New Zealand Listener – August 24, 2019

6 LISTENER AUGUST 24 2019

LETTERS

ZA

CH

AR

Y^
KA

N
IN

/^ T

HE

C

AR

TO

O
N^
BA

NK

“After one look at this

planet, any visitor from

outer space would say, ‘I

want to see the manager.’”

• William S Burroughs, quoted in
  the Times

“Welcome. Sit. Stay.”

– introduction to a veterinarians’

conference

“Going to bed ridiculously

early on clean-sheet nights

is one of life’s greatest

luxuries.” – Nigella Lawson

“We need to start naming

guns after women – that

way Republicans will try and

regulate them.” – comedian

Chelsea Handler

“Unfortunately, the working

title, ‘A line in the sand’,

did not make it to print.” –

business writer Chris Keall on

$3m of cocaine found on a beach

“Turning the UK off and on

again isn’t the worst idea.”

• Guardian production editor Ian
  Ford on England’s big power cut

“The comforting theme

from Boris’ career is that

he keeps on getting fired.”

– comedian Adam Kay

“Love never dies of

starvation, but often of

indigestion.” – author Ninon

de l’Enclos

“A bookstore is one of the

only pieces of evidence we

have that people are still

thinking.” – Jerry Seinfield

“A great artist is always

before his time or behind it.” –

philosopher George Edward Moore

“When cats are cuddling

and kneading you, and you

think it’s cute, they’re really

just checking your vitals for

weak spots.” – actress Kandyse

McClure

Quips&

Quotes

Remarkably, my mother,

aged 94, and father, 96,

continue to live in their own

house in Taradale, Napier. They

are both still as sharp as tacks

mentally and look forward to

each issue of the magazine so

they can keep up with current

affairs and, more importantly,

defeat the crossword.

David Darby

(Porangahau, Hawke’s Bay)

LETTER OF THE WEEK

BRITAIN’S EEC MOMENT

Historian Jock Phillips (“The

great revolution”, August 10)

recalls the entry of Britain into

the European Economic Com-

munity in 1973 and the paltry

trade concession secured by

New Zealand as a result.

Many will recall a decade

of drastic economic decline;

having every year to go cap-in-

hand to Europe to renegotiate

the entry of exports to the

EEC; the threat by France to

block all our exports to the

EEC if David Lange did not

release the French terror-

ists who sank the Rainbow

Warrior.

It is more than ironic that

Britain could, by choice, soon

find itself in the same position.

Hugh Coley

(Nelson)

FRANKLY, I’M GLAD

Thanks for reprinting the 1964

letter from Frank Haden about

the acquittal of Allan Aber-

hart’s killers (Letters, August

10). It took courage to support

a gay person in 1964, and who

knows but his letter (along

with Listener editor Monte

Holcroft’s June 5, 1964, Edito-

rial) may have been the stone

that dislodged the eventual

avalanche of homosexual law

reform, human rights protec-

tion, civil union, marriage

equality and the expungement

last week of Aberhart’s own

“sexual crime”?

Hugh Young

(Pukerua Bay)

There are calls for Wellington’s

‘‘embarrassing’’ airport bus

service to be overhauled but

operator NZ Bus says it’s not

going anywhere.

Dominion Post, 7/8/

This three bedroom home has

been lovingly renovated for you

with simple décor and neutral

colours leaving you room to

add your flare.

Guardian, 26/6/

When the Healthy Homes

Standards kick in, all rentals will

need ceiling and underfloor

heating which is at least 120mm

thick.

Manawatū Standard, 1/7/

My husband has really been trying

NZ Herald, 11/7/

With 20 years in the fashion

business under their best, the

couple remain committed ...

Indulge, 6/7/

“I just want to go home,” he says

through smiling eyes.

Viva, 3/7/

Life in New Zealand

LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND: Entries must describe New Zealand events. The first sender

of those accepted will receive a $5 Booksellers voucher. Enclose name, address and

source/date; TV and radio entries must also include specific time. No correspondence

will be entered into. SEND TO: Life in NZ, Listener, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley St,

Auckland 1141. Picture files only can be emailed to: [email protected]

interested to learn that my

mother, Ngaire Darby (née

McKenzie), was the cover

girl on the first-ever edition

published in June 1939. As

a 14-year-old Wellington

schoolgirl, she was chosen to

broadcast the 1939 Empire

Day greeting to King George.

She remembers being collected

very early one morning from

her parents’ home by Profes-

sor James Shelley, director of

broadcasting, and driven to the

studio for the important event.

She had no idea that her

photograph would grace the

cover of the first edition of the

Listener two months later. Mum

was interviewed for the 10th

anniversary of the magazine in

1949, for the 25th in 1964 and

again in July 1999 for the 60th

anniversary. The Listener has

been a constant in her life for

80 years.

“Would Juror No 6 kindly please stop sighing

and saying, ‘Oh, boy, here we go again,’ every

time a new witness takes the stand?”