FEATHERSTON NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6225, 1 May 1899, Page 3

FEATHERSTON NOTES.

(From Our Dim Correspondent). Saturday. The Maryborough Ladies Gymnaslum Club, held a social in tho Martinborough Town Hall on Friday erening. which was a very pleasant gathering. Between forty and fifty couples were ' present. Dances intorspersed with songs were the order of the evening, dancing being kept up till tho weo sma! 'oors of tho morning.

On Saturday Mr ff. C. Chatfield, architect, of Wellington, very kindly explained to me tlm plans of the new grand stand which is shortly to be erected on the Tauhcrenikau racecourse. A grand stand which I may state would bean ornament to any club's grounds in New Zealand. The club is * be congratulated on the progression ! that they havs made, and a word of praise is justly due to Mr ff. E. Bidwill, through whose perseverenco the erection of a new stand is mainly due. The new stand is to be erected farther back than the old one to as to give a greater depth to the frost of the lawn. In front uf the new stand there will be a terrace raised to seven feet in height; this will have a sloping Jawn right down to the straight, The terrace will be 12ft. wide and 51ft. long, and from this tho people will ho able to walk into the main gallery of tho stand. The main gallery will be 77ft. long with a depth of 30ft„ and will bo reached by four sets of wide steps. Tho effect of the sloping lawn will be that those sitting in tbe main gallery will be able to see oyer the heads of those standing on tbe sloping lawn; thus enabling oyery one to obtain a good view of the course. Leading from the main gallery will ♦be the ladies' retiring room, which will be a room 20ft. square, haying also a lavatory and every modern convenience; in fact, very special attention has been siren to this point. each end of the terrace will be a stairway leading to the 'top gallery, which stairway is so arranged that people can get to tho top gallery from the main gallery without haying to go

outside of the building to do so. The

lower part of the grand stand will eon- > tain a public dining room, which will be 50ft. by 30ft. At the end of the stand near the saddling paddock will be the public bar, this being 50ft. by 27ft. In the rear of the public dining room is tlio Stewards dining room, which is 21ft, by 2(ift. Arranged in a convenient position is the kitchen, which will be fitted up with every requisite, so as to enable the Club if necessary to cook everything wanted; attached to the kitchen is the pantry, store rooms, etc. Jhe kitchen is mado to serye the Stewards and public dinin? rooms, while tbo public bar will serve both the dining rooms. The drainage and water arrangements have been made a special feature. The building will cover an area of fifty-three feet by eighty feet, the total height being thirty-six feet. Tlio whole of the ground floor will average fifteen feet in height and will bo of concrete. The stand will accommodate over ono thousand people and the lawn another Miiand. Tlio wliolo building, from plans, will bo of a very substantial and attractive description and,

ss is usual with Mr Chatfiold's work,

reflects great credit on the architect, In t • conclusion, I may state that in designing the stand Mr Ohatfield has made a 1 ' point of studying the convenience of the public.

On Friday, a man named li. Cook was sentenced to six months' imprisonment >with hard labour, for stealing of a suit of clothes and other articles.

Sir Gr. Williams, of Maryborough, has sold his coaching business to Mr E. Harris, of Masterton.