Reporter’s diary

Press, 26 February 1982, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Round the bend LOOK closely, and you will notice that this is’not an ordinary traffic sign of the "One Way" species. This new one-way but wnieh-way version is at the corner of Kilmore and Montreal Streets,..on Cranmer square, "h. is... different. out it s. a rather . unusual snuaiion there," said a spokesman from the Christchurch City Council's traffic department.

What the sign really means is that motorists arriving at the S-bend in Montreal Street will now realise that they can either go west down the Kilmore Street one-way system. or go round the corner and head north on the Montreal Street one-way system. The council spokesman said that if two separate signs were placed in the usual spot in such cases, motorists would not have time to see them because'of the oblique approach angle caused by the S-bend. '‘We hope the change will mean less confusion for motorists," he said. Dining out A FRAUGHT life but a happy one. Our reporter, also a ratepayer, was intrigued at the goings-on at yesterday's bi-annual meeting of the South Island Local Bodies Association, in Christchurch. Delegates had come from all over the /Mainland and got stuck into the agenda at about 10.20 a.m., after an interlude for refreshments. The victims of the vagaries of the weather, two delegates from Dunedin finally walked in at 11.30 a.m., with the formal agenda nearly disposed of. They were just in

time for lunch at noon. Awesome logistics of transport aside, the delegates must have had a fairly enjoyable day; apparently there was no meeting scheduled for the afternoon or evening. Hunted WHO WAS this man? “A shadowy figure, perhaps holding a Maori flute, standing a little apart as if waiting." That’s the description given by English writer and researcher. Kenneth Hopkins, to one of New least known literary sons. The Alexander Turnbull Library is asking if anyone knows much at all about our shadowy figure, Maurice Reginald Hunter, who wrote as Rex Hunter. Mr Hunter was born in 1889 at Southbrook, just south of Christchurch, but spent most of his writing career in the United States. At various stages of his lite he was journalist, poet, novelist, writer and playwright — although apparently not outstandingly successful at any of these crafts. None of his five books have been published in New Zealand and Hunter has not received much, if any, criti-

cal recognition here either. When he arrived in America, Hunter did the usual Bohemian stint around Greenwich Village, where he eventually met his wife, Gamel Woolsey. Mr Hopkins reports that Hunter “was a true Bohemian of his period: a visitor to his rooms in Patchin Place reports utter confusion as to furnishings and contents, and Hunter in the middle with a boule and a girl — and good luck to them both." Hunter returned finally to New Zealand. to settle in Dunedin where he died in 1960. Apparently Hunters more conventional brother, then Mr Justice William Hunter, was slightly embarrassed by the reappearance of his Bohemian brother. The staff at the Alexander Turnbull would be very interested to hear from anyone with papers or information on the elusive Mr Hunter. Zorro rides? ZIP, swish, swash, Zorro rides again! Well, in this case, runs, jogs, limps or crawls around the no-holds barred' four-mile road; race. ZORRO International proudly presents "The

Georgia O'Keefe and Alfred Steiglitz Sierra Blanco Mescalitos 4 mile road race" on Monday. March 1. start time 6.30 p.m. None of it can be illuminated in these columns because the phantom-masked PR handout folks forgot to leave a phone number. Anyway. the third in the Zorro International "Hit and Run" series starts from the gates of the McCormacks Bay Quarry, near the Estuary causeway, and finishes in the same place. In the continuing Zorro tradition there will be no horses, no spurs (no. sorry, we digress) ... no entries, no registrations, no prizes or certificates but times and placings will be recorded. “Hell," gays Zorro himself, "with no entries, prizes or certificates, the Zorro International is so much of a no-no that it is wonderfully intriguing to realise its success." Dress is informal (no need for the traditional mask, cape and mustachios) and participants can toddle into the Ferrymead Hotel afterwards for drinks. Finally, before we take a brief commercial break, your diary writer has no idea why and Alfred are involved ... no doubt for no reason at all.