HASTINGS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 43, 24 October 1891, Page 516

HASTINGS.

(Delayed in transmission. ) Beak Bee, October 2. We have been having quite a gay time lately what with one thing and the other, and one entertainment was of a very novel character. It was a big dinner given in the Town Hall by the Hastings Farmers’ Association, and was a grand success. Everything on the tables was of local produce, and the numerous and varied dishes were delicious, one and all. Of course I couldn’t taste all of them, but I heard the enconiums passed on them. I couldn’t tell yon the names of all the dishes either, but I must mention one * joint ’we had. It was called a barron of beef, and was enormous—in fact, so large that a dish had to be made specially for it. What do you think of that ? I believe it is the first barron of beef that has ever been served up at Hawke's Bay, if not in New Zealand, so oughn’t we to be proud of Hastings. It shows what a go-ahead place this is. 1 didn’t taste any of the beef, but was told it was very good. The carvers were kept well employed. I always pity the carvers at a big dinner. They have no sooner helped everybody and are trying to get a taste themselves, when up come the plates again. Amongst other good things there was a very pretty iced cake, not an ordinary cake, but something quite new. I believe it was made at McGlashan’s. There were all sorts of drinkables, all of local produce, but I heard it whispered there was no whisky. There was a very large number of people present, and the fun waxed fast and furious, especially as the night wore on. The speeches were some of them too funny, and so good, especially Mr Alick Lean’s. He made a capital speech, and Mr Minden Fenwicke, too, was very good. He replied for Messrs Nelson Bros., and was applauded to the echo. Amongst those present I noticed Mesdames Hobbs, Tyreman, Wellwood, Sheath, Blake, E. D. Smith, Price, Caulton, and the Misses Clark, Wallace, Dennet, and a number of other ladies ; also Messrs Hobbs, Tyreman, Fenwicke, Pinckney, Lean, King, Galwey, Wellwood, Vickerman, and several others.

Immediately following the dinner, at least a few nights after, there was a gymnasium ball, which was held in St. Matthew’s Schoolroom, and was undoubtedly a success in every sense of the word. It was at first feared there would not be enough people to make the ball a success, but it turned out that such fears were groundless, for the room was positively as full as it could be of dancing people. The music was very good. When I tell you we had Newbould’s string band the name is sufficient. There were very few wallflowers, for the men predominated by a good many. It is a treat to see that at a ball, and I must say we are very fortunate in that respect here. The supper was laid in a marquee, and the dishes looked so inviting nestling among the leaves and flowers and pretty fairy lamps, and the good things tasted every bit as good as they looked. The room was very prettily decorated, and the floor was perfection. The general opinion was that Miss Luckie was the belle. She looked so nice and so handsome in a blue spangled gown with flowing angel sleeves ; Miss May Chapman also looked very pretty in white ; Miss Dennett also looked very charming; her gown was most becoming. Amongst the guests I noticed Mesdames Hobbs, Tyreman, Wellwood, Sheath, Brooke, Taylor, Roach, Knight, Bennett, Beilby, and the Misses Percy (2), Chapman (2), Clark, Wallace, Kelly, Dennett, and several others. I have so much to tell you about this time that I cannot describe all the gowns. Miss Percy wore a very pretty black gown, and Mrs Blake an exceedingly handsome black broche. The dance was kept up until a late hour, and one and all agreed it had been a most delightful nail, and hoped there would be another next year. The energetic secretary, Mr F. Roach, deserves a word of praise, although he is here no longer, I believe, and has gone to Gisborne to help to get up dances there, amongst other things. Mr Murdock gave a reading of his new play in St. Matthew’s schoolroom. It is composed by himself, and is called ‘ The Fourth Estate.’ It was exceedingly good. The piece abounds with amusing bits, and is very cleverly written, to say the least of it. We are looking forward to seeing it produced at no very distant date. Among the audience invited to hear the reading of this piece we noticed Messrs Barnard, Galwey, Loughnan, Smith, Fraser, and several others. It was listened to most attentively throughout. We believe Mr Barnard is to be one of the performers when the piece is produced, and he is known to be very good at that sort of thing, so we may look forward to a treat.

To turn now jto sporting matters, I am not very well up in racing, Bee, but I know enough to be able to take an interest in anything that is going on in that particular line. Mr Gollan left us a week or so ago, and has gone to Australia with his trainer, Mr Percy Martin and eight of his valuable horses. I hear the animals caused quite a flutter in racing circles in Wellington, and the wharf was crowded with spectators while these interesting animals were being got on board. Ido hope they will render a good account of themselves. It seems such a long way to take them, it would be a thousand pities if they disappoint their owner and their backers. How proud we Hastings people will be if one of our Hawke’s Bay horses wins the Melbourne Cup ! Next week I shall have a lot of interesting news for you, Bee. I know you like to hear about all that is going on.

