Brief Items From London

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27166, 23 August 1949, Page 5

Brief Items From London

NZPA Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, May 22. Schoolboys in their thousands and adults in almost equal numbers are at present thronging the model engineering exhibition in the new horticultural hall at Westminster, where trains, aircraft, steamships, trams, jeeps., and all manner of miniature mechanical contrivances are displayed and operated. Many models are radio controlled, and during the course of the exhibition a contest between two sets of radiodirected military vehicles will be held between teams from Manchester and London. One exhibit which attracted particular attention was a model traction engine capable of carrying its designer and his small son. It was made from parts of an old perambulator, a broken motor cycle, and a dismantled sewing machine. Another exhibit was a model Spanish galleon made almost entirely from used wooden matches. It took six years to make and required 6000 match sticks. ROBERT PEEL’S STATUE The Common Council of the Corporation of the City of London is seeking a new site for.the 11 feet high bronze statue of Sir Robert Peel, which was removed from the West End of Cheapside in 1934 and later stored in the yard of the Bank of England’s printing works in Old street. When the statue was removed from Cheapside in order to clear the way for traffic it was intended to present it to the metropolitan police for re-erection in the grounds of the proposed new police college at- Hendon. However, when the erection of the police college was postponed the statue was presented to the Bank of England for erection in a recess near the Princes street entrance to the bank. In 1944, however, the bank decided that the statue was unsuitable for re-erection and proposals were considered for melting it down and devoting the proceeds to police charities. Finally, as the result of remonstrances by relatives of Sir Robert Peel, the bank agreed to give the statue storage space till the end of the war. When it was discovered last week in the yard of the Old street printing works it was found it had been slightly damaged by bomb splinters. “VENUS AND ADONIS”

His Majesty the King has given permission to the London Opera Club to hold four performances of John Blow’s opera, “Venus and Adonis,” in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace early in September. The performances are intended to mark the tercentenary of the birth of Blow, who lived at Hampton Court when he was organist to King Charles 11. His work, “Venus and Adonis,” is regarded as the first English opera. It was composed about 1682, when it was described by Blow as “a masque for the entertainment of the King.” QUEEN IN TELEVISION

When the Queen opens the Scottish Industries Exhibition in Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, on September 1, the ceremony will not only be recorded for television in Britain, but also for distribution over television networks in the United States. The American television will be in colour and is expected to be seen by at least 2.000,000 people. The Queen will be received by the Lords Provost of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Elgin and Inverness, and will inspect a guard of honour from the City of Glasgow Regiment of the Highland Light Infantry. Eight thousand spectators are .expected to watch the ceremony inside Kelvin Hall.