THE Institution's Storeyard is at Poplar, in a district of London where there is a great deal of poverty, and at Christmas last year it gave a Tea and Entertainment to over 150 children.

It was entirely arranged and carried out by the Storeyard Staff itself, with the help of contributions from the Staff at Life-boat House, a number of whom went down to Poplar to help on the day.

The Party was given at the Emery Hall. A hundred and fifty invitations were sent out to children at the local Special School of the London County Council, and a few days before, members of the Storeyard Staff distributed presents to the remaining 130 children of the school, who, on account of physical infirmities, could not come to the party itself.

It was announced to begin at 4 p.m., and punctually at noon the first of the guests were at the door. Punctuality is not always an. easy virtue, and those who find it difficult may like to encour- age themselves with the heroic example of one of these guests, a boy, who had slept in his best clothes the night before so that nothing might prevent him from being in time.

Long before 4 o'clock 180 of the 150 invited had arrived at the door, and were welcomed by Captain Rowley, the Chief Inspector and Captain Sevan, Deputy Chief Inspector for Stores. Fortunately there was a band, and the guests enter- tained themselves with song until tea was ready. Yet more guests were then seen looking hungrily through the door, and room was made for them.

After tea there was an entertainment, with conjuring and a clown. No con- juring is complete without at least one member of the audience who knows— and tells other people—how the thing is done. Poplar is no exception. In one of the tricks members of the audience chose numbers. These were added to- gether, and the conjurer then fired at a board, one of the figures of the total appearing at each shot. Afterwards, a big boy was overheard, saying, " I did.

I did. I saw the blinking numbers coming out of the pistol." After this came games ; refreshments; more games; a magic lantern and a Christmas tree; and, finally, Father Christmas himself (like the Conjurer, the Clown, the Organizer of Games, the Story-teller, and the Magic Lantern Operator, a member of the Storeyard Staff) loaded with toys, fruit, sweets, crackers, and balloons. The presence of so many more than the 150 formally invited, might have caused him some embarrassment, but a number of new sixpences were found for those for whom there were no toys.

There is usually some small tragedy at every party, and close on nine o'clock the following dialogue took place : GUEST : " Please I want a bladder " (Poplar for balloon).

CONJURER : " But you've had one." GUEST : " It's bust." CONJURER : " There isn't another." GUEST : " But it's my birthday next Wednesday." CONJURER (temporising); " How old will you be ? " GUEST : " Ten and a half ! ".