CHILDREN’S PARTY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 125, 13 May 1935, Page 10

CHILDREN’S PARTY

Government House Gathering MEMORABLE AFTERNOON Government House is a very youthful place nowadays, and a butterfly procession ot party frocks and gny young voices thronged the passages, the looms were laughter-filled, and oven the wide staircase was busy witu exploring teet, waen their Excellencies the Governor-General and Viscounte. Galway gave on Saturday afternoon u children s party to celebrate the jubi.ee ot their Majesties the King and Queen. Their Excellencies received the gucsi» at the entrance to the ballroom. luh Hon. Alary, Celia and Isabel Monckton, who stood with their parents and their brother to welcome the visitois, were dressed alike in frocks of sent blue satin with tiny puffed sleeves, cream lace collars, high waists a..d very full skirts. The Hon. biuiou Monckton-Arundell conducted his p..» c of the proceedings with a manly dignity winch very well became his wh.u satin suit. Alajor Purvis and Mrs. Purvis entered into the spirit of the party, and Mrs. Aladelaine Watts and Miss Queeme Watts, who are guests at G ..- eminent House, were helping witn might and main at entertaining. Captain Heber-Percy, A.D.C., did ste.T. service with a megaphone, and t>r Standish O’Grady Roche, A.D.C., was a very busy man indeed the wlrn.e afternoon. PA NTOMI ME OUCH ESTII A. When the last car had arrived rte company was assembled to the tune <>| “All the King’s Horses,” played tn <> pantomime orchestra of six berufllcJ high-hatted musicians, who playc I throughout tho afternoon a harlequin motley of merry music. When tea was announced, the children divided mu three groups and marched off. i m grown-ups had tea alone.

Shouts of laughter and sharp file: snap ot crackers soon drew them to tmchildren’s rooms, however, where tin >■ stood and watched the fun. Every child was brightly crowned with a paj>er hat and armed with a martinsounding whistle. Iced cakes, savouries, biscuits, sweets and glasses oi orange drink disappeared with disconcerting rapidity. Cheeks were flushed with laughter, and eyes sparkled witn anticipation when at last the young people trooped back to the long room. I here they found a great surplus . Charlie the clown marshalled tie children into a ring round the dais. Thev all sat and roared with laughter at Sam the puppet and the clever ventriloquist. Sam’s fund of humoty seemed inexhaustible and sides wen aching when he at last ended his pei - formance by singing (and every one joined in) ‘‘Tipperary.’’ Certain strange boxes on the dais set everyone wondering. “Perhaps it's a conjuror,” someone whispered urgently; and a conjuror it was. A conjuror with the most disarming face in the world, who, while soft music in the background made the atmosphere appropriately magical, proceeded thoroughly to mystify his audience with disappearing flags, and dice that lost themselves to reappear in impossible places. Eyes grew wide with wonder, mouths opened into enchanted ohs! as the charmed circle round the man of magic grow completely battled - then immoderately clapped, he bowed and made way for a tall striped showman’* box where Punch and Judy proceeded to play out their traditional game. BALLOONS AND CAI’S. Then came the man at the megaphone, who said: “Everyone come up in single lile lor balloons and *aps. A scramble to their feet, and there » as everyone neatly arranged, and tho march past began while tho orchestra struck up a gay tune. The balloons were enormous, coloured like spinning-tops, some of them, others with picture stories stretched across their shining sides. One small girl guarded the veriest colossus ot it balloon safely across the room and proudly gave it to her mother to be “lot small so that it mustn't break I” When everyone had a balloon, a crepe paper hat (and what a variety of these there were, mortar-boards to sultan’s coronets), and the first fine ttenzy of the hooters was stilled, ilia Excellency spoke again in welcome to bis guests. “We want you to remember,'' he said, “that on this, your first visit to Government House,’ ail the Empire is celebrating his Majesty tile King’s silver jubilee. We wish him health, wealth and happiness. Goou luck to you ail, and we are very glad , to see you here.” The party almost over, even the music-makers were not spared from tho determined onslaught of small people armed with brindled masses oi streamer lines. The room was au iridescent mass of floating colour; streamers over the gleaming lights made majpoies of the chandeliers, the music played more merrily than ever—then ice creams were announced. Three hundred happy children trooped into the supper rooms. Cars drew up outside, farewells were said, and the last glimpse to add to a vivid memory was the glow-worm gleam of coloured lights in the grass and the trees bordering the drive.