THE CITY BY NIGHT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 10

THE CITY BY NIGHT

• - BUILDINGS ULUMINATED. QUEEN ST. AND WATERFRONT. SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP. ":-, : ' ■"■-.,.-..■■.':■.■■.:■:: -. ■ .•::/ : -T.??■ '- ' ■■■■ ■ :;:i, : ':-/.. :■ r -"-:' Gleaming ] lights and -thronging' crowds,., / ; bright banners ; and ; illuminated messages, of welcome, ; obmbined. to make the city's main r streets ;;; on.;/ Saturday / evening a pageant of life :[■ and colour. clouds' gathered darkly at times, 'and heavy rain *'• •; J shut out : the stars,; but Aucklanders are used to 1 that kind of thing, and the <„ warmth of the i city's welcome was made ' sufficiently evident in other ways to over- * ; come any feeling of regret that the Queen. ' City was showing herself in such peevish," fickle mood. -' v ' '' -V': /: /;/ " Look ; what- you're standing In!" f ; chorused a bevy of gay girls to a young/ ;; sailor-admirer who stood deep in a puddle on the waterfront* pathway. '* Doesn't matter—l ' can swim J" -he ; responded in ,'■ cheery unconcern, arid that seemed to be the spirit of the crowd. When it rained \ ; they clustered like bees beneath th© shel- 'I - tering .verandahs; when it did not they,» -'. wandered ant-wise over, the street, stand- .* ing occasionally ; stockstill amid the traffic " to get some new' and better view of one ' ' or other 'of the illuminated buildings. ? -•'»■ The Town Hall held all eyes with the , brilliance'.-and completeness of its scheme !* of decoration.; Outlined. in gold, its lofty s tower rose in a blaze, of . light into the *.' night sky; the clock was pricked out in • glowing red, »nd <the city's greeting, " - " Welcome to the Squadron," ; was writ-'". ten/in letters of ; light right across the' , a front of the tower. The post office building/ was ; also strikingly illuminated, with the ; welcome, ■"■" Auckland Greets You," standing : out 0 in gleaming / brightness against the flag-decked; facade. / / The waterfront wore a glittering. gala dress, the central feature '■'of «the decora- '■'* tions being the Harbour Board Building, > 'outlined/in electric light, ' bearing illuminated portraits of Their Majesties, * and ! '' the stirring Maori welcome, emblazoned in : red lettering across the front, "Haeremai! Haeremai I,E Nga Toa Te Moana " (Wel- r! come/ welcome, oh warriors of the ocean!)'. The waterfront itself was decorated with ■' festoons of red and gold lights,* the launch-' .'slip shelters also being outlined ~in gold.f ' Oho of the most " spectacular features •of Lower Queen Street was the illuminated "- tramcir used with great effect on similar / occasions in. the -past, its sides converted i into-a glowing "Union Jack, an illuminated" battleship/ decorating the front. ? There was not a great display of light- * ing by private firms. '• The most spectacular effect /in ■; Queen Street itself was at-"'. tained by the : novel scheme of inferior* •- •• illumination adopted in the New Zealand" Insurance , Company's ; building, which' glowed from pavement to lofty summit'."" with a soft, pervading ruby light. • ? i m The ;streets were densely/packed with, sightseers and promenaders from seven - o'clock till'- late at; night. * Mingling with 1 the crowd : were large numbers of marines'' "1 and bluejackets, who, after the traditional * *'. manner of Jack ashore, seemed to have * had \no difficulty in attaching to themselves an escort of admiring friends. Up 3 and ; down they/wandered, into the picture '■' '• theatres, and; refreshment rooms, down to*'' the vwaterfront,; whore they stood in scores ; at'the entrance to; Prince's Wharf, gazmg- - upon the : illuminated prow of the mighti- ; est /of •;> battleships. ; . .• . i Silently, maiesti- - ejdly ;at rest she lay, fherfdeek lights"was ' wing down in serpentine trails of gold into v the still waters. nine o'clock a bugle, call rang out -- sweet and 'f clear from her; quiet' decks, and a deeper silence fell over ' the great ship, quietly taking her rest, all - her /vast forces subdaed, quiescent ' unde»" , the v spell 'of starry night. ' ■ EVENTS OP THE WEEK. \ OPENING OF WHARF TC-DAY^ - %'S--'^ '■■ Vv-v.;'"/;■; :';'''■ /f;;-.,'';.:/./;':'/'' --; -/i : ;.'