‘Finest Tour Escort’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 1

‘Finest Tour Escort’

A Wellington travel agency run by two former All Blacks, Messrs I. N. MacEwan and M. W. Williment, has arranged a world tour forxl97l with the vicar of the St Barnabas’ Anglican Church, Fendalton (the Rev. R. A Lowe) as tour escort Mr Lowe who is described by the firm as “New Zealand’s most original and finest tour escort,” said in Christchurch last evening that he had been invited to lead the tour by Mr Mac Ewan who was an old friend, and who would also accompany the tour. Several clergymen in New Zealand, including some from the Anglican Church had recently led overseas tours and the tour next year had the full co-oper-ation of the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt Rev. W. A. Pyatt) and the wardens of St Barnabas’ Church, he said. During the tour, which will embrace 12 different countries in 62 days, the party will attend four Rugby matches which will be played in England to mark the centenary of the English Rugby Union. Mr Lowe said that before he was ordained he had done both Rugby and cricket commentaries in the northern region of England for the 8.8. C., and it had always been his hope to return for the centenary. It was 20 years since he had been out of New Zealand. The invitation to lead the tour was also significant as far as the secular

world was concerned, “Theologically, the church is no longer in the ghetto talking chatter just to itself,” he said. “This invitation is acknowledgement that we have something to offer.” When he is in England Mr Lowe has been invited to do some programmes for the 8.8. C. on the emergence of New Zealand to nationhood. They will be similar to programmes he has already done on this subject for the United States. Other visits included in the itinerary are to the Italian Riviera, London, Rome, Paris, Bangkok. San Francisco, and a sixday cruise on the Rhine. “The first thing 1 am going to pack is my swimming trunks,” said Mr Lowe. The number of persons able to go on the tour would be limited because of the chartered facilities that had been arranged, he said. One charter involved a cruiser to take the party on the Rhine from the North Sea to Switzerland. While Mr Lowe is away a priest-in-charge will be installed at St Barnabas’.