BRILLIANT RECEPTION

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1926, Page 14

BRILLIANT RECEPTION

NEW ZEALANDERS IN LONDON. An official reception, with a dance, was given by the High Commissioner and Lady Parr recently in honour of the New Zealand Prime Minister and Mrs. Coates, says pur London correspondent. For the reception 3081 people were invited, the majority being New Zealanders. Acceptances to the number of 17S0 were received. Men wore their orders and decorations and the women were all very attractively gowned. The function took place at the Wharncliffe Rooms of the Great Central Hotel. At the outset it was obvious that the hosts would have a long and serious task to receive all these guests, who, after being announced, filed slowly past Lady Parr, Sir James Parr, Mrs. Coates and th.- Prime Minister. With the majority the chief guest had some conversation. Mrs. Coates wore a becoming dress of crystal-embroidered eau de nil ninon, and Lady Parr was in a charming dress of soft cyclamen shade. The reception began at eight o’clock, and it was nearly ten o’clock before the last guests were received. The reception room and the dance ball are both very large, but both were a little uncomfortably'crowded, and it was evident that if the number of New Zealand visitors in this country at a given time goes on increasing larger rooms will have to be provided for future occasions. In the reception room, which was tastefully decorated with chrysanthemums and palms, there was a buffet for refreshments round two sides, and tables were placed all round the bandstand. One room was set apart for the chief guests, and here the Prime Minister and Mrs. Coates and Sir James and Lady Parr entertained a small proportion of New Zealanders and a number of official guests whose other engagements prevented them from staying for any length of time. Among those present were? Mr. L. S. Amery (Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs), and Mrs. Amery, Sir Charles Davis (Permanent Under-Secre-tary Dominions Office) and Lady Davis, Lieutenant-Colonel H. V. de Satqe (Ceremonial Secretary, Colonial Office) and Mrs. de Satge. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Herbert Ellisseji (Controller, Imperia! War Graves Commission) and Lady Ellissen, Lieutenant-General Sir William Furse, General Sir Alexander and Lady Godley, the Hon. W. G. A. Ormsby-Gore (Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office) and Lady Beatrice ’ Ormsby-Gore, Commissioner and Mrs. D. C. Lamb (Salvation Army), Lord and Lady Liverpool, the Rev. M. Mullineux (St. Barnabas Hostels), Miss Gladys Pott (Society for the Overseas Settlement of British Women), Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Sleeman (former Director of Military Training in New Zealand) and Mrs. Sleeman, Sir Fabian and Lady Ware, General Hertzog, Mr. W. T. Cosgrave, Mr. and Mrs.

Larkin, Sir Joseph and Dame Mary Cook, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Smit, Sir Francis Bell, Sir Thomas Mackenzie, , Sir Thomas Parkinson, Major-General Sir Edward and Lady Chaytor, Lady Allen, Admiral Sir Lowther and Lady Grant, Sir Robert and Lady Walker, Mr. and Mrs. 11. Hor. ton, Archbishop Julius and Miss Julius, Sir James Mills and Mrs. Curzon, Sir John Cockburn, Sir James and Lady Connolly, Captain and Mrs. A. W. Hamilton, Dr. and Mrs. Gibbs, Mr. F. D. Thomson, Mr. and Mrs. Moss Davis and Miss B. Davis, Sir Charles and Lady Holdsworth, Mr. and Mrs. M. Myers, Mr. and Mrs. V. Riddiford, Dr. and Mrs. Tillyard, Mr. and Mrs. Hal Williams, Colonel and Mrs. Fitzhcrbert. Lieutenant-Colonel E. Murray (Secretary, British Empire League), and Mrs. Murray, and many more.