LYTTELTON CLUB.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12539, 28 June 1901, Page 3

LYTTELTON CLUB.

OPENING OF THE NEW BUILDING The members .of the ,Lyttelton .Club celebrated tho opening of their fine new premises by a dinner on Wednesday night. Tho building, which is of wood, on red stone piles, has a commanding aspect, as it occupies one of tho most conspicuous sites in tho town. It is of two storeys, with a peaked roof, and a balcony over tho front, which faces Dublin Street. The principal feature of the arrangements of tho ground floor is tho billiard room, 40ft by 36ft, and 13ft in height. The walls and ceiling of this room are panelled and varnished. -A platform with seats upholstered in Utrecht velvet, runs round tho room. There are two frill-sized billiard tables, one, that used in the club’s old premises and tho other a new one, made by Mr Lutjohann, of Christchurch. In front of the billiard-room- is a card-room, and behind the apartments for the commit tee, a reading-room' and a bath-room Fire-places are provided' in all the rooms, Tho upper floor is mainly occupied by r fine hall; 66ft in ’ length, 36ft wide,' 28ft in height from the floor to the apejj of tho roof. The walls are panelled and painted in a neutral tint, and surrounded ■ with ai diagonal dodo. The floor, of kauri, has been specially constructed for dancing.Adjoining is a ladies’ dressing-room. Access to the' balcony is gained from the hall, through French' casements. The building is •’ well ventilated . and lighted.-- - Incandescent gas lamps arc fitted' throughout - Tho dinner, was- served' in "the large. halL Mr J; Ti Norton’ catered'.in a'thoroughly satisfactory, manner. There : was: a large attendance. The president' of. the dub, i Mr J. T. Brice, was-in the chair, and was :supported -by Mr T. C.' Field; (Mayor ol Lyttelton),' and Mr G. Laurenson,'M.H.R. Before dinner the’. President ■ -Asked .'the ■

Mayor to declare the .building 1 , open. • 'His Worship, -in doing so, congra&ated the club on. the enterprise .of its members in providing such a’ fine’ building. Ho stated that ’ the club; had sftirted. in 1897 with sixteen ; utemberij,' ‘‘ It how numbered on© hundred and .ten. Ho trusted that the time would never com® when the club was turned into any sort of a drinking establishment. (Hear, hear.) „ After dinner tho following toasta were honouredTho King,” proposed by tho President; “Our Member,” proposed/by the Rev C. Ooates, and responded to by Mr G. Laurenson, who met with a very hearty reception; “ The Club,”- proposed by the Rev E. Eliot Chambers, and re-‘ sponded to by Mr J. T. Brice,- the president; "Tho Army and the Navy/’ proposed by Mr G. Laurenson, and _ replied to by Captain MTntyre, Chaplain E. E. Chambers, and 0.P.0. M’Gregor, of H. M. S. Ophir; " The Visitors,” proposed by Mr Weastell; "The Contractors” (Messrs Hollis and Brown);. “ The Ladies/.’ and " The Press.” , Several songs were sung, and recitations'given. ; , ;