Reporter’s diary

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

In search of knowledge? A BIT, of trivia that recjently came our way lists all the; aircraft owned by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N.A.S.A.). The list runs to about 140 planes,j including the tele-scope-equipped Star Lifter that is now visiting Christchurch' It also includes transports, helicopters, executive jets, and squadrons of planes such as the FlB I Hornet, which , in other : hands would be front-line strike aircraft. Appropriately armed and equipped, the fleet would be more than a match for many of the world’s air forces.! Not bad for a research organisation. f 'i ! I ' i ■ Maps, now ... THE first edition of the Streetfinder map of Christchurch has just been released by the Department of Survey and Land Information, as part of a new series of maps with updated features. The fnap includes more than 120 new streets. Comparison: with earlier editions of Imaps provides an insight into the development of the! city, such as new suburbs and streets, parks and reserves, public buildings, i ; theatres, schools, and tourist accommodation. i ;

.. ujamf then ■ ||l | COMPARISON with a bor-; tion || of the department’s : first edition (1951) H of; street maps shows I the | changes in Aranui that I have, taken ' place in [the | last 137 years. In 1951 i Heathcote County ) ex-1 tended into the north-east ■ corner of Christchurch!) up ) to New Brighton Road. - Much of this area was open space.' Since 1951 the (development of the residential subdivisions, parks and schools is ptjyi-1 ous. ; The old Christchurch ; spee’Hway in Rowan; Avenue is marked on I the I 1951 map, as is the New Brighton Trotting Ground — now Queen Elizabeth; II; Park. f i ' d Personality \ phones ■ . | EVEN -telephone answering machine messages follow fashions. The latest trend is to have;the voice of a member of the Royal Family, or a film or television star on I tape. ; In I Britain \ there are several firms that provide impersonations of I famous 1 people. A recent addition is the firm of Euroutiandi Co., (really) which offers: Prince Charles speaking; to the strains of Elgar? or, Ronald Reagan hem-taw-ing away to “God Bless L America.” Another firm,! the Comic Answer (jom- i pany, has a recording of;

Mrs Thatcher, saying. “Good day. This is the Prime Minister talking down to you ...” Celebrating secretaries LUCKY; secretaries -in Christchurch will havp two days set aside to honour their profession! April 27 is International Secretaries Day, as cele--brated in the United States, Australia and. New Zealand. This day, always the fourth Wednesday m April, has been marked for many years, and it |is this date that is backed by the Christchurch branch of the ' New Zealand Society of Executive Secretaries. Not to be putdone, Radio Avon is holding a competition and special' “secretaries’ day” this Friday. The radio station chose an earlier date because, explained a spokesman for the station, “we didn’t want to jump on the band waggon.” jsp there you are. I No kidding? I SOME English terms baffle even the keenest linguists. j The 1 Vietnam Broadcasting Corporation translation of a recent 8.8. C. news bulletin about the super-Powers’ manproliferation treaty began: “The super-Powers tonight signed a major new family • planning agreement ...” ! I