NEW ZEALANDER AT HOME

Evening Star, Issue 16516, 30 August 1917, Page 2

NEW ZEALANDER AT HOME

A soldier writing from Sling Camp on February 25 to relatives in Dunedin states:— “ We're told the mail closes to-morrow, and as 1 suppose this will be my last chance of writing from England I’m just sending a line. We got four days’ draft leave from Wednesday last, and l” wont to London with Tom Jordan. Wo stayed at the Warrendcr Private Hotel, with Sister Jordan, who was over from France on leave for a week, another Now Zealand sister from Codford, and a Canadian sister from France. We got to London late on Wednesday afternoon, and had to leave Waterloo at 9.50 p.m. Saturday, so did not have'much time. However, wo made Ike most of what we hud, and enjoyed our-' selves. Saw the Tower of London, Crown jewels, armories, etc., and the spot where Henry the Eighth’s wives were beheaded. For lunch one day we wont to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn in Fleet street. It is just the same as it yvas somewhere about 1647. We sat on the seat that Dr Samuel Johnson used, nlso Charles Dickens’s seat. They have sawdust on the floor still, and everything is served in the old style. Wo had a pudding of ‘ye famous rump steak, mushroom, kidney, lark, and oyster pudding ’ (which was very good), a pewter of bitter ale, sweets, toasted cheese, coffee, and cigarettes; cost, 25s for five of ns. Went to the Wyndham Theatre to see ‘ London Pride ’ that night. It was splendid, the acting being quite the best I have seen. Next day. Tom and I went to the Smithfield Meat Markets and spent an instructive morning. All the dealers told ns that the New Zealand meat is far ahead of any other imported meat, and, judging by what we saw, it certainly is. Some River Plate mutton was very third-class, the whole sheep weighing not more than 401b, and. as one dealer said, it was ‘ whipI pet bred.’ Spent the rest of the day wan- | dering- round the parks, and wont to ‘ Romance,’ at the Lyric Theatre, in Shaftes- ! bury avenue. It also was good, and tho | acting first-class. Saturday morning we 1 all went joy riding round London—the , buses, tubes, and taxis—and all had •to ■ leave for our various destinations during the afternoon. “We’re off for Folkestone to-night en route to our base camp in France. I have had a final medical examination (on recovery from wounds), and got through all right. Weather still fine and much warmer ; we can walk about now without overcoat or gloves, which is more than wo dare do last month. News from the front is decidedly more encouraging lately, and I think this season will see the end. There is no chance of their submarines making any difference, though they are bound to sink a lot of boats.”