Reporter’s diary

Press, 8 November 1984, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

So sorry . . .

THE STAFF at Ballantynes in Christchurch are superbly polite, friendly, and helpful. When a woman assistant accidentally brushed past an expensively dressed deament store dummy yesay, she spun round and apologised profusely: “I’m so sorry. It was my fault .;.” “Don’t worry ... we’ve all talked to that one,” chortled another staff member. Even the tall, rather haughty-looking * dummy seemed to smile faintly as it started across to the hat department. Still wary WHILE CHRISTCHURCH motorists are flocking in increasing numbers to have their vehicles converted to liquefied petroleum gas power, some people, particularly the elderly, remain very wary of the new propellant. According to one city taxi-driver, quite a number of customers stipulate that they do not want an L.P.G.-powered cab. “This is fairly uncommon, but I have to admit that it does happen,” said a spokesman for Blue Star Taxis. About 160 of Blue Star’s fleet of 226 cabs are running on L.P.G., with more being converted every day. The cabbies are apparently being influenced not only by the obvious economic advantages of L.P.G. —42 c a litre compared with 87.5 c a litre for petrol — but also by the performance aspect. “I have driven Holdens and Falcons that seem to run better on L.P.G. than on petrol, they may

need tuning more often,” said the taxi company spokesman. Those who do not trust L.P.G. are likely to have their doubts reinforced by the fact that the Ministry of Transport is examining the wreckage of an L.P.G.powered car in which a woman was burned to death after an accident near Te Awamutu last Saturday. A policeman said that the “horrifying” fire occurred after a collision in which the occupants would normally have escaped almost unscathed. Cup fever WHEN RACING fever hits town, everything stops — even our city fathers and mothers. On Tuesday, when the New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Melbourne Cup were run, the Christchurch City Council’s parks and recreation committee was meeting at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. The meeting was adjourned twice so the councillors could watch the races. A television set was ■specially imported for the occasion. Show rubbish EVERY YEAR, without fail, an unfortunate legacy, of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show at the Addington Showgrounds is a huge accumulation of litter of every size and description. This year, to highlight the litter problem and to ensure that the public contributes to the continuing success of the civic pride campaign, “Love Beautiful Christchurch,” the Garden City Guides will be working at the show.

will hand out “Love Beautiful Christchurch” litter bags to show-goers and urge them to put them in rubbish bins within the Showgrounds.

Kaiapoi “swarry” MR A. V. GUNN, who is researching the history of the Kaiapoi Working Men’s Club for its centenary next year, asks the meaning of a “Sam Weller Swarry,” and how, if at all, a “swarry” differs from a “smoke concert.” According to the “Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English,” a “swarry” is a soiree or social occasion. Sam Weller was a character of Dickens, who wrote of “a friendly swarry,” many of which have been held at the working men’s club over the years. Mr Gunn would also like to hear from anyone who has any historical information, anecdotes, or photographs relating to the club’s history. They may telephone Kaiapoi, 8017. Footrot Flats “FOOTROT FLATS,” the home-grown- musical based on Murray Ball’s original lovable characters, is packing them in in Western Australia after becoming the longest-running play in New Zealand theatre for many years. The show enjoyed rave reviews in Perth, and its Australian promoter is bringing the show east, to open in Adelaide in January. The script, lyrics, and music of “Footrot Flats” are now available in print in this country. —Peter Comer