Big Crowd Expected To Observe Christmas Even In Marton Tonight

Wanganui Chronicle, 22 December 1950, Page 3

Big Crowd Expected To Observe Christmas Even In Marton Tonight

Marton’s Christmas shopping peak is expected to be reached today—the last day the shops will be open before the holiday period. The past week has been a tiring one for those serving behind counters. The heat has been stifling and by 10 o’clock tonight shop assistants will be thankful when the doors close and four days holiday awaits them.

With both the Christmas and New Year holiday period coming at, the week-end, Marton shops will enjoy a longer break than usual. Eight of the next 11 days are holidays for most shops. When they close tonight, which is being observed as Christmas Eve, shops will not re-open until next Wednesday morning. They will remain open for three days and then close on New Year’s Eve at 9 o’clock for another four-day break before doors open again on Wednesday, January 3.

Broadway will be the Mecca tonight for town and country residents. Christmas Eve is always a memorable night for the children both young and old, and in expectation of a large crowd thronging Marton’s busiest thoroughfare this evening the Marton Borough Council has decided to close Broadway to vehicular traffic between High Street and Follett Street. The same procedure is being adopted on New Year’s Eve. If past Christmas Eves can be taken as a guide tonight’s celebrations are sure to be noisy but gay. Some firms closed yesterday for the holiday period and already several motorists have passed through the town with heavily loaded trailers and caravans, all seeking new pastures for the next few days. A greater exodus from Marton is ex- 1 pected at the week-end. Yesterday morning half-a-dozen cyclists, loaded up with camping gear and other paraphernalia, stopped for a brief spell in the town prior to continuing their journey. When shops close tonight, a comparative calm will descend upon the town for the next three weeks. Most offices close at 5 p.m. today and will not re-open until January 15. MARTON STOCK SALE A medium yarding of sheep came forward to a fair crowd of buyers from outside and local districts, report the N.Z. Farmer’s Co-op Company when commenting on the Marton stock sale. Prices for all classes of sheep receeded slightly in common with other centres. The line of medium early shorn 2 tooth ewes were passed at auction but later sold at £5 3s Od. Fat wethers sold as high as 59/- and fat ewes at 33/6. In the cattle section dairy heifers on drop realised £l6 5s Od while dairy heifers R.W.B. made £9 12s 6d. A small entry of pigs came forward but met with a good demand with weaners making 43/-. The fat geese penned attracted quite a crowd of buyers with prices ranging from 8/- t0.6/-. The following were the prices realised: 2 tooth ewes £5 3s Od, Fat and Forward 2 tooth B.F.’s 52/6, fat wethers 59/-, 57/-, Fat ew’es 33/6, 32/6, 31/6 to 30/3. Cattle: Heifers on drop £l6 5s Od, Heifers R.W.B. £9 12s 6d and £9 7s 6d. Pigs: Weaners 43/-. Geese 8/-, 7/6, 7/-, to 6/-. PROMISING YOUNG ATHLETE Highlight of the athletic sports meeting on Marton Park this week was the outstnding performance of the 17-year-old John Veal who won both the* senior sprint events. In the 100 yards, however, he deadheated with A. Palmer. Veal ran impressively in both events to cover the 100 yards in 10 2/5 sec and the 220 yards in 24 2/5 secs. He could have conceivably returned much better time for the last mentioned event had he been pressed. He won with ease. Veal capped a meritorious evening’s performance by winning the high jump with a leap of sft 7ins., thus registering a treble success. This promising athlete has been by far the most conspicuous performer at the weekly track meetings in Marton this season. On present form he looks like capturing higher honours. His record speaks for itself. He has not been beaten on the track this season. Four starts and four wins is a creditable performance. At the opening night he won both the 100 and 220 yards, but he was unable to compete at the second evening meeting. He made amends, however, on the third night by winning, as stated above both sprint events and the high jump. A cyclist who caught the eye this week was R. Hausman, who won both the one and two mile events and filled second place in the half-mile. He appeared to be riding in top form. Incidentally, there was plenty of interesting racing in the three cycling events and only inches separated the placed men. There was an improvement in the attendance of the public Tuesday night and provided the competitors turn out in the same large numbers as they have done so far this season, bigger public support is expected when the weekly meetings resume again after the holidays, on January 16.