IMPRESSIONS OF ENGLAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 46, 23 January 1939, Page 11

IMPRESSIONS OF ENGLAND.

A NEW ZEALANDER’S TOUR. Mrs K. Wragg, of Dannevirke, who hay just returned from a fifteenmonths visit to England and is visiting Palmerston North, has brought hack the gas mask issued to her at the time of the crisis of September last. Although the people were outwardly calm, Mrs Wragg told a “Standard” representative, there way tension beneath the surface aijd no one could talk of anything but war. Thousands of children were sent into the country from her native city of Birmingham, as a precaution against air raids and, under the circumstances. Mrs Wragg had been quite glad to return to New Zealand, as she felt the situation was by no means settled yet. She had some difficulty in obtaining passage to New Zealand, but at length managed to get one on the Rimutaka, on which iurther excitement was caused by the fire in the hold. The passengers were not alarmed at first, and Mrs Wragg did not think they realised how serious the fire was till the ship was stopped and the lifeboats were provisioned and lowered. They were told that this was only a precaution. Little inconvenience was caused, except that some of the cabins were affected and the occupants luggage was removed to the dining saloon Mrs Wragg said she was greatly impressed by the corporation housing scheme in Birmingham. Slums were being abolished and attractive homes fully equipped with modern conveniences were being built in the outer suburbs. Each house had its own garden and was let at a reasonable rental. Blocks of up-to-date flats were built in crescent formation and the former slum areas were being occupied by factories. An excellent bus service provided transport, and trams and overhead trollies wore being abolished. In fact, so excellent was this service that it was not necessary to own a car in Birmingham. The traffic problem was tremendous, but ears were allowed io pass trams on either side. Mrs Wragg did not like the English railway carriages so well as those in New Zealand, but the trains were comfortable and very quick. T be absence of serious curves allowed the distance of 100 miles between Birmingham and London to be covered in two hours. Pares were about the same as in New Zealand, but frequently cheap excursions were run. One could travel anvwhere by bus, said | Mrs Wragg. She had made a tour of I Devon and Cornwall in a luxury bus, staving at good hotels and stopping to i see the old-world villages, for an inj elusive charge of about £1 a day. She had been round Dartmoor prison and I teen able to see the prisoners at work through the wide open gates. There was very little chance of escape, as the prison was surrounded by wide moors where the escapee could easily starve before reaching villages. 1 here was one inn on those moors, and a fire there was supposed to have been burning for 100 years. ft- was made of peat, but never poked, and kept smouldering all the time. At Dunster were some picturesque old almshouses in which each room had two fireplaces so that the two occupants would not quarrel over their cooking. She had seen Buckfast Abbey, which was nearing completion after the monks had been at work on it for 30 years. The inside was completed and tbo finishing touches to the outside wore needed. The visitor had been shown a wonderful cha.ir in the sanctuary, which cost £3OO. and a_ beautiful bronze christening, font. White Bath stone was used for the building, and she was told that each stone cost 14s. The money was obtained l»v subscription and by the sale of souvenirs from a stall outside. The traveller did not think the cost of living was any greater in New Zealand than it was in England. fihe had been surprised at the way prices seemed to have risen. Meat, was considerably dearer in England, though hats, gloves and hosiery were cheaper. Other articles of clothing were about the same, though cheaper goods could l>e obtained, but these were mostly of inferior quality. Mrs Wragg. who arrived from To Tvuiti, this morning, and left for Dannevirke later in the day. said she hoped to return to England in two years’ time.