Browsing by Author "Mitchell, Isabella"

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    Picnics in New Zealand during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries : an interpretive study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Mitchell, Isabella
    'Great Day' was the Annual School Picnic to Waipara Beach or as it was called, 'The Rocks'. It was organised by the school committee. Everyone went there in carts or drays. Sometimes they let the children drive the horses. The farm people usually had their own traps and could pile in all the family. But some children just sat on the straw in the drays and enjoyed jolting along. At the beach there were races, sports, prizes and paddling in the sea. There were buns and soft drinks of course, but "no beer was permitted" our father said. Everyone seemed to eat all the time as each family had brought a huge hamper of food, chicken pies, pork pies, steak and kidney pies, as well as apple or rhubarb pies and cakes. What with running races, building sand castles and climbing rocks, everyone was hot and tired when four o'clock came and the horses were all standing shaking their harness and wanting to get away to their stables. Most little kids were tired and drowsy and were soon asleep on the straw in the drays or wagons. Next day I always had a peeling nose although I had been careful to keep my sunbonnet on.