LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28728, 28 October 1958, Page 12

LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY

Fine Weather But High Wind A blustering north-east wind, which reached a maximum force of 48 miles an hour at 1.30 p.m., spoiled Labour Day for thousands because of the dust, but it was accepted in good part because, otherwise, there was good weather. There were few who cancelled holiday outings or shortened the long week-end away from home. The day was fine and warm, and it was pleasant out of doors so long as there was shelter. But at the beaches, lashing sand drove most people to the leeward side of the sandhills; the beds of the Waimakariri and other rivers swirled with dust and drove ’ would-be fishermen (the water was dirty) and picnic parties well back into the shelter of the willows; and even the traditional home chores were affected. Gardeners watched young plants being buffeted and hastily set about staking perennial flowers, broad beans, and green peas and stringing climbing beans and sweet peas. In most cases this averted serious damage, and the owners relaxed last evening content at having finished jobs which might otherwise have waited until later in the season. Home painters were probably more disgusted with the wind than anyone else in the city. The dust was bad enough to ruin the surface of new work and there was a new hazard. High winds are not common at Labour Day week-end. and this year the north-easterly swept clouds of petals from blossom trees to stick them firmly on newly-painted houses. However, apart from these handicaps of the wind, most people enjoyed the holiday. After the hottest temperature of the season (79.6 degrees) on Sunday, a maximum of about 65 degrees was recorded between 11 a.m. and noon yesterday. Although the sky was lightly overcast, the day was bright throughout and summer clothes received their first major airing. Those who spent the week-end out of doors got a good start with their summer sun tan without blisterThe variety of conferences held in Christchurch over the weekend suffered no alterations in their programmes, and the major public attractions —races at Rangiora, sports at Southbridge, representative cricket at Hagley Park, provincial golf championships at Waitikiri, and motorcycling at Clarkville—all drew big attendances. By late afternoon the wind had dropped, the sky had cleared, and the earlier gusts had been forgotten. A brief sun shower at 5.15 p.m. caught big crowds waiting for buses home, but it did not last long enough to wet anyone seriously.