HAMPSTEAD HEATH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 220, 10 June 1908, Page 7

HAMPSTEAD HEATH.

PEN PICTURE OF LIFE IN LONDON. ' A HOLIDAY PHASE. . (Prom Our London Correspondent.). - London, April 24. Hampstcad . Heath under Bank Holiday conditions has already been described almost ad nauseam by persevering writers possessing mora or', less', acquaintance •witK Cock:.''aign'o -.and..its,. inhabitants. .{-It certainly furnishes plenty of copy to an energetic journalist, ;and it is tho : hopo of the . present, . writer that 'a selection -from, the glennings . ' during ; tlie twenty-four 1 hours which, consti- 1 • tute.d last, Easter Monday .may' interest tha readers of Tin Dominion. . On ;tho .s&ats' fringing 'tho roads which aross the' Heath in various directions aro huddled a motley crowd of youths and lads, with hero and thero an: older man. These - are'living'in' hopes of snapping up • V FEW HOURS' WORK IN THE EARLY MORNING assisting'tho' stallholders or-' showmen. The casualJlvai'd'at tho workhouse Might offer cheni a rcfiige for 'the night) but wotilil release them too late next day, and tho tree shelters aro too far away, for their >tir- •!' pose's/ vso thtiy;.simply, sit, with chatf/fviiig teeth, and wait .for daylight. It is a terrible night;'.a bleak;,north-easter tears over thciwide . sweeps! of land, and from time ■ to\timo',como fierce snow-squalls. The temperature :is well below freezing point, arid the poor wretches get up and stagger about . ; trying to stamp a little iifo into their half- ■. ' . : Somehow,; or Other , they manago' to. keep on tho' near ' side' of. the - dark river; at least there arc rio "gruesoino finds" reported in tho daily papers. • Let hot : colonial, readers,'however, assume that (Londoners aro deiid-to all charitable impulses. . Why, .only last week, the. "Daily Telograph" gavo;a: prominent position to a touching appeal for. subscriptions for, tho ; Society for. tho of Cruelty to 'Animals in Sicily. :. ■'' By-ten o'clock the snow has cleared away, ' tho ' sun /is . shining' brightly, and all tho working people in North arid West London ■are on ths'm6vd,..m(ist.:6f them in the direct tion of "Emstid.": It is iiot a crowd, of / East-enders; theSo go further east to soino part of Eppirigy Forest. It. is not oven a coster crowd; most, street hawkers livo on tho Surrey, side of the Thames, and visit cither, tho " Pellis". or ; ono of the public parks 'in South "London. : ,Tli6 majority of. i those coming .here,.to-day are Jiien ; earning. to' thirty-five; shillings a week. '•■T.'.small-? shopkeepers;' apprentices, * shop boys, and jtinior clerks, with, of eoiirse, their . .wives and sweethearts. '.'The:best place from .. which .to watch the .invasion is'the. railway station, -for quite two-thirds. Of tho army come-up this road, i Let lis,take a few note's . of. some of the units,-of theircommissariat arrangements,. their , ; accohtremcntsj ''etc.. Here comes... . ...

