Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 11, 2022 15:32:53 GMT 12
NOTABLE ACTORS’ PLANE FAILS TO REACH GLACIERS
Two of Britain’s most famous actors, Sir Ralph Richardson and Lady Richardson (Meriel Forbes), were passengers in a Canterbury Aero Club Dragonfly aircraft which had a bumpy flight yesterday. They left Harewood airport about midday to fly over the glaciers. A menacing north-west cloudbank turned them back soon after they crossed the Orari river, and they went no further south than Lake Tekapo.
It was a double disappointment. Ever since they arrived in New Zealand two months ago they have intended to make the trip, and today they will leave by air for Australia. Instead of flying over the glacier they landed at Levels airport, Timaru, where Sir Ralph Richardson was given a special demonstration by Mr Peter Rowley, of Auster Air Services, Ltd., in crop-spraying by agricultural aircraft.
Sir Ralph and Lady Richardson, and Mr D. D. O’Connor, who was travelling with them, enjoyed a picnic lunch at the airfield, and Sir Ralph Richardson chatted with his pilot, Mr S. L. Dodwell.
Mr Dodwell reminded Sir Ralph Richardson that they had met once before. In 1940, when Sir Ralph Richardson was a Fleet Air Arm pilot, he was a member of a squash team which visited the Royal Air Force training field at Hamble, near Southampton. On that occasion his host was Mr Dodwell, who was an instructor at the field and officer of the day.
“When I found out who was coming to Hamble I did not exactly look forward to the experience,” Mr Dodwell said yesterday, “but it was a delight to welcome him. It was the same today. He was as charming as I remembered him.”
PRESS, 2 DECEMBER 1955
Two of Britain’s most famous actors, Sir Ralph Richardson and Lady Richardson (Meriel Forbes), were passengers in a Canterbury Aero Club Dragonfly aircraft which had a bumpy flight yesterday. They left Harewood airport about midday to fly over the glaciers. A menacing north-west cloudbank turned them back soon after they crossed the Orari river, and they went no further south than Lake Tekapo.
It was a double disappointment. Ever since they arrived in New Zealand two months ago they have intended to make the trip, and today they will leave by air for Australia. Instead of flying over the glacier they landed at Levels airport, Timaru, where Sir Ralph Richardson was given a special demonstration by Mr Peter Rowley, of Auster Air Services, Ltd., in crop-spraying by agricultural aircraft.
Sir Ralph and Lady Richardson, and Mr D. D. O’Connor, who was travelling with them, enjoyed a picnic lunch at the airfield, and Sir Ralph Richardson chatted with his pilot, Mr S. L. Dodwell.
Mr Dodwell reminded Sir Ralph Richardson that they had met once before. In 1940, when Sir Ralph Richardson was a Fleet Air Arm pilot, he was a member of a squash team which visited the Royal Air Force training field at Hamble, near Southampton. On that occasion his host was Mr Dodwell, who was an instructor at the field and officer of the day.
“When I found out who was coming to Hamble I did not exactly look forward to the experience,” Mr Dodwell said yesterday, “but it was a delight to welcome him. It was the same today. He was as charming as I remembered him.”
PRESS, 2 DECEMBER 1955
