Reporter’s diary

Press, 4 March 1989, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Unhappy families DURING a recent family gathering in Canterbury the chat turned to employment and job security. It was noted that the host had been laid off by a meat works and one of the guests was a redundant lineman. The son-ih-law, due to arrive, was redundant from a mill in the North Island and the daughter-in-law had been given notice that her toll operator’s position would end soon. The other guest involved in the meat industry was looking for work along with the unemployed friend. The hostess, who is a health nurse, was still employed but the new area health boards have made her position dicey, as the Picot report had done for the teacher’s aide. In fact, of the nine people present, only one was safe in his job — as a septic tank cleaner. Great expectations TALK about being prepared. Seen sitting on a shop doorstep outside the airport bus terminal in Cathedral Square, a woman absorbed in a Mills and Boon light romance book. Beside her at the ready, an open box of tissues.

Lost cities A KAIAPOI reader draws our attention to an item run by “The Advertiser” in Adelaide. It shows a map of Australia published in the Australian Tourist Commission’s summer newsletter. A research group of Canadians was asked to draw Australia and locate any cities they knew, and one of the offerings is shown. (It should be recorded that on seeing the map, several members of the Let’s-send-Auckland-to-Oz faction emitted discrete cheers.) But before anyone dares to snigger, try

doing the same thing with a blank map of Canada. It is one of those embarrassing exercises that should be done out of sight of offspring and underlings.

Health hazard NO week-end would be complete without the knowledge that in Boston, Massachusetts, it was illegal in 1845 to own a bath tub unless it was prescribed by a doctor.

Days of the Raj return LONG after they left school, the old boys of St

Bede’s and St Andrew’s are still, battling for supremacy. This year the battleground will be south Hagley Park at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday, and the weaponry will include wooden mallets, a ball and about 40 horses. The name of the game is polo, and by sheer fortune each old boys’ team will be captained by professionals. Roddy Wood, for St Andrew’s, when not in New Zealand plays professionally in Britain; for St Bede’s, Mark Harris, rated as a five-goaler, plays in the United States. The five-chukka skirmish will end with the presehtation of the trophy to the winning team by Hagley Park’s equestrian policewoman. Wrong number ITALY has been conducting a novel, if unpopular, campaign against A.I.D.S. The Minister of Health, Mr Carlo Donat Cattin, has sent letters urging chastity to people chosen at random. Such a system was bound to end in embarrassment eventually. One letter, explaining that “those who don’t go looking for A.I.D.S. don’t get it” was received by Teresa Agresti, a 78-year-old nun of the enclosed Carmelite order.

Jenny Setchell