Young N.Z. woman now co-director of firm

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32774, 26 November 1971, Page 5

Young N.Z. woman now co-director of firm

The Press” Special Service

AUCKLAND, November 26.

The outgoing nature possessed by so many young New Zealanders stood Miss Sandra Carpenter, of St Heliers, in good stead when she went to Britain four years ago. Now, at the age of 25, Miss Carpenter is a co-director, with her fiance, Mr Julian Bray, of a public relations business in London.

i She is now home, probably until Christmas, to see her family and friends.

Miss Carpenter had experience in journalism in Auckland before she went to London, and was, she said, extremely lucky in “turning up at the right place at the right time.” She worked for three agencies in London, until she and her fiance founded their own business earlier this year. “CLIENTS SURPRISED”

“I was surprised to find that women in executive business positions are relatively rare in London; clients were surprised to find that I was a decision - making director,” Miss Carpenter said.

“I am constantly being asked if I am the secretary, or else people ask to speak to ‘Mr Carpenter’ and are quite taken aback when I say it’s Miss. “Only two women have their own advertising and public relations businesses in London and you can count on the fingers of both hands the number of women who have made names for themselves in this field.” “DERBY PLAYTHING”

Miss Carpenter has observed that public relations is the “in” thing in London just now, with positions quickly snapped up—but often by the wrong people. “A tremendous number of debby-types try their hand at it, supported by plenty of their family’s money, and they are really playing at the job and waiting around to get married, or else they are always off to the south of France or to Switzerland to ski,” she said. “Most don’t realise that public relations is hard and competitive work, and there is just no let up. especially in London.”

Miss Carpenter, looking forward to her own marriage, “time and place as yet uncertain,” is appalled at the number of girls who use their work simply as a fill-in before marriage.

“They are itching to get away from home, so they come to London as the great Mecca and hope for marriage as soon as possible. For many, their plan for life goes no further than the wedding.” COMMUNICATIONS VITAL Miss Carpenter and Mr Bray were working with the same advertising company when they decided to branch out on their own.

They now have offices just behind Oxford Circus and use the most modem methods for transmission of material. "We are linked with a private teleprinter and can transmit information to the news desks of over 1500 publications in Britain and if necessary, the Continent. The system is so efficient that within 10 minutes of clearing a story it will be with the news editors. “In addition, we work through car radio telephones, so that problems from the office can be cleared up, even when we are out and queries from any of the publications

dealt with. We carry pacers in our pockets when we are away from the car sets, so we are on call virtually 24 hours a day,” Miss Carpenter said. UNUSUAL ACCOUNT

One of the most fascinating businesses Miss Carpenter’s firm deals with is Escalade, a three-storey shopping complex with a variety of boutiques and specialist shops which keeps probably the most unusual hours in London.

"As well as being open from 10.30 a.m. until 8 p.m., Escalade also opens from mid-night until 2 a.m. and this is a tremendously popular time.

“People who go out to dinner and the theatre browse and buy there on their way home and often it is the only time husbands and wives can be together for shopping. “Lord Snowdon spent some time at Escalade last week —but in normal hours—and bought French-made faded blue jeans for his children, Lady Sarah and Viscount Linley.” Miss Carpenter also organises the fashion parades held at Escalade most Saturdays—“ Just whenever we feel like it. Models wander around wearing garments from the various boutiques—it’s all very informal,” she said. CELEBRITIES USED Famous . people only names or faces in photographs or on screen to most New Zealanders —are met every day in Miss Carpenter’s field, and, she says, she was amazed at how easily she became used to the “greats.” In the entertainment field Miss Carpenter was particularly impressed by Susan Hampshire (Fleur in the Forsyte Saga) who once judged a contest run by one of Miss Carpenter’s clients.

One of Miss Carpenter’s most successful promotions, she considers, was that

organised for a client marketing a miniature golf game. She had the former English and American Open golf champion Tony Jacklin, driving a golf ball across the Thames from the roof of the Savoy Hotel, a feat first accomplished by the American Walter Hagen in 1923. N.Z. “TASTES BETTER” Aspects of New Zealand which Miss Carpenter says she misses most while living in London are the sea, the trees and the general greenness of the country, and the fresh food.

"Things taste so much better here. It’s hard to believe you’re eating the same thing. In London everything is packaged and prewrapped, and you know the vegetables are very often not fresh, but you either buy them or go without. “And everyone looks so clean. It’s impossible to keep clean in London, with all the

grime. At the end of a dayi in the city your skin is' terribly dirty, and the grime plays havoc with clothes, which usually have to be dry-cleaned because the material is not good enough to stand up to frequent washing.” SMOCKS RETURN This use of inferior fabric, and the careless construction of the garments is one aspect of British off-the-peg fashion which rather disconcerts Miss Carpenter, but she put this failing down to the fact that fashion changes so rapidly in London that women simply could not keep up with the current looks if they had to pay high prices for detail.

“Hot pants, for example, disappeared completely in the space of a week. The rage now is all for smocks, which are even being worn over pants and sweaters for winter.”