;■ A TYPICAL FAMILY PARTY. ,; ; Mother is carrying tho "byeby'' and a brown. paper parcel. a toot .longj and is- slightly ;- Utidingv the -others. ' In one >■ hand father h»ldj hispip# and a child's, fcrifikfet bat,' aud with .the , other conducts .Willie, (aet. 5). V?,a cannot see much, of Willie's counten- . a»ca; 'he-is busy with a large orango. .'Then i co'ma two 1 girls -bfoightaild ten,' towing { " lA. rr y" (aet. 3) .ab tho imniiflent tisk Of a -~ clavicular- dislocation. , 'The elder girl is , loaded down with ; a sort of miniaturo dress- ■ i baSjket containing the , "grub," and tlio pu.uger has three earthenware.. mugs tied together • ft*ith_ String. • Pfesently they will Jock-oUt; ai sign, ''.Hot water at;.2di p't-r . headj".!; ahd wiir. havo their lnnchi. There will -pertainly r ' l)'o !l '. trouble, for "mother, who .will want' : fo'win clear for Sixpence; and. will edll;father, "no lhan" . For/walking away arid leaving her to argue ihei point. '• • . '• •;' , Herai v come four girls l arm-in-arm, ! wearing . .. . t grey'satf! CottU/tofiues with iio : feiitliei'S,' aiid- ' rabbit-fur'';''cliUck-overs." ' They aro not carrying ;anyj T prbvisiouSi : - but Will trust r ... to tho^teajsho^S'for'a' ttieai 'at eightpence. • Thoy will:pay for themselves, too, for they : . ore-.;h&id-workingi v gir{s t':aiid';qUitb'':in(lepcn- . , dent, neVer;.dftam Of allowing tho male acquftirittncos.thby : ,will make presently ■o treat them to anything but beer. Hero-cOrtieS 'a motor-car, -panting slowly ■ through the crowd, ' Its pA«jen»ers trying their, best, not -to . appear "eaten lip - with .; 'stinking...pride."' , Last; year, a well-known ■;.new-' Zealand politician made this trip. We venderrff overheard' any of the remarks ~ n*do-'by. tho;. general ' publio -;on 'that';occaiSion. ' To-day -the fAriey of the ftrofrd rilhs l*. the.':dii'e6tion ;of drawing parallels be- ,; tween the occupants of the tar and the most , notorious: Criminals of "the year. , . Hete cbln6 . ttt'6'lads of Sixteen , oi* Bef«n-> teen smoking "penhy fags" (five cigarettes snd ■ a pictur'o for A penny, good Vdlue) . , . They ..aro followed 'by'their ."bits' Of 'skirt," , young -imps 'frith 'massive hair pads and large picture .hits. ' .Tlicy; carry- no proviBions. Tlio bovs aro ready ouoiigh to shell' ...... ont, but -What ! with tho steady consumption '. .. of cocoaiuit-8, fried fish, lemonade,/'' sweets, and oranges,, it is unlikely that any set • meals will bo necessary;. \ Four young men of twenty-tivo or so follow. One of,.tliem Ji&; playing. a coiieeftina, and their five lady; friends occasionally "do .J} ste P-. • The .co'ilfuro of these is peculiar. 1 hero is one roll of hair coming well down over ,thp forehead, and one oil cacli"side, completely hiding the ears;'' Their black ' Bailor'.liatS are tilted so far, that only half. ... .the nose « Visible. Presently they—nien-and girls both—will buy large; paper, feathers, with they will rig tlioniselves out in style. ' The hearty ..old- custom of changing * hats with . onc.s, donah sofema to havo died : out- ; These ) people will get through the day on snacks -and'.beer. Next; comes a solitary small boy, who has lost his party. His knuckles'are prosscd , well into his eyes,, and- his future, as 'regards lunch; is on the knees, of the 'gods. Aext we have a "superior" comiio; tho gir! qiiietly: dl-essbd, Wearing We'll "back on hor fluffy - hair—ot -tlic fashFoimble ."hennared —a pill-box hat of ftir. Tile yoUilg man is spectacled, and is ono of those of whom its'friends'say, "He reads Carlyle." For the rest ho is rather anaemic, and his costume, _ except_ as regards tho colour of his tiOj is quite inoffensive. She is fdvinc •him most of her.weight as they pass up the toad.; Next come three genuine coster girls ffhom i?e proceed to follow. Two of then! .ero dressed exactly slike iii

OLD-ROSE BLOUSES, FANCY MADE, I "Reciutt's blue" skirts (slop-mado, yet -!airly-,well.;cut), plain hats, and coiffure as already : described. •: 'Tho third girl is-wearing a close-fitting bfldice- ivith- a basque, apron .skirl, and short full skirt" below it, all of claret- velveteen, trimmed with narrow ' astrakhan. She has a mouth-organ, and . cake-walks backwards up the read, her motes advancing and receding in unison with her music. All threo have high-heeled boots cf. e: ze - 5. - ■■■■ ' ; - . - This .little lot-, rush the feather-sellers,' of course, and then make for the nearest pinnoorgnri, which is surrounded three deej) with people-watching-a scofe or so of girls of all ages—no men—dallcillg. It is usual for writers; to" gush about the unequalled grace of the people. Well, the'adulation may bo justified in some-cases, but when, as 'presently happens,' they becomo so steeped in - "musical • sin ' as' 'to- attempt to-eakcMValk to "A-Song of Sleep" it is—as the gentleman next us-remarks—timo to pull the blinds down. '-'It begins to snow fairly heavily, but / the girls take 110 notice, and at tho end of twenty minutes wo clear of?. Further up tho/roiid four children aro sitting eating their lunch of bread and cheese and oranges. They do. not seem to realise the inclemency of the Weather.- One, a boy of , eight, is snivelling about something or other, but W eats-on steadily. • _> -. , The snow ceases, and the shows aro soon in full swing. Most of the pntronago is accorded .to things that' travel in a circle, especially if they -havo an octavo motion superimposed. Tim cocoanut shies aro also doing well)- although a cocoanut won by skill costs fiveponce on an' average. The "circu- / . lar switchback" gives one ninety' seconds of bliss for twopence. Tho adjoining steam

