LABOUR DAY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 101, 26 October 1925, Page 8

LABOUR DAY

HOLIDAY IN DULL WEATHER

RACES, SPORTS, AND PICNICS.

A perfect morning dawned to-day, promising a repetition of the ideal summer weather of yesterday. The sky was later lightly overcast,' but occasional sprinklings could not mar the pleasure of Wellington on its most popular holiday, and all resorts and sports fixtures attracted large crowds. The first away were the many motoring picnics to Wainui-o-mata, the beauty spots of the Hutt Valley, and the beaches along the West" Coast from I'italu Bay to l'aekakariki, while nil the bays were well peopled. The Eastbourne ferry service was well patronised by picnickers, and Day's Bay mid ■Murita\, to which a special service was run, attracted large crowds. The Murilai and Cobar had conveyed 3000 people by midday. While the motorists were earliest afield, tho day for most people meant Trentham. From 10 a.m. onwards the Hutt road was a continuous stream of traffic, the various bus services .helping to transport portion oE the unsually large racing crowd. That the meeting was attended by a record crowd was shown in the fact that, despite the added motor facilities, the railways handled fully as large a number of people as in previous years. Up till noon over 8000 people were 'taken from Lambton, nearly all for Trentham, though a number of picnic parties were included. Nearly 400 peopll booked from Thorndon to stations up to Johnsonville, and nearly 600 to coastal stations as far as Paekakariki.

An open tournament at Ranui attracted a large entry of golfers, and the links of all other clubs were well filled

The natural amphitheatre of Newtown Park was peopled by a number of families, whose interest centred on the contests for the challenge cups amongst primary and secondary school pupils, and the lino sports programme, iirranged under tho auspices of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Association. In addition to the interesting major events, there were.many attractions for children, and the Caledonian Society's Pipe Band provided music for dancing and other competitions.