Writer and Otago Daily Times ''Memory Lane'' columnist Gordon Parry has decided to pull up stumps after nearly 70 years in the public eye. Philip Somerville reports on a ''thorough gentleman'' who believes you should play with a straight bat.
Dunedin identity Gordon Parry, in all likelihood, has sinus trouble to thank for saving his life.
He and a dozen friends and fellow students tried to join the air force in 1939, but Mr Parry was rejected because sinus difficulties and flying were seen as incompatible.
As it turned out, Mr Parry was the only one of the group to reach his 23rd birthday, such was the pilot casualty rate from that time.
Now 94, Mr Parry, regretfully, has decided his days as a columnist are over.
After they appeared more than 1000 times, he took a break from his weekly popular Memory Lane articles nearly four months ago, hoping he might later resume.
''I have been totally happy when I'm at the keyboard,'' he said when interviewed.
''Unfortunately, I'm just not well enough to continue.''
As Mr Parry looks back on a life well lived, it is clear Dunedin itself should give thanks for that air force recruiter's decision.
Mr Parry's contributions to the city have been longstanding, wide-ranging and exemplary.
This talented, positive, energetic and courteous gentleman has enriched Dunedin across many fields, not least as the Otago Daily Times daily Prester John columnist for 12 years and latterly for two decades through the nostalgia, warmth and humour of Memory Lane.
As he puts it in his book My Dunedin (2006), he has never held ''a top job'' or earned a ''top salary''. And he says he was going to call those reminiscences A Good Life in the B Team until talked out of it.
It's best, though, to ignore those disclaimers because he has been high in Dunedin's batting order, consistently scoring runs all around the wicket in all conditions and against all teams.
He's chaired numerous charitable and community service organisations, written 35 books and played important roles within the Otago Daily Times, the Anglican Cathedral, the public relations industry and as a broadcaster.
He's also given countless public addresses around the city.
Born in Petone, he travelled (Owaka, Morrinsville, New Plymouth, Hamilton and finally Greymouth) as his peripatetic Baptist minister father shifted parishes.
Mr Parry then trained and worked as a teacher.
On rejection from the air force, he joined the Territorials and subsequently the army (becoming a sergeant) before switching to the RNZAF in 1943, when the need for recruits was such that dodgy sinuses could be sneezed at.
He trained as a navigator in Canada and flew in Wellington and Lancaster bombers, being on the verge of service over Europe when the war there ended.
Once, though, his Lancaster crashed, and he was lucky to escape with only a damaged thumb.
When his closest friend, also a navigator, was killed over Berlin he wrote to the parents and a spasmodic correspondence developed.
His friend's father was the Greymouth Evening Star editor and took him on as a cadet reporter at age 25.
Two years later he began at the ODT and by the end of 1948 was awarded the prestigious Kemsley Scholarship in Journalism to work in Britain for a year.
That opened doors at the highest levels, and he interviewed Prime Minister Clement Attlee at 10 Dowling Street and met Winston Churchill twice. Mr Attlee impressed him more.
He paid private visits to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London and he and his friends enjoyed the best seats at Wimbledon, Lord's, Twickenham as well as Ascot and the Derby.
He was also taken under the wing of famous theatre critic Harold Hobson.
''Back at the ODT the news editor organised a reorientation programme which include a cage bird show, rugby at Port Chalmers and meetings of minor organisations,'' he wrote some years ago in a prepared obituary piece for possible publication after his death.
But he was allowed to write the daily Prester John column, doing so for 12 years until the end of 1964.
•The biggest thrill came when he drew attention in the column to the fact the new Old People's Welfare Council rooms in the Octagon would not have a lift.
Money soon poured in and in less than three weeks several thousand pounds were gathered for the lift.
Mr Parry also reviewed theatre and wrote on films and books.
He had a stint as chief reporter and was features editor before leaving in 1964 after an offer to take over public relations and advertising for National Mortgage & Agency Company, with its 23 branches and more than 100 sub-branches or agencies.
Mr Parry declined to move with the head office to Wellington, so he set up his own public relations firm.
After he sold this, he became the University of Otago's first information officer, retiring from there in 1985.
He continued to write, nonetheless, including several more company histories.
He joked he put the kiss of death on companies whose stories he wrote.
Firms such as NMA, National Insurance, DIC, Kempthorne Prosser, Bruce Woollens, the School of Mines and several others then died or merged.
