Selwyn Times: April 18,

FREE TUESday aPRIL 18 2017 379 7100 Selwyn GET CONNECTED WITH Scorch Broadband Times Proudly locally owned and published by Star Media Award winning publishing group Kea (Nestor Notabilis) 0800 726 724 www.scorch.co.nz Ladbrooks, Tai Tapu, Leeston, Lincoln, Southbridge, Prebbleton, Halswell, Rolleston, Templeton, Burnham, West Melton, Darfield, Arthurs Pass Fallen mates in John’s thoughts • By Tom Doudney AT 15, John Carr felt “very, very lucky” stepping ashore in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after the sinking of his merchant navy oil tanker, The Stratford in the Atlantic Ocean during World War 2. Now 92, and Templeton RSA’s oldest returned serviceman, Mr Carr’s thoughts will drift back to those years and his fallen comrades on Anzac Day. He remembers well the night in September 1940 when his ship was hit by a torpedo while travelling in a convoy on the way to Jamaica. “It was about midnight, we were asleep in our cabin and there was an almighty thud which woke us all up. I looked out of a porthole and I saw a reflection of flame and I thought it was another merchant ship in the convoy but it was us on fire because we had oil bunkers and we had been hit there,” Mr Carr said. •Turn to page 4 SERVICEMAN: John Carr’s ship was torpedoed while travelling in a convoy in World War 2. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN Speed limits could be changed • By Tom Doudney THE SPEED limits on Selwyn’s roads will be reviewed over the next six weeks. The review will cover all district council-controlled roads but exclude the state highways, which are controlled by the New Zealand Transport Agency. Weedons Residents Association chairman John McKim made a deputation to Wednesday’s district council meeting to express concern on the condition of Maddisons Rd and the speed of vehicles using it. He was informed that the possibility of reducing the speed limit on the road from 100km/h to a lower speed, potentially 80km/h, would be looked at as part of the review. Weedons Reserve Committee members and Templeton residents have also expressed concern about Maddisons Rd recently. Mr McKim said he was pleased a speed limit reduction would be looked into. “Within [the last] four months we have had four fairly serious accidents,” he said. •Turn to page 7