LONDON LETTER DEMOLITION OF CARLTON WILL BE SAD OCCASION

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27615, 23 March 1955, Page 10

LONDON LETTER DEMOLITION OF CARLTON WILL BE SAD OCCASION

[From KBITS EUNSON, London Correspondent of "The Press"!

London, March 11.—The statement of the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr S. G. Holland) that demolition of the Carlton Hotel in readiness for the new New Zealand House will begin in January, 1957, has been sadly received. Her Majesty’s Theatre is part of the site, as also is the Royal Opera Arcade, of the most elegant arcade left in London. It was designed by Nash and Repton. The Carlton Hotel was built in the then fashionable French Renaissance style in the nineties, about the time the theatre was also built. Beerbohm Tree was responsible for its construction; he staged many of his productions there and for many years made it one of the most fashionable theatres of London. The lease of the theatre is said to run until 1970. but the New Zealand Government has not committed itself on whether it will demolish iiie building then. London is fond of its old theatres; and this is a query it would like answered. Tough for Motorists When parking meters are introduced here motorists will be unable to get round the system, as they do in New Zealand, by sending the office boy down every hour to drop more money in. Lord Selkirk, speaking for the Government in the House of Lords recently, made it clear that motorists will find it expensive to leave their cars more than two hours at the parking meter places planned for London. A charge of sixpence for the first and second hours is reasonable, says Lord Selkirk, but after that there “will be a sharp increase to perhaps 5s for two or three hours.” These are penal charges aimed at forcing motorists out of the parking spaces. Turpin Lucky Boxer In the days when Randolph Turpin was at the top of the boxing tree there just was not sufficient money to entice him out to New Zealand to defend his British Empire title against Chub Keith. Now the situation may be different. Not only has he fallen right out- of public favour, but also the sporting press is saying he is “through.” After winning the world middle-weight title and losing it soon afterwards; Turpin began to slip back; and he had a long lay-off before his two recent come-back fights, which have impressed no-one. He won his Empire title nearly three years ago from Don Cockell, now a world heavyweight contender; and he has not once defended it in that time. Now he has been matched to fight Alex Buxton for it on April 26. If he loses that bout. New Zealand could see Turpin in action for probably any purse they would cane to name. His career in Britain would be finished. iturbi Cancels British Tour Jose Iturbi’s New Zealand tour must have been a. strenuous affair, because he has collapsed, and his entire British tour of 17 concerts has been cancelled. He is said to be in hospital at Buffalo, and his medical advisers have ordered a complete rest. He was tc have arrived here next week; and heavy bookings had already been taken at many centres throughout Britain. Although substitute artists have been engaged to fill the London concert dates, theatres in provincial cities will have to refund all money. Mr Hawkins is Back When popular British film actor. Jack Hawkins, rushed up his garden path to open a door for his wife five weeks ago he slipped and broke his arm. Film companies, always eager for publicity, have estimated that it is the ‘‘most expfehsive broken arm” they know. He was due to start work in a film, and the delay has cost his Ealing studio £5500. If the whole film had been put back to wait for him the cost would have been another £lO.OOO. The director has been ‘‘shooting around” the star—filming scenes m which he does not appear—to cut the- x extra costs as much as possible. Though Abe arm is not yet better, a special light cast has been fitted so that he can appear in several scenes without its being noticed. American Gets Book Bargain A first edition of Lavrrence’s “The Mint” sold at Sotheby’s famous salerooms this week for £l6O. This was one of the original copies printed bv T. E. Lawrence in the United States in 1936 to preserve the copyright of the book. Although he had decided that it should not be published until 1950—it was not, in fact, published until last month—it was necessary to appear to publish the book to preserve the American copyright. He printed 50 copies and offered 10 for sale at the prohibitive fee of 50.000 dollars each, cr nearly £12.000 on pre-war exchange. The copy sold this week was the first to be offered at an auction.

