SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19142, 7 October 1925, Page 16

SOCIAL NEWS.

Miss " A'Deane left for T&kapau, Hawke's Bay, last evening. Miss Farquhar, of Dunedin, who has been visiting Auckland, has left on her return South. j Mrs. Davidson, Miss Davidson and Miss Watkins, of Sydney, are staying at the Hotel Cargen. Miss Muriel Payton, who has been ■visiting Christdhinch, is at present staying in Wellington. Mrs. T. H. Speedy, Auckland, is visiting Wellington as the guest, of her sister, Mrs. Girling-Butcher. Mrs. R. J. Bennett, of Auckland, is.the guest of Mrs. G. H. Stephenson, Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth. Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air; opened ;he new London Aero Club for light aeroplane flying. Mrs. ElliottLynn, of the ladies Athenaeum Club, believes that the new movement will attract & host of women, and looks forward to the day when women will run their own small aeroplanes. "It will lie really cheaper than running a car," she declared. Dealing with the clothes women would wear for flying, "there are now on sale," she said, "very useful little things jn the shape of flying helmets. An ordinary tweed suit is quite useful usually. For short flights a mackintosh is suitable." Since she lost the regular companionship of Princess Mary the Queen has relied more and more upon her niece. Lady May Cambridge, a daughter of Princess Alice Countess of Athlone, who must not be confused with another niece of the Queen, Lady Mary Cambridge, now Duchess of Beaufort. Lady May accompanied Queen Mary to Ascot, and is a delightfully unspoilt girl. For the rest, Queen Mary relies upon the Duchess of York, who is one of the busiest of English women, and is fully engaged' weeks ahead. For charity functions, no" woman, except Queen Mary herself, is a bigger attraction. The Duchess of Northumberland's lastborn son, who has just been christened Geoffrey, had two Royal sponsor. P:i i cess Mary and Princess Victoria. Like his three brothers and two sisters the new arrival is destined to be 3 close friend of Royalty. The Duchess of Northumberland, who is the perfect English type, with masses of golden hair and a wild rose complexion, entertained King Edward at her father's horse before she was out of the schoolroom. She has acted as hostess for the Duke of Richmond for Goodwood ever since. The Queen usually pays an annual visit to Alnwick Castle and sees a good deal of the children. A nctve'.ty* of the London season is a reversion to the old-time habit of introduction at dances', states a correspondent. Once more hostesses are making themselves responsible for the success of a dance, and are not relying upon their girl friends providing their own partners, and, perhaps, dancing with osie man throughout an evening. The "dancing partner" was always an evil custom, and it is good to knom> it is passing. Other hostesses are adapting the American habit of "stunt" dances, the obvious attractions of a good dancing floor, a first-rate band and a pleasant supper being regarded as ! insufficient. Thus, one or two hostesses have devised crossword dances, in which 1 the men j-„ceive hats inscribed with a couple of le'ters or a syllable, and are re- j quired to select their partners for each dance from girls whose If ttered devices j complete the word on their own head- j gear. Other dance hostesses distribute toy 1 favours such as the public dancing halls distribute, fans of crinkled paper, mavbe, or musical instruments of quaint design with a monstrous capacity for noisemaking.