Reporter’s diary

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Home sweet palace UNANSWERABLE logic from one of the folk most affected by the Canterbury Area Health Board’s decision to close Coronation and Jubilee Hospitals to cut costs: One of several elderly women from Jubilee who turned out at a protest meeting this week said in an aside to Mr David Close, the only board member to vote against the closing, “The Queen lives in old buildings, so what’s wrong with Jubilee?” Cheers! THE Dux de Lux Tavern, preparing to open a boutique brewery on the premises, presented prizes including a limousinedriven night out, compact discs, movie tickets, champagne, and, of course, jars of the house brews, to the winners of its name-the-brew competition yesterday. The lager will be known as “De Lux Lager” (sug-

gested by Mr Jamie Hattaway); the bitter will be “Hereford Bitter” (Mr Trevor Cattermole); the dark ale will be “Black Duck” (Mr James Coleman); and the strong ale will glory in the name “Norwester” (Messrs Richard Keenan and James Creevy). The brewery is expected to open on November 1. Rites of spring “SPRING is sprung, the weeds have riz,” reads a timely reminder from the “Avon Loop Community News,” “and soon the council men will be round with the weedkillers.” The community newssheet suggests that those who disapprove of chemical herbicides, or who just don’t want their flowers to wilt in the spray-drift, should clear the weeds from the footpath and kerb outside the front fence themselves, and the men with the spray will pass them by. Advice equally applicable 'to residents of other areas.

Calling all Diggers FORMER Australian soldiers with fond memories or otherwise of basic training might consider contributing to an appeal to build the Australian Soldiers’ Chapel at Kapooka, New South Wales, the home of the Ist Recruit Training Battalion and the camp where Australian recruits get their first taste of Army life. A public appeal has been launched for the multi-denominational chapel, intended also as a memorial to Australia’s fallen servicemen, because the Army’s own budget is stretched on priorities like accommodation. Fair dinkum, some soldiers at Kapooka have to sleep in tents even in winter, says the appeal brochure. Appeal organisers say they hope the Army might match donations dollar for dollar at some future date. Meanwhile, they are also running a competition for design suggestions for the chapel. Donations and re-

quests for further information should be sent to the treasurer, Australian Soldiers’ Chapel Appeal, Kapooka, New South Wales, 2661, Australia. Light... A South Brighton reader reports a string of coincidences on Tuesday evening: she was about to telephone her son, who lives nearby, when he called her. This is not so unusual, as most of us can testify, but he rang to say his neighbourhood had just had the lights go out. She was about to call to suggest he watch that evening’s television documentary, “Light in the Dark.” He replied that he was reading an article about a power failure when it happened.

... relief WHICH brings us to this week’s Eastern European joke: What did they have in Romania before they had candles? Answer: Electricity. —Nigel Malthus