A MAID IN MAYFAIR

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1933, Page 14

A MAID IN MAYFAIR

GOSSIP FROM LONDON TOWN.

LATEST MODELS IN SUMMER FURS.

(From Our Lady Correspondent.) ; London, May 11. • It might be thought that, now the ( Eloom of Mr. Buchan’s cold interludes are past, women would be thinking frills than furs. Yet we just had staged, in a famous West End fashion salon, a mannequin parade ot the latest models in spring fur coats. These included Canadian minx marmot, seal, Persian lamb, ocelot, and ermine, not to mention musquash, the original purveyors of which are said to be nowmultiplying exceedingly in this country, and threatening to undermine our rivers and bridges. Most of the furs' h designed for evening wear, and fallowed evening gown lines, with curves, and coming to witfun a foot or eight inches of the ground. Interest m the more costly models was restrained, as these so obviously would inevitably “date.” A HAIG OF BEMERSYDE. Lady Phillimore, who joined forces with Mrs. Robert Hutchins m giving a dance for their daughters, the Hon. Margaret Phillimore and Miss Diana Fortescue, is the elder daughter of the late Col. A. JB. Haig, of Bemersyde, and, therefore, a kinswoman of the late Ear Haig. Shortly after the war Col. Haig disposed of Bemersyde, the ancestral home of the Haigs, to the trustees of a fund raised to purchase, that seat for the distinguished field-marshal. Lord Philh more was formerly in the highland Lig Infantry, and served in the war with distinction. His father, the first peer, was the distinguished ecclesiastical lawyer and judge, and his grandmother was a sister of Viscount Ossmgton <SP e aker of the House of Commons), who, derived his title from Ossington, Notts., the home of the Denison family, g® mores are great ground “ Kensington, owning a considerable p nerty round about Camp den H . first peer was once Mayor of the oya borough of Kensington. MORE STATE BANQUETS. I am told that we are this London season to have a revival of those State banquets which were dropped some time ago. It was King Georges illness that first interrupted these entertainments, Sxd they were allowed to remain to abeyance after His Majesty’s recovery, because no doubt the economicßepression. made them malapropos Ate these State banquets the distinguished leaders of thought to many activity wers entertained, and they 3 tateresl alike to the Wai hoa and the commanded guests. . Whether their revival indicates a belief in exalted quarters that better times are now dawning or means simply that no effort ta being spared, to summon back those prosperous times, is a matter that cannot be more than guessed. It may be a little of both impulses that-is behind the interesting decision. ALL THE KING’S HORSES. There is much disappointment that the King will not be represented among the runners for the Derby this year, pie Abott was struck out at the end of last week, and now comes the announcement that Whitehead, his only other entrant, has been scratched likewise. It was more or less anticipated that Whitehead would be taken out at the next forfeit stage since his form was not consistent with classic . aspirations. The ’ Royal stables will .be represented now by only Lord Harewood’s Alexander, who will be ridden by Joe Childs, but is not reckoned amongst the favourites for the great race. If his health permits the King still hopes to I be present on the Downs on Epsom day. But there is no possibility of his leading to the winner. One of the reasons, perhaps, why his two horses have been taken out so early is that, after the recent victory of Limelight, the mere announcement that the King intends to attend a race meeting is sufficient to induce thousands of foolish punters to put their money on His Majesty’s horses. A PEERESS-PUBLICAN. Lord de la Warr, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, has just become a vice-president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association. He has donie so by right of the fact that his wife, according to her husband, keeps a pub.” It is situated, I believe, . on his lordship’s estate to Sussex, and is conducted on altruistic lines to provide the local people with good drink under pleasant conditions. Lord de la Warr obviously can have no time to assist to the management, for he is kept fully occupied by his duties as a junior Minister, to which he devotes himself with assiduity and intelligence. With a senior chief like Mr. Walter Elliott, life cannot be dull at the Ministry of Agriculture, and though it is at the moment a muchabused department, Mr. Baldwins compliment to the Minister was not merely perfunctory. 1 FLATS IN GROSVENOR SQUARE. The modern fiat epidemic has now broken out to Grosvenor Square. The property here, as the name indicates, is in the Duke of Westminster’s hands, and he has insisted, through his agents, that the new flats must strictly conform to and accord with existing building lines. Nevertheless, it is a sensational innovation for the most exclusive square to London, and one that for years refused to allow its old oil lamps to be replaced by vulgar gas ones. It is useless to kick against modem tendencies, however, and Grosvenor Square must bow to the flat vogue as it reluctantly did to the gaslamp era. Grosvenor Square is over two centuries old, and it was in an anteroom of one of its fine mansions that Dr. Samuel Johnson, cooling his heels and warming his temper, thought out his ' famous letter to my Lord Chesterfield.

