LONDON PERSONAL NOTES.

(FBOM orß OW_r COKKESPO-TDEST.) LONDON, June 9. Mr J. Hay (Temnka) will perform one official duty while in this country — he will represent the New Z t a and University as its delegate at the Quincentenary celebration of the University of St. Andrews, in September. Otherwise the time will be devoted to plea-sure-making.

In the year 1873 Mr and Mrs F. Disher (Christchurch) went out to New Zealand, and they f.re now paying their first return visit to the Old Country. After the Coronation they will spend some time in the West of England, afterward touring the North and Scotland. Mr and Mrs Disher will bo in Europe until the end of November.

Mrs G. G. Coulton, who will perhaps be best remembered as Miss Rose D. Ilbert, a former student of Auckland University College, has left Eastbourne and gone to reside in Cambridge, her husband having lately received tho appointment of Birkbeck Lecturer in Ecolesiastical History, a. Trinity College. Mrs Coulton does not expect to go back to the Dominion, but she will always bo glad to welcome any New Zealand friends who may be seeing Cambridge, her address there being 1 Park Terrace.

In addition to attending to matters of a business interest, Mr E. It. Husband (Christchurch and Timaru), who is bore w'th Mrs Husband, is a member of the New Zealand Contingent attending the Coronation celebrations. Their stay hero will extend over months, and the return voyage will be made via America.

Mr J. M. Batham (Wellington) is at present in a nnrsing home in the West End making a good recovery from a slight operation. In a few days he hopes to return to Beckenham, in Kent, where he will 6pend peacefully the weeks in which Londoners aro lost in hurry and rush. His son, Mr Guy Batham", who is a marine engineer, will cross to Nantes next week to join a steamer for Egypt. Mr and Mrs F. Waymouth (Christchurch) have come up to town for a week to enable Mrs Waymouth to attend, as a delegate, the conference of the Victoria League. Their daughter, Mrs Hughes, hps achieved an artistic snecess this year in having a picture hung in the Royal Academy—"A Coast View nt Tho Nuggets." Her husband, Mr R. M. Hughes, has also had,a NewZealand view •accepted—"A Scene in Peel Forest, Canterbury." Mr T. Doherty (Canterbury) will start on a round of visits in England and Ireland after his duties as>a member of tho Coronation Contingent are at an end. About the end of August lie will leave for an overland tour to Narjies. there to join his steamer for Australia and New Zealand.

Mrs M. J. Stanton (Kaikoura) £s here on a holiday visit. Mr R. J. Coates, LL.B. (Auckland) is taking _ lessons in aeroplaning, and he is honing to take back an aeroplane with him when he leaves for New Zealond in October, via America and Canada.

After taking part in tho Coronation, Lieut.-Colonel F. W. Abbott, of the New Zealand, Staff Corps, will put in a year's training with the Imperial Army. In all probability. Aldershot will ho his headquarters for a time. Miss A. Banchop (Wellington), who came to England with her brother, Colonel Bauchop, C.M.G., a few weeks ago, has cerao to London to continue her musical] studies. She has been with her brother at Camberley and on Salisbury Plain until this week.

Mr and Mrs A. Kidd (Auckland) came to England by way of the Continent, making a fairly long stay en route. Mr Kidd says it is impossible not to be impressed with the necessity for some faster connection with our Dominion. Of all the steamer lines with Europe, Australia and. New Zealand have the slowest, and he considers it urgently necessary that something should be dono to improve it. Wo ought to be within ono month of England. Mr J. W. Beanland (Christchurch) will spend four months travelling about Europe on a pleasure trip. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward have accorded' their patronage to a concert which Miss Irene Ainslcy, of Auckland, is arranging to give at the Bechstein Hall toward the end of this month. She- will be assisted by two musical friends, and Madame Melba hopes to be present. Miss Ainsley has just come back to town from Yorkshire, where she has been fulfilling a round of professional engagements. •

Probably it has never fallen to the lot of two New Zealanders to have a wedding: in circumstances so unique as those attending the marriage of Dr. A. R. Andrew, of Dunedin. and Miss Vera Dall (Dunedin and Wellington), which was solemnised at Barbadoes on May Bth. The former leaving Colombia, and tho latter sailing from London, they-met half way, the bridegroom reaching Barbndoes several days before his fiancee, and going out to meet her steamer, which was to remain in port for a few hours. Landing, each was met by a private motor-car and driven some miles inland to the church, through scenery tyoical to the tropics and in sunshine that was dazzlingly. brilliant. Arrangements hnd been made for the organist to play before tho service and at its, conclusion, and by the time the.bride and bridegroom arrived they found the church full of natives. th : s congregation having been nttr-cted mninlv on account of the opportunity afforded of hearing some good music. Distance is no detriment to these natives when there Is a promise of mnsic at the end of the journoy. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dr. and Mrs Andrew drove to tho vicarage, where they were entertained most hospitably by the vicar until the time arrived for tbem to get back to the harbour, where, joinine the steamer that had carried the bride from England, Dr. and Mrs Andrew continued the journey to Colombia, whore they expect to be for several months. They hope, however, to return to England at no very distant date. The bride received a number of charming presents from fellowpassengers. Messrs Nielsen and Sons (Auckland)! who have been exhibiting fine displays of greenstone at the exhibitions here dunnc: the past few rears, to-day presented Sir Joseph Ward with a very hand-ome walking stick, heavily mounted in gold attd with a greenstone stud in the handle. It is in' commemoration of I\ew Zealand's part in the Festival of Empire. -Mr . A - ?idd (Auckland) lunched today with Lord Ranfurly, at his residence in Lennox Gardens, when he presented the ex-Governor with an address from the inmntes of the Veterans' i Home, in tha founding of which he took. such a keen interest.