Christmas Holidays.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1866, 26 December 1874, Page 2

Christmas Holidays.

I Th^re. is tioi in tke whole oourse^f the-, year, we believe/ a holiday that is mbig^ generally kep(^Tth;ftttT«oxiflg^3^ikO|* course Christmas, being a 'dies, won, is ne'eessariJy a holiday•'lijfit n^'^lSliga^ii^ Custom, which ~ appears to be as strongs here as in other English-spelltin^ cotmtries. .ThissamVlolidayiprj^ ing, commences on ? |C^i^^ipEv^^ip^ that time bus ness isj.brisk, the last purchases for completing the ? Christmas preparations have io^etmaHe ;. presents for the little ones:'hWe-%^§-prd^di^d; and the most thrifty housewife -will launch out in some expenditure at which on &vj oilier occasion her _; heart would grieve; 1 "All* thsrf£3shlb|»s'Sand maoy more ( Jwere . .donerv on, Thursday r niglit*. ' Thjlmes shopkeepers' did nols bother themselves much about decora^ tions. The butchers, who are *xpetete'd? at home to ,make rtbtf finest displays, do literally nothing here ;/fpr the very gqpd reason that meat will not make much show-m hot weather.*: vlPhff? grocers exhibit their .dried fruits in profusion, and with some show of evergreens about the " shop and hotel the, decorations may be fairly summed up. ' Thctfe wai, howeverj "j on Christmas Eye the best show of busii * ness we have'noticed? for a long time. All, the business people_appeared, .to be „. drivmga igood trtdej"while sbineplaces i were crowded. As a •ign of a prosperous community we w'^re glau to'observe this, and hope thatit will be more manife^twhen the holidays are pjer.; Th^ Cornißh Glee Singers ushered in Christmas morn with good old fashioned "carols, visiting many parts bf theT township during their'touVS Other people of a more demonstrative turn saluted Christmas' advent in a noisy manneij-Trthe sackbut, psaltery, horn and all other kinds of music being brought into requisition.- Big boys and little boys. checrec! and sung snatches of Bacchanalian or Negroic songs—according t,o taste—until they had fairly tired themselves out; a consummation which was attained in many instances by erratic displays of step dancing on the wooden pavements, to the annoyance of neardwellers. Christmas Eve, however, came. to an end as most things do; and Christmat' ,morn dawned as fair ai a midsummer I day could. Church' services, quiet home pleasures, rambles to,the gardens and suburbs helped to pasfs the'dayj' and at a : very early hour quiet, reigned in the streets, as if the denizens had been quite tired by their previous night's carniyaj,. . and we.-o detb^mined id recruit for'the ' business of the coming morrow,; known a»r

BOXING DAY, which, 1 like Christmas Etay, broke warm. and fine, and ga;y;e gromise, pf. overy|hißg -, that could be desired in the way of weather to the complete enjoyment of th# holiday. - EXCURSIONS ,^;;.;,,. were a feature in the day's programme. The Lalla Bookh left about 8 o'clock in the morning for Ohfnemuri with-about 120 passengers anxious to view the" pro* >. inised land. The Hauraki started for ' Auckland at an early hour, carrying about 60 of our 'own population bent on change. The Mannia arrived from Auckland and landed passengers- at Tararu '■ ' "about.:l o'clock.' By tWsf op^ortuiiity,s 'there were not many, owing possibly to the fact that she did ndtleave at an hour which would afford Auckland people an opportunity of seeing the races aid ra> turning the same evening. , Ihere;waH^ J great deal of family picnicing to day, especially at Parawai and on the banks of the Kauaeranga, but the principal attraction was the

THAMES ANNUAL RACES, the first events of which took place on the Porawai Gardens course. From an early hour "Pollen-street was thronged' with?; people all going in the direction, of para. ■* wai. Every available [bus in, the Borough was brought into requisition, and all were. - - crowded with, people, going,- to gee..the