Dear Bee, October 7. I promised to tell you all about the gowns worn at the races, and shall just have time to write you a short account of those worn on the first day. Those worn on the second day and at the show must come into a future letter. The first day of the races broke gloriously fine : indeed, a more lovely day could not have been made to order, and so beautifully warm, just suited for the most ravishing spring toilettes. It would have been impossible to have worn a thick gown without feeling very uncomfortable. By the time the first race started an immense crowd of people had assembled on the course. The scene was most gay, and the course itself was like a glimpse of fairyland, especially when luncheon was going on. The different tables under the willows, and the varied colours of the ladies’ costumes must have struck most people (at any rate, those who are lovers of nature) as a scene not easily to to forgotten. Now for the costumes. Mrs Ormond was there from Napier ; she wore black, with black bonnet trimmed with gold stars. Her two daughters were with her. Miss Ormond wore a pretty claret and fawn

figured delaine richly braided with claret-coloured braid, hat to match ; Miss Ada Ormond (who looks very well after her trip up country), white cashmere gown beautifully embroidered with pale pink and grey, cream hat with cream poppies ; Mrs Captain Russell, black gown, black bonnet ; Mrs Herbert Russell (from Turanui), black gown trimmed with white silk, black boat-shaped hat with white silk trimmings and black feathers; Mrs Arthur Russell (Palmerston North), green figured delaine, half vest of white silk, the green coming in folds from it to the other side, green velvet bonnet with lovely spray of what children call one o’clocks—those pretty feathery things they blow and tell the time with ; Miss E. Williams looked so extremely well in a lovely heliotrope gown trimmed with white embroidery; the insertion on the skirt was put lengthwise, and in the distance looked like stripes, three-quarter fawn cloak, exquisite white hat trimmed with cream feathers, and tied with pretty narrow si rings under the chin. I did admire the wearer of this gown. Miss Russell, to my mind, wore one of the most ladylike costumes there. It suited her admirably— pale grey, or rather dovecoloured gown, three-quarter cloak of same material, and pretty small black toque trimmed with white silk (an elegant costume); Mrs Vickerman also wore a very neat and ladylike gown ; it was navy figured delaine with cut-a way jacket, high Medici collar, perfectly tight-fitting white vest, and tiny bonnet to match ; Mrs Moore looked very handsome in a lovely fawn gown checked trimmed with brown velvet, small bonnet of brown vel vet, ruby flowers; Mrs Kettle, dark green gown trimmed with green braid, white hat, cream poppies ; Mrs Logan, greychecked tweed, very stylish brown straw hat trimmed with brown velvet ; her sister, Miss Taylor, also wore grey tweed and small black hat; Miss Shaw, handsome fawn gown, small hat; Miss Maud Shaw looked very nice in a navy gown, cut-a-way jacket, and pink and white striped shirt, Tom Tug white sailor hat; Miss Greenwood looked well; she is from Christchurch, and wore navy gown, black jacket, black hat with black pompoms ; Mrs Loughnan, fawn gown, terra-cotta vest, white hat trimmed with wheat-ears and lace. Two ladies, strangers, I noticed, one in black and white striped skirt, three-quarter cloak, and black hat with tiny white flowers, narow black velvet strings; the other lady wore black gown, black hat with strings ; Mrs Hoadley, pretty grey tweed, black hat, pink poppies ; Miss H. Hitchings, fawn gown, white bonnet; Mrs Sainsbury, very stylish grey and blue tweed, tiny bonnet ; Mrs Balfour looked so well in her handsome navy and black costume, smart little bonnet ; her niece, Miss Barton, wore a cream gown, cream three-quarter cloak, and small boat-shaped hat.

I cannot say I like the three-quarter cloak for girls ; it is all very well for married women, and it certainly makes them look older, but, of course, we have not all the same taste, most fortunately. Mrs Coleman wore an exceedingly handsome gown of black corded silk ; the front was of pale lemon silk, with fine black lace over it, exquisite black and gold bonnet ; this was one of the handsomest costumes worn ; Mrs Pat McLean, blue checked pongee, waistcoat of darker blue braided with gold, hat to match ; Miss Dixon (who always looks nice) also wore a blue gown, and white hat with cream trimming ; Mrs Gordon, fawn gown, white hat with narrow yellow velvet, cream feathers and yellow strings ; Mrs Harry Smith (from I’etane), fawn gown, black and gold hat; Mrs Joe Rhodes, fawn gown, black hat with yellow trimmings and flowers ; Miss Milly Rhodes, prune tweed, white hat with yellow; Mrs Donnelly looked extremely well (she always does) in black skirt, white shirt, black jacket, white chic hat, navy band; Mrs Fenwick wore a most elaborate white costume trimmed with pale blue chiffon, small white bonnet with forget-me-nots ; her sister, Miss Wilkins (from Auckland), wore a similar costume of grey figured delaine with grey silk sleeves and sash, small bonnet of pink roses ; Mrs Luckie, brown tweed, brown bonnet; Miss Luckie looked very handsome in fawn gown, fawn toque ; Miss Cotterill, rosecoloured figured cloth, small toque - shaped hat; Miss Bowen, fawn gown, hat to match ; Miss Raine (Christchurch), fawn gown, green and yellow ruchings, fawn hat with feathers; Mis Gore looked so well in her wedding gown, I presume, of fawn, trimmed with white silk and gold braid, tiny white bonnet, exquisite white sunshade ; Miss Moss, Dolly Varden gown with sage-green trimming, white hat with strings ; Miss Dennet, cornflower blue gown, small hat; Miss Gilpin (Havelock), white frock, white hat.

Dolly.