AWAY FROM SHOPS AND WAREHOUSES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 71, 17 December 1917, Page 19

AWAY FROM SHOPS AND WAREHOUSES

HASTINGS EMBROIDERY

Hastings is a beautifully embroidered town. One may leave tlio busy streets, where all and everything is bought and sold, and within live minutes or so bo pacing tliu lovely walks in gardens, of exccllont fancy, and treading tho sward of tennis court or smoothly-shaven bowling green. Tho writer was shown a few of the pleasant nooks and corners in and around tho city, which show to tho world that tho pcoplo know just as well how to relax as "to strain in tho traces of dull business." Two minutes' walk from Heretaunga Strcot South is as perfect a littlo oasis as a city beautifier could wish for. It is called Queen's Square. Jfc is only a small square, with n band rotunda as a centre-picco, and a few scats placed here and thero for comfort's sake—but what a littlo gem of its kind. Everything seems to grow so green in the district that perhaps this quiet littlo corner, with its velvet lawns and big shado troes, may not bo so heartily appreciated by permanent residents as it was by tho wanderer from tho woodblocks of tho Empire City. With a littlo orchestra of ten or a dozen players, to "tuno their lyres" in anything from a Mozart minuet to an Irving Merlin "rag" in that rotunda, as tho heat dies out of tho air of au oveuiug, and a well-filled pipe, many men ono knows woufd cry content.

Hastings has a fair estate, too, in ftbrnwall Park—a. nice domain of nleasant palm-flanked walks, boautiful garden plots, and acres and acres of jrass tennis courts, cricket and football grounds, ft lino extent of grass lands that ono day will bo a dream of irboreal benuty. Visitors aro pleaded ivitli not to judgo Croimvoll Park by Its cntranco gates, a rough paintlcss Daling gate, ricketty in construction md forlorn in appearance, Hastings is only waiting for some generous cjti!on to present the park with a fitting 'ate, one, for instance, as Mrs. M'Lean presented lona Collego with. Set fairly in tho contra of tho park, albeit in the moro uncultivated part sverlooking the cricket nnd_ hockey ;rounds, is a memorial fountain, which in inscription says was presented to ilio inhabitants of Hastings by J. L. Williams and -Mrs. Lucy Warren (daughter of tho late Archdeacon A. i. Williams), in commemoration of the xironation of Kin" Georgo _ V and Juoen Mary. Tho fountain gives forth no-water, and alas, is protected by au offensive square fence of wire. Tbo St. Leonard's Bowling Club's property is a good green in tbo "com'ng out" stage, whilst the sward on ;lto Hastings Bowling and Croquet 31ub's greon is as perfect as one would seo anywhero—a fino even mat of closeshaven grass, freo of weed, giving the bowls a freo run for the fiuest shots. The Hastings Tennis Club's courts (a round dozen in all), situate in Tomoma Road, were also a sight dear to ;ho eye of anyone who has evor handed a racket. And when it comes to racing—well, Hastings breeds racing stock "fit to ick creation." It is the home of racng in the lower half of tho island, md a whole colony of pretty cottages ittached to racing stables proclaim it i local industry of some magnitude ind close by—on tho south side of the mm —is ono of tho best equipped :ourses in the Dominion. This is not dly said. Tho Wellington district has lothiug to compare with tho Hawko's Jay Jockey Club's property. Its memjors fltand is a picturesque two-tier lonereto structure—really a three-stor-ed building—and not only aro thero ipproaehcs from tho birdcage, the back md tho side, but with great cousidera;ion a bridge, also of reinforced con:roto, loads from the top of tho stand ;o the side of the public stand,.a disianco of between 30 and 40 yards. Tho rablic stand, also of reinforced conirete, is commodious and up to date in (very respect, and the old lawn stand s now used as the outside stand. The grounds include a huge modern ciriiilar tea kiosk, a picturesque artificial ake, and far-extending lawns, garlens, and saddling paddocks. The ;racks are in good order for tho New fear meeting. With such a course so loar to tho town is it any wonder that Hastings is "horsey"? Up till, and including the prosent, ;he A. and P. Society has held its ihow on tho racecourse, and the show attings to some extent cumber the lenfre of the ground, but this will not bo for long, as the society has secursd grounds of its own, and intend to make them equal to anything of the [and in the island. A beautiful block of perfect park-land at Tomoana (two miles from Cisborne) has been secured for the purpose. Surrounded as it is with luige pine trees and poplars, which j give ideal -shelter and a picturesque background from any point of view, niem.grounds should have few rivals in the Island.