Reporter’s diary

Press, 4 March 1982, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Foul canard MAYBE the following is an indication of why the Government decided last year to close its diplomatic post in Port of Spain, Trinidad. One of the staff at Noahs Hotel has received a book from his • brother living in Bermuda. The publication is a complete guide for 1980-81 to Bermuda’s restaurant menus and contained one menu from the ritzy Southampton Princess Hotel: ‘‘Canard aux Kiwis — $15.00 — Crisp halt, young duckling prepared at your table and served with New Zealand kiwis.” A foul canard indeed. Zorro winner A WINNER has been found in the third Zorro International fun four-mile road race, run over a course at Mt Pleasant on Monday evening. Allan Hall made it two in a row when he beat everyone to the finish in the Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Steiglitz Sierra Blanco Mescalitos road race in a time of 23 minutes and 26 seconds. The first woman to finish was C. Thompson (seventh place over all). She was beaten" home by Kent Taylor, aged 10. Tracey France; aged 11, finished in eighth place and Jaime Hall, aged 8, was eleventh. "This was not an easy course,” said a Zorro spokesman. He "was delighted to see the children entering — a training outing for the City to Surf ■ run. What’s more, news has conveniently leaked out .that. a. Zorro International “Noi-the-Olym-pic-trials-maratfion” is ' scheduled for September 18.

We await further details with bated breath. Take away. ONE of the highpoints of the rugby fun day at Centennial Park last Sunday was a hangi organised by the Canterbury Maori rugby committee. The tantalising aromas must have been too much for one nearby resident. She was seen to come out of her house, join the food queue, and after filling her plate retrace her steps to enjoy her meal in the comfort of her own home, Environment humour. . . . THE COMPILERS of the Canterbury Environment Centre’s newsletter can obviously laugh at themselves — notably when advertising the annual meeting for March 23. They start off with an appeal., for new members. “See if your marriage can stand the strain! Statistics so far: three marriages still together, four broken, two hard-to-describe relationships. ..Door prize: Best (un)dressed topless man. Come and .enjoy the wry "humour that goes with discussing the problems — not to mention’all of New Zealand’s environmental hang-ups!” If you are contemplating going to this gala occasion, the organisers are promising a ‘‘guest speaker (we hope).” . ; . pat on back Sour congratulations to the Centre have nothing • whatsoever to do with, the content of a blurfc for their new ‘.‘Environmental . Tit-

bits” column in the newsletter. “The idea behind this column is to add a little bit of fun, facts, and odds and ends to our journal. . . similar to ‘The Press’ Reporter’s Diary column.” We learn that 75 per cent of the Canterbury Environment Centre’s members are lefthanded. Also, a rather interesting item which local authorities could take note of: when a wooded site has to be bulldozed for a new section of Interstate 85 in the United States, the State of Georgia’s forestry commission invites the public to corrie in first dnd dig up trees, shrubs and plants to take home. On the day of the dig,. foresters stand by to help. people choose suitable plants ’ and trees for their gardens and lawns. Just reward OVERHEARD in an English pub: “Landlords who charge over one pound for a double Scotch ought to -be put behind bars.” ‘ Open, .shut case PALMERSTON North police were called on Tuesday night by,ak woman who said there was ari intrildgr in her toilet. She : had. moved into her new house earlier oh Tuesday, and became suspicious, when she couldn't open the door of the toilet. A nearby police patrol raced to the scene and found the reason. why the door wouldn’t open when the woman pushed — it was of the sliding variety.