LONDON OF TO-DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 3 August 1937, Page 2

LONDON OF TO-DAY

NEW ZEALANDER’S VIEWS. DEVELOPMENT OF TELEVISION.

Written about the middle of June, a letter received by a Palmerston North resident from a friend travelling abroad contains many points of interest to the New Zealand dweller. The Coronation, the beautiful weather, in such a contrast to tlie winter of New Zealand, the charm of Old London, the Courts, the House of Commons, radio and television are all touched on by the correspondent. “I arrived two days - before the show —and wli'at a show,” he writes in reference to the Coronation. “I expect you have seen it in the movies. If you have, you saw the whole thing much better than those of us who were on the spot. I’ve never seen such crowds o-i■ known one to he so wildly enthusiastic. They started to line the route 30 hours ahead of time, and they kept up a fyiglitful caterwauling all that night, as well as the night after. As you know, the bus strike was on at the time, and the tubes just couldn’t cope with the influx of suburbanites, and the hotels couldn’t accommodate the country visitors. Consequently they all roamed round the streets and danced in Piccadilly, from which the traffic had been excluded. Impromptu jazz bands and thousands of Piccadilly whistles (something new for the Coronation) made the night hideous. I attempted to sleep at 3 a.m. but had to give it up. I had, after one night in an hotel, to take a service flat at £6 6s a week—it was the only accommodation available. After two weeks of this I moved into a less pretentious place near Regent’s Park. The other place was almost in Piccadilly, on Coventry Street, which was certainly central if a trifle expensive.

“We are enjoying perfectly gorgeous weather. For weeks the temperature has been nearer 80 degrees than 60, with up to 14 hours of bright sunshine per day. A complete absence of wind makes a temperature of 80 degrees feel pretty warm when one dresses like a conventional Londoner. I have had some bathing at the week-ends in amazing open-air baths at Surbiton and in the Iliver Thames. Last Sunday 3000 people swarmed into Surbiton baths, for which Is per bathe is charged. “I’ve seen more art galleries, museums, restaurants, and theatres than ever before. Even churches with an air of antiquity pull me in. I take a look at all those queer old courts or squares off Fleet Street and back alleys off the main route always interest me absorbingly. It is tiring work taking a holiday like this. Cars are ridiculously cheap over here. I bought a 10 horse-power model (1934) for £25 and the A.A. fixed my English license. The traffic is, of course, particularly dense and on arterial roads is of the heavy lorry type. “The other day I went into the Law Courts and saw several Courts at work. In one I saw Lord Hewart, the Chief Justice of England, presiding with two other Judges upon the Court of Appeal. Sir Patrick Hastings, who makes £45.000 a year at the Bar, was arguing most patiently and logically ' before them, but his appeal was disallowed. “At the House of Commons I heard the new Prime Minister make his maiden speech after being appointed. I saw the Trooping of the Colour, which was most impressive. Everything seems to happen here. As I sat in' Regent’s Park to-day 24 aeroplanes zoomed across. Nine were two-engined moikoplanes and the rest were huge Army bombers. They went across in formation. Over London all fliers keep fairly high as a safety measure, but these were fairly low. The radio concerts are absolutely magnificent—not that I’m often iii to hear them. Splendid artists appear on every programme, and there is no advertising except from Radio Normandy, a British station in France. Most sets are fitted for short-wave, broadcast and long-wave reception. There are about six stations in Europe using long-wave now. “Television is a marvellous thing and 100 per cent, successful up to about 35 miles. I have seen several television broadcasts. The sets cost £l4O. The picture is about 14 inches and is shown.in a darkened room. They broadcast newsreels and dancing lessons, costume plays and that sort of thing. I found them most entertaining. The session is from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and another hour at night. It is well past the experimental stage now. “In a few days’ time I’m going to Leningrad and Moscow in the U.S.S.R. The passport is difficult to obtain and takes about two weeks. This visit should prove very instructive. Then I’m going to do some hiking in this very beautiful England.”