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A 31s. fid. Welcome. A Scotched Hill Climb. Welsh Monmouthshire.
By "The Extractor."
Accommodation at Royal Show time is ever at. a premium, and arrangements are settled in many cases nine and ten months ahead. The hotelkeepers in the town selected for the Show seem to act in concert, and the minimum charge is at the rate of 25s. a niolt per person for dinner, bed and breakfast. At one prominent hostelry at
Shrewsbury the charge was 31s. 6d., so that, as you went through the town made gay with banners, flags, and bunting you constantly read the word " WELCOME," but this, associated with 31s .6d. per night made one stop to think. The surrounding towns for 30 miles round were equally full up with Royal Show folk. although, of course, the charges were more moderate. As I was proceeding by road I selected an hotel ten miles from Shrowsbury, as they call it, and miles from a railway station. but Show folk had already filled up the place. I had to camp out, that is to say. I had to sleep in a farmhouse. Next year, Vittingham being the centre, ac commodation will not be so limited.
A fortnight ago, I wrote of some wonderful hill-climbing by a lorry without a driver, at least the photograph sent us would seem to indicate that phenomenon. The facts were that they had found the hill unexpectedly and decided to take a photo. The driver had got out to help fix the camera and forgot to go back. The head of the publicity department of a great concern tells me that a similar accident nearly befel one of his pictures. He selected a fearsome hill on which to snap his picture so as to show what 'heir lorries were capable of doing, left the driver at his seat, picked out a vantage ground for the
camera, and was just about to snap it when he noticed that the driver had nipped out and put great stones under the back wheels.
The recent articles in this journal in the Welsh tongue created much interest at the Royal Show and would no doubt be greatly appreciated in the Welsh counties ad jacent. But the news-shop proprietors in Shrewsbury have no great liking for the Welsh. They were eager to exhibit the ordinary contents bills of this journal, but several declined to show those printed in Welsh. Mutterings were heard about Lloyd George, about whom they did not, apparently, desire to be reminded.
A different feeling was found prevailing in Monmouthshire. I went by road to Shrewsbury, making a detour at the week-end through the beautiful Wye valley, and subsequently Abergavenny. I ought to have known, I suppose, but at this town I put a question whilst the Rover tank was getting its fill of benzoic, as to whether we were now in Wales, and the answer came, clothed in the accent of the prinei pality, "Indeed no : but everything is Welsh here except the name." The policeman who directed Its dragged in the word " whateffer " in the most natural way.
Olin Podrida.
A glimpse of a letter from "down under" showed that Mr. Frank Churchill, of 3. and E. Hall, Ltd., expected to be back in England in September. He has been selling many lorries during his absence from home.
A fire occurred on the 29th ult., on the premises of J. Liversidge and Sons, Ltd. It was confined to the stores department and will in no way affect the business.
The spiral water elevator at W. H. Willcox's stand at the Royal was a revelation and caused no end of interest. It consists simply of a revolving chain covered with a spiral spring. Water clings to the spring in its upward movement and is thus secured. It must be invaluable for agricultural purposes.
'Highly commended" was the placard which decorated the pens containing Mr. S. F. Edge's black pigs at the Royal Show, and there were rows of the black variety without a word of commendation, so Edge has scored already amongst the well-established breeders.
C. A. Vandervells are following, in the matter of holidays, the old example of the Lancashire manufacturers. On July 24th they will close down until August 5th. A section of the clerical staff will remain for urgent business only.