Reporter’s diary

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Early autumn SEVERAL PEOPLE have remarked that autumn — the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness — seems, to be descending upon us unusually early this year, what with chilly nights and mornings, wintry southerlies, and the leaves starting to turn brown and gold. The Christchurch City Council’s arboriculturist, Mr Walter Fielding-Cotterell, says that a few brown leaves do not make an autumn. Flowering ornamental trees such as crabapples were prone to shed their leaves early, he said, as was the horse chestnut, of which there are plenty in Christchurch. “It has been a pretty : good year for trees, although the weather is getting rather cool,” Mr Fielding-Cot-terell said. The people who probably wish most that autumn would never come are council workers with the seemingly endless job of clearing the drifts of leaves, sometimes knee-deep, that gather throughout Christchurch when the fall starts in earnest. Mr Fielding-Cotterell does not expect that the brigades of leaf-gatherers will be mobilised before late April or early May. Advanced model YOU MIGHT think it was an office chair. According to the blurb from the manufacturer it is actually “a unique seating system, ergonomically , and anatomically correct, iith pneumatically adjustable

synchromechanism of seat and back, operated by integrated command keys.” How does one get a licence to sit in it? Lost for words EXTROVERTS tend to be either loved or hated, and the flashy young Australian cricket start, Greg Matthews, seems likely to get a mixed reception from New Zealand crowds during the present tour. A reader who is not a great fan of the talented allrounder chortled to see an announcement of a special television interview with Matthews on Monday evening’s news followed by a minute and a half of blank screen. The only interview with Matthews that he wanted to see was no interview at all — and so it came to pass. The Milburns MR T. A. MILBURN, of Norfolk, England, would like, to hear from any New Zealand descendants of his ancestors who arrived from Upper Weardale, County Durham, aboard the ship Margaret Galbraith in January, 1880. They were Jacob Milbum, John Milburn, Thomas Milburn, and Phyllis Milburn. Phyllis, Jacob’s sister, married Robert Geoffrey Henty on December 11, 1894. They had one son, Stanley Milbum Henty, who died in 1956. Mr Milbum’s address, should any of his relatives wish to write to him, is 177 Sheffield Road, Wymondham, Norfolk, NRIB OHL, England.

Wally’s patch RESIDENTS of Forfar Street, St Albans, should not be too alarmed if they hear a strange scrabbling at the door, followed by a tentative tug at the handle. It may only be Wally, the cat burglar, a four-month-old tom of doubtful morals that has learned to open doors with lever-type handles. He leaps up, swings on the handle and scrabbles away until the door swings open. The method, while effective, is hard on paint and varnish. Doors that open away from Wally pose a problem, but he is working on these. His owners fear that the refrigerator could be the next thing to be “cracked” and raided. In a name PEOPLE who appear in courts have occupations as varied as the charges they face, says our Greymouth reporter. A man who came before Judge Palmer in the District Court there, charged with cultivating cannabis, was described as a greenkeeper. James and Sarah A SURVEY of the popularity of children’s names in Britian shows that while William may be slipping down the list, James, that stalwart of so many years, remains out in front as the most common Christian name for boys. On the girls’ side, Charlotte, the favourite for the two years, has been toppled by the tradi-

tional favourite, Sarah. The top 10 boys’ names are: James, Thomas, Alexander, - Christopher, Edward, Wiliam (third last year), Charles, Nicholas, David, and Richard. For girls the list is: Sarah, Charlotte, Sophie (tenth last year), Elizabeth, Victoria, Hannah, Catherine, Emma, Laura, and Lucy. The right channels LOCAL BODY government is getting so complex these days that it sometimes seems to be chasing its tail. The executive officer of the Aorangi (South Canterbury) Public Relations Association, Mr Peter Field, must really have done his homework in a letter he wrote to the Aorangi United Council last week: “The Aorangi Public Relations Association has, after discussions with representatives of the Aorangi Regional Development Council, been advised to inform the Aorangi United Councilthat an approach should be made to the Aorangi Regional Development Council for financial assistance for the on-going survey ...” Different notes FROM THE "London Mozart Players’ Newsletter”: "Friday, January 17: Heinz baked beans centenary dinner, Mansion House, City of London. Music will be by the wind ensemble.” . —Peter Corner.