100 years ago — from our archives
Tea rooms opened
THERE was no official function yesterday to celebrate the opening of the handsome suite of rooms situated at the corner of Princes street and the Octagon, that will be known to seekers for refreshment as the Strand Tea Rooms. The situation and appointments of the new establishment are all that the most fastidious could desire. The locality is central, and the rooms have a pleasant outlook over the verdant lawns and wellkept flower beds that are centred at the Octagon, so that visitors can enjoy the horticultural outlook while they watch the busy crowds that frequent the city’s busiest thoroughfare. The new rooms will undoubtedly form a pleasant and convenient rendezvous for ladies who so often find it necessary to do their shopping at leading business emporiums, and who may need refreshment after the excitement of bargainhunting. No more suitable place for a friendly chat could be desired than the Strand Tea Rooms, where brightness, comfort, and delightfullyserved refreshments await patrons. Yesterday these qualities and conditions were appreciated by crowds of visitors, who flocked in relays to patronise the new venture. The rooms are capable of catering for 180 guests at a sitting, and the tables were yesterday occupied again and again. The service by competent waitresses was all that could be desired, and as the culinary department is close to the refreshment room, there was no delay in supplying the wants of the patrons.
Empire Day concert
The annual entertainment promoted by the Overseas Club for the purpose of commemorating Empire Day was held in His Majesty’s Theatre last evening. Frankly avowedly loyalist as these gatherings have been in the past, last evening’s concert reflected in an unusual degree the intensely strong national feeling that has been created by the war, and it was highly appropriate that the dominant note of the whole proceedings should be one of very genuine patriotism. The compilation of the programme left nothing to be desired in the matter of variety, and, while several of the efforts put forward were not a little ambitious, the success they achieved was their complete justification. If it erred at all, the programme was on the side of being over generous, and this fact, added to several rather lengthy, but probably unavoidable, periods of waiting, caused the performance to be unduly prolonged. Nevertheless, the large audience greatly appreciated what was set before it, and the club, with its organising secretary (Mr J. K Macfie), is to be congratulated on its ability to present so fine a programme. As opportunity offered tins of sugar, ready for posting to the men at the front, were sold by a number of young ladies.
War affects contracts
The dominant note at the meeting of the Waihemo County Council was shortage of both labour and means of cartage. Apparently many of the county roads required attention, and while this was fully recognised by members of the council, amongst whom unanimity prevailed as to the work being of a necessary nature, the opinion prevailing was that it would be futile to call for tenders, or let contracts, under the existing conditions. It seemed that great difficulty was being experienced in getting present contracts carried out, without entering upon fresh ones, and while it was decided to do some work, it was very evident that it was but a small portion of what would have been undertaken under normal conditions. — ODT, 25.5.1917.