ROYAL VISIT TO CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27098, 22 July 1953, Page 8

ROYAL VISIT TO CHRISTCHURCH

Decoration, Schemes Discussed . PLAN OF FLORAL BASKET APPROVED A sketch of a floral basket, to be ftlaced in a central position on the awn at the back of the Scott statue during the visit.of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to Christchurch in January, was approved at a meeting of the Citizens’ Decorations Committee yesterday. Tentative arrangements had been completed with the Disabled Servicemen’s Re-establishment League for the making of a basket about 6ft high, said the Director of Parks and Reserves (Mr M, J. Barnett), who is convener of the sub-committee dealing with floral decorations. B lt wduld be most difficult to obtain flowers of adequate size to balance or to be in proportion with a basket of sudh large dimensions,” Mr Barnett said. “To overcome this difficulty, it is suggested that the framework of the basket be lined with moss and completely outlined and covered with flowers, the centre portion being filled with large gladioli blooms.” On the suggestion of Mr Colin Lamb, it was decided to write to the Canterbury University College School of Art, asking students to send in sketches of designs for decorating certain areas of the city through which the Queen will pass. Mr Lamb said that, if they endorsed the proposal, the students could com 3 municate with members of the subcommittee on street decorations, to obtain an idea of what was needed. He would ask the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects at its meeting tomorrow to submit ideas and designs, Mr Lamb said. He asked the committee to procure sectional plans of the city to help the architects in drawing designs. All ideas for designs should be submitted to the committee by August 20, so that flowers could be grown in time, Mr Lamb said. Films of floral decorations in South Africa for the Royal tour of 1947 and floral decorations in the Netherlands will be viewed by the decorations committee next week. Representatives of the School of Art, architects, and members of the Horticultural Society will also be invited to see the films. A suggestion by a resident of North parade, that certain streets be lined with flowers growing in uniform boxes, will be considered by Mr Barnett’s sub-committee at its next meeting.