CHERTSEY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9291, 28 April 1920, Page 3

CHERTSEY.

The spinsters of Chertsey gave a Leap-year dance in the Chertsey Hall on Friday evening last. There was a very, large attendance of invited guests, and a thoroughly enjoyable time was spent. The whole function reflected great credit on the promoters. Mrs S. Hodgson provided excellent music, Mr E. Rankin and Miss Downie playing extras. Songs were rendered by Misses James and Ridley and Mr Percy James, while Mr Fred. Irojiside acted as M.C. . It is rumoured that the bachelors'intend giving a return dance at an early date. • The two great topics in Chertsey at tlie present time are the irregularity with which the trains are running^ by not arriving, but seldom^ up.to schedule time, and the same old cry, "the shortage of grain trucks." It seems rather a coincidence that as each busy season comes around and grain trucks are required in large numbers by tho farmers to send away- their grain, these trucks seem to have a habit of "becoming scarce," and are only to be seen travelling empty, first north and then south, in large numbers, and often by special trains at that, but none stays long enough at the small country stations to be loaded, being "urgently wanted for shipping." It may be of course, that after these" trucks have been idle in the slack time of the year, they need a few weeks' "training" up and down before they are fit again for solid work, thus resembling "an old-time trotter." To the travelling public the present irregular running of the slow trains is most annoying, especially the afternoon train from Ashburton, which seldom arrives at Chertsey up to time-table arrangements. Children attending the Technical School in Ashburton from Chertsey and Rakaia. districts often get delayed so long as to have to drive or ride home mile's in the dark on cold winter nights through this belated train being often an hour or more late. This was the order of things occasionally last year, and everything points to the same thing again this year, judging by recent happenings. The platform on the Chertsey #railway station is now being neatly asphalted, which will prove to be 'a boon to the residents of the district, and all that is wanted now is a wellconstructed verandah.