PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, 6 April 1907, Page 43

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(l'’ro<u Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, February 16. The King and Queen returned to London last Saturday evening, after their eventful week's visit to Paris. Their Royal Highnesses appear to have enjoyed their spell in the French capital greatly, and the more so probably since they went as private persons, and could dispense with the pomp and circumstance which is inseparable from the visits of Sovereigns to other lands when they travel as such. The Parisians gave our King and Queen a great reception, but as far as possible they respected their visitors’ desire for privacy, and beyond warm greetings to the royal couple as they drove through the streets, never attempted to mob them after the fashion that the people at Marienbad did King Edward on the occasion of his visit to that health resort last year. Some fears were entertained by the Parisian police authorities that the Anarchical element in the Gay City might make their presence known to the King and his Consort In an unpleasant fashion, and the known dangerous characters were most carefully shadowed and shepherded during the visit, and the persons of the King and Queen as closely guarded as they could be without the royal couple having it made plain to them at every turn that they were the objects of much solicitude on the part of the French police. On their Majesties’ departure from Paris the precautions of the police were, however, plain to sec. Police and plain clothes men swarmed the precincts of the Gare du Nord. It transpired that the reason for this was that a warning had been received front Brest. It appears that a private in the colonial infantry stationed at that port had written to the prefecture, stating that, from a conversation he had accidentally overheard between two wellicnown Anarchists, he Tins convinced that an attempt would be made on the King and Queen of England on their departure from the Gare du Nord. Although the police did not. itcaeh much importance to the. information, they thought it wise to take all possible precautions.

On Tuesday the King opened Parliament in State, driving with the Queen from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in his gilded chariot drawn by the familiar eight cream-coloured horses wearing their crimson trappings. A leaden sky overhung London, and a chill drizzle was falling ns the Royal procession passed through the leafless, troop-lined Mall, but his Majesty’s faithful subjects lined the route to St. Stephen’s in their thousands, and cheered him and his Consort to the echo. On a a fine day the procession to the Housq is worth going a long way t o see. but on Tuesday it was a pageant in disguise. The Accompanying mounted troopers had hidden (heir silver bright accoutrements and vivid gold-laced uniforms under huge cloaks, and the soldiers lining the roadway were draped from chin to ankle in their somewhat ill fitting great coats. Apart from the King's coach th" only splashes of colour were the red and white plumes and the crimson cloaks of the Horse Guards. The old, big, rumbling, but comfortable-looking State carriage, with its huge windows and gailytrapped cream horses, looked out of place in the sombre picture afforded by Hie procession as it proceeded through the muddy streets. It looked as if it had come straight out of fairy-land. In it sat the King and Queen, the former arrayed in the brilliant uniform of FieldMarshal. arid the Queeii, who Wore her dazzling diamond crown, had n white robe over her shoulders which concealed the dross she wore. Their Majesties looked well, the King particularly so, and the Queen undoubtedly looked as young as‘she did ten or twelve, years ago. They were obviously pleased with the Warmth of their reception from the cfowds who lined the streets and from the Palaee to Hie House of Parliament,

