PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 129, 28 November 1906, Page 3

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 19th October. Thirty gentlemen were made Fellows of the Royal Colonial Institute on the occasion of last Tuesday's meeting of the Council of the Institute, but only two were New Zealanders — viz., Mr. Frederick H. Jordan and Mr. Samuel F. Smithson (barrister-at-law)/ Many New Zealand friends of Lord and Lady Onslow and their daughters will regret to learn that certain fond hopes have been disappointed. A son and heir was born to Lady Gwendolen Guinness — nee Onslow — last Monday night, at 11, St. James's-square, London. The baby, Lady Gwendolen's first after three years of marriage, was next in remainder, after his father, to the Viscountcy ojl Iveagh. I am sorry to say, however, that the infant, who had been baptised Richard, died on Tuesday, after httlo moro than a singlo day's life. Mr. W. H. Hawkins, ex-M.H.R. (Pahiatua) and Mr. James C. Dromgool, B.Sc. (Stratford), arrived in London a few days ago by the White Star steamer Afric, which they joined in Australia after a month's tour in that country. Thoy saw something of Capetown and Durban en route. They made a point of being present at the dairy show, where they wore greatly struck by the splendid show of dairy stock, comprising cattle of several breeds not commonly seen in New Zealand. They were much impressed, too, by the magnificent display of cheese, bnt more especially with tho artistic display of fancy butter and the show case oxhibitcd by the New Zealand Government ; the amateur fancy exhibits reached a standard of excellence seldom seen in .New Zealand. Mr. Dromgool expresses ' himself as disappointed with the butter shown in bulk, maintaining that it is not equal to the | best that can be produced in Taranaki. Mr. Hawkins is combining business with pleasure, and has in view an early visit to the leading manufacturing centres of England. Both gentlemen will see something of Ireland, Paris, the United States, and Japan before they land again in New Zealand ; according to present arrangements, two months, will bo devoted to travelling about in England. Miss Afoy Beatty, who is playing her first season at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, has_ informed an interviewer that she io in reality a New Zealunder by birth. ' I was born in Christchurch, New Zealand," she paid. "My father built the first theatre in that town, nearly thirty years ago. I have faithfully adhered to the two most important traditions of the comic opera artist ; I havo had my jewellery stolen, and 1 was reared in a convent. . . . New Zealand has some cause to be proud of its creation, tho Pollard Juvenile Opera Company. In its heyday it was the finest organisation for training children in stage-work to be found, perhaps, in the world. Tom Pollard was a masterly teacher, and tho proof is that such a great number of his pupils have made names for themselves in after life." It is with groat regret that I have just recoived tho sad news of tho death, through an accident, of Lieutenant St. John Gaisford Spackman, eldost son of the late Mr. W. H. Spackman, barrister, of Christchurch, New Zealand. Lieutenant Spackman, *vho was stationed at Gibraltar, was playing polo on Monday week when he met with an accident which proved fatal. He was a very promising young officer, only twenty-four years of age, and his early death is lamented by a large circlo of friends. His mother, Mrs. Spackman, has been residing for some time past at Ripley, Curragh Lake, County Kerry, Ireland. I hear that Miss Fitchett, daughter of the Very Rev. Dean Fitchett, has gone back to Paris to continue her art studies at tho conclnsion of a very pleasant holiday spent in England. At the London office of the New Zealand Government I have noticed the following names which havo been entered in the callers' book : — Mr. O. H. Cleland (Wellington), Mr. D. W. N. Cameron (Southland), Mr. A. Macra (Southland), Mr. J. C. Peacock (Auckland), Mr. P. A. Smith (Otago), Mr. W. A. Chappie (Wellington) and Mrs Chappie, Miss Ada G Paterson, M.8.. Ch.B. (Dunedin), Miss Marguerita Pickmere (Auckland), Mr. and Mrs. Black and son (South Canterbury), Mr. J. Robb (Onehunga), Mr. Peter Pilkington (Maori Hill). With the exception of Mr. P. R. Johnson, who is travelling to tho colony via Suez and Australia, all the mombers of tho M.C.C. cricket team nro leaving by the s.s. Corinthic for New Zealand, some joining her to-day in London, and others at Plymouth. The members are : Captain E. G. Wynyard, Messrs. G. T. Branston, W. B. Burns, W. G. H. Curwen, C. E. do Trafford, J. W. H. Douglas, R. H. Fox, W. P. Harrison, G. If. Simpson-Hay-ward, P R. May. C. C. Page, A. A. Torrons. N. C. Tufnell, and J. Moss (umpire). I regret to havo to record the death of Mrs. Robert Hon ton Rhodes, who passed away on Tuesday in this week at nor residence at Tunbridgo Wells. The deceased lady was tho widow of the late .Mr. Robert Heaton Rhodes, of Elmwood, Christchurch, Now Zealand. Soveral, membors of her family arc resident in this country, including her daughters Mrs. Willes, Mrs. Hunter-Blair, and ■Mrs. E. D. O'Rorke, with whom much sympathy is felt in their bereavement.