PERSONAL ITEMS FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14359, 2 May 1910, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS FROM LONDON.

[FBOM OUR OWN" CORRESPONDENT.J - J •', ' ; }•.:■ London, March 24. ' '^ The Hon. Edward ..Wood; M.P. for Ripoii, 4 and Lady Dorothy Wood (nee Onslow) have ,;'}' gone abroad. Mr. Wood's doctor has ordered him complete rest. . }' v^;f/. The Rev. T. P." Jones (Duriedin) has'.' :/ 4 passed -his final examination for B.A. of Durham University. Mr. Jones is still ; working down at Wapping. ...—- — . • Miss F. E. Preece (Auckland) came to London with Engineer-Commander Wheater -' and Mrs. Wheater, and just now she 15 with them at Clacton-on-Sea. It is her intention to spend the summer in England, and after visiting the Continent to leave for New Zealand again in the autumn. " ' I With a large number of New Zealandera ', jon board, the s.s! Ruahine has reached ; I London. ' She called at Plymouth two day* I ago, and among the passengers to dis- [ embark at that port was Lady Plunket, 3 with her children. It is understood that '; she has gone across to Ireland to see her relatives there. ■ ! -v'. : ' ':■'■''•■' ' ■■:'":..'- : ■ '''vssf - ; '•"' ■'~'■ "■ ■■ '" .■'.'■ "•«'''.'■. '•. ' ■ ' ;.< Callers at the London office of the New .'•' Zeaknd Government during this short Easter holiday week have been :—Mrs. . ' W. S. Lucas ; (Nelson) and Miss Lucas, - Dr.}; Jessie Scott (Canterbury), Mr. J.Muller (Dunedin), Mr.}and Miss Jones (Christchurch), Mr. Owen Merton. (Christ- ' church), Mr. KB. Harvey (Rakaia). . ,- In the Morning Post the announcement is made of the betrothal of Captain the Hon. Nigel Gathorne-Hardy, Rifle Brigade, . : , to Doris, youngest • daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Johnston, Karon, Wellington, ; New Zealand. " Captain Gathorne-Hardy. is the youngest son of the Earl and Cou&tesii :}|| of Cranbrook, and brother of Lord Medway, who some years ago married Lady Dorothy Boyle. ;>:...,,; The P. and O. steamer China will leave ■ London to-morrow. Her passenger-list is not a lengthy one. ' Those on baud who have booked 'hrough to New Zealand include Mr. and Mrs; Hunter Brown and Miss Hunter Brown, who. die going to ■? 1.-'Napier Mr. F. Hyne, and Mr. and Mrs. ' '. H. T. Newling and son, who are going to " ' Auckland; Wellington is the "destination - of Miss P. Platts, and Major G. W. Enton Turner. has' booked' to "Greymouth. ''-. • N - Quite recently New, Zealand\ has ac-. - quired a sudden and considerable! interest in one of the best art societies in London. ' A year ago there was. not, > I V think, ', a ; single 4 artist connected : with ;};«; New.Zealand on the roll of the society ■'-ffl»*cb grants its members tlif. 'letters ! ,R-B-A. To-day there are" four Whom '' New Zealand has some show of right to ■ claim for herself. By the courtesy of I Mr.. E. W. Christmas, R.8.A., } was t able to be present on ; Saturday at a priI vate view' at ,the gallery; in '• Suffolk>ftreet, : 1 and it was quite refreshing to fin such a considerable and; adequate representation of New Zealand painters. . Mr./ Christmas himself had five; pictures, on , the walls, while Mr. C. N. WotfslejJf - was elected a member at the same time, some months ago, had' *sfj»s. ; - 'Mr. Linley ' Richardson, who is well known in Wellington, where * he} succeeded Mr. James. !} Nairn as instructor at the- Technical School, had two. and a young Christchurch artist, Mr. Owen Merton, three.' Mr. Merton's work at New Zealand ii exhibitions during the last few years gave every promise of success in a wider ? sphere, and it* value was recognised by. the Royal - Society British Artists at its last meeting, when he was elected : a member. - ' ~' . . " : Ever since its conversion ; into a■■ school, Lord Carrington's Buckinghamshire estate ' of Wycombe Abbey, High „ Wycombe, ■ has bet:n held in high repute as an educational centre, and it now enjoys a reputation that is world-wide; For, some years past pupils , , have gone there. from all parts: of the. Empire, including a number from NeW Zealand ; -arid from small beginnings the Abbey "•/; school has grown to great proportions. For. more; than one reason the institution has appealed to v "New Zealand parents as a ' desirable" finishing-school' for their daugh- s ters But the chief reason perhaps has been . that two ladies "who have been at the head }}• of the school are closely connected wiba the :; Dominion, a namely, Miss Dove : (who has just retired from the position ; of principal), who -is ; a sister of the present:: headmaster at Wanganui Collegiate" School, and Miss '. Wallis, sister of. the present Bishop 'of Wellington." Mies, Wallis 'j is personally- ,*'.; known in New Zealand, as she was on a visit, there only a few years since. Further: .'. "more, attached to the staff of mistresses from September. 1897, until about three '; .years ago, - was Miss M. A. Whitelaw, M.'A; :. (Dublin),, of Auckland, who then left Eng- ; land to take charge of the-Girls* Grammar School in her own city. . This link between 1 ■ • the Mother Country. and ■ New. Zealand has ■/ : ,j now '.been further strengthened by " the , unanimous, selection of Mies Whitelaw to -bedhead' of the school on the retirementof Miss Dove. -The. work which Miss ( Whitelaw • has been able to achieve during ■ her short sojourn in Auckland has appealed very much to the authorities here. Doubt-. ' less, under the guidance of its new princi- • '<. pal, the Wycombe Abbey. School will still further extend its scope of influence in the system of modern education for girls. As: a student;} Miss Whitelaw did brilliantly' '}} at Girton College, .Cambridge. -> . • :.-■■■- '' ' ' '' ' '' ' ' . "