How Britons Meet Trials Of Winter

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30042, 29 January 1963, Page 2

How Britons Meet Trials Of Winter

After living for nearly 14 years in England, a. former Christchurch girl, Miss Marie Donaldson, now a British television press officer, believes that the British “really enjoy adversity” and that New Zealanders and Australians are unnecessarily sensitive and aggressive about themselves and their countries.

On her first return visit to New Zealand since leaving her home in April, 1949, Miss Donaldson talked of the character of the British, and the place of her countrymen in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Having left the United Kingdom barely a week ago. she was emphatic that not only was the present British winter “absolutely ghastly," but that It was undoubtedly bringing out the best in the British people. “There's no doubt about it In the face of national calamity like this they really do come together, and rm sure they enjoy it The British seem to love adversity, and get quite a kick out of it in a gruesome sort of way," she said. Miss Donaldson is one of three press officers for the Associated British Cinemas* Television organisation, after a career in secretarial work, journalism, press publicity.

theatrical management and promotion. Relaxing after her arrival on Saturday by air from London, Miss Donaldson was still occupied yesterday in adjusting to the vast difference in climate.

"Now, at last. I begin to understand why the British won the war. It’s funny, but everywhere you go at present old memories of the blitz days are being brought out and the troubles are being compared. “But it’s funny that although emergency measures are being taken to ease the situation, nothing concrete seems to be done about getting rid uf the obstacles.”

Miss Donaldson described the frozen scene near her firm's Riverside studio. “The footpath is covered with a foot of frozen snow," she said. "At the side is a four to fivefoot wall of hard-packed snow. On a nearby courtyard is a coating of dangerous, black ice. No-one seems to do anything to make things safer.” But although the British might have appeared to enjoy the whole situation. Miss Donaldson found her New Zealand and Australian friends reacting the same way. “We all think it absolutely ghastly,” she said with feeling. Other differences between the Australasian and British temperaments have interested Miss Donaldson.

This is bow Miss Donaldson summed up one of the differences she has observed: “When a New Zealander goes to Britain be is asked more frequently than anything else, ‘What is it like in New Zealand?'; but when a British person goes out to our countries he is more frequently asked, 'What do you think of our country?’” But Mias Donaldson considers this national inferiority of the southern countries to be completely unjustified. privileged Position

■q myeelf wonder whether most New Zealanders appreciate the privileged position that they hold in the world It is absolutely incredible the affection and respect which we are given by people everywhere. "I do feel that we in New Zealand and Australia, being young countries, are much too sensitive about what other people think of us But we don't need to be self conscious about ouraelves Our national inferiority complex b quite unnecessary” Miss Donaldson was also emphatic that she had discovered her own people to be, on the whole, more self reliant and independent than their British counterparts and able to “step into situations where the British would fear

to tread.” The New Zeelander and Australian, not expecting patronage could move in circles completely oblivious of the social hierarchy in which be found himself “We are so lucky in Britain because the traditional class distinction breaks down for us. We are judged on our own merits. Our past life doesn’t exist as far as they are concerned, so we can start again with a clean slate, as it were.”

Perhaps not all New Zealanders realised that, to many persons in Britain, their country represented the ideals of life, and the epitome of high living standards and social welfare, she said.