JOURNALIST’S SUCCESS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28793, 14 January 1959, Page 2

JOURNALIST’S SUCCESS

Miss M. Watson, Of Wellington

*Tn« Preax* hpectai senrt« WELLINGTON, January 13. . Miss Mary Watson, who has distinguished herself as a feature writer and a columnist in Fleet street, London, has returned to Wellington for a visit Before going to Britain, Miss Watson was a member of the literary staff of the “Dominion,” Wellington, for three years. Now she is the youngest columnist in Fleet street. Besides writing a weekly teenage column for the "Evening News,” London, she is one of the newspaper’s regular feature writers. Making the rounds of teenage “haunts” in connexion with her weekly teenage columns has given this young New Zealander an inside slant on this “most pampered of all age groups” in Britain. “They are the lavish spenders and manufacturers are alerted to that fact,” she said in Wellington yesterday. "There is a tendency for this age group to live beyond income. Saving is neglected. Living for the present rather than the future gears their outlook. “Teenagers’ money no longer merely jingles, it crackles in the pockets of these lavish spenders. "Entertainments, records and clothes are the big three in teenage spending. Sales of pop records are fantastic. "In below-ground, dimly-lit jazz cellars the London teenager congregates to hear pop records and drink innumerable cups of coffee.” Throughout Britain there was a surfeit of stage rock ’n’ rolltype singers. Hero worship of “half-baked, untrained—often uneducated—pop singers” could make idols of them. £5OO a week was a not uncommon fee to earn. Miss Watson’s advice to young New Zealanders going to Britain is to get to know the English, not to seek out other New Zealanders, then return home calling the English "reserved.” “Make the first approach to get to know them. "It is advisable to take £lOO to tide one over a possible difficuly in obtaining a job. However, at present there are plenty, even in the temporary line, including those for typists and shorthand typists and, to a smaller degree, teachers and nurses.” Miss Watson, who is a daughter of Mr C. T. C. Watson, editor of the "Dominion,” will at the end of June marry a fellow Fleet-street journalist, Mr Michael Clayton. He is also with the "Evening News.”