Arahura Valley Hall Christmas

About this image

Description“Memories are made of this.” A night in the Life of a farming community, December 1947 or 1948. Arahura Valley Hall.
Every Christmas there was a party in the Arahura Hall. It was a fancy dress do for the children and a dance later for the adults. The band was live - Rene Jacobs on piano, Bert Stevens on drums and others on various instruments. Occasionally it was Cook and Ackers, with Ann Cook playing an extra.
All families from Arahura, Humphreys, Kaihinu, some from Hokitika and Three Mile, would be there. There was a big Christmas Tree - Often it was RIMU!!! and we decorated it with paper chains, balloons and bags of lollies. The hall was bedecked with “bungies” ( pungas for those who aren’t Coasters.).
Daisy Hartel (McCann) would line all the children up and lead them out to the tune of The Grand Old Duke of York, everyone singing. About 9 pm Santa Claus would arrive and circle the hall, pulling a sleigh laden with presents, and ringing a bell. Everyone singing Jingle Bells. We always wondered how Santa knew what we liked. Later on we wondered who was Santa?
At occasions like this the young boys and girls learnt to dance. After a fabulous supper, it was the adults turn and the children were bedded down on the floor of the supper room, the powder room or in the cars. Dancing often went on until 4am at which time the farmers had to milk the cows!
Do you have similar memories? Let’s hear them.

In this photo from right to left...... Nancy Havill (Brooks), Doss Bradley (Woolhouse), Ann Cook (Thomson). Santa Chris Cook Jnr. Child looking in the sleigh, Marjorie Cook. Maybe someone can name the other two ladies on the leftDate of PhotoBetween 1st January 1947 and 31st December 1948Map^[1]ContributorJanet Birch

Shown in this image

Location (city or town)ArahuraPersonNancy Havill (Brooks)Chris Cook JnrDoss Bradley (Woolhouse)Marjorie CookLandmark (Place)Arahura Valley Hall

From Facebook

Date Created21st November 2019CommentsAnthea Keenan :) luv it.

Carrol Hunter That's when Christmas was exciting and very special

Dorothy Wills A wonderful memory - article. We used to have a Christmas Tree in Maruia back in the 1940s-to 1970s very similar to this where the school put on a concert then presents given to every child in the valley when their name was called out afterwards the adults had a dance. Miss Cohen in Reefton was given a list with all the children’s names and the money and she did up all the presents, now when I think of it was a monumental effort that she did because there would have been up to 70-80 gifts to wrap but at the time took it for granted.

OCR Text Transcription Edit Edit +-Close

Editing is temporarily disabled

Cancel Edit

Start typing here to find a location	Latitude	Longitude	Zoom	Actions

loading google map....

Save Cancel

Menu

Arahura Valley Hall Christmas

Editing is temporarily disabled