The Social Round

Southland Times, Issue 24004, 20 December 1939, Page 9

The Social Round

The lady editor will be pleased to receive for publication n Th® Soaal Round” each day items of social or personal news. Such items should be sent in promptly and should be fully authenticated. Engagement notices must bear the signatures of both parties. Correspondence is invited on any matters alfcctinj, or of interest to women.

The engagement is announced of Mavis, younger daughter of Mrs George C. Bain, Riverton, and the late Mr Bain, and Alexander Walker, second son of the late Mr W. Walker and the late Mrs B. Brookes, Tuatapere. Mr and Mrs S. A. Bell, Lewis street, will leave by car on Saturday to spend the Christmas holidays at Christchurch. Mr and Mrs A. P- Seddon, Lewis street, are camping in the Curio Bay ' district over the Christmas holidays. Miss Hilda Matheson, Melbourne, is the guest of Mrs W. L. Cunningham, Castle Downs, for Christmas. Miss C. Miller left on Monday to spend the Christmas holidays with hei parents in Hastings. Miss Peggy Snow, Grey street, will leave for Stewart Island early next week to be the guest of Mrs H. JMacalister. Mrs A. F. Speight, Redcliff, and Mrs Angus Macdonald, are paying a shon visit to town and are guests at the Grand Hotel. Madame Winnie Fraser (Heriot) Is visiting her father, the Rev. John Nixon, at New Plymouth, before going to Auckland and Rotorua. Later she will give two lecture-recitals in the women’s section of the Exhibition at Wellington, and will return south after three months. English papers announce the diamond wedding celebrations of Mr and Mrs William Johnson, the grandparents of Dunedin’s famous quadruplets. Natives of East Kent, the old couple were married at Waldershare Church, near Dover, in 1879, when 21 and 18 years of age respectively. Among the congratulations they received was one from the King. A presentation to Miss Ethel Mortimer, who is employed in the Lomeville exchange by the Invercargill Saleyards Company, was made yesterday afternoon. Mr A. S. Ronald, chairman, made

the. presentation on behalf of the company, the auctioneers, and those who patronize the yards and praised Miss Mortimer as the most efficient girl yet to fill the position. Mr W. Taylor, yardman, and representatives of the Master Butchers’ Association, , ; and , of the auctioneers, also spoke. Miss Constance Chaplin, Duke street, entertained at a 5 to 8 o’clock garden party on Saturday last in honour of Miss Ruth Graham (Lumsden). The guests included Mrs Marjorie Buckland, Misses R. Graham, K. Graham, F. Wilkinson, J. Woods, N. Basstian, J. Scandrett, C. Russell, O. Drewe, M. Pearce, M. Strang, D. Willett, B. Strang, C. Lynch, P. Birch, P. Anderson, Z. Smith and R. Bell; Messrs C. Lewis (Levin), N. Williamson, J. and M. Chaplin. On Saturday afternoon the Lindisfarne Free Kindergarten held its break-up party. There was a good attendance of parents and friends. Mr W. Stewart, chairman, welcomed everyone, and stated that under the efficient guidance of the teachers, Misses Scandrett and Watson, the number on the roll had increased to more than 40 children. He also thanked the committee for its untiring efforts in paying off the new kindergarten, which is claimed to be the best in New Zealand. The children entertained with songs and games, and received presents from the Christmas tree, for both their mothers and themselves. Mrs Meldrum, secretary of the Mothers’ Club, presented presents to both teachers. After the children had had a delightful party, the parents were served with afternoon tea.

OBITUARY

MISS MAY STRANGMAN The death has occurred of Miss May Strangman at her residence, Balaclava street, Wyndham. Born on the Wyndham Ridges 61 years ago on the farm now owned by the Caldwell family, she was the second daughter of a pioneering family in the late Mr and Mrs John Carey Strangman, and received her education at the Mimihau and Wyndham schools. She resided with her parents on the farm until they retired to Wyndham. She later lived with her sister, the late Mrs George O’Brien, South Wyndham, and then permanently retired to Wyndham. Throughout her life Miss Strangman was a staunch supporter of St. Kevin's Catholic Church. She is survived by a brother, Mr Downey Strangman, Mabel Bush, and a cousin Mrs P. Burke, Ferry street.

FORMER CHAIRMAN FAREWELLED

PLAY-READING CIRCLE OF WOMEN’S CLUB The chairman, Mrs T. F. Gilkison, and members of the Play-Reading Circle Committee of the Southland Women’s Club entertained Mrs W. H. Coltman, a former chairman, at morning tea at the home of Mrs Gilkison, Grey street, yesterday. On behalf of the committee and the circle Mrs A. F. Ritchie Crawford, president of the club, presented Mrs Coltman with a basket of roses, and wished her all good fortune in the future. Mrs G. R. Milward presented her with a posy of picotees and In making the presentation of a silver meringue trowel, Mrs Gilkison thanked Mrs Coltman for her able and willing assistance at all times to the circle, and expressed the regret of members at her departure from Invercargill. Mrs Coltman replied, thanking the members for the gifts and flowers.

