"IMMODESTY” AT TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 258, 1 November 1932, Page 2

"IMMODESTY” AT TENNIS

GAME IN THE EIGHTIES To be told that her frock was immodest becauso occasional glimpses of her ankles could be seen was au experience recalled by Miss J. A. Mowbray, who was one of the foundation members of the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club, which will celebrate its OUtU anniversary on October 29. The inci dent occurred during a tennis match in which Miss Mowbray was partnering another Auckland player. Tin partner wore a voluminous skirt witn a long train, which she was obliged to hold up with one hand throughout the whole game. During an interval in the match the umpire asked the lady with the train why she did not wear a skirt similar to Miss Mowbray’s, which was just short enough to avoid the danger of tripping her or otherwise impeding her progress. 44 Excuse me,” the lady said, turning to Miss Mowbray, 4 ‘but 1 confess I think your frock is immodest. On occasion 1 distinctly caught a glimpse of your ankles!”

The regulation tennis wear for members of the Parnell Club in those days was a blouse and skirt in the duo colours of crimson and cream. The blouse had long, plain sleeves, innocent of puffs or padding, and the crimson skirt was fully kilted and reached the tops of the shoes. Aliss Alowbray said she cannot confess to liking the present-day tennis wear of the young girls. Instead of striking a happy medium with the changes of fashion, she thinks they have inclined rather to extreme measures, and she cannot see the necessity for the excessive scantiness of some of the frocks worn.

In a report of the 189.1 opening of the club contained in the New Zealand Herald, there is an account of one gentleman player being attired in “a well-cut suit of white flannel with a crimson sash tied tastefully round his waist.” The report concludes: “1 noticed the president, Airs. Ruck, looking extra nice in a dark blue cloth with shoit silk vest and becoming bonnet of pale pink heather and feathers. A member of the youngci set was present in a crushed strawberry gown and black lace hat with black velvet strings.” Such descriptions go to show that the opening of the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club was in the nature of a much-looked-for social function rather than a day for seriousminded players. An enthusiastic and energetic player, Aliss Mowbray won her first tennis championship of Auckland in 1886 and succeeded in retaining the title for the ensuing five years. Although she never excelled in a backhand stroke, she used in its place what was colloquially called the “Alowbray scoop,” which, although indescribable and quite unorthodox, took the place of the backhand stroke, and was almost always successful in winning the point.

A Remarkable Photograph The Ilford Research Laboratories have forwarded a remarkable photo graph to a London paper. It shows eight strips of cloth for male clothing which appear to range in tone from pure white to jet black. In fact, all the pieces of cloth photographed were black, but as a result of using the new infra-red process some of them are seen to have reflected so much of the infra-red light by which they wore illuminated that they appear white in the photograph. The moral is that jet black cloth dyed in such fashion would be as cool for summer wear as grej flannel. Life of Service For 26 years Edith Brown was a missionary at the West London Police i Court, and now she has died, having as the magistrate said, spent al] her life in the service of others. “She was the ideal missionary.” he added, “sympathetic, but never sentimental, broad minded, full of common sense, and possessed of a knowledge of human nature. Above all, she had an enthu siasm which never wearied. That was why she was able to help people, to get over their troubles and start afresh.” Au English writer states: “Without faith nothing can be done; unless Edith Brown had believed in them these unhappy folk would never have believed they could begin life anew and live down their shame. She. was one nf those modern saints who move through the world unknown, yet working miracles among the lowest of men. ’ ’