races, which were a, complete success, in every sense of the Wwd.-Ifor many years back the Thames has not so we'll succeeded in retaining its population at holiday times. As previously rcmarlr^d from quite an ' early hour this morning persons might be seen wending their way* towards'Parawai, while towards 12 o'clock" the crowds which locked thither were indeed something wonderful to contemplate, suggesting the thought, where could -stteh^* yast confttbrse of people come from. Er£rj< imaginable vehicle was ensued upbSi mer road. The buses were literally packed. Affair idea may thus be gained of the^taadj|noe-oa thotxraf.: Thegfahd sili|dfMi,well filled apd prptty/ artK>uW^aigj»M?t pa|^# >o^jpfej'twrae^^e lceuttd.i9^ww9zeiMr< Casslix with A good idea of summer comfort, were taken advantage of by the ladies,, of whom there w.ere r -"fc ftwat number present. In various partsoo r <thf gardens swings and 'other amusements for the yotfhgsters were in plenty.' In fact such a scene of real abandonment to the pleasure of - the season is not often witnessed. All the ' 4 accompaniments peculiar to race gatherings were there. A band was ia attendance, besides a number of musician^ on wind instruments who played for thefr own amusement qr gratuitously tfor others; the perennial shooting gallery of Mr- Hazard was well patronis4|>, and the proprietors of" the booths must have realised great profit, to judge from the amount of business which appeared to be done. < . • '

, THB FIBST BACK, The Flying Handicap, came off at a little past the advertised hour. _ aBeFLYIIfa»ANDICAP,2OMVB ; Threequarters o4h tuiU. " Entrance, 2 soys 1 sot to be paid on nomination-,'and 1 sot on acceptance J. Darrew's b g BnmJarra, aged, Bst 121b 1 3. QntaliVßn'ai b m Belle of the Isle?, 5 >>a«, JBit <*lb .A ... 2 S. YidaVs b g Hero, aged, 7st 71b ... 3

The horses gSt a good start,- and Between j Bundarra and BeHe.of the Isle the race j at §rst appeared to be closely contested, i Belle of -tie Isle took the lead, and the first quarter round the horses were well together;. but afterjhis, Bundarra began to pull past Belle ofihe Isle, and Hero feli;back, the wTiich position he did not ■ucceed in advancing. The race resulted as above. The three, came in whipping hard, Bundarra winning by a good-length. Money was lost' upon* the Belle, though from the first, among betters, Bundarra was the favorite. SECOND Bi.CE. HURDLE RACE (Handicap), 15 sotsj 2 miles. Entrance, 2 sots; nomination, 1 soy; acceptance, 1 sot Taipairi's Parai v -. * Mntiu Poono'i bl g Nttiro, 9sfc 61b ... 2 W. Bobbett'a p g Arrow, 6 yrs, 9st 121b 3 This was oneW the prettiest events of the day. The entries were, originally, Gameboy, Arrow, and.Native ; Gameboy being absent, Mr Taipari's Parai was substituted, A simultaneous start was made, but Bobett's Arrow funked the^first-hurdle and sneaked round; the other t^ro horses took it splendidly, as/they did all ihe others. The Arrow was thus left far be^ hind, and it was evident that the contest lay between Native and Parai. They kept together the first and second time round (it was a two mile race) and took the hurdles beautifully. rider whipped very hard from the first, and it was eyidfent|t&;lspiectatprs thatJithis treatment" displayed a weakness which would lose him the race.. Parai was, perfectly; cool, and seemed to tatte the -face 6asily. At the third time-round ho-took a length's lead/and gradually gained^ tiirthe winning post was reached: Pa.rai won easily coming in:fully ttrenty yards ahead. | The. Native's rider claimed the race, ,as* Parafha^nof been entered. The THAMES PLATE (Handicap), 40jotb; 2 miles. Botrance, SsOTs ; iioroinjitiori, 2 sots j acceptance, 3 botß J. D«3rrow s sT> g Bdndarra', aged, Bst'slb 0!"' 1 S. Tidal* dark cb. Potentate, aged, Bsfc... 2 W.^Bobbet^b gTam O^liariter; 7sh 121b' 0' J. QuiriliTun's ;b m Belle of the Isles,

There was a good -, itart for this race. Potentate leading for the first quarter of -" a mile, but in the first round Bundarra passed the grandstand leading and kept thSt "position to the last. There was a good race between Potentate and Tarn O'Shanter for the second place ; but in the straight run home Potentate took the lead and came in a good" second, Tarn O'Shanter thirJ, and the Be,He last.., . MAOBI HC^l^BACEyi—?eov« s three times round tho course. ' For. horses owned and udden by Maoris: catch •weights ; post entry. * There were three entries for this race, which was not a great exhibition of sport.j The race ended as ;:—-•■ ' Tito Kowaru .. ... ... ... 1 The reit nowhere^ : «