CURRENT NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25301, 29 September 1947, Page 2

CURRENT NOTES

Lady Addison, wife of the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, was for many years a free lance journalist in Fleet street, London, graduating from an advertising agency where she was engaged when she first went to work. She was born in London in 1896, and has lived in the city or its outskirts all her life. Her father was F. Percy Low, one of the pioneers of cycling, an early member and for many years president of the National Union and a cycling journalist of some note. Lady Addison is interested in the history of London, of which she has acquired considerable knowledge, but is now mainly concerned with rations and queues, for she does her own cooking and housekeeping. One of the speakers in the Dominion Day broadcast from Canada last week was Mrs Elsie McGillivray, daughter of Mr John Farrell, who for nearly 50 years has been connected with the firm of J. C. Williamson, Ltd. and its immediate predecessors. Mrs McGillivray, who trained as a nurse in New Zealand and Fiji, saw service during the war in the Pacific and in Singapore, which she left not long before it was occupied by the Japanese. She is now living in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Sixteen years ago, Mrs David Maider, of Dunedin, moved with sympathy for the leper population of the Pacific, arranged an afternoon tea concert at her home for the purpose of raising money for the leper appeal. She herself made all the arrangements and did the work for the party, which was such a success that she decided to hold concerts each year for the same object. As their popularity grew, she found it necessary to engage the .concert chamber. This year’s gathering, held last week, was attended by 500 persons, and was opened by the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr Cameron). Dr. R. A. Falla and Mrs Falla (Fendalton) were guests of honour at the monthly meeting of the Christchurch Cultural Society, on Saturday night. Mr H. C. Brent, who presided, expressed the society’s appreciation of the addresses given to its members by Dr. Falla during the ten and a half years he had been in Christchurch. Dr. Falla will leave at the encjl of October for Wellington to take up the position of director of the Dominion Museum there, and Mrs Falla and family will join him at the end of the school year in December. '

“Everyone here in Britain is amazed at the marvellous generosity of New Zealanders to friends over here, and your praises are sounded far and wide,’ write two elderly women in Britain to their relatives in Christchurch who recently sent food parcels to them. “It is remarkable that people are generally feeling more tired than they did during the war years,” the letter adds. “Then, everyone was keyed up tj concert pitch; now, too many people are feeling like bits of old elastic which have been overstretched for too long.” Expressing their thanks for the food in the parcel, they explained that the cheese was more than a month’s ration for one person, the jam was one month’s, the dripping equalled cooking fat for 24 weeks, and it would take five weeks’ food points to buy the remainder, all of which came strictly under the points system.

Mr Clarence Meachen has resigned from the position of secretary of the management committee in Wellington of the Otaki Children’s Health Camp after 15 years’ service. His successor as secretary will probably be announced this week. Mrs Margaret Crosbie will be in attendance all this week in Death’s Cosmetics Department, giving advice on “Contoure” Skin Preparations. Skin beauty—all may have it —is the foundation of true loveliness. Mrs Crosbie will be pleased to help you. Advt. in two minutes—“ Holly” Oatmeal —the new process pre-cooked breakfast cereal. Ask your grocer -for “HOLLY” oatmeal or Rolled Oats—you’ll enjoy the Delicious Nutty Flavour. Advt.