Auckland Notes

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 14, 19 October 1928, Page 8

Auckland Notes

(By

Listener

At the time of writing news has come to hand that the return flight ‘is probable within a few hours, so the writer, like hundreds of others, will get the alarin and be alert to hear the interesting preliminary remarks which will precede another epic occasion for New Zealand broadcasting. Despite the many unavoidable delays, the interest in the recrossing is just as keen as was the enthusiasm over the initial venture.

N Wednesday night a local resident desired to get into urgent communication ‘with Warkworth, but found that the heavy gale of the preceding twenty-four hours had brought down the wires, so that it was impossible to send a telegram. Radio, however, came to his rescue, and through the courtesy of 1YA the urgent message was put on the air, and doubtless reached the person for whom it was intended more quickly than it would have done through the usual channel of communication.

N connection with the untoward incident at Ellerslie racecourse 0D Saturday there were several ugly rumours which quickly gained credence and spread throughout the city and suburbs. Even up till midnight these rumours persisted. Had broadeasting

been permitted frei the course it is quite unlikely that such rumours would have originated, and if they had, the wonderfully quick method of dissemin ating news over the air would soon have dispelled them, Saturday’s un fortunate oceurrence only emphasises the service which a broadcasting sta tion could have rendered to the racing elub. ~The incidents -§ would not have been magnified as they were by rumour, the whole prov ince could have received from the committte of the ARC. an official announcement regarding the position, the causes of it, and the decision of the stewards, and the information of the postponement of some of the races would have been province-wide in a few minutes. LABYCRING under great disadvaiu | tuge. the officials of 1YA yet contrived to give results, and some particulars of the Ellerslie Spring meeting, and they. deserve the thanks of the listening public for the service.

PRY special choral items renudereu by St. Matthew's choir on Sundays evening last, were a feature among items of a good week’s broadcasting, Choir work has a general appeal, and the renderings by St. Mathew’s cho:isters were thoroughis enjoyable.

GAIN iY¥A is to the fore in exploring and developing new fields of entertainment. On ‘SVednesday evening there was produced in the studio Mr John Drinkwater’s well-known play ‘Oliver Cromwell." To listen te anc enjoy this presentation was to appreci. ate the big amount of work that such :. production involves. It was evider' that those impersonating the variou: characters had undergone careful trait: ing and diligent rehearsal. The pla) itself, though o# the heavy side-ore might almost say the "Ironside"’--mu™: have proved an attraction, even ¢t those who are devoted to entertainmeu of a frothy type. There was nothin: of humour in it, but it gave to the lis tening puble a vivid picture of condi tions, and of historic personages in tht stirring days of the Civil War, Ali 0° the characters were well sustained though some might have been bette placed before the microphone. It is te be hoped that Mr. Montague and hi: Comedy Players, will give us more 0? high-class drama over the air. Once a month would be none too often for the presentation of a play which w ould occupy the whole of the evening programme. 4