CHILDREN'S PARTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 115, 16 May 1924, Page 7

CHILDREN'S PARTY.

) HAPPY TIME ON REPULSE. P The battle-cruiser Repulse was ». gay , and animated scene yesterday after- " noon, and children to the number of t 1318 were entertained on board. The , little gueste and their guardians were \ taken over by ferry boat, and it took . two boats to convey them to the war- , i ship. Eager and wondering little faces (, crowded the ferry wliarf waiting to f pass the barrier and see what wonders j were in store, but once aboard the r cruiser they were soon eagerly samp- . ling the joys ahead. Right opposite the t gangway on the ship was a huge inushi room with a polished surface, upon , which the children were invited to take • a ride by a friendly clown, who also I gave lessons to many a small boy in manners when they rushed the pleasure s ahead of their sisters, and were firmly ■ admonished that, at least in the Navy, ' ladies took precedence. When the chil- • j dren were seated the whole thing began >J to revolve, and as it got up speed it > shot the astonished children of their I ; moving perch into the arms of the offt- | [ cers waiting to catch them at the 1 j sides. Shouts of laughter were the re- ' j suit, although some small faces were r ! a Tather puzzled expression at the ex--5 perience. The cruiser had been turned ' ? . into a complete nursery for the timeI being, as well as an up-to-date playing j field, which provided shoots, toboggans I and other splendours beloved of the ' little ones. On one side of the vessel a huge square, with hanging seats like the giant wheel at Earl's Court, was hoisting the little ones towards the slcy and then bringing them down with the impression that they were over the water. Each seat held two, who were ! strapped in, and here again the Auckland boy had to be reminded that at ' least in the Jfavy it was always "Ladies I [ First." , . One of the great joys was a; large , switchback erected on an upper deck, ' r ; with a small carriage seating a group \ which looked steady enough, hut which, ' at a signal, rushed down the slope and \ J up the other eide with fine speed and an , appalling noise, greatly to the delight ,of those "aboard the lugger." Then ! other small visitors were, being hoisted 1 , high above the upper decks in huge i boxes draped with flags, and came riding safely down on steel cables to get ready ■ for the next amusement, which was a [ huge shoot down which they were shot ■ to be caught on landing by the ever- > ■ patient naval men, whom duty had ! turned into nursery attendants for the ■ day. The merry-go-round on the upper ', deck was always crowded, and the two I clowns in charge had a happy and [ merry crew always aboard, lying in | hammocks which were slung above the ! hus;e capstan and made safe by torpedo- ' catching netting underneath. At a I word the capstan began to revolve, and ! truly never in the life of childhood had 1 it been seen before that the capstan 1 of a battleship could be given to drive that rather common feature of ! the show ground, the merry-go-round, I" but the patrons hailed the innovation , with shouts of delight and their naval \ hosts as the most charming persons in ' r i the world I ' I A haunted erotto also wns one of the [ attractions, but an the victims, when ! big. came out lauehing and the smaller ' ones rather cheerful, it was difficult to ! nrrive at a correct opinion of ite [ charm. There was no doubt of the appreciation of the next item, which [ was afternoon tea spread on the upper deck at biff tables and presided over by \ kind and thousrhtful tars, who kept the small people well supplied with ■>« tables 1 after all the exertions in oamplinsr the I pleasures provided by the British ' Navy. 1J Tn connection with the rhildrpn's '' party. the cantain i\r\<{ officers desire to ' tiinnk the following for th«"ir nesistanf": ' ; The y«rv l>fi">ip. ner H. OoMie. for tables ami trestles, the proprietors 1' of the "Star" for 2nO yards newsprint 1 to cover tables, and th* New Zealand ' Shipping Company, per Mr. A. H. Sinel. 1 for protection nets. : Hundreds of school children thronjred ! on board the Food this morning, and : thoroughly enioved themselves. This ■ afternoon the chip is open to the public ,On board the Repulse this afternoon the shin's company are entertaining - their friends, just us the men of the Hood did 1 yesterday afternoon with so much j success.