MOTHERCRAFT TRAINING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 72

MOTHERCRAFT TRAINING.

AN APPEAL FOR £25,000.

FASHIONABLE BALL 4T CLARIDGES.

(From Gur Own Correspondent.)

'ri w LONDON, December 14.' the Mothercraft Training Centre established in London by Sir Frederick Iruby King, wants money. It wants it tor the Princess Elizabeth Hostel which !S to be built in the commodious grounds attached to Cromwell House, Higheate With P uchess of York as president ot the Centre, and with the name of the fourth lady in the land applied to the proposed hostel, the £25,000 appealed for has a very fair chance of being obtained Last Thursday night a ball was held at Claridge Hotel to help to raise the money. A list of patronesses and the committee gives the names of 300 ladies well known in London society. 'The chairman was the Hon. Mrs Alexander Hardmge. It was evident then that the influence not only of the Duchess of Y’ork, but that of the whole of Mayfair, was behind the appeal. Incidentally, this means that the fame of the Alothercraft Training Centre has spread throughout that section of the community which commands publicity.

Most people who read society gossip in the newspapers knew a great deal about the Princess Elizabeth Hostel ball long before the event, for over 50 of the younger set in London society were organising a mannequin parade, a special feature of which was that each participant should carry a doll which was a duplicate of herself. DUCHESS OF YORK.

Over 1000 two-guinea tickets were sold, and the commodious assembly rooms of Claridges Hotel were crowded. Two bauds provided continuous music in the three dance halls. Before midnight the Duke and Duchess of York arrived and had supper with some of the organisers of the ball. Then they took their seats on a platform in one of the dance halls. With them were the Duchess of Sutherland, the Viscountess Curzon, Miss Gertie Millar, and Mr Leslie Henson, who were to act as judges for the parade. On a table on the platform was 9. doll which was a life-size replica of the Duchess of York’s little daughter. It was a remarkable procession of 50 of some of London’s most beautiful women led by Lady Plunket. The dresses were of all periods. As each one approached the dais she curtsied before their Royal Highnesses, and passed on. It must have been a difficult matter to select the winner where all were so charming. A second procession was demanded, and then about 12 were selected for final adjudication. The names of those taking part in the procession and the order in which they appeared were:—Lady Plunket, Lady lan Malcolm, Mrs Euan Wallace. Viscountess Chaipin, Miss Leolia Ponsonby, Miss Romaine Combe, Hon. Mrs Arthur Howard, Miss May Vockers, Lady Margaret Bingham, Lady Kathleen Crichton, Miss Rosalie Willoughby, Miss Joy Verney, Lady Patricia Herbert, Lady Betty Butler, Hon. Sybil Dawson, Miss Cecilia Balfour, Mrs. O’Donovan, the Hon. Ruby Hardinge, Miss Rosemary Goschen, Miss Margaret Cecil. Mrs lan Macdonald, Hon. Mrs) Roland Ciibitt, Lady Mrs Ritcher, Miss Sannyer Atkin, Lady Millicent Taylour, Miss Raefelle Kennedy, Lady St. John of Bletsoe, Mrs Nathan, Mrs Audrey Birkin, Hon. Ybskell Pearson, Hon. Nancy Pearson, Miss Kitty Fraser, Countess of Loughborough, Miss Zita Jungman, Miss Theresa Jungman, Miss T. Guinness, Hon. Diana Skeffington, Mrs Archie Campbell, Miss Veronica Christie Miller,' Miss Peggy ' Salaman, Mrs Ernest Schiff, Lady Amy Coates, Miss Evelyn Buttery, Lady Alexandra Haig, Countess of Haddington, Lady Diana Bridgeman, Lady Catherine Willoughby, Miss Joan Harris, Miss Elizabeth Hulton, Lady Apsley, Miss Poppy Baring, Mrs Latch. Afterwards Mr Leslie Henson, the popular comedian, auctioned some of the dolls. The replica of Princess Elizabeth mounted steadily Tip in guineas until it reached 68 guineas. A doll sent by the Queen of Spain went for more than 50 guineas, ’ and others were sold at high fancy , prices. The money,, of course, is to go to the cause of the hostel. A sum of £5OOO has already been subscribed, which includes a donation of £lOOO from Lady Plunket, thq, leader of the Mannequin Parade. ■■ . . - ; s ?

The ball, which 'was kept up until 3 o’clock, was a brilliant and successful affair, -