circus has "ostriches" and hobby-horses, and is raised well above tho ground. It gives tha same length >of -enjoyment for half tho price, but wo agree that it is not likely ever to achieve popularity in New Zealand. _ ' A little confetti is being thrown about, and thero aro a, few " ladies' tormentors.'' Theso are collapsible leaden tubes filled with watei, which, on being squeezed, emit a'fine jet with about 6ft. range. One aims at One's opponent's car. Theso arc prohibited by tho police, but still enjoy a certain vogue. The popular "get your own back" consists /of a bunch of tow fixed on a twelve-inch handle. With this one tickles tho members pf tho opposite sex. An unarmed person is inviolatj. I escape assault oxcept from ono l'.dy, who prof sees her attack by saying that I look as if I wanted tickling, and followiit with thi reraarfc that she is prirate proporfcy. . • Tha. afternoon is waning now, and "It" begins to make its appearance in tho numerous family parties. Father has moved away and the rest follow slowly in his wake. Thero are stragglings, and 'losings, and findings, and answering-baclc. Mothor says (1) tlicy will get " It" presently, (2) they llavo been asking for "It" all day, (3) they would have got "It" beforo if thero hadn't been such a crowd, (4) tlicy will get "It" anyhow if thoy don't loavo off, (o) now they've got " It." Father roappears with a little fiat bottle. "Yon ain't a bad old sort, after all," -ho says presently) and embraces her. Mothorsloshes "him playfully, i " Everybody says ' Come on' here," Remarked Alice on one memorable occasion, and so it is with us to-day. Whenever a littlu rift occurs ill the lute, a peacemaker appears, usually a girl. " Como on;" she. says, and peace descends onco more. .'There are : two catch sayings in ,uso. "You ain't not ,'iirf; are,yer? '. which Cannot be explained, and "Just let t mo catch you bonding," which speaks for itself. ,

AFTER, DARK. The prilicipal contres of attraction now are tho licensed' houses, and of theso tho chief is tho " Old .Bull and Bush," over at tho far' side of tho Heath.' But the weather is -too bleak, for al .fresco amusements, and'tho. crowd is rather thin. Wo note, howoverj a party, of soldiers who are frying to ;waltz with their ladies on a-patch of gravel ill tho gardens.' Outside these are two piano-organs within 50 yards with thirty or forty dancers to each. There aro plenty of men "un" now; and these indulge in high kicking, hut the girls.are still'decorous enough. Directly' in front of us .'stands a tired-looking, wan little woman, carrying a baby nearly as heavy as herself. The music Ims. got into her feet, and suddenly she is in the thick'of the crowd, baby and all. She certainly does let it go. Business is fairly brisk in the bars behind us,'but tliere is little drunkenness or serious ■ rowdyism. Half a dozen larrikins, looking for, trouble, try to . break up' tho dancers, but a bul;ly policeman gives their leader ''a clip under tho ear"■ and they retire. • • ' Thero is'littlo fresh to see here, so wo .will make a flying march across. tho hills towards.. Highgate. Away in tho, distanco the fows. Of stalls aro marked by the. glare of their naphtha lamps. ..Thero is a murmur in,the'air as of a. distant storm. Evcryin . the. receptacles' specially, provided by. tho authorities—aro/ pieces of: wist.l paper, fragments of food, and empty iailk bottles. Every seat has its one'or two couples, lost to .all ,sense of time and weather, " ftnd sTtin thft dampness of the grass is no. deterrent to hundreds of ethers. By eleven Hampstcsd is almost deserted. The bars do not close till 12.30,' but their patrons are, mostly looal. people. : ■ ~ Hon: comes thi'co couples jslightly the worse for tfeaiy'Thcy are travelling down the bril-liantly-lighted High . Street : at tho rate of half a knot per hour, dancing two steps forward, and ono step back. One'has (i mouth orgah) and tho others aro singing ""Whin' the fiolds are woite wiv dye-zies, an" .the.roasos bleum-aggpii, "Let tho-luv-^lyme;in your l art . more broitely burn. -. ■"Fit- oi'. liiv Vycf, s\\'c(!--tiift,''oaiilj", • w .- "So l'emember wen. yet lftahly, ' "Weil tho. fiolds ..are. woite wiv (lyc-zies, oil. return." ' . Then tte'; Are asked the way to Boston by' a young'couple, and offer tf> seo ■ them on .thejr road. ; They arb' too happy; to talk much, explain that they are, Walking all tho ; Way. because tlio last ttftm. lifts they i know to ho untrue—expect they will bo tirod next morning, when tlioy get; to " but. it's worth ■ it," .think that " things'' arc going bettor all round, tliank us .politely, but not '.effusively, and, with a Stoiit heart,'start off on their foUi'-milo tramj>. after h roil good day's crijOyfAfclit. - Thero must bo a fund of optimism as well as plenty of determination in peoplo who cau man&go to enjoy', themselves under such ab.ominftblo weather , conditions. ; ',They aro not uproarious normally, beer- only makes them sentimental, yoi it would be a,mistake to s*y that they 'tike 'th'tif pleasures sadly;