Untitled

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 261, 4 August 1928, Page 19

WOMEN'S ACTIVITIES. At the Wellington South Kindergarten yesterday afternoon, a successful sale of produce was held, a wonderful response from the parents and local committee being received by the school. The sale was opened by Mrs. Peacock, who congratulated the Kindergarten staff on their enthusiasm and hardiwork devoted to this effort. A much-appreciated programme was given by the pupils of St. Catherine’s Private School, whose drill and elocution and dancing items delighted everyone. The sum of £lO was realised, and is to be devoted towards the purchase of a gramophone and records for the school.

The members of the Roseueath-Oriental Bay branch of Dr, Barnardo’s Homes were entertained at an enjoyable partv the other day by Mrs. Low, president of the branch, assisted by Misses Roughton and Mitchell. After games and afteriiooii tea, prizes were presented to Alice hired and Teddy Creed, whose boxes contained the highest amounts, and a silver badge was awarded to Grace Kyle, this duty benig undertaken by Mr. K. I. Cameron. The collection boxes when opened were found to contain the very satisfactory amount of £l6. Mr. Brown, headmaster of the Roseneath School, in proposing a rote of thanks to Mrs. Low stated how very pleased he was to know that the children'of the district were taking such a keen interest in this verv worthy cause. The singing of the National Anthem concluded a very enjoyable afternoon. .

Wellington branch of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union held its ordinary monthly meeting on Thursday August 2, at Constable Street 1 here was a fair attendance, and a good deal of business was done; and in anticipation of this no speaker had beeu arranged for. Arrangements were partly made for the district convention to be held on the last Thursday in September, when the Wellington Union would be the hostess, further details being postponed till next meeting. The October meeting was fixed to be a cradle roll afternoon. Letters had been received from the Dominion corresponding secretary relative to important matters of temperance education. In connection with the last-named, the offer was made to place the Education Board’s temperance wall sheets in several of the schools, three sets being promised by different members, and further sheets to be obtained by means of a voluntary collection, for which opportunity was giveh at the close of the meeting. The resolutions passed at the March Dominion convention had been forwarded to theM.P. for the district, and had elicited a very satisfactory reply. . There was some discussion as to the work being begun by the women’s campaign committee. Afternoon tea was handed round, and the usual “bring-and-buy” sale held.

OVERSEAS NOTES. Miss Muriel Esse, of Milford, Auckland, who has been working in London at the International Centre of the Y.W.C.A. for the last two years, has accepted the position of general secretary to the Nairobi branch of the association. She has been spending three weeks in Cairo, en route to British East xkfrica.

In the course of the next year Princess Elizabeth will almost certainly have her portrait painted, writes a London correspondent, and in the art world of London a good deal of speculation has been going on as to who will be the lucky artist selected. Whoever may paint it, the picture, apart from any merit as a work of art, is destined to become historic, and it is possible that it will be known some day ns the first portrait of Queen Elizabeth 11.

Mrs. Miller has thrilled -women by her adventurous trip in an aeroplane from England to Australia. Shut off as "we are from the busy centres of the old world we have not understood that many women are as much at home in the alias on the land or sea, states an xVustrahan writer. The adventurous spirit crops up in. all sorts of places. A group of girls in Mexico the other day made application to join the School of Civil Aviation. “We are just as able to fly planes as women in the United States and Europe, they said. So they are anxious to qualify to become pilots, and in course

of time to break records. The girls are to have their way. There are no regulations which prevent women from becoming pilots -in Mexico. It remains to b° seen whether they can stand the tests which the flying school imposes. No doubt some of them will prove competent. xVviation is in its infancy." The things which seem wildly improbable aud adventurous will presently be taken as a matter of course. Just as girls handle powerful motors to-day, assuredley they will fly planes to-morrow. It will' not lie long before Australian women are reaching into the airways of our continent. No doubt it wiil be as ordinary an event as motoring, and country women will fly to town for an afternoon's shopping or to social gatherings and amusements. When that day does come the country isolation and hardship will be over.

