Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 127, 31 May 1937, Page 6

Town Talk

Swimmers at Castlecliff Saturday’s glorious sunshine attracted a large number of people to Castlecliff Beach. Members of the Wanganui and Palmerston North Harrier Clubs, at the conclusion of their run, found the water tempting and the runners as a body made for the sea. They pronounced the water as refreshing. First Aid. Demonstrating the valuable work being done in Wanganui by divisions of the St. John Ambulance Brigade particularly at sporting fixtures, ambulance men and women at Gonville Park on Saturday afternoon, where a number of hockey matches were played, were kept particularly busy. Minor mishaps in the various games were frequent, but no players were injured seriously and the matches were not characterised by rough play. Cargo of Newsprint. Direct from Nova Scotia with a cargo of newsprint, the Britisn steamer Trelyon, a vessel of 5294 tons gross register, is expected at Wanganui, via Auckland and New Plymouth, to-morrow morning. The vessel will berth at the Castlecliff Wharf and is expected to remain in port until Thursday, when she sails for Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin, her other discharge ports on the New Zealand coast. Vessels with newsprint make periodical calls at Wanganui. Their cargoes are usually loaded at Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Holmdalc in Port. On her second visit to Wanganui as a motor-ship, the coastal trader Holmdale arrived late on Saturday night from Dunedin and way ports, via Picton, and berthed at the Town Wharf. The vessel brought consignments of general merchandise for local discharge and is expected to sail early this afternoon for Wellington and south. The Holmdale was recently converted from steam to Diesel machinery, Further cargo from southern ports is expected to-morrow when the Canterbury Company’s coastal steamer Storm arrives from Bluff and way ports. Activity at Airport. Large crowds were attracted to the Wanganui Airport on Saturday and Sunday afternoon to see the Western Federated (N. 1. Flying Club’s Miles Hawk. There was a considerable amount of flying yesterday afternoon, three Moths and the Miles Hawk being in use. On Saturday morning Mr. H. Lightband, of New Plymouth, called in en route for Wellington in the ZK-ABP. He returned from Wellington yesterday morning. During the afternoon the Moth ZK-ACF arrived from New Plymouth piloted by Mr. W. Stanton. A start was made yesterday with dual instruction in the Miles Hawk. Interest in Hockey. The tact that Wanganui holds the Nordon Cup, won recently in a match against Hastings, has increased the interes being taken in hockey, and the attendance at Gonville Park is becoming larger each Saturday afternoon. Fine weather last Saturday was an added impetus for supporters of the game to gather in full force. Country visitors from Kaiwhaiki and Kauangaroa are among the keenest of followers and attend the hockey matches in large numbers. On Saturday last the first round ot the Wanganui Association’s 1937 competitions was concluded and in the men’s senior A section three strong teams, Hinemoa, Y.M.C.A. and Wesley (last year s champions) are now equal. New Barge for Wanganui.

Lightering facilities at Wanganui will be increased in the near future when a new barge, specially constructed by Lowe and Son, of Auckland, arrives at Imlay. The barge left Auckland on Saturday in tow of the motor-ship Port Waikato and will be used for lightering operations with Home liners in the Wanganui roadstead. Built of three skins of kauri, the vessel is 70ft. long with a beam of 18ft. One hold runs the full length of the vessel, which has been insulated for the carriage of frozen produce. The barge is double ended and was built for working the Wanganui River and bar harbour. The vessel has a steering wheel and rudder, but will be towed when in use. Lowe and Son are to commence work immediately on the construction of a sister vessel. Three power lighters, the motor-ves-sels Tuirangi, Morning Light, and Thistle, are attached to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company’s plant at Imlay, and the addition of a new barge will greatly facilitate lightering operations at the port.