People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 579, 8 October 1932, Page 8

People and Their Doings.

Which is the Oldest Building in Akaroa? : Mr A. Selwyn Bruce will Publish his Reminiscences in November : Fascists Praise the Gentlemanliness of Tennis.

r pilE DESTRUCTION BY FIRE of an old house at Akaroa, occupied for some time by Miss M’Guire, removes a landmark opposite the end of the recreation ground that was very familiar to visitors. At one time the old house was occupied by Mr Wyn Bridge, one of two brothers, and later it was owned by aMr Callaghan. For many years past it had been used as a boarding house. It would be hard to say which is the oldest building in Akaroa. One or two places have changed hands. The old Criterion Hotel, near the Metropole Hotel, is now occupied on the ground floor by a fruit shop. It is not generally known that the house occupied by Mr Etienne Le Lievre, a charming residence on the waterfront just past the Bruce Hotel, was once Wagstaff’s Hotel, and even in those days visitors often parsed the entrance to the drive thinking that it led to a private house, for the bar was a lean-to approached by a bridge over the creek from the road that leads up from the waterfront by the side of the Bruce Hotel. W W © CIRCULAR sent out by the heads of the Fascist Tennis Federation to the captains of all tennis clubs in Italy extols the game as a school for good manners as well as for training in sportsmanship and physical development. Captains are asked to enlarge their membership by the reduction of subscriptions and the offer of special inducements in the way of terms and facilities. Young Italy is to be invited to come in on the “ new and intense activity ” that is about to be developed in Italian tennis. Clubs are asked to give a cordial welcome and encouragement to young newcomers of all social categories, since “ the traditions of education and gentlemanliness of tennis will encourage, in youth of modest social condition, that moral elevation which is one of the fundamental canons of the Fascist spirit.” WHILE STAYING AT BALMORAL, the King always buys a pair of Highland brogues. He rides into Ballater, the nearest village to his Scottish home, on his pony and enters a shop where the proprietor still makes shoes by hand. After his foot has been measured, the King stays smoking and chatting with the old man, who invariably remarks as his Royal customer leaves; “ Weel, I’ll clo ma best for your Majesty, but I’m making no promises, mind.”

jyTK a. SELWYN BRUCE, who has been a constant contributor to the Old Colonist pages of the Christchurch “ Star, will publish early in November a book on Early Canterbury from 1850 to IS7O. It will put on record much information gather- ■ j „ 1 .i:r„

eel during a long liie from the pioneers, and will lay particular emphasis on the rank and hie of the community in those days. It will contain many anecdotes covering some of Mr Bruce's contributions tc the “ Star,” and will be illustrated. Mr Bruce has had many opportunities of obtaining first-hand information o 4 ers, for his mother, whe lied four years ago, came out in the Sil jeorge Pollock, which was one of the ships that brought the lirst Canterbury settlers to New Zealand. Mr Bruce was born nol r ar from the “ Star ” office on a property in Gloucester Street which is still in the possession of the family. sS? <2? gIXTY YEARS AGO (from the “Star’ of October 8, 1872) : St Albans School.—At the last meeting o: the St Albans school committee it was decided to apply to the Board of Educatior for an assistant master and two more pupi teachers. The great increase in the num ber of scholars up to the present time ren ders this addition to the teaching powei very necessary, and it is anticipated tha there will be a still further increase during the summer. There are 271 children or the books and the average attendance dur ing the summer is computed at 250. Local Industry,—The tramway agitatior does not appear to have a very depressing effect upon the proprietors of vehicles nov in possession of the thoroughfares proposec to be traversed, for the capital invested v on the increase rather than otherwise. Mi Burlow, the owner of one of the stage car riages which have run between Christchurcl and the Papanui station since the openinf of the railway has, for instance, made costly addition to his plant, by the pin chase of a new ’bus built to order b) Messrs Barrett, Hudson and Moor, Whately Road. It is not long ago that we had tx notice a very superior vehicle of this kind built by the firm, and we have now quit* as good a specimen of local industry iron their factory to notice.

THE SUCCESSFUL theatrical advance agent can generally claim acquaintance with a long list of celebrities, and Mr Leo du Chateau, who is at present in Christchurch making arrangements for the J. C. Williamson season here with “ The Barretts of Wimpole Street,” is no exception to this rule. Pie has been associated with Kreisler, the members of the Sistine Choir and the Don Cossack Choir, with Erica Morina, the violinist; P'riedman, the pianist; Stefansson, the explorer; Sir Harry Lauder, whose 1923 tour of India and China he conducted; and Florence Austral, and he has just finished work for Galli Curci. Mr du Chateau’s own -performances will be remembered by Christchurch theatregoers of twenty years ago, but he gave up stage w’ork in 1910 when he was appointed representative for Clarke, Meynell and Gunn. lie is now living in Wellington and is very active in amateur work there. He produced five plays for the National Repertory Society during the first year of its existence. @ @ / 1 RE AT PREPARATIONS are being made for the forthcoming marriage, at Coburg, between Prince Gustaf Adolf, eldest son of the Crown Prince of Sweden, and Princess Sibylle, the elder daughter of the Grand Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. It is understood that as many as fifty-two of the guests will be of royal blood, and among these will be three crowned heads of Europe. Princess Sibylle is twent3'-four, and, like Prince Gustaf, who is twenty-six, is a greatgrandchild of Queen Victoria. When the Princess was in London last year she acted as bridesmaid to Lady May Cambridge, the Queen s niece, at her marriage to Captain Abel Smith, of the Ro3 r al Horse Guards. It is said that the Princess’s own romance began at this wedding, at which Prince Gustaf was one of the guests. & & /YNE of the most acceptable and unusual of the many wedding presents to Prince Gustaf Adolf, eldest son of the Swedish Crown Prince, and Princess Sibylle, of SaxeCoburg, is that made to them by the Swedish ski ing club. It is a cosy ski ing lodge at Storlien, in the province of Jaemtland. The Prince is an accomplished ski-runner as well as Sweden’s best horseman. Princess Sibylle is also interested in winter sports, and the couple are likely to spend a good deal of the snowy weather in their new cottage at Storlien, one of the principal Swedisli skiing centres.