PICNIC AND SPORTS

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 56, 8 March 1899, Page 3

PICNIC AND SPORTS

The seventh annual picnic of the shareholders, employees, and friends of the Auckland Co-operative, Boot and Shoe Company Limited- was held last Saturday. The party, to the number of about three hundred, started from the Queen street Wharf at 8.30 a.m. in the Coastal Company's s.s. Kapanui for the Whangapoua Peninsula, where they intended to spend the day by the kind permission of Mr John Hobbs, but finding the weather slightly rough, they made for the mouth of the river Wade, and there spent a most pleasant day upon the charmingly-situated property of Mr J. Oram. The day was spent by some in exploring this rather unfrequented, but very beautiful, part of the Hauraki Gulf, whilst others indulged in fishing, boating, and bathing. An excellent programme of sports was gone through under the direction of Messrs Sheppard, Clark, and the manager of the company, Mr H. Dearsly, who distributed the prizes. The party reimbarked in the evening, after giving three hearty cheers for the owner of the property, |Mr Oram. A large number of the settlers joined with the picnickers in the day's outing. The day's proceedings were enlivened by the performance of a very nice string band, under the conductorship of -lr John Sheppard, tlie members of the band being nearly all employees of the company. A word of praise is due to the captain and officers of the Kapanui, for the great care and attention shown by them. The trip home was done in the short time of one hour and twenty minutes. The committee, consisting of the Misses Wells, Bettridge, and Cain, and Messrs Clark, Lewis, Sansom, and Lincoln also by their untiring energy did much to make the day's outing what it was—one of the most pleasant and enjoyable of holidays.