ARTILLERY BALL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 18

ARTILLERY BALL

FIVE HUNDRED PRESENT

PROFICIENT DANCING

The Royal New Zealand Artillery, the sth Field Battery. 15th Heavy Battery, 17th Medium Battery, 19th Medium Battery, and the' Artillery Band all combined in' giving an Artillery Ball last night in St. Francis Hall. There were about 500 people present, including memers of other Services. The men in their smart' mess uniforms and their partners in pretty dance frocks created, as usual, a vivid scene in this hall, which makes a particularly suitable setting for such dances, the cream and gold walls and the scarlet draperies of the high windows repeating the predominant colours in the bunting decorations. High as the walls are the pennants hung all round reached from ceiling to floor. The balcony was draped with a huge Union Jack as a background for the badge of the Royal New Zealand Artillery displayed in the centre, and hanging amidst the overhead draperies and bunting on the stage was the badge of the New Zealand Artillery. Masses of hydrangeas helped to bedeck _the; stage, and the corridors and stairs outside the ballroom were gay with flags and flowers. In the supper-room the long tables had streamers of the regimental colours (blue and scarlet) crisscrossed on the white cloths with little mounds of fruit and bowls of Iceland poppies placed at intervals. There was an excellent orchestra and the Regimental Band played the extras. Most of the dancers seemed ot have an inexhaustible repertoire of steps which they performed with true military thoroughness, precision, and vim. Almost every girl wore either flowers or. a bandeau of brilliants or ribbon in her hair.

The ball committee included Major D. A. Carty, Major A. V. Jenkins, Captain C. S. J. Duff, Lieutenants* J. H. Dunn (treasurer), J. Redmond (secretary), Bowman, E. F. Bellman, L. Sutcliffe, J. Bennell, Drum-Major : Dixon, Sergeants Mayer, Kyle, Gapes, arid Bombardiers Baigent and Griffiths.

They were assisted by the following committee of ladies:—Mrs^ R. W. Fenton (who was wearing an attractive frock of powder blue georgette, with scarlet trimmings), Mrs. R. S. Park (white and gold lame), Mrs. F. Symon (wallflower ring velvet), Mrs. G. Lyon (navy blue soft satin with silver and floral design), Mrs. W. G. Stevens (lettuce green moire taffeta), Mrs. A. V. Jenkins (powder blue taffeta), Mrs, W. F. Shirer (two-toned green embossed crepe), Mrs. G. H. Clifton (black satin and white flowers), Mrs. C. J. Duff (black satin with diamante shoulder trimming), Mrs. A. M. Pilcher (black lace), Mrs. E. R. Morgan (black lace and velvet, with red roses), Mrs. W. A. Partbn (lemon lace and silk net), Miss Joyce Thomas (sky blue taffeta), and Miss Rita Luxford (turquoise blue georgette). Those present included Colonel F. Symon, Lieut.-Colonel R. W. Fenton, Colonel I. T. Standish and Miss Standish, Lieut-Colonel G. Lyon,' Lieut.Colonel R. S. McQuarrie and Mrs. Me-1 Quarrie, Lieut.-Cpmmander G. D. Lid-! gett, R.N., and Mrs. Lidgett, Lieut-j Commander J. S. Head, R.N., and Mrs. Head, Wing-Commander and Mrs. Cochrane,, Major C. Beach and Mrs. Beach, Major D. A. Carty, Major A. V. Jenkins, Major G. Cowie and Mrs. Cowie, Major Stevens, Major Pearce and Mrs. Pearce, Major G. N. Taylor, Major R. S. Park, Lieut^Colonel S. Montgomery Spencer and Mrs. Spencer. Major Mantell-Harding and Mrs. Man-tell-Harding, Captain Williamson, Squadron-Leader A. Nevill and Mrs. NevilV Captain Duff, Captain and Mrs. H. G. Flux, Lieut. J. Scotland and Mrs. Scotland, Sub-Lieut. King, R.N.V.R., Paymaster-Lieut. G. Norman and Mrs. Norman, and Lieutenants Dunn, Sutcliffe, Thodey, Fitzgerald, Redmond, and Thomas.