Reporter’s diary

Press, 8 February 1986, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Being sociable A NEWLY MARRIED Christchurch couple left their wedding reception at Riccarton House yesterday on a bicycle built for two. Andrew Macbeth and his bride, Sandra Macdonald met while cycling round England. They borrowed the "sociable" bicycle from the Ferrymead Historic Park. The old cycle allows its riders to sit side by side. Sandra is orginally from Canada, and Andrew is an urban transport planner for the Canterbury United Council. For years, he has specialised in cycle planning matters. The couple had originally planned to arrive at the reception on separate bicycles, then leave together, but the logistics of that proved too much to handle. Richard Wright, a wedding guest from Wellington, gave the couple a push start on their way. Wallpaper RANGIORA Country Colours has come to the rescue of a man who ran short of wallpaper and was contemplating the construction of a large wardrobe to cover the gap. He had' originally bought his paper from the store, but it had sold the last two. rolls by the time he realised he did not have enough. The store did soma 1 detective work, by ringing round people who haiX bought rolls of

the pattern, and came up with four extra rolls that were waiting for the hapless paperhanger yesterday. Bleak outlook A WOMAN in Hawaii recently had a New Zealand film experience she would rather forget. She lives in a place that has often been called paradise, and had always envisioned another island paradise in another part of the world. She found it when she first came to New Zealand, which she has visited since and enjoyed every time. She saw a film advertised in Honolulu and decided to bring together a group of friend to see it and share some of her delight in the country. What they saw made many of them walk out before the end. Some said they would never want to visit a land like the one seen on the screen. The film was “Strata” made in 1982 by a New Zealand production company and marketed by the Film Commission, which had no part in its financing. The woman said it showed a bunch of lost souls wandering aimlessly through an arid landscape (the film was shot in the North Island’s volcanic uplands and on smouldering White Island). The woman said she had been taken in by advertising that seemed to

viewers that they should be seeing typical New Zealand. A Film Commission worker said it was nothing like that, but was a story about a famous vulcanologist working in a bleak landscape. He becomes involved with a group of survivors from some unspecified accident who have broken free from a quarantine station. The desolate landscape where nothing grows did not attempt to show a picture-postcard country. The woman in Hawaii had stayed in a friend’s cottage near Pukenina, in the Bay of Plenty, that had a view of White Island. She was disappointed to see such a bleak vision of the place. Finders PEOPLE who are finders but not keepers are a sign to an Oxford woman that there is still honesty in Christchurch. Her father is forgetful. Recently, he has twice left his wallet and briefcase in a public place and forgotten them. Each time, they have been returned intact The woman would like to thank those who returned the items, and anyone else who has done the same thing. On the list

WHEN someone locally wins a big, Golden Kiwi prize, journalists, do their best to find the winner,

often without much luck. In Hastings recently, they did not have far to look. John Graham, chief sub-, editor of the “Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune,” won a $lOO,OOO prize in the lottery. Staff at the newspaper fielded telephone calls from the public, telling people that Mr Graham was not there. They asked callers if they wanted their names put on the congratulations list or the beggars list.

Farnhams wanted THE WAVERLEY Borough Council in Surrey, England, has a Farnham Museum that is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this year. The museum plans a “Farnhams Around the World” exhibition to mark the event, and wants to get in touch with anyone named Farnham living in this part of the world, or anyone with information on places called Farnham. If anyone can help the English borough, it can be reached through us. Namesake

THE CANBERRA niece of a Christchurch woman recently had a baby daughter, and named her Jessica after a well known New Zealander. She is named after Jess, the girlfriend of Wai’s dog in Murray Ball’s “Footrot Flats” cartoon strip. y ( — Stan Darling