"PROMENADE YOUR PARTNERS."

Northern Advocate, 17 June 1920, Page 3

"PROMENADE YOUR PARTNERS."

AND THE PRINCE DOES SO

A delightfully humorous picture of the ball given at Hokitika in honour of the Prince of Wales was cabled to the Melbourne "Age" by one of the correspondents with the Royal party, He said:—"The ball at Hokitika was

an enormous popular success. ...t'ter a public reception the Prince, attended by his staff, proceeded to tho ball, which began at 10 o'clock. Moat of the young men attending wore tweed suits. One old gentleman wandered thro.igh tho happy throng wearing a long overcoat dating back to the period when when "Bully" Hayes used to make Hokitika a favourite port of call when returning from his predatory expeditions among the islands. Another elderly dancer appeared in tweed trousers and a Cardigan jacket buttoned tightly around the throat. Tho ladies devoted more attention to dress than the Hokitika men. Many were accomplished dancers, and the Prince danced vigorously with a succession of Hoki- | tika girls. Jn the official set, which . opened tho ball, Mrs R. J. Seddon, widow of tho late democratic Imperialist, took part. The Prince danced in the set witht Miss Perry, the Mayor'ft daughter. A dance or two liter the master of ceremonies, taking the' middle of the floor, issued In a loud word of coninnd, 'Promenade your partner.', for circular walttz.' The Prince does not care about waltzing as a general rule at balls which he attends, and he frequent ly exercises the Royal prerogative of cutting waltzes out of the programme, substituting one-steps or fox trots. At Hokitika, however, he promenade 1 hi» partner, according to directions, -with the rest. Supper was an .mrn'i.-.. success. Rising early, a cool breeze irom the snow-clad mountains refreshed overnight revellers. From the hotel windows one could see Mount Cook, covered with snow, apparently overlooking Hokitika, but in reality many scores of

miles'away."