WORKSHOPS PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 151, 23 December 1929, Page 16

WORKSHOPS PARTY

CHILDREN ENTERTAINED

One of the largest Christmas parties ever held in or about Wellington was that given in the Hutt Valley Railway Workshops on Saturday afternoon, when some hundreds of workshops' employees, with their wives and children, assembled at a grand Christmas tree party organised by the Workshops' Social Committee. The commodious "shop" made available by the works manager (Mr. A. E. P. Wahvorth) provided an ideal place for the holding of sueb. a party, and, thanks to the work of the energetic committee, everything went witli a swing from the start. The function was paid for by the men through regular contributions for the last three months, andi was the first of what is intended to be an annual series.

Ihe majority of the visitors arrived by ajspccial train, and were greeted by the Workshops' Band; simultaneously Father Christmas and his helpers drove up in a gaily-decorated lorry. Accompanied by a clown on foot and a fierce Indfiau on an overhead travelling crane, ihe whole party moved along the broad tairway to the steel wagon shop. There, aCber Mr. Wahvorth had given a short address, the afternoon's fun began. The floor of the shop had been cleared, and platforms for dancing and for the band, .refreshment booths, and magic cave had 'oeen set up. What with bagpipes, Highland dancing, Maori pois and hakas, and I a tight-rope walker, the children had plenty to keep them amused. The main attraction was the magic cave, over which Father Christinas presided, while his helpers handed out to the children the 650 gifts he had brought. The background of the cave was prettily arranged as a pastoral scene, crossed by a viaduct. Over the viaduct, in keeping with the occasion, there ran continually two trains, a goods bearing "toys for Petone," and a passenger marked as a "Father Christmas Special." Besides the band there was a radio set to supply music, and at 5 o'clock the children received greetings over the air from 2YA.

For the adults afternoon tea was provided by the Railway Refreshment Department. The party concluded at 6.15, when the special train left on the return trip to Wellington.