In 1937 it was the Diamond Jubilee for the Flaxton-Ohoka School. I don't have any pictures of the event but I do have a menu and schedule of events for the evening.
The function was held at the Wetheral Grain Store, a building which I'm guessing doesn't exist anymore. I wonder how fancy this place was or whether it was just a big shed? Wetheral is a teeny place between Kaiapoi and Ohoka. It was held on 20 October 1937 at 6.30pm. I'm guessing my Great Grandma Dorothy Pearce nee Lord would have attended this since she attended the Ohoka school many years before.
The menu is interesting. It was called a "banquet" and consisted of ham, tongue, corned beef, salad and bread. As well as savouries, cakes, pastry, fruit salad, trifle and cream. The drinks consisted of tea, coffee and soft drinks. No booze at this party!
People mentioned in the schedule of events included Rev. H. Cottom who said grace. M. Holton and Mrs S. L. Orchard who helped to cut the Jubilee Cake. Toasts were made to Parliament, the education board, ex-pupils, school teachers past and present, the school committee past and present, the ladies and the newpapers. People involved included Mr. Mayer, Williams, Banks, Spencer, Steele, Wright, Knight, Newnham, Heald, Martyn, Ivory, Orchard and Mrs Ostler and Miss Parkin.
The brochure was printed by Kaiapoi Record Print and there was a space on the back for autographs but my Great Grandma got none that night and her programme was left blank.
Does anyone else have old menus in their photo collections?
And what a menu it is - love the straight forward descriptions such as "bread". These days it would be "home-baked rustic french bread made from hand-ground flour and glazed with a freshly-laid egg"
ReplyDeleteThings were nice and simple back then Alan! Today is more complex!
Delete"Tongue" does seem to have been popular in the early 1900s! Must have been inexpensive!
ReplyDeleteIt was extremely delicious apparently. According to my Mum. I have never tried it but would jump at the chance if I ever got it! I'm too scared to ask the butcher for one myself!
DeleteI have my dad's program from a fraternity party. On the list of desserts was cigarettes. Can you imagine? That's not a dessert!!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! I guess cigarettes were considered a treat, like dessert. Makes me feel slightly ill thinking about it though!
DeleteWow, that's quite a feed! What are "savouries?"
ReplyDeleteSavouries are small meat pies and quiches and potato top pies and things like that! It must be a Kiwi and Aussie thing I think.
DeleteIt's years since I have seen a menu with a page for autographs. These days they would be taking 'selfies.'
ReplyDeleteThe ham and corned beef sound fine, but not so much the tongue, I think. Savories, as defined by the dictionary, are piquant, pungent, salty, but not sweet. I suppose they must be hors d'oeuvre'y sorts of things?
ReplyDeleteSee above La Nightingail. They are usually pastries in NZ, small meat pies, quiches etc. Very popular at all Kiwi functions even today!
DeleteThat's a great find, a diamond jubilee with such a feast! Good for you having the menu.
ReplyDeleteWhatever is a Silent Toast, do you know?
ReplyDeleteGoogled to find the answer, and it sounds like a very elaborate and formal procedure, with each guest toasting his neighbour in turn, while remembering fallen heroes etc. Interesting!
DeleteWow, thanks Jo. That is very interesting! I had no idea what a silent toast was either!
DeleteDoes the Wetheral Grain Store still exist? The cooks must have had a time keeping the food warm through the long list of toasts!
ReplyDeleteLorraine I'm guessing it doesn't exist anymore as I can find nothing about it on the internet. I wish I knew what it looked like. I"m guessing it was like a big brick or wooden hall that was at one time used to store grain, but was eventually big enough for functions. It may have been bigger than the Ohoka hall as I'm guessing they had a pretty big gathering of people at this school reunion!
DeleteI was looking for any familiar names Bel, my Forsyth great great grandparents settled at Kaiapoi and my great grandmother was born at Rhodes Swamp. My Musson ancestors were at Swannanoa, Belfast, Cust, Rangiora. I have some Belfast school reunion photos but no menu.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting Kerryn! Our family had strong connections with Ohoka mainly. I have been trying to pass on photos from our family collection to the families they belong to over the past few weeks. I've had great success and some very happy people with new photos of their ancestors. I'm afraid I don't have any Musson or Forsyth photos, sorry! Sometimes if you know who their friends are you can look up those families on the internet and message someone who has postcards or photos from your ancestor. Good luck!
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