A Not-So-Innocent ABROAD

Radio Record, 31 July 1936, Page 52

A Not-So-Innocent ABROAD

W ellingtonian " Does The , Sights"? For The Second’ Time In Less Than Two Years

~ The following is a letter to the editor of the "Radio Record" from Mrs. V. G. Webb. (Bridget -to her many Wellington friends), wife of Captain V. G. Webb, marine superintendent for the Union Steamship Company, | Wellington. Captain and Mrs. Webb are at present in Europe, . where they are spending several months. rE had'a lovely trip across s the Pacific, and I. / want to go to Honolulu for a trip in the future-not just a day like we had this time! It’s a delightful spot, and I ‘don’t wonder that it’s the .play-

_ ground of the idle rich. We had.a ‘jolly. crowd on _ «the Niagara : and made lots of whoopee.

Crossing _ Canada .was interesting,

and, of course,. all under snow. Our Atlantic crossing was equally wintry with the fog-horn blowing night and

day for'two days-not so good! We met some wealthy -Canadians and had’a great. time on the boat, and_recently we had a reunion party with them at the Mayfair here. in London. . tt -I’m more keen on London than ever, and if I-don’t soon come back to New Zealand I never will. We met the Matthewsons (Mr. J. W. Matthewson is general manager of the Union Steamship Company in Wellington, and he is at present in Europe with his wife and ‘two daughters) ‘when they arrived in England. They have a flat in Kensington, and we've all been about a great deal together. We travelled across to Holland to-see the bulbs in bloom-a lovely trip. Amsterdam is a great place, awfully clean. The Hague and Haarlem are, ‘too. Two days ago I returned from a motor trip with the Matthewson family in their new Austin. We went through Cornwall, Devonshire, Wales, the Lakes District, Scotland; and so back to London-a gorgeous trip. The country is looking its best, and unbelievably green. The weather was mostly fine, but English people are very disappointed with the summer weather. It’s been misty, wet, and quite cold at times. WHILE on this trip we went over the Matua, the’ new Island steamer for the Union Company, and the Awatea. The latter is a very thrilling ship and I’m sure you'll be both surprised and pleased when you see her coming up old Wellington Harbour. She should _ prove very popular in the Tasman trade. We hope to come back on. her, but it all depends whether Captain Webb gets his work in England finished in time. . ' This: week-end promises very brightly. We

have a dinner party to-night and the same to‘morrow night, when we will go on to a ball on one of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s "Rangi’ ships that is in port just now. Saturday morning I am going to a sherry party at the Ritz, and in the evening we are the guests of some .prominent business people at dinner and later to the Military Tattoo at Aldershot. ~ Sunday I am spending the day at‘an old manor farm in Surrey, and Monday I have a lunch at the British Empire Club. Tuesday I’m going to see the Trooping of the Colours-so you see how it goes-the time, I mean. [VE been to lots of theatres and have a good few more to do., I’m never happier. than when I’m sitting in a good old London theatre. I’ve seen Max Beerbohm’s amazing new show, "The Happy Hypocrite," (Cont. on next page.)

with Ivor Novello, Vivienne Leigh and: Isabel Jeans in the cast. Also one of the "To-night at 8.380 group of Noel Coward’s. What a marvellous pair he and Gertrude Lawrente are! Dodie Smith’s play, "Call It} a Day," with Owen Nares and Fay ,Compton, and,incidentally, Nares, jun, too, is drawing big houses and is a thoroughly entertaining show, The musical shows gnow more and more spectacular. C, B. Cochran's latest, "Follow the Sun," is attracting London. I’ve never seen such a eolourful and high-speed entertainment, Vera Pearce (remember her in Australia and New Zealand?) is quite

Ki ‘ IIIc the talk of the town with Bobby Howes in the long-running "Please Teacher." I believe Williamson’s have bought it for the colonies, I’ve seen my first Charlot revue, too-"The Town Talks." He certainly knows what the public wants, I had a jolly evening with Nelle Scanlan at her flat and met Jan Caryl there. He is a very interesting New Zealander who has had a great career in Europe with ballet and producing. He has promised to take me to a very. Bohemian "pub" one night to get an eyeful of the celebrities, A most interesting afternoon I had going over the Gaumont_ British Studios at Shepherd’s Bush. Saw Constance Cummings and Hugh Sinclair rehearse-and finally shoot-a scene for "The Northing Tramp." Some of the Americans who are playing in "Three Men on @ Horse" in London were there, too. Also saw Jessie Matthews at the studio. Wish we had the Gaumont British property rooms for our Wellington Repertory Theatre! The motto over here is, "Be Wise and Eoveiiine," so now you know what to do