Wanganui Festivities

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 87, 13 April 1938, Page 3

Wanganui Festivities

WANGANUI can definitely look forward to a bright Eastertide. In accord with usual custom the holiday atmosphere will be fully availed of by young and old. Last year a record influx of visitors to the city made Ihe celebrations outstanding. This year the indications arc that the records of the past will easily be eclipsed. Firstly, the New Zealand rowing championships have been allotted to Wanganui, and will be rowed on Easter Saturday. On Easter Monday the interprovincial eights will be rowed, and will be followed by the inter-island eights. On the afternoon of Easter Monday there will be the secondary schools regatta, so the Wanganui River will definitely come into its own this Easter.

Secondly, the holiday will afford, as it always has done in the past, opportunity for Old Boys of the Wanganui Collegiate School and their friends to gather at suitable reunions. Old Boys will come right back into the atmosphere of the school again, some of them travelling hundreds of miles to do so. They will recall the past, renew school acquaintances and make fresh resolves for the future, the whole programme for the occasion being a merry whirl of social activity leading up to the Old Boys’ Ball in Big School.

Although Easter comes at a time when it is usually too hot for winter sports, yet on the cold side for summer pastimes, the general trend is towards the. more vigorous types of game. Rugby will not be forgotten and the major attraction in Wanganui will be Ihe inter-club tournament promoted by the Wanganui Pirates Club, in which teams from Wellington, Palmerston North and Hawke’s Bay will be taking part. Scores of visitors from those centres will be in Wanganui on account of that alone.

Indicating that there is a generous mixture of summer and winter sport evident at, Easter, however, it must be borne in mind that the 'Wanganui Bowling Centre is promoting its annual tournament. Most encouraging entries (54 rinks) have been received and fine weather is all that is needed to make the tournament a success.

Good Friday is the only day in the year on which Wanganui tramwaynicn can observe a full holiday, and on this occasion a, tramway picnic is to be held at Raorikia, upriver.

A glance at the special train time-table arranged by the Railways Department indicates that ‘Wanganui will indeed be a special centre of attraction this Easter. Some eight or nine special train services have been advertised, all intended to bring people into the city. There are as many services arranged for outward journeys.

Easter time is a time for happy brides, and Wanganui will be to the fore with its quota of marriages. The shops will be equipped with everything a modern bride needs and the city will present a gay picture when everything is on display.

It would be well for intending shoppers to note carefully the holidays to be observed in Wanganui during the Easter festivities. Shops will be closed all day on Good Friday. On Easter Saturday morning some shops will be open and others closed. Grocers’ premises will be closed all day, but those shops governed by the Retail Shop Assistants’ Award have the option of keeping their premises open on Easter Saturday morning. If they do elect to do that they must observe a full holiday on the Tuesday after Labour Day. All shops will be closed on Easter Monday and will re-open on Easter Tuesday.