MAY BEATTY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1945, 29 November 1906, Page 1

MAY BEATTY.

THE NEW ZEALAND EAV'OIUTEH TItAVELS. 4 London, Oct. 19, Miss May Beatty, who made her lirst appearance in a sketch at one of tho music halls within a few weeks of her recent arrival in London, has boon engaged as principal boy in tho Christmas pantominc at one of tho best provincial theatres “ I was fearfully nervous tho first night,” said Miss Beatty, describing her London debut to a “ British Australasian ” interviewer. " I had spent all day in the theatre, and all tho time thinking over and over again, ‘ Will they like me? Shall I please them'?’ But they wore very good to me, and I have never felt a stranger from that first night.” Miss Bsutty’a Scat tasio of foraigu travel producod a quaint experience, which she dosoribss as ” ratrer Ehocking.” ?• I wont out early oao mrrning in Oolcmbo,” she said, 11 in just a kimono, and no hat. The result was a mild suastroke. Toe hotel people recommending a dark room and iumndiite bed, I reSired obediently, and there tutored an , attendant with i.ee and wot towela. 11 Bbo started to undress ms, and, in faot, the disrobing process was prooseding with rapidity, when I discovered that is was a ‘ho ’ I I was subsequently informed that ii wan tho custom of the country, but it was altogether too violent a novelty for my fancy 1” Her first impressions of the wo<lVs metropolis are still a vivid memory with Mias Beatty. 11 1 think tho fi.-ss effect of London is to frighten ,” she said. "It may Bound a foolish 6hing to say, but I believe if most Australians who land hero for the ficst time io their lives, and have not previously travelled, were to ” own up,” they would egreo with me 1 Our ” big cities,” as we call them, as distinct from our still smaller bush townships, what are they roally in point of size? London looks as if it oould oontain them all, and then have something left over for itself! Yes, the tremendous sizs of London is a shock to tbo nerves. I Bball never forget my first few days here. I spent them on ’bua-topu, riding about, and looking, locking with all my eyes. S rests, street.-’ nothing but streets, and houses, There never seems to fas an end of them, And I toiied one tbieg about the pecglo in the sireels. I can quite imagina that tture oro ssven millions of tbi to, and they all seem to bo out during ihe caj but —nobody over seems to bo in a hurry 1 In Melbourne or Sydnty you coe poop o walking along Bmertly. Tttey Icok os ii they had somewhcio to go, and were anxious to get there qukkly. Heie they look as though they wore just wandorttg about without any dettination 1 G<o t crowds in overy street, all day long, mot* iag slowly tp and down—going nowhere. If you hurry thoy appear quite surprised. I was late one day, and I raood along, in fact, I was in a hurry. I noticed quilo a lot of people Btood still, slopped dead to look after me, to face tho s r mgs spectacle of someone actually hurrjiug ! ' Star correspondent.