Radio Digest - No. 313. 1955
Part 1: This episode begins with a report on the first national apple-packing competition held in the Wellington Town Hall, sponsored by the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation and the Apple and Pear Marketing Board. David Kohn interviews Frank Archer, President of the Fruitgrowers' Federation about the idea behind the contest and Norman Adamson, horticultural superintendant of the Department of Agriculture in Nelson, who is the chief judge. He talks about the judging criteria: points are given for placing and careful handling, speed, wrapping, finish and general appearance.
The finalists introduce themselves:
Mrs Pam Murray, Tahuna
Dick Perrott, Hastings
Mrs Hill, Mapua
Richard Dawson, Ruby Bay
Maurice Cartwright, Hastings
Mr McIntyre, Otago
David Kohn then commentates as the competition starts, comparing the packing to the fast movements of the poi dance. They have to pack six boxes of five layers, with 33 apples per layer. Mr Adamson also adds comments.
He notes 'Nelson-style packing' puts apples in over the ends of the box, while 'Hawkes Bay-style' goes over the sides.
Mr Perrott finishes first ahead of Mr Dawson and Mr Cartwright.
The prize-winning announcement is heard, with Mr Dawson being named National Champion because of the neatness of his packing. He wins 50 pounds and is interviewed briefly.
Part 2: An unidentified man talks about the history of developments in Medium Wave Broadcasting in Europe and Britain which saw many wavelengths being crowded by multiple broadcasts. The BBC sought to stop this by duplicating their own frequencies and broadcasting them on VHF (Very High Frequencies).
Part 3: Flight Sergeants Michael Adsell and Graeme Weir of the Air Training Corps are interviewed about their recent trip to Sydney they took as a prize for their outstanding records in the training corps. They flew to Australia via Norfolk Island, travelling with other Air Force staff. They discuss their accommodation in Sydney and Melbourne, where they were billeted with families of air training cadets and the various places they visited. They compare the Air Training Cadets in Australia with those in New Zealand and discuss their career ambitions in the Air Force.
Part 4: Paul Rickitts, a medical student from Dunedin, describes the Wellington ‘Capping Week’ and Extravaganza, a week long Revue for which several students have written and produced ‘The Happy Squanderer’, performed at the Wellington Opera House. He describes the efforts of the students to create a rough script and perform the play with little time and few rehearsals. He names several of the students and the roles they took. Finally, he briefly describes the capping traditions in Dunedin.