OFF TO THE BIG SHOW.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 16 March 1926, Page 7

OFF TO THE BIG SHOW.

JOYOUS HOLIDAY MAKERS. SOUTH CANTERBURY SCHOOL CHILDREN. No company of hunters ever set off with anticipated joy written more clearly on their faces than the eager, liappv throng of boys and girls, from the public schools of South Canterbury, who left Tiuiaru by special train at noon yesterday for the Dunedin Exhibition. There were 700 in all. The numbers from the various schools were published in last Thursday’s “HeraJd” and in addition to these, about a dozen from Waslidyke School also made the journey. Long before the hour of starting the pupils began to assemble on the station platform, all. eager to be on their way to th« big attraction. Anxious parents hovered round them to see that they were short of nothing and were fully prepared for the journey. It was interesting to note how many and varied were the devices carried for keeping the cold out arid the warmth in, and it would not have been difficult to imagine that some of the boys were setting out on a Polar expedition, though a bottle containing prettily coloured liquid protruded from at least one boy’s pocket, indicated that his knowledge of the best staying-power stimulant was not too good, especially when the weather was in such “raw and surly mood” as it displayed yesterday. Dunedin people would not hay© felt flattered had they been able to see the oilskins and other coverings worn to keep out the wet for which the southern Scotch city is noted.

The Railway Department penwrtted one adult to every ten children to travel by the> special train, and in cases where school teachers could not accompany their scholars some member of the School Committee went. All the arrangements were well planned and ' worked out with full satisfaction, and at,12.20, when the train moved out of the station it Lore as happy and as excited band of school children as ever left Timaru on pleasure arid instruction bent. By the relief express which left just prior to the special train, 33 pupils of the Timaru Technical School travelled. The. excursionists will return to Timaru on Friday next. The cost, to each, exclusive of pocket money, will be 30s lOd. The school chi'dren who came to Timaru from various places served by the Fail-lie line, arrived in Timaru at 10.20 a.m., and as they had necessarily to breakfast early they were given hot tea in the Caroline Bay Hall at eleven •o’clock, - this being served bv the Mayoress (Mr G. J. Wallace), Mrs W. Gibb, and Mrs A. Ttroreau. On the motion of Mr Wilkin (headmaster of the Pleasant Point District High School) the ladies named were heartily thanked, and the children showed their appreciation by adding three' ringing cheers.