The Plain & Ordinary Canterbury Sketchbook by Pete Canterbury University Press NZ$17.50

This post is dedicated to the alumni of Canterbury University and particularly my former Gisborne Boys High School mates Peter Grayson, Ernie Barrington, Don Beuth and Gary Finlay all of whom graduated from that esteemed university in the 1960’s.

I know all of them would enjoy this delightful publication as it contains sketches and anecdotal notes that bring back to life a cast of colourful Christchurch characters from the 1950’s and 1960’s as well as affectionate portrayals of the buildings and landmarks from that era.

Pete McLauchlan is the sketching postie of Sydenham who never leaves home without his sketchpad. His sketches were a weekly feature in The Press during the 1990’s which earned him a broad readership and there will be many residents, and former residents of Christchurch who will be delighted with this charming book and all its warm nostalgia.

Canterbury University Press has displayed lateral thinking in preserving this piece of local social history.

Apologies over the colour of the cover depicted above. In fact it is proudly bright red with black text, the Canterbury colours.

The two sketches show, left the colonel and right, Denis Glover.