RHODES CONVALESCENT HOME.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16157, 11 March 1918, Page 2

RHODES CONVALESCENT HOME.

SUCCESSFUL FETE. The Rhodes Convalescent Homo fete, which lock place in the grounds of the Home on Saturday afternoon, was in every way an enjoyable and successful affair. The pleasant weather led a large number of people towards the Hills, and throughout the afternoon and evening crowds of visitors strolled about the charming grounds, or purchased liberally from the many stalls laden with attractive and useful goods, so liberally, in fact, that many stalls had reported "sold out" before the afternoon was well advanced. The produce stall, as is usual at fetes of this : ml, was particularly well patronised. In charge of this department were Mesdames l'olhill, Cotterill, Wynn-Williams, Scth-Smith, Douglass, Miss Bathgate, and Mr Douglass. _Miss 11. Tabart and Miss Dalgety presided over the fruit ' salad stall, * wnilr. the afternoon toa department was under the direction of Mesdames Richard Anderson, Brinkman, Andrew Wilson, Baxter, and Miss Fmdlay. Other stallholders were:— Art and fancy stall, Mesdames Templer, Garbet, and Cordner; sweets, Mesdames G. L. Donaldson, (Jaughle.v, Misses Kirk, Warrick, and Senior Lawrence; ices, Mesdames Stocks, Atkinson, and Forbes. i!n- addition there were numbers of smaller stalls and side-shows, such as

the "Fairy Well," an Indian dart game, rt "parcels office," and a large number of money-raisers in the form of guessing competitions and raffles. Of amusements there was a wide diversity. A Punch jtnd Judy show delighted the younger folk, while the Boy Scouts gave a jivj'tsu exhibition, anil the Anzac Givls action songs. The children of the J'klgcware road school also gave action Sjongs and danced a Maypole clance very charmingly. The Tramway Band played frequent selections, and in the evening the Auto Pierrot Troupe gave one of their most popular programmes. There were fifty-sis entries for the baby show, the entrants being divided into five classes. The winners were as follows:— Best under 12 months: Myra Crow (aged seven months). Rest baby bov: Vincent Ward Wood (aged five months). Best twins in show: Mrs Lawson'.s twins. Rest hoy or girl under two years: Robert Vill : ers Browning.

Rest baby: Robert Villiers Browning. The fete was formally opened by the Governor-General. His Excellency, with the Countess of Liverpool, was met. at tho entrance to tho grounds by Mr G. Jameson (chairman) and niemb'rs of tho Management Committee. In asking his Excellency to declare the fete open. Mr Jameson said that the Convalescent Home ivas serving a great part in the citv of Christchnrrh. It was erected in 1888 as a memorial tn the lato Mr R. H. Rhodes, father of Colonel the Hon. R. Ifeaton Rhodes. The building and grounds funds, amounting to £10,000, had been subsr ribed by tho widow and familv of Mr Rhodes. Owing to abnormal conditions,-tho income from the endowments, annual grants, etc., had not b?en sufficient, hence the present appeal to> the public was being made. Mr Jameson concluded by expressing tho Home officials' pleasure at the Tiresencn of their Excellencies, and 1 hanked all those who had helped to make the feto successful.

The Governor-General, who was heartily applauded, referred to the. generosity of the. Rhodes family in providing tho beautiful homo for the people. He hoped the public wonld -support the appeal of tho Homo Coiumittoe, and in this way show their appreciation oi the boon conferred l>v t'ho Rho.lps family on the people of Canterbury. Ho had much pleasure in declaring the fete open.

Hearty cheers were then given lor their Excellencies, and the Coantess of Liverpool was prrsentod with a lovely bouquet of purple asters. During the afternoon Mr G. M. Hill, instructor to the Canterbury Aviation Company, gave an exhibition flight, which aroused tho greatest interest and admiration.