Page 65 - Exile-ebook

64 AN EXILE OF THE MIND STANDING IN FOR THE BEATLES 65

Sam Falk/The New York Times. Photo: Christchurch Press

Cambridge Circus Revue. Peter, Paul and Mary. The Beatles at the Clarendon Hotel, Christchurch.

parties in funereal style, balanced party trick was to let out squeaky as we were thrown out. His chemistry student newspaper, Canta. Standing
precariously across the back of farts in Morse code. Beer helped to gizmo was held to ransom until the at the end of a long line of information
Jennyvieve and held in place by produce his excessive flatulence. beer was paid for. tables during Orientation Week, I sold
‘pallbearers’. Students, breadline Loaded with chemistry apparatus John Cousins, a music student, Canta subscriptions to unsuspecting

poor, approached on a regular basis and wearing white lab coats, we visit- was another member of our coterie. first-years who thought it obligatory.
this ‘wealthy’ student dressed in a ed local pubs to test the quality of beer He made international headlines 20 The Canta office was housed in the
tuxedo and driving a flash car, for pulled from the tap. An array of test years later at the Edinburgh Festival beautiful gothic building of the Stu-
loans rarely repaid. tubes, flasks and retorts connected by as its first ‘piss artist’. He created dent Union across the street from the

The Right Hon and I, with a glass rods, took the shape of a Heath music by lying naked on a bench Art Deco building of the West Avon
chemistry student called Toady, had Robinson doohickey on the bar. set at an incline with plastic tubes apartments where I lived.
this great idea to score free beer. The publican was then asked to attached to his body. There he lay Sister Hannah, affectionately

Toady earned his nickname from pour beer down one end and as it for hours before a bewildered public called Mutti, gave motherly advice in
Toad of Toad Hall from The Wind in frothed its way to the other end we drinking copious amounts of water the office next door, taking me under
the Willows. Dressed immaculately sampled it in turns. Three pubs later a and peeing through tubes to create her wing to make sure I remembered
in a chequered green suit and bright publican became suspicious when we uncanny drum-like sounds. to eat at least once a day. She was
yellow waistcoat, he swaggered became tipsy. Our cover was finally Nineteen sixty four was an extraor- the student health nurse. A beaming
around as if permanently looking for blown when Toady performed his dinary year crammed with exciting Austrian with bright blue eyes and
something in the sky. His favourite party trick and laughed hysterically events. I was appointed editor of the rosy cheeks under a halo of iron-