Reporter’s diary

Press, 24 June 1986, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Rabbiting on lAN BOTHAM could be forgiven for thinking that the whole world is against him, but some will be happy to see him restored to heroic status in two forthcoming books. “Bunbury Tails” and “Bunnybados,” by David English and Jan Brychta, with introductions by Botham and the great West Indian batsman, Viv Richards, relate the exploits of England’s leading rabbit cricketers — lan Buntham, Viv Radish, and Goldenhare Gower. However, even the youngest cricket fan will see that the books are only very loosely based on fact. Goldenhare Gower makes 156 not out as his team amasses a match-winning 340. Neither Buntham nor anyone else plays like the bunny he is, and no sneaky local rabbit tries to sell scandal stories to the newspapers. Longest lived NANCY’S HOTEL, Riccarton, will be the undisputed longest-licensed pub in Christchurch when the Grenadier Tavern in Oxford Terrace is attacked by the demolition men. Nancy’s, originally called “The Traveller’s Home,” has held a licence continuously since 1851 or 1852. Mr Vernon Wilkinson, author of “Riccarton Hotel,” is not sure exactly when the licence was obtained, but an advertisement in the “Lyttelton Times” of December, 1854, noted that the “Traveller’s Home” had been open for three years. “There is no doubt that this makes it the oldest continuous licence in Christchurch,” said Mr Wilkinson. No date has been set for the execution of the Grenadier, which will serve its last beer this Saturday evening.

Leg in A 13-YEAR-OLD actor has just started rehearsals with the Royal Shakespeare Company to take the part of William Page in "The Merry Wives of Windsor.” His future in the theatre, and particularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company, seems assured: his name is Matthew Shakespeare. Museum morale THE STAFF of the Canterbury Museum are a pretty keen bunch. Plans are afoot to improve the decking outside their staff room on the museum’s roof, and they have kindly offered to provide the labour for the work. This should halve the cost of the job, from $l2OO to about $6OO. ... and support MEMBERS of the museum’s Trust Board were also discussing the possibility of using the “Friends of the Museum” group to take guided tours round the museum. Mr David Close suggested that one of the group could be elevated to “super-friend” to supervise the tours. ‘Black frost’ MRS C. KENNEDY, a victim of treacherous “black frost,” wants two anonymous motorists to know how grateful she is for their help. She writes: “At approximately 10.40 a.m. on June 16 I alighted from a bus in Averill Street, Shirley. Ensuring that the road was clear of traffic, I crossed to the other side. As I went to step on to the footpath I apparently stood on some ‘black frost’ and found myself in the gutter,. Be-

cause of the slippery conditions, I was unable to rise. A big truck pulled up, followed by a van which parked between the truck and the footpath, thus safeguarding me from any following traffic on this notoriously dangerous corner. The driver of the truck arrived in no time and assisted me back on to the footpath. He would not leave until he was sure that I was all right. To these two caring Samaritans, I say ‘thank you, and God bless’.” Oyster record ONE HUNDRED oysters were parted from their shells — some easily, some violently — in Invercargill last Friday as Mr Ray Hibbs flicked his way into the Guinness Book of Records. It took him five attempts, but the Bluff oyster-opener finally succeeded in setting a world record time of 2min 44.9 s for opening 100 oysters. The Guinness Book of Records lists the record as 2min 45.55, set by an American, W. G. Heath, in Florida. Good oysters are essential. “You only need to strike a couple of bad ones in a row and it puts you right off,” said Mr Hibbs. He was very pleased with his recordbreaking effort: “But it probably won’t last very long. It could be broken by the end of the week,..”