Another ‘‘Exposure” for Publication Though denigration is not the highest form of literary activity, it is catching After the recent publication of Richard Aldington’s ‘ exposure” of T. E. Lawrence, we are to have Mr Leonard Mosley’s “exposure” of General Qrde Wingate. Mosley is film critic of the “Daily Express.” Some qualities i n Lawrence were not to the taste of everyone; and if there was a “Lawrence legend” the hero himself had consciously contributed something to it. Probably a few wanted to see the legend denigrated, for Wingate there is no legend—only the memory of a brave man. Britain’s Car Hopes to Race Mr Anthony Vander well, the racingcar owner, will enter two new Vanwell Special Grand Prix models in the International Trophy meeting at Silverstone in May. The cars, which have not yet been seen in public, will race in the 60-lap high-speed troohy race against factory-nominated cars from Italy, Germany, France and Britain. The No. 1 car will be handled by Mike Hawthorn, who won the Spanish Grand Prix for Ferrari last year. These two newly-built cars bring a hope that Britain will win an important trophy race. The reported cost of the cars is “more than £50.000.” Mr Vanderwell has been endeavouring under private enterprise to produce a car capable of raising Britain’s motor racing prestige. The 8.R.M., which was built by an association of companies, failed. Famous Toby Jugs Many New Zealand homes include a Toby jug among the articles on the sideboard. But the question which Mr Desmond Eyles, of Doulton potteries, is trying to answer is from whom the jugs took their name? Though he has spent years in research, he has not found the definite answer he requires for a book he is writing about these and other ceramic character jugs. Re mentions two Yorkshire men, either of whom could have given the jug its name because of their prodigious reputations as topers. One was a certain Henry Elwes, “who drank 2000 gallons of strong ale from a brown jug and was nicknamed Toby Fillpot,” Mr Evies says. The other was Paul Parnell, a Yorkshire farmer, grazier and malster who, according to the “Gentleman’s Magazine” of 1810, drank during his life-time “out of one silver pint cup upwards of £9OOO sterling worth of Yorkshire stingo, being remarkably attached to stingo tipple of the home-brewed best quality. The calculation is taken at 2d a cupful.” This, it can be reckoned, amounted to just on 60 pints a day for 50 years. Mr Eyles may be pardoned for treating these Yorkshire drinking records with academic reserve! He says Toby jugs first appeared in England about 1770. and today, early rare specimens fetch up to 600 guineas. Rail Gang Trapped The cleverest train-robbing gang in Britain has been caught. For months past British Railways and Scotland Yard have been baffled by the mysterious disappearance from the Brighton train of parcels and packages worth thousands of pounds. This week, the gang was trapped by a tiny piece of paper, part of a consignment label, found in the pocket of one of the thieves. The robbery plan was a masterpiece of simplicity. Two men arrived at Victoria station every day with a large hamper. When it was checked in at the passenger counter it was empty. It was booked “accompanied luggage” and loaded into a luggage van. One of the thieves travelled in a passenger compartment,, but long before he reached his destination he walked down to the van, chose parcels that looked valuable, put them in his hamper and returnee to his compartment. When the hamper was unloaded from the van by porters it contained the spoils. The leader of the gang was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and the other five members down to 12 months. Lady Docker Triumphs The charm of Lady Docker, straights talking wife of the British industrialist. Sir Bernard Docker, is undoubted. When it was announced that she was to take part in a marbles competition with the girls from a Yorkshire factory, the secretary of the Marbles’ Association refused to coach her; so she practised herself. On the night of the big contest the hall was packed like a tin of sardines as Lady Docker, dressed in a peacock blue satin gown, competed against the team of 10. Though she was once beaten her conqueror was later eliminated, and she went on to win the final in grand style. It could be said that the girls were “no great shakes” as marbles players and that they might not have tried very hard, but everyone enjoyed the contest. Sir Bernard and Lady Docker stayed on until the early hours for the factory dance and completed the evening by inviting the girls to u return match to be held at a London hotel. But the game wm unimportant; the people from the factories loved Lady Docker in her SO guineas frock with diamond pendant hanging from her throat as she played. It was a show for the people and it raised valuable funds for the Cancer Relief Society. Is it Any Wonder? Bookings are pouring in to travel agencies in London now that the summer months are approaching. It seems to be the intention of those who can afford it to get away from this grey city as soon as possible. And is it any wonder? There have been snow, rain, chill winds and storms for months. The sun never seems to smile on London. But we have less to complain of here than the people further north, where, in some places, families have been snowbound for weeks. Helicopters drop food supplies and fuel to keep them going until snow-ploughs can force a route through. From the number of bookings received, it looks as though Britain will be deserted from July to September.