FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18599, 21 June 1930, Page 4

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. RanJTs Bower of Blooms: There is a garden on Thames side at Staines in.which spring has made an effort outstanding even in this floriferous year, says a London writer. Formerly it belonged to the veteran Sir Edward Clarke, K.C., but it is now the property of his Highness the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, and surrounds the house—Jamnagar House —at wheih he spends some time in most years and is expected this rummer. Ranji, as we know him best, is extremely fond of flowers and has the Oriental’s love of sumptuous colouring; and Mr T. Hunt, the head gardener, who went to Staines from Sir James Barrie’s gardens, for ten years has been interpreting his master’s floral tastes.

Things are forward in this pleasant harbourage cf stately tree? and handsome shrubs, of domed evergreens and warm, fruit-clad walls. The display of the more fiery wallflowers, the masses of polyanthuses, the opening tulips, the borders of forget-me-nots, and all the brilliant little things that flourish among rocks and in the crevices of flagged paths in the spring are things to remember with joy. Last year’s lavish sunshine is now coming forth again in blossom. Tut also last year’s flood had something to do with the present lush and splendid growth of things. For in November a foot of water stood in the sunk pond garden which is now a perfect blaze of colour. All the goldfish escaped from the pond_ into the wider area between this sunk garden's retaining walls. After the fish came the Thames seagulls, and Mr Hunt had some stirring hours armed with a gun in one hand and a ret in the other, the latter to catch bis fish for safe transference to a tank. The goldfish have since spawned, nd 14 little fish are now swimming about above the sprouting water lilies. The heaths, irises, and rock-loving plants are resplendent around the summer house which Mr Hunt built after a “Daily Mail” Ideal Home Exhibition design.

All the bright spring bedding before long will give way to summer plants of the most glowing hues. Mr Hunt nurses them in his glasshouses by thousands—everything of garden worth that one can think of that is fine in colour. Masses of sweet peas are among them, and ihe Jam Sahib’s name figures on a challenge cup for these flowers which was won last year. But Ranji’s pet is the rose garden —a flagged pleaaaunce in which other flowers innumerable grow in the paving and in the borders that surround the beds of gorgeous roses. This garden should be at its best when its owner comes back to Staines.

There are wide green spaces, as one would expect at a great cricketer’s home. One is a most beautiful exniyise of velvety Cumberland turf. Here tennis is played. The other is a verdant where stumps are pitched. on which Ranji has his nephews many a lesson in hanaling a cricket bat.

Frocks From the Theatre: Amusing variations of the long skirt were seen in “The Calendar,” Edgar Wallace s play which was revived at the Lyceum, and on the first night oi' v f hieh the famous jockeys, ’Steve Doiloghue and Michael Beary, obliged the author by. walking on in the Ascot scene, provided that he accompanied them. This Mr Wallace did disguised by a long drooping moustache.

Ascot fashions were fo>?shadowed in long skirts trailing cn the ground. Miss Margaret Bannqjrman, who played the part of a mercenary beauty, wore the most astonishing clothes. She created most sensation in an ivory georgette frdek made with a skirt reaching the ground all the way round, and covered with a three-quar-ter coat of the same material trimmed with an immense collar of black fox that came down In long lapels. With it she wore a close-fittjng green turban, and carried a green handbag in lovebird tones.

Another of Miss Bannerman’s striking gowns was of raisin purple tulle sweeping the ground, and with a bolero top of white tulle. This covered a corsage of the same material, and was lightly studded in diamante. Another in yellow faille was made with a gored skirt and orincpßß line. But her most exotic creation was a boudoir wrap of silver paillettes which she flung on over her pale shell pink georgette nightie (also made in a princess shape) when her former lover came through the window to collect his money from her bedroom safe.

More interesting evening dresses were seen in, the “Debonair,” a play in which the modern girl is seen taking all she can get from her friends and giving nothing in return by her wayward company. One of the most beautiful was in lacquer red georgette cut on flowing princess lines, and made with a slotted neckline, coming like a gate across the shoulders. Ear-rings of red and white crystal provided an unusual finishing touch. Long earrings, by the way, are being much worn with long dresses.

