BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1949 THE WINTER SHOW

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 1, 20 June 1949, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1949 THE WINTER SHOW

Wednesday afternoon is to see the official opening of the first Whakatane Winter Show for a number of years. Back of that little ceremony will be a story of trial and struggle by a comparatively small group of people who had. faith in the show and in this district —faith enough to keep the organisation alive through the war years and the even more difficult times since.

To these few in particular it seems timely to offer congratulations on the fact that several records have already been broken in the organising period for this show.

They have every right to enjoy the deepest satisfaction at seeing their refusal to accept defeat so splendidly vindicated. All that is needed now to make that satisfaction complete is a record attendance.

Whether or not that objective will be achieved depends upon the public’s appreciation of the effort that has been made for the benefit of the whole community. If every citizen will resolve to visit the show even once during its four-day season, this show will be the most successful ever held in this district.

And, considering the work the executive, organisers and offi.cials‘liave put into making this something of which the district has every right to be truly proud, surely the mere act of attendance is little to ask of those for whom all this has been done.

However, there seems little ground for any misgiving, if remarks one hears on all sides are to be taken at face value. It would seem, from the extent to which the show creeps into every discussion nowadays, that everyone intends to go and see it. Certainly, there will be plenty to interest visitors to the Winter Show building. Side show executives, shrewd pickers of where to find the crowds, have snapped up all the space they could get well-in advance. Trade exhibitors have broken all previous records for space buying, and entries in all sections have far exceeded expectations.

And, for the last few days, the common form of ‘au revoir” has been “See you at the Show.”