CENTRAL SCHOOL FETE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 249, 26 November 1909, Page 3

CENTRAL SCHOOL FETE.

A SUCCESSFUL AFFAIR. Central School pupils who thronged their classrooms yesterday afternoon at the big fete, bazaar, and exhibition must " have been startled by the transformation. Instead of the usual cards on the ' • walls were flowers, flags and draperies. 1 Hare desks and seaU had been spirited away somewhere, and in their place were gaily decorated stalls displaying needlework in all its varying shapes and forms, afternoon tea and ice-cream tables, sweet stalls, produce tables, jumble stalls, "art gallery," a new "airship, and scores of other attractions, all hava( ing the one object in view, the easy and ie painless extraction of the ready cash . from the pockets and purses of patrons. * The scene was a gay and busy one, and , e apart from the benefit that might be n derived from spending one's cash on the many moderately-priced articles placed j on view, there was the educative value J x of the photographic competitions, exhibits of skilful handiwork in model ■ a yacht and fretwork construction, etc., I r and a very fine display of pen, 'pencil r and hnishw-ork from the Caverniham, . Dunedin, Napier, Dannovirkc, Wnodnlle, .' Rcmuera, Kitzrny. West End, Lincoln |J (Inglewood), and Central schools. These t _ latter were displayed in the hall, where e also was stationed little Hiss Ida e Dempsey with her buttonholes and (loners. In a recess in the passage to the _ east wing was to be found a uniformed cadet dispensing soft drinks, and Mrs. J. e W. Harvey, Misses Hoby and Sinclair t selling sweets in dainty parcels. Tlhe . east wing contained first and foremost j the fancy and plain - needlework and , baby stalls, the first in charge of Mesdames E. If. Smith, Wangh, Dempsey, r Whetter, Ewing, Sandford, Bocock, and R. Jury; the second presided over by Mesdames Way and Callender, and Miss , Mace; and the baby stall by Mesdames ) Jas. Harvey and J. H. Wood. Space , forbids any .attempt to detail the ar- ' tides here displayed for sale. On the walls are shown, amongst other things, some wonderfully fine specimens of nubon work and crewel work by Miss Simpson; fretwork (a splradid exhibit) by Mr. Ellerm; the exhibits in a very fine photographic competition; a collection of photographs of early New Ply- , mouth, lent by Mr. W. H. Skinner; and , a whole fleet of model yachts, including Mr. E. Inch's "Taniwha," one of the prettiest models it has been our lot to see. Next door were to be aeen dolls , of all sizes and styles', dolls' finery and ' millinery, a feature being the bridal ; party, with robed clergyman all com- ] plete.. Misses Dempsey, B. Evans, A. | Crawford, and Gleeson were in charge. In the same room ice-creams were dis- ] pensed by Misses Hilda Humphries, ) Black, Annie Sole, N. Dempsey, S. i'hom- ] son, B. Ford, and K. Penn, all attired f a la Japanese. The small fry discovered t the ice-cream stall early, and remained i t there late. Coming towards the west| wing a placard informed patrons that, s the " airship" was on view. Literally a speaking, it was not on view until late in | t the afternoon, by which time the stock j ' of toys displayed upon it was beginning y

to show the results of the steady stream i of shoppers. Mesdames Blundell, Mar-'' tin, R. Cock, H. F. Russell, and Misse: Rountree and Stott were in attendance Another recess was devoted to tin temple of Madame Zingara, who wai gracious enough, when requested, to peei into the future and tell foer patrons wihal glories and happenings were in store foi tlieni. Opposite this was the populai afternoon tea-room, provided in the bountiful fashion that is usual with ladies interested in the Central School The room was in charge of Mesdamci Shirley, A. Lealand, P. Lealand, J. 01 liver, Handley, Misses B. Clarke, Nicholls and Henrichs. The produce stall sells jams, cakes, vegetables, and so on, and it is largely stocked. The ladies entrust ed wjth this department are Mesdames Day, Skelton, F. Okey, Henrichs, Sowry, Jloverley, and Browne. Next door is the jumble stall, and a jumble stall it is the phrase "everything from a needle to an anchor" fairly filling the bill Mesdames H. E. Fookes, W. J. Shaw G. T. Murray, and J. Cook, Misses Lewis and Cummings, were behind the counters and were kept busy. The pot plants stall, carrying a miscellaneous collection, -was controlled by Miss Dcvenisli and Mesdames McUaltey and Kcnaud. Mr. & Catran " ran" the art gallery, Messrs. Rudd and Harvey the hidden treasure trove, Mr. C. T. Mills the Aunt Silly contest, I.'uessing competitions of all kinds were in full swing. Over all, supervising all, and assisting and advising, were Mrs. Dockrill, the president of the ladies' committee, and Mr. H. Dempsey, the head teacher of the school, who held the reins of management. Ail the arrangements were good, the great drawback being the wretchedly narrow passages ■provided in the school. At night the buildings were crowded again, and capital business was done. The school and its surroundings' were a blaze of light, the officers of the municipal electric light department and the Btaff of the New Plymouth Gas Company vieing with each other in their efforts to give the best illumination possible. " Chiselling," one of the funniest farces seen here, was capitally played by the local amateurs, and the performance is to be repeated to-night. The fete continues to-day and tomorrow. On Saturday night the names of the winners of the various' competitions will be announced. The following were the awards in the photographic competition:— Landscape—C. A. Benbow 1, B. Rennel 2, W. Castles h.c. Seascape—W. Castles 1. F. C. Bellringer 2, A. Boon h.c. Postcards—C. A. Benhow 1, A. Boon 2, H. S. Salt h.c. Portraits—A. Boon 1 C A. Benbow 2, H. Moon h.c. Animal'studv-Miss Leppcr 1, H S. Salt 2, C. A. Benbow h.c. Portrait enlargement—A. Boon 1, C. A. Benbow 2. Enlargement other /than ]K>rtraiture—W. Castles 1, Mrs. E. A. Walker 2, Mrs. Walker and A. Boon h.c. The judges remarked that the. half-plates were above the average merit, and the enlargements equal to professional work.