FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18818, 5 March 1931, Page 3

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. English—The Best Friends in the World A little woman with a riot of curly auburn hair and big brown eyes that seem to be seeing all the fun in life has brought some of the sunshine of Spain to London. She is Mme. Conchita Supervia. of Barcelona, the vivacious mezzo-soprano who recently appeared with gieat success at the Royal Albert Hall. It would be impossible to imagine a happier-looking woman than Mme. Supervia; she has the spontaneous gaiety of a child, and her smiles chase one another 50 quickly over her round and dimpled face that they tumble over one another, so to speak! Sitting beside a big fire in her London hotel, she talked of her theory as to the cause of the home-loving spirit in British people. "I have discovered,’ she said, “that the much-marvelled-at coldness of the people of this country is only a sham. Yes! a complete sham, indulged in to mislead all the rest of the nations of the earth! In reality, English people are the friendliest in the world, and make the best friendships in the world. And now I will tell you why this is so ; the English weather is responsible.”

Mme Supervia. flung back her charming head and gave a laugh that in itself was a little song. “Listen,” she went on. “The homes of England are created by the climate of England. Because of your weather you build cosy, comfortable houses and put big fireplaces in them and cosy comfortable armchairs. And bacause it is much nicer to be indoors than outdoors you stay at home, and you invite people to your homes, and you and they and your family all sit round a lovely, blazing fire and have a jolly time. So you make many good friends and you love your home.

"Ah! It is very different in Spain. We do not Ipuild such comfortable homes there, nor do we have such comfortable furniture as you have in England. Why? Because it is nicer in our climate to be out of doors. There is the beautiful sunshine—and people feel that they must enjoy it.” Mme Supervia laughed again. “Sunshine!” she cried. “Yes, it is very nice— but give me an English fireside, with tea on the table, and friends who know how to joke and laugh and yet can be

quiet, like English people—and let there be, outside, one of those cosy fogs we have had in London lately. There are people who say they do not like Londont fogs! Amazing! They are a wonderful experience for me, and I love them. They are such a fine excuse for staying indoors beside a big fire, and having a peaceful time instead of rushing here and there doing things and seeing this and hat. Oh, English people are very lucky!” Mme. Supervia declared that she had grown so deeply fond of England and all things English that she yearns to be able to live there always. “Give me just two months every year in m> own Spain and I should be content,' she said. Galli-Curci Criticised: “Diogenes the Younger” makes the following “dig” at Galli-Curci in the November issue of Musical Opinion: ‘ Even as the advent of spring is announced by the punctual minor third of the early cuckoo, so is a season of ‘celebrity concerts’ heralded by the vapourings of ‘prime donne’ in our daily papers. Here is Madame Galli-Curci leading off in the “Daily Express: ‘As a singer I love the great arias and songs; as musician, foremore in appeal to me are the orchestral works of Brahms. Cesar Franck, Beethoven and Bach. And with these I include orchestral arrangements of certain Bach pipe organ com posit ions make by Leopold Stokowski, born in England, but proudly adopted by America as » superlative conductor. Bach pipe organ compositions! Did she think we might suppose that Bach wrote for the mouth organ, or the barrel organ, or the nasal organ? If the “Daily Express” ever invites me to state my musical preferences (which is more than unlikely). I shall write: ‘As an Englishman I like “prime donne” who do not think it artistic to sing “Home, Sw r eet Home,” with cadenzas and in mutilated English, as a musician, foremost in appeal to me are those singers of whatever nationality, who habitually sing in tune.’ Galli-Curci’s singing has been a subject of controversy for somt time. She has been accused of singing out of tune, and critics have also said that her voice is hardening in tone. According to Hungarian papers received in Auckland, Galli-Curci was to have given a series of concerts in Budapest last March, but she received such an unkind reception on the first night from her audience that she abandoned the tour there and then. Racial antipathy may have had something to do with it, but Hungarian audiences are very musical, and will not tolerate any artist, who sings out of tune It is interesting to note that Caruso met with a similar experience in the Hungarian capital. Lord and Lady Melchett: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mond* who have now become the new Lord and Lady Melchett, are a very striking couple in London society writes an Englishwoman. They met under romantic circumstances in Rhodesia, the new Lady Melchett’s native land, when her future husband was brought to her house after a motor accident. The new Lord Melchett "is very versatile. After farming in Rhodesia, he became the “baby” of the House of Commons. And now, at thirty-one, he is a director of Barclay’s Bank and twelve other companies. At first he shocked the city by appearing in its sedate streets with a beard and a flowing poetical tie, but these delects are now remedied, and with a pair of horn spectacles he looks more as a business man should. He is also a keen sportsman, being a joint Master of the Tadworth Hunt and an excellent popo player. Lady Melchett is tall, elegant, and beautiful, and, besides having a most original house in Westminster, she possesses a country house at Melchett, which is a modern and luxurious edition of a Roman villa. It has a splendid swimming pool with green marble columns, gleaming black marble wells, and white marble diving ooards. A bronze seahorse guards a marble seat in which is concealed a radiator for the bather just out of the water. The water in the pool can be heated by switches in the room, while in summer the glass roof slides back.

Turquoise Shoes: Jade or turquoise shoes, for evening with a white frock as well as with the one they match exactly. Red shoes with a dress of white or pale beige as well as w r ith their ow r n. Brown shoes with ivory or beige and some of the delicate rose tones as well as with one of this year’s lovely gowns in dark brown lace or net.

Evening wraps, jewels and bags, may follow the same path to an end which combines variety with economy. Some of the pale lames flushed with colour make lovely evening coats or capos for both light and dark dresses. Their colouring will naturally tone with the wrap, and so may a brooch, a necklace, bracelets or some flowers

There are delightful tortoiseshell jew'el sets for those to whom browrn is kind. Some of the newest necklace and bracelet sets are made of large globes or circles, or both, of talc in any colou: or combination of colours you desire. These look much better round the throat or on the wrist than in the hand or on a milliner’s stand. Seen at Ciro’s: I always think of Ciro’s as the second greatest of London’s exclusive dance clubs and, believe me, it is such a close second that one’s mind wavers a little to put it at the top of the list!—remarks a Londoner in an overseas paper. Latterly it seems to be u more interesting place than ever, for whether you drop in there to lunch or dine you are sure to meet someone famous. The other day I met Margaret Bannerman with her tall husband, “Tony” Princcp, whom she calls “Anto”— an original way to abbreviating the name Anthony. It is Bunny’s own copyright, so please don’t adopt it as your own! She was lamenting the failure* of her last play, but with w'onderful optimism and cheeriui resignation which are sc much a part of her, while her good-looking husband smiled down at her confidently. He never doubts that one day Bunny will strike as big a winner as “Our Betters,' and I am sure he is right. She still remains one of the most alluring personalities of our theatreland.