TOPICS for WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 108, 2 November 1940, Page 15

TOPICS for WOMEN

LADY NEWALL

TALENTED AND CHARMING

HAPPY FAMILY LIFE

(By Air Mail—From "The Post's" London Representative.)

LONDON, October 8

Charming, natural, and vivacious, with a flair for organisation, Lady Newall, wife of the new GovernorGeneral, is going to be most popular with New Zealanders.

"I am looking forward immensely to going to New Zealand," she said, "and the children are most excited about it."

The Newalls are a typically happy English family—although Sir Cyril has had little time available for home life since the war began Their two daughters, Georgiana and Diana, are 14 and 13, and their son, Francis, is 10.

Both Sir Cyril and Lady Newall are extremely fond of music, and Lady Newall is a talented singer. She has read widely, and is keenly interested in agriculture.

MET MANY NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN.

Lady Newall has met many New Zealand airmen since the war started. With the Marchioness of Townshend, she has been responsible for organising the Officers' Club at the Dorchester Hotel. It provides entertainment for Dominion officers in the R.A.F. and has proved extremely popular.

Lady Newall, also played a large part in organising the R.A.F. Comforts and Benevolent Fund. During the first four

months of the war, as a member of the committee, she worked at its office daily. Her flair for organisation proved of the utmost value.

The fund has been responsible for distributing over £300,000 of comforts since the war started, including 750,000 woollen garments. 5000 radio sets, and roughly 7,000,000 cigarettes.

Lady Newall's great charm lies in her naturalness, and her ability to put those with whom she talks completely at their ease. This is a talent possessed by Sir Cyril, who has none of the austere "military manner" about him. He talks easily and rapidly.

"Lady Newall and I have both wanted to visit New Zealand for a long time," he said. "My appointment, therefore, gives us the opportunity of fulfilling our wish.

"If for no other reason, I am particularly keen to see and to live in the country which has produced so many first-class airmen. New Zealanders in the R.A.F. are doing a good job of work."

Sir Cyril added that he hoped to be able to make a detailed inspection of the1 Pacific deferices, perhaps on his way to New Zealand.

HOMELY, CHEERFUL ATMOSPHERE

LONDON CLUBS FOR OVERSEAS TROOPS

It is a real tonic lo be about among the tanned and sturdy lads ■vvlio have come to take their places beside our forces here, wrote a correspondent of the "Melbourne Age" from London recently. They have no doubts. Their confidence is superb. So is their appetite, judging from the amused remarks of women who stand for hours serving them with food and drink in clubs and canteens!

There is a kind of homely atmosphere at a V.M.C.A. canteen near Sloane Square, where men of the three forces from home and overseas are welcome any morning and any even ing. At midday they have "snacks" of all kinds and a variety of soft drinks in addition to tea and cocoa. In the evening they have suppers which cost them sixpence apiece, and are really satisfying. They get cold meat with pickles, for example, plenty of salads, cake, or pie, bread anji butter— or perhaps margarine, GAY WITH COTTAGE FLOWERS.

Lady (Godfrey) Thomas is in charge, and Viscountess Hood, who also works at the Canadian Beaver Club, puts in a couple of days every week. The ladies of the committee have made a very comfortable centre for the men. In one room is* the canteen bar, cheerfully covered with red and white American cloth and made gay with jars of cottage flowers. Little tables are spread about informally, and the men enjoy their meals in the friendly atmosphere that makes for good digestion.

The forces' sitting-room at the centre has been furnished by.the committee with red lounge chairs and light polished wood tables, in keeping with the red and white colour scheme of the canteen bar. The centre used to be a school, and there are still a few blackboards on which lads with artistic aspirations di'aw their impressions of personalities in the services. Whether or not the personali-

ties would be flattered is another matter.

They have a couple of ping-pong tables, and they can play darts and other games—or just stroll quietly away into a smaller room to read and write letters. Some of them play the piano like professionals—they may, of course, have been members of bands before the war. Others insist on playing—like anything but professionals, though with enthusiasm.

Members of the women's organisation who went to France some time ago to set up canteens and hostels for members of the auxiliary services are naturally sad and disappointed at haying had to return home and leave their centres to the mercy of the enemy. However, there are signs that quite soon they will find plenty of work to do at home. . .

The model Y.W.C.A. centre for women in uniform which the Duchess of Kent opened a few weeks ago has won golden opinions both from those who use it as a place for rest and recreation, and from those who look after their comfort. The club, "somewhere in England," possesses the joy of open-air girls—a verandah with a pleasant view, where they can drink tea and nibble sandwiches and cakes while they talk over current events. The canteen is voted excellent. But the women in uniform do not only use the centre as a rest and refreshment place, they also hold "keep fit" classes, instruction in country dancing, language classes, and meetings for discussions on events of the moment.