NEW YEAR'S DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 5

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

HOLIDAY MARRED. MOST SPORTS POSTPONED. THEATRES WELL PATRONISED. The New Year holiday was marred by the heavy rain that fell almost incessantly from Tuesday night till yesterday afternoon. Of the many sports and attractions arranged for yesterday, the third day of the Auckland Racing Club's summer meeting at Ellersiie was the only one held according to schedule. The unseasonable weather resulted in all places of indoor entertainment, such as the cinema theatres, being well patronised and taxi drivers did good business. Except for a few swimmers the beaches were deserted. Hopes of improved weather were raised on New Year's Eve, when there was a short respite from the rain. Further rain, however, fell during the night, and even when it was not raining a thick mist covered the main part of the city. Yesterday's rain necessitated further postponements in the Auckland Bowling Centre's Christmas tourney, the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association's handicap tournament, and the provincial cricket matches at Eden Park. Play in these events was resumed to-day. The attendance at Elferslie on New Year's Day was over 15.000. It was a very slack New Year's Day for excursion steamers and ferrv boats. Some of the steamers returning to the city last evening from Hauraki Gulf holiday resorts carried fairly large crowds, as many people, on account of the wet weather, had apparently shortened their seaside hodilays by a day or two. Streams of motorists returned to Auckland yesterday from holidays in the north and south. Having braved the rain for several days, the majority of visitors at the motor camps at Western Springs and Takapuna resolved to "stick it out" and departures were not abnormal. Last evening there were about 130 cars at Western Springs and other campers were arriving. During Thursdav and yesterday about 100 campers left the camp, but many of the parties were merely adhering to previously-arranged programmes. Upon the rain ceasing vesterday afternoon the camp sprang into activity and after being cooped' in the tents for hours, children enjoyed the freedom of the grounds. Swimming pools were popular m the afternoon, while tent lines were rapidly lined with wet clothing for drying. i"og made conditions unpleasant in the city last evening, and for over an hour visibility was poor both for craft on the harbour and motorists on the road. The wind freshened from the north shortly after 8 p.m. and the fog quickly cleared.