“A DRIVE AROUND”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23302, 21 September 1937, Page 10

“A DRIVE AROUND”

LONDON TO JOHN 0* GROATS (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, Aug. 28. Mr and Mrs George Runciman and their two daughters are touring. In this connection a story appears to-day in the Daily Sketch from Caithness, reading:— „ ~ ~ “At 8 a.m. last Friday Mr G. W. Owen, a London taxi driver, at Elmfleld avenue, Hornsey, London, N., picked up a fare. Since then he has carried him 1000 miles and expects to carry him at least another 1000 miles before he returns. This is how it happened:—Mr Owen was at the corner of Compton street and Hunter street when Mr Runciman, of New Zealand, approached him He said he would like to have a drive around. Mr Owen thought he meant a drive round London, but when he mentioned John o’ Groats it turned out that he meant a drive round Britain. “SO I PACKED MY BAG’’ “ How soon can you start? ” said Mr Runciman. “As soon as you can,” replied Mr Owen. “He told me to turn up at 8 the next morning, and I packed my bag, and here I am. Since I left London I’ve been to Gloucester, Bath, Worcester. Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Windermere, York, Perth, and Aberdeen. “We’re going south by the West Coast and Loch Lomond to Glasgow, and I expect to cover 2000 miles before I arrive back in London.”