ST. MARY’S SCHOOL FESTIVAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2145, 5 February 1880, Page 2

ST. MARY’S SCHOOL FESTIVAL.

Tlie amnpil schoql festival in coimcc : tion witli St. Mary’s Clmrcli took place to-day in a large paddock belonging to Mr ticorgc tiroen, Elizabeth street, and was in everyway an unqnaliJied success. This festival is ope of tlje chief events of the year to the Tiinaru juveniles, ancf has been looked forward to for many a day with pleasurable anticipation. Fortunately the weather to-day was all that could be desired, a somewhat cloudy and doubtful morning being the forerunner of one of the finest days experienced this season.

According to previous arrangement the children assembled at St. Mary’s Church together with their parents teachers and friends at eleven o’clock in the forenoon. A short service conducted by the Kcv. Archdeacon Harper was then held, iu the Church, after which a start was made for the paddock, the children marching iu procession. Arrived at their destination, various games and sports were indulged iu, and the swings, swing cars &c.,&., were well patronised. At 1 o’clock the children sat down tq a substantial ' luncheon within the fenced ring in the centre of the paddock and the mounds of sandwiches, cake, buns, &c., &e., an 1 the oceans of tea and lemonade that disappeared suf-

ficiently testified to the capital appetites and keen enjoyment of the youngsters. The teachers, friends, Ac., afterwards partook of luncheon in one of the three commodious marquees (erected by Mr John Trist, of Timaru), and this meal over, more sports running, jumping, leaping, walking, blind and sack races, were again the order of the day, the proceedings being enlivened by the Timaru Brass Band in attendance. There could not have been less than a. thousand persons—the majority being of course children —on the ground during the afternoon ; indeed the entire juvenile population of Timaru, with but few exceptions, must have been assembled, including the children of the High and Borough schools, to whom a special holiday had been granted for the occasion.

At five o’clock the children sat down to tea, when the various good things provided were again done the most ample justice to, parents and friends partaking of tea in the marquee after the children had finished.

There was a splendid collection of really handsome and useful prizes, comprising, cricket bats, albums, solitaires, neckties, pencil cases, pocket knives, paint boxes, Ac., Ac., Ac., distributed to the winners of the various walking, running, and jumping competitions.