QUEEN GOES SHOPPING

Southland Times, Issue 25302, 4 June 1935, Page 2

QUEEN GOES SHOPPING

TOUR OF THE FAIR. NUMEROUS PURCHASES MADE. The untiring energy and vitality of the Queen have seldom been more strikingly exhibited than when, she visited the British Industries Fair in London recently. Accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of York, her Majesty spent three and a-half hours in an exhaustive tour of the Olympia section. The Queen arrived just after ten o’clock —earlier than had been expected. Several exhibitors were still putting final touches to the stalls and shirt-sleeved workmen hurriedly put on their coats. Apart from a few minutes’ rest for a cup of coffee at midday, when the Princess Royal joined the Royal party, the Queen’s tour of the exhibition never paused. By the time the Queen left Olympia at 1.30 p.m. it was estimated that she had walked fully six miles. But her enthusiasm had not begun to wane. While many of the officials accompanying her were showing signs of fatigue, the Queen’s interest in each fresh stall remained unflagging. “It is better and better,” was her parting comment. The Queen did not content herself with window-shopping. She ordered more than £lOO worth of goods. For the first time in her many visits to such exhibition, her Majesty brought with her Mrs Moore, one of the housekeepers at Buckingham Palace, and frequently drew her attention to household and other novelties. Many of the stalls which the Queen visited were devoted to handbags, articles in which she has always taken a lively interest. By the time she had left her Majesty had ordered several dozen of different patterns, ranging from a small compactum known as “The Princess Marina” to a silver sequin evening bag which she told the stallholder would be “for Jubilee use.” Some of the bags ordered were in the new “Jubilee blue” or the “Margaret Rose” shade of pink. The Queen also bought two giant handbags, known as ladies’ kitbags, remarking, “These will be very useful to me.” Amused by “Thiefproof’ bags. At a stall devoted to “thiefproof” bags and jewel-cases Mr Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, who accompanied the Queen round the exhibition, made his debut as a “bagsnatcher.” To her Majesty’s great amusement Mr Runciman was invited to pick up a bag. As soon as he did so it emitted a piercing squeal, intended to warn its owner that it was being stolen. A few minutes later the Queen paused to look at some picnic baskets. One, containing two vacuum flasKsand with compartments for milk and sandwiches, particularly attracted her attention. When she had given instructions that it should be sent to Buckingham Palace the manager of the stall told the Queen that it had been invented by his 14-year-old daughter, Mavis Cooper, as a protest against having to carry a heavier basket on picnics. One of the foreign buyers presented to her Majesty was Si Ahamed Hadji, a picturesque figure from Morocco, dressed in scarlet and white turban and flowing brown jallaba. With him was his son, Mohammed Hadji; they had come to place orders for silver, soap, woollens, and worsteds. The Queen shook hands with the old man, saying, “I hope you will enjoy yourself and that you like our goods.” He repled in Arabic, and his son translated his answer: “I wish you all happiness and health for all the Royal family.” TJie Queen spent a long time at the British Empire section, where her purchases included Australian peach and quince jams. At the Scottish stand she expressed her interest in preserved cranberries and bilberries, picked in the heather near Balmoral. Toys “For the Children.” At the Ministry of Agriculture stand, the Queen closely questioned Sir Charles Howell Thomas, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry, and asked that copies of the National Marks Recipe Book should be sent to her and to the Duchess of York. She bought a number of tiny brooches, which she was interested to hear were made of bread . painted to resemble flowers, and a reproduction of an 1887 Jubilee umbrella. The Queen selected her Christmas card for 1936, and her other purchases included boxes of paints for the children,” children’s tea sets, clocks, a fitted dressing case and two folding tea waggons. The Duchess of York’s purchases included a baby dol| for Princess Margaret Rosa and several toys.