Who’s living the highest life in our hilly city?

EVERYONE knows Dunedin is hilly. But who can tell me the highest suburb, the highest residential street and possibly even the number of the highest house in that street?

Quite some time ago I went on a bit of a field trip with a friend to find the residential apex of the city. It was a closerun thing, but in the end there can only be one winner.

Let me know what you think.

Nearly at an end

Time for a nightcart story cleanup.

I think I can confidently say we’ve enjoyed the memories of oldfashioned toilet technology. But it’s probably time to leave all that behind (whoops).

If you have any last stories you wish to share, please send them in today so I can use them tomorrow.

‘‘RKM’’ writes with this: ‘‘Many years ago when living close to the University of Otago, I remember how much we looked forward to the annual capping concert.

‘‘This particular year, one of the main items on the programme was a skit satirising A Streetcar Named Desire, which they titled A Nightcart Named Discreet.’’

My old ODT boss Clarke

Isaacs, of Dunedin’s Sunshine, was moved to mention something alarming happening to former prime minister Sir Robert Muldoon. On a visit to China in 1980, a toilet collapsed under him.

‘‘In His Way: a Biography of Robert Muldoon, Barry Gustafson writes: ‘Thea [Muldoon’s wife] had to get Galvin [Bernie Galvin, head of Treasury] and Harold Hewitt [Muldoon’s private secretary] to extract the PM from the wreckage.

‘‘‘Galvin never forgot dragging a wedged and chuckling Muldoon from the floor while they joked about ‘‘the seat of government’’’.’’

Thanks Clarke — and I don’t think I’ve ever had to use five quote marks in a row before.

Bill Bennett, of Mosgiel, emailed with his recollection of the night cart.

‘‘You sure are making me bring back memories of my 81 years on this earth, especially the 79 and ahalf years living in Mosgiel.

‘‘Our toilet was situated away from the house and every Monday morning from 7.45am to 8.15am we were not allowed to use it, as this was the time the nightcart man usually arrived — aka the ‘dunny man’, but this name was only mentioned when not in the presence of our parents, otherwise we would receive a clip over the ears.

‘‘He used to arrive, take the lid off the replacement one, pull the full one out the back flap, put the lid on that and then put it on the cart.

‘‘I well remember being told of the day he stopped at the barber’s shop (I think it was Sandy McLoy’s) in Gordon Rd near the post office and he tied the horse up to the railing outside the shop and went inside to get his hair cut.

‘‘As he was in there, two of the locals snuck across the road and unhitched the shafts of his cart. When he came out, he jumped in the cart, gave the horse a couple of flips with the reins and, of course, the shafts came apart as the horse moved off.

‘‘I don’t think they ever found out who the locals were.’’

Scarface Claw in Maia

Margie Beyer passes on her cat story, a tale of feline hubris.

‘‘Those of you who are familiar with Lynley Dodds’ children’s stories will know of Scarface Claw.

‘‘But did you know that he actually lives in Maia?

‘‘New to the neighbourhood, Scarface met Tigger (my cat) on one of his wanderings around Maia. An uglier cat I have yet to meet — his fur stands at right angles to his body at all times, giving him the appearance of having recently stuck his tail in a power socket, with the resulting surge of power never having quite dissipated.

‘‘There was an afternoon of insults traded between them, before Tigger decided that a dignified retreat was called for. Unfortunately, this was done at some speed, resulting in Tigger receiving a bad cut to his leg, resulting in a trip to the vet.

‘‘The bandage went not only around the wound, but also twice around his body, ensuring it remained in place. It healed well.

‘‘Then, just a week later, as I drove down the street, there parked up on the side of the road was Scarface and his sidekick, a wheaten terrier.

‘‘I paused to take it all in, but couldn’t stop as there was no pullover space. But I did have enough time to note that Scarface now wore an Elizabethan collar and a deflated ego to boot! He knew he was no longer ‘Top Cat’.

‘‘ I have no idea as to whether he’d been hurling even more insults or had been in for ‘The Big Chop’. Either way, this was one mortified moggy.

‘‘When I returned home later, I told Tigger all about it. And, up till then, I’d not known that cats could smirk.’’

❛ Those of you who are familiar with Lynley Dodds’ children’s stories will know of Scarface Claw. But did you know that he actually lives in Maia?

PHOTOS: BRENT WALLACE. Maps of Europe, including weather maps, were hard to come by during World War 2. But the ODT put out a special supplement for readers in July 1940, consisting of a European map and a corresponding jigsaw puzzle. Brent Wallace sent us these photos after the collection was handed down to him recently.