QUEEN TO BE ELECTED AS PRELIMINARY TO FESTIVAL

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29734, 30 January 1962, Page 20

QUEEN TO BE ELECTED AS PRELIMINARY TO FESTIVAL

A festival queen will be elected as a preliminary to the Christchurch festival which will be held from February 23 to March 10. It was hoped that the festival queen would not only go to Australia, a trip there being the first prize, but would also tour the main towns of the South Island, said Sir James Hay, chairman of the Christchurch Festival Association, at a meeting yesterday. The prize for the winner of the festival queen contest would be a free 10-day holiday at Surfers’ Paradise and a complete travelling wardrobe. The contest was sponsored by the association in conjunction with Qantas, Ansett AJJA. and the Chevron Hotel Corporation. Three hundred invitations had been sent out and it was disappointing that there were so few at the meeting. It was thought that people would be interested in the festival, said Sir James Hay.

A festival was now running in Dunedin and that city would be en fete. The festival would give a great stimulus to cultural and other features of the city life and to business too.

In Auckland for some years past they had developed the idea of a festival and it spread over six weeks. These festivals were a recognised

part of the life of progressive cities throughout the world and they received strong support from all sections of the community. The Christchurch festival had the full support of the City Council. Its principal objects were to give a stimulus to the business and other activities of the city and to attract people by giving publicity to the rich resources the city possessed. Full marks must go to the Christchurch Junior Chamber for developing the beginnings of a festival by capitalising on the floral festival, said Sir James Hay. He then spoke of the proposal to have a festival queen. Mr T. Kincaid said the idea of a festival queen was devised to give advance publicity for the festival. “We are not looking for a bathing beauty,” he said. One stage of the judging would be done on February 12 and February 13 by principals of the “My Fair Lady” company. The final eight girls would appear at a quiz show in the Civic Theatre on February 16 This would be the largest show of its kind to be held in Christchurch and the prizes would amount to about £2OOO.

“It is important that this festival queen contest be as widely known as possible,” said Mr Kincaid. “There will

be a great street parade and a gala at the Addington Show Groun s on February 24.” The convener of the Festival Parade Committee, Mr J. L Drummond, said that by introducing an actual theme into the parade they would help those who were entering floats and wanted a starting point The theme will be “Ballads, Old and New.” On the route from Rolleston avenue to the show grounds areas would be reserved for elderly folk, hospital patients and children.

Mr Drummond, with chalk and blackboard, drew ideas for constructing a float. They would be experimenting this year with decorating commercial vehicles. “We might have a commercial section this year. The firms could provide trucks and drivers,” said Sir James Hay. “We will make an allout appeal for the people of Christchurch to provide the flowers. On the Friday before the parade we hope thousands and thousands of blooms will pour into King Edward barracks to decorate these floats.”

On the same day as the gala and parade the highland bands’ contest would begin. On the Sunday the bands had a great occasion in Lancaster Park. All the churches had been asked to co-oper-ate by making a special feature of the flowers in the churches on February 25 and to remain open for two or three days afterwards.

The festival programme embraced the arts in various ways. Hay’s painting competition would come into that period. There would be a notable exhibition of old ships. The Repertory Society, local choirs and musical societies and the National Orchestra would be taking part. There would be special athletic events. Generally the whole city would feel the impact of the festival. The Cathedral bells would be rung on the Friday night and there would be bands in the Square. For some months the retailers had been arranging to give special displays, said Sir James Hay.

A short film of the Hastings Blossom Festival was shown by the Canterbury Public Relations Officer (Mr E. G. Beckett).