A Maid Looks At Mayfair

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

A Maid Looks At Mayfair

Special Correspondent

Hampton court palace . mast have been crowd«d witit illustrious ghosts* as well as Sir Ptiilrp Sassoon's two tfiousanci quests, at tile centenary garden party. The centenary, by die way, lis of Queen Victoria's formal opening; of tfie place to tiie pafe Kelt, dates back architecturally to Cardinal WoLspy and Henry VTH. Emxnmer»He king* and quee a* ■ ami 1 princes as well its a host of famous : I ttttures in. Mstory have known the hand- ; i soar* red-brick pile., and many romantic i episodes occurred wichin. its wall* and \ stately gardens.. Crumrweli was exceed- j | ingiy ffomi of Bite place, and, according ;to tlto somewhat prejudiced testimony at TCteajfoe, us«< to go dium there- so ! Jfrrm> with his Army officers. On these occasions the- Lord Protector. so this ; witness declares. vmald perform "the jstrangest aatacs," throwing cushions at II has guests and patting li vs cc*& nt I [ tStefir packet* and Soots, Ott one occa- [ | sioH, vME» riding through Harrrmer- [! »init&fs narrow- streets on has way to ! | Sfcingßwe' Caart, GrontwoET narrowly t i escaped assassination. Charlies JL was I held captive at Hampton, but escaped. [ H* son,, undeterred by these tragic [; memories, spent gay nights there-with |: feat Court beauties. ['Tie Qmck*s Wmnhmbe E ; Tittr Queen. like- Queen Stary stlier II members of thy Soyal Familv. almost f) invariably "buys. British.' r when ehooaj j mg, items far her wardrobe, and earlier [ : n* tie year she gave a tremendous im- | j pat us to the- British cotton nidus-try by I! her patronage. The suits and gownt the | | Queen wiH wear throughout her stay in | i France have- been created for her by the | j younst British; designer who was eom- [' missioned to make the- dresses the I i Bach—a of Gloucester and tiie trainII bearer* wore at the- Coronation. He was I! commanded, together wrth variomi fitters i and dressmakers, to be En attendance |j during- tie- visit. and he stayed in Paris j I from Monday onwards. The Qrteen. has. I ! at worse, been wearing black since her E j bereavement, and everyone remarked t ;h»w well it suited I 'r at the presentsI j tfiwt party. For the Paris trip she | j included a number of white ensembles | j enc her wardrobe, fee-ling- that 'unrelieved | ! black would east a shadow over cite I jw-jweing*-I | Jtot Cmrt [ ! The new*, that the Duchess of I j GEoaewster has been, ordered a "rest ««re* wiH come as a surprise to. peoplfe 'fwtoi hav*. sees tor lately carrying out *itor notmeroiw. engagemeitl*. She cerJ; t*£a£y Deeked a KttDe tired when: I saw

her. but waa cpzte and bar smil» wMcfii m rapidly becomiiig as manoas as the- Queens own, was re«dy as The report that she and the Duke intend to take a hoEuiay in Kenya is not s® because she has loved, she place ever since she stayed with, her uncle. Lord Francis- Scott, on his estate oat there-. While staying with. him. she noc only made partares of the wiM life around, bat took practical interest in the gardens. Looking at the beds and borders around her home in London. York House, it as easy to believe that Sowers are one at her hobbies. If she does- go- to Kenya, she will have a warm welcome, for me made herself immensely popular with, everyone, rtoc excepting she natives whom she tended when sick in her capacity of V.A.D. ffkMMae London's baHiato mines, to use- tie current jargon,, are feting: Michael Fokine. ereator oc the Bns«jian balDrt as we know it to-day, "wriw haa just arriverl tore to witness the premiere of "CendriHon*' for the chnreogratphy of which: he » responsSßle. TMs remairkabie man has been associated witir ballet for nearly 3ffi years, for he joined the Imperial Russian BaHet Sc&ool as a boy pupiL In IfJOij,. with, his first c&oreograpbar experiments, he broke away from the purely classical traditionof the aged Fetipa. which had reached a staae of con ventiifmality when fresit impetus was needed. Sonne of bis earliest creation*, such; as "Les Sylpfeides* and "CarnfvaE,* are among the most popu-

