FIRE BRIGADE BALL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 200, 24 July 1937, Page 12

FIRE BRIGADE BALL.

REALISTIC DECORATIONS. Despite the fact that a house was “burning” at the end of the ballroom at the A. and R. Showgrounds last night, members of the Palmerston I .North Fire Brigade brought no hose into play. Instead, they joined in the revelry of the large number of dancers who attended their annual old-time ball, and danced to the joy of the music. They had doffed their helmets and placed them on top of glittering silver pylons arranged at intervals round the I ballroom. An outstanding feature of the ball was the beautiful decorations, which achieved a delightfully artistic effect. The ballroom decorations in red, white and blue, as used for the Coronation ball, were retained, but were added to so that they were quite original. The ballroom was a brilliant spectacle. At the further end was a burning house, cunning lighting effeets making the windows glow as if a fire were indeed raging inside, and the flames licked their hungry tongues around. Here a raised platform was comfortably arranged with armchairs and sofas for officials and special guests, red paper rosettes growing in the trellis of bracken fern in front, and pots of fern and rosettes, and shrubs being effectively arranged. Streamers in red and blue" (the Fire .Brigade colours) were hung all around the ballroom, from pylon to pylon, each of which had red and blue designs and the helmets on top. Y-shaped fern designs with paper ■rosettes adorned the walls. At the other end of the hall near the entrance to the lounge was a high trel.is of fern and rosettes, with a round silver glitter disc on either side and gay flags, the Union Jack being prominent in the background. In the centre of the lounge was a huge pylon, over which hung a gigantic crown with coloured metallic paper effects, and clustered all over with coloured lights which glowed like brilliant precious stones.' Radiating from the crown were mauve and gold streamers which w'j'e also hung around the walls, and a string of coloured lights going into each corner. For sitting out the various parties had special cubicles around the lounge, with bracken fern growing over trellis work and streamers j u the prevailing tones hung over the entrance, paper bows lending another touch of colour.

The supper room, which provided for sittings of 250, had mauve and gold streamers hanging overhead, ami Iceland poppies gracing the tables. The host and hostess were Superintendent P. A. Milverton and Mrs Milverton. the latter wearing a smart black lace ensemble with a floral coat. Others present included the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs A. E. Mansford), and Mr and Mrs J. A. Nasli. Mrs Mansford bad chosen a frock of Windsor blue lace with a white fur coat, and Mrs Nash wore black lace over gold tissue. Mrs J. W. Hepburn, wife of the deputy-superintendent, wore a blue model frock with silver trimmings, and a cream silk velvet coat; Apologies for absence were received from Mr and Airs L. IT. Collinson, Mr and Airs AV. 13. Cameron, Air Hutton and Air J. Hodgens, M.P.

Tlie success of the ball and the fact that it was so .smoothly conducted was a tribute to the committee, who consisted of Superintendent Afilverton, Deputy-Superintendent Hepburn. Firemen A. Toon, F. Nesbitt, A. Nesbitt. A. Gordon, A. Costell, and AV. A. AVvatt (secretary), ably assisted by members of the brigade. Air J. Kitchen had fashioned the paper rosettes. The M.C.’s were AJessrs F. Nesbitt and A. Gordon.

Representatives present from other brigades came from Feildintr. Afnrton, Hunterville. Fox ton,. Levin, Otaki. Shannon. AVoodville, Pahiatua, and Dannevirke.

Superintendent Afilverton and Airs Hepburn led off the first dance, and from that moment until the ball coneluded there was net ont dull moment. A programme of all the popular oldtime dances was entered into with zest. For the making of announcements a microphone was used, amplifiers being subtly concealed under firemen’s helmets, to increase the volume of the orchestra.

The members of the brigade are grateful to all those who so ably bellied to make the ball a success.