Bless your cotton socks

Bless your cotton socks 20 April 2006
By ANDY MORRIS
INTERNET EXCLUSIVE COLUMN One of the first journalists I worked with made it his personal mission to replace swear-words with the likes of "breadstick" and "cotton socks".
He lived a double life. By day a mild-mannered sub-editor - by night the even milder-mannered founder and secretary of The Polite Society.
The group was formed to encourage better behaviour in Britain.
Ian Gregory set it up after several of his friends returned from holidays abroad - including New Zealand - saying how polite everyone in other countries were, and how badly the UK fared in comparison.
Some 19 years later that contrast between Britain and New Zealand seems even greater. So I say thanks, New Zealand, for the politeness and friendliness which you seem to take for granted but which just isn't the rule elsewhere.
I became an immigrant in January, though it took me a few weeks to learn how to pronounce my new title - "Pakeha".
Nobody at PAK'nSAVE knows I am a newbie. The guy behind the counter at the dairy has no idea I'm judging each encounter, looking to reassure myself I've done the right thing in moving halfway round the world.
In short, nobody's trying hard for my benefit.
Must be that this is how you are most of the time.
I've seen people give up train seats for pregnant women - without being asked. Half the people on my bus in the morning thank the driver when they get off.
Isn't that incredible? No, that's just the thing - you guys don't think it is.
The best thing of all is the behaviour of kids.
At my two boys' schools in the UK, talking in class and disrespecting the teacher was the norm.
Thankfully at Avondale College (and they deserve to be recognised) the teachers have put my kids straight - you do things differently over here.
Well done, I shall be sending the Polite Society a report. I tell you, I'm breadsticking glad I came. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaynews/0,2106,3642969a15596,00.html