RAIN MARS HOLIDAY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1935, Page 6

RAIN MARS HOLIDAY

SPORTS FIXTURES SUFFER

NORTH TARANAKI DRENCHED.

BIG CYCLE MEETING ABANDONED.

ONLY GOLFERS BRAVE WEATHER.

Rain spoiled Labour Day fixtures in many parts of Taranaki. For several years consecutively the good weather that usually characterises late October has broken to upset arrangements for one of the busiest sporting week-ends of the year.

Probably yesterday’s biggest disappointment, for New Plymouth people at least, was the forced abandonment of the cycling and athletic sports programme at Pukekura Park, which attracts a large crowd in good conditions. Yesterday a particularly attractive' programme had been organised. The only event decided was the St. John Ambulance competition for the Dr. D. E. Brown Cup. A drizzling rain made the turf impossible for other events, and in the afternoon disappointed officials decided to abandon the meeting outright. A Taranaki Alpine Club trip to Mount Egmont was spoiled by drizzling rain, though a number of small parties went for long tramps on the mist-shrouded mountain. The balance of the party, with 19 guests at the hostel, made the best of the weather's bad job indoors. Cricket matches scheduled for play in North Taranaki yesterday were abandoned, either after brief play or outright, though at Hawera a match was completed. The only northern sporting fixture not greatly interfered with was the Fitzroy Golf Club’s annual tournament and the North Taranaki championships on the same links. It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and the impossibility of holding outdoor sports—except golf—crammed the New Plymouth picture theatres to the doors at the matinee performances, and the houses were full again in the evening. HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL. A continuous misty rain spoiled sports at Stratford. Some of the hope that “springs eternal’’ encouraged the organisation of a number of entertainments in spite of a long and almost unbroken record of wet Labour Days, but the weather was again true to form and there was little interest in sport. Fairly early in the day there began a general exodus from the town to attractions elsewhere—particularly to the Waverley races. All morning a steady stream of cars passed through Stratford, and was swelled by a fairiy large number of Stratford ones. The trains, too, carried their share. They were few indeed who faced the steady penetrating rain to attend the sports meeting at Victoria Park, though the programme was completed. A match arranged on behalf of the queen carnival by the Stratford Golf Club had to be abandoned; only six men and no women arrived. A tournament at the Avon Bowling Club was not held and the opening of the Tariki Club was postponed until Thursday. Only at the Stratford green did there appear 20 enthusiastic bowlers who completed a pairs tournament.

The 21st anniversary celebrations at S. Mary’s school were continued, although the weather severely curtailed the day’s programme. Basketball matches between the old girls and the present girls were played in the afternoon. At Eltham, Hawera, Patea and Waverley the weather was not so wet and most sporting fixtures were carried through.