VISITOR FROM SCOTLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22809, 19 February 1936, Page 8

VISITOR FROM SCOTLAND

A DISTINGUISHED SOLDIER A distinguished visitor from Scotland in the person of Brigadier-general R. Cheape, C.M.G., D. 5.0., M.C., of Tinorau, in the Isle of Mull, arrived in 'Dunedin yesterday in the course of a motor tour of the Dominion* on which he is accompanied by his wife. He was a guest at the Grand Hotel and will leave for the north this morning. • General Cheape has an outstanding r'ecord as a soldier.' He served in the South African War, and also in the Great - War, commanding an infantry brigade in France and at one time taking over that part of the line at Armentieres held by the New Zealand troops. He was awarded the decorations of D.S.O. and M.C., and was mentioned in despatches no fewer than six times. He retired from the army in April, 1919. The visitor's interests have extended much beyond military matters, and for many years he has been actively associated with the traditional Scottish pastimes of piping and dancing. He is himself a piper of some note and on the set of bagpipes which form part of his personal luggage he played some airs while in the Eglinton Valley a few days ago. Learning of his visit to Dunedin, the members of the committee of the Caledonian Society of Otago,. headed by the president (Mr J. Hope), waited on him at the Grand Hotel last night and listened with interest to some of the impressions which he has formed on his tour of the Dominion. He stated that he had devoted a good deal of time to the study of farming methods in New Zealand, and had also inspected several dairy factories and watched the process of manufacturing butter and cheese., He had also been much interested to observe the effects of irrigation in Central Otago. The visitor expressed himself as an ardent admirer of the scenic attractions of the Dominion and spoke with warm appreciation of the hospitality of the people. General Cheape and his wife have travelled from Auckland to Bluff by car and have visited most of the tourist resorts en route. They are booked to leave Auckland on March 3, and had it not been for that fact General Cheape stated last night that he would have been very pleased to remain in Dunedin so that he could judge the Highland dancing events at the Caledonian Society s sports meeting on Saturday.