LONDON BY NIGHT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 223, 14 June 1919, Page 5

LONDON BY NIGHT

A DIGGER'S NOCTURNE

EXPLORATIONS IN CIVILISATION

Sergeant Ronald K. Lyon, formerly sec retary oT the Wellington Savago Club and now in sole chavse of the accountancy class at the '-Military Commercial School in London, lifis been enjoying a holiday tour throußU South Wules and thereaboute, and writes Mβ impressions entertainingly. "At Cardiff," he writes, "wo went for a most interesting tram rido to-the docks and the wharves. _ This k ono of the largest ccaliiifr fitetions in the n-orld. The week before wo were there, there were 600 ships ill port (Wellington looks busy with a dozen). Naturally it is a most cosmopolitan town, especially near the docks, and one sees representatives of every nationality. In one long street are situated all the sailors boardingliouses, and you boo ■ hanging out of the upstair windows tho flags denoting the particular nationality each.place caters for, whilst round the door l.elow you may see groups of sailors with the flags-Greeks, Japan-**, Chinese, negroes, Italians, etc. . . We ivero lucky here in being able to Beo ; >ver a surrendered Gorman submarine. U9l, and havo it all explained to us. At Swansea we saw the great football match Wales v. New Zealand, when up were defeated 3 to nil At Llnnelly we stopped as tho guests of Mr. and Mrs. Nevillo, who are tho leading lights of the town, and gave us a right royal time. . . . Whilst I was in London the Y.M.C.A. were taking a film to demonstrate their work in England. It is to be sent out to New Zealand. It should be worth seeing-I am in it! Lust Friday night three cf us went into London and »pent tho whole mglit -7 p.m. until 8 a.m.-soeing London go to sleep and wnke up. It was a great experience. At 7 p.m. we went to an East End music hall, top price Is. 6d., 3d. the. cheapest. The audience wore typical of the locality-Jews, costers, etc., but the programme compared favourably with many I havo seen in West End theatres. We came out at 11 p.m., nnd after a yarn with a policeman, who was telling us the ways of 'crooks,' we went and had a cup of tea and a pie at a Y.M.C.A. hiit'ftt the end of Petticoat Lane. At midnight we'etrolled down to the London Tiro Monument, near (he Tower of London, passing Houndsditch on our way. We then went on to famous London Bridge, 'and got A faint view of tho great Tower Bridge further down the river. A walk along Cannon Street ana Queen Victoria Street brought us to the Thames Embankment. We again viewed the silent, dreary river from Kockfriars Bridge, and, further on, Waterloo Bridge. Passing Cleopatra's Needle, we walked on to the Ilouses of Parliament, and there in the ehado of the great old edifice threo 'Diggers' sat and munched some c.ike sent in a parcel from littloold New Zealand-while Big Ben chimed 1.30 a.m. At this point we struck off and made- our way up Birdcage Walk, getting a view of the Abbey looming up out of the darkness. Passing un the beautiful drive, skirting, as it does, St. James's Park, not a 60iil could be seen. We turned off mto the Pnrk, and viewed Buckingham Pal«ce. . . After walking round the grait Queen Victoria Memorial—one of the finest works of art in London-we turned oft' into the Mall,, passing the front of St. James's-Palace (Queen Alexandras residence). The Mall is at present lined with captured German gime of all shapes and sizes, and presents ft most interesting spectacle. At the end of the Mall we passed under the great Admiralty Arch into Trafalgar Square, where we found Nplson keeping company with a solitary policciiMi) and an amiable dustman. Pawing fi'loug the Strand, usually so crowded, but now more deserted than Cuba Street at 3 a.m., we made cur way to Aldwych, where we branc'ned off into CJovent Garden Market, London's great flower and vegetable market (and always a source of interest to tho visitor). Hero wo saw all sorts of carts arriving from fill points of the compass, but decided to look back again ofc about 6 a.m., when tho market would bo in full swing. So wo continued our route, march along tho Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgato Hall, past' St. Paul's, Cannon-Street,' an'd back to our starting-point at the old 'Monument, "As it was too early to visit the Billingsgate Fish Market—so famous for its language—wo made our way along Tower Street to Towor Hill, where, in the pale, uncertain light of a now moon we viewed the historic old monument to England's past history, standing on the hill, the scene of so in&ny historic executions. ... Wo then strolled back to the Billingsgate Fish Market, where the whole of London's fish supply comes from, and very interesting it was. It wiie then 5 a.m., and as tho tubes were running , wo caught one at Fnrrington. Street—alongsido which are the groat Smitlifield Meat Markets. After ,going' through ■ the wonderful buildings—tho largest meat markets in the world—we took the tube again to Oovent Garden, ikdin* the markets in full swing-a great sight. . . Seven a.m. found us baok getting on the outside of some Imwn end eggs, and the 8 a.m. train from Wntorloo took us back home ajter a most interesting and instructive Jaunt. "I don't know if I told you/ but I have blossomed out as a politician. Three of us went down lo Richmond during tho elections, and attended a biff meeting of one of,the candidates. At the conclusion of the meoci;ig I asked permission to say a few words in favour of the candidate, and, this given, I .hopped on to the stage and spoke for 15 minutes. At Uu ■conclusion of tho meeting I -vas lesieged by peoplo from all over the hall w.inting to shake liands with me, and the wife, his chairman, and the candidate himsalf came and beseeched me to come down to some of his meetings the following week. I attended one more, and spoke for about Hie samo length of time, getting a good hearing. It was a great joke from our point of view. Our candidate. Mr. Crotch, of "Farrow's Bank, London, did not get in unfortunately, but we have an Invitation to visit his home. . I am in the pink!" ■