ROUND THE WORLD WITH THE N.Z. BOWLERS.

Shannon News, 18 December 1928, Page 3

ROUND THE WORLD WITH THE N.Z. BOWLERS.

MR M. J. SUDAN’S IMPRESSIONS.

(Continued.)

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE,

4.fter their visit to Wales, the New Zealand bowlers left by rail from Cardiff for Oxford. The male members or the party were taken .to see the Mioiris motor works, which employ 5000 people aud have an output of 1500 cars a week. The ladies were shown round the colleges of Oxford. A mayoral reception took place in the City Hali, and the visitors were shown the municipal treasures of gold plate, which weie fully explained to them. The team beat the Oxford players, who, afterwards expressed the hope that the New Zealanders would also defeat Cambridge, which, however, they failed to do. A journey by train was made to Leamington Spa, where the party sampled the waters. On arrival at Leicester they met with a great reception. The city is noted for its fire brigade, which is considered to be the best and most up-to-date in Great Britain, and which gave a display for the edification of the visitors. The match which was commenced against Leicester had to be abandoned on account of rain, but a happy feature of the occasion was the presentation of a silverjack by the home centre to Mrs HardIcy. The next match was in Northamptonshire, against Tittering, and it ended in a draw—l 24 points each. At Bedford the party visited the largest aerodrome in England. A wonderfully fine green was played on, and Nerv 'Zealand won the match by 18 points. The next stage of the tour was to Cambridge, where the party were accorded an informal reception in the Guildhall and were tendered a dinner at night. Suuday morning was. spent pleasantly among the ancient buildings of the university towwn; two of the masters conducted the visitors over various' colleges, and service was attended in Christ’s College chapel, where there is a famous choir of boys. King’s, Queen’s, Catherine’s, Christ’s and Trinity 'Colleges were visited, and the party.met Sir J. J. Thomson, 0.M., Master of Trinity College and a scientist of great repute. In the .afternoon the tourists were taken in private cars to'Ely Cathedral, 16 miles away, and their manager decorated Bishop WhiteThomson with the team’s badge. A return was made to London, where the party stayed from Monday, May 28th, to Friday, June Bth. Sever-' al ‘matches were played in various places within a radius of 60 miles of London. The team next loft for Newcastle, and matches were played against Durham and Northumberland, the game against the former county being won. The Now Zealanders travelled to Carlisle, where they lost their match by six shots. IIAPFY DAYS IN IRELAND. The border was crossed by a train journey to Strathraer, and the party went by ferry steamer to Ireland, making for Belfast, where they were met by members of the Irish Bowling Association and taken to the Queen’s Hotel. Next day, Thursday, June 14th, a match was played against the Belfast Bowling Club, the latter being the winners. Lord Londonderry’s estate, 12 miles from Belfast, was visited, and the beautiful gardens were a source of delight. The following day the team left by train for Dublin. On arrival they were met by Mr Bestall, president of the Dree State Bowling Association, and they had an hospitable reception from the Knnihvori.'i Club. Among the party’s experiences in Dublin were-visits-to the Bank of Ireland and Knapp’s pipe factory—the only works in the country for turning cut* tobacco-pipes. Mr Knapp afterwards presented each member of the team with a pipe and case, and the ladies with cigarette-holders. The following day was a memorable one. The party were taken through Phoenix Park and the Botanical Gardens, and Trinity Church, where they inspected Handel’s organ, which is still in use. In the vaults under the church the men made the acquaintance with the weird collection of bodies that have been lying there for centuries and have become petrified through a chemical peculiarity of the soil. Various scenes associated with the Rebellion of 1921 were visited; and, of course, Guinness’s brewery was included in the day’s calls and those 1 of the party who cared to accept were treated with {he traditional hospitality of that institution. There was an official luncheon at Jury ’s Hotel, and in the afternoon a match was played against the Fioo. State Bowling League and won, at Olontarf.

