SEATS FOR ELDERLY

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30028, 12 January 1963, Page 13

SEATS FOR ELDERLY

Royal Drive To Park

“Only a few persons have so far. applied for the seating in Bealey avenue,” said Cr. H. P. Smith, chairman of the civic reception committee for the Royal visit in February. Hie committee hopes to hear from all elderly or disabled persons who want seats on the route of the Queen’s drive from the Christchurch airport to Lancaster Park on February 16.

“We expect to be able to provide seats for all the aged persons who want them," said Cr. Smith, “but we must have some idea of how many chairs will be needed.” The committee can produce about 3000 chairs from the City Council’s own resources and could probably borrow many more, if needed, from other organisations.

On her 40-minute drive into the city the Queen will be in an open car if the day is fine, and along some six stretches, including Bealey avenue, her car will slow to six miles an hour so that she can be seen by concentrations of citizens.

The programme demands that she must travel much faster than that over the rest of the route along Memorial avenue, Fendalton road and Fitzgerald avenue to the park.

If necessary, the committee will set out another special area in the shade of trees for older persons. It has decided that the park welcome is not a suitable place to accommodate and shift elderly or infirm people. But in Bealey avenue they need walk from cars only a few yards to their seats and there will be ample parking space. An area will be reserved for wheel chairs.

Persons wanting tickets for these seats should write to the Town Clerk with their name, address and age. The seats will not be limited to citizens in the Christchurch city area and Cr. Smith said yesterday that the staff dealing with applications had been instructed to take a generous and liberal view. Park Reception

Nor is the park reception limited only to Christchurch citizens. Most of the park will be occupied by school children though there will be room for 35,000 adults on the embankment. About 1000 invitations will go out to special guests soon. These will be in the new Number 2 stand and come from all over Canterbury and Westland. Local authority representatives will be there and also persons whom they have been asked to nominate. People who attend the Lancaster Park welcome will see the Queen make three circuits of the park: one and a half circuits on both entering and leaving. She will change from a car to an open utility vehicle for this drive.