WHAKATANE GIRLS FIND WELCOME IN ENGLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 48, 7 October 1949, Page 5

WHAKATANE GIRLS FIND WELCOME IN ENGLAND

Misses Hetty Shapley and Valerie Carter, of Whakatane, at present on a visit to Great Britain and the Continent, landed in the feature column of the Worcester “Evening News and Times”, a copy of which has been handed on to the Beacon by Miss Shapley’s father, Mr S. S. Shapley. Having introduced the two New Zealanders to his readers and explained that they were on a summer and autumn sight-seeing tour with the hope of finding work in England to see them through the winter, the writer mentioned Mr Shapley’s English origin and the fact that Mr E. Miller, of Worcester, whom the girls were visiting, was an old school friend of Miss' Shapley’s father, who had renewed the friendship on leave during the 1914-18 war. Though it is their first visit, Misses Shapley and Carter told the newspaper they regard England as “home.” Miss Shapley covered their tour to that time, and outlined future plans. They had been in England some weeks then (August 16), first staying with relatives in Devon. After that they bought bicycles which they considered would provide the best means of seeing the country in reasonable comfort, too, because the roads were so flat.

I “We like England,” Miss Shapley | said. “Your trees and hedges more than anything. There are so many more trees in England than in New Zealand. This country is so picture- : sque.

“We have found English peoplevery friendly and helpful, and we are getting accustomed to a couple of meatless days a week. Rationing must be an awful problem for the housewife,”

After visiting Chester to see more friends, fire girls intended to cover the Lakes District and possibly visit Scotland before going on to Europe.