Town Talk

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 2, 4 January 1939, Page 6

Town Talk

Spanish Medical Aid. The treasurer ol the Spanish Medical Aid Fund has received an anonymous donation of *2s 6d toward the fund. St. John Ambulance. The secretary of the St. John Free Ambulance, Mr. D. E. Gullery, has received a donation of 10s from the Seventh Day Adventists in Wanganui. Bonny Glen Overbridge. The value of the overhead bridge which has replaced the Bonny Glen level-crossing was keenly appreciated by motorists proceeding to and from the Marton races on Monday and yesterday. The approaches to the bridge are being given time to consolidate before a sealing-coat is applied to the surface, but when this is carried out a sealed highway will be available over the 25 miles from Wanganui to Marton. N.Z. Clicks Congress. The New Zealand chess congress at McGruer’s Hall has now been in progress eight days, eleven rounds of the championship having been playeu. The premier reserve was finalised or. Monday night when R. G. Wade, of Wellington, the youngest competitor at the congress, was declared the winner. Two further rounds in the New Zealand championship still remain tc be played, the congress coming to an end to-morrow night. Forthcoming Regattas. Wanganui rowing clubs will shortly be selecting their crews for the Wanganui Rowing Association’s regatta on Saturday, January 21, the New Plymouth regattas serving as a good tryout for possible talent. The jury Cup inter-club regatta will be held on January 14 tne Saturday prior to the Wanganui event and will be roweu over the course finishing at the Aramoho boathouse. The Wanganui regatta will be held on the Calver's Corner course. “Dad’s” Night Oft. The Australian actor. Bert Bailey, inseparately associated with Steel Rudd’s great Australian character "Dad," to which he has given world recognition on stage and screen, who recently visited Wanganui with the picture "Dad and Dave Come to Town," obtained a great personal thrill from his Auckland visit. There were no pictures on Christmas Night, and “Dad” had a night off, which he spent in a reunion with his elder brother, Mr. Johnstone Bailey, a retired farmer of Wharepoa, Thames Valley, whom he had not seen for 40 years. Untoward Incidents. The concluding day of the Marlon Jockey Club's highly successful New Year meeting was marred by several untoward incidents in racing yesterday. In the first race, for amateur riders, one horse fell, but fortunately the rider escaped injury. In the principal race two horses fell, one gelling on the heels of a horse in front ana the other being brought down over the prostrate animal. The two jockeys escaped with minor bruises. One of the contestants in the second race did not participate in the race owing to its rider injuring a foot when his leg was crushed between two horses lining up at the starting barrier. Motor-Cars at Races. Twenty years ago little provision was made for the parking of motorcars at racecourses, but tne rapid development of post-war years ha., compelled racing clubs to cater tor patrons who attend in increasing numbers by car. Yesterday 800 cars were parked at the Marton course, though this total was about 500 lower than on the previous day. A similar decrease was noted al Stratford, where lhe 500 cars parked in streets adjacent to the course on Monday contributed to delay in getting cars away from the racing club's car-park. Some patrons found that it took them over an hour to get clear of the course on Monday. Piping and Dancing Wanganui pipers and Highland dancers were successful at the Feilding Caledonian Society's sports on Saturday and New Year’s Day. Wanganui successes were: —March (pipes): Pipe-Major W. Budge, 92 points, 3. Strathspey and reel: Pipe-Major W. Budge, 92 points, 1. Novice march: Piper L. Stewart, 80 points, 1. Open march: Pipe-Major W. Budge, 92 points, 1. Strathspey and reel (open): Pipe-Major W, Budge, 92 points, 1. Highland fling (open): Joan Peters 1. Sword dance (open): Joan Peters 1. Sean Truibhas (open): Joan Peters 1. The dancing events were judged by Mr. N. McKenzie Forbes. Activity at Airport. The Wanganui Airport experienced a busy time during the week-end when a number of cross-counlry flights were made in addition to passenger flying. On New Year's Day the three machines aggregated 20 hours’ flying. The cross-country flights during the week-end were to Gisborne and return twice by Mr. R. Fletcher, to Palmerston and return (twice) by Mr. A. Harvie, to Palmerston North and return by Mr. G. Rogers, and to Palmerston North and return by the instructor, Mr. H. L. Tancred. Yesterday a short visit was made to the Wanganui Airport by Mr. D. Campbell, pilot instructor to the Middle Districts Aero Club, who was flying a Tiger Moth. Traffic at Rangitikei Bridge. "Without the supervision of the traffic inspectors chaos would have resulted at the bridge over the Rangitikei River, at Bulls, during the holiday periods,” remarked a Wanganui motorist yesterday. The usual experience at this one-way traffic bridge on the main highway is that it can cany the everyday volume of traffic reasonably well, provided that motorists are prepared to expect a little delay. At busy periods, however, the traffic has to be controlled, and on Monday the inspectors had a particularly strenuous time. Hundreds of motorists proceeding to the races at Marton appeared to choose to leave Palmerston North or points south of Bulls at such a time that they arrived at the bridge in droves shortly after 11 a.m. The south-bound traffic was almost as heavy, and at one time the line of cars stretched on either side of the bridge for nearly a mile. Though there were minor delays the movement of the traffic was expedited with commendable speed.