King Visits N.Z. Industries Fair

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29910, 25 August 1962, Page 10

King Visits N.Z. Industries Fair

The King of Thailand’s love of speed made him intensely interested in a cabincruiser and a speed boat, both driven by a jet-propulsion unit developed by Mr C. W. F. Hamilton, which were on display at the New Zealand Industries Fair yesterday. The King inspected the speedboat closely, looked at the jet unit and engine, asked the price of the speedboat (£1900) and told the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) that he had a speedboat of his own which was getting old.

The King obviously enjoyed his hour’s visit to the fair and showed great interest in the 43 display stands

in Canterbury Court. “The King said that he admired the quality of the goods on display and had not realised that New Zealand was making such a variety of

manufactured goods.” said the president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association iMr R H Stewart).

“His Majesty said that the hospitality of the New Zealand people had been overwhelming and at times almost embarrassing He enjoyed the quietness of the court and said it gave him ' time to look at the exhibits and to think about them.

The King stopped twice at the stand of Crown Lynn Potteries and watched Miss Mary Bayley, of Auckland hand-painting patterns on a

dinner set. He was shown a ,>r ’ ze ' winning dinner-set with the Good Design label featuring a fern Pattern and was asked if he and the Queen household 3 S ' ft “I would like something more topical—an elephant and a kiwi shaking hands." the King suggested with a smile Amidst laughter, a representative of the firm promised to do a topical pattern The King talked .to Mr Lloyd Brown at a masonry blo|ck stand and his request for a booklet on this type of building material will be met He talked for some minutes with Mr Gordon Donaldson a totally blind instructor of the blind, at the New Zealand Foundation for the Blind stall The King said that Queen Sirikit was greatly interested in helping the blind He watched Mrs N McCarthy demonstrating a home knitting machine and as she showed several different patterns. the King commented that it was amazing On the way out of Canterbury Court the King again passed the jet-propelled cabin cruiser and inquired and was told all the details of its performance, size and capacity A member of his entourage said that the King liked fast cars, speedboats and aircraft The jet boats were displayed at the fair especially for the King's visit.