A MAID IN MAYFAIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 83, 8 April 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MAID IN MAYFAIR

SOCIETY STORIES.

NEW FORM OF ENTERTAINING.

(From Our London I/ady Correspondent.

We are reputed a nation of gastronomies barbarians •with whom the sophisticated art of cookery languishes most brutally. Yet of the National Portrait Gallery's 23 new portraits, now on special exhibition, Mrs. Isabella Mary Beeton's unmistakably arouses most popular interest. The rest include Empire-builders, statesmen, patricians, artists, philanthropists, but it is Mrs. Beeton, of cookery book celebrity, whose plump figure and gentle face hold the crowd. She was perhaps the greatest Victorian lady of all. Born in 1836, her magnum opus was written when she was only 23, and six years later she died. From that fact, and her plumpness, one suspects she followed her own recipes too closely. Mrs. Beeton uses a terrible lot of butter. Her dishes are rich. Her famous "First catch your hare," the classic mot of culinary philosophy, is not he- s at all, but the inspiration of an earlier housewife who ateo compiled a cookery book. DEBRETT AND BACKCHAT. These society ladies, when they start writing reminiscences, do not spare each other. Margot, who says some piquant things about various well-known people in her latest book, herself comes under the literary harrow in Lady Angela Erskine's latest memoirs. At one time Angela ran a dress shop, and sold Margot the latest Paris models from her own workshop. Margot believes in wool next to the skin, and Lady Angela describes the sensation caused amongst the 6taflV when Margot came to be fitted,, by her woollen combinations. But Lady Angela's best story is about Mrs. Pat Campbell's war-time recitation. The famous actress had given anxious instructions to the limelight man. . But that worthy, instead of mauve and pink, turned on dead white. "My God," cried Mrs. Pat, "what do you think I am ? A Zeppelin?"

EGGS BY WEIGHT. High negotiations have for some time teen in progress between representatives of the egg trade and the Ministry of Agriculture. I hear that as a result of these discussions a satisfactory form of agreement is within eight, and will prohably be made public in a few days. Many minor and technical points are involved of little general interest, but one really epoch-making change is likely to be made. Eggs will in future, it is stated, be sold, not by number, but by weight. What precisely the practical results of this momentous change in marketing habits may be I am far too modest to guess, but it will certainly brighten up the dull domestic round when suburban housewives have to buy a pound of eggs. With characteristic feminine pessimism they seem to be quite sure eggs thus purchased will cost more.

HOT DOGS! The "thing to do" amongst the naval set in London just now is to go and have hot dogs and coffee at a particular coffec-6tall. The reason is that it is run by three naval officers who, under the new rules of the Service, find themselves retired at au age which would, have left the senior service aghast 20 years ago. Unable to obtain civil employment, they decided, to run a coffee-stall in the West End. lam glad to hear they are doing extremely well. By working in relays they keep open practically all night, and their friends are rallying round them. The amusing thing is that patrons come dashing up in cars or taxicabs and sometimes carry off one or more of the "coster" coffee sellers to a dance at one of the Bohemian night clubs. * CROWDED OUT. Motorists, as well as walkers are aggrieved by the latest fad of fashionable hostesses. It has lately become a habit with well-to-do ladies, when they wi6h to give a week-end house party, to look around for some really nice country inn, preferably old and quaint, and situated in attractive scenery that affords ample facilities for strolling .or riding. Having found their ideal inn, they proceed to book the entire place for an extended weekend in advance, and issue their invitations forthwith. This may be all very jolly from the fashionable guests' standpoint and quite good business from the innkeeper's, but it hits the casual wayfarer, whether on foot or awheel, pretty badly. I have heard of several cases this 'Christmas in which people who had relied on breaking a journey Rt some well-known hostelry found themselves "frozen out." In localities where good inns are few and far between, this may be quite a serious matter.

GOLDEN EGGS. The pretty attendant at a London fciosk, adjoining one of the biggest garages in the West End, was rather embarrassed. last week by a Christmas present she received. A facetious medical student turned up and gravciy presented her with a live goose. She simply did not know what to do with J t- Someone suggested she should raffle it, and raffle it she did. Her customers took up tlie idea with alacrity, many of them insisting on taking not one but several tickets. And *l>en the draw was made she netted a round sum of £6. That is not the end of the pretty story. The goose 'tsclf was reprieved. It would have been too unromantic to slaughter it for the table. It was sent back to _ a Poultry farm to lord it amongst its fellows as the goose that laid the golden eggs. WOMEN ON THE TURF. Although racing is going through a rery thin time, more and more women are taking up the sport. Many "bookies" confess that they only attend mcetmgs in order to keep their connections together. Lady Yule,, widow of the great Indian merchant, is one of those who is proposing to take a bigger Interest in the sport. Hitherto she has maintained a more cr less modest stud n ear St. Albans, but she recently acquired the Newmarket training establishment, Ballaton Lodge, where the accommodation is on a much larger Kale. Lady Yule made some big purchases at the Newmarket sales, and if money talks, as all racing people aver, »ha should figure prominently in some ?f onr future -classics.

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