Reporter’s diary

Press, 8 December 1982, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Chinese honour A FORMER Christchurch man who has lived in China for 55 years, Rewi Alley, was made an honorary citizen of Peking at a banquet to celebrate his eighty-fifth birthday, reports the Chinese news agency. Xinhua. Highranking officials attended the banquet to see him presented with a certificate and badge of honorary citizenship. The Commissioner of the Zhangye Prefecture in the Gansu province of China, has written to the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, sending his congratulations to the people of Christchurch on the occasion of Mr Alley’s birthday. He lived for a time in the province. The commissioner wrote: “The people in the prefecture would like to work together with the people of Christchurch to develop the friendship between our two peoples and to promote co-operation and exchanges in all fields.” Production model FOR THE man who has everything, including enemies. A 1950 Cadillac Fleetwood, complete with fitted extras a bomb-proof floor, armour plated doors, bullet-proof windows, 4cm thick, and a hinged front windscreen to allow the use of tommy guns

has gone on display at the Southward Museum Trust at Paraparaumu, north of Wellington. The car was built to order for • the gangster, Mickey Cohen, and the added extras, designed to let him live a, little longer, doubled the car’s weight to four and a half tons. Californian police took possession of the vehicle after the release of the gangster’s book, “In My Own Words,” which gave an account of the workings of the vehicle. The Cadillac acquired its authentic bulletscarred look when it was used by the police for target practice. In high places ALSO ON display at the Southward Museum Trust is a Morris Minor 1000, driven by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The cleric’s car had a very peaceful existence until In 1978, with 23,000 miles on the clock, it was bought by the Montagu Museum. The new owners added a limited slip difKrential, a roll cage and sponsors’ slogans and entered the little car in the Himalayan rally. Phillip Young and the Rev. Rupert Jones drove it into fifteenth place among 57 starters. Gallery’s goal STAFF AT the Robert McDougall Art Gallery are

on the look-out for the gallery’s 100,000 th visitor for 1982. In the three weeks until the end of the year, the gallery needs another 5000 to 6000 visitors to reach 100,000. The gallery has reached that figure twice before: \in the year it opened, when the director, Mr John Coley, estimates there were probably 150,000 visitors, and in 1980 when the crowds that saw the Thyssen-Bornemisza exhibition of paintings took the year's total to 120,000. He said that 1982 had been a “better than average year.” A small prize would be given to the 100,000 th visitor, he said. Waimairi tour THE WAIMAIRI District Council could well be looking for “leading citizens” to fill up the seats on its annual bus tour’ of the district early next year. The tour has lapsed over the last two years because of a lack of interest but the council’s works reserves and traffic committee has decided to discuss reinstating the tour. If .75 per cent of the Waimairi councillors sign up for the half-day tour, the event will be a definite starter. The council is also considering inviting leading citizens of the district along for the ride.