ON WORLD TOUR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20606, 21 December 1936, Page 8

ON WORLD TOUR

MR W. F. STORM VISITS TIMARU TOWN OF BOYHOOD DAYS Renewing his acquaintance with a town in which he spent some of his boyhood days. Mr W. F. Storm, of Durban. South Africa, accompanied by his wife and daughter, is at present visiting Timaru in the course of a world tour, and is staying at the

Grcsvenor. A son of Captain Storm, whose ship was wrecked off Timaru about 57 years ago. and who was subsequently for a time a pilot at the port, Mr Storm told a representative of “The Timaru Herald’’ that although he was only a boy when he was lart in Timaru, he could remember many of the old landmarks and he was amazed at the great progress the town had made.

Shortly after the wreck of Captain Storm’s ship the family came out from England and remained in Timaru for a few years, and Mr Storm still has vivid memories of the early days of the port with which his father was associated during the period that Captain Webster was harbourmaster. After leaving Timaru Mr Storm accompanied the family to Australia and later ne lived in America and England before settling in South Africa, where he is the principal of a successful manufacturing firm.

“We are making a world tour and are greatly enjoying a holiday after so many years of business,” said Mr Storm who added that he was particular to include Timaru. the town of some of his boyhood days, in the itinerary. He had been agreeably surprised at the very fin? appearance of Timaru which impressed him by its cleanliness and lack of slums. He was amazed at the lajge number of brick houses in the borough. They were solidly built and generally compared favourably with anything h? had so far seen in his travels. There had been a great transformation at Caroline Bay, as he remembered it. and the town should feel proud of possessing such a well laid out resort which offered such excellent facilities. He could readily understand why Timaru was such a popular holiday centre. South Africa was booming, said Mr Storm. Everywhere was evidence of great prosperity, the basis of which was largely the high price of gold. The country had gone ahead greatly, and while it had to some degree felt the world-wide depression it had made a quick recovery and was enjoying a prosperous era which General Smuts had estimated would last for ten years. South Africa was a very fine country, but it had nothing like the scenic attractions of the Dominion which were well worth travelling miles to see. The South had impressed him greatly and he had yet to see the North Island. When he left Timaru to-day he would carry away many pleasant recollections of a town which held an affectionate place in the memories of members of the Storm family.