People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20614, 15 May 1935, Page 6

People and Their Doings .

An Incident of Mr G. W. Russell’s Electioneering in Riccarton Women Who Play Professional Billiards Daily : Quaint Ceremonial at Banquet in London To-day.

JJILLI ARDS has become one of the most popular pastimes with the women of England and America. Walter Lindrum, champion of the world, who is at present visiting Christchurch, said to-day that women’s billiard • circles had been established in all the main towns of England. In the last women’s championship tournament ovei 2000 players took part. There were four women professional players, who were fully occupied in their craft. They would easily beat the best amateur playing in New Zealand to-day.

Three of these women. Misses Ruth Harrison, Joyce Gardner and Margaret Lennan, played professional matches every afternoon and every evening of the week. They had a fine degree of skill and made breaks up tc 200 and 300. Another notable player was Miss Thelma Carpenter, a pupil of Clark McConachy. She was -woman champion of the world, and had a beautiful style of play in nursery cannons and top of the table billiards. It was likely that one or more of the English women players would visit Australia next year.

Lindrum added that in America billiards was almost as popular with the womenfolk as tennis and golf. Scores played in competitive matches in Broadway circles every day.

W © W 'J’O -DAY five Princes of the House of Windsor are to attend a banquet at Vintners’ Hall, headquarters of the company which for many hundreds of years has rejoiced in the name of “Ye Antient Mysterie of Vintners of ye City of London.” The guests are the Prince of Wales, the Dukes of York, Gloucester and Kent, and Prince Arthur of Connaught, and their visit will commemorate the “ Feast of the Five Kings ” given in 1363 by Sir Henry Picard, Master of the Company, when Edward 111. of England, David of Scotland, John of France, Waldemar 111. of Denmark and Amadeus VI. of Cyprus were the guests. There will be abotit 50 guests, all men, and, as in 1363, there will be five

cheers, one for each Prince, while the ancient custom of the presentation of cygnets to the Master (the Earl of Athlone) by the Swan Warden will be observed with its age-long wealth of ceremonial. $$ ® 'J'HE SWANS that frequent the upper reaches of the Thames are owned in part by the Vintners, the two owners being the King, who is “ seigneur of the Swans,” and the Dyers’ Company. The ceremony of presentation begins in the middle of dinner, when the guests hear distant music. Then the doors are flung open and quaintly garbed bandsmen playing reed instruments march in, followed by the Company’s swan herdsman and the two assistant herdsmen, six swan uppers in jerseys and white ducks, the Beadel, the Stavesman and. finally, accompanied by his standard bearer and two cooks bearing the roast cygnets on high, the Swan Warden gowned in Tudor clothes. The Swan Warden seeks the acceptance of the Master of the roast cygnets and the Master replies, “ Let them be served, Mr Swan.” There were Vintners of London organised as a corporate body in 1205, and it is probable that the foundation date of the Guild was at least a century earlier. But it was not until 1363 when the Feast of the Five Kings was held that Edward 111. granted to the Mystery of Vintners, by Patent, the exclusive privilege of trading for wines in Gascony. W @ ® CIXTY YEARS AGO (from the “Star” ° of May IS, 1875) : Timaru, May 14. —The wrecks of th(? barque Cyrene and brig Princess Alice were sold for £275 and £505 respectively; 8700 sleepers in the Cyrene fetched £950. City Guards.—At the last genera! meeting of this corps, it was decided to give a cup, value £lO 10s, for competition between the headquarter members and the St Albans contingent.

T ADY DOBSON, who celebrated her 100th birthday on March 30. died last week at Greenwich House, Irving Road, Toorak, Victoria. Her husband, the late Sir Lambert Dobson, was for many years Chief Justice of Tasmania, and was several times acting-Governor of that State. Lady Dobson went to London after his death in 1898, and lived in England for thirty years, but three years ago she returned to Australia. and until her death lived with her two daughters, Miss M. Dobson and Mrs E. Hopgood, at Greenwich House. When she reached her centenary on March 30. Lady Dobson received a cable of congratulation from the King and Queen. The message, which was sent from Buckingham Palace by the King’s private secretary, was: “ The King and Queen are much interested to hear that you are celebrating vour 100th birthday, and send you hearty congratulations and good wdshes.”

3$ THE DEATH of Mr Joseph Taylor, the dairyman, last week recalls an incident in the election campaign in Riccarton when Mr G. W. Russell defeated the Hon William Rolleston by one vote. In those days there w’ere no motor-cars and campaigners went to their electioneering meetings on foot, horseback or in a gig. Mr Russell was due to speak at Riccarton and duly arrived on horseback. He tethered the horse in a yard at the back of the hall. While the speaker was holding forth inside, Joe Taylor and two others, one of whom is still alive, w’ere busy with the whitewash brush outside. At the end of the meeting, great was Mr Russell’s surprise at finding a white horse yarded where he had left a bay. “ This is not my horse,” he cried. “ Someone has stolen mine and left this.” Eventually someone let him into the joke, and Mr Russell rode home, appreciating the trick that had been played on him.