AT THE EXHIBITION

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1926, Page 4

AT THE EXHIBITION

A YOUNG LADY'S OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCES.

The extracts printed below were taken from the letter of a Hokitika young lady who visited the Dunedin Exhibition, and they should prove of interest to anyone contemplating visiting the great show:— We went to the Exhibition to hear the hand to-day. Everything there costs money; even a seat near the stand is 3d. However, we paid out 3d. and had a really good afternoon's entertainment. There are about 40 members of the band: about six pla.v the bagpipes; and such bagpipes! You really couldn't imagine them. They are wonderful : nothing like the usual bagpipes one bears—utterly different. In fact. 1 can honestly say I have never heard the bagpipes being played before. These play a tune the same as any other instrument. I mean that you can hear every distinct note—-they don’t keep harping—l mean playing—on the same note all the time. The pipes have sucli a beautiful musical ring, a ling that makes the music, and that it lacking in all other bagpipes I've heard. Well just fancy my appreciating bagpipes—things I usually abominati—so that will give you an idea of tlie splendour and perfection of the Band. The Conductor is a feature on Ids own. It is well worth the money to go and see him alone and witness the marvellous hold he has on his whole company. His movements and signs are extremely clever and 1m puts the whole of his physique into his conducting: consequently, at t.lm conclusion ol each item, lie is just about exhausted, and has to sit down bathed in perspiration. The Rail,| itself, as 1 think I mentioned in a previous letter, is beyond my power of description. I heard them play -‘The Pirates of Penzance.” which was positively divine. The blending of the musical llutcs with file other instruments is beyond words. I've never heard a ihing placed like it. They also played Baphsoilies ’Prelude.' which was perfection itsell : hut I think what I liked most of all was a pipe solo with the chorus ol the Band (band accompaniment rather)—no pipes in the Band, of course, except the soloist. The musical ring of his pipes seemed to blend so absolutely perfectly with the other instruments that it was most faseimiling trying to follow the pipes right through the piece. Well I never have and am never likely to enjoy or hear a hand as perfect. The bagpipe soloist played one piece to a piccolo accompaniment and it was almost dilluull to pick each instrument as the notes blended so excellently. lam anticipating another afternoon and evening there with the greatest of pleasure. They do make lhe band work too they are going all the time, playing hard every alleruoon and evening. The Exhibition it-ell far surpasses anything I had conceived. The extent; ot llm courts is astounding. Once you loose, anyone there il is impossible to liiid them again, and. somehow, one has a marvellous habit nf never seeing the same thing twice and getting hopelessly lost in llu* whole building; consequently. if. I>v any chance, you want In ret uni to anything previously passed it is almost impossible (for me anyhow i to find it again. There is an absolutely wonderful lake with a map of the world built in the rent re ol il in some hard material resembling plasticine. Sailing all round the world from one port In another arc about 10 little siearners, each one no bigger than your little linger. 'I liese are sailing through the canals as large as life wit limit ever dreaming ot running into their neighbours. I could have spent a whole day watching them in the hope that there may he an in cident lint l hat was one ol t lit' thousands of equally interesting exhibits. There is a screen just at the head ol this lake which gives the British possession. dales, etc. e.g. British possessions in JSIH; tlirsi* |Bi>si‘Nsmii> ti ir then lit 'Up w ill: elect licit y somehow. The next slide 1,11 Ihe screen explains li.ow various possessions were obtained. etc. Even all the lighthouses arc lit up. Il is really splendid. I took a. note hook to copy the informal ion. w hich I should know. hut don’t - but 1 haven't been able to ii ml ibo Lake since. Another interesting lealure was a liny model of an aeroplane showing tlie interior. Il was ilisl like a boat inside • \ott could see all (lie stairs, the people sitting at lunch, even a miuia lure cabinet gramophone. It was a very clever piece ol work. The advertisement for Condensed Milk was quite appropriate though. Il has a model of lie handstand outside with all I tie lit lie Si-I.lollies placing 1 tie mi ll ial.n re pities. This is to advertise Highlander Condensed .Milk -awfully guild, f thought. In the British Court there are models of all (he Cathedrals in England Westminster Abbey. Edinburgh, etc.all placed in relative positions. 'I hey are extremely pretty. Another interesting feature there it the models ol the emu lies used in England in olden times; they are perfect models. There are also models of the various styles uf dress dal ing from centuries hack. .Mum would enjoy that lea I ure. There are also beautiful models of all the ships of the ‘’Spanish Armada.'’

Everything at the Exhibition i.- so beautifully laid out too. The Courts, lot li interim' and exterior, are extremely jdet ures:|iie. There arc pretty lawns and inlaid (lower beds along the front, while down the sides of all the courts are very pretty flower gardens covered with sweet peas. The front of the beautiful dome is very picturesque with two pretty lakes, a fountain and lovely tlowers. The lighting effects at night surpass all expectations, the innumerable coloured electric light bulbs giving a very gay and pretty effect to the whole tiling. Enough about: the Exhibition. One could keep writing for days about it. and never get any nearer to the end. There are such thousands of equally beautiful exhibits. The entertainments are first class also. They have a woiicrful Cakai'el. I went on Monday night and had a great lime. The Cabaret orchestra is absolutely class, it- members being drawn from the best jazz orchestras in the world, and the*- a-olufelv make the instruments speak. I am sure if anyone had never jazzed before, they would simply have to jazz to it. \Ye also went lo the Fun Ealory. which was very exciting and well named. You take great etl’orts to get there; going over a moving bridge, through dark alleyways, ami. after various thrilling experiences. you even t mill v enter a huge room in which ,

there are two Jiijjc shoots. Yt.nr < n trance ticket entitles you lo one -,1 i• !i down lilt l shoot. (IT <our.so wo sin down and enjoyed iI. Wo wont over innumerable othoi things in tlio Amusement I’urk ami li.u several shots at the side shows, Iml merely won a small h.dtle of scent, which, f'm using at present. Wo had some real good fun there. l-’nr all the hours I spent at the Exhibition I saw practically nothing. Th.ere are so many things that it is absolutely impossible to see them all. You can easily spend days there wandering round, and nothing could he nicer than sitting out in the open listening to the Argyje Band all the afternoon. Tim instruments blend in perfect harmony: really von will enjoy them, especially the piccolo. They play wonderfully. Another thing you must see is the Art Gallery. Although I’m not a judge of good pictures, and can’t appreciate art. 1 spent half an afternoon in the gallery. But the pictures costing over £IOOO I did not like as well as t!>ose costing nbnut £2O odd. The more expensive ones I usually thought daubs, so, probably, 1 missed the liner points in them. There was one by Payne, costing £2l . " PoliutukawaWhnngapou." a brilliant blaze of color, but very pretty, more so T thought than some costing hundreds of pounds. 1 here was a very good one by a Miss Anna Airey. •• Krror in Pay.” CS.jfl. in the British Court, and one beauty bought by the Dunedin Art Gallery by a FT. ft. La Thange entitled "A Sussex Common." One that 1 thought very natural was in the British Court. "Tigers Disturbed." by A. Wardtc. and another very sweet one was " Costume Ball ” l>y A\ . IT . Mobster. One of F. Brangwyn's Susannah and the Elders” was priced at £1.750. but it didn’t appeal to me—T like something pretty and artistic—not something great in a picture. I liked the French

and British pictures better than the American.