Weekend Chat

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 7, 23 January 1937, Page 17

Weekend Chat

COUSIN ROSE.

C0UNTRY AND , T0WN.

DEAa everyone, This is the time of year when— almost more than before Christmas — ■ people are talkiiig of travel. There is no dpubt that a holiday stirs the -im» agination and makes us resolve to go farther still next timo to see *the scenes our friends saw Which they have told us all abotit lately, when we haVe exchanged ideas on our holiday experiences. Just now there are gjreat nunibers of Hawke's Bay people leaving for England, for the English summer, the Coronation, and a more or less peaceful Europe makes travel very enticing. There are many New Zealanders wlxo envy the lucky ones who go. But who knows the thrift entailed before some of these travellers can eave enough moneyl With the present high wages single men and girls should soon be able to save enougth to go to England or wherever they wish. For those with small incomes it is hard. It Is so easy now to move about the world. A few weeks ago a girl said to me, "l've decided to g)o to England for a fortnight.') So off she went with all her clothes in two small suitcases,' and plenty of confidence ia the future, relying on H. V. Morton's travel books and her own common sense to get her about safoly. How different from the early days of New Zealand when pioneer families came out on sailing ships which took about six months to reach our country. Children often died on the way; there was the terror of not unfrequent mutinies and very brave hearts were needed to face the unknown perils of a new country with no homes, no doctors, no laws or police, no ordinary civilisation. An old book records what early' pioneer families frequently faced even As late as 1840; — "Like all English peoplo accustomed to substantial stone and brick houses, the new colonists euffered greatly from the cold in the thin wooden Bhanty given them for a home. The thatch and boards were 'quite pervious' to any shower of rain, the roof resembled a colander, and if rain camo on in the night the familv beds and clothing wero saturated. Ailments were common and the children's tepfh soon began to decay. For months they lived on potatoec and boiled wheai. with roasted wheat for coffee." This Is a true record of what many pionom ei-pe-itnced.

Letters to this cotumn from old people (or their descendants) who remember their own trlala will be welcome for others to read. Address all lettei's io "Cousin Rose." Here :s a letter from Christchurch sent for this column by a lady^wbo spefit many months in Napier: — Bear Cousin Rose. — I heard from one of the Christmas visitors to Napier how very pretty the new f ountain is and how very sunny and warm your Christmas Day was, wken many of the other towns in New Zealand had wet and cold weather. I was very much struck with Napier as a health and holiday resort during my long and enjoyable visit last winter. I do wonder has anyone thought of writing a short and well-illustrated guide-book to the many interesting and beautiful places in and around Napier, the various walks, long and short, in the neighbourhood, the motor runs and beaches, not forgetting places of culture and amusement, golf courses and tenni'S grounds for the fine weather, and sueh places as t*he Library, Musettm, Ghess Club, Badminton - Club and others fdr .the daTker eyenings and wet afternoons? Then, too, t.he churches and picture theatres, lecture and concert halls — Napier people know how and where to find these, hut visitors, especially those who are oniy spending a few day's or WOeks, miss much through ignorance ' that would double or treble the enjoyment of their visit. • - There is an excellent little guide to Hastings and it's surroundings drawn np -and illustrated by Mr Lovell-Smith. Something on the same lines with a plan of the town would be most useful in Napier. We had a very interestihg letter in our Christchurch "Press" recently from a tourist in New Zealand pointing out the difficulty tourists from abroad found owing to the lack Of good guide-books in the differerit towns. He pointed out that these Were obtainable * in coinparatively small towns In Britain and how helpful they were, especially where time in a place was limited. I quite realise that Napier people have had many serious problems to face Since the great earthquake and: their Tecovery has been simply marvellous. After all they have done to rebuild and beautify their city it seems a pity that any of its beautie^ and at traditions should be missed by any visitors, many bf whom cannot. like myself, spend such a long period, hunting out and getting acquainted with walks, drives, and places that a good guide-book could- put one in touch with in a week or two Wishing Napier a very successful tourist year. — Yours etc., "ONE OF NAPIER MANY LOYERS.'" • » • It would be very interesting to know how great a proportion of women over 30 years of age are really intCrested in dress. Under 30, and especially under 20. it certainly loomS large as a subject of importance to many. But surely after 30, moit women, ev«®

though they like to look nice, would prefer to be able to get the clothei that suit them without much thought. Oue pities the father Of daughters and no sons who has to listen to "dress" talk. Richard King puts the matter well when he says, "I bow my head and take off my hat to the woman who can dress well without, a§ it were, makiiig " a perpetiial anthem _ of her under-garments ; but I feel like kicking, my hat down the length of the street before a woman whose whole mind ia absorbed by what she shall wear, or shall not wear, and what other women are wearing; how she is looking; how she can hide the ravages of the years. A due proportion of this anxiety is oniy natural, but the woman who makes of it an ' idee fixe.' is a dreary proposition. " • • • • Dear Cousin Rose,— It is comforting to know that. though a morniiig paper in Hawke's Bay is now a thing of the paet, that you are still to carry on your column. It is by way of a safety valve, you know, and there might hava been Some serious cases of spontaaeous combustion if the column had been close d.^ We are grateful to the powers that" be. I want to ask you, or sing to you, perhaps, "Oh where, oh where, has our Hastings Progressive I^eague gone!" It does not sean, but that does not matter if you give me the information. It was going to do sueh mighty things under the new president but somehow the things don't seem to come to pass. Have you seen the attempt to improve the approaches to Hastings? I thipk something should be dpne about the approach on the Karamu road, for except for a tall and healthy erop of weeds little else seems to be ishOwing, Lines of shrubs in any kind of order and a doizen of each perhaps seem to have been planted, but no thought given to arrangement . or suitability, if results should be taken as a guide. Why, with all the garden circles and horticultural society there are in Hastings, can there not be some co-operation over the planting and tending of sueh attempts to beautify the town. I have had cause to look over some of the city backyards lately, and I should like to suggest to some of our clubs or guilds that they institute a backyard garden competition. It would be well worth it in more ways than one. I can assure you of that,-— Yours, etc., • j "FBMINA." » » • Hoping that our brighb readeris, both men and wamen, will write brief letters for this week-end discussion coi-

Your friend,