CHAPERONS’ FEES,

It is rather tragic to see the number of advertisements appearing in the “agony” columns from ladies of title who offer to act as chaperons for young girls during the season. I am told that the fees demanded range from £5OO to £lOOO according to the social position of the'

chaperon—not a heavy demand in view of the fact that the chaperon necessarily loses social cast to some extent when she undertakes work of this kind. When she “brings out” a different girl every season, her friends very speedily draw their own conclusions. Nor is it any use for people just on the fringe of the I “best set” to offer their services.. Girls who try to get into Society to this way are generally .daughters of hard-headed business men who have made their pile in the city, and, before coming to --any agreement, the father makes very searching inquiries to ascertain whether the chaperon can “deliver the goods. POLAND’S CHALLENGE. It will be interesting to see if one of our leading lawn tennis girls takes up the invitation extended by the Lawn Tennis Association in Poland. Warsaw wants one of our girls to go over and play an exhibition match against the Polish champion, Miss Jadrzejowska, popularly known amongst the lawn tennis habitues at Wimbledon as Miss JaJa” Smith. The Polish girl started life on the lawn tennis courts to the humble role of ball girl, but displayed such genius for the game that the Polish. L.T.A. is doing everything possible to bring her out as a world champion. If Miss Betty

Nuthall, or some other prominent player takes up the challenge, she would. be assured at least of a splendid reception. The Polish people are renowned for their hospitality, and, speaking from personal experience, I can imagine no more interesting holiday than a round of. the Polish cities, ending up with a visit to the beauty spots at the foot of the Carpathians.

NO USE FOR NIGHTINGALES.

I had a day on the Worplesdon links during the week-end, and learned that the Prince of Wales’ captaincy of the club took effect from the first day of the Merry Month on which we have just entered. I imagine the Prince will play a good deal over the course during his year of office, for I have never seen it in a better condition. The greens, even 1 after the recent drought, are as true as the proverbial billiard table. The changes decided on at the second hole have now been carried into effect, the tee being placed close behind the third green, and giving the hole a pronounced dogleg character. The gardens of the delightful mansions surrounding this, the most beautiful I think of all the Surrey courses, are just now ablaze with flowers, and on the course itself the gorse and broom are in full bloom. The only fault my companion could find with the links was the singing of nightingales. He

agreed that they made beautiful music; but he always associated them with sleepless nights spent to a tiny Surrey cottage. PRINCE AND PARLIAMENTARY. The Prince of Wales, I hear, is going to make a determined bid to win the Parliamentai-y Golf Handicap this summer. He very nearly succeeded to doing 'so last year, getting into the semi-final, when he was put out by the narrowest possible margin by Lord Balfour of Burleigh. Though his handicap is still m double figures, the Prince, I think, could easily play eight or nine, for he has come on a good deal during the last few months. I saw him practising assiduously at the Coombe Hill nets this week under the tuition of Archie Compston. On these occasions the Prince, discards his favourite beret, and after standing hatless to a gale of wind with his hair blowing to his eyes, his appearance would delight the Press photographers if they could “snap” him. THE YELLOW STREAK. I was amused to see at a dance a night or two ago one of the prettiest and most popular members of th. Younger Set wearing a bright yellow streak to her

