Rotorua's Floral Fiddle Took the Prize

New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 714, 20 March 1953, Page 24

Rotorua's Floral Fiddle Took the Prize

HERE’S a rule in this office that superlatives must be used sparingly, if at all. As soon as we say, or let someone else say, that such-and-such is the first, last, largest, smallest, best. or worst, readers unscrew their pen-tops and settle down to an orgy of happy contradiction. But there’s no doubt that the massive floral fiddle you see pictured here was something almost (get the idea?) too big for the spectators,

who may or may not have been taking the waters at the Government Bath Buildings, Rotorua, to swallow. It is Station 1Y2Z’s Championship Float at the Rotorua War Memorial Carnival. This was the fourth year in succession that 1YZ has been among the prize winners for floral entries at carnivals. I bes Ken Collins, Station Manager, for some details about the ee of these exhibits, and this is what he told me. » The subject for repis determined after staff argument. The violin chosen for this occasion was drawn as

nearly as possible to scale-35 feet long by 13 feet wide. The lyre and the lady were superimposed to give added interest, and the whole unit was called "Spirit of Music." Construction started three months before the carnival. Bits and pieces were gathered from all over the town. Local firms lent steel piping and helped with the welding. Wire netting was stretched over the framework, and the staff. did the rest (after

office hours, mind you, and during days off and weekends). Listeners in Rotorua, Tauranga, Te Puke, Matata and Maketu gave flowers. ' The work of attaching the blooms was started at dawn on the day of the parade and a team of 25 completed the job in from_ six to eight hours. Many thousands of flower heads were used; the majority were hydrangeas, ranging from _ white, through light blues to the deeper colours. J

For the evening. parade the float was flood-lit. After the procession the floats lay in state on the studio lawn for several days and the flowers stayed remarkably fresh, although no moss was used. This was the result of a "secret electronic process" recently discovered by 1YZ’s Research Station. [Footnote: I’m asked to pass on to readers of The Listener who might like to run up an odd float now and then 1YZ’s .offer of advice-for a stiff fee. Information about the "electronic process" for preserving the flowers would, of course, be extra,] ro