A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

NEW FORM OF TOUR.

THE PRINCE AS JESTER.

(From Our London Lady Correspondent.) A position of some little delicacy has arisen in connection with the forthcoming wedding of Prince Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Princess Sybil of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha at Coburg. In ordinary circumstances, the Prince of "Wales would have attended the ceremony; but the occasion will bring together a great muster of German notabilities, including probably the ex-Crown Prince and Herr Hitler. It would be difficult, in those circumstances, for. the Prince of Wales to attend. The situation is well understood in official circles in Stockholm. ■ It might, however, appear rather pointed for the English Royal family to hold itself entirely aloof. This, I believe, is the explanation of the special visit which the Prince of Wales is paying to Sweden to congratulate the Royal pair when he gets back from Biarritz—a visit in no way connected with the' journey he will also undertake in order to visit the great British Exhibition at Copenhagen. SONG OF A SHIRT. Where the Prince of Wales leads masculine fashion almost invariably follows. Upon occasion, however, it may be suspected that His Royal Highness indulges in a "leg pull." That, at any rate, appears to have been the case when some little time ago he wore that scarlet shirt that so much startled and intrigued the residents at Cannes. The Royal order for that shirt, I am told, led a number of leading West End gentlemen's outfitters to supply themselves with stocks of the bright-coloured material against the possibility of a sudden boom in red shirts. In this instance it would seem that our jeunesse doree did not rise to the bait. They took the Prince to be joking, and the red shirts have become white elephants to the haberdashers. WEDDING IN THE ABBEY. Westminster Abbey affords a perfect setting for a wedding, and no more charming picture could be imagined than thrpresented when the bridal procession of Miss Joyce Taynton passed through the cloisters. The green lawn beyond the iron railings was bathed in brilliant sunshine, and the whole scene was one of surpassing beauty. The bridegroom was Canon Storr's son, for the only weddings celebrated in the Abbey are those of people related to officials connected with the Abbey. Canon Storr's daughter was married there three or four years ago, and so also were the daughters of Canon Carnegie. There was a fear that a different venue would have to be found for the ceremony because the roof of the Henry VII. Chapel is in need of repair. A heavy piece of masonry recently broke away and fell to the ground, but, happily, there is no occasion to fear any extension of the trouble. DINNERS AT THE HOUSE. The House of Commons may have justified at one time its boast of being' the best club in London. But it doesn't do so to-day, and ladies invited to dine there are apt to exclaim at the appalling dullness of the place—unless they happen to be keenly interested in politics. This perhaps explains the enterprise of a restaurant in Trafalgar Square which has had division bells installed so that M.P.'s who dine out may know what is going on at the House. But Trafalgar Square is a quarter of a mile from St. Stephens, and it will be "some hustle" even in a fast car to get down to the House in the three minutes' grace that is allowed before the doors are closed. Dining out under such conditions will hardly be an unalloyed joy. OCEAN TOURS. Another big contingent of holidaymakers went off from London recently to join one or other of the ocean tours which have proved so extraordinarily popular this season. Many people who ordinarily go to the Riviera have abandoned'their old playgrounds in favour of sea trips on these luxury liners, and there is no doubt that the shipping companies have discovered in this traffic a new and permanent source of revenue at a time when it was very badly needed. The tours will continue all through September and October, but, curiously enough, there is a gap in November— the month of fogs—when many, I should have thought, would havo welcomed the chance to get away to more sunny climes. But elaborate arrangements aire being made for Christmas. Even the mere week-ender will be able to eat his Christmas dinner in Spain, take a peep at North Africa, and be back in town for business on Tuesday, December 27. WOMEN AND INSURANCE. An insurance agent was telling me to-day that there is a growing tendency amongst women, and especially business women, to take advantage of insurance policies. His explanation was interesting. Many girls nowadays have become if not the main at least one of the principal supports of their family. Tliey realise, therefore, that if anything happened to them the loss of the money they take home every week might be seriously felt at home. Women, too, in this matter, are proving more imitative than men. This agent had noticcd how frequently one girl would come along from a big office for a policy and would be followed by several of her colleagues a few days "later. He expressed doubt, however, whether companies would ever find it worth while to appoint women canvassers in large numbers to obtain this class of insurance business, although it has been done in New Zealand. A LONE TRAIL. The Ladies' Golf Union is doing splendid work in encouraging women to play golf in every part of the world. But some disappointment is expressed that no arrangements have been made to send a representative team to America this autumn to compete in the United States championship. Miss Enid Wilson will make a fresh bid for the title, but she goes, of course, unofficially, and neither Miss Wanda Morgan, Miss Diana . Fishwick, Miss Molly Gourlay, nor any Other of our leading women players will accompany her Happily, Miss Wilson lias many friends on the other side who will welcome her coming. But, though she is probably the strongest representa- > tive wa could send—barring, of course, Miss Joyce Wetliered—her chances are not improved when she is the sole British competitor. All the limelight will be concentrated on her from the moment 4 ,Slhat she steps on. to the first tee.