FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18614, 9 July 1930, Page 4

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. The King and Queen at a Flower “That’s the most wonderful plant I have ever seen. I did not know such a plant existed.” The King was expressing his astonishment at a £2OO specimen of the curious Pitcher p*ant* from Borneo. It is one of Natures fly-catchers—a demon octopus of the floral world. It was Quaint outlines of its long pendant-like blooms that caught the King’s eye during his tour with the Queen, of the Chelsea Flower Show It was explained to him that the plant lures Its victim into a bag by means of a few drops of nectar, and then squeezes the life out of them, “It will digest a cockroach in 48 hours,” the proud exhibitor told the King, as he peered into the death trap.’ “Wonderful, wonderful,” he said again. The old pensioners, puffing their pipes beneath the flowering laburnums in the hospital grounds, rose and saluted the King, as he passed through to j the show. “Never seen his Majesty look so well,” they all agreed. Certainly it was good to see the warm glow of health on his bronzed cheek, and to hear the full depth of his sonorous voice raised in joyous laughter as it could be heard on one occasionthrough a bank of gorgeous blooms, and above the song of an improvised waterfall in one of the rock- gardens he admired. He and the Queen walked three miles up and down the avenues of terraced blooms. “My father hated laurels,” remarked the King, chatting to Mr Loder, the president of the show, and the mention of laurels led him to recall the day when the first rhododendron was j planted at Sandringham. “It was carefully watered every day,” the ; King said. “Now, of course, there are i thousands of them—and there are j also weeds that have to be got out.” j He was most enthusiastic about carnations, his favourite flower, and when he came to a group he said: "Why. these are white pearls, like mine,” pointing to shis buttonhole. “Mine came up from Windsor this morning. I like carnations. They wear so well. A gardenia soon fades if you knock it.” . I

“That’s my favourite colour,” said the Queen, as she stopped before a mauve carnation named Kathlea, just beside the big ones. “I don’t care much for the coloured ones,” said the King, when shown this one. “But I agree they suit the ladies, and their dresses,” he continued, with a hearty laugh. The Queen stopped to admire the snowy whiteness of a large gardenia, and she picked it for the King. But when it was discovered that it was at least five inches across, the King laughingly refused it. “Much too big for me to wear,” he said. The Queen carried the bloom all round the show, and by the time the tour was ended she had a large bouquet of flowers, including a massive red carnation. “Look at that white begonia,” remarked the King, calling the Queen to his side. “Did you ever see such a splendid fellow? Looks more like a rose.”

Strange flowers you would hardly believe it possible for Nature to create were piled up in profusion. Visitors from Japan, Chile, South America and Canada formed a floral league of nations never seen iij London before. The King and Queen, in their walk, found a Princess Elizabeth pansy in one of t i tents —d delicate bloom with crimson petals. They discovered the greatest wonder of the show in the tent where £IOO,OOO worth of orchids were gathered. It was a wild jungle orchid from Brazil, and it was plucked by a collector at the risk of his life from a rocky eminence almost inaccessible. It is worth about £SOO. Chelsea was an answer to those gloomy horticultulists who say that there is nothing new in the floral world. One form in the Home Counties alone exhibited a floral temple containing over 300 varieties of annual flowers, many never before grown in England.

Actress—Dress Designer: Miss Rene Kelly showed some delightful models at the dress parade, which marked the opening of her new dress salon in Albemarle Street. A smart and useful afternoon dress was in brown flamingo flecked with a white design that reminded one of grains of rice. The bodice, made coat fashion, cut into a rounded basque at the back, was finished with ruffles of white crisp organdi at the neck and wrists, and a metal buckle glistened in the centre front of the* waist belt, where the coat opened. Another useful dress was in blue and white fancy silk and wool material. The bodice was bolero shape, &nd the skirt with a hip yoke, was finished with a blue suede belt at the normal waistline. “Grapefruit” was the name given to a frock of pale yellow wool crepe. Cut on straight lines, the skirt was trimmed with flat insets of the material, and two horizontal straps about two inches apart and finished with gilt buckles marked on the waistline, and similar straps ornamented each cuff.

