AUNT DAISY brings you the WEEKLY CHEER BUDGET

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 33, 27 January 1939, Page 17

AUNT DAISY brings you the WEEKLY CHEER BUDGET

‘SHE COVERS REST OF THE EXHIBITION ON A TRACTOR

E haven’t finished going round the great Exhibition yet _ -but you need not: feel tired at the very thought of it, because there were 50 jolly little motor-tractors, with trailers, plying for hire, and ready to take you all over the 10 miles of roads! They travelled by five different routes and you could get off at any special place you wanted to see, or just ride right round to see the general picture. Crowds of people used to ride up to the top of the hill, especially at night time, and then sit-down and look at everything all lighted up, and listen to the band playing. That was another good paint about the exhibition-the thausands of chairs, both canvas and deck-chairs, and also wooden . garden chairs-but all single and separate so that two people could sit close together (nice and comfortable!) without other people heing close beside you. People made their own little groupsvery pleasant, too! Much hetter than those long seats like the ones’in railway stations. It only cost you a twopenny ticket for four hours, and you could sit down anywhere during thai time, not necessarily on the same seat all the while. My word, what a hoon those chairs were-you know how tiring it is going round shows and exhibitions, and how just five minutes’ rest makes all the difference. : The tractor-trailers were queer little affairs, halding ahout 10 people, You sat back to back, five on each side, like riding on. an elephant at the zoo; and you were shaken and bumped about a bit more than in elephant riding, while the tractor made a noise like a traction engine! Still, it did save you walking. THE United Kingdom Government pavilion was one of the most interesting, and one you could visit over and over again, and enjoy it more each time. Jt had a really noble ., entrance court, from which one turned off to the left, to the ‘Long Gallery’’ which ran the whole length of the building430 feet! From the gallery, glass doors opened out on to a wide terrace provided with comfortable chairs on which one could sit and rest beside a wide strip of cool ornamental water, which separated the terrace from the hot, white roadway. On the other side of the gallery the walis-were decorated with fine mural paintings, showing the subjects of the-exhibits which were to be seen in.the four great halls which opened. off it. First came the "Fitter Britain Hall," showing everything that. has been, and is still being, done for the health and development of the people. . There were exhibits dealing with the health of mothers and little children; with games. and retreation for school-children, and grown people.

Others showed how the "siums" are rapidly becoming only a memory through the erection of the fine housing estates with spacious playing fields and recreation halls, as well as individual gardens to each house. One saw, also, how illness and disease are being combated by: highly-organised clinics, as well as' hospitals; while an eiormous ‘mechanical man" was always _ surrounded by a large and = en. thusiastic crowd. This big fellow had his digestive tract uncovered for all the world to see, and little balls of different colours did a kind of "round ‘trip" at intervals-going into his mouth and down his gullet into his tummy; and being worked along by the muscles in his intestines in most realistic fashion. At the same time, his heart was also to be seen pumping away cheerfully, as well as the veins and arteries carrying the impure and pure blood respectively all over his huge body. He had a pleasant speaking ' voice, too, and described his own internal processes (by means of an unseen record played at regular short intervals) in a most entertaining manner. Coal-Mine Model THE coal hall came. next, with its wonderful working modei of a coal-mine, showing both underground and surface -workings, as well as all the modern safety devices. There was

always a big crowd round this, Then there were exhibits illustrating gas works and cake ovens and low-temperature carbonisation plants; and another section explained the use of coal as a raw material in chemical processes producing alcohols and lubricating oils and motor spirits, and all kinds of unexpected things. The iron and steel hal: was the third exhibit in the United Kingdom pavilion, and its outstanding feature was the large model of a modern blast furnace, the lower part being of glass, to show the. molten metal pouring out into the "pig" beds. in The Chart Room There were many ' technical. and wonderful exhibits in this -hallmore interesting to men than te "Aunt Daisy," who passed on to the ship-building hall. This aitracted a tremendous crowd of boys and men, It showed how they have made experiments on model hulis towed in tanks, and working models of the latest marine engines; and how fuel consumption has been réduced, and all sorts of interesting things. The special excitement in this hall was: at the far end, where a staircase led up to a full-sized wheel house and chart room of a modern cargo liner, fitted with "proper navigation instruments, and gyro compass and "echo depth sounder’-all warking! There was.aliso. the latest design ef wireless direction. finder, and a’ model of a wireless room in a British destroyer. -So you can

just imagine how popular this hall. was. Then, as you eame back into the long gallery, out of the ship-build-ing hall, there was a lovely climax waiting to charm you--a tremen: dous globe representing the worid revolving in. space-bdlue spacewith stars overhead and little white clouds drifting in front--a very beautiful sight indeed. There had ta be an official stationed there saying, "Pass along please," because everybody was "rooted to the spot." A most orig: jnal idea altogether. The blue sky and space reminded me of the lovely "overhead" of the Civic Theatre in Auckland. 1 mever saw anything as fine as that in any theatre 1 went to during my trip. Golden Sheep You would have been very interested in the great wool hall, which was arranged by the wool producers of Australia, New Zealand and .South Africa, You could see this pavilion from afar, because of a huge and fat merino sheep in gold, which — stood on top of the building 60 feet above the ground, glistening impressively in the sunshine. Inside the building, the principal feature was the now-famous wool-frieze which ran right round the wail-120 feet long and eight feet high-a tremendous affair. It

was made entirely .of wool-felts, and eontained hundreds of life-size figures and groupings telling the whole history of wool from Biblical days, through the Middle Ages, right up to the present time. In this frieze were set down ineidents showing the use of wool by the Romans when they occupied Britain, and actually established wool factories there; also the arrival of the Flemish weavers; the old "cloth fairs’; the inventions of Hargreave and Arkwright and »stenhenson. It also showed the in.roduction of merinos into Australia in the days of George ITI, which was really the start of the great woolgrowing industry there. At frequent intervals, a very interesting recorded story of the whole frieze was played-the announcer had a charming voice, and this made the frieze intelligible and really valuable, for one woulg have missed much of its meaning otherwise, and neither understood nor appreciated what was really a wonderful piece of work. Another good exhibit was a hig map of the world in coloured wodi. It showed where wool is grown, and where it has te travel, both by land and sea. There was also a great globe with the countries of the world in felt, and many other interesting things. Then there was a_ life-size "wedding group," the bride's dress made of the loveliest cobweb woal-lace, and the bridesmaids dressed in. exquisitely fine and filmy woollen material. Of course, the bridegroom and best man. wore very splendid woollen suits, There was also a moving model showing all the processes through whieh wool has to pass from the time it is elipped until it is made into cloth. This was called "From the sheep’s back to yours." Scotland's Religion FOUND it very ‘impressive that there were no fewer than five different churches at the Glasgow Exhibition -t he Church of Seotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Christ Scientist, and the Christian Brethren. The Roman Catholic pavilion was a beautiful one, with an altar shrine, as well as an open-air oratoery,. all properly equipped. The Episcopal Church of Scotland pavilion consisted of a halt and chapel. The Church of Scotland pavilion was the largest and most complete. Alcoves. al] round. the church showed representations «- the many activities of the Chureh at home and abread. In Scotland, religion is an intezral part of the national life, and it was a very natural thing that when building its great Empire exhibition, Glasgow should include a visible testimony to the ‘faith of its fathers." Next week I must tell you about the Irish pavilion, and also those of the Dominions.