PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11949, 7 March 1917, Page 3

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

CFkOII Otfß CoSEKSPONDBOT.] LONDON, January 12. Mr J. L. Richards, of St John's Vicarage. Invercargill, who arrived in England in June, 1915, and took up a* course of study in the following September under tho auspices of the Mirfield Community, is now at the noptel of the Community of the Resurrection, Letds, with a view' to preparing ror ordination in the Church of England. After taking his degree at the Lniversity of Leeds he intends woikmg in an English parish for about two years before returning to New Zealand to work thera Second-Lieutenant Ernest Cresweii Helmore, Sherwood Fores'teis, who waa killed on January 1, was the second son of Mr George Helmore, Christchurch. Lieutenant Brett Wood, R.X 1 .G.. of Christchurch, has had an accident whiie flying. He is now in a hospitalin Bristol suffering from injuries to his face. Second-Leutenant John H. Massey, of Invercargill, vrho was wounded in the Somme push, has been in England for some months on leave. He has just returned to duty with the R.F.A. at Woolwich. Sergeant M'Kellar, N.Z.F.A., who was discharged from the N.Z.E.F., has now obtained employment with Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., in London. Mr M'Kellar. owing to his injuries in the field, had to have his right leg removed. The Convalescent Hospital for New Zealand officers at Brighton has been doing a most useful work. There are in it at present tho following Major Bernan. N.Z.M.C., Captains A. L. Christie, N.Z.M.C., W. G. M'Caw, N.Z.M.C., and M'Nab; Lieutenants Alfred Brvan. 0.1.8.. T. Brown, Wood and Valentine, 0.M.R., and SecondLieutenants G. F. Bert-rand, P. O. B. Woodward, N.Z.P-, and T. E- Shand, attd. R.F.C.

Among those who were there during the last month in 1916 bat have now left were:—Colouel G. i. Smith, Major K. S. K. Robinson, N.Z.S.C., Captains J. E. Faris, N.Z.M.C, T. F. Christian, 0.1.8., and W. B\ Ferguson; Lieutenants G. Simpson, N.Z.E, Warren,. E. M. Wilford, S. Abbott, Morris, JBalek. Hawgray, Ist Wellington Infantry, find Second-Lioutenaut W. J. Little,' N.Z.P.B. Tho Walton auxiliary- hospital at Oatlands Park is now full and working at high pressure. Tlie old mansion for centuries was the abode of royalty—amongst those who resided there were King 'Henry VIII. and Queen Elizabeth. The building consists of over 100 rooms, with spacious halls and loimircs. The grounds are very extensive and contain golf links and tennis courts. An old and remarkable grotto is a unique feature of the grounds. There are very spacious yards and outbuildings now" used as garages. They are occupied by the motor transport. Mr Borneo Gardiner, well known in New Zri.laud. as a whistler, is going to help Mi entertaining at the hospital convert-.

Mr B. de R. Gates (of the West Coast and Dimedin). who is a warrant; officer in the Nava.l Flying Sendee, was in London on leave ibis week. Mr Gates is one of the many New Zoalanciers who came over with lots of enthusiasm, -and an invention which he placed at the disposal of the Munitions Inventions Department, but they havfl not displayed any enthusiasm about it, although persons competent to give an opinion have declared it to be a valuable one. However, it. is not young Sen- Zealand's way to be stopped, and Mr Gates wont into the Naval Flying Service, where his first-rato capacity as an engineer secured him warrant officer's rank. In Mr (Sates' opinion there are in England many good ideas hidden away being' used to a certain extent. Nothing, ho says, can touch British workmanship for its excellence; what it wants is opening out and advertisement -and organisation. He has been fascinated by some of the work he has seen, the older the firm the more likely, he says, is it to be sound and producing manufactured goods second to none. Bur all this is hidden ninder a bushel and hence its comparative ineffectiveness. Mr Gates provides one other instance of the extraordinary number of nationalities which have been absorbed by our Empire. His grandfather and grandmother on the maternal side were Belgians who settled first in Australia, in Victoria, ami hirer migrated to the West Coast of j Xew Zealand, where they settled for good. Mr Gates's grandparents lived on into this century, and he regrets now that lie did not take advantage of the opportunities he had with his grandparents of acquiring languages, for thev spoke French, Flemish and Dutch. "

| Sub-Lieutenant George H. M'Leod, R.N.R., of Auckland, and EngineerLieutenant, J. S. Wells, R.N.R., of [ Christchurch; are in London on ten | days' leave.

It is with the greatest regret that those connected with the dairy produce trade in this country learn of Mr Wright's proposed return to New Zealand. Many expressions of entire confidence in his expert knowledge and courtesy have been made. It should, ba very gratifying to Mr Wrjght t who has been very ni'iich in contact with tho tragic, and whose duties have at times been exceedingly arduous and responsible, to find that, at the close of his service in Loudon, he has secured the goodwill and admiration of those engaged in the trade.

Major T. D. M. Stout, the wellknown Wellington surgeon, is staying at the York Hotel, Albemarle Street. Second-Lieutenant Gilbert Clark, of Ponsonby, who is serving with the Essex Regiment, was in London last week. *

Mr Duncan F. Bauchop, R.N., of Christchurch, who now has an Engineer Lieutenancy, and is stationed at the Royal Naval College, Osborno. was in London last week with Mrs Bauchop. Private C. H. Holmes (28005) of the Auckland Infantry Regiment, has received his discharge from the'N.Z.E.F. as medically unfit. Sergeant G. C. Rich, C.M.R., has been transferred to the Imperial Army, in which he has obtained a commission. Second-Lieutenant R. L. King, of the 2nd Wellington Infantry Battalion (Oamaru), is in London on leave.