RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30961, 18 January 1966, Page 22

RANDOM REMINDER

COLLECTOR’S PIECES

The conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler, will conduct the N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra in the Wellington proms season next month, and he will bring with him to New Zealand his leaning, also, towards fire-fighting. He is an honorary member of the Boston Fire Depart-, ment, he has his car equipped with a short-wave radio and siren, and he has firemen’s helmets and uniforms from about 100 cities. No doubt Mr Fiedler will collect another uniform, or helmet, or both, when in Wellington, which he will be visiting for the first time. If he travels by.

ship, it must be handy for the fancy-dress ball, although, as he is described as being widely-travelled, appearing as a fireman each time must pall, even for the enthusiast. It certainly demands enthusiasm to collect things. When we were very small, one of the cigarette companies used to put out pictures of cricketers. We loved them. When the series ended, we gave up smoking and went back to puss in the corner. People like to collect all manner of things. One can understand the stamp album, for it has a market value. Shells are decorative, but become a bit tiresome when seen in numbers, yet people still gather them up. A woman

we know can't resist picking up pine cones or pieces of wood for her winter fires. Hotel and travel labels give their owners some sort of satisfaction and some people even keep labels from beer bottles. Cars get splattered with place names, or little pennants. Many people gather badges of varying kinds, and even wear them. The weirdest antiquary we know has twin afflicions match boxes and telephone books. He has the phone directories back to the days when he had to wind a handle and hope: and he can’t explain satisfactorily, what it is that makes him add to the heap. Compared with this, piling up firemen’s helmets is entirely orthodox.