Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 68, 3 January 1947, Page 5

Local & General

Christmas Chickens Stolen Forty dressed fowls, expectantly awaited by Rotorua guest houses and private homes, disappeared eh masse from the farm which had been their home, a few miles from Rotorua, on Christmas Eve. N.Z. Seashells Sought A request from a Frenchman in New York for samples of seashells found in Hawke’s Bay has been received by the Hastings Chamber of Commerce. He asked for “the most beautiful specimens found in your locality.” Perhaps this is a chance for a new industry, commented the president, Mr E. J. Phillips.

New Piping Shield The establishment of another piping trophy for competition amongst '*

young pipers from the Bay of>Plenty area, was announced at last Wednesday’s sports when Chief Anderson of the Whakatane Society donated a shield for future competition for pipers under 21 years of age at the sports. The first winner was Piper Russell Hurst of Ohope.

Praise for Sports Area Patrons at last Wednesday’s sports gathering were loud in their praise of the grounds. One visitor from Wellington described it as the finest natural site he had seen, whilst another Caledonian competitor from the Waikato declared that it was the only sports grounds he had seen in the Dominion with a true Highland setting. Rush On Air Travel National Airways Corporation began its two-way daily air service between Gisborne and Auckland this week. The plane for Auckland left Gisborne at 2.45 p.m., another machine arriving at Gisborne from Auckland at 4,30 p.m. Very few seats are available for December and planes are booked up into*early January. In addition to the passen- - ger service air mail is carried on all trips. It is rumoured that at an early V date, probably in January the planes will stop at Opotiki to pick up passengers and mails. Scorched Earth The method adopted by a resident of Bletsoe Avenue, New Plymouth, in an attempt to rid his potatoes of the blight proved highly spectacular. It tore his heart to. see such a fine crop virtually ruined, so he decided to go against the textbooks. He sprayed the whole potato patch with petrol and then tossed a match into it. There was a resounding roar, a sheet of flame, and the prompt departure of both the potatoes and the blight. When neighbours rushed to the scene all they found was a few smoking fragments of foliage and scorched earth that would have done credit to the Russians. Bush-Beetles Escape That cats are not the only creatures boasting nine lives was proved at last Wednesday’s sports meeting at Ohope when a large bush-beetle, shinging, green & round landed from the trees on the dancing boards as a senior competitor was in the midst of a vigorous interpretation of an Irish Jig. The attention of the crowd was immediately diverted as the insect wove its way in and out. the flying feet of the oblivious exponent; Hundreds were fascinated at its charmed life which was linked likewise with a slippery fall for the lassie dancing should it encounter a thudding heel. There was an audible sigh of relief as the maiden still blissfully innocent scooped Mr Greenback lightly off the platform with a conclusive high kick and stood smilingly awaiting the judges verdict.

True Fish Story Piscatorial artists whether, rod or deep sea patrons are prone to exaggerate and therefore are generally taken with a “grain of salt.” We have quite a number of local fishermen who have put up records -bordering the line of fantastic. Even Neil who pulled up so many hundred schnapper in an hour. Old Ted with a blind eel that was too long for the boat and Ron with the foulhooked swordy that got away! During the weekend the Waiotahi hove to off the Raurimus most “sons of the sea” the captain and crew soon had the lines overboard and pulled in quite a number of fish. After a while the skipper got on to something and there was general commotion. He eventually pulled in his line minus hooks and sinker, but ' in the meantime one of the sailors' got. a jug and with the united endeavours of his mates landed a shark over five feet long and caught,-, by the tail, and with, two hitches of line encircling its This is one that never got was hauled aboard ary light line.