A young g-fi who played a baby talk part appeared in a lovely white chiffon evening dress with a moulded bodice and a very long skirt made With v frills, which foamed all the way round to the ground, falling evenly. The bodice had a shoulder cape on the right side.

Married by Proxy: Divided by 9,000 miles of sea and continent, and finding it impossible to get x married under ordinary conditions, two' lovers evolved a iovel scheme to overcome their difficulties. The arrangement was that the girl, Miss Olive Shadford, of Hanover Street, Pt-ckham Rye, London, should be marid by proxv her lo”p” M** • 7r, '*k ick, a Dutchman, who occupies a responsible wnu the aava Government Railways.

Until recently Miss Shadford, an attractive girl of 20, was working in a big Holborn store. While staying at Bexley Heath with her aunt, Mrs Hutson, and preparing for her voyage to Java as a married woman, she excitedly awaited a 'lable conveying the information that she had been married in Samarang, Java. It was arranged that the message should be sent by the bridegroom, Mr Sieblinck, immediately after he had gone through the ceremony—with a married woman at his side!

Mr‘Hutson, speaking of his niece’s unconventional marriage, stated: "Mr Sieblinck and Olive fell in love when they met a couple of years ago, but Mr Sieblinck’s business has tied him to Java since then. So the courtship was continued, and flourished by post, and eventually Olive accepted his offer of marriage. It was impossible for him to return to London for the wedding, and they agred that it would be more convenient for her if she travelled out to Java—where a bungalow home is ready for her—as a married woman. Accordingly, this marriage by proxy, is being carried out under Dutch law at the Dutch Commissioner’s office at Samarang, following the signing by my niece of a number of documents which were sent to the Consulate in London. When Miss Sandford arrives in Samarang she and ner husband \ 111 go through the marriage ceremony at the English church there.” Miss Sandford’s romance recalls to mind a “marriage by telephone” which was performed in America recently. The bridegroom telephoned from Cleveland to Waco, Texas, where the .bride, the magistrate who performed the ceremony, and witnesses were on extension lines. Period House Frocks; House frocks made in period style were a feature of the opening show of Geene Glenny’s new salons. A heavy

silk broche, almost like furnishing brocade, in shades of lose, gold and grey, was used for “Ann Boleyn.” A Medici collar of stiffly-wired gold lace trimmed the tight ' orsage. The long flared skirt was cut away down the centre front to reveal a very full underskirt of rose ninon. The mnon sleeves were tight to the elbow, and then fell in wide graceful flares to the wrist. The “Nell Gwyn*’ frock imparted quite an ingenue sir to the mannequin who wore it. Made of horizontallystriped muslin in yellow, coffee-colour and white, it was cut with a shore, tight bodice and an sk*rr consisting of five tiers of frills. The tiny puff sleeves rnd the low oval neck line were edged with bands of inching, and a prim posy of buttercups and daisies was fastened at the high waistline. . . !

Taffeta in various plaid designs 1 figured in many rt the models shown at this salon. In soft shades of silver grey and shell pink *t made the sleeve- I less blouse and lined the short cardigan jacket of a pretty grey tweed kla.v ensemble. A simple but charming afternoon frock was made of navy 1 and ovster plaid taffeta. It had a tight- 1 ly-fitting bodice and long tight sleeves, and the full ankle-length skirt was i trimmed at the hem with three larrow bands of navy blue velvet. Another afternoon frock in a green , and white plaid design was made of 1 both crepe de chenc and chifion 7he , crepe was used for the sleeves, blouse : and deep hip yoke, the material for

the latter being cut on the cress. At the base of the hip yoke came a tiny peplum in chiffon of the same design, and this material also made the lull and long skirt. Bands of white crepe edved with green made the collar and cuffs, and the narrow waist belt v.-f s of supple white leather. Crimped pique, slashed at the edge j sc that at first glance it looked like 1 a ham frill, lined the upstanding collar ; of shirred silk which gave a novel j finish to a graceful frock of navy blue , crepe. Another band of shirred silk ; was stitched on the skirt hem.

