Sideswipe: April 3: Just another brick in the wall

Just another brick in the wall. Spotted in Bayswater. I think he's tried to escape from a few other paper and mail slots!

Holy guacamole

Trump has been threatening to shut down the border between Mexico and the US. This move will stop the flow of people, but also avocados. According to the Guardian: "Avocados would run out in three weeks if imports from Mexico were stopped," said Steve Barnard, president and chief executive of Mission Produce, the largest distributor and grower of avocados in the world. "You couldn't pick a worse time of year because Mexico supplies virtually 100 per cent of the avocados in the US right now." (Via BoingBoing)

In response to the Roll Of Honour plaque

Warren Yardley writes: "The Cargill Publishing Company was established by my grandfather, Albert George Yardley, originally from London but settled in Morrinsville. His son Albert Edward Frederick Yardley was killed in action fighting [German General Erwin] Rommel and his soldiers in North Africa. Bert, as he was known, was buried in Tunisia. He worked in the publishing company as a printer."

Heroes down the hall

"That panel was on the wall near the editor's office at the Morrinsville Star printing works in Morrinsville until at least 1960," writes John. "It depicted the names of employees who had served in WWII. N.W. Cowley was the editor during the 50s and died in 1993 according to Births, Deaths & Marriages Online. R.E. Scott (Bob) was one of the Linotype operators during the 1950s."

One family's fate

"Sir Stephen Allen was my (maternal) grandfather," writes Rebecca Macky. "He served in and survived both world wars, but his son, a sailor and my uncle, was not so fortunate. Peter Russell Hay Allen was lost, as the plaque says, when serving on the submarine HMS Upholder, in April 1942. He was 20 years old. They say his mother, my grandmother, was never the same again and she died three years later. My mother was left an only child, caring for Sir Stephen until her own marriage."

A shade too unappetising

A shade too unappetising

Distinguished company

Mike Gribble from The Morrinsville Historical Society says most of the names are mostly Morrinsville men. "We have in our Museum collection a number of honours boards from around the district but this one would be of special interest as the other ones we hold are community honours boards, not a company one as this one is."

Video Pick

Glorious time lapse of snails eating…

Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz