Festival Display By Townswomen’s Guilds

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 2

Festival Display By Townswomen’s Guilds

The theme of the Christchurch Festival, “Do a little and do it well,” was well demonstrated at the Christchurch Area Federation of Townswomen’s Guilds’ combined arts display at the Caledonian Hall yesterday. More than 800 entries in the exhibition’s four sections —handcraft, cooking, table decoration and floral—were divided into 55 separate classes, several of them new. Officially opened by the chairman of the Christchurch Festival Association (Sir James Hay) the exhibition was attended by several hundred persons throughout the afternoon-

Sir James Hay outlined the origin and purpose of the present festival, which had resulted in a "wonderful response” from the people of Christchurch. The success of the venture had been largely dependent on the goodwill of the general public. "By marshalling all the resources of the various local organisations into some sort of coherent body, the Festival Association aims to show the variety of cultural activities in our midst. “But we don’t advertise our city enough,” he said. “I would like to express the hope that this festival will be a permanent feature in Christchurch —an event which could help tell the people of the world what we have in this city.” Included in the official party were the federation’s Dominion president (Mrs E. McKay, of Greymouth), the Dominion secretary (Mrs R. H. Smith); the Christchurch federation president (Mrs F. Pheloung) and Lady Hay. Particularly noticeable among the variety of exhibits were some of the floral and decorated table entries. The latter, a table set for one person to commemorate a Twenty-first birthday, featured some elegant arrangements of ftuit, sweets, glass and silverware.

Perhaps the most striking exhibit in the floral sections was one labelled “Unusual Container.” Some surprisingly artistic results were achieved by the use of such odd containers as an old garden tap, some stuffed gardening gloves, a cartridge case, a cow horn, an animal bone and a fresh apple. Also of interest was the food sectioh containing a wide variety of kitchen fare, including a class for a child’s school lunch. In the handcraft section; the several intricate tapestry entries included some bold landscape scenes in addition to the more customary floral exhibits. Also of interest were the few colourful entries in the wool hearth rug class. Winners of the various sections were.— Floral, Mrs P. Galbraith; cooking Mrs W. McDowaJj; decorated tables, Upper Ricca rton Guild: handcraft section, Mrs M. Ryde; fancy dress. Shirley Guild; millinery, Mrs B. Henderson; dress, Mrs M, Coppard; aprons, Mrs B. Marks. Most points. Mrs W. McDowall. Guild with the most points. Upper Riccarton Guild. Judges were Miss E. Neville (fancy dress); Mrs C. Bowden (millinery), Mrs A. Cardw’ell (aprons and dresses); Miss P. Rosenberg (decorated tables); Mrs M. Lyons (handcraft): Miss E. Couston and Miss M. McCrostie (cooking and preserves); Mrs R. Elcock (floral).

The compere for the evening section of the festival was Mrs A Pablecheque.