FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18848, 10 April 1931, Page 3

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. Beautiful Gifts for a Bride: The Queen departed from her usual custom of presenting jewellery set with the royal cipher to brides in the Court circle and sent to the Hon. Imogen Grenfell, a beautiful dressing case. The bag. which is small and of handbag design, is of green crushed morocco leather, and nearly the whole of the top is covered by a circular plaque of white jade, exquisitely patterned. The bottles and other fittings are finished with soft green enamel to match the leather. Miss Grenfell is the younger daughter of Lord Desborough and of Ladv Desborough. who has been a lady-in-waiting to the Queen for many years. Her wedding was a simple country function at Taplow. Buckinghamshire, where her father has a beautiful house, Taplow Court. No present, except, of course, the one from the Queen, could have pleased Miss Grenfell more than the old Italian dressing table and chair the tenantry at Panshanger chose for her. The whole thing is complete. To go with the table the donors were able to secure a perfect old Italian mirror with rich gilding and decoration, and a candlestick for either side fitted to hold electric bulbs. The Women’s Institute took their cue from the tenants and their present was two painted boxes in keeping with the dressing table, while the school children added book ends to match. From the employees on the estate, she received a cut crystal lamp of great beauty and 2ft 6in in height. The Working Men’s Club gave a silver travelling clock. Lord Gage bestowed on his bride a wonderful collection of heirloom jewels some of the ornaments having been handed down for generations. Included in the collection is a magnificent diamond necklace—the stones set in a design of petalled flowers and delicate leaves. One of the most attractive pieces in the collection is a heavy gold cross, nearly three inches long, set with beautiful rubies, and with two pendants and a ruby-set bracelet to match. Diamond brooches and buck- 1 les, a corsage ornament, a crescent brooch, rings, a string of pearls, and a very fine gold chain are included in the collection. Lord Desborough gave his daughter a beautiful leather dressing-case with gold and pale yellow enamel fittings, and among Lady Desborough’s gifts are some very fine diamond ornaments and several pieces of valuable old furniture. The Duke and Duchess of Portland sent a black fox fur, Lord and Lady Cholmondeley a topaz and diamond brooch, the Earl and Countess of llchester a ring set with a fire opal and tiny diamonds. Mary Countess of Minto a diamond clip brooch, Mine. Jacques Balsan a black cigarette case set with jade and diamonds, and Lord Revelstoke an antique silver teapot. From Lord and Lady Glentanar the bride received a green enamel box, from the Earl and Countess of Midleton a tea service, and from the Marguess and Marchioness of Lansdowne a travelling clock. Lady Islington gave a white satin quilted chair and the Countess of Oxford and Asquith an old etching. Mr and Mrs Wins'. >n Churchill’s present was a set of volumes of his book “The World Crisis,” and Lord D’Abernon gave four beautifully bound volumes of Herrick. Lady Bertha Dawkins sent crystal butter dishes, the Earl and Countess of Chesterfield a green crystal bowl, and Lord and Lady Fitzalan a large crystal vase. From the Marquess and Marchioness of Waterford there was a fitted picnic basket, from the Marchioness of Salisbury a tapestry couch cover, and from Lady Joan Peake an embroidered piano stool. A Former “Miss New Zealand” Weds: Rarely does a Dunedin wedding arouse such public interest as did that of Thelma Omand, only daughter of Mrs J. M’Millan and the late Mr ! M’Millan. to Francis George, youngest son of Mr and Mrs J. Scott, of Palmerston North, which took place last week at the Church of Christ, the officiating clergyman being Pastor W. D. More. Miss M’Millan awoke to find herself famous a few years ago when she was proclaimed winner of the first Miss New Zealand beauty contest. Since then her comings and goings have been watched with an interest which culminated in the excitement on the evening of the wedding. The crowds had gathered early near the church, so that the first guests were surprised to find that they had to fight their way from motors to the church. When the bride appeared out of her home in North East Valley she was met by a large crowd determined to catch the first glimpse of the Beauty Queen. But this crowd was small compared with the mass who filled the street in front of the church, completely blocking traffic and complicating the work of the policemen who were endeavouring to make a pathway for the bridal party.

