FROM LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 22191, 20 November 1935, Page 17

FROM LONDON

[By M. S. PlllMMKit.] Crammed Festivities. The early part of November looks as if it will be hectically filled, tiio Royal wedding, the Lord Mayor’s Show and banquet, and the General Election, with all their attendant entertaining. Tlio newly-wedded ones will spend a part of their honeymoon at Bougliton House, known for its unusual it not eccentric building, for it contains 565 windows representing the days of the year, 52 chimneys for the weeks, and seven entrances, one for each day of the week. The church lias already played a part in’ the Buccleugli family, and contain? monuments to its past members. The colour of the gown has evidently been -rather difficult to get quite as was wanted. Now it is really woven and dyed to the beautiful pearl (with a teeny pink tinge) shade that is to “ opalesce ” in the fine old abbey. It is rather fun being a little “ behind the scenes,” as newspaper people are. First, 1 bad a joyful note from the firm that had secured the making of the gowns.. This was followed by an excited letter from those who were to make and dye the stuff, but in their hurry they talked too much of pinks. Thereupon

we wore flooded with headlines, “ An all-pink wedding,” which caused more than one smile. Then came semi-con-tradictions, and now wo do know that something more elegant is to be provided. 1 But I would like to know how much heart-burning and scolding there has been in the last fortnight.

Two Little Maids. The two Princesses are now to lie introduced to real .school lessons. Princess Elizabeth will have a tutor foi special coaching in history, as well as one or two other subjects; and boi small sister, now five years old, must join the little school at her home and learn to read and write. Tlio older child, I hear, is already showing the ■family gift of being a good letter writer, an art strongly encouraged by bci mother, the Duchess of York. The school staff will ho increased to three, as already there is a French lady and the governess, Miss Crawford. And then in a few years will come the question of their new cousin’s education. Still, as lie is only a week old, ho may well be left in peace with his happy young parents, tlio-Duke and Duchess of Kent Some time ago I said how we were all wondering if the new ha by should be a boy whether it would affect the position of tlio Princesses, but evidently it will not. for the young Prince of Kent ranks only seventh in the lino of the throne. So that's that. Holiday Hints. As you read -this you will be busy making plans for the summer holidays, so perhaps you would like one or two details of what lias been fashionable here lately. Bathing suits are still quite backless, and apparently getting more and more legless, too. Now, some bright spark has evolved jewellery to go with the nautical outfit. Lots of it yon can make for yourselves, as you will not need much more than corks, but you must use the knife with skill. Cut into any shape you like good corks, and when necessary pierce them with holes for threading. Thus can you adorn yourself with necklace and bracelets Unit may even, give you a little extra buoyancy in the sea. Another good material on which to try your carving gifts is leather, leather' of the hefty, •solid kind. Cut out brooches iu the

shape of a yacht, anchor, lifebuoy, and so on, and finish these olf with some such suitable motto as 0.K.. SOS. A safety pin passed through will serve as fastener, and if the jewellery is lost, well, there’s not much harm done. Other ideas include the use of bits ol sponge, rubber or otherwise; in dact, make a game of the whole thing. What about making this a new party competition ! J 1 make you a present of my suggestions. Social Items. 1 had lunch with one of Dunedin s most brilliant students, Miss Mary Harding, who was at St. Hilda’s for 10 years, and then went on to Christchurch to fulfil the promise of her school days. And now she has been appointed one of the mathematics mistresses on the stalf of the Cheltenham Ladies’ College, one of the finest English schools. What rather overcame me was the size of its staff, somewhere between 90 and 100! Think of it, the size of the whole of so many of our schools. Maths, alone takes up about 10 of these. Anyhow, to be appointed to this post is one of the plums of the teaching profession among the younger set, and generally means that excellent prospects lie ahead of the holder. Congratulations ! The Misses Ida and Olive Burton looked very well when I met them on their return—for a fortnight only—from Brussels, where they expect to bo

till somewhere near Christmas. They tell mo that living there is most comfortably cheap, with good board-resi-dence at two guineas a week ; but then the exchange is not nearly so hard there for English money. France is hard hit, at the loss of her tourists; we really can’t afford a French holiday nowadays, and to try to square things up a little i believe she is going to introduce something of the German system of special facilities for holiday people. 1 hope so. Mrs Kingston (who was Miss Coughtroy) has returned to Somersetshire alter a pleasant holiday in London with her niece, Miss Betty M'Arthur.

Mrs May (formerly Miss L. Haggitt) left for New Zealand yesterday.

Mr John Mulgan, son of Alan Mnlgan. the well-known writer and literary editor of the 1 Auckland Star,’ has been' appointed to the editorial staff of the Clarendon Press (the Oxford University Press) at Oxford.

Miss Tuck, of Dunedin, has arrived here, by way of South Africa," where she stayed with her relatives, Mr. and Mrs Poole. - former residents in Dunedin Miss Tuck’s specialty is art needlework. of which she studied a good deal in her recent tour through Europe, Miss Marjorie Allan, a member of tho well-known Dunedin family, has now entered the Royal Academy of Music.

There is a pleasant little society here known as the New Zealand Women’s Association. It meets sonic five or so times a year, generally at the Grosvenor, and gives scattered New Zealand friends in London a chance of meeting each other. It held its annual mooting at 'New Zealand House the other day, Lady Wilford presiding over 45 members. Voting results were as follow:—Lady Wilford and Miss V. Hassell, vice-presidents; with as committees—Me.sdames H. Williams, M. Williams, C. -I. Wray, ,1. M‘N. Christie, L. Lnvicn. Drew, Wilson. Hurston. Misses Stella Murray and Thurston.

.Miss Macmillan Brown is spending the winter in Germany, working on the biography of her father, the late Chancellor of the University of Now Zealand. She is also to study steel and wood engraving.