ENDING A FINE WORK.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1579, 6 March 1919, Page 4

ENDING A FINE WORK.

LADY LIVERPOOL FUND GARDEN PARTY.

The Lady Liverpool Fund work, which has gone on for the past four and a-half years, has been brought to an honourable conclusion, and no more "buckshee" parcels bearing its stamp will go across the sea to cheer the hearts of New Zealand soldiers under foreign skies. The war is over, and one is only beginning to realise it by such things as this —the closing down of war organisations and the rapid return of soldiers.

! The Fund celebrated its retirement jfrom business by a garden party at Holly Lea yesterday afternoon, when a perfect army of workers put in an appearance, including representatives from all the branches that owned the Christchurch Centre as their head. Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool, whose appeal to the women of the Dominion resulted in the Fund being inaugurated, arrived accompanied by Mr E. Millton, and was received by the Mayor, Mr H. Holland, Mrs Holland, Mrs W. S. Bean, Mrs Way, and Mrs C. Chilton, the ladies being representative of the Christchureh branch of the Fund. Mrs Holland presented her Excellency with a bunch of very fine roses, in shades ef pink, cream and yellow: Her Excellency was wearing a graceful frock of black satin charmeuse, with a small square vest of white georgette, and a hat of navy blue tulle, with crown of gold tissue. Mrs Holland chose a crepe de Chine gown in a bright.shade of saxe blue, and a blue hat ornamented with feathers.

Members of the various branches were presented to Lady Liverpool by Airs Holland, and received a few graceful words of acknowledgment of their work. During the - afternoon she made a short public speech, saying how glad she was of the opportunity to be present, and to meet representatives of the Fund. Her time in Christchurch was not long enough to afford the opportunity for a visit to each centre, much as she would have liked it, therefore this occasion was very opportune. During the past four years everyone had been working at high pressure, and now that the war was happily over, she wished to record her gratitude to the branches of the Fund, for the wonderful response they had made to her appeal over four years ago. They had worked splendidly and untiringly, and the signing of the armistice found them with their lamps trimmed and burning, ready to go on, for no matter how long a time. She especially wished to pay a tribute to the president, Mrs Holland. Anything she (Lady Liverpool) had asked of Mrs Holland she had received. Mrs Holland, her Excellency continued, had never once failed her, and she was very glad to have an opportunity of thanking her publicly. In conclusion, her Excellency again thanked the gathering for its splendid patriotic work, and urged members not to let the spirit of voluntary service, which had been so marvellously awakened, die. Mrs Holland thanked her Excellency for the tribute paid her, and, in "her turn, thanked all the loyal helpers who had made it possible for the work to be carried on.

Afternoon tea was then served, a number of Boy Scouts giving their services as voluntary waiters, a number of girls present also helping. A band played bright selections under the trees, and strolling about the spacrous and well-kept grounds in the sunshine," to a musical accompaniment, was voted a very pleasant way of putting in an afternoon. A group photograph, taken on the lawn, will be treasured by members as a souvenir of "what they did in the great war." The Fund representatives included:— Mrs H. Holland (president), Mrs W. S. Bean, Mrs J. S. Neville, Mrs Chisnall,' Mrs Way, Mrs A. W. Palmer, Mrs H. R. Smith, Mrs Gilby, Miss Haywood, Miss Orbell, Mrs Barker, Misses Sterieker, Daw (2), Bowers, Vincent, Mrs Taylor, Mrs Wyatt, Mrs A. F. Mickle, Mrs Clifton Bingham, Misses Crosbie, Mrs Carey Hill, Mrs Wyles, Mrs O'Loughlin (Christchurch), Mrs Priest, Mrs Maling, Mr Harper (Tfbaru), Mrs Hilgendorf (Lincoln), Mrs J. Cow (Tinwald), Mrs Sowden (Rakaia), Mrs Lelievre and Mrs Taylor (Akaroa), Mrs Crawford and Mrs Pogson (Nelson), Mrs Dailey (Waimate), Miss Barlow and Mrs Leithead (Sumner), Mrs Mitchell (Redcliffs), Mrs Nutting, Rev. and Mrs Reid (Dunsandel), Mrs Winsor, Miss Woodfield (Spreydon), Mrs Blackwell (Kaiapoi), Miss Shirteliffe, Mrs Merry (Addington), Mrs Haigh, Mrs Wilkinson (Loburn), Mrs R. Mcintosh, Rowse (Rangiora), Mrs W. Radcliffe (Lyttelton), Mrs Galbraith (Ashburton), 'Mrs McKee, (Chertsey), Mrs Morris, Mrs Gothard (Westport), Mrs Robertson (Kirwee), Mrs Hewlett (East Belt), Mrs Dalgety (Marshland), Mrs Christian (Bromley).