1 j lar work* m- : repertoire. Fokiae !* Eked by the younger generation of | baHec artitea becatise. unlike some of j his contemporaries, he has always been j witting to collaborate with, younger bat I nevertheless creative mat C3ne of the i most pleasant sigkns that tnodern. ; theatre- rehearsal has to- offer is that jof this immense teSow seated in the : empty stoHs, benevolently dictating to j dancers. Sometimes he joins them, ta 1 demonscrate a stepv & is one of the ; first to- admit London's rivalry for ! European Leadership of the ballet. fi mmtifmi Bride 3Eas -Jeanne Stourton made a tovely I ufctiire when she married the Hon. Sheri man Stonor, son and heir of Lord and ! Lady Camovs, as Brmnpton Oratory, j ffor jown.. the 3ecret or which, had been j tnrtS it arrived at her home in the S momiirg, was, made at pearl-coloured ; satis and tnfle, lavishly embroidered i witit pearls and diamante. Her headdress and train were lace, she head- : dress caught down at either side 1 with j a cluster of orange blossom, and her = bouquet was composed of mixed white j Sowers. The long- tuHe veiL worn over Iber face when she arrived at tbe Ora- ; tory, was completely en-vefoping. A long retinae of attendants followed the 1 bride, armrmx them five- little girls and three small boys.. The seven grown-up maids were dressed fir rose-pink; frrHskirted frocks. Viecouirtt Southwell jato his niece away, and after the ceremony the bride's mother, .the K"n. Mrs. Herbert Stoitrton, held a reception a 4 Startlhope Gata.

Marie Antoinette's Pearls aun -he Dut dress of Northumberland went to Paris La attendance upon the Queen. she nook with her % wonderful rope of pearis belonging so tie Percy family in which. French; people were- more siiaa. a. little interested.. For this rope- belonged at one time to tile ill-Sated Marie .Antoinette. The Duchess is very pro mi of her beautiful heirloom, and wears tiie pear is. which. are exquisitely lovely. a great deal. In. Suit, she is rarely «ei without them. and j -.key have been, particularly conspicuous -i Til ing site black dresses ihe has been wesj-ing on. official occasions and when she h>»«* been in. attendance upon the Queen. The Duehess went to France with. Her Majesty in. her capacity as ilia-tress of the Robes. Royml Gmrieaer In is one of the regrets of Queen. Elisabeth, that siie has been kept so J busy since the Accession, that she ha* had! practically no time to re-plan the Royal gardens at Buckingham Palace. It is not generally known, that she * quita the most eatiinaiastic gardener hi , the. F-oyai Family— not even excepting | the Buka of Windsor. Ssa took up the I he&fey when she was quite a tiny caild, ! and. the,, head" gardener at Slaarfs Castle : ww. tor tc that sie iwfcFTß; all that he wm* »&fo to- tea-dt her about the secrets of the art. Queen; Elizabeth, will miss her old mentor the- next time she visits <>lamls, for hai has just recently retired. She has many'schiyne* in. contemplation for Buckingham Palace, and it is not improbable that the gardens at the other Royal residences may receive her attention La due course. Their conrmou gardening Latieresfis- ware always a srraat ; link between the Queen. an«£ her tirother- |. La-law when the former sovereign. ma.fo i alm(»t a fetish of his delightful grounds | at Fort Belvedere.

Rhododendron Red London's favourite colour rhig summer is undoubtedly rhododendron red. So where you will—into itayfair's smart along the shopping thorougiifaxes ia the West or through, the narrow streets of the city -where hundreds of girl cierk» and typisoa are am-pibyed-—and you wilt come across it everywhere. There may not be many hats and frocks of Et,. although it is a very suitable- trnrn for an ensemble, but it is the shade for all kinds of accessories. and accessories- to-day determine the popularity or otherwiHe of a colour. Rhododendron red began, its career by providing a new idea for tile sash, of a navy dress. Xow it is need for hat ribbon, handkerchief, hanifbax and shoes, -and it i» as effective wirh pale blue aj» wicli -iark. Strictly speaking, it » not red at aIL but th:i.t friendly merjim of wine colour with nurpie blue, which, results in one of the warmest of the autumn, shades.