ADDITIONS TO HALL

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 25, 31 March 1939, Page 5

ADDITIONS TO HALL

BAZAAR HALL DOYLESTON

SUCESSFUL VENTURE

YESTERDAY

When, several months .ago, the Doyleston Hall Committee announced a scheme of necessary alterations and enlargements to the hall, to make it adequate for the increasing number of organisations which required its use, residents over a wide district got together behind the effort to raise funds for this purpose. The final stages of their labours was reached yesterday, when a bazaar and sale of work was opened in the hall in the afternoon and was continued in the evening. The attendance was large at both sessions and financially the result is expected to provide a very satisfactory sum for the objective in view. Three stalls were set up in the main hall, with ample space for side shows. Each one was gaily decorated and well arranged, and all were well laden with goods for sale. A feature of the bazaar was the generous support given, as indicated by the many donations of valuable prizes for competitions. In the hall, the Doyleston Women's Institute had charge of the home produce stall, members of the cricket and hockey clubs were responsible for the plain and fancy stall, also for the bran tub, while the Druids had charge of the sweets, also the refreshment rooms. In the front of the supper room was placed a large quantity of wheat and other grain, which should provide a substantial addition to the funds. The work of canvassing and collection had been done by members of the hall committee. The Bazaar Opened At the opening ceremony in the afternoon, the chairman of the bazaar committee, Mr A. Quigley, Jnr., presided. A spray of flowers was presented to Mrs Quigley, who made a presentation of a spray to Mr A. N. Grigg, M.P., on behalf of Mrs Grigg, who was unable to be present. Mr Quigley said that this was a red-letter day for Doyleston, for, he believed, there had not been a similar function held in the hall for the past eighteen years. He reada,telegram from Mr W. O. Rennie wishing the effort every success. Mr Quigley expressed the pleasure of the committee at the presence of Mr Grigg and of Mr J. Heslop, chairman of the Ellesmere County Council. Mr J. R. Godsell, chairman of the Hall Committee, remarked that Doyleston was fortunate in having a visit from Mr Grigg, who represented a large electorate and had many such calls on his time. The speaker went on to explain the objective of the bazaar, which was to provide funds for putting the hall into proper condition and making the required additions. While the building, either inside or out, was not what many would like it to be, it was essential to make repairs to keep it in order for some years to come. It served for the social activities of a large district, but during the last few years had not been large enough to cater adequately for the purposes for which it was required. The hall was a distinct asset to the district and the hall com-

mittee hoped that sufficient funds would be raised to do the necessary alterations and additions; if not, it would continue to work for that objective. It had received splendid support, not only from the people of the Doyleston district, but from a much larger area and he wished to publicly acknowledge the support given by gifts of grain and other goods for the bazaar.

Mr J. Heslop, chairman of the Ellesmere County Council, remarked that Doyleston was the only town within the county—Leeston and Southbridge were separate town districts and only part of Dunsandel was within the county boundary. Doyleston people were always noted for pulling together on any effort required for the benefit of the district.

Mr A. N. Grigg, M.P., in declaring the bazaar open, said that he was very pleased.to be able to visit that portion of his electorate and he sometimes felt that he did not spend as much time as he should on this side of the river Therefore, he was glad of the present opportunity, also of the one to visit Leeston on April

21. To indicate the calls made on his time, Mr Grigg remarked that during the last nine months he had travelled 17,000 miles in his car, so he was not spending much time at home. He congratulated Doyleston on the effort it was making to look after its hall. It showeS that there was a fine spirit in the district and that the people were determined to keep the hall, which had come down from the past generations, in good repair. He had no doubt that when the time came for replacing the building the necessary funds would be forthcoming. Throughout the district he had noted' that the residents took a great pride in it. The district was fortunate in this respect and this arose from the fact that a great many of he residents in Ellesmere were descendants of the pioneer settlers. They took just pride in their district and there were less changes of ownership of farms here than in many other parts of Canterbury. The district was all the better for it. This spirit of independence and enterprise was all to the good, for there was a tendency in some parts of the country to lean too much on the Government. While in many respects some requests to the Government were justified, there were many others where a spirit of independence would be much better. He congratulated Doyleston upon making this effort and standing on its own feet and he hoped it would continue to carry on in that way. He also congratulated the bazaar committee on the thoroughness ■of its preparations and wished the effort every success. He then declared the bazaar open.