otherwise dark hair. She confessed that the streak was bleached, and she frankly thought it improved her appearance. Unlike the streaks in fashion a year ago, which crossed the head bandeau-wise, this one was taken from front to back of the head, and the ends of hair were cunningly twisted into little curls which mingled with the dark ones to the neck. A fair girl at the same dance was so taken with the idea that she told me she contemplated having a black streak introduced into her corn-coloured locks. Another yellow “streak” that promises to have a vogue is the gold finger-nail. Not that the nails themselves are dyed gold—nothing so ordinary. Tiny, exquisitely shaped “nails” of the actual metal are clipped on to the tips of the natural ones. The idea has been patented, I understand, by a famous French beauty specialist. OPEN-AIR CAFES. A well-known Bohemian restaurant to Soho has hit upon an ingenious idea for the summer months. From time to time attempts have been made •to popularise the open-air cafe. An awning is set up outside, little tables decorated with coloured lights are set out on the pavement, and mine host waits hopefully for customers. But few come. The average diner-out does not care to feed with curious sight-seers staring and giggling

while he endeavours to make a good job of the spaghetti. The Londoner is not like the Parisian—he _ has never grown accustomed to open-air cafes. At this particular restaurant arrangements have been made to remove the windows on hot summer nights, throwing open practically the entire front of the building' to the open air. The diners, however, will still enjoy comparative privacy, for the interior of the restaurant will be almost entirely shrouded from outside observation by tall, ornamental plants. A CORKER. The Society wedding of the week was that celebrated on Tuesday at St. Margaret’s, 1 Westminster, between Mr. Robert Cecil and Miss Anne Meade. The Bridegroom is Sir Evelyn Cecil’s son, and his distant ancestors include both 1 Queen Elizabeth’s Lord Burghley and the. great Lord Chancellor' Eldon. The bride is Earl Clanwilliam’s niece, and the daughter of Admiral Sir Herbert Meade-Feth-erstonhaugh. The latter assumed tile Fetherstonhaugh surname soon after his appointment to the command of the Royal j r achts. We hear jokes about the difficulty Americans find with such English names as Beauchamp and Cholmondley, but Fetherstonhaugh fairly takes the linguistic biscuit. The right way to pronounce this very old English name is “Fanshaw,” a fact that some people, so far from knowing, even hesitate to accept as true. ABERDEEN COCKTAILS.

A girl has hit upon a new means of earning a living. She has. set up as a cocktail, expert, and gives lessons to young married people who want to give cocktail parties, but have the most rudimentary idea .qf how .to make, the cocktails. In the. main, she confines her instructions to. drinks which are readily prepared, and does not waste time on rainbow mixtures which take , half-an-hour to prepare. - As her activities get to be known she hopes to make quite a profitable business of it—as profitable, at least, as the business of teaching contract bridge. That there is scope for the work can scarcely be doubted since expert mixers tell you that there are no fewer than 1000 different types of cocktail procurable at the refreshment bars at Monte Carlo. Many hostesses'solve the difficulty by leaving it to the individual taste of the guest. . They laughingly stipulate that there shall be no Aberdeen cocktails,’ which are popularly supposed to consist of three,-fourths tap-water and one-fourth, soda water. RED LABELS. The cheerful business of red-starring Royal Academy pictures proceeds fairly briskly. Within a fortnight sales have totalled £5420, of which £1250 was paid for Mr. Gunn’s “Delius.” That picture is, I believe, destined for Manchester. Another exhibitor who has sold a picture is Sir J. M. Barrie’s godson, Mr. Peter Scott, the son of. the tragic Antarctic explorer. His charming study called “Pink-footed Geese” bears the red star of commerce. This is Mr. Scott s first Royal Academy exhibit, and one cannot help wondering whether the purchaser of “Pink-footed Geese” is a benevolent godfather. It would be just like J.M.B. to do a thing like that. So far this year’s Academy sales are, despite the fact that it is a mediocre show, up by nearly £5OO on last year’s figures for the same period. EPSTEIN’S MODELS: It is curious how the fame of Jacob Epstein communicates itself to his . models, Even the woman who sat for his famous study of “Genesis” can be recognised by everyone the moment she enters a restaurant, so wonderfully did Epstein capture her features. Another example is that of “Isobel,” who can be recognised .quite as readily as “Genesis. “Isobel” is not a professional model. On the contrary she is herself an artist of very considerable achievement. She is, I am told, giving an exhibition of her animal studies very shortly at one of the . London Galleries. It is no detraction to . her art to say that the exhibition will • excite far more interest now than it ; would have done before “Isobel” was i put on view at the Leicester Gallery a f week or two ago.