RESPITE FROM WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1940, Page 12

RESPITE FROM WAR

- TONIC DAY AT TRENTHAM

RACEGOERS WARM IN TWEEDS AND FURS

Perhaps it is the fact that it is the one meeting of the year that occa-| sions no about the weather in regard to the matter of the clothes that/should be worn, that makes a winter race meeting particularly pleasant, everyone (with any sense) just dresses as warmly as possible, knowing that they'll be comfortable and "in the picture" be it wet or fine. Nearly all the racegoers who thronged the course at Trentham yesterday for the first day of the Wellington Racing Club's Winter Meeting were dressed in warm tweeds and were armed with macintoshes and umbrellas. A great number also wore goloshes or waterproof bootees over their shoes and had every reason to be glad of this added protection, for although the sun shone nearly all day it was very wet underfoot, and a racecourse is no place for cold feet—physically or metaphorically!

Just at present there are crowds, of people who are unable to find any war work to do and it is possible that these feel the. strain of the times and need relaxation and a brief respite from war news as much as any. In any case, whether suffering from too much time to think or too much work to do, no one could help but benefit from a day such as those who attended yesterday's meeting experienced. The fresh air, glorious surroundings, and excitement of the races provided an absolute tonic,,and it was good to see not only civilians but also many men of our Armed Forces making the most of it. The Port Nicholson Silver Band played at intervals throughout the day and altogether it was quite a cheery meeting. Straw was thickly strewn over the lawn in front of the main totalisator and in the birdcage, but elsewhere the grass showed lush green. In fact, there was beauty everywhere—in the gorse-covered hills, the lacy, leafless branches of the English trees, and the changing colours of the: wintry sky. Towards the end of the day the setting sun turned the steel grey clouds to flaming gold and cast on the surrounding countryside a glorious rosy glow. Then as the sun went down the darkness of evening crept up ,the hills like a rising tide finally enveloping the world in a lovely, soft hazy blue. Many of the racegoers were also worth watching. Handsome fur coats, often with little fur caps or furtrimmed hats to match, were to be seen in every direction, and there were well-cut tweed suits by the score. A YELLOW WAISTCOAT. Someone remarked on how well yellow looks in a country setting. It is certainly a colour that "goes" with most tweeds. A man wearing a yellow tweed waistcoat with his tan checked tweed sports coat and grey flannels attracted everyone's attention. Mrs. Eric Riddiford, wife of the president of the Racing Club, wore a beige summer ermine three-quarter length coat over a suit of pale lime green boucle, and her small, closefitting felt hat matched her suit. In choosing to wear a suit Mrs. Riddiford foresaw the general trend of the day's fashion. Though tweeds were a popular choice worsted tailleurs were a smart variation, specially when made in black or the warmer shades of brown. On the whole women racegoers preferred the more conventional styles, one-button jackets and slimfitting skirts predominating. In some cases plain frocks were worn under matching coats; one ensemble differing in that the straight lines of the simple black frock were accentuated by a loose jacket coat of pansy purple woolly material. Hats were not extreme and were mostly •■ confined to felts and velours, but a few spring models were worn by venturesome souls who evinced faith in the weather. One such variation, of black straw, was covered all over with a white mesh veil, and another, also in black, was crowned with a bouquet of flowers. Feathers were a popular medium of livening one-colour ensembles and shot skywards from otherwise sober hats. Most were of the tip-tilted variety and were worn well forward to show neat coiffures, many women confining their hair in nets to escape the vagaries of the breeze. THE OFFICIAL LUNCHEON. The stewards' luncheon room was bedecked mainly with masses of jonquils. At the official table, which was decorated with dark red cyclamen, the president of the Racing Club, Mr. Eric Riddiford, and Mrs. Riddiford, entertained a large number of guests, including Mr. A. S. Elworthy (Christchurch), Dr. and Mrs. A. McGregor Grant (Auckland), Mr. and Mrs. G. D. Beatson (Hawke's Bay), Mr. and Mrs. W. McA. Duncan (Taihape), Mr. W. Taylor (Lahore), Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Gaisford (Hawke's Bay), Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Duncan (Hunterville), Commander and Mrs. Neame, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Glenn (Wanganui), Mr. D. E. Wanklyn (Christchurch). Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Currie (Wanganui), Mr. and Mrs. W. Howard Booth (Carterton), Mr. and Mrs. James Bull and Miss Scott (Hunterville), Mr. and Mrs. Russell Grace (Wanganui>. Mr. W. S. Spence (secretary of the Auckland Racing Club), and Mrs. Spence.

Seats were reserved at the Ministerial table for the Hon. D. G. and Mrs.

