REPORTING THE QUEEN MOTHERS TOUR

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28513, 17 February 1958, Page 2

REPORTING THE QUEEN MOTHERS TOUR

\.By

"SUSAN”]

Now that the whirligig is over and the good-byes have been said —not sad good-byes, for there was nothing sad about the Queen Mother’s tour, you may like to know a little about the reporting of it. Hundreds of local reporters contributed to recording the Queen Mother’s progress, and if some of us were a little ecstatic at times, that was an entirely accurate indication of the whole atmosphere of the visit. Only four writers have accompanied Her Majesty all the way—an officially attached journalist of the Press Association, an attractive ’Australian girl for an Australian i weekly, a correspondent for a London newspaper, and myself for the four main morning newspapers in New Zealand. We were a friendly and cooperative foursome and travelled the whole way by air in the entertaining company of two broadcasting announcers, a number of dry-witted photographers, ' massive policemen, and a group lof the friendliest, most helpful Officials you could find in the Civil Service. This party, roughly 20 of us, flew half-an-hour ahead of the Queen Mother all the time, and on such a tight schedule that it often meant quick getaways from gobbled lunches to be airborne within the required interval. Hilarious Times

With Her Majestry travelled her immediate household, the tour director—a man beloved by all—and one or two officials. From what I hear, their flights were often as hilarious as ours tended to become. Queen Elizabeth is a great tease, ragged her poor director unmercifully, though in the sweetest way, and often clapped her hands for a celebration as they flew on from another successful section of the programme.

Until the day we left Dunedin, when we had two rather uncomfortable flights, not to mention a slightly alarming landing in a strong cross-wind at Invercargill, we had beautifully smooth flying and with the splendid scenery below and the song, dance, repartee and ever-welcome refreshments in our own flying home-from-home, it took a lot of determined concentration to put one’s head down (as I am doing how) and try to work in what has often been the only free moment of the day. A good bit of badinage crackled about the cabin at times, and 1 got a specially bad time when one of my papers printed a line in its index: “Page 2, Blizzard in U.S. Susan.”

t But these few moments just had to be snatched, for the programme hardly left a gap. I wrote one article during a town hall reception, sitting in evening dress at the sanitary inspector’s desk while everyone else drank champagne; and often had to wake at 5 or 6 a.m. to get a start on the writing. Six hours’ sleep was a blissful maximum, four an average; two an exception but a torture. Lost Weight I think every one of us lost weight. Like the Queen Mother, I am more than happy to have shed a few pounds. In spite of the constant pressure of time, work and heat, one managed to sweep along on a tide of excitement and keep wonderfully well. The only time it almost got too much was on the night of our arrival in Wellington. Throughout the tour we were given, marvellous facilities to be close to the Queen Mother, to meet her, to see and hear her, and to use our own good taste and discretion in what we did and wrote. I cannot too warmly praise the efficiency and friendliness of the Government officers who made the journey happy as well as successful. Good Investment We received much kindness, in varying degrees, from the local people in the 12 towns and cities we visited in 13 days. Speaking,

• more from the point of view of I the overseas correspondents than i from my own, since I have many i opportunities to make more • leisurely judgments, I do think ! it is a good investment in the way of public relations, to offer • some useful publicity material l and a few small creature comforts • to the visiting journalists. L It seems a pity, for instance, ' that our Englishman should re- • member Invercargill as the place " where they made him pay 2s I for a programme and that our i Australian girl should remember ‘ Palmerston North as the place • where between two long, exhausti ing journeys, she was curtly i refused a cup of tea. ■ It has not been easy, but it - has been great fun. Above all, it has been a great privilege to write ■ about such a wonderful and I lovable woman. i But once more, home is best, > and as you read this I shall be - up to my elbows in the kitchen.