THE POSTIE’S BAG

Evening Star, Issue 22893, 26 February 1938, Page 8

THE POSTIE’S BAG

10 Arney street, Dunedin, S.l. February 19, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill, —Since it is some time ago that you received a letter from me, 1 thought it was about time to write again. 1 noticed, on reading your columns in the 1 Evening Star,’ which I enjoy reading every Saturday night, that you have an interesting letter competition on the most wonderful things seen during the holidays. 1 I go to the Forbury School, and I am II years old and am in Standard V.a. Our school broke up on December 18 for six weeks’ holidays. Well, to start off, the first week we stayed at home to help mother so that she would be able to take us out to see as many strange things as we could, as we were not going away from home. Some days mother took us through the town to see the wonderful decorations \of the different shops, some of which were very nice indeed. On another day mother took us 1 to the Woodhaugh Gardens, where there is a very nice swimming pool. It being a very warm day, there was quite a good crowd of parents and children spending the day there, and it was very enjoyable splashing about in the pool with lots >of other children. On another very'fine day we were taken in a bus to Harirngton Point, a very nice place with a wonderful beach and plenty of fishing. Then an organisation' called the ~ Hundred Thousand Club

was bad luck that on the first day the weather was not of the best, but the rest of the we«k, both day and night, the weather kept at its very best, and quite a big crowd spent the most of their time on the beach. One night in the week my parents took us to the beach, and the most interesting thing I saw was Mr Sellars jumping from the aeroplane high in the air, opening up a large thing like an umbrella, and gliding through the air to land safely on the ground. He received a splendid round of cheering and clapping from the very large crowd of interested spectators. Towards the end of our holidays my mother received a very pleasant surprise in the shape of a letter from a very close friend, who has a farm at Monevmore, a few miles out of Milton, asking if we would like to spend a few days there before returning to school. The invitation was very gratefully accepted. We had the pleasure of spending 10 days on the farm, which was a mixed one of dairy cows and sheep. It was wonderful running round the sheep and watching the cows being milked. We had fun climbing up and down the haystacks with the other little children, getting plenty of splinters of straw in our hands and legs, but we thought nothing of that, as it was all new to us. We found it very hard to leave such a nice place when our time was up to come home, but, of course, we bad to return to school. I think I will now c ] ose ,—I remain, one of the bairns, Joyce Bamber. Brookland Orchard, Ettrick, January' 2C, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill,—l am sure that everybody likes having holidays. I do, any way;. , . . Ot the beginning of my holidays 1 went to a Guide camp at Mount Grand, where I enjoyed myself very much. I love camping. On coming home from camp 1 was asked how I would like to go to Ettrick with my sister, Bettie. 1 jumped at the chance, and on Tuesday January 18, we left home. We all like up here, and we go for picnics to a stream not far away. My mother, however, thinks

that the chief attraction is Alison, a baby, who is not yet eight months old. , To-day Bettie and I are going lor a picnic with another girl. Yesterday, I think, was the most exciting day I have had for ages. At the orchard are heaps of pine branches and needles. The needles are lying thick on the ground, and they are very dry. In the afternoon we all went to Roxburgh, and left the place empty. When we came home our uncle saw a veil of sm.oke on the other side of the orchard. He went to see what it was. We knew no more until a friend, who had been going across the orchard towards his home came racing down for “ Mick,”, a man who works in the orchard. Everyone went to see what was the matter, and found that the pines were on fire. Buckets were sent for and filled at the race, while others got sticks and wet sacks with which to beat the fire. The heat was intense, and I wrapped my jersey round my face. Some neighbouring orchardists, seeing the blaze, came to see what was the matter. They brought some buckets, and soon everyone was working like a Trojan. When the fire was almost out Bettie and I went to the house for some tea. We finished our tea, changed into old clothes, and went back to the fire. There were only a few places left where it was still burning, and all the excitement was over. While the fire was going nearly everyone was wearing his

best clothes. Luckily, no one was burned, for we all took great care not to get too near the flames. We saw that the small children were kept vi'ell away from the flames, for they might have become excited and received buiyis. Not much damage was done, and everyone was ready for bed.—l remain, your loving bairn, Lesley Fairmaid. P.S. —Love to all the aunts and the Travel Man. —L.F. Spencer street, Milton, February 20, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill, —1 was very glad to hear of my brother’s name on the Honour Post for an interesting letter. On Saturday my cousins and J journeyed to Waihola to the lodge picnic. Arriving at the spot, we sat down upon a rug and enjoyed ourselves by having morning tea. A great number of Dunedin people came to enjoy themselves with us. Finding nothing to do, my cousins and I took a walk round to watch the men sailing the yachts. As the sun was shining brightly we made up our minds to go tor a swim in the lake. Later on in the afternoon there were races for every ( one. I only managed to win one, for which I received a tennis racket. After packing up we started off towards the Waihola station. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as wo travelled on our homeward journey by train. My brothers and sisters were at the gate waiting for me. I will close now with heaps of love.—l remain, Phyllis Burleigh. Care of Box 84, Queenstown, February 17, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill, —I have not written to you for a long time, so I thought I would tell you about what a time we are having up here. We have been in Queenstown for six weeks, after having been in Geraldine for 10 days at the beginning of the holidays. I am going to school here, and like it very much. I am in Standard V.. and have made some nice friends already. It was so hot the first week of school that the head master took the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Standards round to a lovely shady beach by the lakeside to do their lessons. One day we had our lunch there and hoiled the billy twice, having a bathe before each meal. We often go round the lakeside for a swim and have expeditions to the park for Nature-study. It has been very hot all the time we have been here, the temperature being in the 90’s through the day and remaining high even when bedtime comes. We have such lovely long twilights and warm evenings that there is plenty of time after school to have all sorts of fun. I love going on the lake, especially the launch trips. We were out at Kawarau both by car and by launch, but I liked the launch better. On Saturday we bad a run out to Arthur’s Point, where I saw the dredge on the Shotover River. I think we have explored most of the interesting places round about Queenstown. I do not know when we will return to Anderson’s Bay, but so long as the weather remains like this I am in no hurry to leave here. Best wishes from yours sincerely Gerald Renton. 40 Bay View road, Dunedin, S.l. February 14, 1938. Dear Big Brother Bill, —As I was reading your children’s page on Saturday night I happened to see the competition for this week, so I thought I would enter. We were at the motor camp at Riverton, and on the morning of New Year’s Eve the camp decided to have a bonfire on the beach, which was only a few hundred feet away, so we spent that day gathering all kinds of wood' and logs for a fire. At 10.30 that evening we motored up to the bridge on the outskirts of Riverton, to witness the “ Venetian lights,” which consisted of boats and launches moving up and down the river, decorated with pretty fairy lights of all colours. On board these boats were people singing and playing musical instruments. This pretty sight lasted till 12 o’clock, when an ofd boat, laden with fireworks, was set alight. This was indeed a lovely sight. At 12.15 Ijie fire _ was out, so we returned to camp and lit our bonfire and set our fireworks alight. At 1.45 all of us went to bed, after a very enjoyable day.—l remain,' Joyce Donaldson.