NEW YEAR WELCOME

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30948, 3 January 1966, Page 8

NEW YEAR WELCOME

City And Port Crowds A cheerful crowd of several hundred people gathered in Cathedral square on New Year’s Eve to welcome in 1966. . , J Their cheers mingled with the pealing of the bells of Christchurch Cathedral—plus a more strident contribution from a fire-engine—in the customary good-humoured celebration. Lyttelton residents saw the old year out and the new year in in their traditional manner, said Sergeant G. B. Riach, of the Lyttelton police. A crowd of several hundred gathered at the London streetOxford street intersection. It was good-natured. Sergeant Riach said he had seen no incidents of bottles being thrown to the ground. A few were broken, but the glass was picked up and most of the empty bottles had been left in the gutters by the people who had brought them. They were picked up by volunteers shortly after the crowd had left. Three cars had attempted to drive through the crowd. Two of them belonged to hooligans and they had almost knocked over several persons. The crowd had shown its displeasure by bringing their open palms down on the hoods of the cars, but no damage was done. The police had cleared a way through the crowd for the third car. It was difficult to see everything that was happening, but he thought those taking part in the celebrations were better behaved than in previous years, Sergeant Riach said.