WENT 800 MILES FOR A SOAKING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17832, 28 April 1926, Page 13

WENT 800 MILES FOR A SOAKING.

THE PRINCE’S DASH TO BONNIE SCOTLAND. LONDON, March 10. The Prince of Wales, after making a journey of about SOO miles (to and from London to Ayrshire) to keep a hunting engagement, got nothing but a thorough soaking. The main object of his visit was to attend a dinner of the officers of the Ist Royal Scots Fusiliers to-night, but his engagement with the Eg’ington Hounds was also part of th’c programme. He travelled to Ayr last night, and left for London again to-night. Unfortunately a blizzard ruined today's hunt, but the Prince, out for two hours in a gale and rain, varied by sleet and snow, smilingly remarked as he was being drenched: “ Chilly weather you keep up here.” Three foxes were put up, but twice the Hunt harl to take shelter. The third fox and the hounds got lost in a snowstorm. and the hunt was then abandoned. BIBLE PRESENT. Previously the Prince called at Burns’s Cottage, where, seeing an iron umbrella stand in the stable, he remarked. “ I'm afraid Rabbic had not much use for this.” The Prince accepted the gift, of a facsimile of the Burns Family Bible and a number of postcards, and jokingly remarked to Mr James Brown, a former High Commissioner to the General Assembly, that he supposed he should pay for them. Mr “Jimmy” laughingly replied that the trustees could “stand it.” In spite of the weather, the inhabitants were all out of doors, and gave the Prince an enthusiastic reception, which he acknowledged bareheaded, also defying the storm. So strong was the gale that the St Andrew’s Cross, which was flown from the Wallace Tower, was torn to shreds and the Scottish Standard was run up alongside it.