Breathtaking Scene At Picton

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30056, 14 February 1963, Page 14

Breathtaking Scene At Picton

(From Our Own Reporter) PICTON, Feb. 13. The Queen arrived at Picton late this afternoon to find the whole district smiling at her. She- walked down a short ramp through into the sound shell and there they were—thousands of smiling, cheering faces lining the foreshore. The background was so impressive that the horde of photographers urgently moved the officials aside so that they could photograph it over the heads of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Renowned for its postcard loveliness, Picton had enhanced its natural beauty wwth a tremendous display of launches, yachts, outboards. water-skiers and every kind of small craft. The Royal couple watched with interest, and the crowd watched the Royal couple.

Towering over the scene were the Britannia waiting to take the visitors away, and her escort, H.M.N.Z.S. Otago.

After only a few minutes’ stay, the Queen began to walk the Short distance through the dense crowd to the kittle jetty where the Royal barge was waiting.

It was a most enthusiastic throng, cheering and waving, and someone calling out “God Mess you” again and again.

People pushed photographers out of the way to crowd close around the Queen and the Duke, and as they walked off the foreshore lawn down to the jetty, people jumped fences and climbed the official camera stand to get better views.

As the Queen and the Duke wetted through ranks of children, hundreds watched and waved from the balconies of Ptoton’s waterside hotels and cates. The Duke stopped frequently to chat with children at the jetty, earning the vocal approval of dozens of mothers. “He always does

that,'* said one woman knowledgeably. On the jetty too, the ceremony was brief. The Queen received a bouquet, Mr A. E. Greig. Mayor of Picton, said goodbye and she stepped into the barge after the. Duke.

An enthusiastic cheer went up as the sailors pushed off from the jetty and toe barge aped away. Little boats escorted toe barge to the Britannia’s ladder, and then the people waited for the yacht to prepare to leave harbour. When she did a quarter-hour later the whole bay came to life. Cameras whirred and clicked as their owners were fearful of missing anything as toe Britannia sailed majestically down toe harbour in toe Otago’s wake with a flotilla at tiny craft yapping at her heels.

Picton’« only oomptaint was that toe Royal visit there was all too abort. The Queen was there no more than 15 minutes from the time she stepped out ot her car to toe moment when toe boarded toe barge.