The recent discovery (duly noted in _The Daily Graphic_ of the 30th ult.)
of "seven pearls of excellent quality" by an Aberavon labourer in a mussel
stranded by the tide has led to an extraordinary influx of visitors to that
quiet seaside resort. Costers have been arriving at the rate of several
hundreds a day, attracted by the prospect of finding the raw materials for
the indispensable decoration of their costumes, and the local authorities
are at their wits' end to provide adequate accommodation. Amongst the
latest arrivals is the great architect, Sir MARTIN CONWAY, who has been
consulted with regard to the erection of a number of bungalow skyscrapers,
and an urgent message has been despatched to Sir EDWIN LUTYENS at Delhi,
begging him to supply designs of a suitable character. Meanwhile
pearl-diving goes on day and night on the sea-front, with the assistance of
a flock of oyster-catchers, whose brilliant plumage adds greatly to the
picturesqueness of the scene.
Though the special good fortune of Aberavon has excited a certain amount of
natural jealousy in the breasts of hotel and boarding-house proprietors at
other Welsh seaside resorts, they have no serious reason to complain. The
usual attractions of Barmouth have been powerfully reinforced by the
presence in the neighbouring hills of a full-sized gorilla which recently
escaped from a travelling menagerie. When last seen the animal was making
in the direction of Harlech, which is at present the head-quarters of the
Easter Vacation School of the Cambrian section of the Yugo-Slav Doukhobors.
It is understood that the local police have the matter well in hand, and
arrangements have been made, in case of emergency, for withdrawing all the
population within the precincts of the castle.
Great disappointment prevails at Llandudno owing to the refusal of Mr. EVAN
ROBERTS, the famous revivalist, to localise the materialisation of the
Millennium, which he has recently prophesied, at Llandudno during the
Easter holidays. By way of a set-off an effort was made to induce Sir
AUCKLAND GEDDES to give a vocal recital before his departure for America.
As his recent performance at a meeting of the London Scots Club proved, Sir
AUCKLAND is a singist of remarkable power, infinite humour and soul-shaking
pathos. Unfortunately his repertory is confined to Scottish songs, and on
this ground he has been obliged to decline the invitation, though the fee
offered was unprecedented in the economic annals of the variety stage.
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[Illustration: MORE ADVENTURES OF A POST-WAR SPORTSMAN.
_P.-W.S. at a Hunt Meeting_ (_concluding a passage-at-arms with a member of
the ring_). "I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE TOFFS THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN IMPOSE UPON.
I'M A SELF-MADE MAN, I AM."
_Bookmaker._ "WELL, I WOULDN'T TALK SO LOUD ABOUT IT. IT'S A NASTY BIT O'
WORK."]
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