A Maid Looks At Mayfair

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 220, 17 September 1938, Page 5 (Supplement)

A Maid Looks At Mayfair

LONDON, BOND STREET and all the street* around about are full these days of women seeking bargains, and of camera men seeking to sell miniature "news reels" in which - the shoppers figure. Maybe the disappointing summer is the reason for the bargains found within the exclusive portals of famous establishments. In any case, the bargains sire there, and women are making haste to snap them up. And when they emerge from the shops *nd walk down the street, likely as not they pass a man who politely hands them a slip to the effect that they have been "snapped" in a moving picture and can have prints at such and such a time. It is surprising to notice how many of them fall for the idea of seeing themselves as others see them, walking along London's most fashionable street, smiling with satisfaction over successful shopping, and possibly carrying a parcel or two. Some of the snapshot etrips are quite good, and the idea of the men invading the London streets has evidently been borrowed from those who do profitable taurines* on the promenades of popular seaside resorts. Derby ami Joan Lord Fassfield, the distinguished writer on economics, erstwhile Colonial Secretary and president of the Board of Trade, was 79 last week. His acceptance of a peerage in 1929 was an act of political martyrdom necessitated by Ramsay Mac Donald's determination to strengthen his tiny band of Labour peers. Tlje necessity was distasteful to the ennobled professor and his wife. The latter caused it to be known that she would continue to be Mrs. Sidney Webb, while the recipient himself has deliberately refrained from taking out arms, or doing anything else to embellish the pages of Burke. The literary partnership of "Sidney and Beatrice Webb" has more recently produced a monumental work on Soviet Russia, written in a vein of appreciation which is distinctly novel. His lordship was the founder of the London School of Economies, and for 18 years he was m member of the London County Council. London sees but little of Lord and Lady Passfield in these davs; but not so long ago I saw them in "the Embankment Gardens presenting the pleasing picture of a very devoted couple, sharing an umbrella in common. OMcers' Families The "Ofia" —Officers' Families Industries—still carries on the excellent work, started in 1919, to help the families of officers of the three forces who fell in and still are —urgently in need of remunerative work to do "th'irown homes. Since the inauguration of Ofia, which to under tie patronage of tfci

Special Correspondent. Princess Royal, over £22,000 has l>een paid to the workers, who are supplied with all materials and have no out of poeket expenses whatever. The president, Mrs. Remington Robert, and the vice-presidents, the Countess of Dartmouth, and Major Wilson, of the Officers' Association, are asking hostesses, especially those with country houses, to organise sales of the work which, considering its quality and originality, is extremely reasonable in price. Other patrons of the movement include the Duchess of Northumberland, the Marchioness of Londonderry, the Marchioness of Linlithgow, who has several times arranged successful sales of work, and Lady May Abel Smith, who has also been hostess at parties helping "Ofia." The Marchioness of Downshirp, Lady Somers, Countess Bathurst and many others have jriven similar practical proof of their concern.

Clue Ensemble In the compartment in which 1 travelled up to town recently was a Bright Young Thing. Her chic up-to-date ensemble was so remarkable that 1 could not refrain from studying her over the top of my daily paper. She was, I suppose, about 22. With jet black hair, •pale complexion accentuated by scarlet lipstick and French-poodled eyebrows, she looked rather like a modernistic study at the Paris Salon. She wore black gloves, bronze stockings and black shoes of the semi-sandal variety, -with just the point of the big toe showing in front. Her hat was a large black one, shaped like a Mexican caballero's, and her costume, beneath a black waieted coat, was of some dove-grey Japanese fabric thickly ornamented with vividlycoloured designs of trees, mandarins, dogs and whatnot, rather like a nursery wallpaper. As the train slowed down into Charing Cross, she produced the Inevitable handmirror and studied makeup effects. From her expression of serene content, I could sec she liked it. Without dissenting. I cogitated how whimsically what G.B.S. calls "the Life Force" masquerades in our day. Fashions on the Courts Wimbledon has brought some interesting fashion notes to the courts. Most people think Mrs. Helen Wills Moody's ensemble the most attractive. She must possess at least a dozen short pleated skirts and sleeveless waistcoat "tops," for she appears every day in a similar fresh outfit. The colours Of her wool cardigans vary, but she seems keenest on rose and pale yellow. Helen is not always "poker face" when playing with Borotra in the mixed doubles. She smiles, even laughs, occasionally—but then no one ever could resist the Wimbledon idol. Mrs. Fabyan—Sarah Palfrey that was—wears the shortest "shorts dress." It is scarcely longer than a swim suit. She looks about seventeen when she literally dances about the court, her long curly "bob" kept in order under a white peaked cap. One of the quaintest little figures is—or rather was, for she is out of the singles and the mixed doubles—Miss G. C. Hoahing. the tiny Chinese girl who looks hardly bigger than her racquet. She wears a little white frock like a schoolgirl's. Madame Mathieu's dress is but little shorter than ordinary walking length, and her partner in the women's doubles. Miss A. M. Yorke, prefers a plain shirt blouse to which is buttoned a knee-length skirt. Flat Dwellers' A.RJ. Landlords of the "City of Flats" in Central London are certainly co-operat-ing with the Government in their A.R.P. efforts. Tucked coyly into the envelope containing the gentle reminder about a quarters rent in advance is a letter to the effect that the management implore individuals to volunteer, for one of several duties "mentioned on the enclosed leaflet." Tenants are also advised to attend special courses of training during July and August, either afternoon «r evening, listen to lectures and go to

hear talks. Tt is pointed out, too, that the landlords have a specimen gas-proof room available for tenants' inspection, with airy indifference to the fact that a gas-proof room, however keen the tenant may be to have one, is scarcely feasible in a flat containing one sitting room, two bedrooms, bathroom and kitchenette. Victoria's God-daughter Mies Victoria Drummond, who addressed the conference of the Women's Electrical Association in Glasgow is one of Queen Victoria's god-daughters. She

has had a most interesting career, being the only qualified woman marine engineer—she holds the Board of Trade having served all over the world on various ships as an engineer officer in the' Royal Mercantile Marine. Aboard she takes full watches and responsibilities in exactly the same way as other officers. Mise Drummond is very athletic, an expert swimmer, but aa fond of study as of sport. Her friends know that no job is too hard for her to tackle, and tackle efficiently. She comes from a very old family intimately associated with the Army and the Navy, and is a daughter of the Hon. Mrs. and the late Captain Drummond of tW Grenadier Guards. Her home is in krthshire, but . she spends most of her tun* in London when not with the Ekntgfc j