SURPRISE TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1933, Page 4

SURPRISE TOUR

MADE BY PRINCE OF WALES

VISIT PAID TO UNEMPLOYED

The Prince of Wales paid a series of surprise visits to the unemployed in th« Croydon district' of" London on June 7. He arrived by monoplane at Croydon Aerodrome in the afternoon,

After playing-golf with the Bishop of Croydon at Addington Park, the Prince made his first call at the Blake Memorial Hall at Whaddon, where he met representations of various social organisations. From Whaddon he drove to the Croydon unemployment centre in Church Road, where he was. welcomed by a number of unemployed men. The men were just about to have their evening meal, and the Prince at once asked to be taken into the kitchen.' Here he sampled some of the soup and stew which was about to be served. Tasting the" meal, the Prince said, “That is jolly-good—jolly good indeed. I’m glad to think that you: are providing them-with such good food.”At the Lansdowne Club the. Prince watched Wind men and women 'engagedin. rug-making, knitting arid - making stockings and jumpers."-" He ’talked' H&' several of the men, and women’ who'' turned their faces up to him.-with a 1 smile, although their sightless eyes ' 1 ' could not see him'. ; r ■ "

Watching one blind woman Skilfully' /' ‘ using a knitting machine the 1 Princebent over her aifd asked' ’“How "does ” that machine work?” The blind avbman J): stopped the machine, and with movements of her fingures explained to him how the machine, which she hacTnever seen, worked.

The Prifice ended his tour at a club for bdys, where, he Watched- lads pimp l ing billiards, draughts, ping-pong attd' • I * oxercising in the gymnasium. Tn’ thU"O- - room the prince watched boys playing - “banking” biUi&i'ds, a game played on a board with hazards in' i: front of the holes. “I have never, geeiV “ that game before,” he said. “Let -me • have a try, will vau?” ; One of the -'small boys handed the - - Prince a cue, explaining the rules of the game. The heir t 0 the world’s greatest throne took a shot, going down in two strokes amid the applause of his ’ v '- youthful audience. “What do Ido now?” he asked, and when it was exolpined to him he “named” another hole and played to it, but just missed. “That’s like some of my long puts,” said' the Prince, smiling, as he turned to the Bishop of Crovdon.