London Gossip

Southland Times, Issue 21648, 9 March 1932, Page 3

London Gossip

(From Our Correspondent). February. Co-operative Dances. Many well-known hostesses are joining forces next week to give a dinner-dance for their “sub-debutante” daughters, who are being presented at the coming Courts. This is the second co-operative dance of recent weeks for daughters who are soon to make their debut. By banding together, these joint hostesses have ingeniously met the difficulty of the present cost of 'entertaining. Problems of catering and additional staff have been solved by arranging to hold the dance at a West-end hotel. By the way, a famous chef is evolving new ideas for hot savouries to set before these future hostesses. Sundaes, which were unknown to their mothers when they were of debutante age, are no longer regarded as the last word in culinary matters by modern debutantes. The hot savoury is the food of novelty of (lie moment. Supper, at about midnight, is to consist of savouries served with beer. When these young people take their place in due course as London’s hostesses their knowledge of all kinds of unusual savouries is certain to strengthen to a vogue for this once-ne-glected course. Sardines and anchovy are to be served at next week's dance in all kinds of novel ways. That reminds me: Negus was among the old-fashioned drinks that took the place of the cocktail at last nigth’s Circus Party given by the clever woman artist, “Peter” Baxendale, anil her husband among the pictures of circus life she is showing at the Albany Gallery. To most of the guests negus was a complete novelty. As they arrived sherry spices, hot water and lemon juice were being mixed together after the recipe of Crimean War days. “Leaders of Fashion.” The next London season will be outstanding in many' ways. Chief among the interesting developments, I learn, are the plans now being laid for a revival of the “Leaders of Fashion”—the title assigned in an earlier day to well-known women who launch the new mode at important functions. Women are adopting this custom of pre-mannequin days to help in the great drive forward for British fashions. The London season is the most famous social period in the world. Women from America, the Continent, and all the Dominions will take part in it. All eyes will be focussed for twelve brief weeks on what women, and particularly Englishwomen, are wearing. I hear of popular hostesses who have resolved to wearzonly London fashions, and so destroy once and for all the fallacy that only Paris can create. Recent brides and young hostesses, far from falling under the spell of Paris, are staunchly supporting this new movement, with all that it means to British industries. They will be following the lead of the Queen anil other members of the Royal family, who invariably have their Court gowns and dresses for the London season designed and made in London. Downing Street is playing a conspicuous part in ensuring that wardrobes for the London season shall come from London, and not Paris, dressmakers. For a whole day-, February 17, the most interesting debutantes of the year and their mothers will flock to the display of British silks that Mrs Baldwin is arranging at No. 11 Downing Street, and which will be open to the trade on the preceding day. The State drawing-room, so familiar to the diplomats of the world, will be filled with stands displaying the most exquisite silks for Court gowns. Many debutantes will make their choice then. Our Progressive Young.

People have been reading more this winter. Yesterday, Lord Grantley's daughter, the well-known poetess, Miss Eleanor Norton, was discussing with me this outcome of the dearth of entertaining. People are being thrown on to their own resources. She told me that a number of young society girls, for instance, arc reading poetry seriously. Miss Norton, a direct descendant of Sheridan and also of the poetess, Caroline Norton, has got enthusiastic support from Lady Georgina Curzon and Miss Cynthia Guest for the Mayfair Centre of the Poetry Society. This centre is trying to interest the debutantes in poetry, and is holding its reopening meeting at the Garden 1 Club on Friday, where Mr Alfred Noyes will read some of his new poems. Both Lady Wimbourne’s daughters will be there. The younger, Miss Cynthia Guest, has just had a wonderful tribute paid to her by her elder sister, Mrs Hay. in a very fine first poem published by the society. It commemorates their happy years together in the “mystery recesses” of famous Wimbourne House, and is called Io Cynthia. Lady Bridgett Poulett and Miss Penelope Chetwode are other young girls who are extremely fond of poetry. Miss Norton is hoping that the revival of poetry will bring back some of the romance of life to young Mayfair. “What a delightful thing an engagement was in Georgian Days,” she lamented. “Nowadays it is so dull and commonplace, and a young couple seem to enjoy nothing so much as throwing cushions at one another or slapping each other on the back.” Miss Norton's Christian name, Eleanour, is the Anglo-Saxon, version of the name. Another interesting literary woman is Lady Tyrrell, wife of the British Ambassador in Paris, who occupies her time in writing a history of the world in that quiet house of hws in Cadogan-gardens. Her history will occupy seven volumes, and she is now engaged on the third. Above her head as she writes is a fine plaster plaque of her two children, created by Miss Stoke in 1913. Lady Tyrrell tells me that this plaque has given her immense pleasure, but unfortunately she has lost the address of the artist and much wants to get in touch with her again.