HUTT VALLEY NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 99, 24 October 1939, Page 12

HUTT VALLEY NEWS

LABOUR DAY BALL

(From "The Post's" Representative.) A real holiday spirit was in the air last night at the large Horticultural Hall, Lower Hutt, where the annual ball of the Moera branch of the New Zealand Labour Party was in progress. Despite several other holiday attractions in the district the attendance numbered over three hundred and towards midnight many people arrived from other functions to round off the evening's festivities. The hall was simply but effectively decorated for the occasion with a lattice design carried out in twisted scarlet streamers —the colour of the Labour Party—and the same scheme was repeated along the tables in the supper-room,- where tawny-coloured wallflowers, orange poppies, and sul-phur-tinted irises made a brilliant scene. The bold outline of white arum lilies stood out in striking effect along the forefront of the stage and below a space was reserved for members of the official party. iThe guests of honour were the Hon. Walter Nash and Mrs. Nash, and the party also included. Mr. J. H. Dunn (president of the branch) and Mrs. Dunn, Mr. M. Moohan (national secretary), Mr. P. Dowse (president of the Epuni-Wai whetu branch) and Mrs. Dowse. The ball committee comprised Mr. A. E. Sergent (chairman) and Mrs. Sergent, Mr. A. Douglas (secretary) and Mrs. Douglas, Mr. and Mrs. H. Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. J. Mcintosh, Mr. and Mrs. W. Nicholls, Mesdames E. Benson, R. Rankin, M. Lochore, and N. Parker, Messrs. A. Suckroo, C. Suckroo, L. Turner, S. Jones, W. Hall, J. Gjerson, and M. Hogwood, Messrs. Douglas and Mcintosh were masters of ceremonies. All Hallowe'en Ball. Although "All Hallowe'en Day" does not fall due for another ten days the witching festival was celebrated with great success last night in a Hallow'een ball, organised by members of the St. James's Senior Girls' Bible Class in St. James's Hall, Lower Hutt. Welcomed at the entrance by three clammyhanded witches complete with traditional costume and broomsticks, the guests passed into the long hall where lines of black cat streamers swung from side to side in vivid contrast to alternating orange streamers depicting merry-faced pumpkins. At the rear of the stage the word "Hallowe'en" marched across the black hangings in huge orange letters, forming a striking background for the "Rhythm Maestros," an excellent amateur dance orchestra quartet. The official guests were seated on a How platform banked with bamboo foli-i age at the further end of the liall. Thei party included the hostess, Mrs. H. E. K. Fry, Mr. and Mrs. D. Wedekind, Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Hedge, and Mr. and Mrs. E. McLean. The large number present made it necessary to arrange several relays for supper, which was served from buffet tables in the club room adjoining. The artistic setting of twisted orange and lemon streamers, amber-shaded lamps, and floral decorations of miniature jonquils and tawny poppies was the work of Mrs. A. B. Stamp, who had supervised every detail down to the matching supper-cloths and napkins and to the tiny,pumpkins and witches' hats, which announced the variety of each savoury sandwich. The helpers who assisted were Mesdames R. A. Marshall, E. C. Jones, E. Luhrs, and E. Burr. The girls' committee comprised Misses Lorna Hicks, Nancy Collins, Ruth Stamp, Norma Low, and Peggy Hanrahan. .