Reporter’s diary

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

The fall THINGS ARE still relatively peaceful in the Mona Vale neighbourhood in spite of all the activity — the new weir being built across the Avon River’s main channel and the Christchurch Girls’ High School construction. Another new structure provides the soothing sound of falling water to offset some to the noise. Water that used to be blocked in Mona Vale’s millrace lagoon now has a way out, over the weir embedded beside the new school. Just past the weir is the main river channel again. Because that channel is mostly blocked upstream by the weir work off Fendalton Road, a lot more river water is falling over the new structure now than will normally come that way. Remembered GUS BAGLEY, the man who played Santa Claus for the D.I.C. for so many years, will probably be remembered by many. A Christchurch woman said yesterday that she was taken to see Mr Bagley when she was a small child, but she did not take to him the first time. In later years, she was taken to look at other Santas in the city. To her, Mr Bagley was the only one who looked, sounded, and felt like the real thing. He was beautiful, she said, with a very gentle manner. When she was in high school, the woman got a shock when she stepped into the D.I.C. lift to find Mr Bagley, minus beard and Santa suit but instantly recognisable, driving it He was still playing Santa Claus in 1944, when- she went to work at the D.LC. One year, he had a heart

problem near Christmas time. The store decided he could not play his customary role that year in case he fell ill when he was with the children. Family search A WESTPORT man has received a letter from a man in Brisbane who is trying to find descendants of his mother’s family. She was Alice Green, whose later married name was Gregg. She was bom in Stillwater, on the West Coast, in 1901, and had a brother, Edward William Green, who was born in Stillwater in 1899. If any relatives of Mrs Gregg can help with the Brisbane man’s request, he can be reached through us. Truffles

WE HAD a photographe of French truffles on the international news page yesterday. The big truffle news from France this year is that the underground fungus delicacy could become more common. Agricultural scientists have found a way to graft baby truffles from Perigord, in south-western France, on to the roots of young oaks or hazel trees. Truffle growers would just have to plant the prepared trees and wait for their crop. With the help of researchers, a fanner to the east of traditional trufflegrowing territory has harvested a small truffle crop after only four years, instead of the 15 years it takes for the richly flavoured fungus to grow naturally. A farmer could, with the right amount of water and sunshine, grow 50kg of truffles a hectare, and see a return on investment after two harvests. Before World

War I; France produced 2000 tonnes of truffles a year. Special truffle beds were run by men. Women were banned from even coming near because it was feared that their presence would make the truffles sterile. Dogs or pigs were used to sniff out the truffles, and the secrets of truffle cultivation were often passed on only to sons as a grower lay dying. Places where they could be found in the wild were also kept secret. Many truffle growers died in the prolonged trench warfare, taking their truffle secrets with them. Weeds started to take over the beds, and production had collapsed by World War 11. Bob and Ray, American radio comedians, helped spur a new interest in truffles with their story of the New York City resident who kept wild boars in his high-rise apartment because he used them to sniff out truffles in Central Park. Nick of time

A PILOT book for small craft, “Cruising Banks Peninsula,” has already come in handy for one fishing boat. A new printing of the book, by Keith Drayton and lan Treleaven, wifi go on sale this week at locan chandlers. A fishing boat from another port was taking a pasting recently in a southerly, and hove to off Okains Bay. Its crew called Radio Lyttelton, where the signalman said “Wait on” — he had just the information they needed on where to put in. It was in a publication that had arrived that day; the new pilot book. A good risk

AN INSURANCE underwritten Nashville, Ten-

nessee, has taken a good, hard look at Santa Claus and decided that he would be an acceptable candidate for a life insurance policy, even though he is overweight, is a smoker, and is in the risky business of landing on icy rooftops with skittery reindeer. The insurance agent said that Father Christmas has several things in his favour. He has an excellent safety record, and more flying experience than anyone in history. He needs to lose a few kilograms, but that would not stand in the way of getting insurance. Since he smokes a pipe, and not cigarettes, he could get the best prossible rating. The biggest factors in Santa’s favour are that he has never filed an insurance claim and his life expectancy is for ever. One would hope that his premium payment would be very low. —Stan Darling