Reporter’s diary

Press, 9 June 1982, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Telling tales IN 1933, the smallest and youngest boy at Mount Albert Grammar School did not do any maths homework. In fact, he did no maths homework during the whole time he was at school. Whether this has had any significant bearing on his mathematical ability today, remains a matter frequently left open to conjecture. For this boy is now the Minister of Finance, our Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon. At the official opening of the school’s diamond anniversary celebrations last week-end, Mr Muldoon recalled his exemption from maths, homework and reminded old boys that in a couple bf months, he will have presented more Budgets than any other Minister of Finance in New Zealand history. Endurance test CANTERBURY’S own "iron .man” and “iron maiden" contest will be held for the first time later this month. On June 27, provided the weather is suitable, a field of about.so super-fit men and women will run up the Mount Hutt alpine highway, don ski-gear, ride the T-bars up to the , top of the mountain, and ski down again through a giant slalom course: The first man past the post will win an all-expenses-p'aid holiday for two for three days at Queenstown, and the first woman to make it will win a new pair of skis. The Mount Hutt “10 kilometre Steinie Run-Ski” contest goes from the bottom car-park on the Mount Hutt Road to the top car-park — a distance of some 11km- — but women and junior entrants run from a skm mark halfway up the ’road. Even if there is snow on the road, the run will still be on. "Running in snow is beautiful,” says one of the organisers, Mr Rod Rutherford. “You might fall over.

but that’s all. right. As long as the area is skiable and the ski-field is open, the race will be on.” Entries for the strenuous event will close on June 14. Iron man

THE TAIYO Iron Works, of Osaka, has a new employee working strictly to rule — any rule the management cares to make. He is also said to possess built-in rejection of strike action. This paragon of industrial virtue is an industrial robot called Toffky. He “mans” the new robot department at the small Japanese steelmaking firm. His addition to the staff was considered worthy of an admittance ceremony, so Toffky lined up with 11 other new employees and was officially assigned his job. Being a superior sort of robot with wondrous control devices, Toffky then moved forward to accept his certificate of assignment. Next year’s robots are expected to be programmed to present the certificates. Pin-up man IDOL of the seventies he may have been, but Mick Jagger does not appear to be as popular in the eighties as he was once. The production , team for Mervyn Glue’s forthcoming one-man show “The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin” have been trying hard to find a big, colour poster of the baggy-lipped Jagger, but have so far had no success. Record shops, they say, ,no longer stock posters of the ageing idol. If anyone can,bear, to part with their poster fo'P. the production, which starts on Friday, would they please telephone Pauline Huggins, 790-936. Winter worship

EFFORTS at one Christchurch inner-city church to warm parishioners while they say their prayers have backfired. The . church has had new heaters installed, but they have been fixed at ceiling height, •'?well above

parishioners' bowed heads. Since hot air tends to rise, the church-goers have found that they are being left out in the cold, and some of the elderly ones, who feel the cold more, are most upset about it. Some of them have even gone so far as to threaten to the church until the heaters are brought down to a more practical level. Could this be the start of the first parishioners’ strike? Running on IN THE wake of the marathon fever that . hit Christchurch last week-end, ‘when hundreds of runners took to the streets for the Nike Marathon, there are free video' film showings of another marathon on. in town this week. Every day . this week at 12.15 and 1.15 p.m , there are free video showings of the 1981 Honolulu Marathon in the Captain’s Cabin of the United Services Hotel. Family nuisance LITTLE terror Vincent Hollingsworth made his family homeless yesterday — by burning their house down. The three-year-old crept downstairs while his parents were asleep and started a bonfire in the lounge. His father, a miner, Mr Richard Hollingsworth, aged 24, and his wife, Jayne, were woken by a neighbour who saw smoke billowing from their • council house in Wcirksop, Nottinghamshire. The family escaped unhurt but lost $4700 worth of uninsured possessions in the blaze. The fire is hot Vincent’s only unfortunate exploit. Others include flushing, the family cat down the lavatory: flooding the bathroom after jamming soap down the sink; running away with his two-year-old brother, Shaun; and being . banned from the. local pub for throwing beer mats at drinkers. "He's not a bad boy — just very % mischievous,” said his understanding father.