No Iron Curtain, Says City Woman

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29972, 6 November 1962, Page 2

No Iron Curtain, Says City Woman

“Stop talking about the Iron Curtain,” says Mrs Elliot Myers of Sumner, who recently returned from a year overseas, the highlight of which was a 20-day visit to Prague, Czechoslovakia.

"There is no Iron Curtain; and while people divide the world into sections in their thinking there cannot be lasting peace,” she said.

Friends in London expressed concern—even horror—when Mrs Myer* told them she Intended to go to Prague for the Spring Festival of Music. Once she got behind “the curtain” she would never get out again, they warned her. “I went just the same and I have never enjoyed such hospitality,” she said. "Never once did I have a moment’s anxiety. The people were happy and friendly; most of them spoke English. As for crossing the border, it was just the same as in any other European country.” la Prague she found a city of great culture, excellent night clubs, theatres, restaurants, racecourses, and magnificent old buildings such as churches and monasteries. Consumer Goods

"Consumer goods were In shorter supply than in Paris, for instance, but just as plentiful as in New Zealand,’’ she said.

Everyone worked in Prague, even mothers of young children. AU manpower was needed and to enable mothers to take part in building up the national economy, day nurseries were provided for children who could not be left with a grandmother, she said. Hours of work were from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. to let people go home early during the long, cold winter.

Mrs Myers had met several Czechs in musical circles tn Christchurch and had been invited to visit them. The first person she met in Prague was the pianist Eva Bemathova, who came to Christchurch with a chamber music group about two years ago and who also played with the National Orchestra. Musical Treat

While in Prague Mrs Myers attended three operas and 12 concerts. “The last concert—and one of the most memorable—was a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the beautiful old Catholic Cathedral of St. Vitus,” she said. “It was presented by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and a Czech choir. Though there

were 2000 people sitting and 5000 standing, you could have heard a pin drop, their atten* tion was so wrapt” Well - ki.own conductors from England, the United States, Spain, Italy and Germany took part in the festival with various orchestras, she said, "Men and women take great pains to look their best for a night out at the theatre," she said. “I saw the best-dressed theatre audiences of any city In Prague.” The women of Prague had become very beauty conscious and were trying to shake off the “peasant look” always associated with Czechs in the past. "Beauty salons there are quite fabulous. They are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the staff working in shifts,” she said. “The salons are packed all the time with women having their hair and eyelashes tinted, manicures and the full beauty treatment.”

Mrs Myers went primarily to London to visit her daughter, Miss Ballinda Myers, now head of the chemistry department at Hornsey Grammar School for Girls. She also visited Italy, Switzerland, Germany. Austria and France.