OVERSEAS HOLIDAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 286, 31 October 1933, Page 6

OVERSEAS HOLIDAY

VISIT TO ENGLAND. PALMERSTON NORTH PARTY. “Everything seemed to be in a healthy state, and conditions did not reveal any outward signs of depression. I am satisfied that anyone going to England from New Zealand with a title capital and the broadened outlook and experience of this country could make a success of almost any business,” stated Mr T. Madge, who returned to Palmerston North this week from a seven months’ holiday overseas, in some observations on his trip. Mr Madge was accompanied by his wife, his brother, Mr L. J. Madge, and Mrs L. J. Modge, and Mr P. Easton, of Foxton. Landing at Plymouth in June, said Mr Madge, he found England a delightful picture of green fields, with the countryside a patchwork of meadows. He motored to Bournemouth, passing on the way the Dartmoor prison, which stood grim and gaunt in the distance. It was the beginning of the season at Bournemouth, and holiday crowds were flocking to the seaside resort. The Palmerston North party stayed for some time at Poole, noted for its wonderful harbour and being an old port for the tobacco industry, as well as a base for the wartime motor-boat patrols. They saw there some very fast speedboats, racing round the harbour, which was dotted with trim yachts. AUsiting his home town of Bideford, in ]\arth Devon, Mr Madge found its streets exceptionally narrow after the open highways of New Zealand. He spent a delightful holiday in Devonshire, visiting, among other places, Ilfracombe, Clove]ly, Lynmouth and Bude. Transport developments particularly interested Mr Madge, who said that there was a possibility of light Diesel engines opening up a new era for motor cars. The designers had succeeded in eliminating the characteristic “knock,” and claimed greater economy and efficiency. The most impressive feature of travelling on the highways of Britain was the invariable road courtesy of the drivers, who indicated to one another every movement of the traffic. There were no speed limits, and pedestrians went out of their way, at intersections, to warn a driver that traffic was approaching from another direction. “I did not care ior London much,” said Mr Madge. “The petrol fumes there are terrible. They .are like a fog, and one can almost cut them with a knife. There is no doubt that something will have to be done in the future to safeguard the health of the people from the evil-smelling fumes discharged from the vehicles. The bus services are, however, well organised and patronised. Taxi fares are much dearer in England than in Palmerston North.”

A visit to the Aldershot Military Tattoo, said Mr Madge, had been a wonderful experience. He had to thread his way through a maze of traffic for fifty miles and even fourteen miles from the destination accommodation houses displayed the sign “House full. Ticket holders only admitted.” The tattoo was given under . searchlights at night, the pageantry culminating in mimic modern warfare. It was a great spectacle to see the speedy, mobile tanks, the magnificent horsemanship and the swooping, roaring ’planes. Navy \A 7 eek at Portsmouth had been equally attractive, a feature being a representation of the capture of a piratical Chinese junk. Mr Madge inspected the big modern battleships and the old Victory, and saw remarkable drill displays which were carried out with clockwork precision. Southampton was a very bus-t- place when the visitors embarked on the Empress of Britain, and there seemed to be plenty of building activity, Mr Madge said. The service on the palatial 42,000-ton liner crossing the Atlantic was wonderful. Stopping for a few days in Canada, Mr Madge visited a brother at Dalton and a nephew at Farnham. He stated that a fast through express had been stopped at a wayside station to allow him to alight, and again stopped to pick him up—a service which was surprising and greatly appreciated. The travellers spent ten days in Canada, with which country Mr Madgo was not impressed, and called at Honolulu and Suva on the way home.