Reporter’s diary

Press, 23 March 1985, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Polar leg

THE FIRST artificial leg to stand at the South Pole will be presented to the Canterbury Museum by its owner, Mr Jim Henderson, on Tuesday. Mr Henderson, broadcaster, journalist, and author of “Gunner Inglorious,” and “One Foot at the Pole,” among other books, lost a leg during World War 11. His artificial limb will be displayed in the museum’s Antarctic section. Hot seat

PATRONS of the Halswell Tavern’s new public bar do not hold much hope for the long-term survival of an alcove directly in line with a bend on the busy main highway from Christchurch to Akaroa. The alcove now sports a coffin-shaped sign inscribed “Lamb and Hayward’s Holding Pen.” For those who may not know, Lamb and Hayward, Ltd, is a well known firm of Christchurch funeral directors. We are pleased to report that at the time of writing the alcove was still intact.

Nothing new

A READER, David Beattie

(not the Governor-General), would have people know that, contrary to popular

belief, water beds are not a recent American invention. He writes: “I feel bound to acquaint you and your readers with a piece of evidence to show that water bed manufacture was alive and well in this very province more than a century ago.” In the “Lyttelton Times” of August 17, 1859, there appears the following advertisement: “Wanted, India-rubber sheeting to make a water bed for an invalid. The sheeting must be five feet in width...” Afew' role THE OLD Totalisator Agency Board premises in Manchester Street have changed from one booming business to another. It is now the Social Welfare De-' partment’s pay-out centre for unemployment benefits, and slightly better appointed than when it was a T.A.B. Unemployment bene-

fits used to be collected from the Housing Corporation building in Cathedral Square.

Monarchs

MRS J. E. HURFORD has been most interested in the recent publicity about monarch butterflies. A month ago, while on holiday in California, she was taken by friends to the place near Santa Cruz where the monarch butterflies have their breeding grounds. “It was a spectacular sight, thousands of butterflies milling round the tops of 200 ft eucalyptus trees, choosing a partner,” said Mrs Hurford. “When they found one, many dropped at our feet to mate. This event was photographed by many visitors. It was something I shall never forget.” Campaign THE URBAN rabbit problem in the Dunedin Botanic Gardens has reached such proportions that poison pellets will have to be laid there. The effect of marauding rabbits on the gardens might not be immediately obvious to patrons, but it could have “serious longterm ramifications,” said the curator, Mr M. J. Reece. The poisoned pellets will be laid at dusk. In the morning, those not eaten will be “retrieved.” Cryptic A STORY from Poland, where Russians are loved more for their exits than entrances: Question: How did Eastern Europe find out about the death of Comrade Chernenko? Answer: From the Monday morning weather report, which announed that Moscow was minus one.

—Peter Comer