Reporter’s diary

Press, 25 October 1982, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

What next? AMERICANS are well known for ' their ingenuity when it comes to inventions that diminsh the number of routine chores they have to do. Following on from the video explosion, the latest tapes available on.the market include a video fire which can be plugged into the television set and means that no wood needs to be chopped, coal to be dragged in or ashes to be cleaned out, and a video aquarium which frees the householder from cleaning the tank and feeding the fish.

Movie barons LINCOLN High School which made a name for itself with overseas sales of “Lincoln County Incident” is now girding itself for its next production. This film — about pirates— will be called “The Twisted Talisman.” A group of senior boys was puzzled by “talisman." Not one had met the word before. But, "Would it be a vacuumcleaner salesman?" one pupil inquired. Tempos fugit DAYLIGHT saving starts on

Sunday, October 31 when clocks will be put forward one hour and will conclude in early March when the clocks are put back an hour. Simple as this sounds, it has not always been so easy. Until 1868 different centres in New Zealand kept their own times, with differences up to 34 minutes. Then the Government adopted time 11 Va hours ahead of Greenwich.This remained until 1927 when “daylight saving” was tried for the first time in summer months. Clocks were put forward one hour, but the measure was unpopular and so the next year clocks were

advanced only half an hour. In 1941, clocks were not put back for the winter, and in 1945 that time was adopted as New Zealand's official time — 12 hours ahead of Greenwich. Precious resource WATER as a resource in Canterbury is very topical at present with farmers, salmon farmers, irrigation users, pleasure boaters and conservationists all keeping a close eye on the use or abuse of water in the province. Water rights hearings are being keenly contested bv different

parties. An indication of the interest being shown by these groups is the different personnel who have enrolled for an external studies course on the water resources of Canterbury organised by the centre of resource management. Among the groups attending are representatives from farmers, anglers, catchment board, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Acclimatisation Society, and conservationists. Shock waves THE EARTHQUAKES which were felt near Wanganui

earlier this month rated a mention, albeit brief, in at least one French newspaper. A Christchurch couple received a clipping of the two-paragraph item (in French, of course) from their daughter who is attending school there. Under the heading “Wanganui tremble,” the newspaper reported that the quakes damaged buildings and caused "une vaste panique”. In contrast, New Zealand newspapers reported that the earthquakes, officially described as "moderate,” caused no major damage. Although there were some fears that the series of

moderate rumblings might lead to something more serious. there were no reports of a "vast panic." New trends | MODERN marital trends i could be discouraging book- - ings at the Town Hall, according to the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay. A recent meeting of the Town Hall Board heard that weddings were one of the uses the venue hoped to attract. One board member asked how wedding bookings were going. Sir Hamish chipped in: "People don't bother."