PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XII, 22 September 1900, Page 555

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, August 10.

Mr Justice Denniston and Mrs Denniston spent another pleasant week in Glasgow. visiting old scenes, and taking a run up and down the Clyde. After staying some days with Miss Walker, the Judge’s aunt, at Morningside in Edinburgh, they left last Wednesday for Aviemore in the Highlands. They expect to be back again in London at the end of August, and then spend a few weeks on the Continent. The Misses Denniston and their brother are enjoying themselves thoroughly in Plymouth.

Mr Justice Denniston came down specially for the dinner given by the English bar to the American bar in the Middle Temple Hall, and saw almost all the lights of Bench and Bar assembled. He had Mr Justice Darling in front of him, and Sir Robert Wright behind him, and his neighbours were the two eminent Q.C.’s, Mr R. M. Littler and Master Mellor. The event was a unique one and thoroughly appreciated by the New Zealand legal luminary.

Mr T. J. Brassey, after twenty years’ service in the New Zealand Insurance Co., has assumed the management of the company in London. He and Mrs Brassey are for the present living at the Langham Hotel. On their way Home from Australia they spent four days at Colombo, ten at Calcutta, and a week at Bombay. Three days before leaving Bombay Mr Brassey contracted a slight touch of cholera, which became so bad that he never expected to reach Aden. Thanks to the assiduous nursing of his wife, however, he pulled through, and both of them reached London extremely weak. In spite of the hot weather they have now fully recovered.

Mr and Mrs G. E. Tolhurst and Miss Tolhurst have booked their passages in the Ophir, which leaves on 14th September.

The Hon. W. Rolleston and Mrs Rolleston, and Dr. and Mrs Parkinson, will be passengers by the same steamer.

Mi- C. La Roche, Auckland, who has just returned from an enjoyable trip to Norway, is now off to St. Petersburg, and is taking his sister with him.

Sir Walter Buller has lent to the S. Kensington Museum the large portrait of “Tangi-wai: A Maori Maiden,” recently painted for him by Herr G. Lindauer. The museum has placed the picture, the background of which represents Lake Papaitonga, on view at the Bethnal Green branch.

The “Daily Chronicle” says: “Sir Maurice O’Rorke has just set up a record in the annals of Speakership. He has been elected for the eighth time to the chair of the New Zealand House of Representatives, and has been first commoner of our most progressive colony for the long period of twentyone years. It was under the Liberal Premiership of Sir George Grey, whose remains now rest in St. Paul’s Cathedral, that Sir Maurice was first elected Speaker. He had previously held office as Minister of Lands, and had acted as chairman of committees for nine years. He is the son of a Galway clergyman, and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. He emigrated in his twenty-second year, settled In New Zealand, was called to the local Bar, and was returned forty years ago as member for Onehunga, a town that earned a brief notoriety in more recent times by electing a lady as Its Mayor for one term. It has not repeated the experiment. Mrs Yates ruled with a rod of iron during her year of office.”

Mr and Mrs T. W. Leys and Miss Leys left London yesterday for Paris, Where they remain a fortnight, subsequently going to Germany and Switzerland. Mr Leys has greatly benefited by his Scotch and Irish tours, and Mrs Leys is also much better.

Mr Charles Williamson of Auckland, with Mrs Williamson and Miss Williamson, are going shortly to Eastbourne for some weeks. They do not, however, intend to stay so long in

England as they first designed. Their present intention is to make a move home early in November .

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Countess of Cadogan (the latter the most exclusive of great ladies) are entertaining Mdme. Melba at Dublin Castle for the Horse Show, the chief event of the Irish season.

Sir Daniel Cooper’s daughter Eva has made up her differences with Mr Hugh Trevanion, whom she divorced in 1897 “on the usual grounds,” and the pair were last, week quietly reunited in holy matrimony. Whilst parted Mr Trevanion married another lady, of whose, fate the “Times” makes no mention. Presumably she died.

Mr and Mrs Roderick Macrae, of Ardross. were the recipients of some handsome presents on the eve of their departure for New Zealand last Thursday. Mr Macrae came to Ardross about 13 years ago as keeper to Sir Greville Smythe. Bart., in whose service he had been for 17 years. When it became known to Sir Greville that Mr Macrae was leaving the country, he most handsomely testified his appreciation of Mr Macrae s services by forwarding him a well-filled cheque. Mr Macrae's brother keepers likewise testified their regard similarly. Air Macrae was married about eleven years ago to Miss Knte Mackenzie, youngest daughter of the late Mr John Mackenzie, Baldoon, Ardross, who is a sister of the Hon. John Mackenzie, Minister of Lands, New Zealand,(and also a sister of Professor Mackenzie, Wellington, N.Z.