TRAVEL CLUB’S PARTY

PRESIDENT PLEASED BY SUCCESS MR F. BRAY ENTERTAINS WITH TALKS The Southland Travel Club, which by its rapid growth has already proved an unqualified success, celebrated Christmas at a party last night. There were about 120 members present at the function, which was held in H. & J. Smith’s tea-rooms. The hostesses were Mesdames J. Mcllwraith and S. A. Faircloth. , Mr A. W. Jones, president, expressed his gratification at the popularity of the club, and prophesied even greater success in the future. Mr Jones welcomed Mrs J. Miller, who recently returned from a trip to Scotland, also Miss J. Woods, who made a visit to the United States this year. Other visitors welcomed were Mr J. B. Smith (London), Mrs Gilmour (Auckland), Mrs J- Willett (Napier), Miss G. Wilson (Dunedin), and Miss Fraser (Dunedin). During the evening a musical programme was enjoyed, the items being community singing, led by Mr Charles Trim; songs by Mrs Brian Hewat; an item by Messrs F. Jones, G. Reid ana Hill; songs by Mr P. Linton Hodge, and a recitation by Mr G. J. Reid. ■ The competition for the Christmas hamper was decided, the winner being Mrs N. Melvin, Louisa street. Mr Jones introduced Mr_F. Bray, who spoke at some length on his recent trips to South America and Russia. Mr Bray, who has travelled in most countries of the world, always going off the beaten track into the interior, left New Zealand in October 1938, on his last trip, going first to Panama and from there sailed to South America. Inito, called the city of eternal spring, because of its unusual climate, was found interesting, also the fine modem city of Lima. At the roadstead port of Mollendo, Mr Bray’s visit coincided with that of Lord Milner, who was endeavouring to urge the British population to establish some degree of unity by the formation of clubs. Mr Bray noticed great numbers of Germans, but an unfortunate lack of English blood. A trip across the Andes provided the opportunity of seeing fortresses, castles and forts built by the Incas with stone, presumably smoothed by hand. Great care was necessary in climbing in. the excessive heat and one American woman in Mr Bray’s party succumbed from heart failure due to the high temperature and rarified air. Of the many different parts of South America visited by Mr Bray, he found the Chilean Lakes, in a setting of mountain scenery, more beautiful than any seen elsewhere; the colouring, the air and the surroundings gave the lakes a unique beauty RARE BEAUTY OF HARBOUR Among countless vivid impressions gathered on his comprehensive tour of a wonderful country, Mr Bray, found the harbour of Rio de Janiero incomparable for charm. There the floodlighted figure of Christ was visible for very many miles; the renowned Sugar Loaf, and the fine beaches, where the people lived for the greater part of their time in the water, all combined in making a scene of great beauty. Variety was found on a boat trip to Northern Brazil, where in some places no rain had fallen for 20 years, and in others, for 40 years. A trip up the Amazon presented more contrasts, where the rise and fall of the. river varied to an extent of 70 feet in the wet and dry seasons. The fish and bird life, notable features of this river, included such strange specimens as the cowfish which fed on grass from the banks, other varieties that would strip flesh from bones in a twinkling, and butterflies like small bats, of royal blue, black and gold.

TRIP THROUGH KIEL CANAL From South America, Mr Bray went to England, Ireland and thence to Russia, just one month before the outbreak of war. For the trip through the Kiel Canal, his ship was drawn aside to allow German submarines and minelayers to pass by. Leningrad, ■ although a fine city, had many poor houses. Moscow, like all Russia, was also a place of extremes. Mr Bray considered himself fortunate in seeing an agricultural exhibition where many types, including Cossacks and others in native costumes, were present. Mr Bray described the Red Square, where the Kremlin, Lenin’s tomb, and that fantastic and wonderful building erected to the memory of Ivan the Terrible, were seen. The Russian people were definitely air-minded, Mr Bray said, and in Moscow, people were to be seen jumping from a huge tower with parachutes. In the Park of Culture and Rest, a place of gardens, lakes and trees, portraits of Lenin and Stalin were depicted in flowersl. The shocking state of slum areas necessitated the building of flats, which Mr Bray saw in the process of construction on a 10-year plan. A visit to a textile factory revealed .miserably poor conditions for workers, of whom more than 75 per cent, were women. There, as in all factories in the Soviet, the banner was given to the highest producers among the piece-workers. Everywhere women were seen doing men’s work, driving trams, sweeping streets, assembling machinery, and carrying bricks and mortar. The strained, haunted faces of the driven workers, clearly disclosed their unhappy state of mind. The lot of the mother in Russia was terrible. Mr Bray said. PERENNIAL WHEAT While in Russia, Mr Bray visited a collective farm of 400 acres in a rich grain-growing district, where the farmer had gained distinction for the volume of production. Experiments in wheat growing were being made, especially in the establishment of a perennial wheat. At Yalta, former resort of the Tsars on the Black Sea, a visit to the Palace Nicolas 11, provided interest with its underground wine cellars, where wines, made from 100 varieties of grapes, and dating back to 1700, were stored in bottles bearing the arms of the Tsars embossed on the glass. The disgraceful dirt and squalor of Russia was apparent everywhere and the shocking state of the food in the shops and markets was all too realistic. The journey into Finland later was like passing from the dim, dark ages to the present. The low level of the textile industry accounted for the tourists being followed by crowds in Leningrad, eagerly wishing to buy clothes, boots, watches and even offering a motor-car in exchange for an old suit. Near the end of August, suspicions about the possibility of war were roused, and after some delay, Mr Bray travelled on September 2 to Finland, across Sweden to Oslo in Norway, and on to Bergen. He sailed to England

in the former Kaiser’s ship, on which every nationality was represented. At the Panama zone on the return trip, it was observed that all grass plots had been dug up and protective measures taken for the machinery below. Mr F. J. Raines expressed thanks on behalf of the members, to Mr Bray for a most interesting talk. Mr J. Pickard proposed a vote of thanks to all performers, the hostesses for the evening, to Mrs Raines for arranging the attractive programme and to Mrs A. E. H. Bath for accompanying the performers at all gatherings. Mr Pickard referred to the activities of Mrs M. Simmonds, secretary, who was out of town. Mrs Raines replied.