Garden Party In Drizzle

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30058, 16 February 1963, Page 12

Garden Party In Drizzle

(N.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, Feb. 15. Guests at the Royal garden party at Dunedin today, defied mud and drizzle to wait two hours for the Queen. Spiked heels sank up to two inches in the rain-soaked lawn in the Botanical Gardens. Umbrellas tangled in the big crowd of more than 4000.

The Queen did not carry an umbrella, but the Duke of Edinburgh put on a trenchcoat almost as soon as he arrived. They shook hands with

hundreds of persons as they walked a quarter of a mile between the long lines of assembled guests. The Mayor (Mr T. K. S. Sidey) presented members of the Dunedin City Council as the function began, then escorted the Royal couple through the crowd. The Duke looked at the line of guests, then asked: “Well now, where do we start?”

He spotted an Outward Bound badge on the lapel of Robert Strong, of Mosgiel, and began an animated discussion on Anakiwa. He told a former All Black, Mr K. A. Nelson, who is now a dentist: "Fancy having your teeth pulled by an All Black.”

The Duke demanded to know from the vice-president of Federated Fruitgrowers (Mr J. Haiinsworth) why New Zealanders ate so much canned fruit.

Mr Hainsworth pointed out that there was fresh fruit in the Duke’s own hotel room.

“But I eat fruit with my meals, not in bed,” the Duke retorted.

A North Otago farmer who met the Duke briefly said: “I’d reckon he’d be good to talk to. I’d like to take him up to my farm and show him over it."

Looking at long lines of umbrellas the Duke asked: “Is it always like this in Dunedin?"

“They’re not umbrellas. They’re sunshades,” a guest replied. The Queen had her longest conversation with Dunedin’s festival queen, Miss Anne Middleditch. Earlier, thousands of children gave the Queen a tremendous reception on the twomile drive to the gardens