XN000022-1983-01-16 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 1983

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MAJOR EVENTS FOR METRIC 10 DAYS

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THREE MAJOR EVENTS, INCLUDING A MINI METRIC MARATHON RACE, A LARGE-SCALE GAMES DAY AND A STREET THEATRE SHOW, WERE ORGANISED FOR TODAY (SUNDAY) THE THIRD DAY OF THE METRICATION COMMITTEE'S METRIC 10 DAYS PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN.

THE FIRST EVENT STARTED AT 9 AM WHEN A GROUP OF MORE THAN 500 YOUNG PEOPLE SET OFF AT PO LEUNG KUK HOLIDAY CAMP IN PAK TAM CHUNG, SAI KUNG, ON A 10-KILOMETRE RACE.

DIVIDED INTO 10 GROUPS BY AGE AND SEX, THE ATHLETES RAN ALONG PLEASANT TREE-LINED ROADS TO SAM TINHANG BEFORE RETURNING TO THE STARTING POINT.

THE RACE WILL BE FOLLOWED IN THE AFTERNOON BY A LARGE-SCALE GAMES DAY IN VICTORIA PARK. ABOUT 1 000 PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS TRADES AND PROFESSIONS WILL TAKE PART IN SPECIALLY DEVISED TELEMATCHES

INVOLVING THE USE OF METRIC UNITS.

+THESE GAMES AND EQUIPMENT WILL HELP US ALL TO TRY AND THINK METRIC AND WILL GIVE US SOME IDEA AS TO HOW TO RELATE METRIC UNITS TO ACTUAL DISTANCES AND WEIGHTS,+ SAID MR E.B. WIGGHAM, COMMISSIONER FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, AT THE GAMES.

→THE METRIC SYSTEM COVERS THE WHOLE RANGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND ALL OTHER APPLICATIONS. SO PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT TO GO METRIC,+ HE SAID.

MR WIGGHAM SAID RESPONSE TO THE GAMES DAY WAS VERY GOOD, WITH ENTRIES FAR EXCEEDING THE ORIGINAL TARGET OF 800.

LATER IN THE AFTERNOON THE FIRST OF THREE STREET THEATRE SHOWS WITH METRIC THEMES WAS HELD AT THE CHATER ROAD PEDESTRIAN PRECINCT.

OFFICIATING GUESTS AT THE RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY WERE

MR A.G. COOPER, DISTRICT OFFICER (CENTRAL AND WESTERN/WAN CHAI) MR LEE TAT-YU, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL/WESTERN DISTRICT BOARD AND MISS RITA TSUI OF THE METRICATION COMMITTEE.

THE SHOW INCLUDED MUSIC, SINGING, MAGIC, PUPPET AND ACROBATIC PERFORMANCES.

AT THE SHOW THE AUDIENCE WERE INVITED TO TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM AT A QUIZ STALL MANNED BY RTHK ARTISTES HAPPY CHAN AND PAU HING-HUNG, THOSE WHO GAVE CORRECT ANSWERS WERE AWARDED PRIZES.

MUSIC WAS PROVIDED BY THE BAND OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT (THE VOLUNTEERS) AT THE SHOW,

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