LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

i 1 Pipe Band at Otairi | The Horowhenua Pipe Band ! visited Otaki on Saturday to play at the garden party held in the Sanatorium grounds. Ceptenarian Passes '1 Mrs. Syoella Margaret Watts | has died at Cambridge in her 106th jyear. Before coming to New Zea- ; land in the ship -Cairgorm nearly 83 'years ago,- Mrs. Watts travelled i extensively in England and the ' Continent. Her husband, the late John Ross Watts, was an officer in 1 the Armed Constabulary stationed i in Hamilton in the sixties and i seventies. A son, the late Mr. J. C. ' R. Watts, founded a prominent , Morrinsville business 35 years ago. { Marching Championships It was menuoned by Mr. J. R. MacFarlane at Friday night's meeting of the Horowhenua Marching Association that as there was now a ibody in the district affiliated to the New Zealand Marching Association, the New Zealand and North Island marching championships would be held by the. local association when its turn came round. With teams participating frpm all over New Zealand, Levin, as the centre of the association, would have a large influx of visitors for the occasion, and it would do much to further : place Horowhenua "on the map." I Successful Dance ; | The grand mystery dance held ' I on Saturday night to raise funds 1 for the Caledbnian and K2B.H. ! marching teams5 proved onerof the most popular funetions of its kind held this year. No less than 230 couples were present and spent a jolly time. With numerous novelty dances, the climax of the evening ! came when the lucky lady and gentleman were called upon to ;open their mystery parcels, which 1 contained a dainty* hand-worked jseven piece supper set for the i former and a ciit glass seven piece water set for the latter. The Horo- ; whenua Marching Association will ! hold a further dance in the Regent IBallroom on December 14. Pilot Killed in Crash :j Ronald Marcel Arthur, the Marlborough Aero Club's pilot instructor, lost his life on Saturday afternoon in an aircraft crash near Omaka aerodrome. Mr. Arthur was flying one of the club's Tiger Moths and was engaged in aerobatics. He had just pulled out of a spin when the plane seemed to go into another spin from which it failed to recover. It burst into fiames on hitting the 1 g round and was completely destroyed before any assistance could be given. Mr. Arthur, who was aged 29, was married and had two children. He was engaged by the Aero Club last September after lengthy service in the R.N.Z.A.F., latterly as ; pilot with the Catalina squadron in ; the Pacific. Band at Levin Farm Last evening the Levin Municipal Band, under the conductorship of |Mr. G. R. Lester, visited the Levin i Farm in Kimberley Road and renj dered a programme of music, which included several Christmas carols. The music was erijoyed by the young- men, who accompanied the j band during the playing of the 1 carols, and who also sang the ; chorus of the march, "Sttssex by the iSea." At the conclusion of the programme the boys' thanks were ' extended to the band, and thr'ee ,hearty cheers were given. Supper [.which was provided by the officer : in charge, Mr. Guy, Mrs. Fraser, who had come on duty especially for the occasion and other members of the staff, brought an enjoyable evening to a close. Marching Teams Popular j That the public is taking a keen linterest in the girls marching teams was shown on Saturday evening, when a large number of citizens lined the route along Oxford Street to watch the teams march at intervals from opposite the post office. to Ihe flnishing point in Bath Street. The Caledonian team 'proved the winners with 53.i points, While the K-B-H. team wa$ awarded 47£ points. The judge at the commencement of the march was. Mr. John Corry, while Majpr G. K. Bunce awarded the, points for the remainder. The marching of both teams was favaurabiy ' commented upon, by both judges. After beinf informed that the teams had only 14 hours of practice, Major Bunce, said he wished soldiers could march as well after their. first two days of instruption.