ROYAL VISIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23320, 13 April 1939, Page 4

ROYAL VISIT

INSTITUTE FOR BLIND TALKS WITH CHILDREN ACHIEVEMENTS IN BRAILLE [from OUR OWN correspondent] LONDON, March 20 Some time was spent by Queen Elizabeth talking with the small blind children when, with the King, she visited the headquarters of tho National Institute of the Blind on the 25th anniversary of its opening. A basket made by the blind, filled with English spring flowers, daffodils, primroses, violets, narcissi, was presented to Her Majesty by Arthur Woodhouse, aged four, and Greta 'Lee, aged six. "What a lovely basket of flowers," said the Queen. "They're marvellous," the King agreed. So taken were these tiny tots with the King's voice that, although they had looked forward to this moment for' weeks, and had been told that it would be correct for them to make small speeches in reply to Their Majesties, no words would come. Instead, Greta just stood listening, while Arthur, as the Queen bent forward with the basket in her hands, stroked the daffodils which he could not see.

"What are your names?" "How old are you?"—the Queen put many questions to them; but the little ones were speech less and matron bad to answer for them.

Gift of Beads Later, however, when less formally engaged, they more than made up for this shyness. By then Arthur was busy again with his brightly-coloured bricks. "Look at tho chimney I have built," he said to the Queen, who remarked: "What a clever little boy." Near by was Greta, bathing her baby, "Toodles," with "real'.' soap and water, as she did not neglect to point out. Another small girl, Gwyneth Jones, was making tea for her doll. "What's his name?" the Queen asked, and was told that it was "Michael."

•Six-year-old Betty Lomas was congratulated by the Queen on the splendid cup and saucer she was modelling in clay. Later this little girl said she would like to present to Her Majesty some beads which she had made from clay, and the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting,

Lady Nunburnholme, returned to the corner. where the little ones were at play to collect them and assured Bettv that Her Majesty would bo delighted with them. The Queen was particularly impressed by tho able way in which the children, though blind, handled their toy things, and was told that the aim was to make them "as independent as possible from birth." , Loyal Address The astonishing achievements in Braille interested tho King greatly as he examined a loyal address embossed in Braille, assuring him of the loyalty and affection of his blind subjects. Sixty-four-year-old Mr. A. (J, Newman, the oldest blind member of I the institute's staff, who works as a music transcriber, handed tho address to the King. The King watched blind students from Worcester College playing chess*, an 80-year-old man playing cards, and another blind man reading the proofs of a French classic in Braille.

As lie saw a blind girl transcribing a pieco by Schubert the King asked how music could bo rendered in Braille and was told that it had to he read first by touch and then played from memory. Mrs. Drowe and Miss Dawes, from the Wavcrtree Home at Hove, were listening to the wireless and making baskets when tho Queen approached them. Unablo to see the Queen, but recognising her voice, they stood up as sho talked t,' tin in "I am very glad your Majesty is bringing up the Princesses so naturally," said Mrs. Drowe, who is herself tho mother of five ohildren, one of them a chief inspector at Scotland Yard and another tin instructor in tho Royal Ait Force.