IN A CARAVAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 570, 29 June 1933, Page 2

IN A CARAVAN

BETTY AND JOAN RAYNER. In a letter to a friend in Wellington, Miss Betty Rayner, one of the New Zealand Troubadours, describes a caravan tour through England and Scotlar.d. The cai'avan is as different from our Australian one as you could possibly imagine," she wr-.tes. "It is designed and furnisbed by a man who has spent many years in perfectin'g caravans. It is no usual shape, and is built to be wind resistdng, and as a result it iooks like a yellow and green frog ready to spring! "The first week we set off from London was one of glorious sunshine and happy adventure, and we played several shows on our way up to Islip, n,ear Oxford. Then, when our 1'ittle home was perched on the top of the hill, where the village climhed; and twisted, snow came! It snowed for a week, and the tiny, thatcned cottages could searcely peer across the street so deenly it Tell. We had to motor eighly miles one night over the Ghiltern Hills to a private engagement, and although cars were snowed up all along tfhe^ road, we just got through the snow and fioods, and came back to the caravan ths same night, in spite of being urged to stay. After the show came -Lent, and -as in the little villages troubadours are still frowned upon during Lent, we had to go back to the cities. "We came to Birmingham, and there we parked our home on a lovely farm belonging to Mrs. George Cadbury. She and her family have done wonderful things for Birmingham. We had luneh with her, and she takes such a zest in all her activities that we felt we wanted to roll up our sleeves and help. "The Bormingham Repertory Theatre had heard of our work, and engaged us im'mediately to give^ a special matinee. It was a great j°y to play in a theatre that' has put on so many splendid plays. « I think they have the highest standard of any ■theatre in England. "At the mornent we are in Scotland. It is spring, and if I once started to describe the loveliness- of the hosts of daffodils, primtoses, and celandine, I should never stopl"