CLOSING A PLAYGROUND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 8

CLOSING A PLAYGROUND.

■'the skating ;season enbs. ..:. There were many * people who. '.thought the world looked .'a •'little flatter than usual last night, when 'the hand■;at thei. Skating Kink played "God Save the King,', and the: last of the skaters whirled oil the. floor, knowing that their favourite pastime was at an end for a period of six-dull months. , The Olympia Eink has, been the source, of great, entertainment to a large number of people, for, in addition'to .those who loved skating, there-wore always many spectators who enjoyed watching them almost as much—and at. carnival - times Ithere'were 1 hundreds of people looking.on and enjoying the' grand marches, the fancy rinking, the ' games, and,' tho occasional , performances

of' the funny men. -• .. . v-Last. night it .was intended that the season shinld die beautifully, and so the Carnival of Flowers Vas ■ instituted. Quito a number of skaters"went, in fancy dresses .of more or less floral design, and the proceedings began with a grand march. Then the men skated beneath floral arches held by the. ladies, and, having arrived at ■ the end of .the' rink, they, supplied ,'themselves with .flowers - from , a... store heaped-together.. there. ..-They returned with" these • to. the ladies, .who were soon laden: with daffodils and violets, and then the battle of flowers The opposing parties ranged themseives on either . sido of the floor; -and, at' a ..signal, rnshed forward as though to attack oach other, but, continuing th'eir : course,, they, flew past /and flung tht flowers oyer; the railings among the spectators while,-at the'samotime, a number of toy bomb; went off with terrible sounds of disaster. Thai was the story, of the battle, of the flowers and:it : ,was.more satisfactory to the spectator! ■than ore most battles; Different items followec and, at the! end, the: following'. prizes wetf awarded:—The Misses B.- , and' A.' Barges ■(Chrysanthemum. Team); Miss Smith (Carna tion); Mr; Co'rr (Popny Show)> For the mos original costumes.:—Mr. Laing Meason (Gibso: j(3irl); Miss • A.' Fishendcn (Sack' of Potatoes] Girls' race (prize presented .' by -Mr, .Pulley, Miss B. 'Tore. The polo matoh between ladic and'gentlemen: resulted in. a draw. ~ :'■ After* these events . the floor, was. thrown open "to general skating, and those present'made tho-very most of their last opportunity.' They skated fast and furiously; aha,:as fast as the music could go,' so fast they went"." Above their .heads waved .hundreds of little' brightcoloured .flags.'•', From' .a gallery raised high at one ; 6ide •' the musicians' played ■ lively music, and down both sides of: the long hair sat the ,'on-lookers,'fascinated, as one always is, by! tho .rapid.: movement,..and the .-.•shifting..: colours.' A. good many were in fancy dTess, and more were not. Some ■ of' the., costumes were very pretty, but one had not time observe them . closelyi because they' passed like a .flash, and no; sooner had one began 'to .'notice a red : poppy "with- short-frilled i green- skirt' before she' had gone,: and .her place was taken by a golden '■■ Japanose lady withc yellow chrysanthe--mums inner hair, and-by, like lightning; came a youth':': in an--ordinary dark .cloth suit ' wroathed with ropes of tiny ;pink' rosebuds, who was fast' followed by a tattered boy an . enormous poppy 6unbonnot, and .all.the time 'plain: clothes - and ■ coloured ' frocks were .ming-: ling with ; kaleidoscopic while around them rose a dimblue haze,that made the. ; end of•the hall seisma long way off- ■'.'■ ' .The rink', is-surely the placo for. a lonely man who does not piind. being looked at. He can have such' a grand, time all by himself, ■ and so can she.-: A number of the.skaters skim • round in couples, but'quite as many: go their lonely-road in .contented.'rapidity, absorhedlifl 1 their'own'-movements," only noticing other ■'• skaters:in order"to. avoidsthem., The pace grew more rapid towards the end, and-when the music pointed out that "Wo Parted on the Shore,"-they took it as a signal for increased speed, while : at the melancholy holes of "Auld. Lan" Sync," they became .desperate, and one 'hardly thought that they would last out for the ; strains of the National Anthem.', -•• .',... :■■■'• ■•' Except/ for the 'dustiness- of.itj rinkmg; la probably as healthy an indoor- amusement; as one'could have,, and it' is.-:one that has been very (thoroughly enjoyed'by the habitues. What of them ? What stories could the - old rink tell, at' the close of the season—pleasant stories mostly perhaps, interesting ones certainly, for, .whore so many people' meet together night after 'night'-, for amusement; exercise, '. and excitement,' acquaintances must -bo formed, and then: come ..in; \ all "the distraoting idea's,, that worry. the: world outside..:.. Wherever there-is so, muchhnraan nature, there ijill be the-hun-dred complications that make human life interesting and vexations, and one realises that it is. in the power, of the management of such a-'large'; and .-'popular :rink - as' this to make 'it the-.means.6f; much innocent delight,/only .so

long as'every, care is, exercised: to- maintain strict order.- ;As far. as one; can'judge from frequent casual : visits, this'has been done at the/Ol.vmpia' Rink, and 'one hopes that .the next ..season,; which begins in .'April,- by "-the way, .will see' scores of people, ybuTi' and very young,/enjoying themselves- onco more at"the Eink. There-are: to be all' forts'of improve-, mnnts; by .that.-time—a new floor and various •other .things' that will add to the: pleasure-'of those who attend. ,-.-. ; ':. -.--,- ' : >