MAYFAIR JOTTINGS

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 940, 9 December 1933, Page 20 (Supplement)

MAYFAIR JOTTINGS

The Duchess of York Sets a New Fashion. PICTURES ON HANDBAGS. . 'From Our London Lady Correspondent.* Lord Grey’s death came as a great ihock to King George, and if he had consulted Ids own personal inclinations he would have cancelled his engagements for attending the Braemar gathering. As his message to Fallodcn showed, llis Majesty had a very sincere affection and admiration for the late Foreign Minister, and lie is always deeply grieved when news reaches him that a Minister on whom he had become "to relv for advice and guidance has passed* away. The eleventh-hour cancellation of the Bracmar plans, however, would have occasioned a great deal of disappointment. It was five years since the King and Queen had last attended the gathering. More than once the Royal party had been kept indoors by torrents of rain, whilst two years ago the meeting had to bp cancelled in consequence of the death of the Princess Royal. SAID WITH FLOWERS. I was witness of one little incident in connection with the late Lord Grey which has never before, I think, been recorded in print. I was shopping in one of the big London stores when Sir Edward Grey, as he then was. entered through the revolving doors. He made straight for the flower counter and chose a glorious bouquet of roses. 1 was intrigued to notice the meticulous care with which he personally selected the blooms. Next day came the sequel. All the papers announced his engagement to his old friend Lady Glenconner. PAINTED HANDBAGS. It will he interesting to see if the Duchess of York sets a new fashion in handbags. At the Abergeldie fete, where she ivas selling white heather with little Princess Elizabeth to help her, she was carrying a large square handbag, bearing on one side a picture of Buckingham Palace with the Queen Victoria memorial in front. The fancy ‘ certainly has the merit of novelty, and I imagine that there will be a big run on bags of tin's character in the near future. There may even be a demand for hand-painted views, which would at least provide work for the minor artists of Chelsea. One who has just returned, from the Highlands tells me that the two little princesses are enjoying themselves immensely in the North. They revel in their open-air natural life after the restrictions which have to be put on them in London. PRINCE’S PLANS. The Prince of Wales, I am told, looked in splendid health when he alighted from the train at Paris on his way back from Biarritz. His Royal Highness will, in the first instance, go to Balmoral to spend a few days with the King and Queen. One of his first tasks when he returns to London will be to consider the programme for hie tour in Yorkshire. He allowed it to be known before commencing his holiday that he would, during the autumn, pay a visit to unemployed centres in the broadacred shire. If feasible, he intends to use his aeroplane, in order to visit some of the more remote areas of the county. I understand that he will also pay an early visit to Melton Mowbray to make hunting arrangements for the season. He will do a bit of riding locally before he starts following the hounds, for he has been very little in the saddle during the last 12 months. QUEEN MARY’S GOINVETICr. I shall be interested to in Mr. George Lansbury’s book “My England* anything he may have to say about Queen Mary. Years ago he did not hesitate to make disparaging references to the Throne and to members of the Royal Family. Then it fel,! to his lot as the holder of civic office in Poplar to receive the Queen when Her Majesty visited the area to inspect some municipal slum works. I asked Mr. Lansbury shortly afterwards what his impressions of the Queen were. He made confession that he had been “completely disillusioned.” “You have heard me make reference to the members of the Royal Family,” he said. “I had not met any one of them then. I do not say that I have changed my views of the monarchy, in principle, but I do assure you I have in my opinion of the Queen. I have never met anyone who was more sympathetic and practical in her views of the life of the masses of the poor.” BOOSTING ST. STEPHEN’S. If it is true that a number of society women are arranging a propaganda pageant of Parliament, our ancient Mother of Parliament has indeed fallen oil parlous days. A generation ago we should have been aghast at the notion that the Houses of Parliament had fallen so low in public esteem that it stood in need of a “boost up.” All the same, it is undeniable that less and less public interest is displayed in Parliamentary proceedings. Much of the light and colour went out from St. Stephens when the Irish Nationalist members trekked back to Dublin. I remember one occasion when the visitors in the ladies* gallery complained so bitterly of the dullness of the debate that Mr. “Willie” Redmond went down to the floor of the House and very nearly got himself suspended in order, as he explained afterwards, to brighten things up a bit on their behalf. The only member nowadays, who seems to impart animation to Parliamentary debate, is, singularly enough, a lady member. When Lady Astor is about, a “certain liveliness” always obtains. ALWAYS THE LITTLE GENTLEMAN. During London’s hot spell the zoo’s prize gorillas, Mok and Moina, have had their cage regularly cooled by spraying with a water hose. Moina has accepted this ritual with as much unconcerned dignity as any Eastern liarem queen takes the services of a punkawallah. But Mok has entered into the fun by seizing the ejjd of the hose and running it out like a trained fireman of the London Fire Brigade. He lias not minded in the least getting pretty well sprayed himself in the process, and likes playing the water into one cupped hand in order to get a drink. Not once, though occasionally his eyes have turned in her direction with mischievous inspiration, has Mok turned the hose on Moina. Expert opinion is divided about the reason for this restraint. It may be just admirable gorilla manners, a ’ sort’ of negative knight-errantry, or. on t lie other hand, it may be that Mok has a profound respect for Moina’s muscular development.