Reporter’s diary

Press, 4 October 1984, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Prickly present

THE MAYOR, Sir Hamish Hay, met an expatriate Kiwi hedgehog during his visit to Christchurch’s sister city of Seattle, last month. The hedgehog was a gift from Orana Park to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. “I found it to be surprisingly friendly,” said Sir Hamish. Tough test AT TIMES the Consumers’ Institute sympathises with retailers. A case in point is that of the man who went into a toy shop and asked to see a child’s cart. He told the owner that it had to be a strong one. The proprietor got out a cart which he thought would fit the bill, and, to demonstrate, pulled it gently along by its nylon cord. As the cart passed him, the customer suddenly raised his foot and stamped hard on it. “Yes, that seems okay,” he said. When he had recovered his composure, the proprietor asked the customer if he would like the cart wrapped. “Yes,” came the answer, "but not this cart. I want a new one.” No smoking A SIGN on the door of Thyme Cottage in Colombo Street: “No smoking. Oxygen in use.” Mr Harold Dawber NOT MANY people fcan have been more dedicated

to the Corso movement than Mr Harold Dawber, of Marshland Road, who died on his eighty-eighth birthday on Sunday. Mr Dawber and his wife Lilian, had organised the Corso collection in Linwood since the late 19505. They even ran. the last collection in June, although Mr Dawber had

failing sight and indifferent health. “There is a lot of work involved in organising collectors and a collection depot. They (the Dawbers) have done a great job,” said Mr Michael Reid, a coorganiser for Corso in Christd»rch. Mr Dawber is survived by his wife.

Invitation

BUDDING actors and actresses will have the chance to strut their hour upon the Christchurch Town Hall stage during the last term this year and the first term next year, when the Town Hall management will encourage secondaiy schools to visit its facilities. Substantial discounts will be offered for schools to perform their annual plays in the James Hay Theatre. Not only will students be able to act on a big-time stage, they will receive advice from the Town Hall staff on set design, lighting, and sound.

Bombed out ZINAIDA Bragantsova, aged 74, who lives in the Russian seaside city of Azov, complained on and off for 43 years that a German bomb was resting under her house. The authorities ignored her, so she patched the roof and carried on with the business of living. Last month, new telephone cables were being laid in the area and demolition experts were called in to probe for buried explosives. They found the woman’s bed sitting squarely over the patch in the floor above a live 250 kg bomb. The city fathers cleared 2000 people from the area, detonated the bomb — and blew Zinaida’s home to pieces. —Peter Corner.