LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19732, 29 December 1926, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Holiday celebrations were responsible for the appearance yesterday at the Wanglanui Magistrate’s Court, of two men, on charges of drunkenness. Both were convicted and discharged.

A large number of visitors to Wanganui patronised the Cast 1 eel iff beach yesterday. No difficult was experienced at the various parking places

and the orderliness in backing in and out was a compliment to the parking methods and the assistance given by the various drivers.

There was an influx of visitors to Wanganui yesterday. Train after train, well laden, pulled in from Marton with a large percentage of young ladies and young men. The visitors, who are attending the annual Presbyterian Bible Class conference, will remain in Wanganui for some days.

The surf at Castleeliff has been conducive to bathing during the past few days. There has been very little swell and the breakers have been just right for plenty of fun. An undertow, which was apparent on Sunday, caused the fair sex to look askance once they had experienced the water, but the strong swimmers experienced no difficulty whatever. z

i A feature of the tine weather experienced this week was the display of 'multicoloured bathing costumes worn ■by the ladies at Castled !’ beach. The ■ popular fashion is the navy blue cositumc with awhile waist belt and buckle ’but some prefer jazzy colours. It was i noticeable that the jazzy looking costume with a white waist and buckle (but they certainly added to the gayness ; of the beach.

The background of beautiful scenery at St. John’s Bowling Club came in for the admiration of a large number of visiting bowlers yesterday. The whole of St. John’s Hill which runs behind the bowling green is at present covered with green .foliage which is a relief to the eye of the city worker and forms a breathing space for children and those interested in the beauties of New Zealand bush.

Now that the holiday season is well advanced, the appearance of tourists in travel-stained cars is an ordinary sight in Wanganui. Novel means of carrying luggage and equipment are evident in many cases and pedestrians in Victoria Avenue were yesterday surprised to see the heads of five dogs of various breeds protruding from a canvas carrier strapped on the side cl a car.

The registrations for the Presbyterian Bible Class conference have reached 728 already, and it is anticipated that at leiast about a thousand will register before the final total is reached. Yesterday morning between 200 and 300 young men and women arrived in Wanganui to attend the damp, coming from Auckland, Frankton Junction, and Taranaki. Further contingents appeared on the afternoon trains from Tlaranaki and Wellington.

The membership of the St. John’s Bowling Club has grown to such an extent that the club contemplates increasing the size of its holding. Negotiations are under way for the purchase of the strip of land between the present boundary and the railway line, and a magnificent drive will be built in the new property. The privet hedge which is growing behind the corrugated iron fence in Pitt Street is making remarkable progress, and the. club hopes to do away with the iron fence in less than two years.

The new bus service to Tayforth, inaugurated last week by the Wanganui Tramways Department, has been well patronised on the few trips so far made. Tayforth settlers are enthusiastic over the new venture, one declaring that she would be quite willing to pay a shilling for the journey, the stipulated charge for which is sixpence. The route covers a wide Area, land it is probable that the service will become permanent in the new year. Buses will be running to-day and on Friday, and possibly Wednesday and Friday will be known to Tayforth residents as “bus days” in the future.

The gusty wind which blew yesterday afternoon caused some rare fun at the Putiki rifle range, where the North Island championship meeting was in progress. Bullets dodged their marks with studied regularity owing to the vagaries of the elements. When the marksmen went down to the 300 yards for the Masterton match, a mischievous gust of wind carried nine hats back towards the 500 yards range with their various owners in hot pursuit. It was a greaV race. The owners won inside of 50 yards, and returned to the more serious business of hitting the bullseye.

The observation bus service run by the Wanganui Tramways Department is proving very popular. On Sunday two buses were filled and on Boxing Day and agtain yesterday afternoon three of the spacious vehicles were required to accommodate the passengers. The route covered practically encircles the city in a journey of twenty-four miles, and stops are made at Durie Hill to enable sightseers to climb the Memorial Tower and at Castlecliff for afternoon tea. A passenger on one of the buses yesterday remarked that the outing was most entertaining and instructive, and at the fare of 2s 6d he considered it a very cheap and comfortable ride.