People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18985, 3 February 1930, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

How Sportsmen Change Their Games : Nightmarch At Dunedin : A Flying Reminiscence : Coincidences In Shipping : Copying London s Capers

NIGHTMARCH, the winner of the Melbourne Cup, will be favourite for the Hazlett Gold Cup at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday week. Nightmarch’s owner, Mr A. Louisson, is credited with being a very lucky man, because the pricp at which he bought Nightmarch, a thousand guineas, was regarded as a very good price, particularly after the horse’s first race in his new owner’s colours.

Mr Louisson in his young days played bowls rather successfully, and as a member of the Christchurch Bowling Club some thirty years ago played in the rink that won the final of the New Zealand championship. This rink was skipped by Mr W. Barnett, who does not play bowls now, but still takes a keen interest in the game, and is closely associated with the Christchurch Club as the donor of the Friendly Bowl for annual competition between the Christchurch and Wellington Clubs. The other members of the rink were the late Mr A. V. B. Bishop, and Mr H. N. Nalder, who, if he is still alive, will undoubtedly retain a keen interest in the game.

The team that Christchurch beat on that occasion was a team from the Taieri Club skipped by the famous player W. Carswell who, though now a veteran, is still prominent, as he showed by his successful play in the recent Dominion tournament. Another member of the Taieri team on that occasion was A. Dickson, who came to Christchurch soon afterwards, and has .since been a member of the Christchurch Club. The match in question went on to the twenty-second head, and was won by Christchurch on a measure. ? V Sydney “Bulletin”, which is just celebrating its jubilee, contains a reminiscence by A. G. Stephens of Harold Grey and Victor Daley: “Grey had lodgings in an undertaker’s yard, where he noticed a hearse with horses attached made ready for a funeral, while the driver had gone to get a preliminary drink. The almost inseparable Daley was sent to borrow a friendly hotel’s dinner-bell, and Grey took his seat on the box, picked up the reins, and started the horses out of the yard, with Daley beside him mournfully tolling the dinner-bell. They drove down Hunter Street to the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ office, where Grey stopped his horses and began intoning the old London plague cry: ‘Bring out your dead! Bring out your dead! ’ Daley hopped off the box into the ‘Herald’ office and purchased a copy of the paper, which he solemnly deposited within the hearse. Then, with Grey wailing and Daley ringing the bell, they drove along Pitt Street and up King Street to the ‘Daily Telegraph’ office, where the procedure was repeated. and a copy of the ‘Daily Telegraph joined the copy of the ‘Herald’ jn the hearse.”

The “Bulletin” office in Sydney is most dilapidated, a typical old-time wooden newspaper office. Will the owners mark the jubilee with a new building?

A T last the oarsmen of Christchurch are to have a weir in the river, but even then the water will be quite safe as far as an occasional immersion is concerned. But curiously enough, oarsmen have never been known to swamp in the river, at least Mr F. D. Kesteven never remembers a case. The water is too smooth for such mishaps to occur. The Avon is wide enough over the last mile of the course' for two boats to row abreast, but an eight can hardly negotiate the turns. Whether they will have new experiences negotiating the weir is a question. They do these things differently at Home. Eight members of the Dublin University Rowing Club had narrow escapes from drowning when their boat was carried over the weir at Island Bridge, on the River Liffey, and dashed to pieces. The river was in flood, and with great difficulty six of the crew managed to get to some islands while the other two clung to the weir. A fire engine and two ambulances were rushed to the scene. Lines were thrown to the men on the weir, and they were hauled through the swollen waters to safety. Meanwhile the firemen obtained a boat, and with difficulty rescued the men on the islands. It became dark while the rescue work was going on, and the head lights of the fire brigade car were used to light the river.

5? JHE fact that the ship Mermaid arrived at Lyttelton four years running in the first week of January reminds Mr W. H. R. Dale, a contributor to the Old Colonist columns of the “Star,” of a coincidence in dates in his own life. He arrived in Lyttelton by the Egmont, a full rigged ship (Captain Gibson), on December 23, 1856. It was 72 years later before he saw Old England again, and on his return to New Zealand he arrived in Lyttelton on exactly the same day of the month, December 23, 1928. On the first trip in the Egmont notable passengers were Bishop Harper and the late Mr J. M. Heywood.

QF & the “bright young things” of Christchurch are doing their utmost to achieve, acquire or imitate the fads and crazes of society at Home. During the present tennis season a number of well-known girls have consistently defied convention and made a practice of appearing on the courts without stockings. A few days ago the first local “treasure hunt” was held after long and careful preparation, and the guests who chased thin clues at night in motor-cars pronounced it a Gorgeous Thrill. Now the fashion has spread to suntanned backs. At the river yesterday (we will not say which, in case of a rush of sight-seers next Sunday) several_ prominent young ladies, accompanied by escorts, enjoyed a dip and then undid the straps of their bathing costumes, flopped face-down on the sand, and exposed bare backs to the rays of the sun. The result was a good, healthy glowing brown that will assuredly cause much envy when set off by the frills of low-cut dance frocks during the coming winter.

TT IS SURPRISING how many men who have gained distinction in one form of sport reach some eminence in a different line of sport later in life. How many people know that the late Anthony Wilding was a Canterbury representative cricketer, playing for Canterbury in the same year as his father, Mr F. Wilding, K.C.? And “Pa” Wilding, of course, was a notable tennis player, and wielded a racquet up till a couple of years ago, when he and his son, Mr Frank Wilding, won the final of the Law Society’s annual tournament. Tom Reese, who won the Championship Cup of the Boys’ High School in 1885, was once a prominent Rugby player. His career as a representative cricketer extended over thirty years, and he had the unique experience in 1918 of playing in the same Canterbury representative eleven as his son, D. W. Reese. Between times he was a crosscountry runner, and now he is a successful bowler and golfer, and at the Dunedin Tournament, just closed, was in the only Canterbury rink to reach the final eight. ejjj? IVT ANY other instances come to mind. Tom Chambers, once a Canterbury representative, is now a prominent bowler and croquet player. Harry Wilson, a famous fullback for Canterbury, represented Hawke’s Bay at cricket, and for some years now has been a very successful bowler. Wally Pearce, a New Zealand representative cricketer and Merivale footballer, is now a member of the Edgeware Bowling Club. H. C. Ridley, Canterbury representative cricketer, is now a bowler. Jimmy Lawrence, a famous batsman who played for New Zealand, has been champion of the Richmond Golf Club. E. J. Ross, Canterbury representative cricketer and New Zealand tennis doubles champion, is now a notable croquet player. Charlie Garrard, a fine Canterbury cricket and football representative, is now a good bowler. Of the younger generation, we have 11. B. Lusk, New Zealand cricketer and New’ Zealand golf champion; B. B. Wood, New Zealand golf champion and Canterbury cricketer. W. R. Patrick, New Zealand hockey and cricket representative, and Edgar Bartleet, ex-New Zealand tennis champion and Auckland golf champion. W ® 'J'HE growing air-mindedness of Wellington people, and the gift of an aeroplane by the “ Evening Post,” mark a considerable advance in the attitude of Wellington people towards flying. A certain Christchurch journalist recalls the fact that in the early days of flying in New Zealand, when the Bristol Fighters and D.H. 4’s arrived at Sockburn, he wrote an article which he submitted to a Wellington newspaper pointing out, incidentally, that the new machines would be capable of flying to Wellington from Christchurch in two or three hours. The article was declined on the ground of its improbability. Now a light aeroplane does the journey in two hours and three-quarters, and nobody shows the slightest surprise. How soon will it be before an air mail is established ?