The loyalty of England's brunettes is being tested. The Duchess of York, fairhaired, blue-eyed, is wearing the new shade of mavis blue, and the manufacturers who hare gone in extensively for this particular colouring in their new materials are hoping that her fondness for it will set up a vogue for blue (says an exchange). It is a very attractive shade—only a little lighter than the beautiful lapis lazuli blue, and exactly the tint of the bird'e egg after which it is named. However, not every woman can wear it. soft aud becoming for blondes, on a certain type of brunette the effect is not quite so charming. The Duchess, in further encouragement to the manufacturers. was wearing it at the recent British Industries Fair. Her frock was of crepe de chine, in which the blue comes up very delicately; her coatee was of supple woollen cloth, and she had a little felt hat of the same colour.

Lucy E. Kemp-Welch, the famous animal painter, who was commissioned to paiut pictures for the Imperial War .Museum showing women’s work with the Remount Department, is an artist who succeeded early through her remarkable capacity for work and intense power of application. She inherited he. faculty for observation from her father, a keen naturalist, and both her parents encouraged her to study Nature. Quite early she assisted her father by drawing beetles and other things associated with his scientific work; it was, however, her mother who understood her ability. .Miss Kemp-Welch really achieved greatness when her picture, “Colt-hunting in the New Forest." was bought by the trustees of the Chantry Bequest—the highest honour that can fall to a woman artist. In the art school which she conducts Miss

Kemp-Welch steers clear of conventional rules, encouraging her pupils to use initiative, while insisting on careful drawing and tile perfecting of technique.

To the fore as a producer at a Broadway theatre in New York,, Miss Noni Ellison, who is not yet 20 years of age, has certainly made the most of her unusual opportunities. In the office of a theatrical firm last year, she assisted one of the producers, and no other substitute being available, took his place when illness overtook him prior to the opening of the show. So well did she acquit herself that she was permanently appointed to the position, and is now responsible for evep.v detail, from the casting of leading roles to the selection of supernumeraries.

"Our most, beautiful duchess” is the description which has often been applied to the wif“ vt flic Duke of Portland. She entertained the King and Queen at M elbeck xAbbey for three days in July, ■n hen they arrived in Nottingham to fulfil public engagements. The duchess is tall and slender, has large dark eyes, and. a beautiful smile. Most of her time in London is spent in organising functions for charity, and presiding at hospital meetings. In Nottinglianishire she is looked upon as the ministering angel of the count.v. for there is scarcely a philantropic institution there in which rhe does not take a practical interest.

lhe Duchess of York is wearing a new shade of inavis blue just now (says an overseas‘correspondent i, and the manufacturers. who have gone in extensively for it in their new materials, are hoping that her fondness for it will set up a vogue for blue. It is very attractive, only a little lighter than the very lovelv lapis lazuli blue, and exactly the tint of the bird's egg after which it is named. Aot every woman can wear every tone of blue. Some of the shades are pretty, but so hard against any but a perfect' complexion. Mavis blue, however, is so soft and becoming that nobodv need hesitate about choosing it. The 'Duchess was wearing it at a matinee and at the British Industries Fair when I saw her. Her frock was of crepe de chine, in which the blue comes up very deliqntely. her coat was of simple woollen cloth, and she had a little felt hat of the sa’me colour.

A set of nine beautiful opals was recently sold in America for £14.000. Like diamonds, opals vary in value from a few shillings to thousands of pounds. In one respect, however, they are unique, since they cannot be artificially imitated, except with very tawdry results. Nowadays really good opals are becoming exceedingly scarce.

That the prettiest girls live in Cape Town and the most beautiful women in Bueonos Aires is the opinion of a motor-cyclist who, with his companion, arrived nt Southampton from South xVfrica on the completion of an adventurous motor-cycling world tour.‘ which began in August, 1926. During the tour they visited 25 different countries. MADAME MENEKE IN NEW PLYMOUTH. New Plymouth ladies should on no ■ account fail to witness Madame Menere’s great display of’ Russian and Canadian furs which vill be held in the King's Buildings for the next few days only, when over flO.tXk worth of fur coats, etc., will be sold under New Zealand wholesale prices.—Advt.