Looking back to 1993...
? A nolstagic step back into the 60s was what you got when you looked back through Eileen Cartwright of Inglewood's amazing collection of Photo News and Spotlight magazines. Eileen had collected every copy back to 1957 when Reg Eves first started the New Plymouth Photo News. It cost two shillings and came out every fortnight. In 1959, Clifford Allen of Waitara started up Taranaki Spotlight, a similar magazine with photos throughout. Over the years, as the New Plymouth Photo News grew, the name changed to Taranaki Photo News but finally shut down in 1981 when, Eileen said, 'It priced itself off the market at $1.50 a copy.'
? Patrons at the Eltham Railway Hotel were ordered to the floor in April 1993 and shots were fired into the ceiling during an armed robbery. At 9.40pm three men dressed in black and wearing balaclavas and scarves over their faces, burst into the hotel, all carrying sawn-off shotguns. Licensee John Hair opened the till and thieves took between $500 and $700 cash. They asked three times for somebody to provide them with a car, but getting no response they left the hotel with the money in a black grip. The Armed Offenders Squad and two dog handlers from New Plymouth were soon on the scene, along with police from the district. John Hair commented, 'Eltham's a pretty good town to live in. They were probably out-of-towners.'
? After 35 years' teaching, Stratford Primary School Principal John Ridley retired. John mused about the changes 'Tomorrow's Schools' had made on a principal's role in New Zealand schools. 'More time is spent on industrial problems, financial business, property management, policy making and becoming more involved with the social wellbeing of children.' John began teaching in his hometown of Palmerston North, then shifted with his wife Marlene, also a teacher and principal at Avon School, to Taranaki. He was posted to Pukengahu School as principal, was then principal at Stanley Road School, deputy principal at Stratford Primary for four years, principal at Avon for two years then seven years as principal at Stratford Primary. John believed the closure of country schools was a detrimental step, especially for teacher training. 'I was very fortunate to have a rural teaching background,' he said. 'Small schools enable you to develop your own philosophies and to experiment.'
? Jack Breen, a member of the Stratford Athletic Club for more than 20 years, was awarded a long-service badge from the Taranaki Centre.
? The police decided to replace the old term 'drunk driving' with 'drink driving'. Superintendent Ray Whatmough, of Police National Headquarters, said their were many advantages to the new term. He said it had been obvious for some time that drunk driving was a misleading term.
'It's because no-one considers themselves a drunk. While downing a final drink or two before driving away from the party, many people are liable to console themselves with the thought, 'I might have had a few drinks but I'm not drunk'.' He said these people consequently did not respond to public education about 'drunk' driving, they did not feel any sense of shared guilt when alcohol-related road carnage was reported, and worst of all, they did not modify their own behaviour.
? Mrs Averil Bray, chairperson of the Stratford Women's Suffrage Co-ordinating Committee, presented a tree voucher to 103-year-old May Benefield to launch a local tree planting project for Women's Suffrage Year. Rhododendron trees were planted at the southern entrance to Stratford between the main road and the railway line.
? An Inglewood couple, John and Orrel McIntyre, were awarded the prestigious North Island farm Forester of the Year Award. John's first love was native trees and he said, 'The wonderful thing about planting trees is that they are growing while you are sleeping.'
? Eastern Taranaki dog triallist Dan Murphy and his dog, Fay, took top honours in the Short Head and Yard section of the Tux South Island Sheep Dog Trials. The Kohuratahi duo logged rounds of 96.25 and 97, to finish with a winning aggregate of 193.25.
***
If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old - Lord Chesterfield
***
While the Pope was visiting the USA, he told the driver of his limo that he had the sudden urge to drive. The driver was a good Catholic man, and would not ever dream of questioning the Pope's authority. So the Pope sat at the wheel, while his driver got in the back. They were travelling down the road doing between 70 and 80 mph, when a policeman happened to see them. As he pulled them over, he called in to headquarters reporting a speeding limo, with a VIP inside it.The chief asked: "Who is in the limo, the mayor?"The policeman told him: "No, someone more important than the mayor."Then the chief asked "Is it the governor?"The policeman answered: "No, someone more important than the governor."The chief finally asked: "Is it the President?"The policeman answered: "No, someone even more important than the President."This made the chief very angry and he bellowed: "Now who is more important than the President?!"The policeman calmly whispered: "I'll put it to you this way chief. I don't know who this guy is, but he has the Pope as his chauffeur."
***
Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
- Louisa May Alcott
Have a great week!
Sunny Side Up and Sometimes Serious By Rhonda Bunyan
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.