SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1275, 2 November 1911, Page 9

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

A Surf Club. The Maranui Surf and life ■ Saving Club's ladies' branch ,has found a strong supporter in the club's president, Dr. A. K. Newman, who has notiiied the secretary that he heartily supports the increment of' the organisers to give ' ladies equal facilities with the men to learn swimming and the methods of life-sav-ing. Dr. Newman has promised a trophy to be competed for' at the end of the present season by the ladies of the club, and his action might well be emulated by others interested in the welfare of Wellington women. The club's lady membership now stands at close upon GO. A_ benefit night has been arranged at the King's Tlieatro on .November 17 in order to obtain funds for adequately accommodating the ladies' brancn at Lyall Bay. Tickets are selling exceptionally well. A Fortune in Stamps. A Sydney lady who for many years past has been an ardent collcctor of usc-d and unused postage stamps has suddenly found herself wealthy. Her lather, who at ono timo held a position in an English bank, had for many years been a collector, and when lie came out to Sydney in the early sixties he continued his hobby till his death, 20 years ago. He left his daughter a trunk full of stamps, and from that lime to the present she has added to the collection. A visit to the stamp exhibition, which was held in Sydney last week, convinced her that the trunk contained a fortune of no smal dimensions.. Learning that the overprinted .Fiji stamps, which were used by the Gilbert end Ellice Protectorate prior to the establishment of an independent post oiiice, were worth from A's to £" a set, she realised that in this variety alone she had quite a respectable fortune. The result was that an expert was asked to valuo tho collection, which has been ■ roughly, estimated at several thousand pounds. It is expected that when a more detailed examination is made the value will be found to he quite .£6OOO of .£7OOO, bat tho lady resolutely refuses at present to place the stamps on the market.

Sale of Work at Brooklyn. A largely attended ."-ale of work, in aid of t.he Brooklyn Presbyterian . Church funds, was opened "yesterday afternoon by Mr. R. A- Wright. M.P., in Fullford's Hall at Brooklyn. Tho liov. Mr, Hudson introduced Mr. Wright to these present, and after the opening ceremony a great amount of business appeared to to transacted. The hall had been decorated with /lags and coloured drapery and a bright-ly-coloured toy stall covered with tho fascinating things that children love gave ,-a very Christmas-like air to the placed Tho stalls were in oharge ~o£, tho following:—Plain work stall, tho Ladies' Guild; fancy work stall, Mrs.Teaze; produce, Miss A.. Pat&rgon, with assistants; toys and woodwork,' Mrs. A. Purdie; siveets, Mrs. D. It. Kennedy; flowers, Miss Cockerill; tea room, Ladies' Guild; sideshows, Y.'M'. Bible class. In the evening an enjoyable entertainment of musical and other items was given. The sale will be continued this afternoon and evening.

Bazaar at Johnsonville. As attractive a bazaar as lias been seen in the suburbs of late was opened at Johnsonville last .evening by llr. J. P. Luke. M.P. Its organisers were the congregation of St. John's Anglican Chnrch. who are intent on adding to the fund which they are raising with-a view to building a vicarage. ' There" was a good attendance. Mr. Luko congratulated the vicar, tho Rev. F. H. Petrie, on tho fine effort on the part of his parishioners, assisted by'their friends of the district, which had resulted in so good a display. Tho stalls, all of which were tastefully filled and decorated were allotted as follow:—Plain stall, Mrs. Petrie; fancy stall, Mrs. Bethuno; produce, Mrs. Pickin; confectionery, Miss Cook; flowers, Mrs. Bould; books, Mr. Patten; dolls, Mrs. Hall; refreshments, Mrs. Clifford; various bran tubs, etc., Miss Allen; shooting gallery, Mr. Grierson; hidden treasure, Mrs. Grierson. The able efforts of Mr. Bethnne (treasurer) contributed notably to the success of the. bazaar. St. Paul's Salo of Work. The yearly epidemic of sales of work appears to be raging furiously just now all over Wellington, from its centre to tho most distant suburb. After many months of leisurely, peaceful toil; tho moment for capturing the fancy and the pockets of a sophisticated but dutiful public has evidently arrived, and with ono accord tho church workers are rallying to tho cause in a most unsparing fashion, probably most unsparing of all to themselves. So many happening at once, or at least so. close together m tho matter of time, cannot, one would think, but make somo difference regarding the matter of their financial success. And yet, one is told not so. :.ay tho annual-salo of work in connection with St. Paul's parish, Thorndon, itas opened by Mrs. Sprott, and a great variety of goods of all descriptions was offered to those intending to buy. Much of the sewing was really beautiful and well , worth acquiring. Ono of tho features of tho sale was the baakot stall, covered with baskets of all shapes and sizes, and presided over by Mrs. Mostayer (by whom they were made) and Miss Mostayer. - Tho fancy stall was in the charge of Mesdames Fitchett, Larnach, Harty, and Miss Brandon; tho plain work stall, Mrs. J. W. King, Mrs. Knowlos, Mrs. Morton, and Mrs. Bridger; produce stall, Mrs. ShirtclilTe, Mrs. MacEwan, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Anderson, Miss Scaton, and Miss Dvmock; the sweet stall (with most delightful home-made sweets), Mrs. C. Richardson, assisted by Miss Wise and Mi.ss Richardson; jumble stall, Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Burton, and Mrs. Price; flower stall, Miss Chitty; Christmas Tree, Misses O. Kombor, Oswin, and Jones; bran tub, M isses Stockman and O. Welly; tea room, Mrs. W. Blundell, Mrs. Walker, and Mrs. A. Dixon, assisted by the .Misses Wilson, Jenkins, and Barraud. Here there were also for sale most toniptinglookin" homo-made cakes that found no lack of buyers.

An enjoyable entertainment organised by tho members of tho Church of England's Men's Society was given in tho evening. The sale will be again open this afternoon and evening.