WELCOME AT WANGANUI

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 41, 26 September 1928, Page 7

WELCOME AT WANGANUI

TASMAN FLIERS FETED. BIG CROWD AT WESTMERE. Twenty-five thousuud people assembled at Westmere last Sunday afternoon to welcome the Tasman fliers, the demonstration being the largest and most enthusiastic Wanganui has known since the visit of the Duke and Duchess"of York. Just on 4 o’clock the three aeroplanes wjore seen like three WRck specks in tb© sky, and in a few minutes they were circling over the landing ground. A GREAT PILGRIMAGE. The pilgrimage from Wanganui to Westmere, five miles out from the city, commenced! soon after most peou pl.o had lunched, and by 1.30 a continuous stream of motor-cars, motorcycles, push-bikes, and liors© vehicles wended: fts;wa.y to the Jockey dub*a property. vY By 2.30 the main read was swarming with humanity coming from points noth, south, teasb and west. Motor-cars in thousands lined the road in the vicinity of the hanging ground, while larg© nnnibera were parked jn adjacent paddocks. One ""Avenue resident counted over 3000 cans travelling from the city in the direction of Westmere alone, wli.il© droves of them came from the direction of Taranaki. THE MAN OF 'THE HOUR. There were cries of “Goodl old Smithy,” “We want Smithy,” “Ocoee, Smithy.” Indeed, “Smithy” was the man of the hour. Cameras were held aloft in the crowd as he left his car and. clicked • as he forced his way on to the sfpnd. Hands were extended to him and) shaken. Those w'ho could not get near him tot’d thq wattle from his motor-car for a souvenir. LITCHFIELD GETS LOST. It was with difficutly that the offitiils managed tq get the distinguished visitors on to 1 the dais through the crowd, for those who had: been invited am?, those who had not bored in and cameras cliok&n in ail directions. Eventually it was discovered that Litchfield was missing. “Where’s Litch,?” said “Smithy.” “Call out ‘Wo want Litch.’ ” The Mayor did the calling, bat there was noi Litch. “Lost iin the crush”, said “Smithy”. “Or haggedi by the ladies,” said Lieut. Uhn. “He’ll get through all right,” said “Smithy”. “We null hUyo to wait a while.” At last Litchfield arrived and the welcome commenced by the Mayor calling for three hearty cheers, and they were real hearty ones.

A SABBATARIAN. T-h© ijireej others Jhaviing spoken ,i McWilliams was called on. He Sfiid: '“Oiv SmuTKy 1 don’t make any speeches.” “SMITHY” IMITATES ADAM. Somteone presented “Smithy’’ with an apple rjii the dais. “Give yon anj imitation of Adam,” said “Smithy” a, s he took a big bite. Later when the speecb-irtvking com-, mencedi, a young lady had her eye oih the cor© of “Smithy’s” ayple.and lifting it off the table, slue remarked, “Here, dad, put it in your pocket,” anr;| dad did. Dad will doubtless have that core dried and possibly grow a new brhnd of apple trees from the seeds of the apple that the jgalilant “Smithy” reflreshied himself with on his arrival on such a memorable occasion for Wanganui. AUTOGRAPHS. “Smithy” had hardly set foot on/ the dais when a. young lidy handed him a card to be autographed. “Can’t bo done just now,” said the genial Smithy. “If we start that now we will never get away froanj the grounds. Call round later at the hotel ,a,nd we will wear out our pens autographing for you,” addled the airmen. v 1 WANTED TO KISS. |f’ ;V ' A, lady • at Westmero % wanted to kiss v “Smithy”and* it j>was fjnot her fault i. that-.* she missed, f- * They police and. others.A were trying? to get Smithy .out; of a motor-can and the ladyjwjis doing e her best from the’ running board to/get her dips ; in [direct striking range ;Of the I Tasman' flier, when a burly constable ’ picked her up and carried her aside and? gee, wasn’t the lady wild. '. , M „. ■ /■ i ' 'vV. NOT ACCEPTED. $ " V'i, '» k - '• ' > V * \ r'D - ■■ “Going to • church ! to-night, ‘Smithy’ H”|chlledout- a man in the crowd opposite thle:v'dalis.( '“Smithy” | turned in the direction-’’ of the) voice j and with a genial smil e shook’'" his head. I SUSPENDED. I At the lower end of-the grounds at Westmere is a barb-wire fence, and tb© said fence was responsible for solme .amusement for motorists and others on the road. A young lady in tiying to tiike a, shcirb cut through the fence got caught by the

seat of her bloomer's find stuck fast, while another lady friend! laboured gallantly to relieve her from her embarrassing position. At last either a piece of the bloomers or the barb gjwo way and the ladies scurried Under the neighbouring trees, glad of a moment’s quiet seclusion. Ai MUD COATING. Dad, Ma, and the family arrived at Westmere in a car covered with mud. Dad and Ma had a liberal share of it, for they liud evidently come through a quagmire from the backblocks, but they were happy to bo there with the crowd to welcome the airmen. As it passed Inspector Fear the latter could not help laughing at the amount of mud the motorists wore (carrying. Ma also smiled at the inspector ,and gave him a cheery wave of the hand.