Female Engineers: It is a machinery age, and for some , time it has been felt that women in ; certain administrative ' positions, to j which their talents -.therwise entitled 1 them, suffer somewhat because they ! have not that elementary knowledge j of engineering which is possible to j many men. As a consequence of this 1 feeling, in January there was initiated in a London borough polytecnhic school a course on engineering for such women, the classes being held in the evening. Factory inspectors, welfare workers, managers of laundries, engineers’ secretaries are found eager io derive benefit from the innovation. It is stated that British women are more advanced in these lines than the women of America. At least, members of the American Women’s Engineering Society, when they visited ! Britain not long ago. professed them- i selves amazed io find women holding < responsible positions in engineering 1 works. American women in this re- j spect la? oehind. That the~e is hope ; for all women in these respects may ' be proved by the fact that one very 1 successful engineer, Miss Verena Hoi- 1 mes, did not, when :he was 20 years old, know the difference between a nut and a bolt. She was the first woman elected to the Institute of Mechanical Ereiriecrs, and is now a designer of medical equipment. Two Novel Bills: Notable charity events to come are the "Journey’s End” Ball, which takes places at the May Fair and Queen Charlotte’s Birthday ball the next week at the same place. The .former will, from all accounts, be a very martial affair. There are plans for scenic effects of No Man’s Land, with war-like noises off, and V.C. Sergeants in full service , kit are going to distribute a rum ration j to the guests in tin mugs at just about the hour when wiring parties used to start on their night’s work. Let us hope this beverage will be appreciated in lieu of champagne. A dug-out is to act as a cocktail bar and "Private Mason” is going to write the supper menu in nis own particular phraseology. Queen Charlotte's birthday will be celebrated with a giant cake five feet in diameter, which is to be paraded round the ballroom by a procession headed by Lady' Diana Cooper. Princess Beatrice, who is dining with Lady Howard de Walden’s party, will cut it. and it will then be distributed by a bevy of 30 debutantes. The monster cake is being decorated with 186 electric candles—one for every year since Queen Charlotte was born. . May Revels: The crowning of the May Queen and later or Norfolk's Queen of Beauty I were tivo of the most picturesque fea- 1 tures associated with the May Revels j in the ancient town of Walsingham. in I North Norfolk. Long before the pageant started the j town was crowded with visitors, who j loudly cheered the competitors, whose gorgeous costumes glittered in the sun- I shine. The procession marched ! through the main streets, passing the j town pump and Abbey gates on the way to the Market. Place, where there ■was Morris dancing. Then followed the crowning of the May Queen in the delightful su*- * undings of the old vicarage grounds. Next there was the “election and coronation of the Norfolk Queen of Beanlv,’ the May Queen of Beauty later piesented prizes to the winners of the various , competitions. The “grand finale” was in the form of a torchlight procession, and there was also a fancy dress ball which the May Queen attended. Later she was escorted to her residence at the palace | by her courtiers. "Royalty Speaking”: Here is a story of Princess Elizabeth. that has been amusing her ! mother and father and the rest of the household at 145, Piccadilly. Princess Elizabeth had noticed that ! ’ when members of the Royal Family are about to make v telephone call the call is prefaced by the phrase, “Royalty speaking.” The other day she was more than usually lively, and was told to go and play in a comer of the room.

After five minutes, wanting some attention, she came up to the lady-in-waiting, who was busy writing, and whom she had been told not to disturb. The lady-in-waiting went on writing. Princess Elizabeth persevered in her attempts to draw her into conversation, and finally tugged at her dress. Still no response. Princess Elizabeth was not to be gainsaid: “Royalty speaking,” she said imperiously. Whereupon, of course, she had to be spanked.

Lace at £SO a Yard: An exhibition of lace, of which some pieces are of historic interest, was, opened by M. de Fleuriau, the French Ambassador, in London recently. One of the exhibits is a piece of Sapnish lace belonging to Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I. Much later history is woven into a piece of Malines —the last piece made in that town before the Germans entered it in the Great War.

One fine piece of Malines is priced at £SO a yard. Only one very old peasant womans knows the pattern, so when she dies the secret will go with her.