Did you know

THE THEME  song for  TV’s Country Calendar was not written by a country lad from the Otago but by English production music composer Alan Moorehouse in 1970. It was a ‘B side’ tune titled ‘Hillbilly Child’.

THERE ARE over 1.2 million British people living in Europe and 3 million Europeans living in Britain.

‘WE ARE continually faced great opportunities disguised as unsolvable  problems’ –Margaret Mead

AUSTRALIAN FLORISTS imported six and a half million roses from Kenya  for Valentine’s Day. Sidelined Australian growers said that they could not match the prices of Kenyan grower’s advantaged by having low wages and the country’s relaxed laws on horticulture chemical use.

IN 2015 there were 2.2 million people in U.S prisons.

‘WE ARE all born ignorant but one must work hard to remain stupid‘- Benjamin Franklin.

GYMNASIUM patronage in New Zealand is growing at 6.4% a year. And so also are the ACC claims for gymnasium related injuries, last year reaching 51,000 and growing. This come a close second to the 55,000 claims for rugby injuries – costing $78.6 million .

WAIRARAPA train’s punctuality is slowly improving; from 45.5% arriving on time in October then 50.4 % in November  it rose to  68.9% in December (the last available figure). By comparison the  electrified lines’  punctuality rate is  90%

IN AMERICA in a year thirty eight thousand people die from gun shot wounds .

“WHEN I came to Australia the customs officer asked if I had a criminal record. And I said ‘Mate I didn’t know I still needed one to get in”- Karl Urban 

IN THE 2016/17 financial year Google booked NZ companies $12.5 million  for advertising but paid no tax to the NZ government. However both Google and Facebook have agreed to in future charge NZ clients to NZ subsidiary companies rather than overseas tax havens as previously and pay taxes here in line with its responsibilities.

INCOMPETENT doctors damage their patients one at a time. Incompetent teachers damage their pupils thirty at a time.

IN THE 1950s New Zealand had one car to every 8.3 people. Today we have one  car to  every 1.6 people. Little wonder that the roads seem crowded.

“ I OCASSIONALLY play works by contemporary composers and for two reasons. First to discourage  the composer from writing any more and, second, to remind  myself how much I appreciate Beethoven” violinist Jascha Heifetz.

The deadline for the  April issue of the Star is 4pm  Wednesday March 28th