THE MAYOR’S PICNIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16327, 17 January 1921, Page 5

THE MAYOR’S PICNIC.

PLEASANT OUTING AT PIGEON BAY. Heavy rain prevented some of the invited guests irom attending a picnic given by the Mayor and. -.Mayoress to members of the City Council’s staff and their friends at Pigeon Bay on Saturday, but between seventy and eighty, who were not deterred by the unfavourable weather, had a very pleasant time, in spite of tli© showers. Thk> party left Christchurch at 7.55 a.m., boarded the Harbour Board's tug .Lyttelton, and were taken to Pigeon Bav by Captain Thorpe, harbourmaster. Mr A. Goodwill, a resident of the bay, was waiting for them at the wharf with a team of eight bullocks and a dray. They crowded on to the novel vehicle, and had an interesting ride along the shore of the bay for about half a mile to the public hall, which was made headquarters. Over it flew a New Zealand ensign, presented to the residents by the Mayor, and flown on that occasion for fcho first time. The Mayor motored from Christchurch to Pigeon Bay. His chauffeur timed the journey so well that bis car drew up at the wharf almost at the same time as the tug, and he was greeted with hearty . cheers. The day was spent mostly in playing games, singing and dancing in the hall, and in a visit to Mr Goodwin’s woolshed and to his beautiful garden. A small party of bathers had a. dip in the shallows at the head of the bay. There was morning tea on arrival at the hall. Fundi was served at 11.30 a.m-, and there was afternoon tea at three o’clock. The tug was boarded again at | 5 p.m., -and the 6.'20 p.m. train to | Christchurch was taken at port. j Amongst those present were :—Mr and I Mrs Goodwin, Mr J. Hav. Mr E. Hay, Mr H. R. Smith (Town Cleric)-and Mrs Smith, Mrs Holmes (president of the Harbour Lights Club), Mr J. S. Neville (Assistant Town Clerk), Councillors A. Williams, IT.- T. Armstrong and E. ELangiey, Captain Thorpe and Mr E. Hitchcock (City Electrical Engineer). Mr 0. B. Thacker, of Okain’s Bay, sent an apology for absence. At the luncheon, the Mayor, in proposing the toast “ Pigeon Bay and its Inhabitants,” said that the gathering bad established a precedent. He referred to the late Mr E. Hav, the first settler in the bay, and to the family’s enterprise and to the risks they took j and the dangers they encountered, and discussed changes at thb bay since the | speaker’s boyhood in 1833, when most of Banks Peninsula was covered with forest. Mr Goodwin, he said, was a descendant of one of the oldest families in the bay. He was chairman of th'e Power Board, that supplied electrical current to districts on the Peninsula. No other place in New Zealand showed such enterprise in asking for electricity and in trying to do things for themselves. He hoped that, when this, public hall at Bay was officially opened, residents of Christchurch would be able to pay Pigeon Bay residents a surprise visit. (Laughter.) “As you and yours have done so much for us and ours,” he said in conclusion, addressing Mr Goodwin, " when we and ours have it in our power to do for you and yours what you and yours have done for us and ours, we and ours will do it for you and yours.” Mr Goodwin, responding, welcomed the visitors. He said the* Town and Country did not see enough of one another- Country people were clients of the town people. Every trade in the town had taken many five guineas from country people. Every time country people went to the town it was to spend money; and town people could not spend money at Pigeon Bay, as there was no occasion for them to do so.' If there was a tearoom at Pigeon Bay, strings of mot-ors would go there like ducks all through the summer. He was pleased to hear the Mayor say that no other Power Board had pushed its business like the Peninsula board. It in tended to give the Department no peace until lights were shining all over the Peninsula. The Peninsula board went one better than the City Council, as it made a rule that the man on top of a hill should pay no more than the man on the flat land, while the City Council discriminated against a man whose house was more than a certain distance from a path. As country people made great functions in the town successful, ho hoped that the town people would see that the opening of the Pigeon Bay Town Hall in April next was a great success. “ The Ladies ” was proposed by Councillor Williams and responded to by Councillor Armstrong. Captain Thorpe responded to “ The Captain, Officers and Crew of the Tug.” and Councillor Langley proposed “The Press.” “The Mayor and Mayoress,” proposed by Mr Goodwin, was honoured enthusiastically, and Dr Thacker replied. The following are the results of the sports:— ; Ladies’ potato race—Miss Hampton. Men’s potato race—C. S. Walker. Thread-the-needle race—-Mr and Airs H. S. Helmling. Whistling rac© —Miss D- Helmling and T- S. Blakeley. Driving competition, blindfold—Miss M. G. M’Kenzle, driving C. S. Walker; time, 17sec. Smartest and best-looking single lady —Miss L. Hampton 1, Miss M. Nelson 2. Placing the eve in the pig—Married ladies, Airs Holmes: married men, B. S. Knox 1, J. S. Kelly 2. Waltzing competition—Alies E. S. Jarman and B. S. Knox. Mr Knox organised and supervised the snorts. Alost of the prizes were provided by the Mavor and Airs Thacker; Airs H- R. Smith provided the prizes for the driving competition and for placing the e.vo in the prig: and Air C. B. Thacker provided prizes for the smartest and best-looking sing]© ladies.