and: the Q«ieeu was smiling and bowing and the King saluting and smiling all through the route. The. usual features of the Opening Ceremony were in evidence in the House of Lords on Tuesday, and the spectacle was one of great brilliance. The occasion, however, will remain memorable, more by reason of a most unusual occurrence in connection with the King. lie and his gracious Consort did not take their places on tin? throne till ten minutes past the appointed hour! © © @ Lieutenant E. 11. Shackleton. F.R.G.S., the leader of the new Ant arctie expedition. will be remembered in New Zealand as the third lieutenant under Captain Scott on the Discovery, and as one of the party of three who carried the British Hag to latitude 82.17 S.. the southernmost point ever reached by man. It is for me personally an interesting coincidence that 1 was the first pressman to obtain, through Lieutenant Shackleton, the details of that .famous sledge journey on the night of his return to Christchurch from the Antarctic, and also the first to got from him this week a full account of the plans of his new expedition in search of tlie South Polo. Lieutenant Shackleton tolls mo that the edition do luxe of the “South Polar Times” —the newspaper of the late National Antarctic Expedition—will be issued shortly. It is limited to about 250 copies, at 5 guineas a copy, and the cost of production has. been something like £lOOO. The whole edition has already been sold before issue. <♦> <£ <g> The announcement that Lieutenant Shackleton will take a motor car with him on his “dash” for the South Pole has inspired the muse of the “Westminster Gazette’s” office poet, lie explains why the. bold lieutenant is taking the “The reasons are enough to send the Automobile Club Eu Dfasse to the Antarctic at Cull speed: There’s not a fowl, a mongrel, or a cycibt. or a cub To make the careful chauffeur drive with heed; There’s not a legal limit; .and there aren’t * ' any police; ' There’s ample-, room for safe side-slip-ping. there:.. Road-side repairs are cleants* where there’s none but frozen grease; And frozen smells can. not pollute the air! M here dust the driver mlsse. 1 ?. Cars can never need a scrub! A perfect Eden, this is. For the Automobile Club ” @ ® Mr Sydney Ernest Lamb, H.Se., head of the engineering department of the Municipal Technical Institute at Portsmouth. has been selected for the position of lecturer in mechanical engineering at the Auckland University College. Mr Lamb holds the degree of B.Se. (London), with honours in engineering, and is an A.R.C.S. (London) in both mechanics and physics, mid an associate member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He is 32 years old, ami has had nearly nine years teaching experience—for two years as science master at Gravesend Technical School, and for six and a half at Portsmouth Technical Institute. He gained his engineering experience at the naval dockyard at Devonporl, and at Jhe Royal College of Science, London, which he. attended for three years. The Principal of the Portsmouth Education Committee describes Mr Lamb as “an able teacher, thorough in his methods, a good disciplinarian, and withal popular, maintaining a high average at tendance io the end of the session. Mr Lamb is married, and has two daughters. © © © Mi’ F. 11. Templar, of Auckland, who is on a visit to this country, and who is staying at present at Kidlington, lectured on New Zealand a few nights ago before the Oxford branch of the Tariff Reform Association. Mr Templar said' it appeared to him, as lie went about, Hint The only part pf the Empire which Knew little and dared less about rtiii Empire was the Mother of the Empire itself. Replying to the argument that a tariff would. increase,the cosl’ of livin**, Ife said he found the cost of living ni free-trade Englund |o be jyst as much as it* was behind the tariff wall of New JJealand. Mr Ji Allan Thompson, one of the New Zealand jQxforil, moved a vote of thanks to Me Templar at the close of his address.

Recent callers at the nigh Cotnimsstoners' Offices: Mr'E. Venter Barrett (Christchurch). Miss A. K. M. Lataf (Auckland), Miss Maude Francis (Cltrlstchurch-). Miss Irene Skinner (New Plymouth), Miss C. Hudson, Mrs Chadwick (Orntondville), Miss A. M. Bradley, Mi-s Rouse, Mr Henry Mope (Wellington), Mr V. E. Laughlin (Ashburton), Mr l>. It. Preston, Mr A. J. Blewden (Auckland), Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs Chayler (Wellington), Captain M. Irvine and Mrs I*. Irvine. © © © Miss A. R. M. Laird, of Auckland, who arrived here on n pleasure trip last June, spent, the ensuing' three months in visits to Folkestone. London, and Woking. Since October she lias not left Folkestone until this week, when she came up to London for a brief visit. Miss Laird will probably return to New Zealand about the end of this year, but her plans are quite uncertain owing to the li'fig mid serious illness of her relative Mt’ss MacGregor Laird, of Folkestone, who visited Auckland some live years ago. © © © Madame Clara Butt, who is shortly to visit the Australian colonies, has been seriously ill, but is now recovering rapidly. She was able to leave this week for Bournemouth, where she will spend a week or two to recuperate. Madiime Bull, will make her reappearance' at Leeds, on Monday, February 25. her doctors forbidding her to sing at an earlier date. Madame Butt so narrowly escaped a severe attack of rheumatic fever that her speedy recovery is a matter for much congratulation. © © © Loudon “Gazelie’’ states that the King lias approved the appointment ol' .Mr Otto Eomcke, al Melbourne, as Consul general of Norway fur Australia arid New Zealand. © © © Colonel A. P. Penton, who formerly commanded the New Zealand lleferice Forces, but has recently been I'omman dant of the Ordnance ( "liege, has I'i'eli appointed to the post of Brigadier gene rat commanding the Scottish ( oast He fences. His headquarters wdl lie at Edin burgh. © © © Ale Blewden, the amateur boxer, has been spending his first few days in I tie Old Country seeing the lion of Condon under the guidance of Tom Sullivan, exchampion sculler, who is ‘’mine host’’ of the Spencer Arms, Putney, and with whom the New Zealander is staying. Blewden commences serious training next week.