STRANDED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 193, 16 August 1941, Page 8

STRANDED

VISITORS TO RACES

RESTRICTED FERRY SERVICE

<O.C> CHRISTCHURCH, this day

Jupiter Pluvius took all the tricks at the 1941 Grand National carnival, finally pulling off a double event —two successive postponements. The first "leg" concerned the final day of the Metropolitan trots, and the second '"leg" a washout of the races at Riccarton to-day.

Hail. rain, sleet and some snow and tempestuous blows all played their part in the debacle. Biting winds came from north, south, east and west. Sometimes they appeared to come from all four corners of the universe at one time.

Sportsmen and sportswomen, too. had arrived early in the week from as far as North Cape and Bluff to give Christchurch a record total of visitors for the National carnival. Now many North Islanders are stranded with no prospect of getting away before Tuesday. A restricted ferry service has played its part in these dire straits for, after all. the Tamahine cannot be expected to shoulder the responsibility of, say. the Rangatira.

To-day hotel lounges are crammed with disgruntled visitors, the while less fortunate brethren huddle together disconsolate neath the totally inadequate shelter of verandahs striving vainly to engender a little warmth by 'cursing fluently and raving inwardly.

It's all so futile. Rain still descends, sometimes in torrents; wind shrieks in most unexpected quarters, and ever and anon hail whips into one's face determined to make its presence felt. Aye, this is a record National all right.