Mr and Mrs G. Shirtcliffe, Dunedin, after a pleasant voyage in the Moana and the usual trip through the States, via Salt Lake City, Chicago and Buffalo, were fellow passengers with Mrs Elworthy in the Saxonia. While Mr Shirtcliffe is engaged on business for his firm, Messrs A. S. Paterson and Co., his wife is visiting her relations in the provinces. At the close of his business Mr Shirtcliffe hopes to get a week or two for a. visit to the Paris Exhibition before leaving in September.

Lord Hopetoun was called from Homburg to fulfil his duties as Lord Chamberlain at sorrowing Coburg, amongst other things having to place Her Majesty’s wreath on Prince Alfred’s coffin.

Mr and Mrs James Hay, formerly of Auckland, returned to town from Scotland this week, and leave in a few days for the colony via America.

Mr R. B. Brett, of the “Auckland Star,” has been elected a member of the Executive Council of the Institute of Printers and Kindred Trades of the British Empire.

I am glad to say- that the specialist consulted by Mrs W. B. Common, of Auckland, thinks that he can afford her relief. Mr and Mrs Common visited several places of interest in America on the way over, beginning with San Francisco, at which place they were subjected to a medical examination, owing to the plague in Sydney. Their tour included Denver, Kansas, Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, Toronto, Philadelphia and New York. In the two latter citiest the heat was very great, the temperature being 97deg. in the shade for some days. The Etruria, in which they crossed the herring pond, was crowded with Americans en route for the Paris Exhibition. After ten days in London Mr and Mrs Common found the heat as trying as that of America, and fled northward to theii- “ain countree,’.’ where they are now staying with friends at Gracefield, in Dumfries. They leave Scotland in October for the Paris Exhibition, and will probably winter on the Continent.

Dr. and Mrs Chilton leave London this week to bid Scotland and their friends there farewell. After a visit to Dundee they will go as far north as Inverness, and probably return by the Caledonian and Crinan Canals. They have booked their passages out tn New Zealand in the Prinz Regent Luitpold, which leaves on the 29th October. They will spend a few days at Melbourne and then work their way up New Zealand from the Bluff to Christchurch, which Dr. Chilton hopes to reach before the end of the year, and where

he will probably commence practice as an oculist at the beginning of the century.

Mr C. H. Burnett, of Wanganui, leaves on the 16th by the Wakanui for South Africa, returning to New Zealand by a subsequent steamer. During his four months’ stay he has made an extended tour through England and Scotland, and spent last month in a trip on the Continent, visiting Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and the Paris Exhibition. He hopes to spend Christmas in New Zealand.

Mr and Mrs J. C. Ponsonby broke their journey by the Ortona at Marseilles, and before coining on to London devoted a fortnight to the. Paris Exhibition. They have been staying with relations and friends, and have only just returned from "Warlies” Waltham Abbey. Sir Fowell Buxton’s seat in Essex. They start this week for Scotland, and mean to go to Ireland for the Dublin Horse Show. Crossing to the Isle of Man. they will have a look at the English lakes, and then make a month's tour on the Continent before joining the Ortona again at Naples on the 18th of November.

Mr E. Smith and Mr James G. Gilbert, the respective superintendents of the Christchurch and Napier Fire Brigades, leave on Saturday for Paris as New Zealand delegates to attend the Conference and Demonstrations of Fire Brigades at the Exhibition there. After leaving New Zealand they visited Melbourne and Sydney, where they inspected the chief brigade stations and witnessed a quick turn-out on the alarm being given. They were specially struck with the rapidity and smartness of the Melbourne Brigade, and so far have seen nothing better, although during the week they have been in London they have been shown over the chief fire brigade station at Southwark by second officer Gamble, and have seen an exhibition drill, as well as paid visits to different district stations.

Mr Smith finds that the English and American fire brigades have rather boycotted the Exhibition, so that he does not expect to find them taking a prominent part in the various competitions.

After they have studied during their 11 or 12 days in Paris ail that is to be learnt there about fire prevention, the two delegates intend to make a tour of Scotland and Ireland and to return via America, where no doubt they will pick up the latest wrinkles in connection with fire brigades and their appliances. They expect to be back in New Zealand at the end of October or beginning of November.

Miss B. Gibson (Christchurch and Nelson) has been staying with her cousins at Blackheath and doing the lions of London. She is this week on a brief visit to Miss Todhunter and Miss A. Todhunter at Sheniey, and thence goes on to relations in the provinces. Her brother, Mr F. G. Gibson, has successfully passed his M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.I’. examinations, and goes in at the end of the year for his M.B. of the London University. It will probably be the end of 1901 before he is back in New Zealand again.

Lieutenant M. M. Gardner of the Permanent Militia Artillery has arrived in London, having come from Sydney by the Oceana as far as Marseilles. En route to the Metropolis overland he spent a day' at the Parts Exhibition, and after a brief spell in London he will go down to Portsmouth for six months’ training with the Royal Garrison Artillery. He. will afterwards go to Woolwich and Shoeburyness for the “long course” in gunnery. Mr Gardner expects to be in England for at least eighteen months.