Reporter’s diary

Press, 25 September 1982, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Up to date CANTERBURY'S rugby success last Saturday did not take long to. bring side effects. On Sunday, a Christchurch couple motoring south reached the Conway River, where north-bound travellers are told they are “Welcome to Marlborough.” On the Marlborough side of the bridge, there was a new notice “You are now entering Ranfurly Shield country.” Signature tune TOM HUNTER, the district sales manager at British Airways, finds it hard to accept the fact that he no longer lives in what used to be Ranfurly Shield country, and two travel agents are not letting him forget that he is now in true Ranfurly Shield country. • Dennis . Young, a former All Black hooker and the snarer of countless tightheads in Canterbury’s great-

est shield era, and Rod Lee sent Mr Hunter a condolence card this week. Signed in red and black, the card included a charming red and black rosette. A gold and black pen was attached. “To signify that Wellington were a write-off,” wrote Messrs Young and Lee. Keas A LETTER to "The Press” expressing surprise at the keas’ non-attendance at Mount Hutt this year contained the “unlikely" speculation that they may have, been poisoned or destroyed. However, the managing director of the Mount Hutt Company. Mr Peter Yeoman, was outraged at the suggestion. It was ridiculous, cruel and unkind, he said. He thinks it more likely that the birds are later in arriving, possible because of the drought. Three had been observed on the mountain in the last week, he said.

Strike talk A FULL meeting of the Federation of Labour will have to be held on the application by the Christchurch Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee to build a new refuse station at Redwood, according to a telephone caller yesterday who announced himself as “Jim Knox.” During a hearing this week, the counsel for the committee, Mr J. R. Milligan said that until a northern station was built, the Waimairi District Council would have to continue using the existing Sawyers Arms Road dump. That attracted seagulls, and increased the chance of a bird strike at Christchurch Airport. The caller said that he had not heard of a strike among the birds, but if that was in the air, he wanted to know about it. He would support any such move, but thought the newspaper report must be in

error, because, he said, seagulls were not found at the airport, but at Lyttelton. - In short MR ARTHUR IVORY, the Christchurch man who has compiled a book of abbreviations, sent a copy to the British Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher, with the High Commissioner-designate to Britain, Mr W. E. Young. Mrs Thatcher will be given the book by Mr Young today, when he presents his credentials. Mr Ivbry has one of her nicknames, TINA (There Is No Alternative) listed in his “Pacific Index of Abbreviations." Rain on the roof ALTHOUGH a drought prevails the rain still falls heavily at times — in Auckland. A’Christchurch woman in Papatoetoe a few

days ago was quite appreciative of the drumming on the roof. Then she announced her intention of going to the toilet. She was told she would find an umbrella in the hall, and thought she was back in the dark ages of outside toilets. No, she was told, it was raining heavily, and the 100 was leaking. Smithy THE CANTERBURY Museum, at present having a small display of souvenirs of the Tasman flight of 1928, has been assisted by the Hornby Chapter of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. It has made available supplies of a booklet put out to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Sir Charles Kingsford- Smith’s epic flight. The 32-page production is lavishly ■ illustrated. The booklets are available free on application at the counter of the foyer of the museum.