Reporter’s diary

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Disciplined digging ON Saturday a “Graverly wack-behlnd garden tractor” was advertised in the paper. A reader, flinching at the prospect, wrote: “I have worked with tractors most of my life and some of the old ones were mighty uncomfortable, but, in all the years, I have never had one do this to me!” Turn wack into walk and you have a far more respectable commodity. Toast of saints A CATHOLIC parish in Christchurch celebrated St Matthew’s feast day on Monday with a quiz game. It included the stumper: “Who is the patron saint of barbecues?” The answer should have been St Laurence (died 258 A.D.) because he was traditionally roasted on the spit (in itself unlikely since the main instrument of capital punishment at the time was the sword). Undaunted, one group fired their imaginations and lit upon the suggestion that it would have to be St Bernhard.

See and taste THOSE responsible for the welfare and safety of the Soviet Premier are getting a bit twitchy about the possibility of their beloved leader being poisoned. They may care to emulate the restautant in Deal, Kent, called the Don Medi which has installed no less than eight closedcircuit television cameras in the kitchens and wash-ing-up areas so that customers can keep a wary eye and ear on their dishes in the making. Silence is golden WITH the recent 100th birthday of Alfred Landon, the unsuccessful United States Presidential candidate in 1936, stories from American politics of that era have been recalled with delight. Sly political manoeuvres with the media abounded even then, and Franklin D. Roosevelt showed himself a past master when he, and Alfred Landon as the Republican challenger, were offered 10 minutes each on radio. The President went first, and spoke for only three minutes then fell silent. By the time Landon came to the microphone most of the

audience had switched off. Lost campaign STRANGE things are found wedged inside returned library books. The Red Cross lending library, after months of trying to trace the borrower, still wants to return a collection of campaign medals, shoulder flashes, and ribbons from World War II found inside one of their library books. The book was called “Bom to be King,” but there are no other clues as to the iden-

tity of the owner of the memorabilia. The Red Cross is anxious to return the booty to the owner, who should contact us. One good turn MODERN scouts are looking for something a little more challenging than some of the traditional good turns. Cleaning up beaches, mowing lawns or stacking firewood are important and commendable, but Mr Dan Cotton, the chief executive commissioner of the Scout Association, would like

scouts to find other ways to “do a good turn to somebody every day.” They would especially welcome suggestions for imaginative challenges for Community Service Week from October 3 to 10. Percy — not mercy DOGS and distress cries became inadvertantly confused in Otago the other day. Percy the pig dog was being called to heel by his owner in dense bush. A nearby tramper somehow mistook the cries of “Percy, Percy!” for “Help me, help me!” and since the calls were accompanied by rifle shots, it all sounded pretty suspicious. The tramper hiked out of the bush around Double Hill and alerted the police, who sent a search-and-rescue team to the area. At 6 p.m. the search was called off, and the helicopter and St John ambulance also returned home. It was then that the pig hunters who had been in the area told the police about Percy the pig-dog, who would not come to heel. The police were probably not very impressed. —Jenny Feltham