PRE-WAR FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 3, 29 September 1942, Page 3

PRE-WAR FRANCE

Foods, Costumes And Customs

A colourful and comprehensive account of France, and the customs and characteristics that formed the bulwark ot national life, before the German invasion, was conveyed to members of the W omen s Social Progress Movement by Madame E. Findlayson at a meeting held yesterday in Wellington. Before the I’reach Revolution, France was divided into provinces, not for political reasons, but because of geographical barriers, said Madame Findlayson, when explaining .the strong individual characteristics that made the provincial conservatism of the small towns and villages distinct from the' cosmopolitan air ot laris. iu e peasant followed tradition and habit so closely that he could not bear the idea of putting money in the.bank, but preferred to hoard it. . Perhaps one of the most interesting provinces in all France was Brittany, continued the speaker. 'Here dwelt a ■population of poor peasant people who had retained a rich individuality, through the centuries. In the eleventh century there had been a Celtic migration from England to France, and Brittany; still evidenced a strong similarity to ales, in that their peoples could converse fluently iu their native dialects, and historic fables, such as the stories of Arthur and the Round Table, were as much a part of French literature as they were England's. Brittany, tl,e artist’s Mecca, with its fertile coastal region, sailing boats and fishermen, was also famous tor the fact that it had preserved its national costume. Each village could be identified by the distinctive, beautifully handembroidered bonnets or head-dresses worn by its womenfolk. Bonnets were complicated, highly valuable, fragile affairs of ribbon and lace. Madame Findlayson gave tangible proof of this by displaying an authentic replica of a village girl's costume, complete with white poke bonnet, and worked apron. The dress, fashioned trom black velvet, had wide sleeves edged with frilled pale lemon cuffs to match the apron, and a fitted bodice heavily embroidered with tangerine-coloured cotton. An incongruous note was sometimes struck by the present day girl in Brittany when she went bicycm-nding in. such a costume, said the speaker. Sketches of head-dresses peculiar to Normandy, Nice, Bearn, .and other French provinces were also displayed. Madame Findlayson concluded her talk with what she termed the inevitable French conversational topic-r-cooking. Cooking was a national love and differed considerably from the . English methods of eating, in that each dish was eaten separately. Meat and vegetables were not consumed together, they formed distinct menu items, and this accounted for the .richness and careful cooking of. their dishes. Tea was almost unknown in the average family, but a tea brewed from dried blackberry leaves was immensely P °Miss r * E. Watson presided at the meeting, and Mrs. James Bennie, who arranged the musical programme, read the intercessory items. Songs, written by Mrs. Joye Taylor, were sung by Mrs. I-I. F. Eggers, accompanied by the composer. Tea was served by the hostess committee.