Fire-Eater Rated At ½h.p. For Petrol Ration

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28160, 26 December 1956, Page 7

Fire-Eater Rated At ½h.p. For Petrol Ration

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 24. The Fuel Ministry during the weekend allocated four gallons of petrol to 18-year-old Priscilla Birt. It has to last her four months, but •le believes it will —as long as she watches her appetite. Miss Birt is a fire-eater in a cabaret, but on the Ministry’s books she is ‘Birt, Priscilla, white, female, British, half horsepower.” The half horsepower rating was Miss Birt s own estimate. According to the “Daily Telegraph” •he had to fill in the same form as •ny other petrol user and next to the names of the engine (in which

she filled in her own name) is a column headed “h.p. or c.c.” Miss Birt said: “I put down half a horsepower although it should be made clear that I mean a small horse. “The rest of the form still casts some doubt whether I’m a selfpropelled vehicle or stationary plant on hire.” ~ , Miss Birt said she normally used about half a pint of petrol each performance and her ration should be adequate. She hopes she will not have to use paraffin. She said: “With a palate attuned to petrol, paraffin is hardly tasty.”