QUIET NEW YEAR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 36, 4 January 1946, Page 5

QUIET NEW YEAR

LARGE ORDERLY CROWDS

PIPERS DO THE HONOURS

But for the fact that the Whak:}-

tane Pipe Band did the usual hon-

ours to the town by piping through all the shops on the Strand about 8.30 p.m. the late shopping night on New Year's Eve might easily have passed for any other Friday evening as far as Wbakatane was concerned.

Tire crowd was undoubtedly much larger than usual and from early evening gi'oups of young people bent on having a little fun or excitement commenced parading the streets with masks and carnival hats on. The arrival of the pipers brightened the scene, as the kilties broke

into a single long line and paraded through shop after shop there was certainly added life and activity to the scenes in the main street. Gangs of boys and girls attached themselves to the band and streamed

through the shop premises, dancing through the crowded footpaths and extending the season's .greetings right andi left. The momentary excitement died down with the dismissal of the band shortlj r afterwards and though the Boys Band helped considerably by rendering selections from the monument the street animation practically died with the closing of the shops about 9 p.m. For some time after wandering bands moved up and down singing, often to the accompaniment of stringed hoping to create a carnival atmosphere but even these die,-bardg became disheartened as time wore on and most of them disappeared to the New Year's dances either at King Street or Ohope. By midnight the town was practically deserted, and 1946 as fatas Whakatane was concerned received a very chilly and apathetic reception.

There was a different tale at Taneatua where an active committee saw to it that plenty of gaiety and fun was maintained in tile, main street until the 'witching hour' actually struck and when the New Year was greeted with cheers and halloos.

With the lifting of the war restrictions and with our town fast getting back to normal it is high time we commenced thinking of re} instating the wonderfully successful Carnival night and decorated vehicle procession which was held in 19-10, and was then abandoned on account of the 'black out.' Our Chamber of Commerce might devote its energy in this direction, not merely as a carnival night but as a proven busi.nesrs venture.