A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

Auckland Star, 2 September 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

FIGHTING ADVERSITY. A FAMOUS BEAUTY. (From Our London Lady Correspondent.) Not everybody knows that wo have one woman prison governor. This lady is Mies Lilian Barker, and she is in charge of Aylesbury gaol. •She is an exschool teacher, and at one time had charge, under tho L.C.C., of Bell Street bchool m Marylebonc. She wore short Jiair, almost to tho Eton crop deree, yeara before it became fashionable. "One of Miss Barker's great assets, alike in iier school teaching days and now, is a really_ strong sense of humour, a quality in which women do not often excel, and one in which so many well-known advanced" feminists are usually lacking. Yet there is nothing like a ready and ironical sense of ridicule to hold cither school girls or crown women in disciplined control. There aro many school boys who dread a master's tongue far more than they do his cane. DOWN—NOT OUT! The tragedy of tho youngster with a natural gift for music and no training for .-anything elso is intensified these days. Super-organs at cinemas, supermusicians from America and elsewhere at restaurants ami dance clubs liavo almost defeated hini. But I know two young men who refuse to admit complete failure. I met them first standing in the gutter, shabby and down-at-heel, but well brushed and groomed. One had a piano on a truck, the other had a violin. They were born musicians. They played syncopated dance tunes like redhot jazz fiends, then toned down to exquisite classics like Queen's Hall stars. A notice on tho piano said they would j go anywhere and play anything, if some- I body would give them a chance. Next time. I met them was at a studio dance in Chelsea. The host wanted music, happened across the two youngsters, brought them along and set them to play for his gucste. Everyone was eo charmed with their music and their decent manners, that I fancy several more engagements will follow.

ADVENTUROUS TRIP. Passing along the Strand last Thursday I saw a slip of a girl -who seemed quite unconcerned by the general notice fche wns attracting. She was. wearing light grey trousers, blue sliirt open at the neck and a rakish grey sombrero. Her arms, bare to the elbow, were tanned to the colour of ebony. At her heels trotted a cliow. The fact that she stopped onco or twice to inquire the way showed she was a stranger to London. Tn point of fart, she was little Fraulein Fridel Meyer, the Bavarian girl, who has como over hero intent on setting up a new long-distance eea record. She started off from London last Friday on an attempt to paddle round Great Britain in a canoe, and so boat tho record at present held by a German. Her chow accompanies her on the trip, and everyone will wish tho little lady well in her somewhat perilous journey in a little cockle-shell of a boat. MORE MEMOIRS. Hiss Lillah McCarthy, famed in her heyday as one of the most beautiful as well as tho most accomplished of British actresses, is about to publish a volume of reminiscences. As sho was in the thick of the theatrical swim in London for nearly a quarter of a century and played many important parts in various big productions, she should have interesting things to tell us about the leading personalities and movements of the stago arena over a not uneventful period. In private life "off" Miss McCarthy is Lady Keeble, wife of Sir Frederick Keeblc, the well-known professor of botany and agriculture. Sir Frederick and Lady Keeble are now on a trip to South America, where tho professor is undertaking a lecturing tour in the Argentine. Lady Keeble was formerly Mrs, Granvillo Barker. One of her big roles was in the ambitious Covent Garden production of "Oedipus Bex."

PRINCE AS GOLFER. When the Prince of Wales accepts the captaincy of a. golf club he always takes his duties quite seriously. He does not regard it as merely a complimentary affair; ho makes a point of attending the annual dinners and playing frequently over tho club course. Just now he i« sampling the Worplesdon Club, of which lie has just become captain in succession to a long line of distinguished golfing predecessors, which include the names of Lord Balfour and many golfing notabilities. The Prince likes the course, •which is not surprising, seeing that it is ono of tho finest in the whole of Surrey. The charming clubhouse has a ivide, open verandah, where you can sit out and watch the play to the fourth hole. One hole, the twelfth, is regarded by E. H. Wethered as the finest golfing holo in the world. TURTLE-OIL BEAUTY. Turtles seem to be in for a bad time! As well as providing soup for the aldermen's pleasure, they now have to produce oil for the debutante's beauty. Women in New York have already goneover to turtle-oil beauty treatments, I Jiear, and those in London look like following suit. Jt is claimed that creams compounded from turtle-oils nourish, heal and beautify tho human skin, just as the oil itself niakes bright and smooth the shells of tho turtles. But the creatures have good long lives ere they are made victims to the craze for beauty. They must be over 100 years old before it is -worth while to buy them with the idea of making profit from the oil. > YOUNG ENOUGH AT EIGHTY. West End stage, folk arc still talking about the pluck of Miss Violet Mclnotte, ' the former actress, who, at. tho age of 80, feels still young enough to embark on tho hazardous seas of theatrical management. She has resumed in 193." ; control of the. Duke of York's Theatre, | which she built in 1892. it was origin- ' ally christened by another name, but had rather bad luck, and. with the permission of our present King, was given the title he then bore. The change of iiamo changed the luck, and it was a ; going concern when Miss Melnotte sold it five years ago. . Miss Melnotte can make one boast that is impressive to- ;. day. Tt was she who "discovered" Noel ( Coward.

SIXPENNY LUNCHES. j An enterprising London firm lias ]iit upon the ingenious idea of supplying eixpennv lunches, which are delivered at your office all neatly packed in cartons, and providing a pleasing variety of light dishes. A weekly menu is issued, and you can either order your lunch for a clay 01- for every day of the week. You "enerally start off with a substantial sandwich or ham roll, followed by a salad sandwich, cakes or biscuits, together with an apple, or something else in the way of dessert. How it is done for the modest sum of sixpence passes comprehension. J