Penelope at Trafalgar Park

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 February 1939, Page 2

Penelope at Trafalgar Park

PHYSICAL FITNESS DISPLAY COLOURFUL UNIFORMS OF INTER HOUSE TEAMS The interestinug and inspiring march past and display which took place in Nelson on Saturday evening made a fitting climax to Physical Fitness Week. I really think very few people had any idea that it was to be so colourful and spectacular, and the majority of the spectators (who must have numbered several thousands) must have been agreeably surprised. It is a splendid thing for the general public to be able to see what our boys and girls from botli primary and secondary schools, can do in the mater of marching and exercises and dancing. Comparing their work with what I have seen in Christchurch and Wellington, I must say they are a credit to their schools and to Nelson as a district. In the folk-dancing section, the little girls of Central, Auckland Point and Hampden Street Schools made a pretty picture with their multicoloured frocks and their small capes of red, white and blue. I think it is to be regretted that the display took place in the evening, and

not in the afternoon when everything ’ would have shown up to much better ad- ' vantage. It wag quite dusk when the 1 College girls demonstrated their march- ‘ ing and folk dancing, and in their dark < gym uniforms, they were difficult to dis- * tinguish. 1 The Convent students had the adviui 1 tage of electric lighting for their march- 1 hard to follow the various movements. ! 1 Chief item on the programme, of course, s was the demonstration by the inter-house • teams of business girls, but interesting and spectacular as the various items were, 1 l couldn’t help thinking all the time how I much more effective they would have look-1 I e i iu the daylight. Their uniforms were i splendid, and deserved to be displayed ’ to better advantage. There were eight teams ail told, each 1 team having nine girls, and if you asked I me which team I liked best \ couldn’t tell you, because us they each performed their quick step they looked so smart ' and so lit, I mentally gave each team iirst ' pie fere lice. In describing their uniforms and stand- ' aids, 1 am not plating them in order of ! preference, mind you, but merely taking ' them as I have tlicm in my notes. ' To begin with, there was a team from J R. McKenzies Ltd., and very natty I they looked, too, in their trim Scottish < uniforms of green taffeta blouses with tartan revers, worn over kilted tartan skirts, complete w itli military gauntlets and tartan glengauys. They carried a circular standard bordered with gold leaves, and bearing the initials McK in the centre, from under ' which the house colours floated in gay • streamers. The girls representing Ilounsells wro clad in white satin tunics with short : sleeves, and buttoned with blue buttons, t worn over white satin shorts with twin I blue up the sides. They wore white I satin glengarrys on their heads, and their white banner carried the name on a ver- « tical blue band, with the insignia of the t firm portrayed in an inkpot and sports j « gear. Tlie team from McKays Ltd., chose red « satin pointed tunics with white revers t banded in red, and having short sleeves 1 and white buttons. Their white satin < skirtg were pleated, and they wore red 1 satin glengarrys trimmed with white rib- ' bon. The name of the firm was outlined ' i 1 shined red ribbou on a white back- ; ground and looked most effective. Whoever was responsible for the design I fo' Woolworths’ costumes certainly acliiev. 1 ed a spectacular effect, for these had < black satin tunics, cut on military lines, j 1 with white corded frogs. Their pleated j I skirts were of white satin, and they wore 1 1 white gauntlet gloves, long white spats j

with black buttons, and tall white busby* with black chin straps and the firm's monogram in red. Their leader looked extremely chic with an enormous curled ostrich feather on her busby. Their standard was most unusual, too, being triangular in white satin, with red lettering down the centre, and the familiar monogram above. The girls from Hursts loked very well, 1 I thought, in uniforms which carried no suggestion of military, but were green azlin play suits with little red boleroa. They wore bright red tains with red pom poms, and had the firm's initials embroidered in red on their frocks. Their | banner was of green silk, with the firm’s initials embroidered in red, ami finished with red tassels and a green fringe. Trathen’s team looked very crisp and fiesh in white pique sports suits with pleated skirls, and peaked cricket caps. These plain white suits showed up very well ou the field, I thought. Their banner was very simple but effective, being silver covered letters on a black support. The girls from Hannahs Ltd wore fine white cashmere frocks with swing skirts were also hemmed with gold, and with gold epaulettes trimmed with whit* silk fringes, and gold buttons, militarywise across the front of their frocks. The Skirts were also hetnmen with gold, and on their heads they wore gold drummer boy caps. Their gold satin standard bore white diagonal lettering, and was linished with white fringe top and botLast but by no means least is the team from Buxtons, who looked very sporting i.i white caesariue blouses, with black and gold bands round collar and cuffs, worn with gold swing skirts which were banded with black and white over gold shorts. They wore gold headbands, and their banner was navy blue with plain gold lettering diagonally across the standard between white bands. It is to be hoped that these costumes, designed and planned with so much trouble and enthusiasm, will not be dis- [ carded for i-ood or put away between ! moth balls, but will be kept for a similar ! display next year. Such a demonstration as was witnessed on Saturday evening should be an annual affair, and perhaps other business houses will be inspired to form teams from their staffs, too. The whole idea is an excellent one, and it would be a great pity if it were to be abandoned after this one effort. 1 can’t finish this article without mentioning the marching and exercises as demonstrated by the College boys. I don’t know if they wore just the pick of , the school, but, my goodness, they are in fine form and to watch them alone was an 1 education in itself. PENELOPE.