Among the many lovely evening gowns was one in white marquisite, which had a long, tight bodice from which, at the hip-line, the full skirt flowed gracefully to the ground. A diamante shoulder strap, finishing in a loop at the back of the shoulder, was its sole trimming. Another gown, also with a long, flowing skirt, made with panels falling from the hips, was in shaded pink chiffon, tinged faintly with orange, so that it was neither rose nor salmon pink, but a shade between the two. This was accompanied by a short coat of wallflower brown velvet. A deep frill rather wider at the back than the front trimmed the hem of the coat ,and a bow of the velvet was placed at the back of the collar.

An afternoon frock, designed by Miss Kelly, was in black and white printed crepe de chene. The bodice was trimmed with three horizontal tucks, which were repeated on the skirt above a wide pleated hem. The frock was accompanied by a threequarter length coat bound with plain white crepe. A lovely gown for a first dance was materialised in pale blue tulle. The very full skirt was decorated with an applique design of leaves in silk of the same shade, and a swathe of tulle was placed around the hips. The bodice was quite plain and tightfitting. Under Rose Umbrellas: Mrs James Corrigan’s dinner-cabaret-dance was one of the successes of the season. This enterprising j. unerican hostess always provides something novel. This time her guests were seated at tables for ten under huge umbrellas of red roses, while they watched those sensational dancers, Stone and Vernon and the Reno Brothers, and listened to Wheldon and Melville at their pianos. The hostess, attired in flesh-pink tulle and emeralds had collected around her some of the loveliest young women in society—tall Lady Lettice Lygon, who was to be married to Mr Cottrell shortly, Lady Kathleen Rollo, Lady Helen and Lady Margaret Stewart, Lady Londonderry’s young daughters, to mention but a handful. She had, too, provided some very eligible bachelors in Lord Molyneux, the Hon. Ivor Guest, the Duke of Norfolk, and Lord Stavordale.

Princess Mary in a Hoist: While on a visit to Glasgow lately, Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood, had a thrilling experience in Messrs John Brown and Co’s, shipyards at Clydebank. She was carried by an electric hoist to a height of 100 ft. After motoring through streets lined by cheering crowds, the Princess entered the shipyards and inspected the huge Canadian Pacific liner, Empress of Britain, which was launched on June 11 by the Prince of Wales. To get to the top deck, the Princess had to be carried aloft in the hoist, and when at a dizzy height, she crossed a gangway. Little Elizabeth McColl, aged six years, became nervous after presenting the Princess with a bouquet at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, and burst into tears.

“Don’t cry, darling; come with me; everything is all right,” said the Princess, putting her arms about the little child and soothing her, so that she soon smiled again. Much to the delight of one little boy, the Princess went to his aid, and set his mechanical teddy bear going. Princess Mary was practically mobbed during the review of 9000 Girl Guides. The crowd thronged round her, and her progress was barred until the Rangers joined .hands and forced back the crowd, making a way for the Princess, who was cheered wildly.

First Impressions: A dark and untidy hall makes a poor impression at the first glance, says an English writer. So many people have attractive flats and houses with hideous halls and landings. There is a -tradition that anything will do for the hall. This accounts for the number of dull and overcrowded hallways in many houses, large and small. They extend no welcome to the visitor and proclaim the owner to be without taste or imagination. It is just as important to plan the appearance and comfort of a narrow passage as a spacious sitting-room. More so, because it is more difficult, says an English writer. The large hall can be treated as an extra sitting-room of a formal nature, and furnished accordingly. The small hall requires to be painted cream or dove-grey, or a light shade of leaf-green, to ensure rts cheerfulness. The modern chests %vrnch are on show in several furnisn ing stores, are very effective. One of the polished wooden bowls for letters and messages looks well standing on top, but any more ornaments are to be avoided. Far the best way to light both hall and landings is to have lanterns. These look really in place and can be most original. Spanisn gilt ones are inexpensive, and so art the gay Japanese variety. To give an illusion of space in a cramped entrance hang one or more mirrors on the wall, carefully choosing their positions so that more than o r\e female guest can powder her nose at the same moment.