OATLANDS PARK AGAIN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 168, 18 July 1942, Page 8

OATLANDS PARK AGAIN

Mention of Oatlands Park. Weybridge, Surrey, in last Saturday's issue, brings back memories of happier days spent there in the summer of 1917. 1 wonder have any of the Diggers who were resident there ever forgotten the Grotto which was on the next door estate? Built by the Duke of Newcastle the Grotto was a marvellous illustration of what can be done with money one has no need for and man's wasted time. As we were told the story it "took the whole lifetime of an Italian artist and his three sons to complete." Built of rare minerals and shells arranged to form the most intricate designs, passages inlaid with glistening felspar connected the first chamber with "the Gambling Den" in which princely sums were gambled away by the then Duke of York (George the Fourth's brother).

Another passage, even more elaborate, led one up into the open air again. Up a stairway which was inlaid with coloured stones (the costly gems had been removed before any Digger could borrow them) were embedded a quantity of horse's teeth from the Duke's racing stables. In front of the Grotto Diggers will remember was the Duchess' pet dog cemetery—again, "object no money" as one ampute expressed it. In the village, in what was once known as "Bull Ring Square" (since 1822 the name was altered to Monument Green) was a Doric column, surmounted by a Ducal coronet, which had originally stood in Seven Dials and had carried the seven actual dials that faced each of the seven streets adjoining. As we saw it, it served as a "suitable" memorial to the Duchess of York—the aforesaid suitability occasioned by an acute shortage of money at the time a memorial to the Royal lady was proposed. BUCK SHEEHAN.

The civilian looked amazed and passed on. From a nearby mess hut an empurpled sergeant dashed at the cigarette-puffing picket. He made strange gurgling noises. Then he achieved utterance.

"What the bluepencilled Hades are you bluepencilled well supposed to bluepencilled well be? Why didn't you bluepencilled well present arms? Oh. me God!"

"What for?" asked the astonished Snake.

"It's only the bluepencilled General!" screamed the sergeant. "Only the doubly bluepencilled General!"

"Was it?" said Snake. "That's 'im. is it? I thought it was the manager of Shafto's wog picture show up the road!"—(Frank Bruno).