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Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1924, Page 2

With the great Exhibition now in progress, London is more than ever tho heart of the Empire. A New Zealander who arrived Home lately, wrote enthusiastically about London and its associations. Ijondon. lie said, is all that men ever wrote of it. It is a treasure trove containing many caskets, the keys of which are not withheld from those who have the will to seek for them. Of a ll the capitals of Europe. London, being the greatest, is the most modest. It lias piled up its treasures in such profusion that it is impossible to draw attention to them all. Those who come to “see” London court failure and only disappointment, therefore, if they leave their investigations to chance. A thousand things of wonder are waiting to bo seen, hut there are no finger-posts to jioint the way. Months, years, may Ik* spent in the great city, and many of the things of supreme interest to those from overseas wiil not he heard of. It is for til is reason that visitors to the Homeland cannot ho urged too strongly to undergo some measure of propara*

tion if they desire to make the most of an opportunity that mJty not occur again. In London more than in any other place probably, one’s enjoyment depends in the first instance upon oneself. There are a thousand things to <!o, a thousand things to see, hut the visitor must make his own programme. At least, he must express his desires. To mind one's own business is a first principle of the large cities. Tf a New Zealander coming to England for tho first time finds that his temporary hosts in hotels or boardinghouses, or his fel-low-guests, show no apparent interest in his movements, it is only because custom forbids it. Let him break the ice. b*t him make* such inquiries as lie desires, and he will meet with :t .surprising response. J-ondoncrs are so seldom asked to show little nets of lourtesy to strangers that they seize the opportunity with both hands when it presents itself clearly.

To staht on a campaign ol -sight-see-ing in London unprepared is a waste of precious time. One can thniuoghly enjoy lmji-bazard excursions, because there is always lie human element to provide diversion, and there are monuments and architecture which the eye cannot miss. But there are innumerable tilings of interest which even the l/oiuloner lias never seen, or seeing, lias not understood. This is because be lias never taken the trouble to read :i guide book of his own city, or any of the large quantity of literature which would give him a knowledge -:1 the historic interest of the things he sees every day. The average Londoner loses perspective, la* is inclined to live in the immediate present, and visitors finm overseas will not. often find him to be a good guide and adviser. H i„ tlu* specialist that must ho sought, or failing a specialist in person tbe work of specialists. What better work lo begin with than one of the many excellent guide books of London which are to be found in every bookshop, both here and in the Dominions. A WlM* traveller will have studied a guide book before lie arrives in England and will have taken a note of all those places which particularly interest him. In the course of liis studies In* will have found a wealth of information concerning those places he has known of since his childhood which will make a visit to them doubly interesting. His added knowledge will bring romance into liis walks along tbe well-known thoroughfares, where tbe ghosts of the past tread closely im one another’s heels.