NEW FACILITIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21852, 24 October 1945, Page 6

NEW FACILITIES

p.B. SHOWGROUNDS MAIN HALL FLOORED CATERING FOR PUBLIC Members oi the general public who have approved the work of the Poverty Bay A and P. Association in developing the stock-exhibit and show-ring facilities at its grounds at Te Hapara over a period of 15 years will welcome the indications now being given that the committee is determined to brin" the public amenities on the grounds to the highest possible level. Several new amenities will be used for the first time at the 1343 Show, preparations for which are now approaching the final stage. Of outstanding importance to the comfort of Show staff and public aline is the flooring which has been laid m the headquarters building, which houses the produce and home industries exhibits and also the public and stewards’ dining-rooms, together with office accommodation for the show secretary and his staff. In the past the public and exhibitors have willingly put up with inconveniences due to the lack of flooring in this building, but the committee has taken steps now to remove these inconveniences and to establish conditions which should give the greatest ■ satisfaction. Paving and Ventilation A bitumen paving has been laid throughout the large building, and oust and damp nuisances should be finally conouered by this means. Additional ventilation has been provided lor, in addition, ana conditions under the extensive produce-building roof snould be markedly improved. Dining-room facilities have been added to by the building of a servery in the main dining-hall, and by minor additions to the existing accommodation in the stewards’ rooms. the secretary’s office has been enlarged and the press accommodation improved upon, while a new ambulance room has « been provided in a location much more ■suited to the activities of the ambulance unit than the old stand. The laying of a floor in the woolroom is another work embarked upon this year by the committee, and this should mark a real advance in the equipment of the ground, benefiting officials, exhibitors and patrons alike. The dancing floor for national dancing events has been improved materially, and a departure from previous practice has been carried into effect in the chopping-ring, where concrete bases have been provided for the blocks. These bases will be used in conjunction with a special type of timber-dog which has been found highly successful in Australian rings, and competitors in chopping events will probably appreciate the advantages of an absolutely secure foundation for their work. New Horse-Stall Building Horse-event competitors are- io have the use this year, for the first time, of the new stalls built on the western extension of the showgrounds. These stalls will shelter 100 animals in individual stalls, with facilities for feeding and general care. Timber for the construction of the stalls was hard to come by, but the association received generous aid m this connection from district settlers and has initiated an interesting experiment in the utilisation of blue-gum timber. If the experiment shows good results, it is proposed to extend the stalls in the next year or two. Meantime a large proportion of the saddlehorse entries for the Show will be sheltered from the sun under the first unit of the stall-building programme. All the improvements effected during the past year are not confined to the care of exhibits, however, and members of the general public will note at the forthcoming Show a decided advance in social facilities. The equipment of the public bar on the showgrounds, for instance, has been extended .to include a hot-water service and the provision of adequate cleaning arrangements, and this should remove a source of some criticism in past years. The sanitation system of the grounds has been given, a thorough overhaul, in addition, and substantial sums have been expended in bringing this system into line with modern practice in dealing with large crowds over short periods. Show-ring Shelter One new departure in the planting programme of the Show committee is the placing of aspen poplar saplings at intervals about the principal showring. The aspen poplars already established elsewhere on the ground have proved a decided asset for shade and appearance, and in a few years the main ring will be fringed with these handsome trees, providing welcome shade for those who under present conditions have to choose between, being grilled on a hot Show-day or missing some of the most interesting competition events.