Cornish Visit Highlight Of Year’s Trip Abroad

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 2

Cornish Visit Highlight Of Year’s Trip Abroad

Days spent in Cornwall' are vividly recalled by Mrs L. Rudkin, of Glandovey road. Fendalton, who has just returned to New Zealand with her husband after a 14 months’ tour overseas. Mr and Mrs Rudkin stayed at Torquay for a fortnight, and made frequent bus trips through the countryside. They also stayed at three small seaside towns—Mullion,* Penzance, and Cadgwith. Near Mullion they saw many miles of hilly country completely covered with bluebells. When their ship called at Honolulu, Mr and Mrs Rudkin toured the island by car. Protruding above the water of Pearl Harbour was the mast of one of the American battleships sunk by the Japanese, and the American flag was flying from it. Mr and Mrs Rudkin visited a pineapple plantation, and from a small wayside stand bough plates of pineapple. They spent two months in San Francisco, where they stayed with a daughter. They were fascinated by television and the six-lane highways. One of the highlights of a visit to New Orleans was a procession during the celebrations of a festival. It took place on a warm, fine evening, and they watched it from their hotel window.

Mrs Rudkin was very impressed with New York, where she said it seemed that every evening was “six Christmas Eves rolled into one.” They spent some time just

walking through the streets, looking at the coloured lights, and the brilliantly-illuminated shop windows. From New York. Mr and Mrs Rudkin sailed for England in the Queen Elizabeth, and when they landed at Southampton it was snowing. They stayed in London with a son, and after visiting Cornwall, they travelled to the Midlands, where they spent some time in Broadford. On returning to London, they visited many oi the famous churches. In St. Paul’s Cathedral, they attended the annual family service, in which many families walked down the aisles in procession. Mrs Rudkin, who is a keen amateur painter, said they also visited most of the famous art galleries and museums. They spent many evenings watching British television programmes. Although they were not quite up to the American standards, the service was comparatively new in Britain, said Mrs Rudkin. On the return trip, they had intended to travel through the Suez Canal, but because of the international crisis, their ship sailed by way of the Cape of Good Hope. A short stop was made at Fremantle. While they were, motoring to Perth, Mrs Rudkin saw for the first time the Australian Christmas tree with its vivid yellow blossom, hanging in clusters like grapes.