Sullivan, the Hon. H. T. and Mrs. Armstrong, the Hon. R. and Mrs. Semple, the Hon. W. E. and Mrs. Parry, the Hon. P. C. Webb, the Hon. F. and Mrs. Jones, the Hon. W. and Mrs. Lee Martin, the Hon. D. G. and Mrs. McMillan, the Hon. H. G. R. and Mrs. Mason. OTHERS PRESENT. Among others who attended the meeting were Mrs. H. R. H. Chalmers, Mrs. C. W. Tringham, Mrs. D. G. Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell C. Pinkerton, Mr. H. P, F. Blundell, Mr. and Mrs. HarryGreen, Mrs. C. E. Critchley, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Spears and Miss Shirley Spears, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Blundell, the Hon. Vincent Ward and Mrs. Ward, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Leicester,. Mrs. Peter Hall (Christchurch), Mrs. V. G. Webb, Mrs. W. Higgins and Miss Joy Higgins, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Crawford, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Nathan, Mrs. David Findlay, Mrs. Tom Brodie, Mrs. Howard Booth and Mrs. James Knight (Carterton), Mrs. R. O. Chesney and Miss Mary Chesney, Mrs. Goff Thorne George, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Whyte, Mrs. Frank Wall (Martinborough), Mrs. Eric Reeves, Mr. and Mrs. John Duncan, Mrs. J. Saunders, Mrs. A. B. Gib-| bons, Miss Mabel Perry, Mr. and Mrs. George Nathan, Mrs. Howard Reid, Mrs. W. H. Gaisford (Dannevirke), Mrs.

Drewitt (Timaru), Mrs. Bryan Todd, Mrs. Harold Pearce, Miss Peter Bunny, Mrs. Roy Buddo (Hawke's Bay), Mrs. J. W. Matthewson, Mr. and Mrs. Alister Williams (Masterton), Mrs. Noel Herbert, Mrs. Jock Holmes (Masterton), Mrs. G. Tringham, Miss Jean Hutchen, Captain E. Grave Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Todd (Waipukurau), Mr. and Mrs. Frank Newman (Wanganui), Mrs. W. J. Hutchinson, Mrs. Terence McLean, Mrs. Eric Nathan, Mr. R. A. Boulter, Miss Joan Gibbons, Mr. and Mrs. C. Haldane (Hastings), Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Kember, Mr. H. F. O'Leary, K.C., Mrs. Charles Nathan, Mrs. A. M. Christophers and Sergeant P. Christophers, N.Z.R.A.F., Mrs. J. P. Phillips, Mrs. R. A. Bakewell, Dr. and Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Millar, Mrs. Thaddeus McCarthy, Mrs. Bruce Rennie, Miss Mac Murray (Palmerston North), Mrs. David Allan and Miss Mary Allan, Mrs. Simpson, Miss Rita Thomson, Mrs. Warwick Blundell. Mr. and Mrs. Lyon (Woodville), Mrs. Gerald Bradshaw, Mrs. Martin Tweed, Mrs. D'Arcy (Wanganui), Mrs. Dan Webster, Mrs. Gladys Faulkner (Hastings), Mrs. Thomas, Miss Margot Peacock, Mrs. F. E. Reading, Mrs. John Tredray, Mr. and Mrs. P. O'Neill (Wanganui), Mrs. Ross, Miss Doris Bray (secretary of the Wellington Racing Club). Miss Lorna Bray, Mrs. H. Jowett, Miss Dorothy Buck, Mrs. Roy Mathews, Miss Rita Barry (Gisborne), Mr. and Mrs. Bill Harris (Onga Onga, Hawke's Bay). Miss Diana Shaw. Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Langford (Hokitika). Mrs. Hayman, Mrs. Richard Robertshawe, Miss Joyce Thomas, Mrs. Hugh Herd, Miss Zita Chapman. Mrs. Dudley Newbigen (Hastings). Mrs. J. N. Anderson and Miss Joan Anderson, Mrs. John Eastwick, Miss Pat Slatter (Sydney). Mrs. Hanlon, Mr. and Mrs. W. Richmond (Hastings), Mrs. B. L. Hammond. Miss Gwenda Jones, Mrs. Richard Peacock, Mr. S. Dean. Miss McEwen. Mrs. W. R. Duncan (Taihape), Mrs. T. Coltman and Miss Biddy Coltman. Miss Pat Ikin, Mr. Charles Todd, jun., Miss Marjorie Curlett. (Hastings), Mrs. Fullerton Smith (Marton), Mrs. S. Barton (Wanganui), Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Rathbone (Waipawa). Miss Viola Kettle, Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Smith (Hastings), Mrs. George Grace (Hunterville).