LADY HAIG’S DIARY

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 February 1937, Page 12

LADY HAIG’S DIARY

ITALIAN CORSET COMEDY A remarkable diary is kept by Countess Haig, who was recently in New Zealand after an air trip from England to Australia. T hree incidents in it are particularly interesting- . . She described how she was twice nearly arrested in Italy, in Milan, and Brindisi, for taking photographs of stations and soldiers in uniform with a moving picture camera. “1 laughed afterwards when I found that the film of the camera had networked since I left England,” she wrote. “I was nearly arrested again in Brindisi tor following a Cardinal whose blessing I wanted. “At Brindisi I desired to purchase a corset, and had great difficulty in finding anything small enough, as Italian ladies are very stout for want of exercise. At last 1 found something I thought suitable, and the manager invited me to try it on. A young male assistant wanted to help me with the fitting on, and I had a job to get rid of him. It was difficult explaining that in England and Scotland we were not accustomed to allow voting men to help us try on corsets. When J found the corset, too large the manager produced a very old pair of Victorian stays of the nineteenth century, but I did not buy them, remembering the tight waists of olden days with horror. ‘■l met an ambassadress at Athens and discussed the Prince of Wales, now Duke of Windsor, as we knew him best.. 1 told her I was glad to get away from society in London, which had done so much harm to Ute exKing of England. I told her 1 had a flat in the same, building as Mrs. Simpson, and had given the head porter some port Io ’get him on.’ ’l’llo head porter said 11 is Majesty was a deliglil fill man. I then told the porter what damnable things Condon society were saying of him the porter. 1 hey said he had hidden people in passages of tin- flat to watch Edward coming and going, and that, he had made a fortune out of it. did not like the Greek servants al /Xlheits. and the dumb liftman looked at me like as if ho would niur-l dor me any moment. Knowing all bill- I lies were cowards, I wanted to have | a go tit hint. I pretended to be mad. and started barking like a dog. and running after him down the passage outside the room. He tied like a hare with hounds after him. He was not worthy to be called a fox."