Ashurst Notes

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 31, 23 August 1888, Page 3

Ashurst Notes

(from OUR correspondent." The new Hall was opened with great eclat by an entertain meat, given by the Ashurst Christy Minstrels and Dramatic Club, on Friday, tbe 17th. The entertainment consisted of songs and choruses, interspersed with the usual dialogues and jokes. Mr Emerson singing a song evoked an encore he could not deny, and so replied with " Cod liver oil," his rendering of which produced a burst of applause. The Dramatic Club presented two farces — " The wrong woman in the right place" and " Bounce." In the first piece, four characters are represented : the master, mistress, a nigger man servant, and Hanna the cook. Mr Saunders, as master, was the right man in the right place ; Mr Jennings, as the jealous wife, was natural and taking ; Mr Dooley made a good " man" ; and Miss Nellie Craven, as Hanna the cook, took care of her character very effectively. In " Bounce," Mr Crabb was a masher as " the agent between employers of professional talent and professors," and Mr Dooley, as office E boy and general "chucker out," in get up and acting took the audience by storm. „ The opening was a decided success, •- about 200 persons beiug present, and Ashurst may be congratulated upon the possession of a very fair Dramatic Club and place of entertainment. At the dance about 20 couples *■ enjoyed tripping the light fantastic toe, and we kept it up till about 4 o'clock in the morning ; but I fancy *- the absence of spirituous liquor from the list of refreshments, supplied on such occasions, would in no way detract from, but rather ensure a fuller ~ enjoyment of tbe pleasures of dancing, f The Hall is 52 x25 ; will seat 200 ; * has a shop at the side of the front for the caretaker ; studs 12 feet; a convenient stage ; drop curtain ; and will [ shortly have dressing-rooms added at the back. Better provision might have been made for ventilation, and o the doors should be altered without delay. At present the entrance is by rather small double doors, opening 1 inwards ; and, in case of a fire, a j block at the door would be disastrous, while the windows would let no one out. The doors should be made to open outwards in a small recess, or slide into the walls on either side. We are pleased to see that tenders g for the Pohangina Railway bridge are called for, and expect its burlting will be of greater benefit to Ashurst than rr the Gorge works have been. A good many enquiries are being _ made respecting the loan for No. 6 f ward. Some ratepayers are wondering if it is ever coming, and if the roads are to be made this year at all. If they are to be made it behoves the ° Board to have everything in readiness so that the works can be started with* ~ out delay as soon as funds are avilable. "