LORD AND LADY JELLICOE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 54

LORD AND LADY JELLICOE.

SUDDEN ILLNESS OF LADY GWENDOLINE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) m r LONDON, October 2S. The New Zealand friends of Lady Gwendoline Jellicoe will be glad to know that aha ia making satisfactory progress after her operation for appendictis. Ths need for this developed with greet suddenness. On Friday of last week ths Earl and Countess Jellicoe and Lady Gwendoline were dining at ths Garden Club at Wembley, and next day a passage to New Zealtnd, via Australia, was booted for Lady Gwendoline by the Ormonde, which she was to join at Marseilles, leaving London on Tuesday. However, in the meantime, the lllnesa came on very suddenly, and the operation took place at St. Lawrence HalL Ventnor, Isle of Wight, on Monday night. Much disappointment will naturally be felt by the friends in New Zealand whom Lady Gwendoline wa§ intending to viait that Mr plans have had so unexpectedly to be abandoned meanwhile. Countess Jellicoe has cancelled her engagements for the next fortnight, but Earl Jellicoe, although unable to be present at the annual banquet of the Navy League, is now fulfilling bis engagements, of which he naturally has a great many. About the end of November Lord and Lady Jellieoe expect to go into residence at their new London home at 00 Portland place, which they have taken on a lons lease. Mean while, they will be chiefly at Ventor. It was generally known in New Zealand that Lord and Lady Jellicoe were anxious to return to England, partly on account of the education of the younger members of theii family. Lady Myrtle Jellicoe is now at school in Paris, while Lady Norah and Lady Prudence are at North Foreland Lodge, Broadstairs, a very bracing and attractive spot on the coast of Kent. Their little son, Lord Brocas, will not be old enough to go to school until next year. No decision has yet been come to as to where he will ba sent. “THE SEA IS OUR LIFE.” Last night Lord Jellicoe was ths prill cipal guest of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights at a dinrtr held at Grocers' Hall. On this occasion, returning thauk* for the toast of his health, which was proSosed by Sir Edward Clarke,* K.C. Lord ellicoe spoke of the Empire’s dependence upon the waters, and said he often wo*dered if it was thoroughly realised how absolutely dependent we were in this country upon the sea for our life. He thought the truest description of such dependence was that by the Frime Minister fit the conference of Overseas Prime Ministers ui 1923, when he said, “They must not forget that the very fife of the United Kingdom, as well as that of Australia and other Overseas Dominions, had been built up upon sea power, and sea power was the very basis of the Empire’s whole existence.” As the cry of economy grew mors and more intense he hoped whatever else they economised upon they would never let down the Navy below the safe limit. During the course of the evening a beautiful coloured sketch of a destroyer running at full speed was presented to Lord Jellicoe. This sketch was executed in a few minutes in the presence of the company by Mr B. F. Gribble, the marine artist.