Nonagenarian Planning Fifth Visit To Britain

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28750, 22 November 1958, Page 12

Nonagenarian Planning Fifth Visit To Britain

I A Christchurch man who I arrived in Lyttelton from Lon-1 i don in the sailing ship Piako 791 •I years ago. and who celebrated his| 11 92nd birthday yesterday, is plan- : ning to visit his daughter in Eng- ■ land. Hr will be making his fifth • | trip between New Zealand and ■ Britain. ■ I He is Mr J. A. Harrow, who I' founded the Christchurch plumb- ■ ing firm of J. A. Harrow, Ltd., ' in 1890. Born within the sound t'of Bow Bells, he is a true Cock-' I ney. Mr Harrow came to New Zea-| land with his parents. During the three-month journey he cele- ; brated his thirteenth birthday and! I as the ship sailed through the, (Pacific he recalled awakening on] ‘ j Christmas morning to the sound ; ■of bells and assumed the ships]

1 1 company was welcoming the fes- ‘ Stive day. but he discovered that i there was a fire aboard. Mr Harrow said yesterday that ’ his education finished at the age of 12. When- he arrived in Christchurch, which was “fairly well settled in those days." he began work. He recalled cycling , to work on a penny-farthing 1 bicycle. Mr Harrow founded his busi-

Hiicss in 1890. when his weekly ■ I rental for the premises was only ' II Bs. “In those days there was a ; 48-hour week with no smokos. . and one had to work very hard ■ . to earn the then average wage ' i of eight shillings a day.” he said ■ i In 1906. Mr Harrow bought his ' first motor-car. It had no wind- • ( screen or doors. He has driven 1 , motor-cars ever since. ' One of the worst changes dur- , ing the years, in his observation. ! was the drop in value of the 1 ! sovereign, he said. When he mar- ,| t ied his half acre section in j Southampton street cost only ( ’[ £56. ** i Although he has lived for most , , of his life in Christchurch. Mr ] ! Harrow visited Britain in 1890. ] , 1924, 1951. and 1955. About eight 1 'years ago. he flew to America and ]