Returning t;o Belfast, the party were takeo in private cars 'to the east coast-, calling at Newcastle and Downpatrick, the resting-place of Ireland's natron saint; they also visited the Mountains of Mourno “that roll down to the sea'’ At Newcastle, which was the best golf course in Ireland, they w.cre entertained at an official luncheon and had the pleasure of listening to a speech by the gifted orator, Mr Joseph Devlin, who will be remembered by many New Zealanders as having visited this country in the Home Buie cause over twenty years ago. Next day the team went to Coleraine to play the combined Northern Clubs. They passed through Balleymena and Antrim, and buses took them to Portrush and the Giants' Causeway. In the match at Coleraine, 15 heads wevj played and the visitors were defeated.

The test match against Ireland, played at Belfast, was won by the touring team, by 99 points to 87. A visit was paid to Gallagher’s huge tobaccofactory, and each member of the. team was given a tin of tobacco and a box of cigarettes. A luncheon tendered to the party in the Belfast Town Hall was presided over by the Lord Mayor,

and ifc was one of the most 'brilliant functions of their tour, the catering being on a sumptuous scale and the decorations magnificent. On the Thursday the visitors were the guests o. the Knock Bowling Club, and wei\, shown over Messrs Harland and Wolff s shipbuilding yards, where two 30,000tonners were on the stocks. The match against the Knock Club was won by the latter. The next match was against Belmont, and the New Zealanders won it 'by 138 to 116. After inspecting a linen factory, the party went to Bangor, where they weie the guests of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club, of which the King, the Prince of "Wales and Sir Thomas Lipton are members. A match was played against the Public Park club, who were the winners by 125 to 109.. A charabanc drive tc Mayhee Island was an enjoyable excursion. Ruins dating back 2000 years were visited, and the party returned by a road that is used for motor racing. At Larne the visitors were very hospitably entertained. Rain interfered with the match that was played there, but. it was eventually finished, the victory going to the Larne Club. This occasion will be remembered by Mr Ilardley, as he was presented by the Larne bowlers with a shillelagh. PROM GLASGOW TO INVERNESS. On leaving for Glasgow, the party were given a wonderful send-off, with the singing of “*Auld Laiig Syne,” and they took their departure from Ireland with genuine regret. They arrived at Glasgow about midnight on Jure 26th, and made it their headquarters for ten days., A reception was tendered them by the Scottish Bowling Association, the president of which (Sir Chas. Russell) was in the chair.- In the match against Titwood, Mr Suhau’s rink was opposed to four members of the British team that toured New Zealand—-Messrs Brodie, Bryson, Mail- and Crawford (skip). On the following’ day the visiting team played the Wood End Club, and won the match by 131 to 105. Tnc occasion was rendered memorable by pipers playing round the green all the. after noon, giving the proceedings quite a merry aspect. The next match was against Bellaliouston, a, suburb . _of Glasgow. The wet weather prevailing at the time did not suit the Dominion bowlers, who were badly beaten. At Dumfries it rained again, and. onlyhalf a match was played. Stirling Castle, Wallace’s monument and . the battlefield of Bannockburn were visited, and a. trip was made to Dumbarton, famous for its shipbuilding and engineering industries. An excursion was made to Loch Lomond and the loch and river of Forth, returning by way of Aberfoyle. At Ayr, the visitors saw Burns’s ‘birthplace anid the Brig o’ ■ Doon. Proceeding north from Glasgow, the party went to Perth, where the dry-cleaning works : and Dewar’s bottling'plant were inspected. A trip was made also to one of Scotland s celebrated golf courses, that of Gleneagles. Like many of the New Zealand soldiers on leave during the war, the bowlers made the most of their opportunities of seeing the Highlands, and travelled as far north as Inverness, where, less than a hundred years ago, it was supposed by untravelled English folk that everybody wore kilts and that wolves roamed the streets in winter,