Did you know

THE ANNUAL Jazz in Martinborough festival will be held this year from Thursday 30 August to Sunday 2 September. Full details to follow in next month’s edition!”

MR MUSEUM, Mate Higginson, is no longer on the museum’s Trust Board. His position has ended after over twenty five years serving on the Board and its preceding Museum Management  Committee. 

SCIENTISTS at Portsmouth University have discovered an enzyme which breaks down plastic bottles. A possible solution to the million plastic bottles which are sold every minute – with only 14% being recycled. 

SINCE 1950 India’s GDP has increased  five fold. Japan’s eleven fold and China’s twenty fold.

‘HERE’S a list of reasons why you should love Muslims; Muslims invented coffee. There’s more, but lets be honest, coffee is reason enough” – Human rights activist Qasim Raschid 

ALAN SHEPHERD became the first American in space when his rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 5^th 1961. The sub orbit flight lasted fifteen minutes reaching a height of 186 km before splashing down 488 km downrange.

IN THE ‘Australia’s Most Reputable Company Awards’ Air NZ has been voted Australia’s most trusted company. Mazda Australia was voted second and JB HiFi third. Air NZ has also been awarded ‘Oceania’s Best Airline’ 

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

THE NUMBER of vehicles on the road  increased by 17% between 2013 and 2017. However in the same period road crash fatalities rose by 55%.

THE FIRST  woman to climb Mt Everest was Japanese climber Junko Tabei who reached the peak on May 19^th 1975. 

A U.N. REPORT on solar power showed China’s production has risen by 98 gigawatts –a 45% increase in a year. Australia’s investment in solar energy has invested 48.5 billion during the year an increase of 147%. South Australia has the world’s highest number of roof top solar systems.  

HAVING THE Swedes give out the  Nobel Prize for literature is like  letting the Swiss decide who goes into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

TWENTY of NZ ‘s listed  endangered bird species are now recovering. Half of these due to intensive DOC conservation efforts.

‘THE ONE massive difference was that modern players hydrate before the game and we hydrated after’ –All Black captain Sir Brian Lochore at Sir Colin Meads’funeral

The deadline for the June issue is 4.30pm on Wednesday May 30th