A MAID LOOKS AT MAYFAIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

A MAID LOOKS AT MAYFAIR

London THE fact that White Lodge, the pleasant though unpretentious Royal residence in Richmond Park, is in the market disposes of many rumours concerning its future. Being Crown land, it is not for sale, but it is understood that any incoming tenant would be granted a lease of some duration. The house itself is not readily visible to pedestrians or motorists, for in recent years the wall surrounding ground* hi« l»een heightened as a protection against public curiosity. It was at White Lodge that the present King wan born, and, though the house has no great claims to antiquity, it has one or two interesting historical associations. On a much-prized table in one room Lord Nelson traced with his finger his plan of attack, and the manner In which he' proposed to break the enemy's, line at Trafalgar. It was to White Lodge, too, that Jeanie Deans, as told in Scott's "Hearth of Midlothian," bent her confident yet trembling steps to plead the cause of her sister, Effie Deans, and to save her from the gallows. The kindly Duke of Argyll took Jeanie in his carriage to plead her sister's cause, which she did with such native eloquence that Queen Caroline's heart was touched especially when she learnt that Jeanie had walked all the way from Scotland to London. Royal Christmas Presents During the past few days a number of packages from Lerwick have arrived at Marlborough House —eloquent evidence that Queen Mary does not forget her old friends in the Shetland Islands and the more itwjlated northern areas of Scotland. For many years she has shown her interest by giving orders for woollen goods and hosiery to be passed on to the crofters and women in those , bleak parts of the country, where the work is welcome during the dreary months of the year. The goods are collected by a Lerwick firm and dispatched to London, whence they find their way into other homes at Christmas time. Queen Mary has a definite object in having the things delivered now, for the friends she repiembers at Christmas are scattered over the whole of the Empire, and it is necessary that some of the parcels should be sent off very soon. Kven such remote spots as Tristan da Cunha and the islands in the Pacific receive gifts from Marlborough House, and so Queen Mary forms a link between the northerners of Scotland and the southerners of the Pacific with her Christmas remembrances.

Special Correspondent Hell's Angels Late holiday-makers returning from the Continent experience more than the customary quota of thrills when they cross the Channel Women take great interest in the experience, for it them a wonderful impression of what war at sea. would really mean to any unprotected merchantman. Like greedy seagulls in search of prey, service aeroplanes sweep down on the Channel packets, and, flying so low as almost to skim the funnels, carry out an

impr >mptu rehearsal of the bombing or machine-gunning of the imaginary "enemy." The roar of the 'plane* as they rush by is so deafening that it renders conversation difficult even down below in the dining saloou. In actual warfare, of course, vessels of this, sort would lie convoyed across the Channel. Hut not all of them could be so shepherded across, and it is an interesting jwiint whether the time lnts not come once more when merchant vessels should be armed as they were when pirates roved the sea. One or two efficient antiaircraft guns would suffice at least to keep enemy planets at a more respectful distance.

r Week-end Cottage > There was a cocktail party in Mr. t Arundell Clarke's flat to examine arid J discus models and plans submitted by t six eminent architects for the ideal . week-end cottage. Mr. Clarke, an expert in modern domestic comfort, set himself ; to examine the problem of the liritishI er s week-end cottage in a thorough going ; manner. He invited six leading architects to submit their ideas of the perfect | cottage at a price round about £750— I and the winning effort came from the greatest of French modern architects, Le Corbusier, in collaboration with a young Englishman, Clive Entwistle. Mr. Arundell Clarke will give everyone an opportunity to see the Corbusier-Entw-istle ideal, for he is building a life size one at Olympia to be on view at the Women's Fair next month. The other five are also extremely interesting, and so he has had models made of them. The ideal cottage, everyone agrees, must be picturesque, rural, not too far from the owner's place of business, and it must be informal to allow of laziness on the grand scale. Cool in summer, warm in winter, free and friendly, blending architecturally with the landscape so that it doesn't obtrude itself, it should also provide a refuge for the family in the event of air attack. Ideal indeed! Queen of Egypt The "happy event" expected in Egypt calls to mind the impression the young Queen made upon an English girl who was at school with her in Alexandria. Next to the English girl in the schoolroom sat an Egyptian girl, and for four months the two shared one book during literature classes. The Egyptian was only 15 then, a friendly girl who spoke English much better than any of the others and, at first, acted as interpreter to her companion. Miss Rosemary Knight, a member of the Modern Girl Club, was the English pupil, and the present Queen of Egypt was her school friend. At that time Safinaz, as the Queen was called at school, used to go to the Palace on half-holidays to play tennis with the young King and his sisters. She had never travelled farther from home than Turkey, positively envied her friend when she went to dances, and even the cinema was a treat for her. She was desperately , anxious to visit England and France. When the Egyptian Royal family prepared to come to London for the coronation, with Safinaz's mother among those in attendance as lady-in-waitin". the Queen Mother at the last moment sent a telegram to say the girl was to jom the party. And so the romance developed, culminating in the marriage of Miss Knight's schoolgirl friend to the King of Egypt.