LONDON PREPARES FOR AUGUST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 46, 23 August 1939, Page 16

LONDON PREPARES FOR AUGUST

SIGHTSEEING IN HYDE PARK TRENCHES

(By Constance Robertson.)

The "season" having officially ended with the Buckingham Palace garden party, which was literally 'Svashed out".in the rain, London is, as usual, preparing for the August holidays and spring cleaning, and anticipating visitors from the provinces and from America.

To the European mind, this British nonchalance in August must seem nothing short of incredible. The international situation is tense, even if the strain has eased at the moment, but many of the A.R.P. training classes have been discontinued for some weeks to come, and one of the joys of those who stay in the city will be to engage I in sightseeing tours of the bomb-proof trenches in Hyde Park. Already there are notices on the railings indicating hours when the trenches can be visited. Production is ceasing for several weeks at some motion picture studios, j and "Dear Octopus," which has been i running for nine months, will close down for a fortnight after next Saturday so that Dame Marie Tempest and other members of the cast can have a holiday. i THE "DEVIL'S" REWARD. In fact, London, in this last week in | July, is slowing up a tempo which could never at any time be called swift: August becomes, in effect., a weekend which is a little longer than usual. So. with this August interlude ahead of her, it surely showed courage on the part of Dorothy Sayers to open her play "The Devil To Pay" at His Majesty's Theatre during the past week. ' The plot is based on the Fauu-t legend, and at the end of the play the author, with eyes twinkling behind her pince-nez, and silver fox furs, dripping over her amethyst frock, made ,i speech and kissed the "Devil." He received his reward shyly. The play has been greeted with mixed comment by the critics, but one name in the "cast" was interesting: j -The Soul of John Faustus Lloyd-) Ware." Who is Lloyd-Ware? A black cocker spaniel from the "Of Ware" Kennels. The point is made in the play that after the Devi] has messed aboul with Faust's soul for a day. the soul has shrunk to the size and shape ! of a three months' old puppy, not human at all. MARRIAGE MAY BE POSTPONED Today 1 talked with Mary Maguire'o I sister, and learned that the wedding j between the young' Australian film star and C?pt"ii R. Gordon Cpnnins. which has been fixed for August 14, may be i

postponed. Mary Maguire, who has been working very hard for the past twelve months, has developed a slight chest trouble, and has been ordered to rest and be under medical supervision for a fortnight. No plans have as yet been made for the wedding, which, if it has to be | postponed, will take place a week or so later. LADY ASTOR AGAIN. Lady Astor, M.P., who has been creating arguments since the time when j she was the first woman to take her | seat in the House of Commons, has j again made the headlines. Discussing in the House the working hours of children in industry, this Conservative member supported Labour. "If I were to see my child working such long hours in a factory the red flag would not be red enough for me,'" she said, with emphasis. Always Lady Astor sees everything from the viewpoint of the woman and the child. She is always ready with a retort for those who would jibe at her sincerity because of her wealth, and many of her most acid comments have been given with a disarming smile. She is witty and courageous, she is gay and feminine, and she knows the game of politics fro. i vast experience. i TEACHER v. SECRETARY. A court case during the week gave an opportunity to seek opinions on a problem which apparently vexes many parents: does a secretary have greater social advantages, and a higher social status, than a school teacher? A man, I separated from his wife, made her an I allowance on condition that his daughter was educated "in a manner suitable to her position in life" and become a school teacher. The mother had the daughter taught shorthand and typing, and the father refused to pay the allowance. Whal extra social advantages a secretary has over a school teacher were not indicated by the mother, in whose favour the judgment was made.

School teacher? have not yet rushed to the defence of their social status, nor suggested the matrimonial proT2cts denisd them while teaching the you.ig idea how to count