiday radio, run by university students on the Children’s Holiday Activities Programme, will start broad-

casting on December 21. If you would like to contribute please telephone 488-610. Screen test THE TEXAS police have discovered a good way of controlling speeding motorists. They display .the speed of each passing vehicle on a large screen beside the freeway. Apparently,, embarrassed by this public display of their speed, the motorists respond by conforming to the legal speed, at least while passing the screen. The New South Wales police are also trying something new to crack down on drunken drivers. Mini buses are being fitted out as mobile breathtesting stations. Motorists pulled up by police patrols and who register positive breathalyser tests, will be taken , to" the mobile stations .for full tests. Three buses,, already dubbed "boozer buses.” will work round Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollon-

gong. The first bus, costing about $34,000, will be in service by March next year. Swingers beware GOLF enthusiasts- heading for Los Angeles can expect a hefty shock to their wallets if they want to join a club there. The fee for joining an exclusive Newport Beach club is $72,000 or $1.38 every time you hit the ball if you play each week-end for a year. A Beverly Hills club charges $50,000 for the pleasure of becoming „a member. Then there is the monthly fee, charges for a caddy, or golf cart ... Wunder Bar FORGET inflation-proof bonds, gold, or diamonds — the Mars Bar is here. The London "Financial Times" dismisses conventional ’coinage in favour of a more reliable currency, "the cho-colate-coated ingot.” The newspaper says the candy bar has been of consistent quality and size for four decades and its price has almost exactly matched the rate of inflation, increasing by 1800 per cent since 1940. Just compare these prices — a small car cost $370 in 1940 and costs about $6716 today. But, in Mars Bars (MB) currency the price hasn't changed much from M 819.200 back then to M 819.333 now. But some things have increased disproportionately and sell for inflated MB prices. Dining on roast beef at Simpson in .The Strand has risen from M 824 to M 839 and a Rolls Royce which cost M 8204.000 in 1940 today costs a discouraging M 8347.000. However, the essentials of life are now cheaper. A' bottle of Scotch cost MB9O in 1940 and now can be bought for M 843. A Mars Bar cost less than the N.Z. equivalent of 1c in 1940 and now sells for 35c.