GAY ILLUMINATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 54, 5 March 1927, Page 10

GAY ILLUMINATIONS

BUILDINGS IN BRICKT CLOTHES STREETS FESTOONED WITH COLOUR tin. each occasion of jubilation or of welcome to visitors of renown a little more and a little more is added to the city's scheme of night decorations, and this time Wellington has done very well indeed. There was a time when illuminations wer.e not exactly popular with the city authorities, for the city had no electric power to spare, but now a few hundred thousand more candle power can be worked in quite comfortably.

The streets are this time better lighted than they were ever before, and possibly—-though it is perhaps a fond hope—the City Council will be so proud of what it has been able to do in the way of better lighting that it ■will determine upon some all-round improvement all the time.

Lambton qua}', Willis, Manners and Cuba streets, Courtenay place, and Kent terrace, are strung across with coloured lights, at rather long intervals, however. Kent terrace nas i.n addition flood lighting, borrowed from the Basin Reserve, and is a really well lit thoroughfare, and moreover, a decidedly good looking thoroughfare, with the brilliant light showing up the new lawns, as green as green may be, and summer flowers all in bloom, though they were planted out less than a week ago.

Kent terrace is the. best of the council's decorations, and it has the big advantage in -that it is a permanent decoration. There may be differences of opinion about those rather lonely cabbage trees, but there is not much doubt of the general warm appreciation of the w.ork done.

The Town Hall is a brilliant show indeed, with hundreds of coloured lights outlining its Cuba street front. It is not quite so bright as day, which is the enthusiastic description of illuminations, but it is a fine show. notwithstanding.

The "Evening Post" building is also. very bright, with its messagt of "Loyal Greetings," a flashing Union Jack, and flags and scrolls of lights.

Further down the city are the Government Buildings, decorated in much the same style, with outline and stream'ez lights and.flags, as when the Prince of Wales was here, with, above all, the Koyal coat of arms, in blazing golden globes. The tower of the soul hern wing of Parliament Buildings is again outlined in colour, but the main building is not this time illuminated. From the Parliament Building grounds both Government decorations may be seen admirably, and, further away, the tower of the Dominion Farmers' Building, lit up -with five hundred white lights, is remarkably effective in its brilliance.

Many of the mid-city private buildings are also'illuminated, and special lighting displays are made at most of the theatres and show houses. It is understood that most of the shops will remain lighted to-night to add to the general effect.