LORD BLEDISLOE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 May 1940, Page 6

LORD BLEDISLOE

ANOTHER GENEROUS • OFFER LONDON HOUSE AS WOMEN'S UEN ! KE. PREPARATION OF COMFORTS FOR TROOPS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 3. Not content with offering his Gloucestershire mansion Lydney Park to the New Zealand Government as a military hospital or convalescent home for soldiers. Lord Bledisloe has made his London residence at 52 Sloane Street available to Nev/ Zealand women resident in England as a centre for the preparation of comforts for the Expeditionary Force. This information has been received by Mrs Marler, of Auckland, from Lady Day, wife of Sir Cecil Day, formerly official secretary to the Go-vernor-General and now attached to the High Commissioner's Office in London. Lady Day stated that she visited the house and found the large drawing room, morning room and dining room prepared for working bees which would be held there to sew and knit for the troops.

Lord Bledisloe’s original offer of Lydney Park was communicated to the New Zealand Government on September 27 by the High Commissioner (Mr W. J. Jordan) and was accepted immediately with warm appreciation of his generosity. A reply was sent that the Government would take advantage of it as circumstances might, indicate, but at such an early stage no more definite indication could be given.