Reporter’s diary

Press, 3 September 1986, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Clock origin

MR R. A. PROCTOR, the vice-president of the Christchurch Beautifying Association, tells us that few people know of the part that the group played in getting the floral clock for the city. The clock was installed in 1953, and the papers quoted the then president of the beautifying association, Mr H. Tillman, who explained the background to the clock. “A young woman ... the honorary secretary of the association, thought the city should have a floral clock. She wrote overseas for photographs of floral clocks and inquired about public reaction to them. Being a very efficient secretary, she also inquired about prices.” After two years investigation, the association launched a public appeal to which it contributed £5O, and the firm of Calder McKay, Ltd, generously contributed the rest. The association also suggested the site in Victoria Square. Well-watered

HAVING JUST read that Christchurch has had its wettest August for five years, a woman was puzzled to see sprinklers dutifully splattering the grass at Elmwood Park yesterday morning. The answer, according to the

Christchurch City Council, is that the sprinkler systems need to be tested before summer arrives. At least it shows a degree of optimism in the light of rainfall last month which was more than twice the August average. Frog marching SPRINKLERS are bound to need testing and flushing out occasionally. When the East Blatchington Golf Course in East Sussex fairway sprinklers were found to be blocked with 3 plague of newts, tadpoles and toads, the club called for a team of* conservationists to help shift the beasties gently. In the clubhouse, the current joke concerns “Toads in the hole.” Good news ALL REPORTS of Gloria Lyons,' the girl who gave her name to four aircraft during the war, indicated that she was probably dead from the tuberculosis of the spine which she had suffered as a teenager. She was last seen in 1954 as a patient in Christchurch Public Hospital. But the tale does have a happy ending. Gloria, now Mrs AustinEames, is alive and reasonably well, living in Bankstown, Australia. The news that people were concerned enough to make toll calls (one from

the North Island) and write letters in the searchfor Gloria, may cheer her£ now as much as her P ‘ letters cheered others during the war. Dahdahism

“THE PRESS” was alive with the sound of hums, dah-dee-dahs, and whistles yesterday as we tried to put a name to a tune which all of us KNEW — but what was it called? It was the piece traditionally played in melodramas or in the silent movies, when the heroine was tied up, the villain lurking, mother helpless, and hero elsewhere. Nowadays it is often hummed as a sceptical listener mimes playing a violin while he is told a hard-luck story. The al-most-final verdict was “Hearts and Flowers,” but to be absolutely certain, we consulted our musical maestro. He thought deeply, then glowed with pleasure. “Yes, yes! I know that. It’s called ‘Dah-dah-dah-dee-dah-dum’.” Hearts and flowers it stays. Labouring on THIS THOUGHT was delivered to the waiting world by a keen delegate at the Labour Party Conference: “Full employment must be worked for.” Quite.

—Jenny Feltham