Lord Mayor May Return

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 2

Lord Mayor May Return

The Lord Mayor of London (Sir lan Bowater) is thinking of buying some New Zealand land and becoming a “late settler,” Lady Bowater told a gathering at Mona Vale yesterday morning.

“I don’t know whether he will still feel that way when we get home again, but he’s talking about it now,” said Lady Bowater. At the informal morning tea, given by the Mayoress (Mrs A. R. Guthrey), Lady Bowater said that within the next two years she and her husband would return to New Zealand.

Their trip this time had been so rushed they would not have time to see Queenstown, which they both regretted, she said. In her welcome to Lady Bowater, Mrs Guthrey told the gathering representatives of civic societies, and community and service organisations—of the meeting she and Mr Guthrey had with the Bowaters during their recent visit to Britain.

Lady Bowater had arrived i in an afternoon dress, and i was wearing a tiara. She had just had her hair done for i an evening function at which all the women guests “loved i to wear something in their | hair.” “She said she felt so ' stupid in a diamond tiara I with an afternoon dress, but I I asured her it looked quite i beautiful,” said Mrs Guthrey. During their meeting in I London Lady Bowater had I summoned up some short- t bread—cut in hearts and diamonds—baked from her own recipe. “I felt I couldn’t let this challenge go, so I’ve brought some of mine along this morning, but it’s not half so impressive—-it’s only circles,” said Mrs Guthrey. Lady Bowater thanked the guests for coming to meet her, and added to Mrs I Guthrey: “You know I really 1 did look a bit of a guy in that 1 tiara.” !

During her year as Lady Mayoress of London, which will end in November, Lady Bowater has had little time to pursue private interests. When this “all-absorbing job” ends she plans to

develop a new interest as chairman of the Sherrifs’ and Recorders’ Fund at the Criminal Court, Old Bailey. The fund assists wives and families of men serving prison sentences. “We have a Welfare State where everyone is supposed to be looked after, but there is still a tremendous amount of hardship," she said. Education is another of Lady Bowater’s Interests. She is governor of a girls’ day school in London, and of a

boy’s day and boarding school in Hertfordshire. Sir lan Bowater is also a governor of one of the schools. “I’m told we’ve made history as the first husband and wife to be governors,” she said. Lady Bowater is also governor of her “old” school, St Felix, in Sussex. Its present headmistress, Miss Mary Oakley, was formerly headmistress of Craighead Diocesan School.