./' : ; CITIZENS "AT HOME" TO-NIGHT. . 4 - . ' -■' ./..-...•,. ..,/,- ; . ;;•;>;.;,,jj- ; '. The programme of events in connection-, with the. squadron's visit ; has • been ' arranged.'as follows—: ' •'■ . -, /. • /. ' - TO-DAY. 11* am.—Official opening ' Prince's " : Wharf, by His Excellency the Governor- : - General. , '~ "--. ; 12.45 p.m.—Rotary Club luncheon, Town; Hall. - , - ; . , * - ,3 p.m.—Rugby football match, Squadron v. Local Team. '.- 3.30; run.—Squadron Officers "At •"'/ Home," H.M.S.; Hood. ' • ' i. 8 p.m.-—Mayor, councillors' and citizens* : "At Home/' Town Hall: | ; H.M.S. Hood closed. - - H.M.S. /. Repulse. ," Open' . for - school ? r children from 10 a.m. to noon. Open to "' " public from -1:30 to 5 p.m. - TUESDAY, MAY 13. :;'' 7.5 -Admirals, 50. officers, and 400 . men leave for Rotorna.. * ; 10 a.m. Cgremonial march: ' through city; -Route from Prince's Wharf, via Queen Street, Wellesley Street East;".,, . Princes Street, through Governriisnt House / grounds, Anzac;Avenue, Beach Road, Cuba toms Street East, commencing' point. - 10 a.m.—• Visit to H.M.S. Hood by members of City; Council, Harbour Board, and other organisations 1 who are' assisting in - the entertainments. .:.. ■■■..;■ ■■- '■,;' •■:. p.rn.—Ship*s company { "At Home,"-, H;M.S. Hood, Afternoon*—Golf at Middlemore, Tltirangi, or Maungakiekie * links.-. 1 " ', . , . 8 p.m.— carnival, Town Hall,' : for the men.' : Evening.—Dinner at Government House. /H.M.S./Repulse;' open for school child*' ren from 10 a.m. to noon. ,Open-to public from 1:30' to" 5 p.m. r WEDNESDAY, MAY ' 14. f Morning.-*-Officers' shooting trips. ; i; 2*15-'; p.m.—-Automobile ! • Association's motor,trip for officers, "round city and suburbs. /, . ... , H . , ..1 .'Afternoon.—Auckland Goo' Club-—trap shooting for" officers Tennis matches arranged by Auckland Lawn Tennis Associa- ' tion. ;/? Admirals-and officers ; return from .■ Rotorua. 3 p.m.—Rugby football at Eden Park, Squadron v. Local Team: / ■ •. - i 3* p.ni.—-Squadron's Association football match,-Victoria Park. - ' ./'Aftarnobn.-VGolf/at- Middlemore, Titirangi, or Maungakiekie links. - /r Evening.—Bali at Government House to admirals and , officers. .- . ■ .--= ?''/H;M.S. Hood, open- for school ■; children■■■ --' from 10 a.m. to.noon. . • - H.M.S. Repulse,' open for visits by mem-'. bers of local bodies and special- organisa- :.. tions who are assisting in entertaining, ;10 . a.m. to noon. , - THURSDAY, MAY 15. Morning.—Officers' shooting - trips. ;-;; 7.5 a.m.—-Fifty officers and men leave for Rotorua. ,10.30 ,a:ni. —Vice-Admiral and Commodbre/H;M.S. Chatham, inspect Devonport naval yard. . 2.30 p.m.—Children's party, H.M-S. Repulse.- , "' ' / 3 p.m. Hockey. ; Squadron v. Auckland. // - ■■j Afternoon.—-Golf at .Middlemore, Titi- "-.-. rangi, or Ma"ngakiekie links.- )"".. »" I Evening.— to L - admirals , and , offi-; cers. JH.M.S. Chatham. - Victoria and Navy League ball/ v Town Hall. • . , j: H.'M-S. Hood open to public from 1.30 / to 5 p.m N . '. x ~■■[■• : -v •;;-.-. .;;//://?; H.M.S. Repulse closed to public. FRIDAY, MAY 16. . • Morning.Officers' shooting trips. Officers and men return from-Rotorua. ' 230 p.m.—Ship's company "At Home," / iV -"- : H.M.S. Repulse 3- p.m.—Association football ■ match, Squadron v. New- Zealand, ,st Domain* 3 p.m.—Rugby football match, Squadron •"■/ «-; v. Local Team, at Eden Park.' ?:3 '-. Hockey match,■;-'• Squadron• ▼* ).l ; v ;:■ Auckland. ' ' , ' ' ' * ~! , ' ''Afternoon.—Golf at Middlemore, Titi- - rangi,' or Maungakiekie links. : . ' *Evening.—-Dinner, H.M.S. Hood. . . ' £ '■.": H.M.S. • Hood, open , for school childrenv|gl| rom : 10' a.m. to noon; ■ open'' for; public* 'msm 1.30 to 5 p.m. / H.M;S. Repulse closed. .:• : ; "}. SATURDAY, MAY 17. - ' . * Squadron departa. - "I