SOLDIERS' CLUB ROOMS

Waikato Independent, Volume XLII, Issue 4001, 13 May 1942, Page 3

SOLDIERS' CLUB ROOMS

AN IMPOSING BUILDING EXCELLENT PROGRESS MADE Cambridge will have good reason to-be proud of its Soldiers’ Club Rooms, which are now in the last stages of renovation. The building, f once hidden behind a tangle of trees ■ A and shrubs, now stands out as a xnost imposing edifice, on a commanding rise in Empire Street. An inspection of the building gives some idea of the immense amount of work that has gone intq its replanning. The effective use of wall- >■' board and panelling in the interior gives it the atmosphere of an entirely new building. Among the amenities of the club already installed, is a very fine fullsized billiard table and a piano. ' An extension at the northern end in the form of a sunny room will /give the caretaker most comfortable consisting of three living rooms, kitchen, and bathroom. Complete Transformation The transformation 1 brought about by a careful replanning of the grounds, the repainting of the building, and the removal of superfluous structures at the .back is now evivdent. The fine sweep of the concrete steps leading up to a pillared entrance is most Painters are at present at work on the outside of the building,’ and tan artistic colour scheme is planned. It is proposed that the low concfete wall will be terra-cotta, with ■ green sweep of lawn rising above it. The walls of the building will be cream, with the windowsills and doors are grefen. ,The roof will be red. Womenfolks’ Interest The importance of obtaining the interest in the club of the mothers, Wives, and friends of soldiers, both of this and past \yars, has been realised, and the co-operation of the ■ League of Womenfolk of the ov<"*seas forces is being sought. Facilities for entertaining and for lady, visitors to the club 'have also been studied. ,( Relatives of soldiers who lost their ;NHves in the war of 1914-18 haVe expressed a "desire to be linked in some way with the club. One has offered to donate a piece of furnir; ture in memory of a brother who \vas killed at Gallipoli. Many others, ho doubt, wish similarly to express their interest in the club. Another suggestion that has been made is the erection of a double honours board, on which the \ of those who lost their lives in the present war will appear 'alongside of those who did not return from ihe last war., , .i :rr ”.V "—" ' ; OPENING IN PUKEKOHE . PARALLEL WITH CAMBRIDGE \ Last Saturday saw the official opening of soldiers’ club at Pukekohe, and details of the amenities offered by that institution, particularly. to the men returning from ’ the present war, should be of interV ‘ est in Cambridge, where a very fine club is now in the final stages of organisation, as can be seen from • the above details. “It takes an old soldier fully to realise the needs of the young warrior, and great is the pity that the advice of veterans of the first Great t War is npt more readily availed of.’’ ■i (says the “ Franklin Times ”). “ Old \ soldiers knew what the young men needed here, and they went about providing it in their usual unobtrusive way. v “In their efforts to furnish the rooms thev enlisted the assistance of the public, and, further, received it. The club rooms, to say the least, H are decidedly cosy, and a credit to u those responsible for the arrangetfiments. They are much appreciated i by the men for whom they have been Some of the Facilities “All facilities and conveniences have been included. They comprise a writing room where at least half " : y~ a dozen can be accommodated at one time, a card room, complete with ‘ four tables, a ping-pong room with fable and equipment, and a spacious lounge fully furnished and complete with piano. “There is also a kitchen-server, where hot water is available always. This is complete to the minutest detail, and would do credit as a modern kitchen. In addition, there is a cloak room, a room for the lady assistants, and a telephone box for use by the men. “ There is an electric heater (two in the lounge) in every room, while there is a wireless set in the lounge i and one in the card room. Every *~'room has coconut matting as floor covering, and this certainly adds an atmosphere of cosiness. As in Cambridge,, where the generosity of Messrs S.P.N.D., Ltd., pro-

vided a suitable building, the premises at Pukekohe were given free of charge by Messrs Roulston Bros., and the furniture was donated by the people of the town. The Mayor of Pukekohe (Mr M. R. Grierson) officially declared the club rooms open. ‘V,