Recent generations are unaware of his significance in national broadcasting, and especially radio, during the 1960s and 1970s, notably the weekly bulletin Looking at Ourselves and as a regular on Morning Comment.
He chaired panels and ran interviews, although he described his several ventures into television as ''average''.
As befits a cricket enthusiast, he particularly relished three seasons as a cricket commentator at Carisbrook, with Iain Gallaway and Lankford Smith.
Dunedin broadcaster and writer Jim Sullivan describes Mr Parry as his mentor for 30 years.
''He's been a superb broadcaster and superb writer,'' Mr Sullivan said.
''Everything he did he did well. Everything was on time.''
Somehow, despite the nature of the business he didn't make enemies, Mr Sullivan said.
''It might sound like a cliche, but he is a thorough gentleman.''
Asked how he might have been viewed among Dunedinites over the years, Mr Parry said: ''I think they saw me as a busy little chap who liked to be involved in things.
''One of the good things about Dunedin was people were willing to listen to ideas, even if they didn't always agree.
''It's just the right size; big enough to have the facilities and small enough to walk down the street and say hello to people.''
List the characteristics of a ''gentleman'' and Mr Parry fits the bill; neatly presented, careful about etiquette, well mannered, authoritative, helpful, dignified, conscientious and respectful and honest.
He is always courteous no matter the provocation and believes in listening to people while being unafraid to say what he thinks.
His My Dunedin, while typically generous, contains strong words on some issues and some people.
His advice to others is to play life with a straight bat, a view reflecting his ethics.
As for religion, he calls himself a mongrel, his maternal grandfather having been a Salvation Army district commander turned Presbyterian minister, his father the Baptist preacher and then he became a lay canon who had played rugby for Celtic and cricket for Marist on the West Coast.
For most of his Dunedin years he has been heavily involved in the life of the Anglican Cathedral.
He left fundamentalist belief behind in his mid-20s, and describes himself as middle of the road.
He feels sadness at the advance of secularism but hopes that, even without religion, families can continue to pass on Christian values of right and wrong and concern for others.
He is basically liberal on issues such as gay clergy and female leadership in the church.
A friend says this reflects his acceptance of people in their diversity.
He reckons the bravest person he has known was his wife Helen (nee White).
They met at high school and were friends for 10 years before marrying.
A medical ''blunder'' in 1955 on top of previously undiagnosed rheumatic fever left her crippled with a form of arthritis.
She spent nearly a year in bed in her parents' home in Nelson and lived for 40 years with pain and disability before dying 18 years ago.
''They said she wouldn't walk, but she did,'' Mr Parry said.
''They said she wouldn't drive, but she did. She always said pain was portable.''
They had one daughter, Susan, who lives in Dunedin, and Mr Parry has three grandchildren and five great-granddaughters.
There can have been few, if any, older New Zealand newspaper columnists, and he continued to be surprised at public reactions.
He has even, ''most embarrassingly'', been asked for his autograph by two youngish people in the supermarket.
He puts the seemingly never-ending flow of ideas and anecdotes down to the observing instincts, curiosity and interests of a journalist.
A sharp mind and excellent memory no doubt have played an important part.
''I've been extremely fortunate to have lived as long as I have,'' he said.
''I've tried hard to be positive but when you get old and feeble, it does get more difficult.''
''Here I am at my age and all those young men died all those years ago.''
Mr Parry has written a swansong ODT article, at the urging of the Otago Brevet Club and in anticipation of its last parade when the 74th Battle of Britain anniversary is observed at the Dunedin Cenotaph on Sunday, September 21.
It will be published next Wednesday.
''A busy little chap''
• 18 years at the Otago Daily Times - reporter, chief reporter, features editor, editorial writer, critic and columnist.
• First chairman of the Otago Peninsula Trust.
• Chaired the Otago Patients and Prisoners Aid Society for many years.
• First and only chairman of the Television One Advisory Committee.
• Chaired various school committees.
• President and central figure in the Otago Brevet Club.
• St Paul's Cathedral, Dunedin, reader, sidesman, vestryman, Chapter secretary and lay canon.
• Made Companion of Honour of St Paul's 2006.
• Member of Plunket Society Advisory Board.
• On Otago Medical Research Foundation executive.
• Active in the Dunedin Club for 50 years, writing its history.
• Author of about 35 books, many of them histories of Dunedin-based companies.
• Organiser of publicity for numerous charitable appeals.
• JP since 1967.
• Member of Glenfalloch Garden Committee.
• Awarded Queen's Service Medal 1994.
