SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 March 1947, Page 7

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL.

Mrs. A. McPhail, St. John’s Hill, will leave this week for a few days visit to Napier. Miss Esme Johnston, Gonville, will leave to-day for a visit to Christchurch. Mrs. Clementson, who has been visiting Wellington as the guest of Mrs Jeffries, Karori, has returned to her home in Wanganui. Mr. and Mrs. G. Babbage and Miss Barbara Babbage, Wanganui, arrived in Auckland yesterday and are flying to Sydney on Tuesday for a month’s holiday. Miss Hilary Napier, a member of the Bodenwieser Ballet was born at Mokanshan in 1919. Miss Napier comes of an English family well known in China, her grandfather being the distinguished Sinologue, Dr. Timothy Richard. Already, as a child Hilary shower her talent lor danciAg, and after finishing school at Cambridge, she attended the State Academy of music and Dramatic Art in Vienna, graduating with honours. Here she attracted the attention of Madame Bodenwieser, who predicted a great future for her. After leaving Vienna, Miss Napier toured Europa and South America and was widely acclaimed by the critics for her brilliant solo work. When war broke out she returned to China and while giving a series of recitals, was noticed by Mr. Strok, who formerly managed tours for Pavlova, la Argentinita and other great dancers. He is now preparing a tour for Miss Napier of China, N.E.1., India, Africa and other parts of the world.