Reporter’s diary

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

She was there

ELIZABETH, the sea elephant, will be remembered at Saturday’s Avon Loop River Carnival. The long-time Christchurch visitor who died last year was often seen at rest along the city’s riverbanks. After she first appeared, Elizabeth was invited by “The Press” to attend the Loop’s first summer carnival in many years. To everyone’s surprise,, she showed up and created so much interest that organisers had to erect a rope barrier around her resting form to give her some peace and quiet. The Loop’s wide riverbank was a favourite lazing spot over the years. Jack Locke, a Loop resident, says that a special tribute will be paid to her on Saturday as a memorial gesture. Letter wanted MAVIS JONES is an Englishwoman who has loved Christchurch, or the idea of Christchurch, since she was a child, although she has never been here. When she was young, her father, who was in the police force, decided that the family should come to Christchurch. Before they could make their move, Mrs Jones’s mother died. Later, she arid her husband decided to come to New Zealand, but he died of a heart attack last year. Mrs Jones is active and healthy, but also very lonely. She was watching a television programme on Christchurch and New Zealand recently, and her interest in our part of the world has been renewed. She is interested in archaeology, the countryside and animals, and would like to hear from a widower who can tell her about this part of the country. She has sent a photograph, and she can be reached through us.

Even faster

WITH the stories that crop up from time to time about the time it takes mail to get from one place to another in New Zealand, recent examples from the West Coast have been a refreshing change. A Hokitika man has another story about the speedy service between his town and Greymouth. About two weeks before Christmas, he received a card from a Greymouth friend that was postmarked midday on December 9. He received the card at 9 a.m. the same day, three hours before it was supposedly posted.

Round the Hoorn WITH the Whitbread round-the-world yachts getting set to leave Auckland on the third section of their race, a Christchurch resident of Dutch origin thought it was a good time to recount the origin of the name of Cape Hom, which the yachts will round on their way to Uruguay. Two Dutch explorers, the sailors Schouten and Le Maire, discovered the cape in 1616. It was not named after its shape or because of the sound the seas make as they rage round the tip of South America. Schouten was bom in the Dutch city of Hoorn, in the province of Noord-Holland. The city is on the coast of the former saltwater Zuidersee, which has been a freshwater lake, Ysselmeer, since diking in the early 19305. The English translation changed the name from Hoorn to Hora. Press here

PLACE a thumb on the card and watch the card change colour. If it comes up black, put your feet up and breathe deeply. If it comeslup blue, you are probacy relaxed enough. Stress cards, on the mar-

ket since 1982, are coming into their own in America these days. Sales were up dramatically last year. Pilgrim Plastic Products, the card’s manufacturers, have had corporate clients, including the United States Navy, Eastern Airlines and General Motors. The stress cards were developed by a Californian clinical psychologist. They contain a chemical sensitive to changes in body heat. The user tests stress by putting a thumb on an area of the card. Colour changes indicate stress levels. Black shows the highest level. Blue shows the greatest degree of calm. On the back of each card are tips for dealing with stress, including the stress brought on by realising just how much stress you are under. Towering CITIES with towers make the most of them, and feel sorry for cities without towers. Brisbane may have the tallest one in Australia within five years if a developer has his way. The 450-metre tower would be in the city centre, opposite the new inter-state railway terminal. Sydney Tower would then be second, at 304 metres. The tallest office block in Melbourne, which does not have a tower, is 258 metres. Commodity WAS IT a case of tabloid Sin in the Suburbs? A Christchurch man was amused by a check-out docket received from a Sydenham supermarket It was one of those dockets that show what you have bought on the left-hand side, with the price on the right He discovered that he had inadvertently bought $3.25 worth of Free Love. Looking through his groceries, he found that it must be referring to his Freest Lovely Shampoo. . — Stan Darling