A MAID IN MAY FAIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 213, 9 September 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MAID IN MAY FAIR

ACADEMY SENSATION.

A ROYAL GOLFER,

(From Our London Lady Correspondent.)

Tvro striking figures -were seen amongst the diplomatic circle at last peek's Royal Court. M. Gripenberg, ff jiois Charge d'Affaires a,t.the Finnish Embassy, is a giant of six-foot four, gnd l>7 far tl,O taHcst diplomat in london. His wife, Mine. Gripenberg, j s a beautiful English lady, also tall, ff jth dark hair and blue eyes. Apart from her impressive good looks, accentuated by sound taste in dress, Muic. Gripenberg has a remarkable war record! Sot only does she hold our British war medals, but, for her distinguished work , s an ambulance driver at the front, die liaabeeu decorated with the Belgian Croix dc Guerre, the French Legion of Honour, <hc Chevalier Leopold 11., and the lioyal Order of Queen Elizabeth. War ribbons can hardly be worn with a Court gown, otherwise Mme. Gripenberg might vie with some of our beribboncd generals.

SAFE FOR MOTHERS. It will be interesting to see if London follows Paris in the- matter of night clubs. At the "best places" in Paris the exotic atmosphere is now discour-. aged. In place of all that our neighbours are now seeking to set up establishments where mothers can take, their daughters or, more important still, where daughters can take their mothers. The home atmosphere is emphasised as much as possible. Wβ have nothing of the same sort in London, though truth compels the admission that our night clubs are woefully dull. Dancing goes en into the small hours of the morning, but you got tlio impression that tlTe members of the orchestra-are tlio only people who are really enjoying themselves. The dancers reflect the last jrord in languor and boredom.

, "OH, YOU LADIES!" What a very human person the London policeman is. Two ladies, who were shopping recently, • gave me their experience. They drove up in their car to the side entrance of one of the big London stores, and looked round for a convenient parking place. Noticing a friendly policeman, they asked him if they could leave tho car outside for ten minutes. "Oh, you ladies!" he ejaculated. "I know these ten minutes! If once you get inside that shop you'll be there for an hour." They pleaded with him that they would not be away at the most for more than twenty minutes. "Well, it will be all right if you are not more than half an hour," eaid the policeman. So they went off to do their shopping, forgot all about the car, and emerged an hour later. They found the policeman still there. "I told you it would be an hour, ,, he en id, with a broad grin. He was so triumphant at his forecast being correct that lie held open the door and ushered them into the car.

MARBLE HALLS. Another famous patrician mansion in London's West End is to vanish, and its place taken by blocks of new luxury flats. This is Brook House, originally the town house of Lord Tweedmouth, bought from that nobleman by the late Sir Ernest Casscl, and by him bequeathed to Lady Louis Mountbatten. It has been in the market since 1931, but these days'purchasers arc hard to find for stately homes of London. A banking firm has now stepped in, and demolition will speedily ensue to Brook House. Hundreds of tons of magnificent Tuscan marble were imported to give cold dignity to its hall, central staircase, and fine galleries. Presumably all these will now be disposed of, and lots of other valuable debris besides. The only marble that is safe these days is the cemetery variety, and only that so long as r.o street-widening or town-planning schemes fail to invade its silent solitude.

' NOVEL HOSPITAL.

In the appropriate neighbourhood of Fleet Street ■■Wβ are sooa to have London's first fruitarian hospital. For some reason not easy to fathom, knowing what journalistic habits are, Fleet Street has more fruit shops per hundred yards than any other thoroughfare in London. Maybe "Tay Pay" was right, and dyspepsia is the journalistic complaint. Dr. Josiah Oldfield, the famous dietitian, will be in charge of this new venture, and the entire staff will consist of either vegetarians or fruitarians. But the hospital is not to be exclusively or specially for non-meat eaters. It will give advice and treatment for all manner of patients, based on vegetarian or fruitarian lines. Dr. Oldfield took to vegetarianism when lie was still a student at Oxford, and his belief is unshakable that everybody should take their vitamins direct from Xature herself.

PETER PAWS SON. The son born to the Hon. Mrs. Peter lilewelyii Davies comes as % reminder that Peter Pan has really grown up at last. For the father of the small infant is one of the several nephews of Sir Gerald du Maurier, who, when they were left orphaned by the early death of their father and mother, were virtually adopted by Sir James Barrie. He was their frequent companion when they Played by the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens, and the children are always supposed to have inspired the writing' of "Peter Pan." If that is so, then Mr. ■Peter Llewelyn Davies is presumably the original of the hero himself. His wife, of course, is one of the famous Kuthven twins, and at their wedding in the Savoy Chapel, Sir James Barrie was an honoured guest.

PRINCE AT GOLF. Surprise is expressed that the Prince °f Wales put no ban on the Press photographers when he played in the fust two jounds of the Parliamentary. Last J'ear he was very chary of being "snapped." and the most he would promise the photographers was that they should work their wicked will upon him if he should succeed in winning the handicap. Aβ a matter of fact, he got 110 further than the semi-final, and the photographers were disappointed. But on the opening day of the Parliamentary ] t is the custom to allow photographers to move about more freely amongst the Payers, and the Prince of Wales could hardly claim special privileges for himself. I notice, by the way,, that the •Prince has abandoned his beret on the golf links. If the day is reasonably fine he prefers to play hatless, with the Jesuit that he looks as bronzed now as " ie had just returned from a cruise in Jhe Southern Seas.