When the bride managed to enter the church she was escorted by her uncle, Mr W. H. Mackenzie, and looked charming in a gown of ivory chiffon ring velvet designed with a Boadicea bodice and an instep-length skirt which flowed to the back in a long train. The square-cut neck of her bodice was enhanced by a necklace of tiny pearls and a handsome Brussels net veil was charmingly arranged off the face with a chin strap of seed pearls, and a narrow band finishing on either side of the head with dainty poseys of orange blossom. She wore slippers of ivory crepe de chene, and carried a sheaf of arum lilies. She was attended by three bridesmaids—Miss Rima Sunderland, who was attired in a long tight-fitting to the waist and belted gown, of flame ring velvet and a putty Spanish picture hat trimmed with a long, sweeping ostrich plume of the flame shade, and Miss Leonore Mackenzie and Miss Nancye George, in similarly-designed frocks of cornflower blue ring velvet, with picture hats of putty felt, trimmed with blue ostrich plumes, and a flower girl, Miss Thelma Martin, of Nelson, who wore

a charming long frock of flame velvet and a tinsel head-dress trimmed with J flame flowers. The bridesmaids carried shower bouquets to tone with their frocks, and wore gold necklaces and bangles, the gift of the bridegroom, while the flower girl carried a miniature posy. A reception was later held at the Strand Salon, where Mrs M’Millan. assisted by the parents of the bridegroom, received the guests. Mrs M’Millan was attired in a gown of mulberry celanese. a smart mulberry velour hat, and a black fur coat, and carried a bouquet of pansies, and Mrs Scott, in a smart black gown relieved with Oriental trimming under a black fur coat, and a black hat, and carried a bouquet of flowers to tone with her toilette. For going away the bride wore a very becoming nigger tailored fine serge suit, with skin shoes and handbag to tone, a nigger velour hat, and a stone marten necklet. She carried a musquash coat trimmed on collar and cuffs with skunk, the gift of the bridegroom. Children’s Season: . Children's fancy dress parties this season are fewer but better, states a London exchange. There are a great many rival attractions nowadays to “dressing-up”", chief among them is skating, and the parties that ha.ve been planned stand out accordingly. It is fitting that children’s rights at the Lord Mayor’s juvenile fancy dress ball should have been restored by the “Children’s Lord Mayor,” as Sir Phene Neal is called by the Duchess of Hamilton and other people who appreciate his action in arranging for London schools to be closed so that the chil- | dren could see the Lord Mayor’s show, j In recent years there have been so many grown-ups at the party that the children have not been able to let themselves go. “This is to be a real children’s party,’” the Lady Mayoress has decided. Everything has been planned for the enjoyment of the children. For one thing it is to be an afternoon party instead of taking place, as formerly, in the evening. Then it is to be smaller than usual, and there will be fewer adults among the 800 guests. Mr Alfred Bosom is giving a very novel party for her two small sons—a Dickens party. Whether this will appeal to Master Patrick Plunket, who usually appears in the uniform of a wooden soldier, remains to be seen. Master Doric, the younger of the two Bossom boys, is partnering Miss Priscilla Green as a runaway couple from Gretna Green. The Earl of Gainsborough will not be in the costume of his ancestors, as he, too, must go either as a Mr Pickwick or some other well-known figure depicted in the famous Cruikshank drawings. The Japanese Ambassador’s son is among the guests, also two granddaughters of Admiral Sir Colin Keppel, and Lady Grant’s three children, Esther, Guinever, and Peter. Skating classes are attracting large numbers of young Mayfair people every morning. Lady Rachel Stuart’s two little boys are among those who come, many with nurses, and Lady Redesdale’s little daughter is beginning to skate well. These youngsters have delightful romps on the iceforming crocodiles and indulging in teapot races. The American Am-

basasdor’s daughter, Miss Virginia Dawes, and Lord Westbury’s thirteen-year-old sister, the Hon. Nefertari Bethell, are other skating enthusiats. No Beret at the Palace: Most people have noticed that the Duchess of York has taken to a set style of dressing lately, and this is said to be due to the influence of Queen Mary, who insists on a rigid standard as regards the ladies of the household, j remarks a writer in an overseas journal. Princess Mary is one of the smartest dressers in England, but she has never dared to have her hair shingled, and she would not appear in a beret at Buckingham Palace, thought she wears them on other occasions. It is said that she still has tuckers made to her dresses so that when she goes to see her mother she may fill in the rather low V neckline i of her modern gowns. It is all very i amusing when you come to think of I it Not many of us realise that Queen! Mary is really a very elderly lady; j there always seems to be such a tre - ■ mendous sense of vitality and power j about her.