Reporter’s diary

Press, 11 September 1989, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

C.S.O.’s S.O.S. BEFORE you throw out that empty five ream photocopy paper box, stop! The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra desperately needs more than 50 of the boxes, and the request is marked urgent. The C.S.O. is running a tombola (lottery resembling bingo) this Thursday and wants to put all the prizes in identical boxes. Offices with suitable boxes, and lids, will hit the right notes if they call Vivienne Allbori at the C.S.O. office on 793-886. Postal bouquet A ouquet to the folk at New Zealand Post who somehow made sense of a jumbled address on a letter from the Philippines. It was addressed “To New Zealand, Christchurch Star, Cameron Street, Ashburton, Christchurch.” There is no “Star” office in Ashburton and in due course the mail got through to its intended destination — “The Press” office in Ashburton. Oh, incidentally, “The Press,” Ashburton office is in Tancred

Street, not Cameron Street. Still, the sender did get the country right. Independent moves AS the local authority elections loom, the buzzword round town seems to be Independent. A car sticker, seen in the Shirley area, declares, “Be a party pooper — vote independent.” Also seen are stickers declaring, “Parties give me hangovers — I’m going independent.” And Mr Donald Mcßae, in submitting biographical details for his candidacy for the Canterbury Area Health Board, described himself as “Highly independent.” Asset grab REPORTS from Papua New Guinea say police have adopted an unusual, way of dealing with a local gang suspected of being responsible for a crime wave in Port Moresby. Ownership of pigs is a status symbol in P.N.G. and apparently the law swooped on the gang’s village and made off with 40 porkers, now

being held without charge, but under threat of being sold with the proceeds going to the gang’s victims. It couldn’t happen here. A door by any other name... ANYONE, who has been maddened by hotels and restaurants that use silly names on their toilet doors will sympathise with a tale from Hyde in Gloucestershire. A pub customer stood before two adjoining doors, contemplating the nameplates, before finally asking the landlord, “Am I a colt or a filly?” Closer to home, in Dunedin, one pub has matching doors labelled “Knights” and “Damsels.” Also seen there, doors with “Stallions” and “Fillies." Whatever was wrong with plain old “Gents” and “Ladies?" Guiding bn...

THE Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind will train a record number of guide dogs this year to help the more than 60 visually-impaired

people waiting for a guide dog. Last year only three dogs were trained; this year 24 dogs will embark on a training routine. The failure rate is high. Of the 64 puppies being raised as guide dogs, less than half are expected to graduate. Since the guide dog service began in 1973, 118 dogs have been trained, and 58 are working round the country at present.

Britannia rules, 0.K.? BRITANNIA Airways, Britain’s biggest charter airline, will soon begin charter flights to New Zealand, including six stop-overs at Christchurch. Interesting to hear then that Britannia runs a tight ship, particularly where drunken passengers are concerned. Bob Parker-Eaton, the company’s customer services director, recalls an incident where a captain was permitted to off-load some noisy passengers. Eventually the total of grounded hoons numbered 73 people — more than half the farepayers on the flight. Dave Wilson.