BOY WONDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27028, 12 March 1949, Page 6

BOY WONDER

RETENTIVE MEMORY SHAUN JOHNSON, OF DUNEDIN A GIFT CULTIVATED

The proverbial pachyderm must run second to a .small Dunedin boy when retentive memories are being considered. The boy wonder is Shaun (the English spelling of an Irish name) Johnson, the diminutive five-year-old son of Mr and Mrs Godwin Johnson, of Dunedin. If you want to know anything about radio programmes and Shaun is about, you will have the answer without delay. Shaun was born in Britain. His father lived in Dunedin from 1928 to 1935, and returned to the city three years ago. Shaun started at the NorthEast Valley School this year. When a Daily Times reporter met him in the 4ZB studio yesterday afternoon, Shaun was more intent on “going for a ride in the lift with Peter ” than with performing before only one of an audience. Obligingly, however, he did recite the best part of a complete day’s programme from 4ZB, with the times, the programmes, and even the principals enumerated with script-like precision. For good measure, he repeated what the various announcers have to say, and even Peter (who knows more about radio programmes than the Daily Times reporter) could not detect an omission. Shaun and Peter had been the principals in the radio children’s session yesterday afternoon, and during the performance Shaun sang a number of songs—in tune and without accompaniment, except for a word or two of encouragement from Peter. Shaun has a wide repertoire of songs. He hears them on the radio and does not forget —not even the words. He knows all the theme songs of the various programmes, too, and with whom they are associated. Before he started, school, Shaun listened to the radio almost all day. Now he spends most of his free time listening. He has become so precise and accurate that he could probably perform a radio announcer’s duty without a script. Shaun has one serious handicap. His eyesight is very weak. Deprived of the full use of his eyes, however, he has made greater use of his mind, and he is being encouraged by his parents to cultivate this gift. His mother also has a good memory. As soon as he had shaken hands and said good-bye to the reporter, Shaun went riding in the lift. And he will not forget what he learned about lifts yesterday afternoon.