Golden Wedding In Busy Retirement

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30940, 22 December 1965, Page 2

Golden Wedding In Busy Retirement

Mr and Mr* C. S. Thomas, of Christchurch will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary this evening with a small gathering of their family and close friend*. They were married on December 22, 1915 at St. Paul’s Church, Papanui, by the Rev. W. H. Orbell. Both Mr and Mrs Thomas were born in Ashburton.

For many years Mr Thomas was a leading advocate in Christchurch, for civil and criminal cases. During that period be appeared in many trials and cases which created New Zealand-wide interest He was also very active in many sports and in Scottish affairs. “I had a fantastically busy life, but through it all my wife has given me wonderful support and she is amazingly popular," Mr Thomas said yesterday. Mrs Thomas is at present recovering from an accident at her home.

Mr Thomas was junior and senior sports champion at Ashburton High School and Christ’s College, and university champion at the University of Canterbury where he studied law.

He represented New Zealand in Britain in 1914, and was president of the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletics Association from 1915 to 1939. He took a great interest in athletics in Canterbury and was the official starter for more than 20 year*. Scottish Interests In a few week* time Mr Thomas will have been president of the Canterbury Caledonian Society for 50 year*. During that time he has seen the society grow from a small body to “tiie strongest national society in New Zealand.” As founder and patron of the New Zealand Highland Pipe Bands Association. Mr Thoma* said one of the thrill*

of his life was the way pipe bands have grown in number and playing ability. He has also written a “History of the Highland Pipe Bands Association.” Canterbury Scots owe much to Mr Thomas, for he was also founder and patron of the Canterbury centre of New Zealand Pipers and Dancers’ Association and is still a patron of the national body. Trotting is another of his interests, and claims more of his time since his retirement from practice 10 years ago. In 1939 he was elected vicepresident of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, becoming president for seven years, and now the treasurer. From 1957 to 1961 he was president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference. “I was also the main instigator of the Totalisator Agency Board of which I was chairman and vice-chairman for a number of years,” Mr Thomas said. Mr Thomas is a director of several companies in Christchurch, and a life member of “innumerable? clubs and association*. “ft certainly has been a very full hfe for me, and for my wife," he said, “but my mate interests now are horticulture, maintaining something of the beauty of Christchurch. and trotting." Although Mr Thomas is best known for his criminal cases, he was also an authority on motor cases and insurance law. “In our day we worked very I bard,” Mr Thomas arid. “II: never left anytiung to chance in a esse.” Many people have! tried to persuade Mm tel write a book, and although bell

ha* often Mt tempted be considers pest cases sbouMi not be brought to the pubfc’s attention after many Mr and Mrs Thome* have two sons and two and 16 gHndeMMien.