CURRENT NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26055, 7 March 1950, Page 2

CURRENT NOTES

Sir Lloyd Dumas and Lady Dumas (Adelaide) will arrive in Christchurch from the West Coast on Saturday, and will stay at the United Service Hotel. They have recently spent a week in Rotorua, where Sir Lloyd Dumas, who is president of the Australian Press Association, attended the annual conference of the New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors’ Association.

Dr. W. Johnston and Mrs Johnston (Melbourne), who are visiting Mrs Johnston’s uncle. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, “Otahuna,” will leave to-mor-row for Dunedin.

Miss Mabel Howard denies that she bought a pink suite for her room in Parliament Buildings when she was appointed Minister of Health, as reported in “The Press” on Saturday morning. Miss Howard says that this suite was there when she .took up office, and that she would “certainly have changed it had I been allowed, as it was filthy, badly moth-eaten, and did not match the mulberrycoloured carpet.” The new curtains which she ordered to replace worn black-out curtains were chosen by a well-known Wellington drapery firm. The cream cretonne yrith mulberrycoloured flowers sold popularly at 6s 9d a yard throughout New Zealand. Miss Howard says she tried to make a woman’s room, and did not blame the new Minister (Mr J. T. Watts) for making changes. Mrs Hilda Ross was entitled to prefer plain to figured materials.

Mr and Mrs Leslie F. Tisdall and Miss Alyson Tisdall (Fendalton road) will leave Christchurch for Timaru early next month to join the Mataroa for a visit to England. Miss Tisdall intends staying in England for an indefinite period, to continue her studies as a physiotherapist. Mrs Oldham (Melbourne), wife of Captain G. C. Oldham, of H.M.A.S. Australia, is visiting her mother, Mrs T. F. Gibson, Ashbrook, Fendalton. At present, Mrs Gibson and Mrs Oldham are paying a short visit to Akaroa.

Mrs T. F. M. Gibson (Fendalton) will leave New Zealand on March 25 by air for Melbourne, to visit her father, Mr Denby. Mrs A. Brustad, (Waiau) and Mrs Florence Griffiths (Kilmore street), who have been visiting Sydney, left in the Orontes yesterday for England. Mr Brustad, who will leave New Zealand in about three weeks, will join his wife in England. They will later visit Norway. Sister Y. Brake, who has been granted leave of absence from the Christchurch Hospital to continue her studies overseas, left in the Tamaroa for England on Saturday. Miss Moira Ewing (Timaru) and Miss June Leslie (Cave) have arrived in Kapsabet, Kenya, to stay with Mrs Alex. Mackenzie, Chemorin estate. After spending a few months in Kenya, the girls will leave J?y aeroplane for Salisbury, Southerly Rhodesia. where they will be the New Zealand representatives in the Wanderers’ hockey team in an international hockey tournament. Afterwards they will tour South Africa with the team for six weeks. •

A New Zealand contralto, Miss Jean MacLeod, stirred! old memories for people of Scottish descent at her New York debut to-day. She sang only songs of Scotland and the Hebrides. The “New York Times” critic said: “Miss MacLeod's voice was refined and pretty, but some of her songs lacked the necessary emphasis. She touched many members of the audience by the nostalgic feeling of ‘My Ain Folk.’ ” —New York, March 5.

Miss Mary McLean (president of the Christchurch branch of the National Council of Women) will, leave by air this morning for Wellington to attend a meeting of the Dominion executive of the council.

Mr G. C. Brookes and Miss C. E. Robinson, chief vocational guidance Officers in Canterbury, will leave today to pay their first official visits of 1950 to different parts of the province. They will visit the Ashburton, Timaru, and Waimate schools before returning to Christdhurch at the end of the week.

Arrangements for a sale of produce, toys, home-made cakes and sweets, to' be held in Cathedral square on the last Friday in March, were made at a meeting of the Christchurch ladies’ guild of the British Sailors’ Society yesterday. Members reported that generous support was being received from country districts, and that a good stock of country produce was assured. Preliminary arrangements were also made for the guild’s annual meeting io be held early in April. An encouraging increase in the number of new members was reported. The guild’s representatives had continued to visit the Christchurch Hospital and the Sanatorium, and the junior branch reported on the activities carried out* during February, which had been a busy month. The president (Mrs G. W. C. Smithson) presided at the meeting. At the monthly meeting of the Riccarton Townswomen’s Guild, Miss Grace gave an interesting address on the workings of a radio station. Competition winners were Mesdames Brietstadt, Black, Tomlinson, Muschamp. Nelson, and Gibson. Hostesses were Mesdames Kendall and Fisher.

The following officers were elected at the annual meeting of the junior branch of the Society of Registered Music Teachers held at the home of Miss Elma Craighead recently: patron. Miss Betty Hannam; president, Miss Hilary Eccles; junior vice-president and treasurer. Mr G. Bell; secretary, Miss Tui Uru; assistant secretary, Mr W. Lake; committee, Misses Shirley Burk. Audrey Gabites, Messrs Miles Kennedy and Ray Burnand.

Mrs E. M. Peach, a member of the Dickens Fellowship, who is leaving for a visit to England soon, was bidden farewell at the annual meeting of the organisation on Saturday evening.

Mrs A. McConnell, assisted by Mr Colee, presided at the annual meeting of the women’s auxiliary of the Y.M.C.A. The following officers were elected:—president, Mrs McConnell; vice-presidents, Mesdames Squire, Royds, and Burt; secretary, Mrs H. Smith; treasurer, Mrs Squires; committee, Mesdames Edgar, Greenway, and Miss Webster.

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Pioneers and Descendants’ Club was held on Saturday in the Pioneer Sports Club. The president reported on the new club rooms about to be opened in Hereford street and thanked members and firms for donations towards the furnishing. Officers elected were as follows: —president, Miss Mary Wigley; honorary secretary, Mrs E. M. White; honorary treasurer, Mr H. Palmer; vice-presidents, Mrs G. H. Watts, Mrs R. J. McLaren, Mrs C. G. Schumacher, Mrs E. M. White, and Mr H. Palmer; committee, Mesdames G. Garton, H. Radley, W. J. Watson, Winsbury-White, E. McKendry, and Miss E. Williams.

Lord and Lady Strathcarron are opening a dress shop in Curzon street, London, England. They have formed a company, Carron Couture. According to Jordan’s List it has a capital of £5OO. Lord Strathcarron, second baron, is 26, a former R.A.F. officer. His first marriage, to Miss Valerie Cole in February, 1947, was dissolved a few months later. Two years ago he married Mrs Diana Hawtry Curie; they have one child. Lady Strathcarron. svelte and blonde, became a designer a year ago for a Mayfair firm. She will be the sole designer for the family enterprise. Mrs Bladin. nee Barley, formerly of Napier, wife of the principal of the Salvation Army William Booth Training College, London, has died. After studying in Melbourne she married in 1208 and worked with her husband in Nelson, Wellington, and Waimate. With her husband she also held Salvation Army appointments in Ceylon, Newfoundland, Canada, Australia and Scotland.

Moving every few years can be interesting. but it has its drawbacks, according to Mrs Fleming, wife of the new defence representative, Group Captain J. R. Fleming, at the Australian High Commissioner’s Office in Wellington. In 19 years she has lived in 16 different homes and found her desire for a garden frustrated. She enjoys gardening, but has yet to see her garden settled in any plan.