A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 266, 9 November 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

GOSSIP FROM LONDON.

ROYAL HONEYMOON,

m out London L*dy Correspondent.) ( H understood that the Duke of 1 f r and his bride-to-be, Lady GIOUC I nt are not contemplating anyilice t h e way of a lengthy honey tbing in In this country, at leaet, the in 0 0"; . osen for the wedding is not **** o holiday making. MoreiiX° U \t Duke of Gloucester, who takes ° Ver, iLrY duties very seriously, is due MS Zee a course of 12 months' to c ? mm flt Camberler at the beginning training at . f the Royal couplo in the south of Europe, fee k »un=« i, one vinoon must neces- «*« somewhat" brief. Lady Alice sanly - ea id to be very keen on paying Scott i= »* Kenya €olon y, when a SCCO Jments at home permit of her ys eng Sand undertaking so long a future Th Duke of Gloucester is equally tour- ft* he has heard a great deal If*', : th e colony, not only from his 22.tatfrmn-theDukcandDucl.ee, « vnrk who still treasure recollections f the delightful time they spent there I few years., ago.

ENTHUSIASTIC HORSEWOMAN. When she settles on a home in London tJv Alice Scott, I hear, hopes to do a fdeSof riding in the Row. She has ■C been an enthusiastic horaeioman.and, like the Duke of Gfamceetir, The is never so happy in the winter as Sen she is in the hunting field. Like X Princess Royal, Lady Alice is numbered amongst the minority of society wnen who still ride side-saddle. An 'exceptionally fine rider, she has her own favourite mount, which she hopes to brin" south with her when she leaves Scotland. Riding appeals neither to the Ttachess of York nor to the Duchess of Kent but Lady Alice Scott is so keen on it that she has already persuaded the Duke of Gloucester to resume the huntin" stable he dispersed when he went oiThis trip to Australia. It remains to be seen whether, like the Princess Royal, ler fondness for horseflesh will take her to Newmarket as well. PAGES OF HONOUR. When pages of honour pass the prescribed age—sixteen —for duty in thai, office, and it becomes vacant, the King looks round among his friends and courtiers for successors. By reason of attaining the age limit Colin Mackenzie, son of Major Alexander Mackenzie, the King's Commissioner at Balmoral, has automatically retired from the office of page of honour, which he held in succession to the son of Lord Wigram, the King'? principal private secretary. The King's choice has fallen upon Lord Berschell, the son of the late Lor.l Herschell. who was a Lord in Waiting and an old friend of the Royal Family. Lord Herschell i 3 twelve years of age, and will he the junior of the pages. Although the King "appoints" the pages of honour, their duties more concern the Queen's entourage. They attend Her Majesty on all State occasions and carry the Royal train. The office carries a number of privileges but no salary, lord Hersehell's companions are Master Patrick Criehton, son of Sir George Criehton, Comptroller Lord Chaniber'ahr's Office; and Master George Hardinge, son of Major the Hon. Alex. Hardinge, assistant-private secretary to ths King.

SPEAKERS' CLUB. Women have been very active in founding the new Speakers' Club, which promises to carry on the traditions of the former Saturday Speech Club. Its chairman and founder is Miss Lucy Bell and a great many well-known women lave promised it their support. The object of the club is to enable all interested in the art of public speaking to practise and take part in debates and discussions on questions of the day. It is expected that when the activities of ■the club come to be generally known members will be invited to speak and lelp at Parliamentary elections and public meetings very much as members of the Eighty Club have done in the past. An attractive programme of debates has been arranged for the Tvinter, Miss Lena Ashwell speaking on 'Changes in the Theatre." while Mrs. Hilliard will give an account of "My ■Arctic Travels." Courses of instruction will be given when necessary to members who have had no experience ■whatever of public speaking, and one eubject set down for discussion in the aear future is the alluring one of how to make after-dinner speeches. WOMEN BRIDGE FANS. The two famous American bridge «perts, Gettlieb and Schenken, have "won their rubber match at the Dorebester with Morris and Tabbush, the English champions. There was not a great deal in it, the winners, at £5 a 100 points over Cll hands, being no more than £342 10/ up on their opponents, perhaps they had the better luck in the «eais, but most impartial onlookers are wsposed to regard the two Americans as probably the best pair in the world. « a public spectacle bridge matches must be written down a failure. Only * tew close-up spectators can really see enough of the play and the cards to get any thrill out of it. Personally I found » dreadfully boring even close up. But » is astonishing how eager the crowd "as, and nine-tenths were women. They j-nTt , the tyPi^ l bridge club genre, 7 took copious notes for future use. a. lamoua expert told me that nowadays «omen form an overwhelming majority ot bridge fiends. But he a]go said few Biei e have the ri S ht temperament to ton ,V, rst - elass exponents. They get o rattled in adversity. But no'doubt ae flas a card misogynist. TOY PARADE. *n,M°^ er what British nursery folk 2 d thlnk of the Committee of Toys, &nvl\ °^ anise( l in Moscow under the , r*l P ait of public instruction. From "■central depot small Russians may borW +° yS - at are not designed to amuse Jo S ,HM? Ct and educate. Happily, tL T eh J"ghbrow thoughts have inspired we London toymakers, who are already mjsteriously busy. They have excelled .™elves in inventive genius this y Q ar en^ aVe i ? rpduced svch miracles, as twin unrt4.v * run at different speeds 25, ™ e, , r own power, dolls that not of ; • , but sin o. and a new collection "animals that are life size and in some cases alarmingly lifelike. Appeals have tnvt g ? ne out for contributions of »ys lor the hospitals and every Sunday w™ ne - Or ° ther of the London churches Proces Slon3 of gel]erous children offer Orm • sures of their toy cupboards. rS S6ra , ° f the a PP eals that the SKSkSff the cWldren themselves