Reporter’s diary

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Victory stamp

MISS Sandra Alexandre, of Stirling and Company, with an example of the first-day stamp cover featuring the victorious America’s Cup challenger, Australia 11. New Zealanders basked in the reflected glory of the Aussies when the cup was finally wrested from the United States after 132 years, so Christchurch stamp dealers expect a busy time when the covers go on sale today. In Australia, post offices across New South Wales posted “sold out” notices shortly after the stamps went on sale on Tuesday. Long queues formed outside Australia Post’s philatelic centre in Sydney before opening time. One Christchurch dealer intends to sell the first-day covers for $l, and both mint and used stamps for 75 cents each.

All well THE CLAUGHTON family, of Mount Pleasant, had no choice but to rise and take part in the proceedings the other night when a cat brought four kittens into the world under their king-sized water bed. “We were woken about 4 a.m. by the kittens whimpering, but the gap under the bed was far too small to get them out,” said Mrs Jonene Claughton yesterday. It was well and truly daylight by the time the water bed had been emptied, using a garden hose siphoning through the bedroom window, to get the feline family out. “Then the bed had to be filled again, so it was an early breakfast for us,” said Mrs Claughton. Mother and kittens are all well, but the gap round the bottom of the water bed will be boarded up well before the next litter is due.

Briefcase recovered

THE CHRISTCHURCH consulting engineer whose plight was reported in the “Diary” last Saturday has got back his stolen briefcase, which contained important contract papers. Mr lan Wood said that the briefcase has been found

wet but undamaged. Nothing had been taken from it, and he has no idea why it was stolen from his car. Rubbing it in THE ILL-FORTUNE that attended Labour in the Christchurch local authority elections was too good an

opportunity for the National member of Parliament for Fendalton, Mr P. R. Burdon, to pass up. When Parliament reconvened on Tuesday he moved a notice of motion: “That this House congratulate Sir Hamish Hay on his 13,000 majority, notes the astonishing reverse for Labour, notes that Citizens’ increased its

standing on the Christchurch City Council from four to 12; and invites Labour to consider if a champagne breakfast was an appropriate method for launching its campaign, or if the champagne might not have been better used to drown its sorrows on Saturday night.” Deterrent sentence A MAN who showed off to his friends by destroying a recently-planted tree in the main street of Toowoomba, Queensland, has been jailed for four months. Paul Long, aged 32, of Toowoomba, pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully and unlawfully destroying the tree, valued at $2OO. It was one of six willow peppermints brought all the way from Victoria to beautify the city’s main street. Hitting back A FIRST-YEAR student at the University of Nebraska has filed a SUSIOOO (SNZISOO) law suit against a chemistry professor, alleging that his class is disorganised.