CONVENTION OUTING

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 4, 1 May 1948, Page 9

CONVENTION OUTING

TO EASTBOURNE BY BUS

On Saturday afternoon 1 went with »ome other delegates on the bus to Eastbourne. Leaving the Hotel Cecil at 2.30 p.m. we journeyed along the ilutt road with the hills on the left and the harbour on the right. The latter was quiet and unruffled, with the seagulls making touches of white on the quiet waters. There was Soamcs Hand, former home of war prisoners, also Ward Island, the bird sanctuar>. On the left we passed the Wellington Woollen Mills, Odlin’s Timber Yard (reputedly the largest in the North Island), also the Gear Company’s Meat Works. On the right again there were the men of the I'etone rowing club enjoying thenisel.es in their boats. Next appeared the Sea Scouts’ building, and the Centennial Memorial to commemorate the landing of the first white people on the Petone beach. I was told that a window in it depicts in black and white a Maori Chief meeting a man with his wife and child coming off the boat. On the left we passed Lever Bros, soap works, and then crossed the bridge over the Hutt River. On the right appeared sheds containing (I was told) surplus war material, and then hundreds of wartime trucks. Next came into view an old Maori cemetery, and on the left the Ford motor works. On the right we passed along the shores of several small bays. Eastbourne consists, I was told, of two parts, Rona Bay and Muritai. *t has a population of 2,(MM), a school of 500 pupils, also a convent, a post office, a theatre, shops, bowling and croquet greens Now' we had reached our destination and alighted. Having plenty of time, wc walked along the water front to 1 »ay’s Bay, a distance of two (or was it three?) miles. With the fresh sea breeze blowing in our faces and filling our lungs with good, wholesome oxygen, we enjoyed the walk immensely, though some of my com panions, whose shoes were not comfortable sand shoes like mine, hut thin-soled and high-heeled ones, were rather footsore wlun we reached tiic tea garden at Day’s Bay. Seated under the trees on little red cNairs with red backs, at small green tables, we enjoyed the welcome cup of tea and the fresh cakes, lust as we finished our bus appeared, and then heigh ho! away wc were on our return journey. It seemed no time before we were at the Hotel Cecil, and we said in our hearts, “Thank you. God, for a lonely afternoon” C. JAMIESON.