TOUR ABROAD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 223, 20 August 1937, Page 11

TOUR ABROAD.

PALMERSTON NORTH RESIDENT. After 15 months abroad, Mrs A. M. Sears lias returned to Palmerston North with memories of a delightful trip. She toured, first of all, the East Coast of Australia, as well as Queensland, and smilingly commented today on the aboriginals and other things she saw. One night, she related, when motoring into the country from Wyndham, she had every now and again seen whole parties of kangaroos. There hail been no rain in that district for six months at the time of her visit, Airs Sears remarked.

In England Airs Sears attended the Coronation, and the Coronation re view in the Isle of Wight. She had been particularly interested in the cathedrals. Last winter the Weather in England had been bad, with constant fogs, but sining in England was marvellous.

What had most impressed her in England, continued Airs Sears, was the wonderful care and attention being given to the children. They were sent into the country for a fortnight’s holiday a year, and milk was distributed at the schools. The women’s organisations were also going ahead. She had been very much impressed by the important place being given to physical culture; in every town classes were held twice a week and articles and instructions as to exercises appeared in tno newspapers, Physical culture was also given an important place with Guides, Scouts and Hangers. An excellent idea was that of snips “adopting” schools, commented the traveller.' On the ship on which she voyaged the captain u rote letters to a certain school in England, describing the places at which the ship called and drawing a map to show the position of the .trade winds, and the officers on board , wrote to individual pupils. When the ship was in port the pupils spent an afternoon in being shown over, the vessel, and entertained the captain and officers in return. Airs Sears said she thought that this was an excellent method of broadening the educat.on of chvlren. Alls Sears referred to ' a visit she made to Africa where, she said, the coloured question was very acute. She described a marvellous restaurant which had been built at Capetown, with a ceiling like the sky, with stars twinkling and clouds floating across. Electric globes and mirrors helped to achieve this effect. Erom Capetown to Alelbourne terrible weather had been experienced—the worst he had been through for 23 years, the captain said.