SMOKE CONCERT.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12753, 28 March 1910, Page 3

SMOKE CONCERT.

The locaal bowlers entertained the visitors at a smoke concert on Saturday evening, the large room at the Masonic Hotel being filled to overflowing. . . Mr W...W. Squires (vice-president of the Nelson Club) presided, and in proposing the toast of "Visiting Bowlers," he spoke of the great pleasure it had been to the local players to see so many clubs represented at tho Easter gathering, winch was now regarded as an annual fixture.and quite looked forward to by the Nelson bowlers. He assured the visitors that they were much less keen about winning than they were to see the visiting clubs got good games and had a good time all round. Mr Chappell (secretary of the Maitai Club) endorsed the remarks of the chairman. His club, too, looked forward to the Easter play, and from the increased number of visiting players, compared with last year, it was ovident that tho visit to Nelson was popular. Tho toast was enthusiastically drunk with the usual musical honours arid Tesponses were made by Messrs Hamilton (Wellington Club), Shallcrass (Tliorndon), Griffiths (Blen- : heim), Chambers (Picton), W. J. Reilly (Takaka), Ching (Riversdale), ; and A. Sinclair. fMotueka). Mr Hamilton said that the Nelson tournament was unique in its way, and compared with the big Northern and Southern was quite refreshing. Two games a day were much preferable to a larger number, and the absence of trophies was no bar to keen play — ho had never seen a keener finish to a game than that of the same afternoon between Nelson and Thorndon. Mr Sballcrass regarded the friendly games as a pleasurable variation, but held that tho out-and-out tournament had its place, and was indeed necessary to make the game scientific and meet tho desires of the younger pla.yers. Mr Ching disclosed himself as an old Nelsonian, having resided here in the very early days. Mr Sinclair said that the Motueka Club hoped to have their green in good playing order by next season. They ha dat present forty members, all paid up, and ifc was expected to have a hundred by next year. Mr Reilly proposed the toast of "The Nelson and Maitai Clubs," Mr Burns, of Wellington, supporting, and giving some reminiscences of visits to Nelson in the old days, when cherry orchaixls were hospitably open to visitors. Mr Squires and Dr Wright responded. ..;■••"■■ The musical programme was an excellent one, arid a visitor, Mr Foster, , took his audieuco by storm, each of his two fcongs being encored. The other vocalists were Messrs E. Richards, B. Tasker, Whelan, E. Pratt, Riddell, Menzies, and Hintz. Mr .Norman. "Williams played the accompaniments, Mr Watson, a visitor, also accompanying Mr Richards on tlio flute.