WELLINGTON REVELRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19827, 3 January 1939, Page 13

WELLINGTON REVELRY

MIDNIGHT GAIETY PASSING OF OLD YEAR (Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. With the customary gaiety and revelry, Wellington farewelled the old year on Saturday night and ushered in the new. The crowd in the Post OiTice Square was smaller than in previous years, but was not lacking in enthusiasm, and the first stroke of twelve was the signal for a tumultuous outburst of cheering and din. The noise continued for several minutes after the last chime had tolled the death knell of 1938. The last, clay of 1938 dawned cloudy and windy in Wellington, and during a brief period before noon, when most of the stores closed their doors for the lons week-end the city streets were thronged with people, many hurriedly making last-minute purchases.

After the noon rush, however, the city settled down for a quiet holiday week-end. Due largely to the shops observing late night on Friday fewer people than usual were in the city streets on New Year's Eve. Many Wellington people spent New Year out. of town and many other- celebrated, the birth of the new era of time at private parties, dances and cabarets. The city was unusually quiet even for a Saturday night, and it was not until after 1 1 p.m. that the crowd began to gather in the twilight of 1938 to observe the time honoured custom of seeing the old year out and the New Year in at the Post Office square.