A CAVE OF DELIGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20476, 30 November 1934, Page 8

A CAVE OF DELIGHT.

Real Alice in Wonderland > to Visit City. STAYING AT HEATH’S. A real, live Alice, straight from Wonderland, wants to meet all the children of Christchurch on Monday afternoon. Of course, she won’t be able to see all of them then, but, so that everyone can meet her, she is staying here till after Christmas. She invites the children to come to Death’s on Monday afternoon, at 3.30, and on any afternoon after that, and meet her in Wonderland. She will show them all her friends of the famous book, and then, in her lovely cave, will distribute presents all round. To make the visit more remarkable still. Death’s have arranged for the Mad Hatter to come to the party ; and last, but not least, Santa Claus will arrive at 3.30 on Monday afternoon to welcome Alice’s friends. Santa’s coming will be something of a mystery, for he will appear out of thin air. There won’t be an aeroplane or a balloon, either. All this will take place in a wonderful basement below Beath’s new building at the corner of Cashel and Colombo Streets. The basement is packed with toys of all sorts, and just to see these is v/orth a visit. Tuck Shop Pleasures. A special attraction in this basement (which is more like a wonderful cave) is a tuck shop, where one can buy all manner of nice things. Children can buy with their pennies ice creams, cool drinks, and all the things they like best to eat. There is a specially low counter for the very little ones, and a higher one for their big brothers and sisters. All round the walls are the familiar Alice in Wonderland figures—the Mad Hatter, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat complete wuth grin, the Caterpillar, the Dodo, and everybody. Behind the tuck shop, the mad tea party decoration is appropriate. To add to the effect, the girls behind the counter will wear fluffy Alice dresses. But at the end of the basement the best part of all will be found. A big, hollow tree trunk in the wall leads through to an even more wonderful wonderland. Here, on parade, are lifesized moving Alice in Wonderland characters. The Duchess tosses the howling baby in the air, the frog butler bows to her as he delivers his message, the king waves his sword, the Mad Hatter gesticulates madly, and the somnolent dormouse bats a weary eye. Presents From Alice. Further on, Alice and the Mad Hatter themselves are waiting in Alice's grotto, where flower gardens and real trees make a veritable fairyland. Here Alice will give out her gifts to every lucky boy and girl who visits her. And boys won’t get a girl’s present, either, because Alice has seen to it that all the hundreds of parcels have been wrapped with distinguishing labels, so that big and small girls and boys will get the right kind of gift. There has never before been anything like this Wonderland in Christchurch. It is too good to miss. Even father and mother will want to see it and explore the delights of Alice’s cave. To get to it, children (and their parents) should go into Beath’s from the new entrance in Colombo Street, turn to the right, go down a flight of stairs—and there you are. Santa Claus will be waiting at the bottom with greetings, and then you are free to wander about this paradise.