BRITISH CHILDREN

Evening Star, Issue 23701, 8 October 1940, Page 11

BRITISH CHILDREN

TWELVE ARRIVE IN DUNEDIN WELCOMED BY THE MAYOR REACTIONS OF A KENTISH GIRL Excited almost beyond words that their long journey from the other side of the world had at last ended, 12 British -children evacuated from their homes for the period of the war arrived by the north express just after 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon, and were greeted by the mayor (Mr A. H. Allen), Mrs Allen and members of the British Children Committee. Eleven of these children were going to homes approved of by the committee, while the twelfth, who had come out under the nominated scheme, was taken directly to her new homo. The 11 were, together with their luggage, books, and toys (one girl bad a teddy boar larger than herself) taken to the Town Hall where, in the mayoral rooms, they met their hosts and were entertained at a “ party ” in which they participated with all the eagerness of any happy, healthy youngsters. The children’s ages varied from five to 14, both the youngest and oldest of the party being girls. They travelled from Wellington under the charge of Miss Kyrsty Page, formerly of Wellington. Miss Page acted as an escort to a party of 13 girls on the voyage from England, most of' whom she left in Christchurch. Most of the youngsters to reach Dunedin are Londoners, but one or two came from Kent. At Oamaru a boy from Durham left the party- to remain in the North Otago town for the duration. The Dunedin contingent consisted of twos or threes, children from the same family, only one having travelled out on her own. These children will not he separated here, as

it has been possible to find homes for brother and sister under the one roof, but this policy may not be possible with later arrivals. THE MAYOR’S COUNSEL. When the thrilled youngsters had had their fill, the mayor informally welcomed them to Dunedin, and expressed iris certainty that they would bo very happy hero. Such a voyage as they had made, he said, would give them an idea of the vastness of the British Empire, but although Duuedin was far away from their homos they would find a kinship in the way in which England was always referred to as Home or the Mother Country. It had not boon an easy matter for tho children's parents to let them come so far from home, and the mayor stressed that the sacrifice which they had made was in the children’s interests, for out hero they would be safe from the horrors of war. In informing them that they would be made very happy in Dunedin the mayor counselled them not to forget their parents but to look forward to that joyous day when they would once again lie welcomed to their proper homes. To the children’s hosts the mayor expressed sincerest thanks for the interest which they wore displaying, and for the wav in which they had responded to the appeal to care for the children. Many would be disappointed that they had not been given the opportnnitv to look after the little arrivals, but it was likely that these people would yet have a chance as it was very probable that there were more children on tho way out to New Zealand.

Mr W. A, Jameson, representing the Education Department, who had also accompanied the children from Wellington, paid a tribute to Miss Page’s considerate care, and added that tho children were not precocious, but were verv likeable youngsters. That fact, it can be said, was quickly brought homo to all present, and there is no doubt that the children found a corner in the hearts of everyone in the hour they were together in the mayoral rooms.' The poignant farewells between Miss Page and the children as they left for their new homes told, too. how great an attachment had developed between them, and it was not difficult

to understand how rapidly that attachment would be created. THE LIGHTS OF WELLINGTON. The eldest of the party, Denise Hassell, a Kentish girl, told the ‘ star how happy she was to have reached her war-timo home. Her father had applied to send her and her brother overseas when the scheme was first announced, but one thing alter anothei seemed to arise, resulting in postponement after postponement, so teat wlieu it was finally announced they were go-in-r to Kew Zealand the news came as rather a shock. “it wasn’t very nice having to leave oil our friends, she said, “ and 1 wasn’t looking forward to going very much, but Daddy seemed to think it was the best thing for us.Up till then London had not been bombed, but there had been alarms, and the shelters had been sought on seveial occasions. “It was all rather good fun,” she said. The night their steamer sailed from England London had its first raid—a six-hour visitation, in which many bombs were dropped. The most welcome sight she saw on the whole voyage was the string of lights that was Wellington. Up ti l then, apart from the passage through tho Panama Canal, she had not seen a town lit up ae Wellington was since the war began, and the steamer itself was without lights at night. Those Wellington lights told her more than anything else that they had reached a country living in peace. She said she was now looking torward to her stay in Dunedin, and had quite got over the feelings of sadness inevitable under tho conditions of departure. “ Where lam going there is a telephone,” she said, ‘‘ and I sliail bo able to keep in touch with these others and to know how they are petting on.” Both she and her brother wore keeiilv interested in seeiiig how a Christmas without wintry weather would seem, and it had intrigued them to discover they were going to miss a winter and have two summers running. Yesterday’s brief acquaintance with these children roused one thought: they are so thoroughly likeable it is going to be a very hard wrench for the temporary parents to surrender them when the day of victory dawns.