LONDON IN FOG

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 110, 3 February 1931, Page 5

LONDON IN FOG

A Bright Christmas

PLENTY TO SPEND

Fascinating Lights

(By Nellie M. Scanlan.)

Dominion Special Service. London, December 8, To-day we have emerged from the fog, which for days has held us in check. 1 ortunately we have not been poisoned, inat unhappy fact was kept for Belgium.. .It may be that like natives of Oriental cities we have become immune, though there has been an outbreak of influenza corresponding with the fog. It was not a pea-souper in London, but down the Thames, and on the south coast, visibility for nearly three days was for only a few yards. In London lights burned nearly all day, traffic wore headlights, and even the best complexions suffered a coating of black slime. Ships lay in the Thames, unable to stir a yard. The passengers woke, up each morning, asking: “Are we there, ’ only to be told they were still here. They played cards, daficed, and made the best of it. A few ran short of bread. j . . But London goes on. They played football, and at one match the crowd made torches of newspapers to get an occasional glimpse of the game. They judged by the voices in the fog whereabout play centred in tbe field. One player was injured, but no one knew for some time. He just lay there, lost in the fog.

Bag Snatchers in the Fog. Bag snatchers had a field day. One good snatch, and he was lost in the fog, with pursuit impossible. But now the sun shines, and Christmas is big over London. When dusk has fallen, it is almost impossible to move along Oxford Street, because of the crowd that gathers to watch the electric decorations on two big stores. Selfridge’s has had the laurel for years. This season an electric switchback’ extends the whole length of the building, which covers an entire block.. Along this gay highway, ears loaded with the figures from nursery rhymes, even with Mickey the Mouse, go careering along, up and down. In the centre giant figures of phantasy dance round a gigantic Christmas tree, and in each upper window, of the shop is a Christmas tree ablaze with electric lights. It is very good, but they have done better. Across the way, Gamage’s new shop has wiped them out in decorative design. They have a whole village across the upper floor made of electric bulbs of every colour —the gayest, most joyous village, and from above a vision of Santa Claus scatters a snowstorm, each flake a moving flick of electric light. For hours people stand and watch it, and they so crowd the street tbat traffic is almost at a standstill Free Spending. It may be the Christmas spirit, it may be the turn of the tide, but money is getting loose. The bank has issued oyer £8,000,000 extra money to meet the Christmas needs, and that is much more than last year. I think people have grown tired of the pinching and scraping of the past few months. It may be a desperate: “Well, if we have to go bankrupt, why go for a paltry few hundred pounds, we may as well made it £40,000. and be done with it.” That is the reckless air that seems to pervade the shopping crowd.. It is a fight to get into a shop, and the prices are simply staggering. Yes, they are, despite the fact that many things are cheaper, the Christmas goods are just as dear, and dearer. With the coming of Christmas come the annual traditional events. Yesterday at Hurstpierpoint College.the decorated boar's head was borne into the dining-room in state, and carved by the headmaster, the boys standing In line, each holding out his plate. The Boy Bishop was elected, and wore his cope and mitre and jewelled gloves at the St. Nicholas Day feast of St. Nicholas College, Chislchurst. The men are coming down from universities this week, and the boys from school next. The Theatres. The theatres are putting aside serious fare and staging Christmas stories and plays and pantomimes, and, of course, “Charlie’s Aunt” is revived with its annual success. Speaking of theatres, Miss Isobel Wilford is making a big success of the leading part at the Everyman Theatre. Shayle Gardner, who has forsaken films for the moment, is in “The Man from Blankley’s at the Fortune, and Miss Rosalind Atkinson has been playing a part in “Cheated,” in which she also understudies Sara Allgood. As Miss Allgood was mixed up in a taxi smash, Rosalind played her part with great success one night. America is resentful of the success of many English actors on Broadway. So, in order to protect he'r own players, the Actors’ Association decreed some time ago flint any actor (oher than American) could not accept an engagement until six months had elapsed from the termination of his or her previous play. That six months’ idleness prevents many from going over. If they' have a long mm and a big success, they can bridge the gap. If, however, the play tails after a few weeks, the position is impossible. Now they have decided to impose a tax of five per cent, on the salary of any foreign actor, to found a dole fund to help Americap actors who are out of work. i Nurses Scarce. England is lamenting the dearth of nurses. There is much talk of stimulating interest in this profession for gfrls. As a matter of fact, it is not trained nurses that are short, but fewer girls are entering as probationers. Nursing in England does not offer the excellent prospects that it does in the Dominions. In New Zealand, where there are fewer opportunities for girls—educated girls—to enter professions, more turn to nursing. The pay is good, they are accorded a definite status, and there are no great hardships. Recently I have met a number of New Zealand and Australian nurses, who have come over here, and they all tell the same story. In most cases, the type of girl who goes in for nursing here is not so high: she is more an upper servant. Salaries are much lower over here. Doctors nre often surprised at the greater responsibility colonial-trained nurses take. Many of the nurses who come over want private nursing. Some find it disconcerting to be included among the servants and expected to dine with them. One New Zealand Karitane nurse told me that she had applied for a post with the wife of a noted author in London, and was received as though she was a scullery maid. A lot depends on the nurse, and a lot on the home. Conditions of life are different over here, and though there may be a clamour for more nurses, it must be remembered tbat the pny is much smaller, and the conditions very different.