London Calling!

Cue (NZERS), Issue 34, 31 October 1945, Page 1

London Calling!

J7 1 EW New Zealanders there are who JT have not felt at one time or another a Keen desire to visit Britain and meet its people. Now several thousand members of 2 NZEF are be. ing afforded an opportunity to spend a fortnight in London or. in whatever part of the country they choose, to visit relatives and friends, and to meet the people who have given so much to the world and who have fought so heroic, ally to preserve their way of life.

• It is not in many ways the ideal time to visit England. Not only is it winter but it is a difficult period of transition for Britain. She is emerging from six years of war into an almost equally trying period of peace, when restrictions on food, clothing, fuel and luxuries far from being relaxed are in many cases being tightened. New Zealanders will find that Britain will still be wearing her wartime garb, the scars of bombing will still be visible, and, in spite of their desire to give New Zealanders a good time and make them feel at home in Britain, the people generally will be tired of having soldiers of other lands in their country and will be longing to resume their normal peacetime lives. They will find it difficult, too, to entertain on a scale that they would like. But all the same they will make every effort to show their regard for the soldiers of New Zealand as they have done in the case of the Dominion Air Force and Naval personnel throughout the long years of war.

Most soldiers who are granted English leave will have some idea of their itinerary before they leave Italy. In fact, it is desirable, if the most is to be made of the leave, that each man has a set programme and does not attempt to do too much during his fortnight in England. There will be many who will concentrate on London and will content themselves with a thorough exploration of the city and with short jaunts into the neighbouring counties. But there will be others who will wish to make a brief stay in the capital and then set off for other parts of England or on visits to Scotland and ales. Whatever his plans, the soldier would be ill-advised not to spend several days in London and become even slightly acquainted with the greatest city in the world.

London! What historic names, buildings, and events the very word calls to mind: Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the Tower, St. Paul’s, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the National Gallery, the Strand, and, of course, the Thames and the

vast Port of London. No city holds more for the New Zealanders than London, the very heart of the British Commonwealth and for centuries the champion of freedom and the democratic way of life.

Greater .London is almost a nation in itself for within its boundaries live and work eight million people. The metropolis is divided roughly into four main —the City of London, the Port, the East End, and the West End. The City of London is actually Only a small area with a residential population of 10,996 although there is an influx of 420,000 on a working day. Here are to be found the great markets ana business houses-the. banks, the Stock Exchange, Lloyd’s, and: other insurance companies, and the famous newspapers of Fleet .Street. In fact, it is the heart of the metropolis and performs the duties of that organ, pumping life blood into enterprises not only in London but in other parts of Britain. Of similar importance is .the Port of London, which handles nearly half the imports of the nation ami over a quarter of 'its. exports.

London began as a lighter port, but, since 1802, great docks have been built to handle the. vast amount of shipping from all parts of the world.

A sharp contrast is provided by the East End and the West End. The former contains great areas that are drab and even sordid, although there are many spacious parks and many quarters that are interesting and colourful. It is in the East End that the dockers and riverside workers reside and it is there, too, that London’s large foreign population lives. In the West End, on the other hand, are the fashionable residential districts —Park I/ane, Mayfair, Belgravia, Kensington, and Bromptonand the great shopping area which extends from the Holbom viaduct westwards along Oxford Street to the Marble Arch and St. James’s and starts again at Knightsbridge to continue through South Kensington to Chelsea. Such names as Regent Street, Oxford Street, the Strand and Piccadilly spring to the mind in thinking of the West End. It is there, too, that most of the expensive hotels, restaurants and theatres are to be found.

In spite of the war, there is plenty offering in entertainment in the London of today. There are innumerable theatres and cinemas, although it is extremely difficult to secure seats at the more important ones. There is grand opera at Covent Garden, concerts are held at the Royal Albert Hall and Queen’s Hall, and famous among the world’s music halls are the Coliseum, the Palladium, and Victoria Palace. Among the museums and ex--hibitions to be seen, one of the most entertaining is Madame Tussaud’s famous waxworks exhibition. London, too, is the home of Twickenham where all important Rugby matches are played and where the New Zealand Services teams will be playing this winter. For the cricketer, Lord’s and the Oval will hold a certain amount of interest as will Wimbledon for the tennis player even though it is the off