Peeress Rides Reluctantly In A New Zealand Train

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28231, 20 March 1957, Page 12

Peeress Rides Reluctantly In A New Zealand Train

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 19. The eighth Earl Poulett took his first, and probably last, ride in a New Zealand train to-night—in the face of strong vocal opposition from his wife. They caught the Limited express to Wellington with four minutes to spare. Lord and Lady Poulett are spending a week in New Zealand during a holiday cruise to escape from the English winter. But Lady -Poulett has made one stipulation —she will not travel in any more trains for a long time. To-night Lady Poulett grimaced with dismay as a porter piled a mountain of luggage in the restricted space of their sleeping car. “Good gracious, is this all of it?” she said, “Could we possibly get something a little larger?” Smiling happily, Lord Poulett obviously did not share his wife’s misgivings. He watched with detached calm as a porter began to sort out the chaos in the sleeping berth—and discovered that he had thrown in another traveller’s luggage as well. Lord Poulett hoped he would have an opportunity to give the Limited engine a thorough inspection before it reached Wellington. “I was looking forward to a trip on the footplate of one of your

trains,” he added wistfully, “but I don’t think it will now be possible.”

When there was a shout of “All aboard” he checked his watch carefully with a railways clock, and swung aboard with a professional flourish.