A TRIP TO ENGLAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 283, 27 November 1914, Page 7

A TRIP TO ENGLAND.

MR FOOKES ON TOUR.

(Concluded.)

One Sunday Mr Fookes had an interesting experience, when a resident of London took him sight-seeing. They went to a church parade at Westminster Abbey, just after the outbreak of war, which was attended by a tremendous crowd of regulars, Territorials and recruits. It was wonderful to see how well the recruits marched and bore themselves, considering they had only been handled for a few days. The recruits were in their civilian dress. Hie military present filled the Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church. The address was by Canon Wilberforce. From the Abbey they went to the Wellington Barracks, one of the largest in London, and saw a parade of one of the regiments. St. James’ Park had been turned into a military camp, with tents and pickets of horses everywhere. Thence they proceeded to Buckingham Palace, where a big crowd was gathered, they thought, by reason of the crowd that the King or Queen was expected to arrive or depart. Soon after, wards Queen Alexandra and Princes; Victoria arrived, and they waited at the door to be greeted by the King and Queen and the Royal Family. The King and Queen and their family later appeared at the door. sThe King kiss od his mother on both cheeks and the other members of the party also embraced. It formed a very pretty domestic scene*'and many of the bystanders were touched. The Royalties came out on the pavement, and while they were there the Grenadier Guards marched up, the band playing theregi ment’s famous march. The resemblance to Lord Kitchener of the officer commanding was very striking, and Kitchener’s name was loudly shouted. After taking the salute from the Guards, the Royal Family remained in the courtyard in front of the palace, talking to officers and officers’ wives. Mr Fookes and his friend were quite ■lose to the party and the friend stated that he had never had a better view of the Royalties. The Prince of Wales seemed a very frail and slight young man, but he appeared to Ipe very popular and much beloved by the people. The King seemed to take the situation much as a matter of course—he did not seem perturbed over the war. He - seemed to be particularly calm and walked across the courtyard as if nothing remarkable was toward. Queen Alexandra looked very beautiful, and her appearance was the signal for much enthusiasm by the people. She had come specially to see the Prince of Wales, who was leaving for the front on the following morning with the Grenadier Guards. Mr Fookes had a view of the wall which was scaled by the man who had broken into the palace in a spirit of adventure, and Mr Fookes marvelled how anybody could have got over the wall—it was a high fence with revolving spikes twelve inches long on top. It seemed impossible to get over without being seriously injured. Mr Fookes visited Brompton Oratory, the, finest Roman Catholic church in England, and one of the finest churches Mr Fookes saw on his travels. On several occasions be visited St. Paul’s Cathedral and also the new Roman Catholic Cathedral at Westminster. The latter was not an ornamental building at present, being not completed. The' building which appealed to him as tl>e fines! in London was St. Paul’s Cathedral i the acoustic properties of which were very fine. Quite the opposite was the. case at Westminster Abbey, probablj because of the large number of statues, among which the voice seemed to become lost—one might be just a short distance from the voice or the music and not hear it at all. It was by no means so good as St. Paul’s—one seemed to hear the sound twice, owing to its resonance in the dome. It was 1 nice to go jnto St. Paul’s and got of}' I the hot and noisy streets. The church was quite in the centre of fche city and was delightfully calm. There was a daily service at 4 p.m., which was well attended; and it could be easily appreciated what a rest it must provide for the tired Londoner who attended. On the way home via Suez Mr Fookes visited some of the fine churches at Naples and Genoa. They were all very beautiful places, but much too gaudy —there was, too much gilding and ornamentation. They appeared tawdy when compared with the simple splendor of St. Paul’s and other English churches. He had been asked if he would like to live in England, and the opinion he formed was that it would be pleasant if one were a man of large l means. For people of small means New Zealand was the best. A great advantage of New Zealand was the general friendliness of the people. Class distinctions jvere very pronounced at Home, and each class was jealous of its privileges being encroached on. Mr Fookes was particularly struck in this connection as regarded bowling. He looked forvvarad to having some pleasant games of bowls, but he found that the good fellowship between all classes engendered by bowls in New Zealand did not obtain in England. Bowling was by nature a democratic game, bin, in England it did not seem to be taken up by the democratic part of the community. He had a few games, but very greatly missed the good fellowship characteristic of the game in New Zealand. In New Zealand bowling was regarded as the Masonry of sport—men who were comparative strangers off the green became close friends on the green. In New Zealand bowling was one great brotherhood, ybut it would be many years before such a condition would obtain in England. Although he was very kindly treated, there seemed restraint on the part of ' the Englishmen. Englishmen did not make friendships so easily as New Zealanders, and also did not mix so freely in their social functions. Whdn, on bis return to New Zealand, Mr Fookes landed at Auckland there was larly fine weather. Since their return they had seen nothing approaching a ,

smoke nuisance, which seemed more or less in evidence everywhere in England. Mrs Fookes was born in England, and she was delighted to see the country after an absence &of twenty years; but she declares that she was always looking forward to her return to Xew Zealand. As a matter of fact the whole three of the party were glad to get back. All were greatly benefited in health and they much appreciated the hearty welcome accorded them on their return. “The hearty welcome we received when we came back,” said Mr Fookes, “was worth while going away for.” . (The End.)