Abroad

For Those With

Slim Purses

LTHOUGH the elderly still dom . inate the scene In the high ced tourist resorts of the world, 3 of the phenomena of the >t-war era is the number of young )ple who travel to Europe from ; British Dominions. And, as part that phenomena, in a sort of )-group all on its own, is an ex ordinary organisation called the erseas Visitors’ Club.

Phis organisation is one of the ,1 success stories of the age and i full account would fill a book, re we can give only the barest ;line. As with all success stories, nion tends to be either very pro- C, or very anti. Another organ tion with a vaguely similar name > gone on record as deeply re tting the fact. Some staid and )urban souls may feel that such ge groups of young people as the C encourages, makes for Bohemi >; others have said that the anisers “must have made a ;ket”. Still others that, as it was rted by South Africans, it must shot through with colour pre- Lice. )n the other hand, OVC has lething like 50,000 satisfied mem s, about one-third of whom, in ent years, have been in the over age groups. (Australia’s • long vice leave requirements of three nths for 20 years’ work is one son for this).

"he OVC developed in London of the post-war urge of youth travel and the difficulties of find modest-priced accommodation

in war-torn London.

In the early 1950’5, two young South Africans, Max and Monica Wilson, went to London, experienced all the usual troubles, but finally found a flat. To it came other young Dominion friends, seeking help in obtaining accommodation that suited their purses, for advice and just for companionship. From this came the idea of providing all these things for more people and making it pay for itself.

On borrowed capital, a typical London house, in a row of similar houses, was bought at 3 Templeton Place, a street paralleling Earl’s Court Road. In 1955, the Overseas Visitors’ Club, as such, was founded, and today the organisation has over 20 buildings, mostly in the Kensington-Earl’s Court area, with some in the West End.

In these buildings they provide temporary accommodation to suit all pockets, from a modest 12/6 per night for bed and breakfast with a shared room in a building without a lift; to £2 per night in a West End Hotel in a single room with private bath. In between is the “Courtfield Branch”, created specially for the over-40 group, where rooms with bath cost something like 27/6 single and less if shared; and rooms with out considerably less.

This branch has its own Club Centre with restaurant, cocktail and TV lounges, and in all over 500 members can be accommodated in the Courtfield Branch.

The Club guarantees three weeks temporary accommodation in these grades, after that members are in a position to judge what they need on a more permanent basis.

The OVC has in the “permanent field” about 500 bed-sitting rooms in the Earl’s Court vicinity. These range in price from 30/- to 45/- per week, sharing; and from 47/6 to 65/- single. Residents can cook for themselves in modern communal kitchens. The Club also has Out side Accommodation Officers who will arrange alternative accommo dation if required.

A limited number of self-con tained flats are available for periods of six months or longer, and the Club is developing a scheme to pro vide more. Each flat accommodates about four and costs from £lO to £l2/12/- per week. Each is equipped with wall-to-wall carpeting, refrig erator, TV, telephone, crockery, linen, blankets, etc.

Apart from the Courtfield Branch Club Centre and restaurant, there is a big general Club, where there is nightly dancing and entertain ment, TV and cocktail lounges, reading and writing rooms, Sunday films, and a beer garden.

The Club is not a travel agency but because of the numbers it com mands it is able to arrange con cession rates on European tours.

It charters whole liners from South Africa for its members and

on the Australian run it takes block bookings of two-thirds of the accommodation on the 25,000 tons Greek vessel Patris. The Patris makes six voyages a year between Australian ports and Athens, and fares range from £ABO (in six-berth cabin) to £A2IO (for two-berth cabin) on the off-season; and £B5 to £225 for March, May, July sail ings from Sydney.

The fares include two days in Athens and rail travel from Athens to London and a week’s accom modation at the OVC there. For an extra £25, the journey from Athens to London can be done as an eight day coach tour.

A club representative meets every ship arriving at Tilbury or South ampton with 10 or more members on board and takes them by coach to London. The Club has facilities for car hire, baggage storage, medical attention and finding em ployment.

New This Year Its new services for 1961 will in clude a residential club in Paris and another in Edinburgh. A children’s wing at one of the London estab lishments where children may be left in skilled care for anything from an hour to two weeks.

A residential branch of the Club is being built in a Johannesburg suburb which will consist of 10(> self-contained bachelor fiatets. A residential club was established in Toronto, Canada, in 1959 where members can be accommodated for from $7 to $lO per week; it also has its out-of-town mountain resort.

The OVC is best known of all in South Africa and Rhodesia; about 40% of membership comes from those countries. Another 40% comes from Australia; and the remainder from Canada and New Zealand.

Membership is restricted to those who have South African, Rhodesian, New Zealand, Australian or Canadian passports. This automatically takes care of the racial question—i.e., NZ Maoris or any Australian citizen, no matter what his racial descent, are accepted.

There is a branch of the OVC in Auckland and Wellington, NZ; and one each in all Australian State capitals except Hobart. Head quarters in London are: Overseas Visitors’ Club, 180 Earl’s Court Road, London, SWS.

Intending members are advised, to join before leaving home and for Island folks, Sydney is as good a place as any. The address is Suite 216, 35 Pitt Street, Sydney (near the Quay). Literature is supplied on request.

Entrance fee, which includes the £Stg.l/l/- annual subscription, is £AIO/10/- for a single person and £AIS/15/- for married couples if they will arrive in UK between Jan uary 1 and June 30; and £A9/17/and £l4/9/- respectively if arrival is between July 1 and December 3L