HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 18

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

LARGE RAILWAY BALL

OLD-WORLD SCENE-

(From "The Post's" Representative J

Colour and animation were the keynotes of the tenth annual ball held by the Hutt Railway Workshops last night in the large ballroom of the social hall at Randwick. Colour and lights were everywhere; cascades of crinkled streamers in amber, emerald, and cyclajmen falling to shade the big central (lights, twinkling fairy lamps of red, white, and blue alternating with pasteltinted Chinese lanterns to scintillate again from shining mirror-balls hung at intervals from the dark lycopodiumtwined beams overhead, and pretty frocks of every hue and style billowing and swinging over the polished ■floor below. In the centre of.the hall 'three huge canopies of amber and j emerald streamers formed the focal ! point of the decorative scheme, and, I marking the perimeter, rainbow lamps ; shone from standards set half-way up Ithe creeper-hung walls. Even the i orchestral setting was a colourful one, • with a back-scene depicting an oldi world cottage garden of bright her[baceous borders and bounded in front by a mellow-tinted. w:all of creamy "stone" hung with clusters of mauve wisteria. VAUXHALL GARDEN SCENE. With the lowering of the .central lights dancing spots of colour from the mirror balls swept the dim hall to lend a carnival effect, which, taken in conjunction with the bouffant taffetas, picturesque Victorian gowns, and piledup curls worn by the majority of the dancers, irresistibly called to mind pictures and descriptions of London's ■] Vauxhall Gardens of more than a century ago. Picture frocks of old-world grace were worn with clusters- of matching flowers in the hair; tiny black velvet throat bands and snoods to tone enhanced the effect and there were moments when one might have stepped back a hundred years to late Georgian days. •'.,.'-'- .. ' ' ' , . " Supper was'laid in the'old social hall some fifty yards away, the long tables being daintily decorated with cream and gold Iceland poppies and with birch foliage arranged in tall silver epergnes. Several sittings were necessary to; accommodate the four hundred guests. , THE OFFICIAL PARTY. The many guests present by special invitation were received by the president of the social committee and works manager, Mr. W. D. Burton, and Mrs. Burton, who was wearing a handsome gown of black cloque with a corsage spray of violets. Mr. and Mrs. Burton were assisted by the chairman, Mr. C. Strong, and Mrs. Strong (who wore black novelty crepe patterned in a floral design), the secretary, Mr. F. B. Topham, and Mrs. Topham (corn-flo-werblue georgette), and the treasurer, Mf. F. G. E. Parr, and Mrs. Parr (peacock blue satin threaded with silver). The official party included Mr. J. B. Cotterill, M.P., and Mrs. Cotterill, Mr. and Mrs. E. Casey (black and silver lame with silver jacket), Mr. and Mrs. J. McKeowen (rust satin and tunic embroidered with silver), Mr. and Mrs. W. McEvoy . (black taffeta with Romany striped coatee), Mr. and Mrs. J. Graham. Mr. and Mrs. T. Woodrow (midnight blue floral brocade), Mr. and Mrs. J. Fletcher (black and silver taffeta), Mr. and Mrs. J: Hislop, Mr. and Mrs. Hooker. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. -Leopard (prunella. •-•velvet), .;,Mr jandy Mrs. M. Colquhoun (gold taffeta), Mi\: and Mrs. A. Binning (old gold satirf), |Mr. and Mrs. J. Campbell (navy taffeta shot with cerise), bMr. and Mrs. Wickstrom (black georgette), Miss McEvoy (white net), and Miss Nancy Burton (turquoise georgette banded with matching velvet). The social committee comprised Mr. and Mrs. T. Woodrow, Mr. and Mrs. M. Colquhoun, Mr. and Mrs. J. McKeowen, Mr.'; and Mrs. H: Todd (the latter in white satiij), Mr. and Mrs. E. Marshall (Paiou pink lace), Mr. and Mrs. H. Chappell (black georgette), Mr. and Mrs. C. O'Shea, Mr. and Mrs. T. Watson, Mrs. T. Lennie (green and silver satin). Mr. and Mrs. R. Horwell(wine velvet),-Mr. and Mrs. J. Robinson (black georgette). Miss Bryant (reseda greeflt glace), and Messrs. J. Matthews. M. Parrant, and.A^. Cleverley, The masters of ceremonies were Messrs. W. Smith and I. Thompson. j