HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 70, 20 September 1939, Page 14

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

T.W.G. "MEMBERS' DAY"

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

"Members' Day" yesterday afternoon at the Lower Hutt branch of the Dominion Federation of Townswomen's Guilds was a delightful mingling of old and new, an old-world atmosphere being featured in the first half of the programme in a series of Georgian and Victorian entertainments, and the modern world of today represented in the second half by a racy travelogue talk given by Mrs. W. Huse, a recentlyreturned delegate from the Associated Countrywomen of the World Conference in London. Chairman, officers of the guild, andj committee were '"on holiday" for the occasion, the programme and all the arrangements being taken over by a special -'members' day" committee of eleven under the leadership of Mrs. W. Neas. The big recreation hall of the R.S.A. clubrooms was filled to capacity and looked most attractive with floral decorations of ruby-tinted camelias and japonica blossom artistically arranged in graceful stands and bowls. TURN BACK THE CLOCK. In keeping with the nineteenth-cen-tury character of the early part of the programme a most intriguing display of ''curios from grandmother's day" was on view, the exhibits including exquisitely embroidered christening robes which were miracles of fine needle and lacework, chased vinaigrettes, old coins of obsolete pattern such as groats and silver crown-pieces, Georgian spoons, snuff-boxes, and polished mahogany tea-chests, hand-woven linen, Victorian smoking-caps, affairs of gorgeous embroidery "and intricate design, inlaid work-boxes, and, reminder of early pioneer days, a beautifully preserved aquatint of Port Nicholson and the Wellington of 1842. From this interesting prelude members settled down to enjoy the period programme, which included in; its scope a charming minuet danced in costume by Hazel Guise, an appropriate solo item by Mrs. M. Tunley, entitled "To a Miniature," a parade of authentic Victorian frocking displayed by Mesdames Jl Harrington, A. R. Brooker, R. A. Widdicomb, J. Darnell, and T. King, and a play-reading of the "nineties" given by members of the drama circle. i Incidental music and accompaniments were played by Mrs. G. Tanner. THE MARCH OF TIME. With the tea interval the hands of the clock turned to present-day affairs, a vivid description of a dozen different lands' being contributed by Mrs. Huse in the form of "travel cameos." Some New Zealand delegates to the conference she said travelled to England by Panama and others by Suez, but whichever way they went they were accompanied by an atmosphere of tension in national and international affairs. It was scarcely noticeable in Australia, the remote Cocos Islands of the Indian Ocean or Ceylon, but became more apparent in ,Cairo, deepened in Naples, which was full of every kind of naval, military, and aircraft activity, and was forcibly brought home by the grim '-'submarine nets" enclosing Toulon Harbour, the Mediterranean naval base of the French, and by the silent vigil kept at Gibraltar where a large portion of the British Fleet was-in port. IMPRESSIONS AND REFLECTIONS. In contrast to the general air of foreboding the lighter side of life tfevealed by the speaker in those personal flashes of insight which make travel an adventure for everyone stood out sharply. In Cairo, she said, "the heat was just yellow"; in the casinos of Villefranche and the Riviera the only calm and composed people appeared to be the croupiers, and wherever she went on the Continent the best-dressed men were always the waiters! Evening dress was seldom worn abroad by men or women except for formal functions, and even at Ascot most of the frocks were short. First impressions of London were similar to those of many New Zealanders, "just one of an enormous antheap of 9,000,000," in which "it is always so far and it takes so long to get anywhere, even by tube." But the New Zealand contingent who were all staying together in a venerable West End hotel did effect one improvement, for, before they left, a complete service of electric irons was installed at their instigation, and henceforth there will be at least one hotel in London where women can press their frocks in peace. Visits to the wonderful old halls of the City Companies for lunches and dinners, invitations to "Cliveden," Lady Astor's country home, to Eton, Windsor, and many lovely spots were enjoyed by the delegates, and they were also fortunate in witnessing the farewell drive of the King and Queen on their departure to Canada. "We have no idea in New Zealand what real crowds are like," said Mrs. Huse in describing their enormous extent and orderly conduct, but no matter how long the wait there was always something to relieve the monotony—the sight of the chief of police "looking like a brigadier-general" on his magnificent mount as he rode ahead to see that all was well, or even the neatly-uniformed crossing sweepers arrayed in dark tunics "with slouch hats turned up at the side like an Australian so-ldier's." UNBOUNDED HOSPITALITY. Everywhere they went, in England, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, or France, the contingent was met and looked after by members of the Associated Countrywomen of the World, and they saw so much and gained so many new impressions that it was impossible to compress them all into a single talk. "And in spite af everything I am glad to be back home," concluded Mrs. Huse. A warm vote of thanks to the speaker] was proposed by the acting chairman and enthusiastically carried, and charming floral tributes were also presented to Mrs. Huse and to the guild chairman, Mrs. C. Mo-ran, and secretary, Mrs. N. Benstead.