Reporter’s diary

Press, 27 September 1983, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Photo-finish THE CAMERA never lies, well, almost never. A reader found this photograph among his possessions, but cannot recall its history. The picture is of a very shaky Christchurch city centre. Those knowledgeable on photography suggest that the photograph may be of a painting, or may have been taken through distorted mirror or glass, parts of the buildings painted out and the original rephotographed. Whatever method was used, the names on the shop fronts may give some clues to the date of the photograph. Spring clean

PLANS to spring clean New Zealand are well under way

for “Clean New Zealand Week,” which begins on Saturday. The call for a nationwide tidy up issued every spring by the New Zealand Litter Control Council has received strong support this year from local authorities and service organisations. The director of the council, Mr Alistair Millar, emphasises that individuals can make a difference to the countryside by tidying their immediate area. Frog-gone LOST: one frog costume. The Southern Ballet Theatre’s spectacular black-and-cerise.net frog costume used in last year’s performances of “Stolen Reflections” has gone missing. The

costume, which is ornately decorated, is needed for a public performance by the theatre in Ashburton on Saturday evening. Magic potion WITCH doctors in the tiny African kingdom of Swaziland are getting together to try to stamp out the use of human flesh in their traditional secret potions. Ritual murders have become increasingly common during the last two years and authorities have vowed to stop them. No-one is more anxious than Swaziland’s 5000 witch doctors and healers, known as tinyangas, who outnumber conventional physicians by 100 to one. They are seeking

official permission to open hospitals and clinics on an equal footing with orthodox medicine, and have decided to form their own professional organisation. Those who organise ritual murders will not be allowed to join. Most of the 600,000 people in Swaziland are believed to have at some time taken “muti” — the Swazi name for the witch doctors’ potion. Muti is used to treat illness and injury, to overcome emotional or financial difficulties, and to generally bring good luck. Noxious weed SOMEONE got a little more or less than bargained for when a cannabis plant was taken from the noxious weeds display at the daffodil and spring flower show at the Horticultural Hall on Sunday. The display staged by the Christchurch City Council’s noxious plants officer, John Thacker, featured a variety of noxious weeds, Included was the cannabis, especially borrowed for the occasion from a hardware store. The plant was plastic — and Mr Thacker would like it back because it will cost $l2 to replace. Squidburger THE LATEST gourmet attraction in Japan’s fast food outlets is the squidburger. Replacing the traditional beef between the buns is a mixture of squid, fish and onions. According to the inventors the burger is “delicious and very easy to eat.”