“FLYING PETER."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18959, 4 January 1930, Page 21 (Supplement)

“FLYING PETER."

To the Editor. Dear Sir. —In wishing Mr R. E. Green a Happy New Year, I think he would be interested to hear a little more regarding Mr Peter Grisbrook. the grocer, also known as Flying Peter. My father, who arrived on the “Victory,” was a Dublin man, educated for a schoolmaster; and later while storeman at “De Bourbils ” (now Dalgety’s Buildings), he became acquainted with Mr Grisbrook, who stated he wished to sell his business, as he intended to retire. So father purchased the freehold and the business as a going concern, including book debts (four of the largest, by the way, were owing by Chapel people who Grisbrook said were good Christians and were certain to pay, which they never did). A short time after the business settlement, Mr Grisbrook opened a grocer’s shop on the corner of Salisbury Street and Papanui Road, thus breaking his pledge of retiring and his word as a Christian; xvhich gives quite a different side of his character to that written by Mr Green. Mr Grisbrook was a bachelor, whereas my father had a family of seven children. I think the reason Mr Grisbrook was called Flying Peter was on account of h?s appearance when walking. He always wore a long black alpaca coat, had a very quick, jerky walk, and in swinging his long arms hit his tails, which caused them to fly out like wings. Another peculiarity were his jet black shifty eyes.—l am, etc., E.B.